Andy Talks

In 2 Timothy 2:14–26, Paul urges Timothy to avoid pointless arguments and to treat others with kindness, patience, and gentleness—even when correcting those with whom he disagrees. In a world that often rewards outrage and hostility, Christians are called to a different way of living. Gentleness is not weakness; it takes discipline and strength to respond with love rather than anger. Our goal is not simply to win arguments, but to reflect Jesus and invite others to experience the truth and grace of God. In a world that can be cold and cruel, choosing kindness and beauty is an act of rebellion and a witness to the way of Christ.

Join us for our daily reflections. In 10 short minutes, we’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help us better understand God’s Word.

You can read today’s passage here.

Click here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. 

You can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here.

In 2 Timothy 2:1–13, Paul encourages Timothy to endure hardship, remain faithful to the gospel, and remember that even though Paul may be imprisoned, the Word of God is not chained. The passage culminates in a powerful promise: even when we are faithless, God remains faithful. We often treat our relationship with God like a transaction, believing that God's love and grace depend on our performance. But grace is a gift rooted in God's character, not something we earn. Our failures matter, and we are called to live faithfully, but our hope rests in the goodness of the God who remains faithful even when we fall short.

Join us for our daily reflections. In 10 short minutes, we’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help us better understand God’s Word.

You can read today’s passage here.

Click here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. 

You can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here.

In 2 Timothy 1:8–18, Paul writes about suffering, faithfulness, and the confidence that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. How do we reconcile our belief in a good and all-powerful God with the reality of suffering? There are no easy answers, but the Christian faith points us toward a God who does not remain distant from our pain. In Jesus, God enters into our suffering, and through the resurrection, we discover that suffering and death do not have the final word. Reflecting on Paul’s words and the hymn “I Know Whom I Have Believed,” we are reminded that we may not understand every mystery, but we can place our trust in the One who holds us in grace and gives us hope.

Join us for our daily reflections. In 10 short minutes, we’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help us better understand God’s Word.

You can read today’s passage here.

Click here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. 

You can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here.

In our sermon from October 12, 2026, Andy shares with us from Exodus 3: 1-12.  We look at how Moses had to see the great thing that God has done. In the same way, when we, as a church, are serving and living out our mission, we will impact people in ways that we cannot even imagine.  But it will take all of us, doing our part.  May people see the things that God has done here! 

Today we begin 2 Timothy with Paul’s encouragement to Timothy: God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, love, and self-discipline. What does that power look like? Not arrogance, domination, or being the loudest person in the room. Christian power is rooted in Christ, expressed through love, and sustained through disciplined faithfulness. Paul also reminds Timothy of the faith he inherited from his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice, reminding us that none of us stands alone—we are shaped by those who have gone before us and entrusted with passing faith on to those who come after us.

Join us for our daily reflections. In 10 short minutes, we’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help us better understand God’s Word.

You can read today’s passage here.

Click here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST.

You can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here.

Today we finish Paul’s first letter to Timothy with a call to active faith. Paul tells Timothy to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness; to fight the good fight; and to take hold of eternal life. We are saved by grace through faith, but that doesn’t mean we are passive in our faith. Every day we have choices to make—to pray, read Scripture, serve our neighbors, show grace, forgive, love, and focus our hearts on the things that draw us toward Jesus. Following Christ isn’t about moral perfection or getting everything right. It’s about chasing after Jesus with all that we are and allowing his love to transform the way we live.

Join us for our daily reflections. In 10 short minutes, we’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help us better understand God’s Word.

You can read today’s passage here.

Click here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. 

You can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here.

In 1 Timothy 6:3–10, Paul warns about controversy, discontentment, and the danger of loving money. Today we wrestle with what that means in a world filled with online outrage, suspicion, wealth, and endless distractions. Money itself isn’t the problem—our relationship to it is. Wealth can be a tremendous blessing when we understand it as something God has entrusted to us, but it becomes dangerous when it becomes our master. The question is ultimately about our first love: What are we really serving? Because we cannot serve both God and wealth—or God and anything else that takes first place in our lives.

Join us for our daily reflections. In 10 short minutes, we’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help us better understand God’s Word.

You can read today’s passage here.

Click here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. 

You can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here.

Today we tackle one of the difficult passages in 1 Timothy: Paul’s words about slavery in 1 Timothy 6:1–2. How do we understand a passage like this in its first-century Roman context, especially when we know the terrible history of slavery in America? More importantly, how do we read Scripture when a particular passage seems to conflict with the larger story of the Bible? Today we’ll talk about the importance of context, translation, and reading difficult verses through the greater story of Scripture—the story of God moving toward freedom, justice, mercy, and liberation for the oppressed.

Join us for our daily reflections. In 10 short minutes, we’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help us better understand God’s Word.

You can read today’s passage here.

Click here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST.

You can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here.

In today’s reflection, Andy looks at 1 Timothy 5:17–25 and Paul’s advice about church leadership, ordination, spiritual formation, and integrity. Andy reflects on why the church should not ordain people hastily and why the formation of a minister’s character is ultimately more important than the public skills of preaching, teaching, or leadership. He also shares personally about the sacredness of ministry, the generosity of God’s people, and the responsibility of receiving income that comes from people’s acts of worship. Ultimately, this passage reminds us that talent should never outpace integrity and that faithful ministry is formed in the quiet work of prayer, accountability, mentorship, and spiritual growth.

Join us for our daily reflections. In 10 short minutes, we’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help us better understand God’s Word.

You can read today’s passage here.

Click here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. 

You can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here.

In our sermon from October 4, Andy shares with us from Jeremiah 20: 9-11.  We are catching fire here at FUMC Starkville. When we catch fire, we can set our community ablaze with the grace of Jesus Christ!