Andy Talks

Today we finish the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace and focus on the fourth person who appears with them in the fire. Their story reminds us that faithfulness doesn't mean we will never face difficult seasons—in fact, sometimes we can find ourselves in the fire precisely because we are trying to be faithful to God. But the promise of Scripture isn't that we will never walk through the fire; it is that we will never walk through it alone. God is present with us in the hardest moments of our lives, and when we aren't the ones in the fire, we are called to be willing to walk into it with someone else. We may not be able to fix their situation or explain their suffering, but sometimes simply being present and reminding someone that they are not alone is exactly what they need.

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. 

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

Today we continue through Daniel with the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their refusal to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue. Even when threatened with the fiery furnace, they demonstrate a remarkable faith—not simply a faith that says God will save them, but a faith that says God is able to save us, but even if he doesn’t, we will still trust him. Their story reminds us that genuine faith isn’t dependent upon God always doing what we want or answering our prayers in the way we expect. It is trusting God because God is faithful, regardless of how the story turns out. Like these three men, we are called to remember who we are and whose we are, especially when the world around us pressures us to compromise what we believe.

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, we finish Daniel chapter 2 and look at how Daniel’s ability to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream leads him into a position of influence in Babylon. Daniel didn’t choose exile, but God placed him there and used the gifts he had given him to make a difference. In the same way, we may not always understand why God has placed us where we are, but we can trust that God can use our gifts, relationships, jobs, families, and communities for good. As Christians, we recognize that this world is not our ultimate home, but being people of the kingdom doesn’t mean withdrawing from the world—it means working for its good while living according to different values. We are called to show mercy, forgiveness, love, and care for others, using whatever influence God has given us to bring the values of God’s kingdom into the places where we have been planted.

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 continue our journey through Daniel 2 as Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s troubling dream of the great statue. While there are plenty of details we could explore about the kingdoms represented in the dream, today we step back and look at the bigger picture: God is not surprised, and kingdoms rise and fall. Babylon seemed permanent, but it wasn’t. Neither are the things in our own lives that sometimes seem so permanent. Our lives are finite, human institutions are temporary, and the world around us is constantly changing—but God is eternal. When life surprises us or things don't go according to plan, we can remember that God isn't caught off guard. Our hope isn't ultimately in what is temporary; our hope is in the God whose kingdom will stand forever.

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, we continue our journey through Daniel 2 and look at Daniel’s response to a crisis with prudence and discretion. Before we speak, are there times when we need to ask, “Does this need to be said? Does it need to be said by me? Does it need to be said by me now?” We also talk about dreams, how God sometimes uses unexpected ways to speak to us, and the importance of creating enough quiet in our lives to actually listen. Sometimes God may be speaking, but we’re simply too busy or distracted to hear. Daniel reminds us to slow down, seek God’s wisdom, and trust that God is with us—even when we don’t understand what comes next.

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 message from August 23, 2026, we look at Hebrews 12: 1-4.  We wrestle with the question: Why does church matter? Why is it important?  With all the brokenness, hypocrisy, and failures of the church, why should it even matter?  

As we begin the book of Daniel, we enter the story of a young Jewish man living in exile in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar doesn't just take Daniel and the other young men from their homeland—he attempts to reshape their identity by changing their names, their language, their education, and even what they eat. But Daniel refuses to forget who he is. In this reflection, we explore what it means for Christians to live as people who are, in some ways, "in exile"—living in the world while remembering that our truest identity and home are found in Christ. Like Daniel, we're called to remain rooted in who we are even when the world around us tries to tell us who we should become.

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 this reflection, we continue looking at the difficult and often uncomfortable imprecatory Psalms with Psalm 140. David cries out to God for protection from those who have hurt him and asks God to bring judgment upon his enemies. How do we reconcile these words with Jesus' command to love our enemies? As we wrestle with that question, we explore the difference between karma and grace. Christianity isn't about getting what we deserve; it's about receiving the grace and mercy of God. At the same time, our choices have consequences, and what we sow can shape the harvest of our lives. Psalm 140 gives us permission to be honest about our anger and pain while reminding us to choose what we want to plant in our lives: mercy, goodness, peace, forgiveness, and grace.

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.

What do we do with the parts of the Bible that make us uncomfortable? In this reflection on Psalm 109, we look at one of the imprecatory Psalms—an intense prayer in which David cries out to God for justice against his enemies. These words can be difficult to reconcile with Jesus' command to love our enemies and pray for those who hurt us, but perhaps that's exactly why we need to wrestle with them. The Psalms give us permission to be honest with God about our anger, hurt, injustice, and desire for things to be made right. That doesn't mean every feeling is a feeling we should hold onto forever, but it does mean we don't have to hide our deepest emotions from God. Sometimes we have to name our pain before we can let it go, trusting that ultimate justice and vengeance belong to God.
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.

As we finish our journey through 1 Corinthians, we look at Paul's closing words and the many people he names at the end of his letter. Timothy, Apollos, Priscilla, Aquila, Stephanas, and others remind us that the work of God has never been about one person doing everything. Paul may have been the apostle, but he understood that the ministry belonged to all of them together. In this reflection, we talk about why the Christian journey isn't meant to be lived alone, why church is about more than Sunday morning worship, and what John Wesley meant when he said there is "no holiness but social holiness." Ultimately, the church isn't just the preacher, and our faith isn't built around any one person. It's us together—the people of God—encouraging one another, serving one another, and living out God's mission together.

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.