Kuna United Methodist Church Sermons Kuna United Methodist Church

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 put, the courage to be honest with God.

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 approach of listening and understanding helped the Athenians realize that Jesus was already among them.

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 making disciples of all nations.

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 training in the faith was used when crisis emerged. Your spiritual training will be used when God puts you in the right place for just such a time as this.