The Verdugo Community Church’s Podcast

VERDUGO COMMUNITY CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE DECEMBER 17, 2023

We begin our service with song. Pastor Gail Linstrom welcomes all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family. She lights the Advent Candles with readings from Isaiah 6 and Luke 1. Luisa Fernandez opens us in prayer. Nick Baltazar and Ed Manacop lead us in our praise singing. Greg Hart takes up the praises and concerns of the church and our world in the Prayers of the People.

 

In her sermon, “The Unexpected Power of God’s Plan,” Pastor Gail continues our Advent studies by looking at the promises of God set out in Isaiah 9 and John 1 and the praises of Mary in Luke 2. She notes that Christmas is more than a time of celebration of a birth. It is a reminder that God sent Jesus to comfort those who are in mourning and who wait in the darkness for release. If we encounter problems at Christmas we are in good company. The main characters in the Christmas story are ordinary people with problems – Elizabeth, an older woman with the shame of barrenness, married to the minor priest Zachariah; Mary, an unwed pregnant teenager, and Joseph, a carpenter; and a group of dirty and probably smelly shepherds, outcasts from polite society. After Joseph and Mary traveled for days to get to Bethlehem, Mary gives birth in a stable. Angels joyously proclaim the good news to shepherds, who rush to Bethlehem and barge into the stable to satisfy their curiosity. How can all this be part of God’s plan? Yet Mary sees beyond these difficulties and treasures all these things up in her heart. Our experience of Christmas is to find love and solace in God’s presence, and to carry that love and concern to others.

 

Pastor Gail then leads us in the sacrament of communion, and you are invited to participate as well.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons available to you on Facebook and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com.

 

Prayers of the People have been edited to respect the privacy and confidentiality of those participating or mentioned. All CCLI songs are performed under Verdugo Community Church’s license with CCLI.

 

Verdugo Community Church is a Free Methodist congregation serving the Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, and Glendale areas in Los Angeles. It is located at 4300 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Our email address is verdugofmc@gmail.com. Contact Pastor Gail at (323) 500-3343.

 

Worship service copyright 2023 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2023 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

Pastor Gail Whitcome Linstrom – “The Unexpected Power of Peace” – Verdugo Community Church December 10, 2023

In her sermon, “The Unexpected Power of Peace,” Pastor Gail continues our Advent studies by looking at the promises of God set out in Isaiah 40 that he will comfort and send his peace to his people living in exile. God surprised everyone when he sent his Son Jesus as a baby, not the warrior or king that was expected. However, each year we come to this season changed by our experiences. Some of these experiences are hard to reconcile with the joyous expectations we have had for Christmas. We need to remember that God sent his Son to be with those that mourn, are sick and discouraged, not just those that celebrate. Our experience of Christmas is to find the love and solace in God’s presence, and to carry that love and concern to others.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons available to you on Facebook and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com.

 

Verdugo Community Church is a Free Methodist congregation serving the Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, and Glendale areas in Los Angeles. It is located at 4300 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Our email address is verdugofmc@gmail.com. Contact Pastor Gail at (323) 500-3343.

 

Verdugo is online at www.facebook.com/verdugochurch and www.verdugochurch.org.

Sermon copyright 2023 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

 

VERDUGO COMMUNITY CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE DECEMBER 10, 2023

We begin our service with song. Pastor Gail Linstrom opens the service by welcoming all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family. The lighting of the Advent Candles begins with Pastor Gail reading from Psalm 85, and Albert Ramseyer opens us in prayer. Nick Baltazar and Ed Manacop lead us in our praise singing. Greg Hart takes up the praises and concerns of the church and our world in the Prayers of the People.

 

In her sermon, “The Unexpected Power of Peace,” Pastor Gail continues our Advent studies by looking at the promises of God set out in Isaiah 40 that he will comfort and send his peace to his people living in exile. God surprised everyone when he sent his Son Jesus as a baby, not the warrior or king that was expected. However, each year we come to this season changed by our experiences. Some of these experiences are hard to reconcile with the joyous expectations we have had for Christmas. We need to remember that God sent his Son to be with those that mourn, are sick and discouraged, not just those that celebrate. Our experience of Christmas is to find the love and solace in God’s presence, and to carry that love and concern to others.

 

Pastor Gail then leads us in the sacrament of communion, and you are invited to participate as well.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons available to you on Facebook and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com.

 

Prayers of the People have been edited to respect the privacy and confidentiality of those participating or mentioned. All CCLI songs are performed under Verdugo Community Church’s license with CCLI.

 

Verdugo Community Church is a Free Methodist congregation serving the Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, and Glendale areas in Los Angeles. It is located at 4300 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Our email address is verdugofmc@gmail.com. Contact Pastor Gail at (323) 500-3343.

 

Worship service copyright 2023 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2023 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

Pastor Daniel Whipple – “The Unexpected Power of a Baby” – Verdugo Community Church December 3, 2023

In his sermon, “The Unexpected Power of a Baby,” Pastor Daniel Whipple begins our Advent celebration. He notes that although we know how it ends with Christmas, in the Old Testament there was the expectation that Messiah would come, but how and when were left unknown. In Isaiah 64 the prophet describes what God’s presence and power is like using analogies to storms and battles, not the birth of an infant. Many rejected Jesus as the Messiah because he did not fit their expectations of what that meant. Instead of a warrior or king, Jesus grew up to preach love, heal the sick, and break bread with sinners. However, we, too, really do not know the end of the story. We should expect to be surprised by what God will do, hope to learn from what we know about God, and look for new ways to serve God and love others.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons available to you on Facebook and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com.

 

Verdugo Community Church is a Free Methodist congregation serving the Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, and Glendale areas in Los Angeles. It is located at 4300 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Our email address is verdugofmc@gmail.com. Contact Pastor Gail at (323) 500-3343.

 

Verdugo is online at www.facebook.com/verdugochurch and www.verdugochurch.org.

Sermon copyright 2023 by Daniel Whipple and Verdugo Community Church.

Pastor Liz Cornell – “Jesus Among the Least of These” – Verdugo Community Church November 26, 2023

In her sermon, “Jesus Among the Least of These,” Pastor Liz Cornell explores Jesus’s description of the Last Judgment in Matthew 25 to show what God expects everyone, believer or not, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger and immigrant, care for the sick and pursue justice for the oppressed. Jesus chose to come and live among us as an ordinary human, as one who would know the same obstacles and challenges in doing these things as we face. We are to recognize Jesus in the “least of these.” These questions also show how God’s Kingdom will be one of justice and love. When we do these things, we are showing the world what the Kingdom of God looks like.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons available to you on Facebook and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com.

 

Verdugo Community Church is a Free Methodist congregation serving the Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, and Glendale areas in Los Angeles. It is located at 4300 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Our email address is verdugofmc@gmail.com. Contact Pastor Gail at (323) 500-3343.

 

Verdugo is online at www.facebook.com/verdugochurch and www.verdugochurch.org.

Sermon copyright 2023 by Liz Cornell and Verdugo Community Church.

VERDUGO COMMUNITY CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE NOVEMBER 26, 2023

We begin our service with song. Pastor Gail Linstrom opens the service by welcoming all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family. Linda Kozik calls us to worship with a reading from Psalm 95, and Luisa Fernandez opens us in prayer. Nick Baltazar and Ed Manacop lead us in our praise singing. Albert Ramseyer takes up the praises and concerns of the church and our world in the Prayers of the People.

 

In her sermon, “Jesus Among the Least of These,” Pastor Liz Cornell explores Jesus’s description of the Last Judgment in Matthew 25 to show what God expects everyone, believer or not, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger and immigrant, care for the sick and pursue justice for the oppressed. Jesus chose to come and live among us as an ordinary human, as one who would know the same obstacles and challenges in doing these things as we face. We are to recognize Jesus in the “least of these.” These questions also show how God’s Kingdom will be one of justice and love. When we do these things, we are showing the world what the Kingdom of God looks like.

 

Pastor Gail then leads us in the sacrament of communion, and you are invited to participate as well.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons available to you on Facebook and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com.

 

Prayers of the People have been edited to respect the privacy and confidentiality of those participating or mentioned. All CCLI songs are performed under Verdugo Community Church’s license with CCLI.

 

Verdugo Community Church is a Free Methodist congregation serving the Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, and Glendale areas in Los Angeles. It is located at 4300 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Our email address is verdugofmc@gmail.com. Contact Pastor Gail at (323) 500-3343.

 

Worship service copyright 2023 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2023 by Liz Cornell and Verdugo Community Church.

VERDUGO COMMUNITY CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE NOVEMBER 19, 2023

We begin our service with song. Pastor Gail Linstrom opens the service by welcoming all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family. Pastor Gail callsus to worship with a reading from Psalm 60 and an opening prayer. Nick Baltazar and Ed Manacop lead us in our praise singing. Albert Ramseyer takes up the praises and concerns of the church and our world in the Prayers of the People.

 

In his sermon, “ShameBusters,” Justin Baker reminds us that God’s grace, in the person of Jesus Christ, refutes the false narratives of shame that can afflict us and keep us from responding to God’s guidance. Looking at affirmations of God’s love throughout the Bible reminds us that God created each of us, has called each of us by name to him, and definitely has a role for us in bringing his love and Kingdom to others. It is God that loved us first, and nothing can separate us from that love.

 

Justin then leads us in the sacrament of communion, and you are invited to participate as well.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons available to you on Facebook and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com.

 

Prayers of the People have been edited to respect the privacy and confidentiality of those participating or mentioned. All CCLI songs are performed under Verdugo Community Church’s license with CCLI.

 

Verdugo Community Church is a Free Methodist congregation serving the Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, and Glendale areas in Los Angeles. It is located at 4300 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Our email address is verdugofmc@gmail.com. Contact Pastor Gail at (323) 500-3343.

 

Worship service copyright 2023 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2023 by Justin Baker and Verdugo Community Church.

Pastor Gail Whitcome Linstrom – “Find Peace and Joy in God’s Presence” – Verdugo Community Church November 12, 2023

In her sermon, “Find Peace and Joy in God’s Presence,” Pastor Gail acknowledges that these holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas can be painful for those who are mourning losses, and we need to remember that God will be with us in these dark times as well as in times of rejoicing. Looking at the promise of Jesus’s coming expressed in Isaiah 9, Luke 1, John 1, and Colossians 1, we see that God so loved us that he sent his own son to live amongst us and show us how we should live and love others. God wants good or us. It is clear that no matter what present condition we find ourselves in, our peace and joy come celebrating the Lord’s presence in our lives.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons available to you on Facebook and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com.

 

Verdugo Community Church is a Free Methodist congregation serving the Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, and Glendale areas in Los Angeles. It is located at 4300 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Our email address is verdugofmc@gmail.com. Contact Pastor Gail at (323) 500-3343.

 

Verdugo is online at www.facebook.com/verdugochurch and www.verdugochurch.org.

Sermon copyright 2023 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

Pastor Gail Whitcome Linstrom – “Living Faith – Living Hope – Living Love, Part2” – Verdugo Community Church November 5, 2023

In her sermon, “Living Faith – Living Hope – Living Love, Part 2,” Pastor Gail returns to Paul’s letter in Ephesians 1 where he identifies believers as God’s “saints” and encouraged us to share examples of those who have been “saints” to us in our faith journeys. She then expands the theme by looking at the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 as showing us who God considers important and cares for. This reveals to us who we should be reaching out and caring for in loving action. God can use us to accomplish his plans for good. It is clear that no matter what present condition we find ourselves in, our peace and joy comes from keeping our focus on the Lord.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons available to you on Facebook and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com.

 

Verdugo Community Church is a Free Methodist congregation serving the Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, and Glendale areas in Los Angeles. It is located at 4300 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Our email address is verdugofmc@gmail.com. Contact Pastor Gail at (323) 500-3343.

 

Verdugo is online at www.facebook.com/verdugochurch and www.verdugochurch.org.

Sermon copyright 2023 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

VERDUGO COMMUNITY CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE NOVEMBER 5, 2023

Pastor Gail Linstrom opens the service by welcoming all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family. Linda Kozik calls us to worship with a reading from Psalm 105. Albert Ramseyer opens us in prayer. Nick Baltazar and Ed Manacop lead us in our praise singing. Greg Hart takes up the praises and concerns of the church and our world in the Prayers of the People.

 

In her sermon, “Living Faith – Living Hope – Living Love, Part 2,” Pastor Gail returns to Paul’s letter in Ephesians 1 where he identifies believers as God’s “saints” and encouraged us to share examples of those who have been “saints” to us in our faith journeys. She then expands the theme by looking at the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 as showing us who God considers important and cares for. This reveals to us who we should be reaching out and caring for in loving action. God can use us to accomplish his plans for good. It is clear that no matter what present condition we find ourselves in, our peace and joy comes from keeping our focus on the Lord.

 

Pastor Gail then leads us in the sacrament of communion, and you are invited to participate as well.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons available to you on Facebook and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com.

 

Prayers of the People and the sharing time during the sermon have been edited to respect the privacy and confidentiality of those participating or mentioned. All CCLI songs are performed under Verdugo Community Church’s license with CCLI.

 

Verdugo Community Church is a Free Methodist congregation serving the Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, and Glendale areas in Los Angeles. It is located at 4300 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Our email address is verdugofmc@gmail.com. Contact Pastor Gail at (323) 500-3343.

 

Worship service copyright 2023 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2023 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.