Kuna United Methodist Church Sermons

Our dealings with God follow an old and repeating pattern that ends with us feeling abandoned and God saving us. But it turns out that God never did abandon us. On this 3rd Sunday of Advent, Pastor Mia takes us on a journey with God that ends in overwhelming happiness and joy.

With God, things that seem impossible are possible, including hope. The prophet Isaiah had extraordinary hope in a ruler who would descend from King David. Under this upcoming regin, there would be a new way of living that would be fair, just, and uplifting. This week, Pastor Mia tells us Isaiah's hope wasn't cheerful optimism. Instead it was the perseverance to stay engaged and trust in God. Ulti...

Welcome to Advent!! During these 4 weeks we wait & prepare for Christmas. We celebrate that Jesus possible what before seemed impossible — even peace!

With the coming of Thanksgiving, we are reminding that God provides. We are so valuable to God that God cares for us, in earthy ways and in heavenly ways. The way we give to others comes out of deep gratitude to God for all blessings & gifts God has given us. And sometimes God winks at us.

In Mark Chapter 5, Jesus encounters two vastly different believers. One is Jarius, a well-known synagogue leader, and the other is a destitute woman. Despite their circumstances, both Jarius and the woman believed Jesus was capable of healing and they each asked for help. The woman touched Jesus's robe, and when she did, the hemorrhaging she experienced for years stopped. Jarius, the rich ruler, f...

We’ve mixed up cause and effect. This week, Pastor Mia examines the missionary Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. In that letter, Paul makes the point that Abraham’s obedience was an effect of God‘s promise—not the cause. Paul teaches us that God’s promise is not limited to Abraham‘s biological family. It’s for his spiritual family too. Therefore, we don’t have to be noticed first for God to sav...

The message in Ephesians 4:1–16, a letter attributed to Paul, is Unity in the Body of Christ. We are created for connection with each other and connection with God, but loyalties to families or nations that don't always agree can lead to resistance. This week, Pastor Mia reminds us that Christian unity comes from common love of God instead of likemindedness. In a world permeated by lonliness and i...

In 1 Corinthians 12:12–20 Paul gives us the metaphor of the body of Christ. In this Scripture, Paul explains how the church is like a human body. That is, like a body, the church has unique and diverse parts that function best when they work together. Each of us possess distinct talents, and sometimes that diversity leads to disagreements and different goals. This week, guest speaker, Patrick Meis...

Luke 14 includes the story of a party host who wanted his house to be filled. The Parable of the Great Banquet is about our invitation to the Kingdom of God. This invitation is not limited to those considered the "right" people—it's for everyone. This week, Pastor Mia challenges us to think about being invited to this feast. Some will refuse. Others will think they aren't good enough to be there....

Like the Samaritan who showed kindness for a severly beaten man on the road to Jericho (Luke 10:29-37), we get close to Christ when we help a stranger or someone in need. But many, many people both close to home and around the world are living in dire situations. And hearing about it all can lead to compassion fatigue. This week, Pastor Mia shares some guidance for becoming a good neighbor. Find o...

Jesus encourages us to go to uncomfortable places. In Luke 6:32-38, he tells us there is no credit in loving those who love us. Instead, Jesus calls us to love our enemies and to serve those who cannot repay us. This week, Pastor Mia explains the concept of going where Jesus would be. When we seek out people who are different and love them, our service becomes relational. Find out why.

Light and darkness are central in the gospel of John. The light is the presence of God and faith, and darkness is unbelief and the rejection of God. This week, Pastor Mia examines why people love darkness intead of the light. In a world where we want to avoid condemnation for our failings, the dark enables us to hide bad actions, shame, and guilt. So what does it take to move to the light? Simply...

St. Paul was intense, strong in his convictions, and he seemed to love confrontation. Because of those charactaristics, he might not seem like the best person to spread the good news. However, Paul knew how to meet people where they were. During a visit to Athens, he named the goodness and holiness he saw in the Greek Gentiles who didn't follow the law. This week, Pastor Mia shows how Paul's appro...

This week Pastor Mia guides us through Acts 10, a turning point in sharing the good news with people who are different. In this story, God brings together the disciple Peter and the military leader Cornelius. Until this meeting, Peter closely followed Jewish law and avoided people like Cornelius because they were gentiles. Listen and learn as Peter changes the way he thinks about going out and mak...

The Great Commission is Jesus's last coaching session. In that final gathering after the resurrection, he told the eleven remaining disciples to go and make more disciples, baptize, and teach. Some of those disciples, like us, had doubts about sharing their faith. This week, Pastor Mia looks at ways to handle our uncertainty and grow to realize that sharing matters.

Esther, a beautifiul Jewish woman, became the Queen of Persia after the king banished his first wife for disobeience. Esther navigated her role in that foregin territory with great care. And then she and her cousin learned that the king's advisor was plotting to destroy the Jews. To protect her people, Esther took a risk and relied on a power greater than her own. Pastor Mia reveals how Esther's t...

Lydia is a Hero of the Faith who inspires us by living a life of listening, discipleship, and hospitality. Twenty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, Paul and Timothy met the wealthy fabric dealer. Their story about a community of Christ followers made quite an impression on the successful businesswoman. This week, Pastor Mia guides us through Lydia's conversion and reveals how it had...

The prophet Jeremiah felt adbandoneded by God. When he spoke on God's behalf, warning the people of Jerusalam that they risked being conquered frombyBabylon, they didn't stop worshipping idols. Instead, they hurled insults and hostilities toward Jeremiah. Depsite his well-founded anguish in a no-win situation, Jeremiah ultimately discovered God is the only source of comfort and strength. As she ex...

She ran a business and was a foreigner. But she heard about the great works of God parting the Red Sea and she felt a deep conviction in her gut that this was the real God, God of heaven above and earth below. It made her brave and it made her bold. And she saved God's people.

Heroes are noble, brave, and change the world. The world is full of real heroes, whom God has called and then given the power to accomplish great things. This worship series will look at Heroes of the Faith, amazing people from the Bible who accomplished great things through their faith, courage, and nobility. This Sunday we look at Deborah, a judge from early Israel.

"The reward for hard work is more work." Many of us experience the addition of greater and greater responsibility in our personal and professional lives. However, Jesus wasn't referring to more work when he said, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me" (Matthew 11:29). Jesus isn't asking you to take on more work, but to take on yoked work. That is, work in which he shares the load and teaches us...

Churches everywhere are constantly tested on their welcomeness. When new members are welcome, amazing things happen. Faith grows, and disciples are made. However, the welcoming process is both messy and holy. When a church invites guests to "test our welcome," it's a reminder that no one is perfect. As Pastor Mia explains, being welcoming is more than allowing someone through the door, it's actual...

After Jesus gave us our attitude toward prayer, then he just laid it out: this is how you are to pray. The words are slightly different in the gospels and other ancient writings. They are slightly different between English translations. This week Pastor Mia digs down into the meaning as Jesus taught us to pray.

You are good. You can be better. All giving is good, and we can grow in the spirituality of our giving. All prayer is good, and we can grow in our prayer life. Jesus has gone up the mountain, and we disciples follow. We are taught that we are good, and we can be better. This week Pastor Mia dives into Jesus' teachings on almsgiving and prayer.

Matthew 5:17-48 recounts Jesus' teaching about the Law. Also known as the Torah, the Law is a compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. When Jesus began his teachings about the Law, there were concerns that he was going to replace it. Instead, he extended the Torah by expanding on the behaviors that lead to acts such as murder, adultry, retaliation, and limiting love. In this week's...