Andy Talks

We see Stephen recount the stories of the Old Testament today. We get a crash course in Genesis 12- Exodus 3.  And you know what we see?  God is the hero of the story. Not Abraham or Isaac or any of the others. God.  God is with them. God saves. God is present. He gives them His covenant, and that covenant has a sign.  Circumcision.
 
In the same way, He gives us a covenant of grace. And that covenant has a sign. Baptism.  If you doubt you are loved, remember your baptism.  Remember God’s marking and God’s promise. You are loved today, no matter what. 

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%3A1-34&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hB6JlJdfxsTiE26QeluojWwRx5ow1y4R5kpZAvP6Xmg/edit?usp=sharing

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

Stephen is being faithful and great things are happening. There are signs and wonders everywhere.  This causes conflict, as people are against this new move.  They are too wedded to their routines and rituals to see what God is doing. If we aren’t careful, we can be much the same. We can be too stuck in our rut, unable to move to see what God is doing. Sometimes in life, we have to get out of our routines, out of ruts, and follow God wherever he leads.  Today, where are you stuck in a rut?  And where is God calling you to be?

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%206%3A8-15&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lMUYTqaolaDCEe1u61tU7ebkz8lGA_Z3IBKWyBw9uSU/edit?usp=sharing

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

There are many problems that the early church faced. Today we see a challenge for the Apostles.  And this challenge required them to do three things.  First, prayerfully discern what they were called to do. Second, do that thing. Third, release the things that were not their calling and trust them to God. This is a great lesson and example for us today.  How can we live into this 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%206%3A1-7&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/155SVP_Fu4jR872BTCz7OF2BbX9Xjs78ftUlDzCPIz9I/edit?usp=sharing

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

An excerpt from my sermon about where the church finds itself in the midst of discernment. 

The way the devil wins is when our love turns to hate.

In our Relationship Roadmap series, we look today at what Paul has to say about what it means to be a parent. To love our children and not provoke them. How do we love?  How do we discipline?  It all starts with being rooted in Christ. 

And at the end of the message, I share a few words to St. Matthew's about how we live together during pain, hurt, anger, and discernment.     

We meet another great character in Scripture today, Gamaliel.  He tells the council that if they continue to prosecute the Apostles, they may be fighting against God.  That is what happened. These men saw and experienced something that changed their lives and made them leave everything, everything behind. That is what Jesus does. It’s true for us today, as well.  You ask me how I know He lives?  He lives within my heart.  

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%205%3A26-42&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SW3rTCBCVZrix5nlPamPp-hKBaq-piN-8KC7GOgL9Ok/edit?usp=sharing

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

Today we see that after all that has happened, the Apostles are arrested. An angel saves them, but we see a pattern beginning to emerge here. They are faithful.  God moves. Something good happens.  They are persecuted.  Being faithful is always right. Being faithful always points others to Him, always.  We can trust in that. We know that.  But that doesn’t make it easy.  Know this, though, even when it is hard. God will make a way.  

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%205%3A17-26&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NJ_hrBDYnqOazgk2UEi32yEZNaxdjakCdu6ZIlpfioo/edit?usp=sharing

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

One the ways I’ve heard it described that you can know if your church is being faithful is to ask this question: “If my church were to close, would my community miss it?” We see today in this earliest of churches that they are changing so many lives for Jesus in their community. Jerusalem and the surrounding communities are better because of the life and ministry of the early church. What a goal for us, what a prayer for us, what a hope for us. They changed the world. So can we. We can change the world! All through and for 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%205%3A12-16&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o5kXNFlEqgK2Ap4nXuKFR4KvOtcU5i8rP-k-eqJGh5A/edit?usp=sharing

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

Today we read one of the more interesting stories in the Bible, Ananias and Sapphira.  God strikes them down for not being honest about their giving. When we look deeper at the passage, though, we find something very interesting. It isn’t that they didn’t give it all or give enough. Or even that they had to sell their field. What this is about, in the end, was not what they gave or how they gave, but why they gave. We learn more in this reflection about what it is and how it is that God desires our giving to be.  

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%205%3A1-11&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/11HN3IOGa_KhN3XgNSTD_JUgU2IBWNMy5nTqXe-XybdA/edit?usp=sharing

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

Today, we meet one of my favorite persons in all the Bible, Barnabas.  He is called the Son of Encouragement.  We’ll see his story play out through the rest of the book of Acts, but he is a huge deal, a monumental person in the life of the church and the life of Paul. The world, and the church, we need Peters, and we need Pauls. But we also need Barbabuses. We need encouragers today.  

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%204%3A32-37&version=NRSVUE

If you'd like to read a transcript of this episode, click here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o7BY8u8hAWftEe4P7VkHykqnZOtWZ6vkZALvLSiVwao/edit?usp=sharing

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