The Verdugo Community Church’s Podcast

Pastor Gail Linstrom begins our service by welcoming all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family. Dale Reynolds continues the Call to Worship with a reading from Psalm 145. Luisa Fernandez opens us in prayer. John, Perviz and Isabella Sawoski lead us in joyous singing. Greg Hart takes up the praises and concerns of our church, our city, and our world in the Prayers of the People. Pastor Gail concludes our service by leading us in Communion, and you are invited to participate.

 

In her sermon, “Living Faith – Living Faith – Living Hope,” Pastor Gail looks at what it means to be a “saint” on this Sunday celebrating All Saints’ Day. She notes that the Bible considers “saints” to be living followers of Jesus, not just persons who are honored after their death for remarkable and even miraculous deeds. In Ephesians 1 Paul affirms that God has chosen each of us and that through the Holy Sprit we will have the power to do the things we need to do. Saints are any believer who reaches out to help others. Their actions share the good news of salvation as much as their words.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons and select worship services available to you on Facebook at https://facebook.com/verdugochurch and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com. Please note that video copies may be deleted after 90 days under Facebook rules.

 

Prayers of the People have been edited to respect the privacy and confidentiality of those participating or mentioned.

 

All song titles, lyrics, and music are used with permission. CCLI license # 2486815.

 

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 2025 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2025 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

In her sermon, “Separating Sorcery from the Spiritual,” Pastor Gail addresses the responses Christians have in connection with Halloween. It is a very popular secular holiday, but It’s historical roots are mixed with pagan beliefs in satanic practices. As believers we are warned to avoid involvement in the occult, but at the same time we are commanded to love our neighbor and have faith in the ultimate victory of a loving and all powerful God. We need then to affirm the positive in this and other social celebrations.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons and select worship services available to you on Facebook at https://facebook.com/verdugochurch and posts audio copies of the services and sermons at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com. Please note that video copies may be deleted after 90 days under Facebook rules.

 

All song titles, lyrics, and music are used with permission. CCLI license # 2486815.

 

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 2025 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2025 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

Pastor Gail Linstrom begins our service by welcoming all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family. Dale Reynolds calls us to worship with a reading from Psalm 19. Albert Ramseyer leads us in our opening prayer. Kristina James and Caroline Sandoval lead us in joyous singing. Albert Ramseyer then takes up the praises and concerns of our church, our city, and our world in the Prayers of the People. Pastor Gail concludes our service by leading us in a Responsive Communion Liturgy, and you are invited to participate.

 

In her sermon, “Separating Sorcery from the Spiritual,” Pastor Gail addresses the responses Christians have in connection with Halloween. It is a very popular secular holiday, but It’s historical roots are mixed with pagan beliefs in satanic practices. As believers we are warned to avoid involvement in the occult, but at the same time we are commanded to love our neighbor and have faith in the ultimate victory of a loving and all powerful God. We need then to affirm the positive in this and other social celebrations.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons and select worship services available to you on Facebook at https://facebook.com/verdugochurch and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com. Please note that video copies may be deleted after 90 days under Facebook rules.

 

Prayers of the People have been edited to respect the privacy and confidentiality of those participating or mentioned.

 

All song titles, lyrics, and music are used with permission. CCLI license # 2486815.

 

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 2025 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2025 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

 

In his sermon, “In Step with Christ,” Pastor Daniel Whipple from Rose City Church looks at 2 Timothy 2:8 – 15 as a reminder that we are to show endurance and patience in our faith walk, whatever challenges we encounter, just as Jesus did during his ministry.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons and select worship services available to you on Facebook at https://facebook.com/verdugochurch and posts audio copies of the services and sermons at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com. Please note that video copies may be deleted after 90 days under Facebook rules.

 

All song titles, lyrics, and music are used with permission. CCLI license # 2486815.

 

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 2025 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2025 by Daniel Whipple and Verdugo Community Church.

Chaplain David Saltzman begins our service by welcoming all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family. Dale Reynolds calls us to worship with a reading from Psalm 111. Luisa Fernandez gives our opening prayer. Joletta Sells leads us in joyous singing. Greg Hart takes up the praises and concerns of our church, our city, and our world in the Prayers of the People. Chaplain David concludes our service by leading us in Communion, and you are invited to participate.

 

In his sermon, “In Step with Christ,” Pastor Daniel Whipple from Rose City Church looks at 2 Timothy 2:8 – 15 as a reminder that we are to show endurance and patience in our faith walk, whatever challenges we encounter, just as Jesus did during his ministry.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons and select worship services available to you on Facebook at https://facebook.com/verdugochurch and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com. Please note that video copies may be deleted after 90 days under Facebook rules.

 

Prayers of the People have been edited to respect the privacy and confidentiality of those participating or mentioned.

 

All song titles, lyrics, and music are used with permission. CCLI license # 2486815.

 

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 2025 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2025 by Daniel Whipple and Verdugo Community Church.

In his sermon, “Radical Optimism from Jeremiah to Jesus,” Chaplain David Saltzman uses the story of Jeremiah buying land in the midst of the terrible siege of Jerusalem found in Jeremiah 32 to illustrate that while we must pay the consequences of disobeying God and harming others, God’s promise is that he will forgive and restore if we repent . We are called to look beyond the disasters and oppression of the day and rely upon this hope to guide our actions. Jesus affirms this when he commanded us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. We must turn our faith into action.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons and select worship services available to you on Facebook at https://facebook.com/verdugochurch and posts audio copies of the services and sermons at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com. Please note that video copies may be deleted after 90 days under Facebook rules.

 

All song titles, lyrics, and music are used with permission. CCLI license # 2486815.

 

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 2025 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2025 by David Saltzman and Verdugo Community Church.

Pastor Gail Linstrom begins our service by welcoming all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family. Dale Reynolds calls us to worship with a reading from Psalm 91. Pastor Gail gives our opening prayer, and Luisa Fernandez reminds us of God’s promises of healing and liberation with a reading from Isaiah 61. Ed Manacop and Caroline Sandoval lead us in joyous singing. Greg Hart takes up the praises and concerns of our church, our city, and our world in the Prayers of the People. Pastor Gail concludes our service by leading us in Communion, and you are invited to participate.

 

In his sermon, “Radical Optimism from Jeremiah to Jesus,” Chaplain David Saltzman uses the story of Jeremiah buying land in the midst of the terrible siege of Jerusalem found in Jeremiah 32 to illustrate that while we must pay the consequences of disobeying God and harming others, God’s promise is that he will forgive and restore if we repent . We are called to look beyond the disasters and oppression of the day and rely upon this hope to guide our actions. Jesus affirms this when he commanded us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. We must turn our faith into action.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons and select worship services available to you on Facebook at https://facebook.com/verdugochurch and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com. Please note that video copies may be deleted after 90 days under Facebook rules.

 

Prayers of the People have been edited to respect the privacy and confidentiality of those participating or mentioned.

 

All song titles, lyrics, and music are used with permission. CCLI license # 2486815.

 

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 2025 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2025 by David Saltzman and Verdugo Community Church.

In her sermon, “Parables of the Lost – and Found,” Pastor Gail uses two parables from Luke 15, the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, to show how God constantly pursues us and invites us to embrace the life he offers. 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons and select worship services available to you on Facebook at https://facebook.com/verdugochurch and posts audio copies of the services and sermons at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com. Please note that video copies may be deleted after 90 days under Facebook rules.

All song titles, lyrics, and music are used with permission. CCLI license # 2486815.

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 2025 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2025 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

Pastor Gail Linstrom begins our service by welcoming all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family.  We are called to worship as Pastor Gail and Dale Reynolds lead us in an antiphonal reading of Psalm 23.  Dale continues to focus us with a reading from Psalm 51.  Pastor Gail opens us in prayer.  Nick Baltazar and Ed Manacop lead us in joyous singing.  Greg Hart takes up the praises and concerns of our church, our city, and our world in the Prayers of the People.  Pastor Gail concludes our service by leading us in Communion, and you are invited to participate.

In her sermon, “Parables of the Lost – and Found,” Pastor Gail uses two parables from Luke 15, the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, to show how God constantly pursues us and invites us to embrace the life he offers. 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons and select worship services available to you on Facebook at https://facebook.com/verdugochurch and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com.  Please note that video copies may be deleted after 90 days under Facebook rules.

 

Prayers of the People have been edited to respect the privacy and confidentiality of those participating or mentioned. 

All song titles, lyrics, and music are used with permission. CCLI license # 2486815.

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 2025 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2025 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

In his sermon, “Life or Death: Choosing God’s Grace,” Chaplain David Saltzman recalls the choice that God, through Moses, gave his followers in Deuteronomy 30 – love and serve God and receive life and blessings, or follow other gods and receive death and punishment. People then, and now, do not always choose God, but the Bible is full of examples of how God extended his grace to bring people back to him, culminating in the death and resurrection of his son, Jesus. We face the same challenge that was articulated over three thousand years ago – love and follow God, or reject him. This is a decision we make every day as we confront the problems facing us and those around us. When we are tempted to not follow God’s leading, we need to remember that God’s grace offers abundant life and have the courage to choose to live according to that promise.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons and select worship services available to you on Facebook at https://facebook.com/verdugochurch and posts audio copies of the services and sermons at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com. Please note that video copies may be deleted after 90 days under Facebook rules.

 

All song titles, lyrics, and music are used with permission. CCLI license # 2486815.

 

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 2025 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2025 by David Saltzman and Verdugo Community Church.