Sermons from 2026 (Page 3)

Glory Revealed

Transfiguration Sunday marks a pivotal moment when Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain and they see him transfigured in glory. This Sunday also marks a transition from the season after Epiphany toward our Lenten journey to Jerusalem. Discover what it means to stand on the mountaintop with Jesus, knowing the road ahead leads to the cross. Scripture: Exodus 24:12-18 (NRSVue); Matthew 17:1-9 (NRSVue)

Does Prayer Change Anything?

As we conclude our series Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith, Rev. Carol Millspaugh addresses one of the hardest questions in our lives of faith: What do we do when our prayers feel unanswered? Explore how faith persists when God’s response isn’t what we expected and what it means to trust even when we don’t understand. Scripture: Psalm 22:2; John 1:7; Luke 22:42 (NRSVue)

Why do the Innocent Suffer?

This week we wrestle with the question that shakes faith more than any other: why do innocent people suffer? We explore what Genesis teaches about human freedom and responsibility, how our choices shape the world around us, and where God is when tragedy strikes those who have done nothing wrong. We examine the systems that produce suffering and our call to be God’s presence for others in the midst of pain. This is a hard conversation, and we trust that…

Is Heaven Real?

As we continue our worship series Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith, we turn to a question many of us struggle with: What happens when we die? Popular images of heaven—clouds, harps, angels in white—sometimes feel more like cartoons than images of hope. And when loss and grief hit close, when someone we love is gone, the questions become more urgent. This week we explore where our sacred text offers hope about life after death, and how Jesus offers hope. Scripture:…

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)