First Houston United Methodist Church

1 Timothy 1:12-17 Andy talks about transformation - inviting you to think back to the person that you were, and then to the person you are today, and realize how much you've changed. We want to leave a legacy: a legacy of faith, a legacy of trust, but that only happens when we share what we know. fmhouston.com

On one of our last few podcasts with Brandi (this is your last chance to send in questions you’d like to hear Brandi answer, so please send those in!), the group takes on how involved Jesus was in government, how much they think he’d be involved today, and what a Jesus-like approach to politics would look like. Send in your question! FMHouston.com/AMA

John 4:39-42 “When Jesus looks at the Samaritan woman, he doesn’t see a Samaritan woman. He sees a daughter of God.” fmhouston.com/ama

This week the group take on a question dealing with loss of faith in a relationship. They take a look at what causes people to walk away from God and how to both parties can navigate through their wilderness. Questions? Contact us at fmhouston.com/AMA

Acts 13:47 Andy talks about how the disciples saw Jesus appear to them, resurrected, and how they were completely changed - and how we are in daily need of that “resurrection power.” We all have those moments where we’ve had doubt and fear, and let them take over. But our God is a God who is always fighting for what is good. And when we embrace those things, the darkness fades away. fmhouston.com

Luke 18:9-14 Andy changes is wearing a Hawaiian shirt at the beginning of this (this is surprisingly important to understand at the beginning of this sermon in an audio format). It’s part of his explanation of the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector, and how little appearances matter to God. fmhouston.com

During such uncertain times, should we be saving our money or sharing our abundance with others who are struggling to keep their heads above water? The group discusses battling the fear or generosity and the emotional side of giving. fmhouston.com/ama

Luke 14:12-14 Andy talks about the importance of having a sabbath day, and what Biblical generosity looks like. When we give to people who cannot give back to us, there is still a blessing - we see the world in a different way. We see the world in the same way that God sees us. fmhouston.com

It’s Ben’s birthday! He lays out the definition of cancel culture and opens the floor for the table to discuss it’s place in not only the modern world but also in christian living. thesourcehouston.org

Persevering through technical difficulties, Andy, Ken, and Ben answer a piggybacked question for our last podcast about colonization. A questioner asks whether we've screwed everything up by showing Jesus as a white man, and what level of personal interpretation we should bring to the Bible. Ask a question! FMHouston.com/AMA

Luke 4:14-21 Brandi talks about what it meant when Jesus came from Nazareth - what a small town it was to come from. People expected Jesus to put Nazareth on the map, and they became frustrated when Jesus failed to meet their expectations by not giving them a double portion of what he was giving to everyone else. “Jesus doesn’t go elsewhere because he is rejected. He is rejected because he goes elsewhere.” People want to keep Jesus for themselves. The church has been looking back, hoping to be what we were. We have sometimes let “today” slip into “yesterday” or “tomorrow.” But God wants us to be about His Kingdom TODAY. fmhouston.com

The group takes a close look at the history of evangelism and its lasting impact on native cultures. They strip down the misconceived notions of missionaries as well as the responsibility we bear to be part of the solution to a larger issue. fmhouston.com/ama

1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 12-14, 27 Andy talks about the Corinthian church, and the terrible choices they were making. There’s much we don’t have in common with the Corinthians - but the things that we do, we need to look at very closely. Paul had a vision of what the church could be. That vision can still be true for us. fmhouston.com

A listener dealing with the loss of loved ones asks for some guidance on intercessory prayer. The group share their insight dealing with death and filtering through the awkwardness of praying for the dead. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

1 Timothy 4:12 The scripture today talks about what it was like when Paul left and a young person like Timothy came to take up the mantle. Andy talks about how important that message is today: “This idea of setting the example for the younger generation is enormous.” It’s not just about our discipleship - it’s about all of our discipleship. Also, Andy learns how to pack. fmhouston.com

Anthony Rogers, Yesly Antu and Deborah Nixon join the conversation to tackle the issue of racism within by Latinx against the black community. They dive into the toxic stereotypes streaming from the history of Hispanic and Latin countries, and the repercussions of comparing oppression. Also, how to combat issues that come from an us vs. them feeling, and the power in learning from each other's stories. fmhouston.com/ama

Deuteronomy 4:9 When Andy's children were young, they had him read the same stories over and over. He got tired of it, but he kept at it, each and every time. Why do we spend so much time telling our kids stories? It’s because we want their lives to be shaped by more than stories. Christianity becomes powerful when we both see the structure - and the story behind it. fmhouston.com

The table discusses ways of reading spiritual text. Ben starts us off by diving into Ignatius of Loyola and the examen practiced by the Jesuits. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Matthew 18:3 Andy just turned 51 this week (or, as Deborah says, 612 months), and it's made him long for the days of his childhood - playing baseball in his yard and buying pizza and baseball cards with his friends. As Andy tells the story of the moneylender who forgave debts (Luke 7:40-43), and asks how we need to see the world in order to be living the way Jesus wants us to. fmhouston.com

As we continue to settle into the new normal, a questioner wonders how it’ll shape the Church. The table discuss stripping our church norms and embracing simplicity. As well as the new ways online church is changing how we practice discipleship. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Matthew 5:9 The long stretch of the quarantine has left Andy with a longing for the pieces of home... his mother's chocolate cream pie, the sounds of baseball, the things we have been confined from. Months of separation have made him see the world with different eyes. As Jesus sits on the mountainside to speak a new and powerful word, and the word is a reinterpretation of the Ten Commandments - a directive to see the world with different eyes. Andy asks if we are using this time to see the world the same way. fmhouston.com

The group explore how they’ve handled difficult but necessary conversations. Donyale reminds us that sometimes the road to peace means disrupting the “peace”. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Matthew 5:6 Andy uses props to tell us about how to quench our thirst (don’t worry, you’ll be able to guess what they are), and tells us to engage in those things that Jesus did. During a crisis, the way we used to see the world gets stripped away from us. Crises show us the way to go. Our vision has elevated. Bigger things are being put in front of us. We need to rise to meet those things. fmhouston.com

Tension remains on high consequently fueling the growth of keyboard warriors. A questioner who’s noticed christian friends on opposite sides of the spectrum asks what it looks like to be followers of Jesus online. Donyale shares some words to defuse online courage. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Today's sermon is a conversation between Brandi and Donyale - a conversation about the Beatitudes, about justice, about how protesting is a form of mourning, about how these are hard conversations that need to be had. Matthew 5:4 - "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." fmhouston.com

Anthony joins the table as Ben hosts this weeks episode. A questioner reaches out to get clarity on what separates hope and prayer. The table discusses their practiceses talking with God and explore the limits of hope. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

A teacher with an unfairly merciful grading system teaches Andy something about grace, as he explores how the Beatitudes lift up the people least likely to be lifted up by the world. fmhouston.com

The group look at the different ways we service and give but also what it means to be humbled by receiving. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Andy talks about the story of Paul and Silas remaining in their cells when the prison crashed open - and the power to change things when you set about it the way God wants you to. fmhouston.com

In death are we healed of our illnesses or does it come with us? The table shares their insight and hope for those struggling with mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health contact your mental health professional or other qualified health provider. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Acts 2:9-16 Peter has a vision of all of the animals coming towards him on a sheet, and Andy explains the meaning of the passage in narrow terms, and then in broad ones. God is talking about more than food - he was asking Peter to open up to all the world. fmhouston.com

Ben waits to surprises the group with today’s question - was it racist of God to single out the Israelites? The table discusses what Scripture tells us about why He chose the Hebrew people. Andy uses a food metaphor that has everybody questioning what kind of food they are. fmhouston.com/ama

Andy looks at the conversion of Paul on the road to Damascus, and talks about the way his own sight was changed at George Floyd's funeral this week. fmhouston.com

On today’s episode, the group takes an opportunity to have a conversation about the events happening in Houston. Donyale and Andy share their experience at George Floyd’s funeral. They reflect on the impact of these events and what it means for us as a nation. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Acts 8:26-40 Andy tells the story of Philip and the eunuch, and sees echoes of the same lessons in the hubbub of current events. fmhouston.com

The group take a moment to reflect on their experiences at the downtown march for George Floyd. Bloomed from our Ahmaud Arbery episode, today’s question searches for specific guidance on what the church can do to combat evil and what we as individuals can do. Below is more information on the book recommendations mentioned in this podcast. -Divided By Faith, by Michael Emerson -Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson -The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander -Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman -How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi -The Post-Racial Negro Green Book by Jan Miles -So you want to talk about race by Ijeoma Oluo Books for Kids: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor White Flour by David LaMotte Monster by Walter Dean Myers The UMC is already helping us talk to our kids. These are books that lift up the sacred worth of every human, no matter their gender, race, ability level, or sexual orientation. https://www.umcjustice.org/sacred-worth-books?fbclid=IwAR20VyKJ3ILh21SXuf5WE_RiboNC6M6LKcMoo0BdxqDtMSrOIMF2TH20ETM This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

On Pentecost Sunday, as cities across America are filled with marchers and protestors, Andy makes a call to action. "It is not acceptable to be a church hunkered down, afraid to go out and proclaim the name of Jesus." Acts 2:1-11 fmhouston.com

A non-member asks whether the Methodist church disciplines members, and if people are required to confess their sins to a pastor or another authority. It leads to a discussion of what rules the Methodist church actually has, the importance of accountability, and how pastors work to try to be someone who stands in your corner rather than punishing you. FMHouston.com/AMA

Andy speaks about “God in Real Time": God is taking care of you in the here and now, and God is going to take care of you in the future. Anything the world gives to you is going to fade away, the peace God gives to us is infinite. The Holy Spirit is a gift that shows us that fear cannot prevail. “Faith is stranger than peace, and so even though we feel the storm, the storm does not overcome us.” John 14:25-27 fmhouston.com

Questions of racial justice, privilege and discipleship surface as the group breaksdown the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. They reflect on the heavy price payed for racial harmony, the work that still awaits and the steps the church can take to be the champions of love. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Donyale comes to us from her kitchen table to consider why God chooses people who don't need just minor changes, but be changed utterly. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 fmhouston.com

We’re talking about social holiness and what John Wesley meant by it. What that it looks like today and how it differs from how we interpret God defines it. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Isaiah 65:17-25 This week, Andy got angry at a fajitas-for-one, and then at the frustrations of the pandemic. But today's passage from Isaiah shows how anger turns to joy, and how change can be change forever. But to do that, we have to leave sins in the past. fmhouston.com

All hands are on deck as the group dives deep into examining the consequences the precautionary actions we take to stay safe during the pandemic may have on others around the world. They find themselves wrapped in the same chaos our questioner finds themselves in. fmhouston.com/ama

John 5:1-9 Andy discusses the story of the man who could not make it into the pool to be healed, and the importance of what exactly it was that Jesus said to him in that moment. fmhouston.com

We welcome our first guest to the Ask Me Anything table, Bishop Scott Jones! The group pick each others brains’ on how they’re managing daily life, spouses, parenting and the “new trend” growth during this pandemic. They lean into the changes they’ve seen in how we’re worshiping due to the pandemic and the possible impact on the future of the church This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

1 Peter 1:3-9 Andy confronts the strangeness of our current life from his church office, and points to 1 Peter, where the Scripture points to the value of working through the darkness as we wait for the light. "When we get to the other side, we know that Christ is alive – and working in us." FMHouston.com

The group tackles two similar questions regarding the book of revelations. Ben’s pastoral side really shines when discussing the misconceptions of how we read this part of the bible. Everyone shares their experiences learning about the rapture growing up and the Left Behind series. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

An advertisement for a theater company leads Donyale to reconsider Isaiah 11:1-8, and the meaning of these verses on the Branch of Jesse. This scripture, she says, is a story of hope. God was calling those who heard it to put their trust in him alone. He still is. “This hope is sturdy enough for you and me today.” FMHouston.com

Today’s question puts the formula of our worship services under a microscope. The group examines what elements of a service really matters and the roles that lay and clergy people play. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm