The Verdugo Community Church’s Podcast

VERDUGO COMMUNITY CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE APRIL 28, 2024

We open our service with song. Pastor Gail welcomes all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family. Laura Vasquez calls us to worship with a reading from Psalm 103. Michael Blanco 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.

 

Pastor Gail in her sermon, “Bearing Kingdom Fruit,” looks at John 15, where Jesus uses the analogy of how a vine must be trimmed of dead branches if it is to be fruitful. He is the true vine, and we are his branches. As long as we remain in him we will be fruitful. To remain in him requires us to make the conscious choice to continue our faith walk, whatever trials may come our way. Jesus’ promise is that if we do so he will be there with us and give us a more abundant life.

 

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 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 2024 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2024 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

Pastor Gail Whitcome Linstrom – “The Good Shepherd’s Great Love” – Verdugo Community Church April 21, 2024

Pastor Gail in her sermon, “The Good Shepherd’s Great Love,” shows that God’s promise to send a Good Shepherd to his followers begins in Psalm 23 and Ezekiel 34 and that Jesus fulfills that promise as set out in Matthew 26 and John 10. God condemns those religious leaders who say they are his shepherds, but in their actions only abuse God’s followers. Jesus shows us by his actions, death, and resurrection that he is the true Good Shepherd, and gives us the peace and assurance to follow God’s commands to love and care for 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 2024 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

 

Pastor Gail Whitcome Linstrom – “Jesus Leads Us into the Future” – Verdugo Community Church April 14, 2024

Pastor Gail in her sermon, “Jesus Leads Us into the Future,” continues the study of the Easter story from Luke 24 with the encounter between Jesus and the disciples that evening in the locked room. They are terrified and doubt that he really is alive again. Jesus recognizes their fear and doubt and calms them by eating with them. He then explains, as he did to those on the road to Emmaus, how his death and resurrection were prophesied in the Scriptures, with the promise of forgiveness and new life for all who believe in him. He was preparing and empowering his followers to share the Good News wherever they went. We can take comfort and courage from these stories. Jesus went to where his followers were physically and emotionally, as he does with us today. He instructs and empowers us to share the Good News wherever we go. Like the disciples, our fears and doubts do not separate us from God’s love and redeeming power through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We can confidently live out our faith and follow our risen 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 2024 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

 

VERDUGO COMMUNITY CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE APRIL 14, 2024

 

We open our service with song. Pastor Gail welcomes all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family, and leads us in the responsive call to worship. Luisa Fernandez engages us with a reading of Psalm 111, and Michael Blanco centers us with opening 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.

 

Pastor Gail in her sermon, “Jesus Leads Us into the Future,” continues the study of the Easter story from Luke 24 with the encounter between Jesus and the disciples that evening in the locked room. They are terrified and doubt that he really is alive again. Jesus recognizes their fear and doubt and calms them by eating with them. He then explains, as he did to those on the road to Emmaus, how his death and resurrection were prophesied in the Scriptures, with the promise of forgiveness and new life for all who believe in him. He was preparing and empowering his followers to share the Good News wherever they went. We can take comfort and courage from these stories. Jesus went to where his followers were physically and emotionally, as he does with us today. He instructs and empowers us to share the Good News wherever we go. Like the disciples, our fears and doubts do not separate us from God’s love and redeeming power through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We can confidently live out our faith and follow our risen 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.

 

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 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 2024 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2024 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

 

Pastor Gail Whitcome Linstrom – “Continuing on the Way with Jesus” – Verdugo Community Church April 7, 2024

Pastor Gail in her sermon, “Continuing on the Way with Jesus,” invites us into the Easter story from Luke 24 with the experiences of the two followers who encounter Jesus on the road to Emmaus. In response to Jesus’ questions, they relate how Jesus of Nazareth was considered the Messiah, but had been crucified by the authorities. Now three days later there was a rumor that he had been raised from the dead, but they are grieving and doubtful. Jesus responds by teaching that this all was in accordance with the Scriptures concerning the Messiah. He agrees to stay for dinner and when he breaks the bread they suddenly realize it was him, but he disappears. They return to Jerusalem to tell their story to the other followers and share in the news that Jesus is indeed risen from the dead. We are like those followers, living on the other side of the Cross, searching the Scriptures for guidance and sharing our faith with others. As with these travelers, Jesus meets us on the road and travels with us, helping us to find the answers to our questions and doubts, and affirming our relationship to him and 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 2024 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

VERDUGO COMMUNITY CHURCH EASTER WORSHIP SERVICE APRIL 7, 2024

We open our service with song. Pastor Gail welcomes all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family. Linda Kozik and Pastor Gail lead us with a reading from Psalm 34 and a responsive Call to Worship. Luisa Fernandez centers us with an opening 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.

 

Pastor Gail in her sermon, “Continuing on the Way with Jesus,” invites us into the Easter story from Luke 24 with the experiences of the two followers who encounter Jesus on the road to Emmaus. In response to Jesus’ questions, they relate how Jesus of Nazareth was considered the Messiah, but had been crucified by the authorities. Now three days later there was a rumor that he had been raised from the dead, but they are grieving and doubtful. Jesus responds by teaching that this all was in accordance with the Scriptures concerning the Messiah. He agrees to stay for dinner and when he breaks the bread they suddenly realize it was him, but he disappears. They return to Jerusalem to tell their story to the other followers and share in the news that Jesus is indeed risen from the dead. We are like those followers, living on the other side of the Cross, searching the Scriptures for guidance and sharing our faith with others. As with these travelers, Jesus meets us on the road and travels with us, helping us to find the answers to our questions and doubts, and affirming our relationship to him and 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.

 

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 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 2024 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2024 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church

Pastor Gail Whitcome Linstrom – “Easter Has Come – a Lectio Divina” – Verdugo Community Church March 31, 2024

Pastor Gail leads us in a Lectio Divina based upon the resurrection narrative in John 20:1 – 18. Lectio Divina is an ancient worship practice where the same text is read by different voices. The passages from John 20, which centers on the experience of Mary Magdalene encountering the risen Jesus, are read by Michelle Hensley, Michael Blanco, Luisa Fernandez’ and Albert Ramseyer. After each reading we pause to meditate and listen to what God has to say to us, and sing a song of response.

 

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 2024 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

 

VERDUGO COMMUNITY CHURCH EASTER WORSHIP SERVICE (LECTIO DIVINA) MARCH 31, 2024

We open our service with songs. Pastor Gail welcomes all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family. She leads a responsive Call to Worship and centers us with an opening prayer. Nick Baltazar, Marvin Juan, 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.

 

Pastor Gail leads us in a Lectio Divina based upon the resurrection narrative in John 20:1 – 18. Lectio Divina is an ancient worship practice where the same text is read by different voices. The passages from John 20, which centers on the experience of Mary Magdalene encountering the risen Jesus, are read by Michelle Hensley, Michael Blanco, Luisa Fernandez’ and Albert Ramseyer. After each reading we pause to meditate and listen to what God has to say to us, and sing a song of response.

 

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 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 2024 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2024 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.

Andrew Mumm – “Beauty in the Mundane” – Verdugo Community Church March 24, 2024

In his sermon, “Beauty in the Mundane,” Andrew Mumm looks at tension presented by Holy Week, where the crowd hails Jesus as King on Palm Sunday and a few days later calls for his crucifixion. This is a tension we experience today, where our joy at a new child is clouded by the news of wars and terrorist events targeting children. We are like the like the crowd at the original Palm Sunday, full of beauty and ugliness. Andrew looks at this tension using Psalm 31, which first is a lament to God about being abandoned and condemned, then as an acceptance of God’s plan and an affirmation of faith in God. If we consider Jesus’s path to the cross we encounter those moments of doubt and failure, but also those moments when he was affirmed by his mother, his cross was carried and his brow was wiped by strangers. We too can reach out to others in distress, affirming them and helping lighten burdens. These are mundane actions, but have a beauty and power to heal and help.

 

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 2024 by Andrew Mumm and Verdugo Community Church.

VERDUGO COMMUNITY CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE MARCH 24, 2024

We open our service with song. Pastor Gail welcomes all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family and with Louisa Fernandez leads a responsive call to worship. Albert Ramseyer centers us with an opening prayer. Nick Baltazar, Marvin Juan, 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 his sermon, “Beauty in the Mundane,” Andrew Mumm looks at tension presented by Holy Week, where the crowd hails Jesus as King on Palm Sunday and a few days later calls for his crucifixion. This is a tension we experience today, where our joy at a new child is clouded by the news of wars and terrorist events targeting children. We are like the like the crowd at the original Palm Sunday, full of beauty and ugliness. Andrew looks at this tension using Psalm 31, which first is a lament to God about being abandoned and condemned, then as an acceptance of God’s plan and an affirmation of faith in God. If we consider Jesus’s path to the cross we encounter those moments of doubt and failure, but also those moments when he was affirmed by his mother, his cross was carried and his brow was wiped by strangers. We too can reach out to others in distress, affirming them and helping lighten burdens. These are mundane actions, but have a beauty and power to heal and help.

 

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 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 2024 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2024 by Andrew Mumm and Verdugo Community Church.