La Jolla Presbyterian Church Sermons

What can a wedding teach us about Jesus? This Sunday, Rev. Dr. Paul Cunningham will share the sermon titled "The Wedding Surprise," exploring John 2:1-11. At a wedding celebration in Cana, Jesus performs His first miracle, revealing His glory by turning water into wine. This remarkable moment reminds us that Jesus brings transformation, abundance, and joy when we invite Him into every pa...

Community is not something we create on our own. It is something we learn from Jesus. Rev. Dr. Paul Cunningham will share the sermon title “Spending The Day With Jesus,” exploring John 1:29–42, with a focus on verses 37–39. As Jesus invites His first disciples to "come and see," we discover that authentic community begins by spending time in God's presence. The more we abide with Ch...

Where do you look when life takes an unexpected turn? This Sunday, Pastor Paul returns from sabbatical with a message titled “I Will Serpentine But Not Divert,” based on Psalm 121. In this beloved psalm, the writer lifts his eyes to the hills and asks a timeless question: “Where does my help come from?” The answer is both simple and profound: “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and e...

What shapes the choices we make when emotions run high, distractions pull at our attention, or habits become difficult to break? This Sunday, Rev. Chad Fransen concludes our Keeping in Step with the Spirit series with a message titled “The Gift of Self-Control.” Looking at Proverbs 25:28, Matthew 7:3–5, and John 15:1–8, we'll explore the final fruit of the Spirit and what it means to live wit...

The fruit of the Spirit often takes shape in ways that are quieter than we expect. This Sunday, Rev. Dr. Mindy Smith will share a message titled “Peace Begins With Gentleness,” focusing on Philippians 4:4–7. Writing to a community facing uncertainty, Paul invites them to rejoice, pray, and bring every concern before God. He points toward a peace that is not dependent on circumstances, but grows th...

What does it mean to keep trusting God when answers feel delayed? In Luke 18:1–8, Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow - a woman who continues seeking justice from an unjust judge who neither feared God nor cared about people. Through her persistence, Jesus paints a picture of enduring faith: a faith that keeps praying, trusting, and returning to God even in seasons of uncertainty. Rev....

The fruit of the Spirit takes shape in the way we live and serve others. This Sunday, Rev. Mike Sedgwick will share a message titled “Goodness,” centered on 2 Peter 1:5–8. Peter paints a picture of spiritual growth that is active and ongoing, encouraging us to grow in faith through lives marked by goodness, perseverance, self-control, and love. Together, these qualities point toward a life being s...

What does kindness look like when it interrupts our plans, comforts a stranger, or asks us to slow down for someone in need? This Sunday, Rev. Dr. Sheri Perenon will share a message titled "Unexpected Kindness," reflecting on Luke 10:33–37 and the story of the Good Samaritan. In this passage, Jesus paints a picture of mercy that crosses social boundaries and challenges us to see one anot...

Patience is not passive; its enduring strength grows over time as we learn to trust God in every season. Rev. Dr. Dave Rohde continues our series with a message titled Keep Going , focusing on the fruit of the Spirit: Patience. In 2 Timothy 3:10–4:2, Paul points to a life shaped by perseverance, faithfulness, and a willingness to keep going - even as he faces persecution himself. It’s a reminder t...

Is peace something we wait for, or something we live into? This Sunday, Rev. Scott Mitchell continues our “Keeping in Step with the Spirit” series with a message titled “The Seven Wonders of Christ’s Peace,” based on Ephesians 4:1-7 & 4:11-13. In this passage, Paul calls us to live lives marked by humility, patience, and unity; grounded in the peace that comes from Christ. It’s a picture of pe...

“For Joy,” as we explore the fruit of the Spirit: Joy. In Luke 2:10, we hear the announcement of “good news of great joy…for all people,” and in John 15:1–11, Jesus invites us to remain in Him, like branches in the vine, so that His joy may be in us and our joy may be complete. This is a joy formed in relationship with Christ - steady, sustaining, and present in every season! Join us as we conside...

Love is at the heart of the Gospel, revealed in how we see and care for one another. This Sunday, Rev. Noel Musicha and Rev. Jeremiah Lester, co-pastors of Ebenezer Church, will share a message titled “Mind the Margins,” as we reflect on the first fruit of the Spirit: Love. In Matthew 25:31–46, Jesus points us toward a way of life that notices and responds to those often overlooked. It’s an invita...

What does it look like to truly change? This Sunday, we begin a new sermon series, “Keeping in Step with the Spirit,” exploring the Fruit of the Spirit and the kind of life God is growing in us. Rev. Dr. Mike McClenahan, retired pastor from Solana Beach Presbyterian Church, kicks off the series with a message titled “The Journey of Transformation.” In Galatians 5, Paul contrasts life led by our ow...

What if everything really could change? This Easter Sunday Pastor Paul proclaims the good news with a message titled “It’s A New Day!” based on Matthew 28:1–10. In this powerful moment, the women arrive at the tomb expecting death—but instead encounter the risen Jesus and the beginning of something entirely new. Easter reminds us that the resurrection isn’t just an event in the past - it’s the tur...

What does it look like to stay rooted when life feels uncertain? This Sunday, Pastor Paul is looking at Jeremiah 17:5–8. In this passage, we’re given a vivid picture of two lives—one like a shrub in the desert, and the other like a tree planted by water, steady and fruitful even in times of drought. As we move through Lent, this message invites us to consider where we are placing our trust. True r...

Are we meant to follow Jesus on our own? In Galatians 6, Paul reminds us that the Christian life was never intended to be lived in isolation. Instead, we are called to carry one another’s burdens, restore one another gently, and encourage each other to keep doing good. This Sunday, Pastor Paul Cunningham will preach a message titled “We Need Each Other.” Together we’ll explore how a faithful commu...

When was the last time you made space for quiet reflection? Pastor Paul Cunningham will be preaching this week on “Make Time for Reflection,” focusing on Luke 5:12–16, where Jesus heals a man with leprosy and then withdraws to solitary places to pray. Even amid growing crowds and increasing demands, Jesus intentionally stepped away to spend time with the Father. This passage reminds us that reflec...

Lament is the honest expression of grief before God, bringing our sorrow and questions into His presence. Rather than ignoring suffering or rushing past it, Scripture invites us to name what hurts and trust that God meets us there. In this week’s message, “Lament,” Pastor Paul Cunningham reflects on John 11:17–36, where Jesus meets Mary and Martha in their mourning after the death of Lazarus. As H...

God does not promise us easy lives, and Scripture reminds us that suffering is often part of the journey of faith. During Lent, we slow down to acknowledge both our weakness and our need for God’s strength. In this week’s message, “Life Is Fragile,” Pastor Paul Cunningham reflects on 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, where the Apostle Paul speaks of his weakness and the grace that sustains him. We are remind...

Shadows are part of every life. Grief leaves a mark, aging reminds us how fragile we are, and some days feel heavier than others. The season of Lent invites us to slow down, reflect honestly on these realities, and remember that we do not walk through them alone. In our new Lent series, Shadows and Daybreak, we explore how God meets us in life’s shadowed places with presence, community, and hope!...

Hospitality has always been a mark of faithful Christian living, showing the love of Christ through generosity and care for others. In 3 John 1–8, we see how hospitality strengthens the church and supports God’s work, as believers open their lives and homes for the sake of the Gospel. In this week's message, “Hospitality Is Key,” Pastor Chad Fransen invites us to consider how simple acts of w...

In the busyness of life, juggling responsibilities, relationships, and the constant pull of what feels urgent, it can be easy to lose our sense of balance and direction. We often find ourselves rushing from one thing to the next, trying to hold everything together faithfully, yet feeling stretched thin and distracted from what matters most. In 2 John 1–9, John reminds us that walking in truth is t...

In a world full of uncertainty, where do we find lasting assurance and hope? In 1 John 5:6–15, we’re reminded that eternal life is not something we earn or guess at, but a gift God has already given through His Son. John writes so that we may know we have eternal life, rooted in God’s faithfulness and love. Pastor Paul Cunningham will lead us as we reflect on “Eternal Life,” and are invited to res...

Where does love begin? According to 1 John 4, love doesn’t start with us - it starts with God. This passage reminds us that God is the source and definition of love, and that His love is most clearly revealed through Jesus Christ. When we receive that love deeply, it transforms how we live and how we love others. This Sunday, Pastor Paul Cunningham will preach a message titled “Love Begins With Go...

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us.” In 1 John 3:1-10, we’re invited to pause and take in God’s love, that we are called children of God. This identity shapes how we live, how we love, and how we see ourselves in light of who Christ is. God’s love doesn’t leave us where we are; it transforms us from the inside out, calling us to live differently in the world. Pastor Paul Cunningham...