Andrews UMC

Last week, I used the term “total package” in reference to being what James calls “mature and complete, not lacking anything”. They are one and the same. For example, if an athlete is a “complete” player without any weaknesses or lacking in any way,  exceling in every...

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” a quote by German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is one of those quotes or platitudes that sounds great, but in reality, it isn’t that simple and depends on how we react to the trials and tribulations of life. While what...

Sibling rivalry has always been a thing. The Bible’s most notable sibling rivalry is probably Jacob and Esau whose feud over a birthright lasted for decades, but just imagine that your brother is God. No, he doesn’t just think he’s God or God’s gift to mankind, He...

Whether we like it or admit it or not, we are influenced by others and our cultural environment, and this does have an effect on how we believe. It’s impossible to spend time with other people and/or consume information without something “rubbing off”. There is always...

“Seeing is believing” is an old and often used saying that is believed to have originated from 17th century English clergyman, Thomas Fuller, but that is not the full quote. The full quote is "Seeing is believing, but feeling is the truth”.  Some interpret this to...

Okay, here is part 2b or not 2b that is the question. (Sorry I couldn’t resist.) This part of the series is focusing on how fear contributes to our unbelief or lack of faith. While we may not let fear shipwreck our faith completely, it can weaken it to the point where...

Last week I asked you to read Matthew 26:36-46 as a reminder that Jesus was both fully God and fully human, and as “God incarnate” or “God in the flesh”, He experienced pain, anxiety, and fear. In this passage Jesus is beginning to feel the full weight of the horrific...

When I was younger, I was what Mike Myers called a “gulla-bull” in the movie “Wayne’s World 2”. (The guy from Saturday Night Live and the Austin Powers movies not the serial killer with the mask and huge knife from the Halloween movies) “Robby what are you talking...

A few weeks ago, we discovered a process of discernment or “distinguishing between spirits” (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) to determine or judge whether something is in line or agreement with the will of God, and a way to recognize false teaching/prophecy. Jesus tells us in...

Many of us have friends or family members who have been turned off to Christianity and the church for various reasons. I think it’s safe to say that many who fit into this category of people who are now called “de-churched” have turned away because of the...

Part of the reason I was led to write this series came from several podcasts I’ve heard and Facebook posts that I’ve read recently. Some of the Christian authors and leadership gurus that I follow have used their platforms to criticize other Christian movements for...

Today, “holier than thou” is usually a term reserved for Christians who think they are better or more holy than everyone else, but it originates from Isaiah 65:5. “(those) Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I am holier than you!” The King James...