St. Andrew UMC Podcast

Better Together: Accept One Another (09/10/17)

We’re made to be with others, but too often we walk through this world alone.

A recent study revealed that the number of Americans who say they have no close friends has roughly tripled in the last two decades. “Zero” is also the most common response when people are asked how many confidants they have.

That may seem strange in the era of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and boundless digital connectivity. But the “friends” orbiting at the farthest reaches of our digital galaxy aren’t the ones that matter when it comes to our happiness and sense of wellbeing.

Because we’re made to be with others. In person.
Scripture tells us that we’re better together.

Our “Better Together” series will look at the basic building blocks of genuine friendship and community. Things like: acceptance, encouragement, someone to suffer with, someone to provoke us to do the right thing, someone to share the best of ourselves.

These are just of a few of the topics we’ll be exploring. Please join us for this important series. Bring a friend with you, or meet a friend in worship.

Let’s figure this out.
Together.

Connect the Dots: Joseph the Dreamer Part 2 (09/03/17)

How can we turn the painful experiences of our lives into redemptive opportunities for ourselves and others? In this two-part series, we look at the Old Testament story of Joseph for clues. Joseph was a dreamer whose whole life was full of such promise and possibility. But when his brothers betrayed him by selling him into slavery, Joseph was faced with a decision that would impact not only his personal life, but the fate of the whole world. In the face of betrayal, pain and years of hardship, would Joseph choose to become better or bitter? What would Joseph do next? How would he use his pain to empower his dreams? 

In Part One of this series, we look at what it means to be good stewards of our painful stories—to trust that pain can become a treasure if we treasure it to the point where it can become compassion and healing, not just for ourselves, but also for other people. In Part Two, we explore how to repurpose our pain for something good, so that we can begin to connect the scattered dots of our painful stories to see a bigger picture of God’s prevailing goodness in all circumstances.

Connect the Dots: Joseph the Dreamer Part 1 (08/27/17)

How can we turn the painful experiences of our lives into redemptive opportunities for ourselves and others? In this two-part series, we look at the Old Testament story of Joseph for clues. Joseph was a dreamer whose whole life was full of such promise and possibility. But when his brothers betrayed him by selling him into slavery, Joseph was faced with a decision that would impact not only his personal life, but the fate of the whole world. In the face of betrayal, pain and years of hardship, would Joseph choose to become better or bitter? What would Joseph do next? How would he use his pain to empower his dreams? 

In Part One of this series, we look at what it means to be good stewards of our painful stories—to trust that pain can become a treasure if we treasure it to the point where it can become compassion and healing, not just for ourselves, but also for other people. In Part Two, we explore how to repurpose our pain for something good, so that we can begin to connect the scattered dots of our painful stories to see a bigger picture of God’s prevailing goodness in all circumstances.

Finding Our Prophetic Voice (08/20/17)

 

 

Be Still & Know: Spiritual Friendship (08/13/17)

To be human is to be always on the move.  Movement is not a bad thing.  If we’re moving, we’re living.  But constant movement is exhausting—physical, emotionally, and spiritually. 

It can also be paralyzing.  We can feel stuck or caught because, even as we’re moving all over the place, there’s no direction or meaning behind our movement.  We know we’re moving, but we wonder if we’re really getting anywhere.

God says, “Be still and know.”

In this nine-part, summer-long sermon series, we’ll focus simply on stopping, slowing down, and listening deeply, so there can be lasting change.

Be Still & Know: Scripture (08/06/17)

To be human is to be always on the move.  Movement is not a bad thing.  If we’re moving, we’re living.  But constant movement is exhausting—physical, emotionally, and spiritually. 

It can also be paralyzing.  We can feel stuck or caught because, even as we’re moving all over the place, there’s no direction or meaning behind our movement.  We know we’re moving, but we wonder if we’re really getting anywhere.

God says, “Be still and know.”

In this nine-part, summer-long sermon series, we’ll focus simply on stopping, slowing down, and listening deeply, so there can be lasting change.

Be Still & Know: Hope Overflowing (07/30/17)

To be human is to be always on the move.  Movement is not a bad thing.  If we’re moving, we’re living.  But constant movement is exhausting—physical, emotionally, and spiritually. 

It can also be paralyzing.  We can feel stuck or caught because, even as we’re moving all over the place, there’s no direction or meaning behind our movement.  We know we’re moving, but we wonder if we’re really getting anywhere.

God says, “Be still and know.”

In this nine-part, summer-long sermon series, we’ll focus simply on stopping, slowing down, and listening deeply, so there can be lasting change.

Be Still & Know: Telling Time (07/23/17)

To be human is to be always on the move.  Movement is not a bad thing.  If we’re moving, we’re living.  But constant movement is exhausting—physical, emotionally, and spiritually. 

It can also be paralyzing.  We can feel stuck or caught because, even as we’re moving all over the place, there’s no direction or meaning behind our movement.  We know we’re moving, but we wonder if we’re really getting anywhere.

God says, “Be still and know.”

In this nine-part, summer-long sermon series, we’ll focus simply on stopping, slowing down, and listening deeply, so there can be lasting change.

Be Still & Know: Standing Still (07/16/17)

To be human is to be always on the move.  Movement is not a bad thing.  If we’re moving, we’re living.  But constant movement is exhausting—physical, emotionally, and spiritually. 

It can also be paralyzing.  We can feel stuck or caught because, even as we’re moving all over the place, there’s no direction or meaning behind our movement.  We know we’re moving, but we wonder if we’re really getting anywhere.

God says, “Be still and know.”

In this nine-part, summer-long sermon series, we’ll focus simply on stopping, slowing down, and listening deeply, so there can be lasting change.

Be Still & Know: The Still Small Voice (07/09/17)

To be human is to be always on the move.  Movement is not a bad thing.  If we’re moving, we’re living.  But constant movement is exhausting—physical, emotionally, and spiritually. 

It can also be paralyzing.  We can feel stuck or caught because, even as we’re moving all over the place, there’s no direction or meaning behind our movement.  We know we’re moving, but we wonder if we’re really getting anywhere.

God says, “Be still and know.”

In this nine-part, summer-long sermon series, we’ll focus simply on stopping, slowing down, and listening deeply, so there can be lasting change.