Sermons from August 2026

Local and Connexional

Methodist churches have never operated alone. A congregation in La Jolla is tied to congregations across California and to congregations on the other side of the world, and that tie shows on ordinary Sunday mornings more than you might expect. In worship this week, we ask what it means to be cared for by people we did not choose, and to be counted on by those same people in return. Scripture: Romans 12:9-21 (NRSVUE)

Finding Grace

This Sunday begins “Knowing Who We Are,” a six-week series in our year of considering what it means to be United Methodist. We begin with grace: God loves us first, makes peace possible, and continues to work in us. Jesus calls disciples who worship and doubt at the same time, then promises to remain with them. We explore how receiving God’s grace prepares us to join the work God is already doing. Scripture: Romans 5:1-5; Matthew 28:16-20 (CEB)

Believe

This is the final Sunday of “Our Baptismal Vows.” We’ve renounced wickedness, accepted our role in resisting injustice and oppression, confessed Jesus as our Savior, and promised to nurture one another. As we conclude our series, we profess our faith openly and remember our baptism. Scripture: Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33 (CEB)

Nurture

Our series on the vows we make at baptism continues with the fourth promise, and this one belongs to the congregation rather than to the person being baptized: to nurture one another in the Christian faith and life, and to include in our care the people standing before us. Most of us were formed by someone who made that promise about us, a Sunday school teacher, a choir director, a neighbor. Few of us think of ourselves as the ones…