Kearney First UMC Podcasts

The Mustard Seed and the Wesleyan Quadrilateral

Welcome to our midweek podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen looks at Jesus' transfiguration and the story of the mustard seed.  She encourages us to ask questions and grow our faith using the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. Read scripture as our base then use our reasoning, experiences, and traditions to guide our understanding.  God can take faith as small as a mustard seed and grow it exponentially.

Transfiguration and Butterflies

Welcome to our Sunday morning podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Jo Ellen looks at Jesus' transfiguration.  She uses the example of butterflies to see Jesus' transfiguration as well as our own changes in our life journeys.  Sometimes, we are called to the mountaintop and sometimes we are called to lay low like a caterpillar in a cocoon.  Then we are called to fly.  Through each and every stage, God loves us to our core.

God's Love is Everywhere

Welcome to our midweek podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen shares a children's book that has a message we all need to hear from time to time.  God's love is everywhere.  No matter how big and loud or small and quiet life can be, God's love is there and always will be.

The Seeds That God Plants

Welcome to our midweek podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen looks at an exchange between Jesus, the pharisees, and the disciples.  Jesus says that what comes out of the mouth is what comes from the heart.  The seeds that God has not sown will be uprooted, but that which God has sown will grow.  We want what is planted in our hearts to be good.  How can we feed our hearts with good things?

Jesus and the Canaanite Woman

Welcome to our Sunday sermon podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt looks at Jesus's interaction with the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15.  In this passage, we see lines that have been drawn and Jesus crossing them.  Have we seen any lines drawn in our lives?  Have we drawn our own lines?  Have we gotten too comfortable on the "right side/our side" of the line that we refuse to acknowledge the other side? God's mission and the work of the Holy Spirit extends beyond and across any and every line humanity could ever draw.  The kingdom of God has no line of boundary for receiving God's grace, healing, and wholeness.  Our challenge is how do we let Jesus help us cross the lines we've drawn in the "us vs. them" to hear and care for the people on the other side.

Taking Time to Be Still

Welcome to our midweek podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt looks at Jesus intentionally taking time to be alone in Matthew 14 and the feeding of the 5000.  Taking time to be with God gives us space to be conduits through which God can and does work. Being still with God so that God's presence can become part of our presence with others. Have we been present enough to notice someone else's struggle?

Treasure: Growing Seeds

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon Podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Jo Ellen explains that parables help us look forward to our "one day, someday" in Heaven.  The kingdom of Heaven is a great treasure to look forward to and we have a taste of now through living life with Jesus.

Parables of Small Things

Welcome to our midweek podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt looks at the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Parable of Yeast.  Both represent the Kingdom of Heaven and God's grace growing in and through us. Transformation takes time, but it does happen.

Whoever Has Ears, Let Them Hear

Welcome to the Sunday Sermon Podcast!  Please note, this sermon has a couple of audio corruption moments that we were unable to fix in editing. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. 
In this sermon, Pastor Jo Ellen looks at the parable of wheat and weeds.  Jesus didn't want us to wait to start living like Him.  "All who has ears, let them hear," includes us today!  What do you hear in the parables of Matthew and in scripture?  Are you a seed?  God is an extravagant God and God grows in us something bigger than we can ever imagine which reminds us that the Kingdom of Heaven is more extravagant than we can ever imagine.

The Parable of the Weeds

Welcome to our midweek podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt briefly talks about what a parable is from a literary genre perspective and reads the Parable of the Weeds from Matthew 13.  Matt invites us to think of the farmer in the story as God.  God knows how things will work out and has the patience to see things through.  God knows that we will grow.  God is active in our lives to draw out God's character to make us more like Jesus.  Even when we are in the weeds, God is committed to our growth and patient enough to see it through.