Here’s a snapshot of what’s going on this week:
Basketball in the Park
6:30pm - El Camino Real Park
Reach out to Manny for more info
French Park Run Club
6:30am - French Park
Women’s Meeting
7:00pm - Schlieder Home
Young Adults Gathering
7:00pm - Lopez Home
Sunday Gathering at the Ebell Club
10:00am - Ebell Club: Theater
God’s name is the most valuable thing there is. It’s the revelation of who he is, the story of what he’s done, and the means by which we personally relate to him. There’s nothing more precious, but each and every one of us has treated it like it’s worthless. We’ve taken the name of the Lord in vain and made light of the most glorious and weighty thing in the world. The 3rd Commandment calls us to take God seriously. Teaching us we must not mar his good name through our bad actions. Forbidding us not to misuse his holy name through careless or empty words. But instead, calling us to treat his name with reverence.T o bear his mark as faithful representatives. And be ambassadors for the “name above all names” - the name of King Jesus.
In case you missed it, another election season is upon us. You’ve received your ballot and been bombarded with all kinds of ads, mailings, and information. You’re sifting through a catalog of political candidates and there are important offices up for grabs this June at the city, county, and statewide levels. Judges, supervisors, congressional representatives, and even the race for governor.
You may not have it on your radar. You may be waiting for the big one in November. You may be engrossed in it. You may already be tired of it. But here’s our encouragement as you engage in the political process: Take this opportunity to be a good neighbor by casting your vote to promote your neighbor's good. Do your homework on the candidates. Understand the various issues and positions they represent. And then lean into the democratic process by doing lending your voice to call upon our government (at every level) to be what God intended it to be: a servant appointed by and accountable to him to promote the good (as he defines it), protect the innocent, restrain the wrongdoer, and bring justice to bear (Romans 13:1-4).
As God’s word guides you and your conscience permits you, we encourage you to engage at every level possible. Because each part matters and our participation in city, state, and national elections can impact the lives of our neighbors. Here are some handles to help you engage:
1) As you participate, participate like a Christian:
With the settled confidence that Christ reigns at the right hand of God, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion” (Eph 1:20-22). All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him (Ps 2:7-12; Mt 28:18). And however shakeable, uncertain, or unclear the future of our city, state, or nation might be, in Christ we’ve received a “Kingdom that cannot be shaken” (Heb 12:29). No matter the outcome of any election, Christ is Lord, he is able to turn the heart of kings like a stream of water (Prov 21:1), and he will never fail to preserve his people as we await the full realization of his reign (Jn 10:28; Rom 8:31-39; 1 Cor 15:20-28; Heb 13:20-21; 1 Pet 1:3-9; Jude 24-25).
With the assurance that Christ’s purposes in the world through his Church will never be thrown off or thwarted (Mt 16:18, 28:19-20).
With your ultimate hope fully fixed on Christ’s “lasting city” to come (Heb 11:10), BUT with a desire to see his blessings poured out on our city, here and now (Jer 29:5-7).
With “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be[ing] made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Tim 2:1-2). Praying for whoever wins the election. Asking that God would grant wisdom and strength to do what is right, serve the city, county, state, or nation and even use a crooked stick to draw straight lines - as he did with Cyrus (see Is 45:1-7).
2) With the goal of casting your vote for the people, measures, and policies that will:
Most broadly speaking, minimize evil and maximize righteousness - even imperfectly. We can vote in a way which holds back what God considers wrong and moves things in the direction of what God says is good and right (Rom 13:8-10; Gal 6:10).
Protect the innocent - especially our preborn neighbors (Prov 23:11).
Restrain what is wrong and bring justice to bear (Gen 9:5-6; Lev 24:17-23; Prov 20:10; Rom 13:3-4).
Bless our neighbors - and our nation - by promoting what God says is good, beautiful, and true to the best of our ability (Phil 4:8). Knowing what God says about matters of abortion, justice, family, human sexuality, immigration, and so on, and then casting your vote in a way that lines up most with what pleases him. Trusting that this will bless our neighbors near and far.
Contribute to us leading peaceful and quiet lives (see 1 Tim 2:2) and best clear the way for the mission of the Church to move forward. To be clear, the mission of the Church is spiritual and does not rely upon human methods or political means to advance (see Eph 6:12), but our political participation can cultivate an environment beneficial to the gospel’s progress. Following from that gospel progress, we can and should expect this-worldly fruit to follow. “While evangelism and missions certainly seek the highest good of “the city,” political engagement seeks to preserve social order and human flourishing for the good of “the city”” (Tom Hicks, article linked below).
3) If you're struggling with how to engage, your pastors are here to help. We’re happy to talk with you about these things and help you think through them from a biblical perspective. Please pull us aside or reach out to us in the coming weeks if there’s any way we can serve you.
Should Christians Be Involved in Politics? (2024) by Tom Hicks
The Nature and Purpose of Government by Kevin DeYoung
The Purpose and Role of Government by Michael Oh
This week, 4 groups will meet throughout our city to share in the joy of Jesus and apply his gospel to each other’s lives. Outside of Sunday mornings, small groups are the most important hours we spend together. Why? Because they are intentional moments of pointing our wandering hearts back to Jesus. Don’t miss this opportunity to be encouraged by your brothers and sisters.
All young adults 18-30+ are invited for a time of building relationships, receiving God’s good gifts, and welcoming non-Christian friends to come and see the joy we have in Jesus. Guests are encouraged to attend.
This month the Lopez’s will be hosting. Reach out to Robert for location details.
Scarlet Hope is a ministry that shares the hope and love of Jesus with women in the adult entertainment industry through consistent outreach, discipleship, and community. Annually, they host Go & Tell Mission Trips and mobilize trained teams to carry the hope of Jesus into cities during large-scale events and “high-demand” seasons.
We’re excited for the opportunity to join with a Go & Tell trip from June 16-19, in Los Angeles, CA during the FIFA World Cup. Our very own Jennifer Williams & Rosie Lopez will be members of the LA Outreach Team! Would you join us in prayer for the team, consider how you could come alongside Jennifer & Rosie as they prepare to “go,” and be on the lookout for more ways to partner with Scarlet Hope coming to you soon. You can download the prayer guide here.
Every Tuesday we publish a blog post to lay out in one place what’s going in the life of the church for the upcoming week. Below we’ve got a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:
Basketball in the Park
6:30pm - El Camino Real Park
Reach out to Manny for more info
French Park Run Club
6:30am - French Park
Small Groups
6:30pm - Lee Home
7:00pm - Roenicke Home
Learn more about Small Groups here
Small Groups
7:00pm - Davis & Erkelens Homes
Learn more about Small Groups here
Sunday Gathering at the Ebell Club
10:00am - Ebell Club: Ballroom
Every six months, we hold a brief members’ meeting right after our Sunday service. These meetings last about 45 minutes and are filled with information you don’t want to miss. We’ll look back on what God has done in the last 6 months and look forward to where we believe he’s taking us. Come eager to hear what the Lord is doing to spread the joy of Jesus in Santa Ana - and beyond!
The first commandment requires us to worship the right God. The second is all about worshiping the right God the right way. When we bow down in worship, we must not bow down to idols. We must not remake God in our image. We must realize that we are God's imagers. We must have that image restored in us through Jesus Christ - the One True Image of the Invisible God (Col 1:15).
The CGSA Youth have one last fundraiser for the Western Region Youth Camp in July! We’d love if you can support them one more time. We’ve got another Parent's Night Out on the books for on Saturday, 5/30 at the Houlton home in Santa Ana. Our youth - along with Ministry Safe approved adults - will be babysitting kids from 5pm-8pm. They'll be well taken care of while you enjoy your evening. Please sign-up here.
If you are unable to participate in the Parent’s Night Out but want to support our youth, we have a couple scholarship opportunities available. It’s $300 to sponsor a student for camp, but any amount is appreciated. Please donate to our general fund (no notes) and email youth@crossofgracesa.org with a screenshot of the amount you are donating so we can allocate appropriately.
