Andy Talks

In our INTERSECTION message from June 23, 2023, Andy shares with us from Romans 12: 9-21.  Paul talks about heaping burning coals upon the heads of our enemies.  We look deeper at what the Bible says about coals, the Gospel, and holiness. What exactly is Paul calling us to in this text?        

We shift back today to Peter.  In the coming chapters, we will move between Paul and Peter a lot. Today, we see Peter perform healings, but notice who gives the healings.  Jesus.  Peter doesn’t claim this power for himself but comes from Jesus. This principle guides Peter.  Jesus is Lord.  That is it for him. Jesus is Lord of the Jews and of the Gentiles.  Jesus is Lord of all creation.  Because of that, he will go wherever Jesus calls him to. And that is what we are going to see in the coming chapters.

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.

Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%209%3A32-43&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_NyZWub0jQPuMarjwPas6x7Me9jpkHJKLomBdzHcDlE/edit?usp=sharing

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

Paul goes to Jerusalem, and believe it or not, they don’t want anything to do with him!  They were afraid. They were scared. They didn’t know what to do with this apparent new convert.  They weren’t going to let him in. Until guess who shows up?  Barnabas. Barnabas vouched for Saul, and they trusted Saul now.  Because of Barnabas, we have Saul.  Barnabas isn’t flashy.  He doesn’t do anything cool.  He is just faithful. He just believes in people.  He encourages them. He marks a difference. The world and the church do not need more flashy, cool, people. The world and the church need more faithful folk who love and encourage others. The world and the church need more people like Barnabas.  

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

Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%209%3A26-31&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xbfStbDKhkVadbcVBXtuU4VnR4q5rTSyQULxSsGZIKs/edit?usp=sharing

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

We see Saul post conversion today. And what do we see?  We see that he is different. The people of Damascus couldn’t believe that it was the same man.  How could it be?  He came to destroy the people following Jesus, and now he is there, proclaiming Jesus.  He is different!  And what is it that makes that difference? It’s actually, who is it?  It’s Jesus. Jesus makes the difference for Paul, and Jesus makes the difference for us.  Let’s be different. Let’s live, love, and forgive different. And when we do, and folks ask why we are different, we can say this.  Jesus.    

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.

Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%209%3A19-25&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WNjxUjF_0U1TLHbGGUB0TpJqcv8Rylu3_1JLtcMQ-Xw/edit?usp=sharing

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

Today, we see the conversion of Saul. But when we look at the text, we see that Saul is not the only person who had to take a huge leap of faith. God has a plan for Saul, and we see Him lay that out.  Saul had to take a leap of faith, yes, but in many ways, he didn’t really have a choice. But Ananias had to take a huge leap.  He had to extend grace to someone who he really didn’t want to.  Paul has caused great harm and fear to Ananias and his family.  Yet he had to give Paul grace. He had to call him Brother Saul. 

Today, who is the person you need to give grace to that if we are being honest, we really don’t want to?  Today, who do you need to give grace to? Who is your Brother Saul?  

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.

Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%209%3A1-19&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1juBRVcyg67GXF8_I049JYQKjwdAus_ycStu-AF66KUk/edit?usp=sharing

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

We see Phillip share the Good News today with the Ethiopian eunuch.  At the end of this story, the eunuch asks this question, - what is to stop me from being baptized?  Nothing. So, he was baptized. Today, what is to stop us from being faithful to our calling, our calling to be obedient to the Spirit?  To immerse ourselves in Scripture? And to share the Good News wherever we are?  Nothing?  Nothing can and should stop us.  Let’s be faithful wherever we are.  And let’s live obedient lives for our God!
 
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.

Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%208%3A26-40&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w7QPDh0I1XcituNX7IQDPRv528f1bI7blqZCVoQcoR0/edit?usp=sharing

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

In our July 16 message, Andy shares with us from Ephesians 6: 5-9.  This passage starts off talking about slavery, so we take a few moments to unpack to interpret scripture, particularly hard passages. After that, we look at what Paul is telling us about the other key relationships in our lives, especially our need for friendships.     

Because of persecution, Philip flees and goes to Samaria. First, we see that God can use even hard things, like persecution, to spread the Good News. While there, he is preaching, and many are baptized. But it isn’t until later that they receive the Holy Spirit. This reminds us that as scared as even baptism is, it is not the act, in and of itself, where sacredness comes from, but the Holy Spirit makes the acts, like baptism and communion, truly holy. Let’s always be chasing after the Holy Spirit, above all else in our lives! 

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.

Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%208%3A1-25&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/17TScrz2m888FgMZ4m03W4O_2N4jOY8xWXCisTsVblEk/edit?usp=sharing

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

Today we see Stephen stoned to death. But as he is dying, he looks up to heaven and sees something odd. He sees Jesus STANDING at the right hand of God.  Not sitting, where we confess, He is in the Creeds—but standing.  Why?  I believe that just as we stand in key moments to cheer for those we support, Jesus is standing, telling Stephen, “Don’t give up!”  What a beautiful reminder today that no matter how bad it may seem, our Savior is there, pulling for us, praying for us, telling us - Don’t give up!

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.

Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+7%3A+54+-+8%3A1&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UWtR8zsQBA60vL_Srxsm6qA6JkHETEwDyd-Y29ey6H4/edit?usp=sharing

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

Stephen’s sermon takes a turn today.  We see him remind the people why they have these things, the Law, circumcision, the Temple. They don’t exist for themselves; they exist to point to God, to, in truth, point to Jesus. And the people missed that. They loved the stuff more than they loved the one the stuff pointed to. 

We’ve got so much, so many things that are here to point us to Jesus. Do we allow them to do that?  Scripture, worship, baptism, all these things, they point us to Jesus. Are we looking at where they are pointing?  May we see what they are pointing us to.  Jesus.  

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.

Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%207%3A35-53&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tDh8PMjy3t6gWV-RFGJoURFTFmemAT8Kv5Gs5rIzZDE/edit?usp=sharing

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