Christ Lutheran Pacific Beach

09/06/2026

Welcome to online worship! On this Feast of Creation in Christ, Pastor Kinndlee Lund begins with the story of the endangered Sumatran orangutan and the devastating loss of habitat and species happening around our world.

But what does our Christian faith have to say in the face of such an enormous crisis?

Returning to Genesis, we reconsider what it means for humanity to have “dominion” over creation. Being made in the image of God is not permission to dominate or exploit the earth. It is a calling to reflect God's care for creation, protecting and cultivating the relationships that sustain life.

And then comes the Good News: creation is not simply something God finished long ago.

God is still creating.

The Word that became flesh in Jesus Christ is still at work, bringing life, mending what is broken, and making all things new.

That means hope is not the certainty that everything will be okay. Hope is trusting that what we do matters because God is still at work. We can care for the earth, consume less, protect what we love, restore what has been damaged, and do this work together.

Not easy hope.
Not naïve hope.
Wild hope.

Because God is not finished yet.

What does hope look like when the future of God's creation feels de...

09/02/2026

Christ Lutheran will again be conducting a Matching Gift Program for donations received during the month of September targeting the following 6 designated organizations:

Agape San Diego (Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry of SDSU) www.agapesandiego.org
Community Christian Service Agency (CCSA) www.ccsasandiego.org
GiGi’s Playhouse SD www.gigisplayhouse.org/sandiego
Includ(Ed) www.includedsd.org
Rwandan Orphans Project (ROP) https://rwandanorphansproject.org
Shoreline Community Services www.shorelinecs.org

Donations made to any of these organizations will be 100% matched with church benevolence funds until the end of September or until $10,000 in donations are received, whichever comes first! Click the "Give" button on our website's homepage to participate! https://www.christpb.org/

08/30/2026

Welcome to online worship! What does Jesus really mean when he tells his disciples to “take up their cross and follow me”?

In Matthew 16, Peter has just been called the rock on which Jesus will build his church. But only moments later, when Jesus tells his disciples that suffering and death lie ahead, Peter protests: “Never, Lord!”

Jesus responds with the startling words, “Get behind me.”

In this sermon, Pastor Keegan Chin-Cheleden explores that exchange as an invitation to discipleship: Follow me. Support me. Walk this difficult road with me.

Following Jesus does not promise a life without hardship. Sometimes answering Christ’s call carries a very real cost. Through the examples of Martin Luther King Jr. and Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries, we consider people who dared to follow a vision of God’s beloved community even when the world around them reflected something very different.

Jesus offers us a paradox: those who lose their life for his sake will find it.

A cross to bear. A life to find.

Our crosses will look different. But wherever following Christ takes us, we hold onto the promise that God will meet us there. Even in life's darkest moments, we are profoundly loved. We are Christ's friends. We are never alone.

And once we know that, how can we not follow?

What does Jesus really mean when he tells his disciples to “take up...

08/23/2026

Welcome to online worship! Who are you, really? And how do we discover the answer?

Beginning with Disney’s Hoppers, Pastor Kinndlee Lund explores questions of identity, belonging, and community through Jesus’ question to his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?”

There’s an important detail hidden by the English translation: the “you” Jesus uses is plural. His question is directed to the community—not simply to one individual.

In this sermon, we explore what that means for our own identities and our life together. From the assurance that each of us is a beloved child of God, to Howard Thurman’s invitation to widen our “field of caring,” we discover that figuring out who we are was never meant to be a solitary journey.

Church itself—ekklesia, a people gathered together—can become a kind of Holy Experiment: a community where we learn who God is, discover who we are through one another, and practice seeing even those who are different from us as beloved children of God.

So perhaps Jesus’ question for us isn't simply:

“Who do you say that I am?”

But:

“Who do y’all say that I am—and how will you live your answer together?”

Who are you, really? And how do we discover the answer?Beginning ...

08/17/2026

At our Special Congregation Meeting on August 9, the congregation approved the motion to call Rev. Keegan Chin-Cheleden to a full-time, non-term call as Associate Pastor for Christ Lutheran Church. Yesterday, the joy continued with a lovely reception to celebrate Pr. Keegan's continued ministry with us. Congrats, Pr. Keegan!

08/16/2026

Welcome to online worship! The story of Jesus and the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15 is uncomfortable. Jesus initially remains silent, the disciples want to send her away, and then Jesus compares her place in his ministry to that of a dog waiting for crumbs.

And yet, she refuses to disappear.

In this sermon, Pastor Keegan Chin-Cheleden explores what happens when the Canaanite woman holds onto her own voice while also engaging Jesus' perspective. Her response transforms the encounter, culminating in Jesus' declaration: “Woman, great is your faith.”

What might this difficult story teach us about faith, authority, disagreement, and our own spiritual lives?

Through the Canaanite woman's story and insights from Women's Ways of Knowing, Pastor Keegan considers how we can listen genuinely to another person's perspective without abandoning our own—and how disagreement can sometimes become a source of deeper understanding and transformation.

The story ultimately invites us to imagine something bigger:

What if faith isn't passive?

What if genuine listening can change us?

And what might happen if we created a table where no one is left with crumbs?

The story of Jesus and the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15 is uncomfo...

08/09/2026

Welcome to online worship! Why do we spiral?

Whether it's replaying an awkward conversation, worrying about the future, or feeling overwhelmed by fear, many of us know what it's like to get caught in anxious thought loops.

In this sermon, Pastor Kinndlee Lund explores Peter's experience of walking on water through the lens of modern neuroscience and Christian faith. As Peter begins to sink beneath the waves, we discover a surprisingly familiar story—one about fear, rumination, trust, and God's unwavering presence.

This message explores:

Peter's walk on the water in Matthew 14
Why fear can cause us to spiral
The neuroscience behind rumination and anxiety
Learning to recognize when we're caught in destructive thought loops
The simple but powerful prayer: "Lord, save me."
God's promise to meet us in life's deepest waters

No matter how overwhelmed we feel, Scripture reminds us that nothing—not fear, doubt, storms, or even our deepest struggles—can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

The same hand that reached for Peter still reaches for us today.

Why do we spiral?Whether it's replaying an awkward conversation, ...

08/02/2026

Welcome to online worship! Most of us would say we're followers of Jesus. But what does following Jesus actually look like in everyday life?

In this guest sermon, Pastor David Murphy explores the familiar story of the Feeding of the 5,000 from Matthew's Gospel. While it's often remembered as a miracle of multiplying bread and fish, this message invites us to look deeper.

Jesus begins this story grieving the death of John the Baptist. He seeks solitude, yet when crowds follow him, he responds not with frustration but with compassion. Even when the disciples believe there isn't enough to go around, Jesus reveals something extraordinary about the Kingdom of God.

This sermon explores:

What it truly means to follow Jesus
Grace as God's free and abundant gift
Jesus' compassion in the midst of his own grief
Why the Feeding of the 5,000 is about more than food
Living with radical generosity instead of scarcity
Trusting that God's love is always enough

The Kingdom of God reminds us that our faith isn't rooted in having enough, doing enough, or being enough. It rests in the God whose grace is abundant and whose invitation is for everyone.

"All are welcome. All are worthy. All will be fed."

Most of us would say we're followers of Jesus. But what does follow...

07/30/2026

Sunday, Aug 23 will be our Fall Kickoff Event with a blessing during worship of students and school workers. After worship, join us to enjoy a bounce house and root b**r floats. Don’t forget to invite your kids, grandkids, and neighbors to join us. Hope to see you there!

07/26/2026

What would you give everything for?

In Jesus' Parable of the Pearl of Great Value, a merchant discovers a pearl so precious that he sells everything he owns to obtain it. At first, that may sound extreme. But what if Jesus is inviting us to discover something so life-giving that it transforms the way we live?

In this sermon, Rev. Keegan Chin-Cheleden explores the kin-dom of God as "a higher happiness"—a deeper joy and purpose that makes life's sacrifices worthwhile.

Through the inspiring story of Judge Craig Mitchell and the Midnight Mission Run Club in Los Angeles, we see how one person's passion for serving others became a source of healing, hope, and renewed purpose for countless lives.

This message explores:

What Jesus meant by the Pearl of Great Value
Why the kin-dom of God is worth the cost
Finding joy in the midst of hardship
Discovering purpose that lightens life's burdens
How serving others can transform both them and us
The question each of us must answer: What is your pearl?

May this sermon encourage you to seek the deeper joy, meaning, and purpose that God offers and to pursue the pearl that draws you closer to God's kin-dom.

What would you give everything for?In Jesus' Parable of the Pearl...