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Join Andy Stoddard as he shares with us his daily reflection. Along with an occasional surprise.

Andy Stoddard


    • May 21, 2026 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 13m AVG DURATION
    • 1,138 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Andy Talks

    Reflections with Andy - Ecclesiastes 7: 15-29 - What if We are Wrong

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2026 10:22


    In this Thursday reflection on Ecclesiastes 7:15–29, the Teacher's closing observation — God made human beings straightforward, but they have devised many schemes — frames the whole passage as a meditation on wisdom and its limits. The Teacher says it's good to take hold of wisdom without letting go of the acknowledgment that you might be wrong, and the reflection develops that into a pastoral word about the relationship between conviction and humility. Drawing on Dr. Harold Bryson's memorable line — show me a man who thinks he's wrong — and the calculus principle that the right work built on a wrong assumption still produces the wrong answer, the reflection argues that humility isn't weakness but a commitment to staying teachable. We should believe what we believe with conviction. But we should hold that conviction with enough openness to keep growing, keep learning, and keep giving the Spirit room to correct us. The Teacher keeps bumping into his own imperfection throughout Ecclesiastes, and that's actually a healthy place to live — because if you don't think you need to grow, you won't.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%207%3A%2015-29&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - Ecclesiastes 7: 1-14 - The House of Suffering

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2026 10:29


    In this Wednesday reflection on Ecclesiastes 7:1–14, the Teacher's seemingly morbid observations — that the house of mourning is better than the house of feasting, sorrow better than laughter — are rescued from mere pessimism and read as genuine wisdom about suffering and formation. The reflection is careful not to romanticize suffering or suggest we should seek it out; Christianity calls for life, not martyrdom. But suffering, when it comes, has a way of refining us, forming us, and pulling us closer to God in ways that easier seasons simply cannot. Drawing on Stephen Colbert's striking observation — you grow to love the thing you wished had never happened — and the lived experience of painful rebukes from trusted mentors, the reflection makes the case that we learn our most important lessons not in the feasting but in the mourning. For those in a hard season: God has not left you, his rod and staff are with you, and Romans 8:28 is still true. For those in an easier season: hold onto what the hard times taught you, because those lessons are worth keeping.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%207%3A%201-14&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - Ecclesiastes 6 - The Weight of the Soul

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2026 10:37


    In this reflection on Ecclesiastes 6, the Teacher continues wrestling with the emptiness of life when meaning is sought in wealth, pleasure, work, or achievement. Though these things are not inherently bad, they cannot bear the full weight of the human soul or provide lasting peace and purpose. The passage serves as a warning against building our identity on temporary earthly things—whether money, politics, sports, approval, or success—because all eventually fail under the weight we place on them. Only Christ can serve as the true “load-bearing wall” for our souls, providing the lasting meaning and identity we were created to find.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%206&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Sunday Sermon - Witnesses

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2026 39:14


    In our message from May 17, 2026, Andy shares with us from Acts 1: 6-11.  Jesus sends us out to the people we know and love, as well as to the people we are tempted to hold with contempt, to be His witnesses, to show all the world His goodness and grace.

    Reflections with Andy - Ecclesiastes 5 - Cynicism and Hope

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2026 10:27


    In this Monday reflection on Ecclesiastes 5, the chapter's three movements — reverence, humility, and contentment — are unpacked with practical pastoral honesty. The call to guard your words before God and take your vows seriously is a word about integrity: promises to God and to each other matter, and we shouldn't make them lightly. The observation that oppression and injustice are everywhere is not meant to depress but to inoculate — don't be surprised when the world is broken, because we were never promised otherwise, and being realistic about that keeps us from being crushed by it. And the Teacher's recurring refrain — eat, drink, find enjoyment in your toil, for this is the gift of God — is finally named as a call to contentment and faithful presence in the present moment. We cannot control the future, and the anxiety about it can be paralyzing. But we can be faithful today, with the task in front of us, loving God and loving neighbor — and the reflection closes with a conviction: if we're all doing that, somehow, through God's grace, good is going to come of it. Hope is not fragile. It drags itself off the floor and goes another round.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%205&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - Ecclesiastes 4:9–16 – Two Are Better Than One

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2026 9:06


    In this Friday reflection on Ecclesiastes 4:9–16, we see the Teacher's familiar refrain of vanity gives way to a genuinely hopeful word: two are better than one, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. The reflection unpacks Wesley's concept of social holiness — often misunderstood as primarily about social action, when Wesley actually meant something more intimate: the communal accountability of the class meeting, where people who deeply loved each other held each other to faithfulness not out of judgment but out of care. Holiness, for Wesley, was never a solo project. And one of the genuinely destructive forces of modern life — even as we're more "connected" than ever — is the loss of that deep, honest, prayer-soaked Christian friendship. The practical challenge is direct: who are your people? Who prays for you? Who do you call when your world falls apart? Who loves you enough to tell you the truth? Find those people, stay close to them, and give them permission to speak into your life — because we cannot do this thing alone.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%204%3A9-16&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - Ecclesiastes 3:16–4:8 – Cynicism and Beauty

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2026 10:57


    In Ecclesiastes 3:16–4:8, the Teacher reaches perhaps his lowest point — wickedness in the place of justice, the tears of the oppressed with no one to comfort them, and the devastating conclusion that the never-born are better off than the living. The reflection uses this as an entry point into how to read Ecclesiastes responsibly: it is wisdom literature and poetry, not history, and building a theology out of isolated verses here would lead somewhere very dark very fast. But the deeper gift of this passage is that it gives us language for the times we genuinely feel this way — overwhelmed, cynical, unable to will ourselves to feel better. Toxic positivity doesn't help anyone, and Scripture's willingness to name the darkness honestly is one of its great gifts. The caution, though, is that we cannot stay there. Cynicism, left to take root, rots the soul. We cannot only tell the story of Good Friday — we have to tell Easter too. Name the darkness, give it to God, and then keep walking toward what is beautiful and true.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%203%3A16-4%3A8&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - Ecclesiastes 3:9–15 – The Gift of the Present Moment

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2026 10:14


    In this Wednesday reflection on Ecclesiastes 3:9–15, one phrase anchors everything: God has put a sense of past and future into their minds. We are wired to look backward and forward simultaneously — to remember, to plan, to worry, to dream — and that tension so often pulls us out of the only moment we actually inhabit: now. The Teacher keeps returning to the same simple refrain throughout his searching: eat, drink, take pleasure in your toil — it is God's gift. The present moment is the gift. Social media has made this harder than it's ever been, training us toward constant comparison and doom scrolling and dissatisfaction with wherever we are. But God meets us here, now, in the ordinary. More than half the church calendar is spent in Ordinary Time — not Advent or Easter, just regular days — because most of life is ordinary, and ordinary time is holy too. The call today is simple: don't let the past or the future steal the gift of the present. Live fully in this moment, because this is where Jesus meets us.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%203%3A9-15&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 – Turn, Turn, Turn

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2026 10:36


    In this Tuesday reflection on Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 — the passage made famous by the Byrds' Turn! Turn! Turn! — the full sweep of human experience is named honestly and without pretense: birth and death, planting and uprooting, weeping and laughing, war and peace, love and hate. The wisdom literature, like the Psalms, is a gift precisely because it names what we actually feel and go through, and reminds us that we are never the first to walk through any of it. Read in the context of Ecclesiastes as a whole, the Teacher isn't celebrating these seasons but cataloguing them — life is a steam train that keeps coming whether we're ready or not, and so far nothing he's tried has given it meaning. But the pastoral word is this: no season is permanent. If you're in a time of weeping, a time of laughing is coming. If you're in a time of breaking down, a time of building is coming. God walks with us through all of it. And the meaning we're searching for — which the Teacher hasn't found yet — will ultimately only be found not in the seasons themselves, but in Jesus Christ, whose presence makes us more than what any season can define.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%203%3A%201-8&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Sunday Sermon - Wet Cement

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2026 18:34


    In our Traditional sermon from May 10, 2026, Andy shares with us from John 14: 15-21.  Jesus promises not to leave us orphaned.  With changes in life, church, and the world, we can feel unsettled, like wet cement.  But then we remember that Jesus writes His name up the wet cement of our hearts.

    Reflections with Andy - Ecclesiastes 2: 12-26 – Greatness

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2026 10:31


    In this Monday reflection on Ecclesiastes 2:12–26, Solomon's existential spiral — the wise and the fools both die and are forgotten, and whoever comes after me might waste everything I built — is met with a gentle diagnosis: delusions of grandeur, and the worrier's tendency to catastrophize. But buried in the despair is a landing worth holding onto: there is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink and find enjoyment in their toil, for this is from the hand of God. The reflection pushes back against the cultural pressure to live a life of spiritual drama and cinematic significance — the cage match with the devil, the extraordinary calling, the remarkable testimony. Most of us are just going through life as moms and dads, coworkers and neighbors, doing the same things in the same patterns week after week. And that is not failure. That is faithfulness. The call isn't to be great — it's to find meaning in the toil of this ordinary moment: a smile, an open door, a word of encouragement, a kindness nobody will notice or remember. In those small things, done faithfully, something beautiful can be found.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%202%3A12-26&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - Ecclesiastes 2: 1-11 – Living Only for Yourself

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2026 10:27


    In this Friday reflection on Ecclesiastes 2:1–11 — offered on Mother's Day weekend, with a pastoral acknowledgment that the day lands differently for everyone — the Teacher's second experiment in the search for meaning is examined: pleasure. Having tried wisdom and found it vexing, Solomon goes the other direction entirely, becoming history's most extravagant hedonist — houses, vineyards, gardens, silver, gold, concubines, everything his eyes desired, nothing withheld. And the verdict is the same: vanity, a chasing after wind, nothing to be gained. The reflection connects this to a very contemporary reality: we live in an age of unprecedented access and instant gratification, and we may be among the most meaning-starved generations in history. Having everything you want doesn't fill the hole — it proves the hole is still there. The mind is fallen, and so are our desires. Just because something feels good doesn't mean it satisfies. A life worth living cannot be built on getting what you want, and Solomon is learning that the hard way so we don't have to.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%202%3A1-11&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - Ecclesiastes 1: 12-18 – The Folly of Wisdom?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2026 10:20


    In this Thursday reflection on Ecclesiastes 1:12–18 — appropriately falling on the National Day of Prayer — the Teacher's surprising conclusion that wisdom itself is vanity is unpacked honestly and personally. On the surface it seems to contradict Proverbs and the Psalms, which celebrate wisdom as a gift worth seeking. But Solomon's point isn't that wisdom is bad — it's that wisdom alone, pursued as a source of meaning, leaves you empty and vexed. The reflection gets personal: those of us who lean analytical and distrust emotion can fall into the trap of thinking the mind is somehow exempt from the Fall. It isn't. Both heart and mind are equally in need of Jesus. And in a world drowning in information — where something happens anywhere on earth and we know about it in seconds — there's a real and contemporary application: more knowledge does not equal more peace. What is crooked cannot be made straight by analysis alone. Sometimes the best way out of the quagmire is simply to do what you know is true — love your neighbor, serve somebody, pray — rather than waiting for enough information to finally make sense of everything.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%201%3A12-18&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - Ecclesiastes 1: 1-11 - Vanity, Vanity, All is Vanity

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2026 10:21


    In this Wednesday reflection that opens a new series in Ecclesiastes, the shift from the New Testament epistles to Old Testament wisdom literature is grounded in a simple observation: we are always searching for meaning, and most of the things we search in come up empty. The Teacher — almost certainly Solomon — opens with one of Scripture's most sobering refrains: vanity of vanities, all is vanity. Generations rise and fall, the wind circles, the sea never fills, and most of us will be forgotten within a few generations. Rather than finding that depressing, the reflection finds it liberating: there is nothing new under the sun, which means we are not alone in our struggles. The same search for meaning, the same temptations, the same sense of emptiness in earthly things — people have faced all of it before us. Solomon had everything the world could offer and still found himself asking whether any of it meant anything. The answer Ecclesiastes is building toward, and the answer the reflection points to now, is that meaning cannot come from accomplishments, stuff, status, or even the people we love most. Only Jesus can be the source of meaning that holds — and when he is, everything else finds its proper place.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%201%3A1-11&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - Jude 1: 17-25 – Mercy

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2026 10:21


    In this Tuesday reflection that closes out Jude, the letter's final movement is from warning to mercy. Jude tells his readers to remember what the apostles predicted — scoffers will come, driven by their own desires, causing division — but then pivots immediately to the posture of the faithful: build yourselves up in faith, pray in the Spirit, keep yourselves in God's love, and look forward to the mercy of Christ that leads to eternal life. And then, critically, show that mercy to others — the wavering, the wandering, even those caught in sin. The reflection weaves in two personal life verses — Romans 8:28, which doesn't say all things are good but that God brings good from everything, and Romans 2:4, which says it is the kindness of God that leads to repentance — to make the central point: we are not saved by our goodness, but by God's mercy. And since mercy is God's very nature, and we are being made into his image, mercy should increasingly be ours too. The world is full of people who need to know they are loved. That is our call.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jude%2017-25&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - Jude 1: 5-16 – Make Me a Captive, Lord

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2026 9:53


    In this Monday reflection on Jude 5–16, the letter's central concern becomes clear: these false teachers are not being led by the Spirit but by their own unchecked desires — almost certainly the Gnostics encountered in Second and Third John, who believed the body was irrelevant and therefore lived however they pleased. Jude's devastating poetic description of them — waterless clouds, twice-dead trees, wild waves, wandering stars — paints the picture of lives completely unmoored. The deeper question Jude raises is one of captivity: we are all captive to something, and the only choice is whether we'll be captive to God and his Spirit or to our own desires. One leads to life; the other to destruction. Make me a captive, Lord — that's the prayer. The reflection also pauses on a fascinating detail: both the story of Michael disputing with Satan over Moses's body and the prophecy of Enoch come not from Scripture but from Jewish legend and extra-biblical texts. Jude quotes them not to canonize them, but because his audience knew them and they illustrated his point — a reminder that the Bible was written by real people in real cultural contexts, and knowing that context only helps us understand it better.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jude%205-16&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - Jude 1: 1-4 – The Right Voices

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2026 10:21


    In this Friday reflection on Jude 1–4, Jude's urgent appeal to contend for the faith is set against a backdrop we've seen all week: the problem of wandering teachers. Where Third John commended a church for receiving the right teachers, Jude warns a church that has received the wrong ones — intruders who have twisted grace into a license for anything-goes living and in doing so have denied the lordship of Jesus Christ. Along the way, a brief but helpful explanation of the biblical canon clarifies why missing letters from Jude or Paul, however interesting, wouldn't simply be added to Scripture — every book that passes the fourfold test of apostolic linkage, correct time frame, correct doctrine, and universal church recognition is already there. The practical word for today is discernment: not every voice calling to you is the voice of the Good Shepherd. The tests are simple — does it glorify Jesus? Does it draw you closer to him? And does the person bearing the message show the fruit of the Spirit? If not, Jude's word is clear: be careful what you listen to, and contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jude&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - 3 John - Co-worker with the Truth

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2026 10:19


    In this Thursday reflection on Third John, the letter's central cast — faithful Gaius, self-promoting Diotrephes, and well-regarded Demetrius — illuminates a practical question about the early church: how do you know whether to trust a wandering preacher? The answer is apostolic authority and community accountability, which is part of how ordination developed — a traceable chain of trust, so that the community could verify who sent the teacher and what they stood for. Gaius earns John's highest praise for supporting these traveling ministers even as strangers, and John frames that support with a beautiful phrase: we may become co-workers with the truth. The reflection turns that phrase into a direct word for laypeople today — your encouragement, your prayers, your practical support of the ministers in your life genuinely matter, and Scripture says so. The contrast with Diotrephes, who puts himself first and actively undermines apostolic authority, makes the point even sharper. The call is simple: do good, imitate what is good, encourage someone today — because when you do, you are co-laboring in the truth.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=3%20John%201&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - 2 John – 2 John - Gnosticism

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2026 11:27


    In this Wednesday reflection on Second John, the short letter is read in full and unpacked around its central warning: many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. John's call to love one another is clarified — love here is not emotion but obedience, commitment, and self-sacrifice — and his instruction not to welcome false teachers into the house is about guarding sound doctrine, not refusing hospitality to strangers. The heresy John is combating is Gnosticism, the earliest major challenge the church faced, which taught that the physical body was corrupt and irredeemable, and therefore that Jesus didn't really come in the flesh, die, or rise bodily. The reflection pushes back firmly: the post-resurrection accounts are full of physicality — touching wounds, eating meals, walking roads — because Jesus was fully human and fully divine, and both matter. Wrong theology about the body also produces wrong living, since Gnosticism's logical conclusion was that it doesn't matter how you live. And in a modern application, social media has made functional Gnostics of many of us — we forget that the person on the other side of the screen is a real human being made in the image of God, with a body and a soul. People matter. Physicality matters. Jesus came in the flesh, and so do we.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20John%201&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - 1 John 5: 13-21 – Levels of Sin?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2026 10:47


    In this Tuesday reflection that closes out First John, three threads from the final passage come together. The promise that God grants what we ask according to his will is clarified: it's not that God gives us whatever we want, but that he aligns our desires with his own — so that a heart truly surrendered to him begins to want what he wants. The closing command to keep away from idols gets personal: an idol is anything that fills in the blank after "I believe in God, but..." — whatever we trust more than we trust him. And the theologically rich distinction between mortal and venial sin is unpacked carefully: the key is not conflating the equality of sinfulness (we are all equally fallen and in need of Jesus) with the idea that every individual sin is identical in weight. Scripture doesn't teach that, and neither does the best of Christian tradition. The Eastern Orthodox framing rings truest — any sin is a mortal sin if it is not repented of. What matters ultimately is the posture of the heart, and the willingness to keep giving the Spirit room to convict, cleanse, and draw us closer to God.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%205%3A13-21&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Reflections with Andy - 1 John 5: 6-12 – Testimony

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2026 10:12


    In this Monday reflection on 1 John 5:6–12, John's three witnesses — the Spirit, the water, and the blood — are unpacked through the lens of Wesleyan theology to show how each one gives unified testimony to the same truth: eternal life is found in Jesus, and only in Jesus. The Spirit is the agent of prevenient grace, always going before us, calling, convicting, justifying, and sanctifying. The water is baptism — the sign of the new covenant, functioning as circumcision did under the old, marking us as God's covenant people. And the blood is the atoning work of Christ, by which our sins are washed away and through which we feast at the communion table — the sacraments themselves flowing from the wounded side of Jesus. Together, these three testify to the same thing: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life. It's only ever about Jesus.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%205%3A6-12&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://www.revandy.org 

    Sunday Sermon - Abundance

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2026 21:29


    In our Sunday sermon from April 26, 2026, Andy shares with us from John 10: 1-10.  Jesus doesn't just call us to live, but to abundant life. That abundant life is how we will win the world for Jesus. 

    Reflections with Andy - 1 John 5: 1-1-5 – It's All About Jesus

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2026 10:12


    In this Friday reflection on 1 John 5:1–5, John's simple declaration — everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God — becomes the starting point for a pastoral word about primary and secondary issues of faith. Doctrinal and denominational differences are real and important; the preacher is a convinced Wesleyan and isn't pretending otherwise. But historically, the boundaries of orthodox Christianity have always been defined by two things: Jesus Christ and the Trinity. Everything else — baptism, communion, church governance, specific denominational doctrine — falls inside the sandbox, where there is plenty of room for disagreement among genuine brothers and sisters in Christ. Drawing on C.S. Lewis's concept of "mere Christianity" and the Old Testament story of the shibboleth, the reflection lands here: faith in Jesus Christ is the password, the marker, the foundation. On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand. It's all about Jesus — and it's dangerously easy to let it become about anything else.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%205%3A1-5&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://www.revandy.org

    Reflections with Andy - 1 John 4: 7-21 – God is Love

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2026 10:15


    In this Thursday reflection on 1 John 4:7–21, three beloved verses anchor the whole passage. First, John's pointed challenge — how can you claim to love a God you've never seen while hating your neighbor standing right in front of you? — is sharpened by Dorothy Day's searching line: you only love God as much as you love the person you love the least. Our love for God and love for neighbor aren't separate categories; they're proportionally linked. Second, perfect love casts out fear — not because we won't experience fear, but because we don't have to be ruled by it. God is not a divine scorekeeper waiting for us to fail; he is for us, and knowing that deeply changes how we move through the world. Third and most foundational: the passage doesn't just say God loves, but that God is love — a statement not about what God does but about what God fundamentally is. His very nature is love. And if we are being conformed into his image, then we too will love — because that is what God is, and that is what we are becoming.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%204%3A7-21&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://andystoddard.substack.com/

    Reflections with Andy - 1 John 4: 1-6 – Testing

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2026 10:23


    In this Wednesday reflection on 1 John 4:1–6, the familiar verse — greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world— anchors a practical and pastoral call to discernment in a noisy world. We serve a mighty God who doesn't need us to defend him; the gates of hell will not prevail, and nothing will thwart his plan. But that confidence in God's strength is paired with a real responsibility: test the spirits, because not every voice claiming to speak truth is from God. Three practical tests emerge from the passage — does it confess Jesus as Lord? Does it produce the fruit of the Spirit? And does it create fear? Healthy caution is one thing, but voices that constantly inflame anxiety and dread are not from God — the same God who told Joshua over and over, do not be afraid, for I am with you. The call is simple: be intentional about what you let shape your soul, and build your life around the voices that draw you closer to Jesus.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%204%3A%201-6&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://andystoddard.substack.com/

    Reflections with Andy - 1 John 3:11-24 – Our Hearts

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2026 10:14


    In this Tuesday reflection on 1 John 3:11–24, the passage's command to love one another is grounded in the defining act of love itself — Christ laying down his life — and extended outward: love not just in word, but in truth and action, and not just toward fellow believers, but toward neighbors and enemies too, because the whole of Scripture leaves no room for a narrow definition of who deserves our love. The commandment John lands on is beautifully simple: believe in Jesus and love one another. We make faith far more complicated than it needs to be. But the heart of the reflection is verses 19 and 20 — a passage the preacher has carried since early faith: whenever our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. So many of us are weighed down by guilt, regret, and internal condemnation that quietly becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. John's answer isn't to minimize the weight of that — it's to say that God, who knows every single thing about us, loves us still. You don't have to keep carrying it. You are loved more than you can imagine.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%203%3A11-24&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://andystoddard.substack.com/

    Reflections with Andy - 1 John 2: 29 – 3:10 – Sin and Grace

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2026 10:46


    In this Monday reflection on 1 John 2:29–3:10, a passage full of beloved verses — the Father's lavish love in calling us his children, the funeral liturgy promise that when he is revealed we will be like him, and the declaration that the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil — John also presents an apparent tension: if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, yet those born of God cannot sin. The resolution isn't that Christians achieve sinless perfection, but that the children of God are never content in sin — we give the Spirit room to convict us, we confess, we receive forgiveness, and we keep moving forward. The honest pastoral word is that we often struggle with the same sins repeatedly, and that's frustrating. But God's grace is not limited by our failures. Using the image of a rope being cut and knotted back together each time we are forgiven, the reflection pictures grace as the very thing that draws us progressively closer to God — so that even in our stumbling, he is pulling us nearer.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%202%3A%2029%20%E2%80%93%203%3A10&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://andystoddard.substack.com/

    Reflections with Andy - 1 John 2: 18-28 – What Are We Pulled to?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2026 10:34


    In this Friday reflection on 1 John 2:18–28, John's warning about "the antichrist" gets reframed in a way that's far more practically useful than the endless game of identifying one singular villain — whether that's Mikhail Gorbachev's birthmark in the '80s or whoever's being cast in that role today. John's real concern is the plural: many antichrists, defined simply as anyone who denies the Father and the Son. The more honest question for us is how we ourselves deny Christ — not in our stated beliefs, but in our actions, our words, and the company we keep on social media and beyond. The reflection lands on a pointed diagnostic: look at the voices you allow to speak into your life, and ask what they're producing in you. If the fruit is anger, contempt, and division, those voices are pulling you away from Jesus regardless of how righteous they sound. John's closing word is simple: abide in him — and be very careful what you let shape your soul.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%202%3A%2018-28&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://andystoddard.substack.com/

    Reflections with Andy - 1 John 2: 7-17 – Love is the Fruit

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2026 10:32


    In this Thursday reflection on 1 John 2:7–17, John's "old-but-new" commandment turns out to be exactly what we talked about yesterday: love. And love, John argues, is the most reliable marker of whether we're actually walking in the light — because you can't claim to be in the light while hating your brother or sister. Actions don't save us, but they do reveal us, the way fruit reveals what kind of tree you're dealing with. Drawing on Matthew 25, Tertullian, and the witness of the early church, the reflection makes the case that love for one another — across doctrinal lines, across differences, within the whole household of faith — is the thing that should make the watching world stop and take notice. Then John flips the contrast: don't love the things of the world — wealth, status, the approval of others, the endless desire for more — because all of it is passing away. What's eternal is love: love of Jesus, love of neighbor, love that is God's own perfect love shed in our hearts. That's the mark. That's what lasts.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%202%3A%207-17&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://andystoddard.substack.com/

    Reflections with Andy - 1 John 2: 1-6 – Christian Perfection

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2026 10:15


    In this Wednesday reflection on 1 John 2:1–6, the phrase "the love of God has reached perfection" becomes a springboard for a pastoral tour through one of Methodism's most distinctive — and most misunderstood — doctrines: Christian perfection. The passage holds the same honest tension as the previous chapter: we are going to sin, Christ has atoned for it, and we have an advocate. But the deeper question is what perfection actually means. The reflection pushes back against the common assumption that holiness is a legalistic checklist of moral performance — don't play cards, don't see movies, don't listen to secular music — and argues instead that Christian perfection, in the Wesleyan sense, is never about perfect action but about God's perfect love being restored in us through sanctifying grace. The goal of salvation, as Wesley understood it, is the recovery of the image of God — which enables us to keep the greatest commandment: love God fully and love your neighbor as yourself. That's what holiness looks like. And it's why the means of grace — Scripture, prayer, communion, fasting, community — matter so much: they are the channels through which that love grows and changes us.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%202%3A%201-6&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://andystoddard.substack.com/

    Reflections with Andy - 1 John 1: 5-10 – Confession and Forgiveness

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2026 10:16


    In this Tuesday reflection on 1 John 1:5–10, the light-and-darkness imagery that runs through John's Gospel flows directly into the letter — God is light, and walking in fellowship with him means being called continually out of the dark. The key distinction John makes is not between sinning and not sinning — we all sin, and to claim otherwise is to make God a liar — but between remaining in darkness and walking in the light, where the blood of Jesus keeps cleansing us as we go. The pastoral heart of the reflection centers on verse 9: if we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Crucially, confession doesn't trigger God's forgiveness — God's forgiveness isn't transactional or conditional on our performance. Rather, confession is the moment we speak our failure aloud and hear back the words our souls most need: you are still beloved, you are forgiven. There is no greater gift.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%201%3A%205-10&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://andystoddard.substack.com/

    Sunday Sermon - Oh Me of Little Faith

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2026 22:41


    In our Traditional message from April 12, Andy shares with us from John 20: 19-31. We see the story of "Doubting" Thomas.  We all have our doubts, and we serve a God who has overcome the grave itself.  He can handle our questions.

    Reflections with Andy - 1 John 1: 1-4 – Our Story

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2026 10:28


    In this Monday reflection opening a new series through First John, the focus falls on the letter's opening declaration: we tell you what we have seen, heard, and touched — which John frames as the foundation of Christian fellowship and the source of complete joy. Drawing on the Southern tradition of testimony and Revelation 12:11, the reflection makes the case that our testimony is one of the most powerful tools we have — and that testimony isn't just the story of our conversion, but the ongoing story of what Jesus is doing in our lives right now. The heart of the passage, and of the message, is this: experiencing Jesus is never meant to stop with us. John wrote so that others could join the fellowship, and our joy becomes complete when the people we love come to know Jesus too. The practical challenge is simple — tell your story this week, to your family, your friends, and when you're feeling brave, to someone who doesn't know Jesus yet.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%201%3A%201-4&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://andystoddard.substack.com/

    Reflections with Andy - Luke 24: 1-12 – Always Growing

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2026 10:07


    In this Friday reflection on Luke 24:1–12, three threads from the resurrection account are woven together into a single pastoral encouragement. The angel's question — "Why do you look for the living among the dead?" — becomes a call to move beyond a faith that is merely routine or historical and into one that is truly alive and built around Jesus. The moment when the women "remembered his words" becomes a word of grace for anyone who feels behind in their faith journey: growth takes time, the Spirit moves at its own pace, and not understanding something the first time isn't failure — it's the normal shape of discipleship. And finally, the fact that it was the women, not the apostles, who first believed and testified is a reminder to stop looking only to those up front and start paying attention to the whole body of Christ — because God has a way of speaking most clearly through the people we least expect.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2024%3A%201-12&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://andystoddard.substack.com/

    Reflections with Andy - Matthew 28: 16-20 – The Great Commission

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2026 10:14


    In this Thursday reflection on Matthew 28:16–20, the Great Commission is unpacked through one central question: what does it actually mean to make disciples? Drawing on Matthew's deeply Jewish framing — including the parallel between the disciples going to "the mountain Jesus directed them to" and the Old Testament pattern of God calling his people to mountains he would show them — the reflection highlights that even face-to-face with the risen Jesus, some still doubted, reminding us that faith is always a challenge. The heart of the message is the distinction between making fans of Jesus and making disciples — people who don't just know who Jesus is, but who build their entire lives around his teachings, for whom the Beatitudes, enemy-love, forgiveness, and peacemaking are non-negotiable. Before the church can make disciples, each of us must ask whether we are one ourselves. And we pursue this mission not in our own strength, but anchored in Jesus's closing promise: I am with you always, to the end of the age.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2028%3A%2016-20&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://andystoddard.substack.com/

    Reflections with Andy - Matthew 28: 11-15 – Following Jesus is Hard

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2026 10:14


    In this Wednesday morning reflection on Matthew 28:11–15, the focus turns to the guards who witnessed the resurrection firsthand and then accepted a bribe from the chief priests to spread a cover story — that the disciples had stolen Jesus's body. Using this often-overlooked post-Easter passage as a jumping-off point, the reflection asks a pointed question: what is your integrity worth? While the guards sold theirs for money, the greater temptation for most of us isn't financial — it's the approval of others, the comfort of going along with the crowd, the pull of cultural Christianity that lets us mouth the words of faith without truly living them. Drawing on Kierkegaard's insight that "the hardest thing is to be a Christian in Christendom," the reflection closes with a simple but weighty call: the Gospel isn't complicated — it's just hard. So follow Jesus today, even when it costs you something.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2028%3A11-15&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://andystoddard.substack.com/

    Reflections with Andy - Mark 16: 1-8 - Mark 16: 9-20 – Power in the Name of Jesus

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2026 10:12


    In the Gospel of Mark 16:9–20, even with its textual complexity, we see a clear message: Jesus Christ is risen, He appears to His followers, and He sends them out with both a mission and His power. While the passage includes signs that may feel unusual, the heart of it is that there is authority in Jesus' name over fear, evil, and anything that tries to hold us captive. Because of the resurrection, we don't have to live bound by fear, guilt, or uncertainty—we are free to live with hope, courage, and joy, trusting that if even death could not defeat Christ, then nothing we face has the final word.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2016%3A%209-20&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CSubscribe through Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2e9rjDSwcdX6ZsZhSasBMKSubscribe through Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/andy-talks/id1313107515

    Sunday Sermon - What Will You Do?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2026 24:31


    In our Easter message, Andy shares with us from Matthew 28: 1-10. We see that we sin, death, and the grave are liars. We are not defined by them.  We are free. But that freedom can be scary. What will we do with the hope that we have?

    Reflections with Andy - Mark 16: 1-8 - Terror and Amazement

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2026 10:12


    On this Monday after Easter, we begin living in the reality of the resurrection by reflecting on the Gospel of Mark 16:1–8, where the women are the first to discover the empty tomb and carry the good news of Jesus Christ's resurrection—reminding us that God often uses unexpected people who are simply willing. Like them, we live in a world of both “terror and amazement,” where life can feel overwhelming and beautiful at the same time, and we may sometimes feel inadequate or tempted to write others off. But Easter teaches us not to do either, because the story isn't over—life, not death, has the final word. Our calling is simple: be faithful and tell the story of what Jesus has done, trusting that God will use it in ways we may not even see.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2016%3A%201-8&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://andystoddard.substack.com/

    Maundy Thursday Sermon - Family Meal Time

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2026 22:15


    In our Maundy Thursday sermon, Andy looks at 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26. Every time we take communion, we retell our family story. We are forgiven. We are loved. But never forget what it cost. 

    Reflections with Andy - Good Friday - Isaiah 53

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2026 10:29


    On Good Friday, we remember that while the day was not “good” for Jesus Christ, it is good for us because of what was accomplished on the cross. This is where Jesus atoned for our sin—taking on all the brokenness of humanity and making us right with God—while the resurrection to come will defeat the consequence of that sin, which is death. As described in Book of Isaiah 53, He was “pierced for our transgressions” and bore the iniquity of us all, meaning there is nothing left for us to earn or repay. The cross shows us that God's love is complete and that His wrath has been satisfied, so we can live in the freedom of knowing God is not against us but for us, holding onto hope as we wait for the victory of Easter.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2053&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

    Reflections with Andy - Maundy Thursday - John 13: 1-20

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2026 10:24


    On Maundy Thursday, we remember both the command and the example given by Jesus Christ in Gospel of John 13: to love one another as He has loved us and to live that love out through humble service. In washing the disciples' feet—a task reserved for the lowest servant—Jesus shows that true love is not about status or appearance, but about self-giving care for others. This day, marked by communion and the stripping away of the altar, reminds us that we must walk through darkness to reach the light of Easter, and it calls us to examine our own lives: are we willing to serve as Christ served? As followers of Jesus, we are given clear marching orders—to love, to serve, and to trust that this kind of sacrificial love is how God transforms both us and the world.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2013%3A1-20&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

    Reflections with Andy - Spy Wednesday - Matthew 16: 1-16

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2026 10:22


    On Holy Wednesday, often called “Spy Wednesday,” we see a quiet but pivotal moment in Holy Week where Judas Iscariot agrees to betray Jesus Christ, set alongside the beautiful act of a woman anointing Jesus with costly ointment in Gospel of Matthew 26. While the disciples focus on practicality and missed opportunity, Jesus highlights the deeper meaning of her act—an expression of love and preparation for His burial—reminding us not to overlook beauty in our faith. Judas, likely frustrated that Jesus was not becoming the kind of Messiah he expected, chooses betrayal when Jesus doesn't meet his expectations. The passage challenges us to reflect on our own hearts: will we trust and follow Jesus even when we don't understand His plans, or will we try to shape Him into what we want Him to be?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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2026%3A%201-16&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

    Reflections with Andy - Holy Tuesday - Matthew 23

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2026 10:20


    On Holy Tuesday, Jesus spends much of the day teaching, most notably delivering the “seven woes” in Gospel of Matthew 23, where He strongly rebukes the Pharisees and Sadducees for their hypocrisy. While they had mastered the outward appearance of faith—focusing on rules, status, and religious image—they had neglected the heart of God's law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Jesus warns against becoming like “whitewashed tombs,” looking righteous on the outside but being spiritually empty within. This challenges us, especially as we approach Easter, to examine our own faith—not just what we do or how we appear, but why we do it—calling us to move beyond religious optics and live with genuine devotion to God.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2023&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

    Sunday Sermon - Jesus Parade

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2026 24:22


    In our Traditional sermon from Palm Sunday, Andy shares with us from Matthew 21: 1-10. We see the people throw a parade for Jesus. But, the kingship they are looking for is not the kingship Jesus came to give. What will that do when Jesus is what they want?  What do we do?

    Reflections with Andy - Holy Monday - Matthew 21: 12-17

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2026 10:24


    On Holy Monday, reflecting on Gospel of Matthew 21:12–17, we see Jesus cleansing the temple—not out of random anger, but to remove barriers that were making worship difficult and exploitative. The money changers and sellers had turned a place meant for prayer into a system that took advantage of people and hindered their access to God. This moment challenges us not to focus on what “tables” we want to flip, but to examine our own lives: are we, in any way, making it harder for others—or ourselves—to draw near to God? Holy Week invites us to remove those barriers, repent, and create space for deeper connection with Christ.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.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2021%3A%2012-17&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

    Sunday Sermon - Deliver Us From Evil

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2026 21:50


    In our Traditional sermon from March 22, Andy concludes our series on the Lord's Prayer by examining the phrase "Deliver us from evil."  We talk about temptation; how we all face it; what it looks like; and how do we stand against it.  God is always with us, even in temptation. 

    Sunday Sermon - Trespasses

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2026 25:44


    In our Traditional sermon from March 15, 2026, Andy continues to share with us from the Lord's prayer as found in Matthew. We talk today about why some churches say "trespasses," others "sins," and others "debts."  This simple phrase tells us a lot about who we are and the depth of God's grace.

    Sunday Sermon - Thy Kingdom Come

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2026 26:31


    As we continue our look at the Lord's Prayer during this season of Lent, Andy shares with us what it means to pray "thy kingdom come, thy will be done."  This is a dangerous prayer, but it is a prayer that can change the way we look at our lives.

    Sunday Sermon - Hallowed Be Thy Name

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2026 26:08


    As we begin looking at the Lord's Prayer in this season of Lent, we turn to Matthew 6:9-13.  What does it mean to pray to Our Father, who art in Heaven?  What does it mean for us to say that His name is Holy?

    Sunday Sermon - Go to Church

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2026 24:31


    In our Traditional message from February 15, Andy shares with us from Hebrews 10: 19-15.  He explains why he considers himself a moderate. A moderate is not someone who does not have real theological or political thoughts and opinions. They will not break relationships over those differences.  This has been the historic reality of the United Methodist Church, and may it remain so 

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