Kuna United Methodist Church Sermons

Jesus took his disciples up a mountain to teach them. We can imagine ourselves there, learning. He's sharing his greatest hits, his core teachings, and he starts with Blessings — the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, etc. Find out how these blessings build a life of discipleship and how you can experience these as blessings today.

Saul hatred Christians. He was a Jewish Pharisee who was on the hunt for Christians when he was blinded in an encounter with Jesus. Ananias was a disciple whom God ordered to place hands on Saul and restore his sight. Both received a vision from God and a command from God. And both were transformed. Saul embraced God's healing and Ananias accepted God's call to a reconciling ministry. The conversi...

Peter denied Jesus three times. What a horrible betrayal, right when it mattered most. Peter was a prisoner to his guilt until he was set free by the forgiveness of God. It transformed his life! This week, Pastor Mia shows us how Jesus offers the same transformation to us.

Acts 15:1-21 provides an example of early church leaders handling a disagreement. The question at hand was whether Gentiles, or non-Jews, who converted to Christianity should be required to follow the law of Moses. The Pharisees said yes, but the apostles Paul and Barnabas thought differently. Therefore, a council was gathered to discuss the matter and after much discernment they found a solution....

Thomas was skeptical of the disciples who claimed to have seen Jesus after the resurrection. This week, Pastor Mia shares some overlooked insights about Thomas. Instead of disparaging him for wanting to feel the pierced hands of Christ, she encourages us to see wisdom in Thomas's honesty. By being forthcoming about his skepticism, Thomas was asking for experience. And when Jesus graciously complie...

Rising Strong from Suffering takes us back to the oldest question: Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People. Scripture is full of stories of suffering, like the exile or the death of a loved one. We want to know whose fault it is, where can blame, but Pastor Mia shows us how Jesus calls us to compassion and solidarity.

In this Easter message, Pastor Mia takes us on an imagination, 40 years after the resurrection. The occasion: the first reading of the gospel of Mark. One of the church members at that gathering was Mary Magdalene, an eye witness who saw the Risen Christ. Put yourself in the shoes of an early Christian who first heard the resurrection story from Mary Magdalene and now goes forward for baptism.

Why is Jesus special? Simply put, he's not like us. You, and I, and those who have come before us, have been formed in a mindset that admires domination and destruction. The power of Jesus is different, and the crowds who ushered him into Jerusalem with a parade on the first Palm Sunday knew it! In this week's message, Pastor Mia tells us why those poor and powerless peasants recognized that Chris...

Church is a community of faithful disciples finding God in the gathered community. We are not like-minded, we are like-following. Just as parties are better with others, so is worshiping God together. We are saved together.

Is the Bible reliable? Reliable for what? Which Bible? The holy Scriptures are faith testimonies handed down by many people over centuries of time. People had an encounter with God, an encounter that changed their lives so much they called it salvation. They've passed down their stories, poetry, wisdom, and testimony so that we can encounter God too.

Who is God? Scripture includes many images of God, but few definitions. We can't scientifically prove the existence of God... or the existence of love. However, love is something we experience and share. By loving one another, we are the proof of God. That's why, as Pastor Mia explains, love is the closest answer to a perplexing question.

Scripture is filled with people who doubted, and that doubt ultimately lead to greater faithfulness. Doubt can have the same faith-building effects for you. Find out some important Biblical characters who doubted and how following your deep questions this Lent can actually lead you to God.

When Jesus took John & Peter up the mountain and was transfigured before their eyes, he showed them that he was God. That was amazing and wonderful. It was also a dream for the future. In this sermon, Pastor Mia names what is amazing and wonderful about Kuna United Methodist Church today, and the church of the future she dreams of.

Making a fresh start is exciting—we get to be a part of God's amazing work! And, it requires persistence. Life happens. We experience setbacks. And we might negotiate with ourselves, settling on doing less. During times like these, however, Jesus doesn't ease off. As Pastor Mia explains, Jesus takes things up a notch!

Jesus told his followers, “You are the salt of the earth.” Jesus said this because you matter and you are enough. In our discipleship, we season the world just as salt is used to improve the flavor of food. This message can be hard to believe because of our failures and uncertainty. We might not be aware of how our faithful presence makes the world better. We need other disciples to name it for us...

When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, he named truths known as the Beatitudes. These statements applied to the disciples in Jesus time, and to disciples now. The five names those who need help and the last name those who give help. And they all apply to all of us. As you make your FRESH START this year, how are you more giving help and needing help?

When Jesus called the first disciples, they walked away from their jobs as fishermen to follow Christ, they made a fresh start. The disciples each had unique gifts that were needed by the group. Like those first disciples, we also have God-given gifts that the Lord wants us to use. We each have unique gifts and unique piece of God's mission to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth. You matter,...

With the arrival of a new year, many Christians feel the pull to make a fresh start of their faith lives. The planning part is easy, but putting those plans into action is a challenge. God can be unpredictable, and following Christ requires courage. So how do you begin? In the first installment of the Fresh Start sermon series, Pastor Mia looks at reevaluating and recalibrating our faith lives.

The conclusion of the Christmas season is marked by the story of the Magi. The Magi were foreigners, who made the trek from the East to Bethlehem to see Baby Jesus—God in the flesh—give him gifts, and go home changed. The baby Jesus is God in immanent form, a presence in the material world. Along with being immanent, God is also transcendent, that is, present in ways beyond what we can observe. Pa...

Joseph had life figured out, until everything changed when Mary turned up pregnant. But then an Angel changed everything again. Love made Joseph do strange things and love makes us do strange things.

While imprisioned John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah. Was he exasperated by Christ's response? Instead of stating the obvious, Jesus named signs of this work (the blind seeing, the lame walking, and raising the dead). Jesus let John reach his own conclusion. We all experience the same God, but we each see differently. Pastor Mia explains that when God's miracles...

We are waiting & watching through Advent while John the Baptist reminds us of our longing for God We all have a restless longing and this time of year we are told the answer is lots of Christmas spending. Instead, pay attention to that longing and let it push you to God. It's easier than you think!

This week Pastor Mia examines the similarities between our use of time and the parable of ten young women. This story in Matthew 25:1-13 describes the outcome for ten young women who were waiting for a wedding procession to arrive. All of them were invited to the wedding feast, but only five made it into the celebration. Like the ten young women, you are invited to a big party in the Kingdom of He...

On Reign of Christ Sunday, as the liturgical year comes to a close, we remember the final hours of Jesus. After a lifetime of using his power to save people and glorify God, Jesus hung on a cross, enduring insults and torture. For those of us who follow God, we too will lose our lives before gaining them. This Sunday Pastor Mia shows us how discipleship is both suffering and paradise.

Money is a spiritual issue. In Luke 12:22-34, Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about food and clothing, because it is faith and not wealth that provides security. Jesus often taught about money and worry, and these two subjects continue to affect us today. Pastor Mia examines the value of prayerfully examining the way we view money… and God’s abundance…. and tithing.