Andy Talks

After we left off with Haman being destroyed, we now see that the tables have turned. The people who believed that they would destroy the Jewish people now find themselves being destroyed. God has turned the tables. God has made all things right. Esther teaches us to have courage, yes. But it also teaches us to trust that God will, in His way and time, make all things right. God will always make a way.

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.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther%208-9%3A18&version=NIV

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

Today, we see how Haman’s story comes to an end. He is impaled on the very pole he had built for Mordecai. This comes to completion when Esther does the right thing.  She has courage. This got me thinking about all the times in my life when I did not have courage. When I did not do the right thing. When I blinked.  What matters is not the past when we may not have gotten it right, but what matters is now. Our mistakes don’t destroy us; they are tools that we can use in the future to have courage and do the right thing.

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.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther%207&version=NIV

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

We see the way that Mordecai approaches the world with humility and trust. Haman comes with pride. He assumes that he is the honored one. He assumes he is the greatest, the righteous, the one who will be lavished with praise. He is so prideful, that he doesn’t see that in his pride are the seeds of his own destruction. But Mordecai shows humility. And more than humility, he shows trust. He knows that God will deliver his people in His way and in His own choosing.  He trusts in God in all that is happening. 

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.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther%206&version=NIV

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

Today, we see Esther follow through with Mordecai’s request. She goes to the King to ask him to spare her people. But she does something unexpected. Instead of asking then, she throws a banquet. And then, at that banquet, she asks the King and Haman to come to another banquet. Why?  There’s really no good answer in scripture, and I get a couple of the reasons I read in commentaries. But to me, ultimately, it is about her being willing to follow God’s nudge or plan, even when it may be different from what she thought. Sometimes, we get so focused on our plan that we can miss God’s plan.

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.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther%205&version=NIV

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

Every book of the bible has a verse that most people know it for. For Ecclesiastes, for instance, we all know the passage about time, “a time to kill, etc.”  For Esther, if you know any verses from it, you know a passage from today, “for such a time as this.”  We’ll look at what this passage means, but we’ll also look at it within its context. When we understand the greater story being told, the more we understand the power of this moment. 

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.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther%204&version=NIV

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

In our Traditional message from January 19, 2025, Andy shares with us from John 6: 35-41.  In the first of our series about the "I Am statements of Jesus, we see that He is the Bread. We unpack what it means to feast on the goodness of Jesus. 

We see Haman get a great position of great honor, yet Mordecai will not defer to Haman as Haman thinks is right. Haman is offended, and his pride is hurt. Because of this hurt pride, Haman decides not just to kill Mordecai but to destroy all the Jews. Because of his wounded pride Haman is willing to destroy so many. What relationships are destroyed, and what harm is caused because of our pride? Pride is always destructive!

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.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther%203&version=NIV

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

We see the story of Esther continuing to play out. Mordecai hears about a plot to assassinate the king, and he tells Esther, who in turn tells the king.  He then has these two men impaled upon poles. This may not seem like a lot happening, but see that Mordecai is involved and doing good. He tells Esther, who then tells an irrational king.  These steps don’t seem like that much, but in time, they will be the very steps that will help save God’s people. God is bringing all these little, seemingly insignificant things together.  We will see how all these things play out. God will work it all for good in the coming chapters. 

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.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther%202%3A%2019-23&version=NIV

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

The King begins his search for a new bride today. I jokingly say that this feels a lot like our modern concept of The Batchelor. All we need are the cameras and TVs. But each woman is lavished so much, perfumes, oils, so many things. When it comes to meeting the king, they can do or take whatever they would like. Esther doesn’t do any such thing; she simply goes with what they suggest and trusts in who she is and what God has graced her with. In life, we can choose to rely upon the things of the world, or we can choose to rely upon God. Esther chose to rely upon who she is and what God has given her. Will we rely upon Jesus or rely upon the world?

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.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther%202%3A%201-18&version=NIV

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

Not every story in the Bible is given so that we know what to do sometimes; they are given to us so that we know what not to do. We see King Xerxes today, and we see how powerful he is. He is throwing grand and great festivals. He is showing his power and wealth for all to see. The last thing that he wants to show off is his wife. And she refuses to be treated as such, so he banishes her. We are called, as people and as husbands and wives, to show respect to each other. Xerxes has much, yes. But he is not living in a way that we should see to imitate as Christians.

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.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther%201&version=NIV

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