The Neighborhood Church of Palos Verdes Estates

Advent is a season of expectation and anticipation-- as Christians count down towards Christmas, the familiar Nativity story begins to take shape. Mary, Joseph, the wise men and the animals, and at the center of it all-- the newborn Jesus. But what if there was something more to be gleaned from the Christmas story? In this sermon, Michael Moorhead suggests that if we expand our view of Christmas,...

Advent is a season of expectation and anticipation-- as Christians count down towards Christmas, the familiar Nativity story begins to take shape. Mary, Joseph, the wise men and the animals, and at the center of it all-- the newborn Jesus. But what if there was something more to be gleaned from the Christmas story? In this sermon, Michael Moorhead suggests that if we expand our view of Christmas,...

In this special Thanksgiving Sermon, Rev. Dr. David D. Young reflects on the gift of thanks-- both to the giver, and to the person doing the thanking. Although Thanksgiving can be a busy day full of turkey, food, parades, football and sales, let us remember that if you have but one prayer to offer, "Thank You" is as good as it gets. Accompanying scripture passages for this sermon are Psalm 30: 4-1...

In this special Thanksgiving Sermon, Rev. Dr. David D. Young reflects on the gift of thanks-- both to the giver, and to the person doing the thanking. Although Thanksgiving can be a busy day full of turkey, food, parades, football and sales, let us remember that if you have but one prayer to offer, "Thank You" is as good as it gets. Accompanying scripture passages for this sermon are Psalm 30: 4-1...

November ins indeed a time of gratitude; as we move towards Thanksgiving and the Christmas season, it feels like thankfulness is all around. In truth, every day is a chance to give thanks to God, regardless of our circumstances. How? With our hearts, our hands, and our voices. This is the last in the Neighborhood Church's Fall Sermon Series: "Remember, Rejoice and Respond... with Hearts and Hands...

November ins indeed a time of gratitude; as we move towards Thanksgiving and the Christmas season, it feels like thankfulness is all around. In truth, every day is a chance to give thanks to God, regardless of our circumstances. How? With our hearts, our hands, and our voices. This is the last in the Neighborhood Church's Fall Sermon Series: "Remember, Rejoice and Respond... with Hearts and Hands...

For many of us, going to Church is about what is in it for, well, us. What we take from the readings, the music and the sermons and how we incorporate it into our own lives. Though this is a part of our relationship with the Church, it is not fully the point. If we listen to Jesus' teachings, we might learn that the true function of our relationship wit hChrist is to be fruitful, to respond, and t...

For many of us, going to Church is about what is in it for, well, us. What we take from the readings, the music and the sermons and how we incorporate it into our own lives. Though this is a part of our relationship with the Church, it is not fully the point. If we listen to Jesus' teachings, we might learn that the true function of our relationship wit hChrist is to be fruitful, to respond, and t...

How much do you know about the Bible? Many of us struggle with how to approach and understand the Bible, but if we look at it on the simplest terms, the Bible is about stories. Stories about real people, their lives and their interactions with each other. When we approach it in this way, the Bible prompts us-- what do relationships teach us about God and our earthy lives? This is the third in the...

How much do you know about the Bible? Many of us struggle with how to approach and understand the Bible, but if we look at it on the simplest terms, the Bible is about stories. Stories about real people, their lives and their interactions with each other. When we approach it in this way, the Bible prompts us-- what do relationships teach us about God and our earthy lives? This is the third in the...

"Rejoice in the Lord, always, rejoice!" Paul's words have great meaning for us as Christians-- we rejoice in our relations with family, with friends and with Christ. And, when we are grateful, we are called to give and share our gifts. In fact, if we truly listen to God's call, we learn that sharing not an option-- it is a part of our identity as Christians and who we are called to be. This is the...

"Rejoice in the Lord, always, rejoice!" Paul's words have great meaning for us as Christians-- we rejoice in our relations with family, with friends and with Christ. And, when we are grateful, we are called to give and share our gifts. In fact, if we truly listen to God's call, we learn that sharing not an option-- it is a part of our identity as Christians and who we are called to be. This is the...

"There are three things that start to go as you grow older-- first, you start to lose your eyesight. Then, your hearing goes. And for the life of me, I can't remember what the third thing is..." So begins Rev. Dr. David D. Young's Sermon "The Relations of Remembering," which kicks off the Neighborhood Church's Fall Stewardship Sermon Series: "Remember, Rejoice and Respond... with Hearts and Hands...

"There are three things that start to go as you grow older-- first, you start to lose your eyesight. Then, your hearing goes. And for the life of me, I can't remember what the third thing is..." So begins Rev. Dr. David D. Young's Sermon "The Relations of Remembering," which kicks off the Neighborhood Church's Fall Stewardship Sermon Series: "Remember, Rejoice and Respond... with Hearts and Hands...

You... and you.... and you... and, yes, you. We are all gifted, right now, in this moment, with talents and unique abilities specific to each of us. There are others with similar gifts, but none quite the same. What are these gifts and what are we supposed to do with them? This sermon by Rev. Dr. David D. Young is the fifth and final in the Neighborhood Church's Fall 2019 Sermon Series-- "The Ques...

You... and you.... and you... and, yes, you. We are all gifted, right now, in this moment, with talents and unique abilities specific to each of us. There are others with similar gifts, but none quite the same. What are these gifts and what are we supposed to do with them? This sermon by Rev. Dr. David D. Young is the fifth and final in the Neighborhood Church's Fall 2019 Sermon Series-- "The Ques...

The difference between an ordained minister and a member of their congregation? Just one-- and it's simpler than you might think. This sermon is the third in the Neighborhood Church's Fall "The Quest and the Call" Sermon Series. Accompanying scripture passages are Isaiah 6: 1-8 and 1 Peter 5: 1-7.

Voices-- we all hear them, telling us what is important, what is valuable, what to do, where to go... Mixed in with all of them is God's voice. And though his voice and call can dramatically alter the shape of our lives, it is seldom crystal clear. Indeed-- following God's call is a lot like hearing a hint half guessed at. So, how do we find --and follow-- God's calling? As Rev. Dr. David D. Young...

As kids, we heard that from our parents often. “It’s time to come home!” Whether for dinner, to do homework, or for some variety of reason, we got called home. And often as kids, it wasn’t what we wanted to hear. Especially when we were playing in the sun with our friends. But, what happened when we got home? In this sermon, which celebrates the Neighborhood Church’s Homecoming Rally Sunday, Rev....

In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus told his disciples that they were the "salt of the Earth." We understand that saying in our modern context, but what did it mean back then? In this sermon, Michael Moorhead breaks down the sermon on the Mount and places Jesus' teachings and words in historical context to explain how we can become the salt--and light-- of the world.

What do discipleship and fruit have to do with each other? Well, more than you might think... In this Sermon, Melanie Poturica shares how faith and love and yes, fruit, can lead us into deeper, more meaningful discpleship with Christ. Scripture readings of the day are Psalm 100 and John 15: 9-11, Galatians 5:22.

Hardly a day goes by when we are not invited to something-- a friend's wedding, a sale at a shop, to support a political candidate or nonprofit cause. Enticing as these invitations may be, rising above all of them is Jesus' call to be a disciple. In this sermon, Michael Moorhead breaks Jesus' invitation down into four parts and suggests that maybe the answer to this call is simpler than we might e...

Guilt... who needs it, anyway? Well, it turns out... all of us. But maybe not as much or as often as we think we deserve. In this sermon, Rev. Dr. David D. Young explores the concept of guilt and its role in our lives as Christians. Accompanying scripture passages are Genesis 42: 6-25 and Matthew 12: 1-8.

Fire has long been a symbol for the divine-- perhaps one of the most well known images in the bible is when God speaks to Moses through the burning bush. Surely God chose that bush for a reason, right? Or what if he said "Any old bush will do"? What if any thing could be a bush? Any place? Any person? Accompanying scripture passages are Exodus 3: 1-14 and Luke 3:15-16, 21-22.

For many of us, ordained ministers are set apart from the rest of us. As Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree says in this sermon-- we see a glowing halo around them. But what if we all had our own halos, and our own power to minister God's love and light in the world? This sermon is the third and final sermon in The Neighborhood Church Summer 2019 Summer Miniseries examining Romans 12: 1-8. Accompanying...