Andy B Podcasts and Stuff

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Coming Up

Konnect Radio Show – Family Focus

Exciting News!

Andy B and Jo launched their very own show on Konnect Radio called Family Focus. The Radio show started on 4th September and is on air every Sunday from 4 pm – 6pm.

Andy and Jo are joined by Dave the Dog and invite you to join them for good chat, great music, and fun-filled features.

Gather around the radio, as a whole family; what else would you do on Sundays from 4 pm? 

Dave the Dog Show – Dave unleashed!

It’s hard to believe, but Dave the Dog has his very own show too! The first show went out last Monday and Dave will continue to provide fun for all the family every Monday at 4 pm.  

JoJo managed to keep Dave on track last week, so we have every faith that, although Dave did get side tracked, JoJo will steer him in the right direction this week! 

In the show there is Storytime and Art time and Dave, in his own inimitable way will lead us through! 

Dave is funny and is unleashed – what can go wrong! 

Social media loves to hide the stuff you see.

So, to make sure you never miss out on our latest posts, videos and BerryBunch News, just sign up to BerryBytes – our Weekly Newsletter and you’ll be up to date everything we produce: For Free, For All!

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Catch us on Konnect Radio for our weekly show - Family Focus: Sundays, 3 til 6pm

What's coming up in our next Marriage Matters Podcast?

In this episode of Marriage Matters, Andy B and Jo focus on finances in marriage – Money Matters on Marriage Matters, now that’s a mouthful!

Actually, as Andy and Jo discuss the issues and share their own stories, it soon becomes apparent that one episode on this subject is not enough – so they promise to come back with Money Matters Part 2!

Join us for Marriage Matters: Saturdays from 4pm

Andy and Jo

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Excitement is contagious isn’t it. Well, unless that excitement is at the cost of something you’re losing out on. Although, sometimes it can be super exciting to see someone get they something they really deserve – that excitement can even transcend our own disappointment.

Following a post by my goof friend Andy Brown, and his blog, with a post he shared titled “Leading Home Bible Study for Children (RB)” (https://andy-brown.org/2022/09/08/leading-home-bible-study-for-children-rb/) it reminded me of the importance, for parents – and anyone else who has contact with children in the context of church – to be excited about Jesus.

Sure, when you first come to faith you can get very excited about what is a totally new life ahead of you. But while that can wain. It doesn’t need to. Actually, if we’re growing in our relationship with Jesus, then that passion for Christ should grow into a deeper and more mature version.

And excitement is Exciting!

Many parents, in particular, get upset when the grown up children appear to walk away from their faith, commonly around 14-16 years old in my own experience. However, having spoken with enough parents over the years, those young people almost certainly left church many years prior, and most probably because they had only ever been introduced to a relationship with church attendance, or with the faith their parents have. And, what they need more than anything else, is their own relationship with Jesus Christ.

Jesus is exciting. A life with Jesus is exciting. A life of faith, is VERY exciting.

So be excited, and point people to Jesus, not church or the bible. As good as the bible is. As good church can be, they can not save us – only an active relationship with Jesus Christ can do that.

So get excited, be excited and let that excitement infect the people in your life.

Just a thought…

Andy B

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Do you ever have feel that something has changed around you? But you can’t quite put your finger on what it is?

It’s a little like sitting in your car, when the car next to you starts pulling away – while you’re stationary. You suddenly feel as though you’re moving backwards…our perception can be so easily distorted!

I call this ‘creep’. It’s that movement, that is sufficiently slight or tiny, that confuses what we think is real. We accept things that aren’t, simply because we didn’t notice them changing -until we get a sudden jolt and realise everything is different.

In our relationships with God we have this same issue of ‘creep’. 

We listen to some music we know wasn’t healthy or appropriate. We watch a film that had scenes we were uncomfortable with? But those things can also creep up on us so gradually we don’t realise how comfortable we have become with things that we are actually uncomfortable with!

How do we counter against this? Well, mercifully, that part is super simple.

We just need to spend some time in prayer. Or reading our bible. Or being with other Christians, worshipping God.

In a world that tells you to centre yourself by looking inwards to your own desires and needs, can I recommend some good introspection (the sort that involves somebody else looking at us across a table in a coffee shop) to check how we’re really doing.

Feelings lie. They are ever changing. What seemed bad, can slowly appear ok.

But truths don’t lie, or change. So get some truth in you to balance that slow creep of who we are and what we believe – and get some time with God.

Just a thought…

Andy B

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Are you too busy? Are you overdoing it?

In a world of 24/7 emails, it’s almost possible to never leave work – especially when we forget to turn our phones off at night (or the phone always switches on when it is charging…just sayin!!).

We all, instinctively, know that being too busy for too long is a bad thing and medical science backs that up: during World War II soldiers in the British Army fighting in the jungles of [then] Burma were dropping dead, for no apparent reason. It turns out that we really can’t actually just keep going without significant rest, because our bodies ultimately just switch off.

Those soldiers were simply on the front line for too long, in the extremes of a jungle, and their bodies could only tolerate so much. Faced with constant ambush, and death, their bodies were subjected to intense stress and pressure that far exceeds anything the majority of us will ever even come near to.

But we still should take heed of that tragic lesson, as we still need times to rest; we still need to make a considered, regular, routine, ongoing effort to balance our work and our home life.

Right now I’d say I wasn’t overly busy, but I would say that my life is very full - and I’m loving it! However, I’m still wise enough to know that I need to check in with trusted friends to ensure that I’m not doing too much.

And, remember this next life lesson - if you’re too busy to stop and take 30 minutes a day to be with God, then you’re too busy.

That might take the form of 15 x 2 minute moments (or even 30 x 1 minute moments) around caring for a small child or your family (been there!!), or an elderly relative. And, while one day with no time to stop may be ok when emergencies strike, when it becomes a repeated occurrence we’ve got a bigger issue to resolve.

Just a thought…

Andy B

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I’m sure you have met some people who build you up. Or those people who do quite the opposite and to all they can to tear you down and squash you.

I’ve worked under both sorts of bosses and the one thing that I still find a little curious is that the types of people who do all they can to make you as low as possible; who go out of their way to make you feel utterly terrible still express such consternation when they don’t get you performing very well.

And, of course we are all products of our surroundings to some extent. When we find ourselves in a supportive situation, we will flourish!

It’s a simple question from me today – are you the sort of person who goes out of their way to build up the people you meet? That may be employees. That may be others on your sports team. That might be the staff sitting on tills in the shops you visit.

Are you going about leaving the beautiful scent of Jesus when you leave the room?

Nobody wants to be put down. So, let’s ensure that whenever we meet people we, as followers of Jesus, go out of our way to think of others.

It isn’t about compromising our beliefs, but thinking of others first.

Just a thought…

Andy B

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On this episode, we explain the concept of spiritual maintenance.

Endurance is your weekly spiritual workout, whether you think of yourself as a beginner, an intermediate, or advanced!

#GoDeeper

For GoDeeper this week, Steven tackles the surprisingly difficult topic of healthy humour by first explaining how little humour is in the Bible.

He quotes a verse in Ecclesiastes, which says that there is a time to laugh, and he then points out that a quick Google search reveals numerous benefits to laughter.

Steven compares two examples from the Bible where people took the mickey and cautions us not to mock others. Plus, he touches on sarcasm and black humour.

#GoDo 

For the final segment, Nathan asks Steven some questions about GoDeeper:

1.   Do you think God wants us to laugh?

2.   I was wondering about that account with the bears. Elisha’s reaction did seem to be a trifle extreme, don’t you think?

3.   I suppose we need to apply wisdom in our use of humour. What do you think?

4.   What did Adam say when he first saw Eve?

Check out this week’s episode to find out Steven’s answers to these questions.

Steven and Nathan

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Catch us on Konnect Radio for our weekly show - Family Focus: Sundays, 3 til 6pm

Introduction

As promised, after focusing last week on wives, in this week’s Marriage Matters, Andy B and Jo look at how husbands need to love their wives – The Power of a Husband’s Love!

Andy B reads these scriptures to help us steer us in the right direction:

• Ephesians 5:25, Colossians 3:19 and I Peter 3:7

It looks like the love the bible is talking about is selfless, sacrificial and unconditional and to be honest a high standard of love is expected from husbands for their wives.

Tips and Resources

• Read Song of Songs for inspiration on showing your love for your spouse.
• Watch Torvill and Dean ice dancing to the Bolero as a picture of marriage.
• Write your own Song of Songs type message to your wife.
• Get a notepad and use to write messages to each other to show your love for each other.

The Take Away
Andy – Andy reminds us of the importance to never stop being romantic to your spouse. Also, to buy a small notepad and leave each other messages when you’re apart from each other to write love notes, or perhaps even your own home grown Song of Song to your loved one.

Jo – Watch Torvill and Dean ice skating together and reflect on your own marriage and the beautiful dance God desires between husband and wife (https://youtu.be/KNCSij0hUp8)

Andy and Jo

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Catch us on Konnect Radio for our weekly show - Family Focus: Sundays, 3 til 6pm

What's coming up in our next Endurance Podcast?

On this episode, we explain the concept of spiritual maintenance.

Endurance is your weekly spiritual workout, whether you think of yourself as a beginner, an intermediate, or advanced!

Join us for Endurance: Sundays from our new time of 2pm!

Steven and Nathan

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Catch us on Konnect Radio for our weekly show - Family Focus: Sundays, 3 til 6pm

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As the problems in the world seem to overwhelm our own ability sometimes even just to breathe, let alone think of meaningful solutions, we need to remember that, whatever we are facing, God is still very much in control! 

When the world is shaking around us let us never forget that we truly have nothing to fear with Jesus by our side, not deflecting every issue we see, but enabling us to move through them, well.

I truly believe that the terrifying energy price rises, which affect us all, can be viewed as terrible, while we simply criticise the government for what they have done, or not done. Or, we can see it as another opportunity to show people the gospel of Jesus Christ.

People need heating, food, and help, but they need Jesus so much more - as the Bishop of Winchester (UK) so eloquently put it.

Here is a freebie idea for you to try out, and I urge you, as per my Andy B 2 Minute Video yesterday (Stuck In The Middle With You) to do something about it, more than you pray about it. And I say this as one who understands only too well the real challenges of church leadership.

So, why not open your doors to the local community. Invite them in for some warmth from your heating. Invite them for hot drinks and hot food, if you can.

We can either panic and fear what is coming. Or we can embrace Jesus, embrace people, embrace our communities and do something about it.

The government may, or may not, do something to arrest this situations and help the many thousands of homes facing a winter of no heating or hot food. Time will tell. 

But the peace, hope and joy that comes from Jesus is still very much alive and active! People need more Jesus more than they need a solution from the government who, at best, are people just like you and me - in need of Jesus too.

So, keep it simple. Don’t panic, and sit down to work out what Jesus wants you to do through the challenges you’re facing in your situations – for His glory and His kingdom, remembering those precious words of Corrie Ten Boom, that God is also in the business of preparing us for heaven and frequently used the difficult situation we face: he doesn’t often take us around them, but shows us how to walk through them, with Him by our side, in front of us, behind us.

So, as the world continues to shake, stand. And then sit down with the people God puts in front of you.

Just a thought…

Andy B

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