
Hosted by Andy Stoddard · EN

Today we look at Isaiah 43:18–21, and are reminded that God is always at work doing "a new thing," even in seasons of uncertainty and transition. Spoken originally to Israel as they faced exile, God's promise to make "rivers in the desert" demonstrates that He brings life and hope where none seems possible. While our past experiences—both successes and failures—shape us, they do not define us. Like Peter, Paul, and John Wesley, we are continually renewed by God's grace. The invitation is to stop living captive to yesterday, trust that God is already working ahead of us, and faithfully join Him in the new work He is accomplishing 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. You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2043%3A18-21&version=NRSVUE Click here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6C You can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org

Today, we start a new season of our Reflections as we reflect on Lamentations 3:21–25, We see that new beginnings are grounded in hope. Looking to the example of Jeremiah, who proclaimed God's faithfulness while witnessing the destruction of Jerusalem, we remember that following Christ does not guarantee an easy life, but it does offer a meaningful one sustained by God's steadfast love. Faith is trusting God's presence even when circumstances are painful or uncertain, believing that His mercies are "new every morning." Whether life is joyful or difficult, we hold fast to God's faithfulness, knowing that every new day is evidence of His grace and that hope remains because God never abandons His people.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.You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lamentations%203%3A%2021-25&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org

In my final service at St. Matthew's, we read from Romans 16. We are reminded that our church is not any one person, but it's all of us together. But in the end, none of that truly makes our church what it is. Jesus is all that really matters.

In our Traditional message from May 31, Andy shares with us one of his many, many favorite passages of scripture. In this passage, we see what the worldview and path are for us as Christians. Love. The life and path we are called to walk as Christians is love.

In this final reflection on Ecclesiastes 12, the Teacher brings the entire book to its ultimate conclusion after wrestling with wisdom, pleasure, mortality, anxiety, and the fleeting nature of life. After exploring nearly every avenue for meaning, Ecclesiastes ends with a simple but profound truth: “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of everyone.” The devotion explains that fearing God is not about terror but about reverence, awe, and recognizing God’s greatness and holiness. From that reverence flows obedience, which Jesus ultimately summarizes as loving God and loving neighbor. The reflection closes by emphasizing that, after all the searching and existential struggle in Ecclesiastes, the purpose of life is found not in wealth, success, or control, but in faithfully loving God and others.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.You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%2012&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org

In this reflection on Ecclesiastes 11, the Teacher continues offering wisdom sayings while wrestling with anxiety, uncertainty, and the temporary nature of life. Though Ecclesiastes often feels filled with angst and existential frustration, the chapter also points toward an important truth: life is fleeting, and recognizing that reality can bring wisdom and clarity. The devotion explores how human beings naturally worry about aging, death, and the uncertainties of the future, yet Scripture invites believers to hold those fears in perspective. While this life is beautiful and full of meaningful gifts, it is not ultimate. The worries consuming us now will eventually fade in light of eternity, and Christians can live with hope because there is something greater still to come in Christ.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.You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%2011&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org

In this reflection on Ecclesiastes 9:17–10:20, the Teacher continues exploring the value and limitations of wisdom. While wisdom is portrayed as better than foolishness, stronger than weapons, and worthy of pursuit, it still cannot remove life’s uncertainty or guarantee control over the future. The devotion contrasts the Teacher’s growing cynicism with the Christian conviction that wisdom itself is not the ultimate goal—Jesus is. The reflection wrestles honestly with anxiety, uncertainty, and the human desire to control outcomes, ultimately suggesting that true wisdom is not found in mastering the future but in trusting that God is already present there. Even when life feels uncertain, believers can rest in the promise that wherever the future leads, God will meet them there.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.You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%209%3A%2017-18%3B%20Ecclesiastes%2010&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org

In Ecclesiastes 9, the Teacher points out that life is uncertain, death comes for everyone, and the things we often chase—success, power, recognition, possessions—cannot give lasting meaning. The Teacher’s repeated call to “eat, drink, and be merry” is understood not as a call to shallow living, but as an invitation to find meaning in community, shared meals, conversation, and time with the people we love. The heart of the message is that relationships, not achievements or possessions, are where lasting value is found, so we should intentionally prioritize the people who matter most to 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.You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%209&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org

In our Traditional message from Pentecost Sunday, Andy shares with us from Acts 2: 1-21. We see how God restores what sin has taken. In Babel, sin leads to division, but Pentecost restores that, and through the Spirit, we have unity.

Ecclesiastes 8:9–17 wrestles honestly with the unfairness and brokenness of life in a fallen world. While the Teacher becomes cynical as he sees evil rewarded and justice delayed, the message for Christians is different: we are called neither to deny injustice nor to surrender to it. Instead, we are called to resist evil, remain faithful, and hold on to hope because we belong to the God of resurrection. For believers, even the worst things—including death—are not the last things, because God is still at work and his final word is not despair, but hope.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.You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%208%3A%2010-17&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org