Kearney First UMC Podcasts

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Matt challenges us to think about these questions: Thinking about the Christian life, what question or desire most motivates you? Paul suggests “a more excellent way” than desiring faithful Christian practices and growing spiritual gifts. What is the more excellent way? Talk to or read from a non-Christian about Christianity. What are their views and critiques? Pick a life area and do a thought experiment (like money management, sleep, or eating habits) and think through, “What does loving God and neighbor look like related to this area of my life?”

Welcome to our Monday Morning podcast!  This is the final episode of our midweek podcast.  In this episode, Pastor Matt invites us to trying praying scripture using our own perspective, taking ancient words and making them our own as a way to draw closer to God.

Welcome to our Monday morning podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen challenges us to think about what Heaven will be like and how we can live as if Heaven were here.  How would your life change if you lived as if Jesus were coming back today?

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Jo Ellen explores God is Love through the story of a quilt.  She invites you to ponder these questions as you listen: When pondering the statement, “God is love,” what do you think/realize/understand? How has God shown you love recently? How do you know that God loves you, personally? In what ways could we share the message of God’s love with our neighbors and community? What is one thing you can do this week to share God’s love? Be specific and put this on your calendar * (you are more likely to actually do this if you do!)

Welcome to our Monday Morning Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt asks how do you remember things?  Do you use a calendar, sticky notes, strings, or another method?  How do you remember all that God has done for you?

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Jo Ellen asks, "Where is your safe space?"  Is it a physical space, a person, or a memory? How does David’s honesty in pouring out his complaint before God reflect his relationship with God? In what ways can we relate to David’s feelings of loneliness and being “overwhelmed” in our own lives? How can we cultivate the same level of trust in God that David demonstrates? If you were to write your own prayer in the style of Psalm 142, what would you say? Write your prayer this week and share it aloud with God.

Welcome to our Monday Morning podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt explores a little bit of the story of David hiding from Saul and Psalm 14.  He asks if you have ever felt alone even though people may have been around you?  Are we honest with God when we feel isolated or abandoned?

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Matt explores the feelings of God knowing everything.  When you were a kid, did news of what you had been up to get home before you did? Did your parents seem to know everything? Is the idea of God knowing everything comforting or discomforting to you and why? What are the differences between “knowing” and “controlling” everything, and does one or the other frustrate you, give you peace, or something else?

Welcome to our Monday Morning Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt walks through Psalm 139 and asks, "Can we surprise God?"

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon Podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Matt asks what was the last thing you saw that brought you a sense of awe? What is the main point of Genesis 1?  Does thinking about or believing in God as creator ask anything of you as an individual or us as humans? If so, what?  If the interpretive trajectory of the sermon on Genesis 1 (and 2) is new or different to you, what other questions or interpretations do you have?

Welcome to our Monday Morning Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen reads part of the creation story in Genesis 1.  She asks how we are taking time to be in creation and how we care for it.  She share a little bit about the upcoming sermon series that looks at the same themes our children explored during Vacation Bible School.

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Jo Ellen shares part of her calling story and how it is not always a straight forward path.  What does it mean to discern God’s calling when you feel like you already have your life all figured out? What ways might God be nudging- or yanking- you out of your comfort zone? What would be one easy way and one harder way to respond to God’s calling today? Is there an “age limit” … too young or too old … to be called by God? What if my calling conflicts with my existing plans?

Welcome to our Monday Morning Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen shares about getting a call, but not wanting to answer it right away.  Have you had a calling like this? She shares how we are given many callings throughout our lives that may or may not come when we are ready for them.  There is no such thing as being too old, too settled, or too stuck in our ways to answer God's call.

Welcome to our Sunday sermon podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Jo Ellen shares some of the stories of women who have been influential in her call to ministry and what each one instilled in her.  What barriers are keeping us from answering God's call on our lives?

Welcome to our Monday Morning Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen shares a little bit about our upcoming series.  Each of us receive a call from God, how do you answer this call?

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon Podcast!  Today, things were a little different from a regular Sunday.  Our Annual Conference finished this weekend and Pastors Matt and Jo Ellen along with a laity member, Michelle, share about their experiences during conference. They ask, are you watching for God's joy?  Will you share your joy?

Welcome to our Monday morning podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt invites us to pray Psalm 100 with observation. Praise does not spring from a delusion that things are better than they are, but rather from the human capacity for joy.  Are our prayer definitions too small if we think we can only pray one way?

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Matt invites us to ponder these questions: There is a significantly mystical quality to how scripture and we speak of the Holy Spirit. Does this mysticism bring you freedom, frustration, joy, or something else? Why? How far, or in whom, does the Holy Spirit’s work and presence go, do you believe? Why do you believe this? What is a gift the Holy Spirit has given you for the good of all?

Welcome to our Monday Morning podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt reads through Psalm 46 and invites us to ponder a few questions.  When have we experienced God being a present help in times of trouble?  When have we experienced times of trouble and felt like God was not our refuge or strength?  In what ways does God end violence through Jesus?  In what ways might God through Jesus call us to end violence in ways Jesus did? Extra resource: United Methodist Social Principles: The Political Community

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen looks at a hard scripture for graduates today.  Life has lots of lemons.  Some are good lemons that we can make into lemonade, others are not so good that we may struggle with.  What do we do with our lemons?  Have there been times in your life when you did not know where your life was going? Ponder a time in life when the path was much clearer, when you saw this from the “end of the journey” instead of the start. How does hindsight help us ponder the future?

Welcome to our Monday Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen offers a prayer for all of our graduates from little preschoolers through to doctoral students.  She encourages all of us to live into God's Will and lean on God in all stages of our lives.

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Matt invites us to think of times when others have offered us advice.  Did you take that advice right away?  Did you think about it for a while? Did you ask others for their opinions? Pastor Matt challenges us to foster relationships of grace and humility with one another so we may discover God guiding us to whole and beautiful lives together.

Welcome to our Monday morning podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt asks how do we take Jesus' yoke upon us?  How do we learn from Him?  Do we trust Jesus to be gentle and humble in heart like He says He is?

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon Podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Jo Ellen reminds us that God calls each of us by name.  When God speaks, do we listen?  Our confirmation students are a gift to our church and the world.  We are so proud of them and the steps they've made in their faith journey!  Pastor Jo Ellen shares some of the letters the confirmands have written reflecting on why they wanted to be confirmed.

Welcome to our Monday Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt asks, "How do we know the right thing or the truth when finding our calling? How do we know when we are finding our calling? Do we expect God to speak in only certain ways to us or for us?"

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon Podcast! In this sermon, Pastor Matt asks if you are someone who trusts GPS or do you use it as a suggestion? How do we know what we hear on the news or social media is true or not?  How do we know when we need to make a change in our lives?  When we need help, does our pride or cultural pressure get in the way of asking others for the help or advice we need?  How have you experienced God's confirming grace in relationship with others?

Welcome to our Monday Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt looks at the first part of Ruth asks, "How have you experienced an unexpected kindness or protection?"

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon Podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Matt invites us to think about how we know what God wants for us to do, say, or be?  Do we really believe that God cares about our decisions?  How do we test spirits to know if they come from God?  Do we take the time to be reflective and seek the Lord rather than to be quick to act?

Welcome to our Monday Morning Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen invites us to think of when we've had unexpected messengers tell us something that made us think.  In the book of Numbers, Balaam's donkey talked to him.  Pastor Jo Ellen shares ponderings she's heard from children.  Who or what have been unexpected messengers for you?

Welcome to our Monday podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen invites us to ponder things in our lives that are just, true, honorable, pure, and pleasing?  How can we think about these things more?

Happy Easter!  In this sermon, Pastor Matt invites us to ponder how do we know what is true?  We know the Easter story, but how do we know it is true?  What does the resurrection free you from today?  What is Christ calling us to today?  The resurrection is less about an intellectual knowing, than it is about God creating in us the space to wonder for the sake of knowing.

Welcome to our Monday Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt challenges us to change our expectations.  We tend to see what we expect to see and miss what is unexpected.  If we have an idea of what we expect Jesus to be, we may miss Him when He shows up.

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen shares that it takes courage to go where Jesus calls us to go.  We have a calling to share the good news and to be in community outside of our church building walls.  Do you know your neighbors?  God desires goodness and love, not perfection.  God seeks us out wherever we are.  Are you willing to be a neighbor?

Welcome to our Monday Morning podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen reads part of Matthew 21 and asks us to listen for where Jesus' pivotal moments in life might be.  As we approach Holy Week, where have the pivotal moments in your life and faith life been?  How have we seen God change us in God's light?

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon Podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Jo Ellen shares about a recent mission trip to Kansas City.  She shares how one pastor cares for his community, and how shepherds in ancient times care for their sheep.  They would go to a grassy "table," clear it of weeds and snakes, anoint sheep with oil to protect them from bugs, and let them eat peacefully.  How are we like sheep? How does God prepare our tables?  If feeding sheep that aren't exactly like us takes courage, are we willing to act on that courage or do we grumble when the shepherd goes after the lost one? 

Welcome to our Monday Morning Podcast! In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen reflects on Psalm 23:5 and the passages leading up to Holy Week in Matthew.  She shares her ongoing struggle in losing the same piece of paper twice and how great her rejoicing will be when she finally finds it.  God searches relentlessly for us to bring us home.  God desires to set a table before us and to anoint us with oil and overflow our cups.

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Matt looks at the life of David and asks us to ponder when we have walked through dark valleys.  How is our prayer life?  In our prayers, do we ever shift from talking to God in a third person "He" to a second person "You?" 

Welcome to the Monday Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt asks, "How does God's promise to seek and restore shape our understanding of care?"  As Pastor Matt reads a passage from Ezekiel, which verbs that describe what God does jump out at you?

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen invites us to ponder who our shepherd is.  God desires we continue to thirst after what feeds our souls.  Jesus shows us how to be inclusive, to love, and to care for each other.  We are called to be community and to be led beside still waters.

Welcome to our Monday Morning podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen shares a bit more of Psalm 23.  She encourages us as we go through this season of Lent, to consider building a good habit of reading the Bible more or offering additional prayer.  Lent is often a season of giving up, but it could be a season of building up, too.  We should want to keep the good habits we build beyond Lent.  God delights in providing for us and supplying our needs. God is our Good Shepherd who provides us with sustenance. 

Welcome to the Sunday Sermon podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Matt asks if we ever "feel like we are made to lie down in green pastures?"  Does it feel like we are being put in "time-out" by God?  What if this sense of God's absence or punishment is a lapse in translation?  The original greek work for "he makes me lie down down" actually means "to rest or settle down."  God is a shepherd who comes to care for us.  The shepherd  frees the sheep from fear, tension, aggravations, and guides them to green pastures and calm waters that have been prepared in advance for the sheep.  How do we experience God shepherding us?

Welcome to our Monday Morning Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt shares a story from his time as a camp counselor and how it ties in with a passage from Isaiah.  God will be with us through everything.  God is still our God through the peace and through the trial.  This season of Lent is a time to embrace the movement from orientation to disorientation to reorientation and discover God indeed with us.

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon Podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Jen Gibbs looks at Psalm 23:1 and the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4.  Jesus is our good shepherd who knows His sheep by name.  We belong to the shepherd in three unique ways: we are created as objects of divine affection, we are purchased by Jesus' sacrifice, and we are cared for by God through the Holy Spirit.  God chooses us over and over.  The words "I lack nothing" in Psalm 23:1 are not words of denial, they are words of trust. Dependence on God is not a weakness. 

Welcome to our Monday Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Jo Ellen invites us to read Psalm 23.  She invites us to put ourselves in the scripture and reflect on where we have had valleys in our lives.  During this season of lent, Jo Ellen challenges us to read through Psalm 23 each day.

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Matt looks at the transfiguration of Jesus.  There is something about being a the mountain top and looking out over the world that gives us a new perspective.  What perspective does seeing Jesus transfigured and raised give us?  How do we follow Jesus from the peak down the mountain?  How can we live in a way that lets Jesus' light shine in us?  How can we live in a way that meet others where they are and walk with them?

Welcome to our Monday Morning Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt takes a look at a passage from 2 Corinthians and Exodus 34.  Both mention Moses veiling his face but for different reasons.  In Exodus, it is to cover his radiance after meeting with God.  In 2 Corinthians, Paul says it is to cover a fading glory.  Jesus' life and calling removes the veil of the old ways.  The movement of the Spirit through the church eclipses the old ways.  In life, when do we cover our faces or hearts before Jesus and His teaching as a way of hiding ourselves from His glory, beauty, and challenging way?  When do we turn back to the Lord and remove our veils? With whom do we reflect the face of Christ?

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Matt looks at the story of the rich young man and Jesus.  When told that he must give all he has away, the rich young man walks away from Jesus feeling sad.  What was he protecting or withholding from Jesus, or using as an excuse not to follow Jesus?  What things must change?  What things do we protect or hold back from Jesus?  Pastor Matt reminds us that God's grace is with us and we are to love the Lord our God with all that we have.  How often to we forget what "all" really means?    Jesus gives us the courage to stop protecting and holding back things of ourselves from him, so that we can follow him wholeheartedly.

Welcome to our Monday Morning Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt reflects on the story of Zacchaeus using a read, see what jumps out, discuss or reflect, and read again method.  Do the same things stand out? What do we conclude from them?  Does something else stand out? Can we imagine what it was like at that point in history?  Can we feel the emotion of the crowds or individuals involved?  Why did the writer phrase it like that?

Welcome to our Sunday Sermon podcast!  In this sermon, Pastor Jo Ellen invites us to think about what it is to be a "Christian."  We were never meant to experience the Christian life alone.  It is meant to be spent together from times of grief to times of celebration.  The "Church" is a people, not a building.  We learn more about each other and God in community.  Our community and culture have a hand in shaping who we are and what we believe.  What do you surround yourself with?  How do we engage better as Church people in our community and culture?

Welcome to our Monday Morning Podcast!  In this episode, Pastor Matt invites us to think about our reflective practices.  When or where have we intentionally or accidentally discovered the created world declaring God's glory?  What was our response?  Do we cultivate time to reflect or do we keep busy with other things?  Do we act on our reflections and discoveries or do we keep them to ourselves?