San Francisco Fil-Am Seventh-day Adventist Church

09/11/2026

A man was preparing for an important visitor who had promised to come to his house. He cleaned the living room, prepared the food, and made everything look perfect. Then he sat down to wait.

One hour passed. Then two hours. Then three.
He began to think, “Maybe he isn't coming today.” So he became comfortable. He changed into his pajamas, turned on the television, and fell asleep.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
The visitor had arrived.

The house was ready—but the man was not.

That story reminds us of the words of Jesus in Luke 12. Jesus speaks about servants waiting for their master to return. He says, “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning.”

In other words, Stay ready. Stay awake. Be prepared.
We are living in a waiting world. We are waiting for Jesus to return. We don't know the exact day or hour, but we know His promise: He is coming again.

The question is not simply, “Are we waiting for Jesus?” The question is, “How are we living while we wait?”

Because Jesus is not calling us merely to wait for His coming—He is calling us to live ready for His coming.

Let us consider what it means to live ready in a waiting world.

Join us tomorrow as Elder Ponce Refendor will highlight three important points on how we can be ready.

So bring your family and friends tomorrow,
- 9:30am - Sabbath School
- 11am - Worship Service and a potluck will follow after service.
- 12:45pm - Fellowship Meal - Potluck
- 3pm-5pm - Sabbath Afternoon Fellowship

Worship with us online - https://www.youtube.com/
See bulletin for more information.

09/05/2026

Have you ever met someone who seemed to have it all together?

They always knew what to say. They never seemed to lose their temper. They appeared confident, strong, and spiritually mature. And sometimes, when we compare ourselves with people like that, we quietly think, “I could never be like that.”

But when we open the Bible, we discover something encouraging: God has always used ordinary people.

John 1 introduces us to a man named Simon.
Andrew had just met Jesus, and he couldn't keep the news to himself. He went looking for his brother Simon and said, “We have found the Messiah.” Then Andrew brought Simon to Jesus.
And when Jesus saw him, He said:
“Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas.”
Jesus didn't merely see Simon for who he was. Jesus saw who Simon could become.

Simon was not perfect. He was impulsive. He was outspoken. He could be courageous one moment and fearful the next. He would eventually make great declarations of loyalty to Jesus—and later deny Him three times.

Yet Jesus chose him.
That's good news for people like us.

Peter was a man like us. He had doubts like us. He had weaknesses like us. He made promises he couldn't keep. He sometimes acted before he thought. He failed—and sometimes failed publicly.

But his story reminds us that our weaknesses do not disqualify us from God's calling.

Jesus didn't say, “Simon, get your life together first, and then follow Me.”

Jesus said, in essence, “Come with Me, and I will make you into the man I want you to be.”

And perhaps that is the message somebody needs today:
God does not call perfect people. He calls willing people and transforms them by His grace.
Peter started as Simon—but he didn't remain Simon.
He encountered Jesus, and Jesus gave him a new identity, a new purpose, and eventually a new life.

The message “The Man Like Us”—a man with strengths and weaknesses, victories and failures, courage and fear—and discover what happens when an ordinary person places his life completely in the hands of an extraordinary Savior.

Because if Jesus could transform Simon Peter, there is hope for you and me.

Join us tomorrow as Pastor Roldan Abello will share more on this message.

So bring your family and friends tomorrow,
- 9:30am - Sabbath School
- 11am - Worship Service and a potluck will follow after service.
- 12:45pm - Fellowship Meal - Potluck
- 3pm-5pm - Sabbath Afternoon Fellowship

Worship with us online - https://www.youtube.com/

See bulletin for more information. See less

08/29/2026

Let me begin with a simple question:

Who owns your body?

If I were to ask someone on the street that question, the answer would probably be, “I do!”

After all, it’s my body. I decide what I eat. I decide what I drink. I decide when I sleep. I decide what I wear. I decide how I use it. It’s mine!

And that sounds reasonable—until we read what Paul says in our text:

“You are not your own.”

Those are some of the most challenging words in Scripture.

Paul is telling us that when we surrender our lives to Christ, even our bodies are no longer simply our possession. Our bodies belong to God.

Why?

Because Paul says, “You were bought at a price.”

There was a price paid for this body. There was a price paid for this life. And that price was not money, gold, or silver.

It was the blood of Jesus Christ.

Think about that.

When Jesus stretched His hands on Calvary, He wasn't only purchasing our forgiveness. He was purchasing us.

When the nails pierced His hands, He was saying, “You belong to Me.”

When the crown of thorns pressed against His head, He was saying, “You belong to Me.”

When His blood was shed at Calvary, He was declaring, “You are worth dying for.”

That changes the way we look at our bodies.

If my body belongs to me, then I can say, “I will do whatever I want.”

But if my body belongs to God, then I must ask:

“Lord, what do You want me to do with this body?”

What I eat matters.

What I drink matters.

What I watch matters.

What I listen to matters.

How I dress matters.

How I use my strength matters.

How I treat my body matters.

How I use my hands, my eyes, my mind, my mouth, and my abilities matters.

Because Paul says:

“Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.”

A temple is not an ordinary place. A temple is a place where God dwells.

So today, we're not simply talking about health.

We're talking about ownership.

We're not simply talking about what is good or bad for the body.

We're talking about who the body belongs to.

And perhaps the most important question we can ask ourselves today is not,

“Can I do this?”

or

“Is this allowed?”

but rather:

“Does this honor the One who owns me?”

Because the Bible says:

“You are not your own. For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body.”

So before we decide what we will do with our bodies, we need to settle one fundamental question:

WHOSE BODY IS IT?

It is God's.

Join us tomorrow at 11am, as we receive God's Word and His message through Chidinma Nwadike, her message centers on the essentiality of our body as God's temple and depository of His truth, grace and mission of His church,

See bulletin for more details!

08/22/2026

08/22/2026

Have you ever been "next in line" for something important?

Perhaps you were waiting to be served at a restaurant, waiting for your turn at the doctor’s office, or standing in line for an opportunity. When you know you are next, there is a certain anticipation: “It’s almost my turn.”

But being "next in line" is not always about getting something—it can be about **carrying something forward**.

In 2 Samuel 7, David wanted to build a house for God. His heart was in the right place, but God told him that he would not be the one to build it. Instead, God made a promise concerning David’s family:

“And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.”— 2 Samuel 7:16

David would eventually pass the responsibility to the "next generation". His son Solomon would be next in line to continue what David had begun.

And here is an important spiritual lesson: "God’s work is bigger than one person’s lifetime."

You may begin something that someone else will finish. You may plant a seed that another generation will harvest. You may build a foundation upon which someone else will build.

David had to learn that "being faithful doesn't always mean being the one who completes the work. Sometimes faithfulness means preparing the way for the one who comes next."

And that brings us to the question today:

"What are we leaving for those who are next in line?"

Are we leaving them a stronger faith?
A stronger church?
A deeper knowledge of God?
A legacy of prayer?
A commitment to the mission?

Because one day, "we will no longer be next in line. Someone else will be."

The question is not simply, *“What have I accomplished?”*
The greater question is, "“What have I prepared for the generation coming after me?”"

"The work of God continues because someone is always next in line."

Join us tomorrow as Elder Judy Mar Bumagat will share more on this message.

So bring your family and friends tomorrow,

- 9:30am - Sabbath School
- 11am - Worship Service and a potluck will follow after service.
- 12:45pm - Fellowship Meal - Potluck
- 3pm-5pm - Sabbath Afternoon Fellowship

Worship with us online - https://www.youtube.com/

See bulletin for more information.

08/15/2026

Have you ever followed a recipe that seemed simple—but when you tasted the finished product, you realized that every ingredient mattered?

A good recipe requires the right ingredients. Leave one out, and the result may not be what you expected. Add the wrong ingredient, and it can completely change the taste.
Life is much like that.

There are seasons when life seems to have all the wrong ingredients—pain, disappointment, loss, uncertainty, unanswered prayers, and discouragement. Sometimes we look at our circumstances and wonder, “Where is God in all of this?”

That is exactly where we find the prophet Jeremiah in the book of Lamentations.

Jerusalem had been destroyed. The temple was in ruins. The people had experienced suffering, loss, and humiliation. Jeremiah had every reason to become overwhelmed by despair.

Yet in the middle of his sorrow, something remarkable happens.
He says:
“This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.”
—Lamentations 3:21

Notice that Jeremiah does not say, “My circumstances have changed, therefore I have hope.”
His circumstances were still difficult.
He says, “This I recall to my mind.”

In other words, “I need to change what I am focusing on. I need to remember something about God.”

And what does he remember?
“Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
What a powerful recipe for hope!
Jeremiah takes the ingredients of a broken life and discovers that God is still present in the midst of it.

We want you discover three ingredients in God’s recipe for hope:
Remember God’s mercy.
Receive His compassion.
Rest in His faithfulness.

Because sometimes hope doesn't come from changing our circumstances.
Hope comes when we remember who God is in the middle of our circumstances.

And when everything around us seems to be falling apart, we can still say:
“Great is Thy faithfulness.”
That is the recipe for hope.

Join tomorrow as Deangela Samonte will share more on this message.

So bring your family and friends tomorrow,
- 9:30am - Sabbath School
- 11am - Worship Service and a potluck will follow after service.
- 12:45pm - Fellowship Meal - Potluck
- 3pm-5pm - Sabbath Afternoon Fellowship

Worship with us online - https://www.youtube.com/

See bulletin for more information.

08/09/2026

Blessed Sabbath at West Valley Fellowship SDA Church. Glendale Adventist Academy, Phoenix, AZ

08/07/2026

There are moments when we feel tired, discouraged, restless, and burdened—and sometimes we cannot even explain why. We try to solve the problem by changing our circumstances. We take a vacation. We sleep more. We distract ourselves. We surround ourselves with people. But there are burdens that cannot be removed by changing our circumstances because the problem is deeper than our circumstances.

David identifies one of those burdens: “My strength faileth because of mine iniquity.”

Sin does something to the human heart. It promises pleasure, but
eventually produces pain. It promises freedom, but eventually creates bo***ge. It tells us, “Nobody will know,” but even when nobody else knows, we know—and God knows.

That is the beginning of conviction.

Conviction is when the Holy Spirit opens our eyes and allows us to see sin not merely as a mistake, weakness, or bad decision, but as something that has separated our hearts from God. We begin to realize, “I have sinned. I have wandered. I have hurt my relationship with the One who loves me.”
And sometimes conviction hurts.

David describes it as his strength failing and even his bones being consumed. Sin can become an invisible weight that we carry everywhere. We can smile in public while struggling in private. We can sing hymns with our lips while our hearts are crying for forgiveness. We can come to church looking strong while inside we are saying, “Lord, something is wrong with me.”
But here is the good news: conviction is not condemnation.
When the Holy Spirit convicts us, God is not trying to destroy us. He is trying to bring us home.

The pain we feel when God exposes our sin is actually evidence of His love. He reveals the wound because He wants to heal it. He reveals the sin because He wants to forgive it. He brings us to the place where we finally say, “Lord, I cannot carry this anymore.”
And that is where grace begins.

David's confession in Psalm 31 reminds us that the greatest tragedy is not that we have sinned. The greatest tragedy would be to remain in our sin after God has shown us the way back.

So today, don't run from conviction. Listen to it.
Because when God makes us uncomfortable about our sin, He may be preparing us to experience the comfort of His forgiveness.

The question is not, “Have I sinned?” We already know the answer.

The question is: “What will I do when God convicts me?”
Will I hide?
Will I justify?
Will I blame someone else?

Or will I come to Jesus and say:
“Lord, I have sinned. I cannot fix myself. I need Your forgiveness. I need Your grace. I need You.”

Because the same God who reveals our sin is the God who provides the Savior for our sin.

Join tomorrow as Elder Jan Joshua will share more on this message.
So bring your family and friends tomorrow,
- 9:30am - Sabbath School
- 11am - Worship Service and a potluck will follow after service.
- 12:45pm - Fellowship Meal - Potluck
- 2:30pm - Sacred Concert at SF Tabernacle Church - 673 Capp St. SF 94110

Worship with us online - https://www.youtube.com/

See bulletin for more information.

07/25/2026

There is a saying, "Tomorrow is the busiest day of the week."

Many of the greatest intentions in life are never fulfilled because they are always postponed. We say, "I'll do it tomorrow. I'll pray tomorrow. I'll forgive tomorrow. I'll serve God when life slows down. I'll return my tithe when my finances improve. I'll be baptized when the time is right."

Yet tomorrow has a way of never arriving.

We live in a world that delays everything. We delay doctor's appointments until sickness worsens. We delay repairing small problems until they become major expenses. We delay telling our loved ones that we love them until they are no longer with us. The greatest tragedy, however, is when we delay our response to God.

King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, speaks directly to this issue in Ecclesiastes 5. He reminds us that our relationship with God demands sincerity, integrity, and prompt obedience. Listen to his solemn counsel:

"When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it, for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed. Better not to vow than to vow and not pay." - Ecclesiastes 5:4–5

In the Bible, a vow was a voluntary promise made to God. It was never forced, but once made, it became a sacred commitment. Solomon is not merely talking about making promises. He is talking about the seriousness of our commitment to God. God is not impressed by beautiful words or emotional promises if they are never followed by faithful action.

Many people have made promises to God in moments of crisis:

"Lord, if You heal me, I will serve You."
"If You help me through this financial struggle, I will be faithful."
"If You save my family, I will dedicate my life to You."

But once the crisis passes, the promise is forgotten.

Delayed obedience is often disguised as good intention, but in God's eyes, delayed obedience is still disobedience. Every day we postpone obedience, our hearts become a little less sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

The gospel itself carries a sense of urgency. Noah did not delay building the ark. Abraham did not delay leaving his homeland. Zacchaeus did not delay coming down from the tree. The disciples did not delay leaving their nets to follow Jesus. Throughout Scripture, God's blessings often followed immediate obedience.

Today, God is not asking us merely to make another promise. He is calling us to keep the commitments we have already made. Whether it is a commitment to follow Christ, to forgive, to reconcile, to serve, to return faithfully what belongs to Him, or to surrender completely, His message is simple:

"Do not delay."

Because every delayed response is a missed opportunity to experience God's blessings, and every act of immediate obedience is an expression of genuine faith.

As we study Ecclesiastes 5:4–5 today, may the Holy Spirit search our hearts and ask each of us this important question:

"What have I promised God that I have delayed fulfilling?"

May our answer today not be, "Tomorrow," but, "Lord, by Your grace, today I will obey."

Join tomorrow as Elder Jan Joshua will share more on this message.

So bring your family and friends tomorrow,
- 9:30am - Sabbath School
- 11am - Worship Service and a potluck will follow after service.
- 12:45pm - Fellowship Meal - Potluck
- 3pm - Afternoon Fellowship

Worship with us online - https://www.youtube.com/

See bulletin for more information...