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 calls us to worship with a reading from Psalm 25. Luisa Fernandez opens us in prayer. Nick Baltazar, Caroline Sandoval, and Michael Minasyan 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, “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 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, “God’s Gift of Sabbath,” Pastor Gail traces the requirement to keep the seventh day holy back to creation in Genesis. The need to rest and not work was one of the Ten Commandments and reinforced throughout Scripture, notably in Isaiah 58. By the time of Jesus the Sabbath was celebrated as a time to relax, enjoy the best meal of the week, meet with friends and family and worship at the synagogue. The Pharisees, however, sought to use the Sabbath rules to stop Jesus from healing a man on the Sabbath at a synagogue. Jesus reminded them of the practical exceptions to the Sabbath rules, especially to do good. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. We need to remember that God wants us to take regular times to stop working and to worship and relax, focusing on our needs for relationship with God and fellowship with others.

 

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 Psalm 100. Luisa Fernandez opens us in prayer. 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 her sermon, “God’s Gift of Sabbath,” Pastor Gail traces the requirement to keep the seventh day holy back to creation in Genesis. The need to rest and not work was one of the Ten Commandments and reinforced throughout Scripture, notably in Isaiah 58. By the time of Jesus the Sabbath was celebrated as a time to relax, enjoy the best meal of the week, meet with friends and family and worship at the synagogue. The Pharisees, however, sought to use the Sabbath rules to stop Jesus from healing a man on the Sabbath at a synagogue. Jesus reminded them of the practical exceptions to the Sabbath rules, especially to do good. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. We need to remember that God wants us to take regular times to stop working and to worship and relax, focusing on our needs for relationship with God and fellowship with others.

 

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, “Looking in a Mirror: Jesus and Emotion,” Chaplain David Saltzman uses Jesus’s words in Luke 12 to show that we should use our emotions to learn about where we are on our spiritual journey, not suppress them. Strong emotions can teach us that there are areas where we have weaknesses, particularly toward others. In this passage, Jesus showed frustration with his followers and others for not making the same effort to understand what he was teaching that they used to predict the weather. He reminded them that confronting what he taught would not be easy, with even family members disagreeing, but it was something we each have to do. Only then can we be honest with others and better show them the understanding and love of God for them.

 

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 challenges us with a reading from Jeremiah 23. Luisa Fernandez leads us in our opening prayer. Nick Baltazar, Caroline Sandoval, 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 his sermon, “Looking in a Mirror: Jesus and Emotion,” Chaplain David Saltzman uses Jesus’s words in Luke 12 to show that we should use our emotions to learn about where we are on our spiritual journey, not suppress them. Strong emotions can teach us that there are areas where we have weaknesses, particularly toward others. In this passage, Jesus showed frustration with his followers and others for not making the same effort to understand what he was teaching that they used to predict the weather. He reminded them that confronting what he taught would not be easy, with even family members disagreeing, but it was something we each have to do. Only then can we be honest with others and better show them the understanding and love of God for them.

 

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 his sermon, “Don’t Be Paralyzed by Purity,” Pastor Daniel Whipple of Rose City Church uses the circumstances around Jesus curing a woman on the Sabbath found in Luke 13 to show us how we should address the needs of others. Jesus understood that his society thought that physical illness also reflected spiritual failures and sin, even though that is not in the Old Testament. He also understood what the Law truly meant in situations like that confronting the woman. He did not hesitate to cure the woman’s physical problem. When opposed by religious leaders for “working” a miracle on the Sabbath day of rest, he pointed out their hypocrisy in caring for their animals on the Sabbath while being willing to let a human suffer. When we first try doing an activity, such as a sport, it’s easy to “freeze up” when confronted with a new challenge. Our changing society, with claims of religious backing for injustices, can have the same effect. We need to be students of the Word and aware of our society’s beliefs and prejudices if we are to be able to express God’s love when helping others.

 

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.

Pastor Gail Linstrom begins our service by welcoming all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family. Dale Reynolds and Luisa Fernandez lead us in a responsive call to worship based on Psalm 84. Nick Baltazar, Caroline Sandoval, and Ed Manacop lead us in joyous singing. Chaplain David Saltzman 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, “Don’t Be Paralyzed by Purity,” Pastor Daniel Whipple of Rose City Church uses the circumstances around Jesus curing a woman on the Sabbath found in Luke 13 to show us how we should address the needs of others. Jesus understood that his society thought that physical illness also reflected spiritual failures and sin, even though that is not in the Old Testament. He also understood what the Law truly meant in situations like that confronting the woman. He did not hesitate to cure the woman’s physical problem. When opposed by religious leaders for “working” a miracle on the Sabbath day of rest, he pointed out their hypocrisy in caring for their animals on the Sabbath while being willing to let a human suffer. When we first try doing an activity, such as a sport, it’s easy to “freeze up” when confronted with a new challenge. Our changing society, with claims of religious backing for injustices, can have the same effect. We need to be students of the Word and aware of our society’s beliefs and prejudices if we are to be able to express God’s love when helping others.

 

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 her sermon, “Our Gratitude and Generosity Glorify God,” Pastor Gail uses the parable of the rich man in Luke 12 who responds to sudden wealth by building bigger barns for his own enjoyment while ignoring his relationship with God and others until it is too late. Jesus teaches that we are to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul, and at the same time to love our neighbor as ourselves. He warns repeatedly against losing ourselves in greed and the love of money, luxurious living, or social position instead of focusing on our relationship to God and to having compassion and helping others. Our treasure should be in heaven, where it will not fade away or be stolen. The parable here reminds us that we cannot delay to some imaginary more convenient time to do this, but must hurry to follow Jesus’s call to action for others. As Isaiah 58 promises, if we care for those around us, God will reward us with his presence and blessings.

 

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 focuses us with a reading from Psalm 112. Michael Blanco opens us in prayer. Nick Baltazar, Caroline Sandoval, and Ed Manacop lead us in joyous singing. Chaplain David Saltzman 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, “Our Gratitude and Generosity Glorify God,” Pastor Gail uses the parable of the rich man in Luke 12 who responds to sudden wealth by building bigger barns for his own enjoyment while ignoring his relationship with God and others until it is too late. Jesus teaches that we are to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul, and at the same time to love our neighbor as ourselves. He warns repeatedly against losing ourselves in greed and the love of money, luxurious living, or social position instead of focusing on our relationship to God and to having compassion and helping others. Our treasure should be in heaven, where it will not fade away or be stolen. The parable here reminds us that we cannot delay to some imaginary more convenient time to do this, but must hurry to follow Jesus’s call to action for others. As Isaiah 58 promises, if we care for those around us, God will reward us with his presence and blessings.

 

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, “Boldly Compassionate Always,” Chaplain David Saltzman considers how in Genesis 18 Abraham boldly used his friendship with God to bargain for compassion for the innocents living in Sodom and Gomorrah. In Luke 11, Jesus first teaches his disciples to pray, and then tells the parable of the neighbor who needs bread at midnight to meet his social obligation of hospitality. The neighbor continues his efforts until he gets what was required. We need to see Christ in each of our neighbors and extend our compassion to them. To allow our compassion to change the world we live in, we need both the relationship with God and our neighbors. The lesson Jesus taught was for his followers to likewise continue to ask, seek, and knock, for then prayers will be answered.

 

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.