Kuna United Methodist Church Sermons

Pastor Mia continues guiding us through The Walk: Essential practices of the Christian Life. This week, she helps us make sense of habits for being Christlike. In Christian living, we move continuously through a set of four quadrants that help us cultivate the practices of Christian living. The quadrants are worship, community, serving, and sharing. We can navigate these spaces by loving God and l...

One definition of discipleship is being and doing like the one we follow. But how do you know if your attempts to be more like Jesus look right? We all have fundamental questions about faith. “Why do I exist?” “How does God work?” “How do I live?” These questions matter. We want to understand the expectations of Christian living, but those expectations often feel vague. This week, Pastor Mia helps...

God's light conquers all darkness, and yet we still struggle with fear. Actually, most everyone struggles with fear, including many in the Bible. This week Pastor Mia shows us how looking at God within us eliminates the fear that holds us back.

God comes into every darkness — the darkness of evil that we humans create and the darkness of grieve and despair that we all experience — and shouts "let there be light!" At the Candlelight Christmas Eve service, Pastor Mia tells the Christmas story with light, walks us through the threads of Scripture that show how God began bringing light into every darkness and God still brings light into ever...

During Advent, we get ready for Christ’s birth and we look forward to Christ’s second coming. In the 21st chapter of the Book of Revelation, John shares his vision that “the home of God is among the mortals.” God is the Living One who understands all parts of our lives. As Jesus, God lived as a human among humans. Jesus was fully human and fully God. However, recognizing God as living challenges o...

The people of Israel never learned. Despite God saving them multiple times and leading them to the promised land, they refused to depend on God. They worshipped idols, they stopped keeping the Sabbath, and they stopped obeying God. To address the problem, God tried raising judges. God also tried sending prophets. The people of Israel refused to break the sin cycle themselves, so God decided on a f...

This week, guest preacher Pastor Brian Thie helps us navigate the connection between hope and John Wesley's Three Simple Rules. Wesley preached, "Do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God." In addition to Wesley's three simple rules, Pastor Brian says are three sizes of hope: lower case hope, mixed case Hope, and all caps HOPE. However, seeing and experiencing war, suicide, and broken relatio...

Advent, the season of preparing for the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ is underway. This time of waiting for the arrival of our Savior includes retelling the words of the prophets. These messengers who spoke on God's behalf continually told hard truths to the people of Israel as they repeated the cycle of sinfulness, conequences, and redemption. Although the prophets regularly predicted consequenc...

You follow a great influencer and you have influence. Using your influence to build up others is one way to take part in God’s work. When you uplift people, you’re part of building the Kingdom of Heaven. Wherever we are, we can build up others. Visits with neighbors, family dinners, meeting for coffee, and church gatherings all present opportunities for encouragement. By serving in a ministry, we...

Jesus just wanted to be left alone and instead he was asked to heal a woman's daughter. All she had was her voice to influence Jesus. Seems so backwards that Jesus was influenced by another person, but that sure is how this story in the gospel of Mark reads. This week Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth offers a sermon on how Jesus was confronted by the woman in Tyre in Mark 7 and the lessons we can learn...

Social media influencers have a powerful effect on us and on our society. They have billions of followers, and they make millions of dollars recommending products. These promoters have become celebrities by sharing their opinions. On the other end of the spectrum are other influencers who aren’t famous, but people listen to them. Perhaps you admire or can’t stop watching a friend or family member....

With only days left until the election, we hear the call to love and compassion. We are reminded that the Holy Spirit is actively working in the world, uniting us in God's kingdom. As followers of Christ, we are called to love like he did. Compassion transforms the world — our lives and the lives of others. Jesus gave us a command to love God and love neighbor, and even to love those so difficult...

Good people of faith will come to different conclusions in the voting booth. With this year’s election just days away, Pastor Mia tackles the topics of humility, immigration, and border control. Many Americans agree the current immigration system is not working well, but the desired changes differ vastly among us. Some want tighter immigration controls and others a more generous immigration system...

Jesus' teaching to "Do Unto Others" applies at all times, even election season. This week Pastor Mia dives into the issue of abortion from a compassion perspective.

As we delve into this series, we confront the challenges of living out Jesus' teachings in today's polarized political climate. We are called to view voting as an expression of faith, addressing today's issues from a Christian perspective. The goal is not to dictate political choices but to guide us in positioning ourselves as Christians in political decision-making, emphasizing love and compassio...

Sin matters, because sin makes us slaves. Faith, on the other hand, opens the door to freedom. When people are asked to define sin, the answers include disobedience, naughtiness, and sex. Those answers aren’t how people in Jesus’s time described sin. They had a clear understanding of sin that we don’t. Back then everyone knew that sin was anything that distanced you from God. By living spiritual l...

Prophets and ancient writers called forgiveness a mark of the people of God. This week, Pastor Mia talks about what forgiveness is and isn't. Forgiveness is tricky and it's necessary. Forgiveness is an intentional decision to let go of resentment and anger. Being outraged is okay. The way you handle your feelings is what matters. When you've been wronged, do you retaliate or move on? For abuse vic...

When we do something wrong, many of us handle the unpleasant consequences with the anxiety of avoidance rather than the misery of confession. The fear of the unknown can override our thinking and morality. The disciple Peter let that happen. Peter betrayed Jesus three times following Jesus' arrest. Then heavy guilt settled in. After the resurrection, Peter evaded Jesus until a moment of reconcilia...

Have you ever thought that fear is the opposite of faith? Healthy fear alerts us to danger and keeps us safe. However, fear can also be damaging when it causes us to override morality and ethics. Even when we want to do the right thing, fear gets in the way. Faith, on the other hand, isn’t believing in God’s existence. It’s trusting in God’s capacity and power. Once we understand that God is the L...

David and Goliath have a lot to teach us about fear and anxiety and faith. Learn from their example and the testimony of others on how to approach anxiety, letting it serve you but not overwhelm you. Guest preacher: Rev. Lura Kidner-Miesen.

Jesus gave us the mission to go out and make disciples in the world. With that said, who is our mission for and who is the neighbor? Who is Jesus telling us to love? If those questions make you uncomfortable, there’s a reason. Throughout the history of the Church, we’ve wanted to know who to exclude. This week, Pastor Mia reminds us that how we live out our mission matters. Basing church membershi...

Finding your purpose gives life meaning and it makes your life worthwhile, but it doesn't promise wealth or ease or lack of problems. That life just doesn't exist. Jesus understood the difference between getting everything we want and a saved life that gives us everything we need. Christian faithful who have come before know understand that too. Pastor Mia unfolds these truths in this sermon.

Boredom is a gift from God. That’s right! When we’re bored, our subconscious and conscious minds connect and creativity is born. This week, Pastor Mia examines engaging in the play of spiritual life. Having fun and being creative can help us connect to God and boost our faith formation.

When we work with our heavenly family for the common good, we find personal happiness. Each of us has a unique role in the Kin-dom of Heaven, and it might shift over your lifetime. This week, Pastor Mia explains that when you notice a need, your own giftedness, and feeling of discontentment, you’re discerning your purpose. Living your purpose isn’t always easy, but it’s amazing and thriving.

When we try to answer the question, “Who am I,” we often define ourselves based on our successes and failures. However, the story of the disciple Peter demonstrates how God’s love restores us. Just before the crucifixion, Peter denied Jesus three times. Instead of turning Peter away, Jesus doesn’t let that great failing define Peter. This week, guest speaker Randall Feaster explains that the story...