Sermons on Hebrews

The Gospel Truth

As we continue our worship series “Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith,” we turn to a question that underscores a lot of other questions: how do we approach the Bible when it can feel confusing, and even overly-complicated? This week we explore what it can look like to read sacred text with honesty and humility. We’ll name the tension between wanting certainty and living with real questions, and we’ll see the value of listening for the kind of guidance that comes…

Doubt and the Existence of God

As we begin our new series “Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith,” we start with the question that grounds all the others: Does God exist? This week explores the beauty and order of creation through Psalm 19 and Psalm 139, and the honest prayer of a father in Mark 9 who cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief.” We’ll consider how wonder itself can be a form of knowing, and how trust in God can grow even when certainty is out…

Power of Presence

Join us this Sunday as we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord with La Jolla UMC! We’ll gather around the table for Communion and explore what it means to turn toward God and toward each other. Come on in, the water’s fine. Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-9; Matthew 3:13-17 (NRSVue)

Are We There Yet?

In this final sermon of our Advent series based on Adam Hamilton’s The Journey, we follow the Magi as they travel over 1,350 miles to find a king—only to arrive at the wrong destination. The scribes redirect them to Bethlehem. More road ahead. Their experience captures a spiritual reality many of us know well: the deflation of thinking you’ve arrived when you haven’t. The journey continues beyond the manger, and because we are changed, we go home by another road.…

Mary’s Visit with Elizabeth

We continue our Advent series as Mary travels from Nazareth to the hill country of Judea, seeking understanding and a trusted place to sort through extraordinary news. Her arrival at Elizabeth’s home leads to a moment of recognition, encouragement, and joy that comes before either woman can fully explain what is happening. This passage invites us to consider the strength that honest companionship can offer and the clarity that can emerge when someone can see what we ourselves are still…

Disappointment, Doubt, and a Dream

We continue our Advent series with Joseph’s story in Matthew 1:18–24, where a painful crossroads meets an unexpected message. Joseph carries disappointment, fear, and a future he can no longer see clearly, yet he chooses a path shaped by compassion and trust. This week we explore how divine guidance can show upin uncertainty. Scripture: Matthew 1:18-24 (NRSVue)

The Annunciation to Mary of Nazareth

We begin our Advent series in an overlooked village in Galilee, where an unexpected message interrupts an ordinary day. Luke’s Gospel invites us to consider Mary’s openness and the quiet ways divine possibility can take shape in the corners of life we often miss. Scripture: Luke 1:26-38 (NRSVue)

Anticipation

We conclude our series, “The Days are Surely Coming,” with “Anticipation.” Jeremiah points to a promised shepherd who leads with wisdom, gathers the scattered, and makes daily life secure. We’ll explore anticipation as a steady way of living—grounded in justice, honest about harm, and ready for the reign of Christ. Scripture: Jeremiah 23:1-6 (NRSVue)

Celebration

We continue our series, “The Days are Surely Coming,” with “Celebration.” Isaiah sketches joy that is more than a mood: tears are quieted, homes are built and lived in, gardens feed their planters, children start strong, and elders finish well. We’ll look at how joy becomes a shared practice—grounded, communal, and sustained—in the places we live and work. Scripture: Isaiah 65:17–25 (NRSVue)

Nostalgia

We’re beginning a new three-week series, “The Days are Surely Coming.” This Sunday’s message, “Nostalgia,” explores the pull of the way things were—traditions, spaces, and songs that touch our hearts—and invites us to honor what formed us and open to the future God is shaping among us now. Scripture: Haggai 2:1-9 (CEB)

Humble Faith

We conclude our series “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants” with stories of humble faith. In Luke, a tax collector stands apart and prays for mercy. In Matthew, a woman anoints Jesus with oil, offering what she has in love. Both moments reveal generosity that asks for nothing in return. As this season of stewardship draws to a close, we’re reminded that every gift—of time, care, or resource—becomes part of a story that continues through us. Scripture: Matthew 26:6-13 (CEB),…
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