First Houston United Methodist Church

Ann struggles to deal with the idea of a true Sabbath - can she go from 24/7 to 24/6? To do so, she ends up going back and facing the directions given in the Ten Commandments. fmhouston.com

Andy speaks powerfully on the incredible importance of naps while discussing just what exactly a Sabbath is - and why it's so necessary. fmhouston.com/

The group is back from Annual Conference, and gives a quick update on the goings on within our denomination and our church. Then, a question about why God blesses people who don't follow him more than he does those who do leads to a discussion of if that's true - and what God's blessing really means. fmhouston.com/ama

A chance frustrating encounter leads Andy to reconsider how he considers the Sabbath. Then he encourages everyone to go take a nap. But there is something deeper to the Sabbath. As Andy says, "God said on the cross, 'it is finished,' and there is nothing left for us to do." fmhouston.com

Brant Wallace takes to the pulpit and fights against the busyness of life - the endless cycles we put ourselves through, the constant overstacking of our schedules. What do we do when we have more to do than we can actually do? Plus, the ideal time to upload something onto YouTube. Genesis 2: 3 fmhouston.com

With the pastoral staff out of town, Ben brings in Mandy and Juan to talk about the general questions of youth group and why students leave the church. It leads into a much broader discussion of how kids sense falsehood, the cultural differences with youth in church around the world, and what it is that makes the church a place that students keep coming back to. fmhouston.com/ama

Andy talks about the various ways our words can have power, how they can have life and death, and the way we can say precisely the wrong thing. He talks about following God's instruction for controlling our words, and remembers an old friend who, time and time again, helped him to do so. Proverbs 18:21 fmhouston.com

Brandi discusses "the fiery tongue" discussed in Proverbs, which leads to a broader talk about how we should be living our lives - and what the world should expect to see in us. Proverbs 18:21 fmhouston.com

Andy, Brandi, and Ken discuss the fallout that comes after a shooting like Santa Fe, and explore the ways that we, as Christians, can respond to tragedies like this - and return to the Sermon on the Mount to see what Jesus had to say about it. fmhouston.com/ama

In the midst of an packed, joyous service, Andy takes the stage to talk about the truest meaning of Pentecost - how God created a church to bring the gospel to the world, and how God made this church to bring the gospel to this city. FMHouston.com

Ken returns from paternity leave and joins Anthony in the studio to talk about Pentecost with Andy. The three of them explore their very different backgrounds and common fears and misconceptions people have when it comes to the Holy Spirit. fmhouston.com/ama

"I hate to tell you this, church - but I'm not so convinced that we're not the religious insiders." On Mother's Day, Brandi remembers what it was like to deal with her own mother when she had been disobedient, and then goes into the story of the centurion, who had unshakable faith in what Jesus could do. She studies the healing word that Jesus give - but also the challenge that the story actually give us. Matthew 8: 5-13 FMHouston.com

On Mother's Day, Ann returns to the blessing of Aaron, and what it means to actually give a blessing to someone. She ends up venturing out into the congregation to deliver a blessing to someone right there and then! Luke 24: 50-53 FMHouston.com

Today's topic is division within the church - that's church with both a big "C" and a little one - how do we pray for it, how do we avoid becoming splintered, and how do we stop from focusing on what everyone else is doing wrong? Send in your questions and your feedback! FMHouston.com/AMA

Andy looks at a story of Elijah, where God calls him out to hear him as he passed by. And just like Elijah found God in the silence, Andy helps us to find God in the same place. And because of who he is, Andy pushes us towards hearing it in the everyday - and once you hear it, doing something about it. 1 Kings 19:9-13 fmhouston.com

Andy returns, and joins Brandi and Kaitlyn in a continuation of a discussion from last week about how you decide how to interpret Scripture. But this week they face the biggest issue dividing the church - how to deal with questions about homosexuality. From the church's struggle at large, to the splitting within our own denomination, to personal encounters, each of the three work to try and explore the different shades in an issue many see as black-and-white. Have a question? Reach out to us at fmhouston.com/ama. All questions are confidential.

Upon his return from Guatemala, a moved Andy talks about how new technology has changed our culture, but he pushes quickly past it into the powerful gift God has given to us: the power of speech. And how that gift that has given us a greater power: the ability to make change. fmhouston.com

As we introduce a new series on the Voice of God, an explores the mighty voice of God the Creator, who spoke the earth into being. But the focus of this sermon is on us, and the way we live our lives in on fear - the fear of sharing our faith, the fear of speaking up. Ann dives into the dangers of silence. fmhouston.com

With Andy gone to Guatemala, the group puts a pin in some of the questions of the week before and instead focuses in on a question never asked from the stage: "Does our reading of Scripture shape our worldview, or does our worldview shape our reading of the Scriptures?" It will not shock you that this leads Brandi and Kaitlyn all kinds of places, including the Reformation, the political climate during the periods the Bible was being written, our own personal worries, and a into surprisingly long interlude about circumcison. Plus, the group explores the bigger (though related) question of "who gets to decide what the Scriptures mean?" and how community and the pursuit of truth play a role in how we read the Bible. FMHouston.com/AMA

Andy keeps asking for Ask Me Anything questions that are a little easier, and we keep throwing him the hardest ones we've got. It starts with someone who is wondering who gets to decide what in the Bible is true and what isn't (2:30), which leads into a question of if we believe Paul's writing is from God, then why would anyone condone homosexual marriage (13:17)? Then, someone asks why God asks us to be monogamous if he made our animal instincts to be the opposite(20:45)? Finally, Andy sends in his own question (technically, that's not cheating) to talk about how our church can be a more complete picture of Christ (28:42). Join the conversation: fmhouston.com/ama

Ann and Brant take on some of the more personal questions of Ask Me Anything: first, a person who is being bullied by her own family member and doesn't know what to do (1:45). Then, they get into the history of baptism and how exactly that whole thing got started (8:35) before trying to sort out a person's shame and guilt at being unforgiven for something the did wrong (16:48). Lastly, someone was deeply curious about a story in the Bible where the tombs emptied and the the dead walked around Jerusalem after Jesus' resurrection (24:48). fmhouston.com

A weekend of tough questions means that the group ends up diving deep into some of the biggest topics of our faith. First, they debate the report that the Pope has denied the existence of Hell, and argue over what the larger conversation of the nature of Hell means for all of us (1:55). Then, a question about whether there's any point in waiting until marriage for sex leads to a discussion of both the importance of keeping intimacy sacred and also how the church is failing a section of its audience by refusing to engage in the culture (14:20). Finally, an attempt to reconcile a perfect God with a broken world, and to figure out if prayer actually does anything to fix it (24:00). FMHouston.com/AMA

Andy gets a number of fastballs thrown at him in this sermon, including a question about tattoos (1:20), whether there really is a time to hate and a time to kill (4:48), can God really be all-good and all-powerful (10:52), and why we work so hard in life just to die at the end (22:05). If you're looking for the people and podcasts named here: Podcasts Relevant Magazine Ask Me Anything Follow-Up Podcast Writers Eugene Peterson N.T. Wright Bob Goff ("Love Does") Rob Bell You can still ask questions for this series! FMHouston.com/AMA

Ann and Brandi team up to tackle their mystery questions, which end up being "How did Jesus choose his 12 apostles?" (1:10) "Are people who are dead already in Heaven?" (5:56) and "Can you lose your salvation?" (15:25). Plus, book and podcast recommendations! (24:30) If you're looking for the people and podcasts named here: Brandi: Writers Lauren Winner Barbara Brown Taylor Podcasts The Moth This American Life Invisibilia Ann Writers Barbara Brown Taylor John Ortberg Max Lucado (especially "Facing The Giants") TV Nova You can still ask questions for this series! FMHouston.com/AMA

Andy, Kaitlyn, and Brandi get settled in for our first-ever Ask Me Anything Follow-Up podcast, and start to work through a dramatic Week One of the series. They talk about how to talk to a close relative who is antagonistic to the idea of God (2:00), why God would ask Abraham to sacrifice his song (10:40), and our church's relationship with the homeless in Houston (19:00). We still need questions for the series! Please ask your question at FMHouston.com/AMA

We continue to break Ask Me Anything down, question by question. On this one, Andy talks about the difference between the Old and the New Covenant. You can still ask questions for this series! FMHouston.com/AMA

We continue to break Ask Me Anything down, question by question. On this one, Andy discusses the death of Jesus and what a blood sacrifice really means. You can still ask questions for this series! FMHouston.com/AMA

We continue to break Ask Me Anything down, question by question. On this one, Andy discusses the way the church helps out the homeless men and women of Houston - and the incredible impact they've had on our church. You can still ask questions for this series! FMHouston.com/AMA

We continue to break Ask Me Anything down, question by question. Here, Andy talks about the guilt and worry that soldiers feel in regards to the cost of life from military encounters. You can still ask questions for this series! FMHouston.com/AMA

Andy deals with some very tough questions on his second go-round. First, he's asked whether God forgives soldiers for their actions during military service, why the church allows the homeless to sleep on the steps, why God demanded a blood sacrifice, and what the difference is between the old and the new covenant. It's quite a run. You can still ask questions for this series! FMHouston.com/AMA

We're breaking Ask Me Anything down, question by question. On this one, Andy talks about dealing with a family member who won't accept Christ and refuses to talk about it. You can still ask questions for this series! FMHouston.com/AMA

We're breaking Ask Me Anything down, question by question. On this one, Andy talks about the sacrifice Abraham was asked to make to God to kill his only son. You can still ask questions for this series! FMHouston.com/AMA

We continue to break Ask Me Anything down, question by question. On this one, Andy talks about homosexual and transgender people and how they fit within the dynamic of this church. You can still ask questions for this series! FMHouston.com/AMA

We're dividing Ask Me Anything up into individual answers. In the first question of the series, Andy is asked why no one prays for Satan. You can still ask questions for this series! FMHouston.com/AMA

During 'Ask Me Anything,' Andy gets questions he's never seen before and has to come up with answers on the spot. On his first run through, Andy gets questions on why no one prays for Satan, whether homosexual or transexual people should serve in the church, why Abraham was told to kill Isaac, and what to do about a family member who rejects Christianity. You can still ask questions for this series! FMHouston.com/AMA

On Easter Sunday, Andy talks about finding an empty tomb, and invites people to come join him for a week to see how God is moving. Then he explores what it means to be a church that is different in a world that sticks to its own kind, and why he's taking the staff to see "Black Panther" this week. FMHouston.com

As we celebrate Easter, Ann talks about the devastation of Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb, and how often we find ourselves looking in the wrong direction. Plus, now that Lent is done, what she's planning on doing as soon as she gets home from church. FMHouston.com

In the midst of a contemplative Service of Darkness, Andy gave a short meditation asking us to consider ourselves at our worst , and the frustrating reality of this dark but holy day. FMHouston.com

On Palm Sunday, Andy and Kathrin split up the sermon to talk about the mission of Neighbors in Action, what it actually means to follow Jesus, and what it's like when Jesus breaks through to us. Plus, an update on Andy's rooting interest in March Madness. This podcast has a video testimony that's been clipped from it. To watch the video, click here. FMHouston.com

On NIA Sunday, Brandi and Kathrin take turns on the stage to talk about the mission of Neighbors in Action, Jesus' triumphant entrance to Jerusalem, and the connections between. This podcast has a video testimony that's been clipped from it. To watch the video, click here. FMHouston.com

This week, Andy gets a sermon illustration at the top of the Statue of Liberty but explains why he would have preferred to go without it. It takes us into the story of Zaccheus, and what it looks like to settle our debts. But then he pushes further, to invite us in deeper, and find out what its like to get inside someone's life. Plus, a story from his first preaching job trying to teach a longtime member to joys of sharing. fmhouston.com

Brant finds himself in a bit of a pickle (that's a pun, he starts off with baseball metaphors! Andy would be proud) when he's asked to preach about famed tax collector Zaccheus, since he has had a tempestuous relationship with the IRS, a story which he gets to later. The real story, though, is the discovery that both Brant and Zaccheus found: how grace changes everything, and how God makes Ministry out of our messes. fmhouston.com

After a continuing rant on the aggravation of Daylight Saving Time (if you weren't here, this continued throughout the whole service), Andy settles in to tell the story of Jesus healing the blind man by rubbing dirt and spit in his eyes. But he also bounces out to show the big picture, and what the story really means for us. Plus, the time Andy almost went to church with Margaret Thatcher. John 9:1-7 fmhouston.com

To relate the story of Jesus healing the blind man by rubbing dirt into his eyes, Ann relates a story of a woman so trapped by a traumatic experience at school that she found herself unable to shake the experience for 40 years. This sermon is the story of her - and our - redemption. John 9:1-7 fmhouston.com

As part of his '40 Cups of Coffee' during Lent, Andy learns a fun new Charles Allen story about a couple who asked him to pray for their business, and the abrupt turn Charles ended up taking on it. Then, as Andy explores the deeper Christian calling that the returning, grateful leper represents, he talks about his recent travels in Cuba, and what it is like to be given an unreturnable gift, and what it's like to experience real gratitude. Luke 17:11-19 fmhouston.com

Bill looks at the story of the Grateful Leper (Luke 17: 11-19), and examines it from all sorts of angles - what it meant to be a leper in Jesus' time, who these people were, and why it mattered that is was the Samaritan who came back. fmhouston.com

Ann takes a long look at the story of Jesus and the woman who was to be stoned for infidelity, working through it layer by layer. Along the way, she asks us how exactly we got into our own mess - and how we're going to get out of it. fmhouston.com

On his son's 19th birthday, Andy talks about the mixed messages the world sends people about what we're supposed to have together in our lives, and by when. Then, he looks at Ash Wednesday and considers the phrase "from dust we arrived, and to dust we return." As Lent begins, he calls for action and for us to go out into the world. fmhouston.com

In discussing the important in the gospel of dirt, Ann talks about leading the church's creative team through a talk about the dirtiest they'd ever physically been, and how an experience in Haiti changed her. Then she goes in and talks about being spiritually dirty, and how the memory sticks with her. Plus, the reveal of what she gave up for Lent is not to be missed. fmhouston.com

Andy introduces Lent on a misty Ash Wednesday by talking about Houston drivers, temptations at H-E-B, and the importance of following God in the midst of the fog of life. fmhouston.com