Andy Talks
780 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★★★ - 7 ratingsJoin Andy Stoddard as he shares with us his daily reflection. Along with an occasional surprise.
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Episodes
Reflections with Andy - Shepherds and Fruit - Zechariah 10 - 11:3
July 01, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.43 MBToday, we see another well-known passage: “The sheep wander for need of a shepherd.” We see that the shepherds are not leading the sheep well at that moment. They are living for their own desires, not for the needs of the sheep. At this point in my life, I am no longer looking for dynamic or charismatic shepherds, for even the devil has those skills. I am looking for a shepherd who has the Fruit of the Spirit. That is the shepherd who is following after God. To those of us who are shepherd...
Reflections with Andy - Through Jesus - Zechariah 9
June 28, 2024 10:00 - 11 minutes - 7.62 MBToday, we read the prophecy that we see fulfilled on Palm Sunday. Jesus, humble, riding a donkey. But we often misread this. We see this as only Jesus being humble, which He was. This wasn’t just Jesus being humble; this was also declaring who He was for all the world to see. He is declaring here that He is Messiah, that He is Lord, that He is king. Now, of course, as we see with Pilate, His kingdom is not of the world. Seeing this also teaches us how to understand the Bible. We read all the...
Reflections with Andy - Joy - Zechariah 8: 18-23
June 27, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.17 MBZechariah continues his joyful words today. We are told that there will be fasting, but it will be joyful. It will be a celebration We are to be joyfully obedient. But then we see that our joy will be infectious. People will grab the people of God by the garment and say, “We will go with you because God is with you!” Isn’t that a beautiful hope and desire that people will know that God is with us and will say, let us go with you! For God is with you! Our joy, our joyful obedience, it is ...
Reflections with Andy - Strong Hands - Zechariah 8: 1-17
June 26, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.4 MBToday’s passage is full of good stuff. My entire bible is highlighted today. The Lord has a word of hope for us today. He is going to make all things right in His due time. He is going to restore the remnant. He is going to give life where life has been taken, He is going to make all things as they are made to be. We have this HOPE. And if we have hope, we have strong hands to work, to build the kingdom, to work for good. When we have hope, we have strong hands to work. Losing hope is one...
Reflections with Andy - How to Live - Zechariah 7: 8-14
June 25, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.51 MBWe see the Lord explain why He judged the people today. We see Him tell the people how to live. But His instructions may surprise us, and we may find them harder than we expect. He calls us to kindness today. To mercy today. Those are hard for this age; we show kindness and mercy to “our side,” not to others. He calls us to take care of the weak and needy. To avoid hate in our hearts. To be different. To be holy. This is hard; it’s not about what we do; it’s about who we are. It’s what it...
Sunday Sermon - The Marks of the Church: Apostolic
June 24, 2024 10:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBIn our Traditional message from June 23, 2024, Andy shares with us from Ephesians 2: 19-20. We see that the church is founded upon the teachings of the Apostles. That is what it means to be "Apostolic," to be part of that lineage. But what does that actually mean?
Reflections with Andy - Why Do You Fast? - Zechariah 7: 1-7
June 24, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.47 MBAfter the Exile is over, several of the people from Bethel go to the prophet and ask this question. Do we still need to fast? They are asking because the people are back home, and the Temple is being rebuilt. So, must they continue to lament? And the prophet asks this question. Why did you fast? Why is it that you did what you did? For God, or for some other reason? Why do we fast? Why do we do what we do? Is it to get something from God? To “make” Him do what we want? Brian Zahnd, in ...
Reflections with Andy - Prophet, Priest, and King - Zechariah 6: 9-15
June 19, 2024 10:00 - 9 minutes - 6.23 MBToday, we see a high priest given a crown. At first, you may think that this crown is one that has religious significance. But this is the kind of crown that goes to royalty. In this passage, Joshua is crowned “the Branch.” All of this this points us to Jesus. He is the Branch (John 15: 1-8). He is prophet, priest, and king. He speaks the Word of the Lord, He is our high priest, and He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Today, in this passage, we see everything pointing us to Jesus. ...
Reflections with Andy - Peace Will Come - Zechariah 6: 1-8
June 18, 2024 10:00 - 11 minutes - 7.67 MBWhen I read today’s passage, it first made me scratch my head and think, “huh.” I didn’t really understand exactly what it was saying at first, but after using a tool I really like for Biblical interpretation (the NET Bible), it made a lot more sense. In this passage, this vision points to peace. In time, peace came as Persia defeated Babylon. But, also, in the Lord’s time, peace will come when the Lord returns and makes all things right. But even now in our lives, when we take our concerns...
Sunday Sermon - The Marks of the Church: Catholic
June 17, 2024 10:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBIn our Traditional sermon from June 16, 2024, Andy shares from Revelation 5:9-10 and Matthew 28:19-20. We continue our series "The Marks of the Church." We look at at what it means to say that the church is catholic. When we make Jesus the center of life together, we find that our differences are beautiful.
Reflections with Andy - Actions and Nature - Zechariah 5: 5-11
June 17, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.51 MBToday’s vision is from Zechariah 5, which took me a minute to read through and think through. I read several commentaries, and there was one that I really liked. I thought it helped make more sense. In this passage, we see the deeper truth of previous visions. In previous visions, we see the consequences of sinful action. But in today’s vision, we see that the deeper issue is not the actions that are sinful; it is the sinful nature that drives the action. Jesus forgives us for our actions...
Reflections with Andy - Community - Zechariah 5: 1-4
June 14, 2024 10:00 - 11 minutes - 7.71 MBWe see a vision of judgment today. Those who steal and those who lie are removed from the community. That’s a harsh judgment to be removed from the community. But that is what sin does. The ultimate purpose of our faith is to love God and love our neighbor. Sin destroys that; it destroys our walk with God and with each other. This is why these sins have one being cut off from the community. That’s what sin does. Let’s remember that and think through it. Our sin harms not just us, but it ca...
Reflections with Andy - By His Spirit - Zechariah 4
June 13, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.47 MBToday, we see one of the most well-known verses in this book of the Bible. When faced with the task of rebuilding everything, the Lord shows this lampstand that will never run out of oil, for the Lord will provide. We are told that the victory is won not by might nor power but by the Spirit of the Lord; that is how the battle is won. One of the greatest blessings we can ever have is a challenge that is so hard that we cannot overcome by our own strength. That is when we have to rely upon ...
Reflections with Andy - Clean - Zechariah 3
June 12, 2024 10:00 - 11 minutes - 7.69 MBToday’s reading is full of some good stuff. Some really good stuff. First, we take a little journey down Methodist history and unpack the famous Wesleyan story of John being a “brand plucked from the burning.” Then, we see a powerful image of the high priest Joshua wearing filthy clothes. This English translation doesn’t fully capture what the Hebrew is saying. These are vile, disgusting, human excrement-covered clothes, as filthy as you can imagine. And Satan, the accuser, is showing every...
Reflections with Andy - We are One - Zechariah 2: 6-13
June 11, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.41 MBWe see a word for the people of God today. They are told that the Lord will rebuild and restore Judah. He will restore what the enemies have taken because His people are the open of His eye. But then we are told who His people are, all who call on upon His name. All the nations will turn to Him, and He will dwell in their midst. This, to me, turns my mind to Revelation and to where I will be preaching this Sunday in our sermon “The Marks of Church.” The church is one, holy, catholic, and ...
Sunday Sermon - The Marks of the Church: Holy
June 10, 2024 10:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBIn our INTERSECTION service from June 9, Andy shares with us from Ephesians 5:25-27 and Revelation 19:7-8. As we continue our series "The Marks of the Church," what does it mean to say that the church is Holy?
Reflections with Andy - The Glory Within - Zechariah 2: 1-5
June 10, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.36 MBToday, we look at Zechariah 2, but when I read it, I was drawn to Revelation 21. Both passages show a vision of this “new” Jerusalem. Many things are said about it, but the primary thing is this. God is in the midst of it. God is there. God dwells there. He is the glory within. This future hope, it is a now, but not yet thing. It is now because now, you, me, and all of us who are Christians have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Christ in us, the hope of glory! But we also know that somethi...
Reflections with Andy - Faithful - Zechariah 1: 18-21
June 07, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.52 MBToday, we see Zechariah’s second vision. It’s a unique vision, as most visions are. In this, we see four horns representing the ones who have scattered the people. But we also see four blacksmiths who have come to terrify those horns. What in the world? What does this all mean? We talk about this vision today, and we learn this. Our job is not to fix everything. Our job is to be faithful. Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into...
Reflections with Andy - He is Jealous - Zechariah 1: 7-17
June 06, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.59 MBHe is jealous of me; His love’s like a hurricane; I am a tree. Those are famous words from a well-known praise song, “He Love Us.” Today’s passage talks about how God is jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. We talk today about what that meant biblically in that time, but we also move it forward to this day to think about what it means to say that He is jealous for us. What does it mean to say that God loves us in such a way? But we are also warned today, don’t take that love for granted. Al...
Reflections with Andy - In the Light of Eternity - Zechariah 1: 1-6
June 05, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.52 MBOur life, our schedule, and everything else are dictated by the immediate. By the urgent. That’s what we worry about. That’s what we focus on. On the immediate and on the thing that is happening right now, at this instant. Today, we see the prophet Zechariah remind us of God’s call in the past to return to Him, and this reminder is that His word is constant and true. His word is eternal. We should remember that. We should not be driven by the immediate, but we should stay rooted and firm in...
Reflections with Andy - His Holiness Heals - Haggai 2: 10-23
June 04, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.53 MBWe see God’s word through Haggai about what He is going to do for the people. There are so many wonderful glimpses today that point us to Jesus. We see the people told they will be blessed, since they have dedicated the Temple. This reminds us of Jesus; when we seek first God’s kingdom, these things will be added to us. Likewise, we are told that at this moment, the clean cannot make the unclean right. Yet, with Jesus, when He touches someone unclean, He is not made unclean, but in fact, qui...
Sunday Sermon - The Marks of the Church: One
June 03, 2024 10:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBIn our Summer series "Marks of the Church," Andy preaches about the mark of being "One." We have one Lord, one Faith, one baptism. But what does it mean when the Nicene Creed says that the Church is One?
Reflections with Andy - The Latter Temple - Haggai 2: 1-9
June 03, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.2 MBVerse 9 today is at the heart of this prophecy. Haggai tells us that the temple that is to be built will be even greater than the first temple that was built. That’s hard for the people to understand because Solmon’s temple was so great. But it is right; the temple that was built was even great. And we know, of course, that the greatest temple of all is the glorious Body of Christ. As Christians, we are optimists. We know that God is always doing something. As much as we love and love and l...
Reflections with Andy - What’s Best - Haggai 1
May 31, 2024 10:00 - 11 minutes - 7.68 MBSo often, it’s easy to give God what is left of our time, not the best of our time; it’s easy to give God what is left of our resources, not what is best of our resources. Haggi tells the people today that after the Exile, they are comfortable; they have much, but they have neglected the house of the Lord. The time has come to rebuild. That is the same for us. It is easy for us to be comfortable and for us to neglect giving God what is best. Yet, when we live that way, we find that no matte...
Reflections with Andy - God is Good - Zephaniah 3: 8-20
May 30, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.47 MBToday, we see what we always see in the prophets and in all the Bible. We see grace. We see that God intends to save His people, to give them life and goodness. God’s way is good, y’all. God is good. He will renew us with His life. He will rejoice over us. He delights in us. But the path of life that God offers is a path of humility. Life is not found in power or in greatness. Life is found in humility, in service, and in God’s love. God wants that goodness for us. God wants us to truly li...
Reflections with Andy - Correction - Zephaniah 3: 1-7
May 29, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.21 MBBeing corrected is one of the hardest and most important things in life. The Lord tells Jerusalem that He has tried, repeatedly, to correct them. To call them back from sin. But, each time He calls, they refuse to listen. The more He calls, it seems, the less faithful they are. Correction is a painful, hard thing. I know I’ve never enjoyed it in my life. But it is essential. We cannot grow, and we cannot be faithful unless we are willing to be corrected for our errors by those who we love a...
Reflections with Andy - God’s Last Hope? - Zephaniah 2
May 28, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.05 MBToday, in Zephaniah, we see the word that there will always be a remnant. God will bring judgment against those who stand against Him. He will always, always have His remnant. It’s tempting for us to think it’s just us. We are Elijah; we are all that God has left. But remember the Lord told Elijah that He had thousands reserved for Himself. God always has something up His sleeve. As one of my professors told us years ago, we are never God’s last hope. Join us for our daily reflections wi...
Sunday Sermon - Equations
May 27, 2024 10:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBIn our combined worship service on May 26, 2024, Andy shares with us from Romans 5: 1-5. We talk today about the Trinity. While there is much we do not understand, over very salvation is a Trinitarian act. We are made right with the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit.
Reflections with Andy - Idolatry - Zephaniah 1
May 27, 2024 10:00 - 11 minutes - 7.61 MBWe often misunderstand what idolatry was in the Old Testament. Today, we see what it actually was in Zephaniah. The people never stopped worshiping the Lord. They continued worshiping God. But, they did not fully trust in God. They doubted, they feared. So, they would worship this idol, too, just to be safe. Our idol is not some wooden statue on top of our mantle. Our idol is the thing that we are tempted to place in trust in instead of God. That’s what idolatry is. Today, what is your ido...
Reflections with Andy - Worship and Thanksgiving - Habakkuk 3: 17-19
May 24, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.42 MBThere is a difference between worship and thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is when we name or thank God for what He has done and the things in our lives that God has given us. It’s when we name our blessings. This is a good thing for us to do. But that is not what worship is. Worship is when we name who God is and praise Him for who He is. Thanksgiving is about what God has done; worship is about who God is. Today, in Habakkuk, the prophet says even if these things do not happen, he will praise...
Reflections with Andy - What Prayer Does - Habakkuk 3: 1-16
May 23, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.23 MBIn chapter three, we see what prayer does. In chapter one, Habakkuk was complaining to God about everything, about evil, all that was happening, and was questioning God. God, why haven’t you fixed it? God, why isn’t it better? God, why are you making me see all of this? In chapter two, he prays, and while his circumstances haven’t changed, his heart and his outlook have. God has given him a deeper and a better perspective. Now, he waits patiently for God to be at work. Oh, what peace we o...
Reflections with Andy - The Lord is in His Holy Temple - Habakkuk 2
May 22, 2024 10:00 - 11 minutes - 8.08 MBHabbakuk 2:20 is one of my favorite passages in all the bible. The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silent before Him. We bring our many concerns, our many worries, our many fears, all these things to God. God, as a loving Father, longs to hear our worries in the same way we, as parents, hear the worries of our children. But our Lord also reminds us of this. He is in His Holy Temple. Keep silent. Trust. Listen. Rest. God is God. He is in His temple. Trust in Him. Rest i...
Reflections with Andy - Wrestling with God - Habakkuk 1
May 21, 2024 10:00 - 11 minutes - 7.74 MBHabakkuk does something that is hard but necessary. He wrestles with God. He asks the hard questions. He wrestles with God. What is he to do with the evil in the world? How does God look by when so much evil is happening? Why does God allow it to happen? How can this be? Does this sound like a familiar line of questions to you? Are these these questions that we struggle with? In the book, we will see God respond, and we will see a path to move forward in faith. But I didn’t want to mo...
Reflections with Andy - The Sword - Nahum 3
May 20, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.54 MBThere are things, I believe, in scripture that are there to be a warning to us. I think Nineveh is one such thing. We see the judgment that is coming to them. This chapter ends by telling us that no one escaped their cruelty. They lived by the sword, and now they die by it. As Christians, we do not believe in karma; we believe in grace. But within that, if we live a life dictated by values and decisions that run contrary to God, that will result in pain and destruction. That’s what happened...
Sunday Sermon - On Fire
May 20, 2024 10:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBIn our Traditional message from Pentecost Sunday, Andy shares with us from Acts 2: 1-21 and Genesis 11: 1-9. God is a God of restoration. He restores all things. When we catch on fire with the Spirit, amazing things happen!
Reflections with Andy - Be Faithful - Nahum 2
May 17, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.23 MBToday, we see Nahum talking about something that the Jewish people did not believe could ever happen - the destruction of Nineveh. There’s no way that could happen. They were too big, too strong, too much. Not possible. But God was going to bring judgment against them. He would. He was going to make all things right. That’s a reminder to us today. We don’t have to make all things right. We don’t have to fix everything. We don’t have to solve everything. We just have to be faithful and leave...
Reflections with Andy - Grace Abounds - Nahum 1
May 15, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.35 MBNahum is a prophet speaking a word against Ninevah. We saw in Jonah the evil that was in Ninevah, how the prophet didn’t want to go preach because he didn’t want God to forgive them for their great evil. He knew they were evil and needed to be judged. We see in Nahum a little of what this sermon may have looked like. Evil is there, and it will destroy. We need to be careful, very careful of evil. We should allow the Lord to search us so that we can repent, turn to God, and be saved. We see...
Reflections with Andy - Signs and Wonders - Micah 7: 14-20
May 14, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.18 MBAll throughout the Bible, we are told about God’s signs and wonders. That’s a constant theme in Acts and is a constant theme in the prophets. Today, at the end of Micah, we see the greatest example of God’s power, the greatest example of signs and wonders. God’s grace. His mercy. His forgiveness. Vengetance is easy. But, mercy, mercy takes strength. Mercy takes power. Mercy is amazing. That is the greatest example of God’s might: His mercy. Today, let’s show the same strength and power. Le...
Reflections with Andy - Expectant Hope - Micah 7: 1-13
May 13, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.27 MBToday, we see two sections held together by a key verse. The first part is about the corruption of the world and the judgment that is coming. We see how bad it is, how people are not living or leading with integrity, taking bribes, stealing, and abusing. Contrast this with 6:8, with God’s call to do justice. The second section is about God’s restoration and hope. But in the middle is verse 7, which reminds us, that we wait. We wait with expectant hope, but God is with us, and He will make ...
Sunday Sermon - The Real World
May 13, 2024 10:00 - 23 minutes - 16.3 MBIn our Traditional sermon from May 12, Andy shares with us from John 17: 6-19. Jesus doesn't pray that we be removed from suffering but that we will be protected. In the real world, we will find troubles. But, through His graces, these trials and grow us even closer to our Savior.
Reflections with Andy - Salty Water - Micah 6: 9-16
May 10, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.37 MBThe Lord tells the people about the judgment that is coming to them, and it is this judgment. They will have all they want, they will eat, they will save, they will have all of this, but it will never satisfy them. They will have it all, but they will find that this is not going to give them life, and the more they have, the less they are satisfied. Our abundance can be like salty water. The more we drink, the thirstier we are. Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short min...
Reflections with Andy - He Has Shown You - Micah 6: 1-8
May 09, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.41 MBToday is another passage we all know very well: God has shown us what He expected of us - to do mercy, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. But what does that mean? What does that look like? What would it be like for us to live out the heart of this passage? This is a beautiful passage and a beautiful call for each of us! 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 ...
Reflections with Andy - He is our Peace - Micah 5
May 08, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.23 MBToday, we see the famous passage in Micah, cited in Matthew to the Wise Men, telling us where Jesus was to be born. That’s a very well-known passage, but as I read, I found myself pulled more to verse five, which tells us this, “He is our peace.” I love that so much. Peace is not a concept. Peace is a person: Jesus. We do not pray or read the Bible to make God give us peace; we do these things so that we can encounter Jesus, and when we encounter and know Him, we have peace. Peace is a pe...
Reflections with Andy - Hope - Micah 4
May 07, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.21 MBWe see a passage today that we’ve all heard a million times, so we look at it in the right context; they will beat their swords into plowshares, and they shall not learn of war anymore. We see, though, that this beloved passage is in the midst of God’s restoration and salvation. Then we see that there will come a time when God will restore. The reality is that those things are not now. We don’t need to lose hope. There will come peace. There will come restoration. There will come all these...
Sunday Sermon - This I Believe
May 06, 2024 10:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBThe path we are walking as a church is challenging, but we believe it is the right path. The world needs to see what unity can look like. Just because we don't agree on everything doesn't mean we can't unite on the main thing.
Reflections with Andy - Influence - Micah 3
May 06, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.09 MBToday, we see Micah condemn the shepherds, the royal prophets, and the kings. For a pastor, such as myself, I always read those words and take them to heart. Am I leading in a way that brings health? That points to Jesus? That helps others know His grace. That’s a heavy question, one that I ponder deeply. But perhaps you are not a pastor; you’re just a “regular” person. This means nothing to you and for you, right? Well, no, we all have influence. We all have eyes looking to us for wisdom...
Reflections with Andy - The Heart’s Desire - Micah 2
May 03, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.17 MBToday, in Micah, we see the prophet condemn the people for their actions, but in verse two, he hits at what is driving their actions. Their hearts. Their hearts covet things that are not theirs, which leads to their hands stealing, taking, and destroying. It all starts with the heart. The Psalmist tells us that God grants us the desires of our hearts, but what God is doing is causing our hearts to desire Him, and He longs to give Himself to us. Let us be careful, though, that our hearts d...
Reflections with Andy - Positive or Negative - Micah 1
May 02, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.23 MBToday, we begin our time in Micah. He is a prophet in the southern kingdom of Judah, and he begins today by saying that judgment will come on both the northern kingdom (Israel and Samaria) and the southern kingdom (Judah and Jerusalem). Samaria has worshiped idols, and that sin has even infected Jerusalem. In our lives, we should look at those around us and ask if they are a positive or negative influence on us. Then, we can even ask the next question: Are we a positive or a negative influen...
Reflections with Andy - Compassion - Jonah 4
May 01, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.32 MBJonah tells God why he ran today. He knew who God was. He knew what God would do. He understood God’s character. God is a God of compassion and of mercy. He is a God of grace who abounds in mercy. Jonah hated the Nivevites so much that he did not want God to forgive. That’s why he ran. Today, do we understand just how deeply God loves us for us? And do we understand that God shows compassion on all, especially the folks with whom we struggle? God shows them mercy and compassion. He calls u...
Reflections with Andy - Changes - Jonah 3
April 30, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.35 MBToday, we see two “changes.” First, Jonah changes. He gets out of the belly of the great fish, and he does the very thing that he said he would not do. He goes to Nineveh and he preaches to the very folks he did not want to. He changed. Now, it was only after great suffering that he changed. Second, we see the people of Nevaeh change. They heard the message from Jonah, and they changed. They repented. They were sorry for their great sin. They changed. The great thing about this is that we se...