Andy Talks

James today hits on something that will be a constant theme for him in this book. Be careful of wealth. For us, it’s easy to think that it is a warning to someone else. And yes, there is always someone better off than each of us. But if we are reading this on our computer or mobile phone, listening to this on a podcast after having woken up in a warm bed with a roof over our head, driving our job, we are among the richest folks to have ever lived. This is not a warning for us others; it is a warning for us. Where do we find our identity? Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.bib

As we begin our time together in the book of James, we see some really vital truths. Today, we are told about the importance of trials and the value of wisdom. Our trials produce endurance, and that endurance produces maturity.  Our trials teach us so very much. We learn more from them than we do from anything.  And with wisdom, if we lack, God will give generously to us.  Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%201%3A%201-8&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

We begin our time together in James by getting an overview of what it is about. Who wrote it?  What is the point?  James is a great book to read in tandem with Galatians or Ephesians, in the same way it is great to read Job in tandem with Proverbs. It gives us balance. Yes, we are saved by grace through faith so that no one can boast. But our works do matter. Our works are important. They show us what a Christian life truly is. James answers this question: What does a Christian life really look like? Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%20

Over the next three Sundays, we will examine Jesus's temptations more closely, each individually. Today, we examine the temptation to turn stones into bread. What was happening here? What is this temptation actually about?

In our Psalm today, David gives us words to cling to when we find ourselves in hard times. David, in his life, has had moments of great victory and moments of great trial. Today he gives us two words that we can claim in these moments. First, we can name our pain and hurt to God. Speak it, and give it to Him. Second, we can remember the times in the past when He has been there for us. With these gifts, we can stand in hard times.  Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2031&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://re

We are going to look at a couple of Psalms between our time in Galtians and James. We’ll pay special attention to a couple of Psalms that are important with this Lenten season. Today, we look at David’s beautiful reflection on forgiveness.  This Psalm takes a walk through the journey of sin, confession, and God’s pardon of our sins. It’s a wonderful work that shows us just how important confession and forgiveness are to our faith. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2032&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://re

Paul finishes his letter to the Galatians with this. Circumcision or uncircumcision, neither of these matters at all. They are not important. What is important? What matters?  The new creation. That’s what it all matters: the work of grace in our lives. That is what makes the difference; that is what it is all about.  Don’t get caught up in the things that aren’t important. Focus on what matters. Grace. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%206%3A%2011-18&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog

Paul always ends each letter with some basic instructions. It always feels like Proverbs to me. Today, Paul tells us to carry our own burdens and bear each other’s loads. Which is it? Are we to take care of our own needs or the needs of others?  How are we to handle this?  We see both, but how exactly does that work? Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%206%3A%201-10&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Today, we finish our deeper examination of each Fruit. We’re going to do another day of “Fruit Inspection,” where we examine individual fruits more closely and see if these fruits are present in our lives. Today, we’ll examine gentleness and self-control. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205%3A%2022-26&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In the first sermon in our Lenten series "Temptation," Andy shares with us from 1 Corinthians 10: 11-13.  We see how no temptations have ever come upon us that have not been faced before. We are not overcome by temptation, and Jesus shows us the way out! 

We continue today with our deeper look at each of the Fruit. We’re going to do another day of “Furit Inspection,” where we look more closely at individual fruits and see if these fruit are in our lives.  Today, we’ll look at peace, kindness, generosity, and faithfulness. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205%3A%2022-26&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our Ash Wednesday Sermon from March 5, 2025, we look at Matthew 6: 1-6; 16-21. Jesus tells His followers that when they fast and pray, they should do so in secret. During this Lenten season, may we spend time in secret, giving Jesus the room He needs to draw us close. 

As we return to the Fruit of the Spirit today, we’ll take time to look a little deeper at each of the Fruit. We’ll do what a pastor of mine used to call a “fruit inspection.” What do each of the fruit mean? What can we learn from them? How can we grow these fruit in our very lives?  Today, we’ll look at love, joy, and patience.  What are these fruit truly about? Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205%3A%2022-26&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. For churches that may not be liturgical, you may be unfamiliar with this day and season. This is the beginning of the forty days leading to Easter. It is a time of repentance, of fasting, of prayer. It is a time where we give the Holy Spirit space to convict, to point out our brokenness and heal us from our sin. Today’s reflection will give us some words on why we need this time of conviction and healing. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206%3A%201-6%2C%2016-21&version=

There may not be a passage that I have meditated upon more these last few years than the Fruit of the Spirit. When I look to the people that I desire to follow, that I desire to have disciple me, now, over and over again, this is what I look for. I look for the Fruit of the Spirit. Not dynamic leadership. Not strategic thought. But the Fruit of the Spirit. Where these are, there is the spirit of God. We’ll talk more about these fruit in the next couple of days. But I wanted you to hear why this passage is so important to us. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com

Over the next two days, we are going to talk about the “works of the flesh” and the “fruit of the spirit.”  One (the works) is the result of what we do, and one (the fruit) is the result of what is being produced within us. We spend time today talking about what it means when Paul speaks of “the flesh” and the difference between our sin nature and the sins that we commit. How does it all fit together in who we are? Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205%3A16-21&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy

In the last sermon in our "I Am" series, Andy shares with us from John 15:1-5. Here, we see Jesus tell us that He is the vine. But, he also tells us this: we are the branches. And for us to live, we must abide, or be rooted, in Him, and Him alone. 

Paul really brings out his fastball today. To those who are preaching circumcision and upholding all the law, today he says he wishes they would castrate themselves. I bet you didn’t have that phrase on your Friday morning Rooted in Christ bingo card, did you?  Paul reiterates that the law doesn’t save; it doesn’t count. All that counts is faith working itself through love. That's what matters. The law that we are called to keep is this: the law of love. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205%3A%202-15&version=NRSVUEYou can

This is one of the most interesting passages in all the Bible. Today, Paul is going to turn a lot of things upside down. He tells us that the true children of Sarah are those saved by faith. The children of Hagar are those of us who are living by the Law. It doesn’t matter who your earthly parents are; what matters is who is your heavenly Father. Your earthly birth is not that important; it is your heavenly birth that matters the most. Today, we talk about the most important birth.Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%204%3A%2021-5%3A1&

My kids and I have a running joke about the dadly statement, “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.”  All of us have either heard that from our dads, at some point, or said that as a dad. Today, Paul is wrestling with the fact the Galatians keep falling back into the old sins and mistakes of the past.  He’s just confused. Why? Why do you keep doing this? I don’t understand. Paul wants them to avoid the old mistakes, and he just can’t understand why it keeps happening. Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%204%3A%208-20&version=NRSVUEY