Andy Talks

When I look at Sampson, I think to myself, I would never use him. He is out of control. He is reckless. He even, at one point, names what he is doing as mischief. But what do we find? God uses him. God uses him as an instrument. God uses him to help the Israelites. Even though Sampson is not someone I would use, God does. God doesn't always make sense, and we need to remember that. God isn't going to always do what we want Him to do. God cannot be controlled. He is to be followed.

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=Judges%2015&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/

We see more of Sampson’s story today, and we encounter a theme that will remain constant throughout his life. Sampson lives recklessly. He lives out of control. The Lord is able to use him, yes, and even the most out-of-control life can be used by God. But Sampson lives totally out of control. He breaks the law, he makes his parents unclean, he is prideful, he is cocky, he lives in a way that is destructive to him and to others. Today, what are you living for?  How are you living?  Are you living controlled, or are you totally out of control?  Let us be careful today, how we live.

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=Judges%2014&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/

Today, we see the birth of Sampson. The angel who comes to his family tells them that Sampson is to be a nazirite.  He is to be set apart, no unclean food, no wine, no haircuts. He is to be different from all his neighbors. To be holy is to be set apart. As Christians, especially those of us from the Wesleyan family, holiness is our purpose. But we are to always remember that holiness is not so much focused on actions, but it is focused on love; loving God and Neighbor. What has often been called perfect love. That love of God, shed abroad in our heart, driving us from sin and pushing us to God.

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=Judges%2013&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/

We have seen a lot of stories thus far of well-known judges. Gideon’s story took chapters. But today, we see the story of three individual judges that takes about seven verses.  We don’t know much about them. We don’t know their stories. We don’t know what they did right or what they did wrong. All we know is that they were faithful. That’s all we can be.  We can’t compare ourselves to others, to their stories, to what they do. All we can do is be faithful.  If we are faithful in who we are and who God has called us to be, that is all we can do. God will take care of the rest.

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=Judges%2012%3A%208-15&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 Pentecost sermon, Andy shares with us from Acts 21:1-21. We see that on this day, the Spirit was given to us. The church was born, but within that, the hope of Glory is Christ with us. We each have the Spirit, and we are called to that Good News of Jesus Christ with us outside the walls, into all the world! 

Today, we looked at a story about the warfare among the tribes, but it was so much more than that. We see the concept of a “Shibboleth.”  This is a word that certain tribes could not pronounce correctly, thus revealing their true identity. The concept of Shibboleth is a way to know if something is “true” or not. What is your Shibboleth of who is a Christian? We’ll talk today about some historic markers that make one a Christian, and we’ll talk today about some words that Jesus had to say.

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=Judges%2012%3A%201-7&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/

Jephthah is always one of the more interesting stories in the Bible to me. He is a judge who makes a hasty vow that comes at a great cost to his daughter.  This is a cautionary tale to us to be careful of promises and vows. I was raised to take very seriously my promise, and if I promise something, I mean it.  Our vows to God matter.  Let me be clear, Jephthah is no hero in vows. But even in this, we can learn a lesson in Scripture.

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=Judges%2011&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/

Our VBS will explore different Road Trips in Scripture, so throughout the summer, in our sermons, we will examine various individuals who traveled with God. Today, we'll look at Abraham and the road trip of faith that takes us, with all of our faithfulness and faults.

We see the Israelites fall into sin and slavery again today.  We take a few moments to unpack again what idolatry truly is.  It is not a golden calf on top of the TV, or some pagan pole in our backyard. It is the thing that we give our allegiance and security to, other than God. What is the thing, other than the Lord, that we trust in? That is where our idol is.  But then, we see the Lord, when the people repented, free them. We truly do not understand the depth of the Father’s love for us.  You loved today.  Never forget that.

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=Judges%2010%3A%206-18&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/

We see the story today of two judges whom we do not know much about.  And saying we see their story isn’t really right, either. We don’t see their stories. We see their names and that’s about it. We don’t know anything about them, really. We just know this, they were faithful.  They were judges. They served. They were faithful, but we don’t know anything about them. Being faithful doesn’t mean that we will always be famous or well-known. In fact, many times, it may mean just the opposite.  We should be chasing fame, or fortune, or anything like that. We should chase faithfulness.  That is what God desires from us. That is what God desires for us.

Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/

Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%2010%3A%201-5&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/