Andy Talks

In today’s passage, the Transfiguration in Luke 9:28–36, we catch a glimpse of Jesus in his true glory, shining with majesty as Moses and Elijah stand beside him, representing the Law and the Prophets all pointing to him. Peter, overwhelmed, blurts out his idea to build shelters, but God interrupts with the heart of it all: “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him.” The disciples almost missed it because they were heavy with sleep, yet staying awake allowed them to see Jesus’ glory — and that’s the call for us too. In the middle of life’s distractions and weariness, we need to stay alert, pay attention, and keep our eyes fixed on Christ, because everything — Scripture, faith, and life itself — finds its center in him.

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.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%209%3A%2028-36&version=NRSVUE

Click 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/vtYqtb6C

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our final sermon from our Three Simple Rules series, we look at Matthew 8:23-27. We see Jesus calm the storm. Where in our lives do we find God?  Build your life around that, and no matter the storm, we will find life.

Today is more than just a break from work; it serves as a reminder of the deeper need for both physical and spiritual rest. Scripture illustrates this truth through the story of manna in the wilderness, where God provided for His people and taught them the value of pausing to rest, and in the book of Hebrews, where we are invited to enter God’s rest by trusting in Christ rather than our own efforts. True rest is not simply about sleep or leisure but about laying down the burdens of striving, worry, and self-reliance, and instead finding peace in God’s presence. Just as a parent quiets a restless child, God holds us with His love and calms our weary hearts. On this Labor Day, we are reminded that rest is both a gift and a necessity—time to renew our bodies, refresh our spirits, and embrace the grace and mercy God freely gives today.

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.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%203%3A16-4%3A10&version=NRSVUE

Click 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/vtYqtb6C

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In Luke 9:18–27, Peter rightly confesses Jesus as the Messiah, but Jesus immediately redefines what that means: the Messiah must suffer, die, and rise again, and His followers must walk the same path by denying themselves and taking up their cross daily. True discipleship isn’t about power or comfort—it’s about surrender, humility, and dying to selfishness so that we can discover real life in Christ. Like C. S. Lewis’s picture of Eustace shedding his dragon skin, following Jesus can feel painful, but it’s ultimately freeing, stripping away false identities until only true life remains. To follow the crucified and risen Messiah is to lose ourselves—and in doing so, to find joy.

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.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%209%3A%2018-27&version=NRSVUE

Click 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/vtYqtb6C

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In Luke 9:10–17, Jesus feeds the 5,000 with just five loaves and two fish, showing that He cares for the whole person—teaching, healing, and providing for physical needs. The disciples felt inadequate, just as we often do when faced with overwhelming problems, but Jesus didn’t ask them to solve it all; He only asked them to bring what they had and follow His instructions. That’s the heart of this story: we’re not called to fix everything, but to offer our small gifts in obedience and trust Jesus to multiply them. In His hands, even our “not enough” becomes more than enough, overflowing with 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.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%209%3A%2010-17&version=NRSVUE

Click 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/vtYqtb6C

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In Luke 9:7–9, Herod is confused by Jesus, hearing rumors that He might be John the Baptist raised from the dead, Elijah, or another prophet. Unlike Matthew and Mark, Luke only gives a brief mention of John’s death, keeping the focus squarely on Jesus—which is fitting, since John’s mission was always to point people to Christ. Herod’s question, “Who is this?” is the right one, because Jesus should unsettle and perplex us; He doesn’t fit neatly into our categories or expectations. Faith isn’t about having everything figured out—it’s about trusting God in the mystery. Real faith begins when we stop demanding certainty and instead choose to trust the One who holds the future.

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.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%209%3A%207-9&version=NRSVUE

Click 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/vtYqtb6C

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In Luke 9:1–6, Jesus gives His disciples power and authority, sending them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and heal, relying not on their own resources but on God’s provision. This passage reminds us that the kingdom isn’t a distant hope but a present reality—Jesus is Lord right now. Like the disciples, we’re called to live and proclaim that truth in our homes, communities, and workplaces, not just with words but through lives that reflect His love and power. And we don’t go alone—we go together, filled with Christ’s authority, carrying hope and courage into a world that needs to see His kingdom at hand.

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.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%209%3A%201-6%20&version=NRSVUE

Click 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/vtYqtb6C

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In Luke 8:40–56, we see two powerful healings woven together—Jesus restores a bleeding woman who had suffered for twelve years and raises Jairus’s twelve-year-old daughter from death. Both were marginalized and overlooked, yet Jesus saw them, touched them, and made them whole. What’s striking is that, unlike in Jewish law where uncleanness spreads, with Jesus it’s the opposite—His holiness flows outward, stronger than sin, shame, or even death. This passage reminds us that no situation is too far gone and no person too unclean for His grace. Whatever feels impossible or broken in our lives, Jesus is greater—and when we place it in His hands, He brings restoration and life.

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.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%208%3A%2040-56&version=NRSVUE

Click 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/vtYqtb6C

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our Traditional message from August 24, 2025, Andy shares with us from Philippians 2 12-13. We are called to place ourselves in a position to experience God, and then God will do the rest.  In our disciples, we are faithful, but God does the work!

In Luke 8:26–39, Jesus crosses into Gentile territory—unclean, scary, “off-limits” land for a good Jewish person—and meets a man possessed by demons, living among tombs and pigs, cut off from everything. To the disciples, it was like stepping straight into a nightmare—but Jesus went right to the heart of the fear and brought peace. Just like He calmed the storm, He calmed this man’s chaos, showing that He is greater than anything that scares us. And while the man begged to follow Jesus, Jesus told him to stay and tell his story at home—a reminder that sometimes our calling is to be faithful right where we are. Whatever your “boogeyman” is today, remember: God is bigger.

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.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%208%3A%2026-39&version=NRSVUE

Click 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/vtYqtb6C

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/