IS BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE TRIAL

James 5:7-12 returns to the theme of suffering that began the book. The believers addressed in the letter are experiencing oppression at the hands of “the rich” in their community (5:1-6). The wise pastor that he is, James knows that they, and we, can lose perspective when we’re in the thick of trials. We become disoriented in the moment of suffering, lose sight of what God is doing, and struggle to believe anything good is coming from this. God’s wisdom calls us to maintain a patient perspective to endure the challenges we face. To believe that the best treasures in suffering come at the end. To fuel our endurance, strengthen our faith, and lift our gaze above the weeds of difficulty we’re walking through, James offers much-needed perspective. Calling us to look within to examine the ways we’re prone to sin in our suffering. Encouraging us to look backward toward the faithful brothers and sisters who give us examples of patient endurance down through the ages. Declaring that we must look forward to return of the Lord and establish our hearts in the hope of his coming. We can take heart that all our suffering has an end-date, because Christ will come to make all things new, set everything right, and wipe away every tear from our eyes.

Below, you can find a list of recommended resources to 1) Encourage you by the examples of godly men and women who have gone before us, and 2) Establish your heart in the hope of Christ’s return.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

FIND THE LIST OF RECOMMENDED RESOURCES HERE

The preaching of God’s word stands at the heart of our Sunday gatherings. Each and every week, the Father welcomes us to hear the gospel of his Son in the power of the Spirit. As the word goes forth from an ordinary wooden pulpit - and the very ordinary and imperfect pastors who stand behind it - God does an extraordinary work. Filling our hearts with faith, hope, and confidence in his promises. Assuring us of his love. Comforting us in sorrow. Convicting us of sin. Building up the household of God that is Cross of Grace and making our church an increasingly beautiful place to be.

We had the privilege of sitting under 53 sermons in 2024. Which ones did God use to shape your life and year?

HERE’S WHAT OUR PASTORS HAD TO SAY

Jeff

• Ephesians 6:1-4 - Parenting - As someone in the thick of life with little ones, the truth that “children are a blessing from the Lord and not a burden to our lives” is a much needed reminder that bears frequent repeating. This sermon gave me fresh ambition to embrace the amazing responsibility of raising up children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and to enjoy my kids as God’s good gifts.

• Galatians 5:14 - Neighbors - This sermon answered the question “why do we exist as a church?” in ways that were deeply soul-stirring and eminently practical. We exist to spread the joy of Jesus to our Santa Ana neighbors, and to do this, we must be neighbors to them. The kind of people who know them, love them, go out of their way to serve them. The kind of people they would be sad to see leave. This is the kind of message that’s worth revisiting again and again, year after year.

• Isaiah 36-39 - Complacency - This sermon spoke to where we’re so many of us likely find ourselves: not on the verge of quitting the difficult race of the Christian life, but just wanting to stop for a little while. Tempted to slow down, presume upon grace, and coast through life instead of running hard after God all the way to the end. The categories for complacency offered in this sermon were helpful lenses to look at my own heart and examine where I’m prone to settle for “bare minimum Christianity.”

Kyle

• Acts 2:42-46 - Ordinary - This sermon served as a sweet reminder of the fact that there’s nothing impressive about us as a church, but that what IS impressive about us is our Savior. 

• Isaiah 6:8-13 - Holiness - This sermon captured my attention and “drove the nail” into my conscience of the importance of holiness both as a Christian and as a Christian leader. 

• Isaiah 40:1-31 - Comfort After Collapse - This sermon itself was God’s mercy, declaring, in the midst of my own compromise and sinfulness, just how eager God is through His Son to welcome me back into relationship with Him. 

Jason

• 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 - Spiritual Gifts - Great reminder to pray boldly for the gifts and celebrate them among us, because God delights in giving them. 

  • Due to technical difficulties, we don’t have the beginning of the sermon audio. Read the introduction here and follow along with the recording for the rest of the message.

  • For more info on the spiritual gifts, check out this short guide.

• Isaiah 7-9 - Courage - Courage is a quality of a Christian not often talked about. To see it exemplified in Scripture and the God who is its the source was of great encouragement to press into it even when the danger is real. 

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Which sermons did the Spirit use to make an impact on your life last year? To jog your memory, here’s a list of all the sermons we heard in 2024. Go back and listen to one or two. Catch up on any you missed. Share the sermons that God used in particularly powerful ways with us on Slack or sending an email to the church office and let us know how his word shaped your life, changed your heart, and blessed your walk with Christ last year. We’d love to celebrate his grace alongside you!

In addition to the web links below, you can find every Sunday sermon on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

• 1/7/24- Ephesians 5:15-21 - Wear your new clothes everywhere

• 1/14/24- Ephesians 5:22-33 - Marriage is a picture of the beauty of the gospel

• 1/21/24- 1 Corinthians 4:1 - What is a pastor?

• 1/28/24- Ephesians 6:1-4 - Children are a blessing from the Lord, not a burden to our lives

• 2/4/24- Ephesians 6:5-9 - Every Christian is a slave of Christ

• 2/11/24- Ephesians 6:10-20 - Spiritual Warfare: We are new people in an old, embattled world

• 2/18/24- Ephesians 6:18-24 - Prayer: The armor of God and the blessings of God need God to work

• 2/25/24- Revelation 19:1-10 - From beginning to end, marriage is intended for your joy

• 3/3/24- Revelation 12:1-17 - Know Satan’s Story. Know Satan’s Strategies. Know Christ’s Victory.

• 3/10/24- Matthew 26:26-29 - Communion Homily - The Past, Present, and Future Tense of Communion

• 3/17/24- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 - Spiritual Gifts: Earnestly desire all the grace that God has to give

• 3/24/24- 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 - Membership Series: Our Gospel & Doctrine

• 3/31/24- Matthew 28:1-10 - Easter Homily - The old has really gone and the new has truly come

• 4/7/24- Philippians 3:7-9 - Membership Series: We are joyful

• 4/14/24- Romans 8:32 - Membership Series: We are generous

• 4/21/24- Psalm 119:89-96 - The Mighty Word of God

• 4/28/24- Acts 2:42-47 - Membership Series: We are ordinary

• 5/5/24- Galatians 5:14 - Membership Series: We are neighbors

• 5/12/24- Isaiah 1:1-31 - We need to be an uncompromising church

• 5/19/24- Isaiah 1-66 - How the story of Isaiah fits together

• 5/26/24- Isaiah 2:1-22 - Live now in light of then

• 6/2/24- Isaiah 6:1-7 - Why does God take our sin so seriously? Because he is uncompromisingly holy.

• 6/9/24- Luke 19:28-44 - Jesus is the King of Peace

• 6/16/24- Isaiah 6:8-13 - God wants us to be at home with holiness & really live in his house

• 6/23/24- Isaiah 7-9 - God with us puts courage in us

• 6/30/24- Isaiah 13-23 - The whole world needs the whole gospel

• 7/7/24- Isaiah 24-27 - There is a real heaven, and you can’t get it without getting God

• 7/14/24- Isaiah 14:12-16 - Behind every collapsing culture is the influence of the Original Compromiser

• 7/21/24- Isaiah 30-31 - Turning to Egypt is never the right decision, but trusting in God is always the right decision

• 7/28/24- Isaiah 35:1-10 - The uncompromising path to uncompromising life will be worth it in the end

• 8/4/24- Isaiah 36-39 - Don’t let your weariness or your confidence keep you from running hard after God

• 8/11/24- Isaiah 40:1-31 - Comfort after Collapse: We may grow weary, but the King never does

• 8/18/24- Isaiah 41-48 - God vs. Idols: God alone is worthy of our trust because God alone is: The Creator of the heavens and earth, the Redeemer of all mankind, and the Author of all history

• 8/25/24- Isaiah 49:1-7 - The most uncompromising thing about us is our uncompromising need for Christ

• 9/1/24- Isaiah 52:13-53:12 - You need an uncompromising substitute to be crushed in your place and heal your compromising heart

• 9/8/24- Isaiah 54 - The New Covenant: the unbreakable promise of uncompromising love

• 9/15/24- Isaiah 55 - God invites the worst, offers the best, and guarantees the result

• 9/22/24- Isaiah 58 - God is the goal and great reward of our worship

• 9/29/24- John 6:1-15 - What it means to be spiritually satisfied

• 10/6/24- Isaiah 61 - The grace of God is never in decline

• 10/13/24- Isaiah 65:17-25 -  One day, we’ll do nothing but live in God’s world, in God’s way

• 10/20/24- Proverbs 1 - Wisdom is how you do life in God’s world right

• 10/27/24- James 1:1-4 - God’s wisdom leads us down the path of spiritual wholness

• 11/3/24- James 1:5-11 - To get wisdom, all we have to do is ask

• 11/10/24- James 1:12-18 - God-given trials are the surprising friend of happiness

• 11/17/24- James 1:19-27 - On the path of wisdom, faithful hearing always travels side by side with obedient doing

• 11/24/24- Titus 2:11-14 - God has given you what you need to run well: past, present, & future grace

• 12/1/24- James 2:1-13 - Love your neighbor regardless of what they can do for you

• 12/8/24- James 2:14-26 - We are saved by faith alone, but true saving faith is never alone

• 12/15/24- James 3:1-12 - Resting between your teeth is the rudder of your entire life

• 12/22/24- James 3:13-18 - The world’s wisdom climbs to the top. God’s wisdom kneels to serve.

• 12/24/24 - John 1:14-18 - Christmas Homily - You need to see Jesus Christ

• 12/29/24- James 4:1-12 - To wisely respond to conflict, we must think rightly about ourselves

LET US KNOW HOW GOD’S WORD CHANGED YOUR 2024 HERE

YOUR LIFE IS NOT YOUR OWN

Following his charge to "humble yourselves before the Lord" (4:10), James offers 2 particular warnings against an arrogant heart. Contrary to the humble person who holds their desires with open hands before the Lord, the proud have a tightly clenched fist around their plans and their wealth. They fail to live well in God's world because they prove to be bad stewards of what God has given to them. Taking their time (4:13-17) and their wealth (5:1-6), and presuming upon them, trusting in them, and acting like these gifts are theirs to do with what they please. Into our proneness to treat what is God's like its ours, and to fight for control of our lives, enters wisdom. All our days have been numbered in God's book, so first and foremost, we ought to use them for his glory (Ps 139:16). All our wealth is a blessing to be received and used like a tool to build God's Kingdom, not a savior to trust in (Mt 6:19-21). We look to Jesus who lived every day of his life - and even went to his death - saying, "If the Lord wills it" (Mt 26:39). Who, though he was rich, became poor for our sake (2 Cor 8:9), and taught us "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). According to his grace, we can wisely spend our time and money for the glory of God and the good of our lives in his world. 

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

IT STARTS WITH YOU

James 4:1-12 is a passage that, on one hand, everyone wants to hear, given its practicality and impact upon our lives. But, on the other hand, it just might be a passage no one really wants to hear, given the finger it points at you and I. It’s a passage that contains timeless wisdom from God on the matter of relational conflict. James asks, "What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?" (4:1). To which he does not reply, "Your difficult circumstances," "the difficult, immature, and troubling people around you" or even "It's all Satan's fault!" Instead, he says, "Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?" (4:2). In other words, the problem is us. The root of conflict and the first step in resolving it, starts with us. We need this kind of biblical self-awareness in order to examine our own hearts, sympathize with the brothers & sisters we’re prone to battle it out with, and seek the grace we need to turn away from selfish desires and place others above ourselves.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

YOU’LL KNOW IT WHEN YOU SEE IT

All throughout James, we’ve heard that wisdom is the way to wholeness. The path to living in God’s world, God’s way. But in 3:13-18, we come to a fork in the road on the path of wisdom. Not all that claims to be wisdom is wisdom. Not all who claim to be wise are wise. So how do we know who to look to? How can we tell who we should follow after and imitate? How can we discern the “wisdom from above” from “earthly un-wisdom?” James tells us we’ll know it when we see it.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

BY SINGING LOUD FOR ALL TO HEAR

This past Sunday evening, we hosted our second annual Carols in the Park - and what a joy it was! Church members and neighbors gathered together in French Park for a night of singing well-loved songs, sharing warm drinks and sweet treats, and celebrating the holiday season. We had fun, enjoyed community, welcomed our neighbors to join us for Christmas Eve, and worshiped Jesus Christ - the One who was born to bring us into his joy forevermore!

Thank you to all who served us by singing in the choir, bringing cookies and drinks, and setting up the event! Relive the celebration by scrolling through some photos from the night.

RESTING RIGHT BEHIND YOUR TEETH

Humanly speaking, what shapes the course of our lives more than anything else? James 3:1-12 tells us that the biggest impact on the direction of our lives comes from something quite small. The tongue. That “small member” of the body that possesses an outsize influence on what our lives in that body are like. As we walk down the path of wisdom, we are warned to seriously consider the words we use. Because God is a speaking God and our words are intended to reflect him. Because our words are part of our works, and living faith in Christ should result in redeemed words. Because our words matter. They aren't cheap, throwaway things. They aren't ours to do with what we please. They come with real consequences and can do all kinds of damage. But they can also do all kinds of good when we receive them as God's gift and use them for God's glory. Yet, this can only happen when we use our tongues to confess Christ as Lord, repent of our carless words, and welcome him aboard as the Captain of our ship. Setting our course. Controlling the rudder. Taming our tongues by his transforming grace.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

AT CAROLS IN THE PARK

It’s the best time of year! What better way to celebrate the birth of Christ than by singing loud for all to hear. 

This Sunday at 6pm, we’ll gather in the heart of French Park to sing carols, spread Christmas cheer, and welcome our neighbors into a night of community. We’ll serve up some hot chocolate, enjoy sweet treats, and extend an invitation for our neighbors to join us at church on Christmas Eve.

Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Invite Santa Ana neighbors, family, and friends to an evening Christmas festivities! We’ve got songs to sing, cookies to eat, and the joys of the season to share with them! You can send out the digital invite linked here.

2. Along with extending an invitation, consider ways you’d like to get involved, either with setup, being part of the choir, or bringing a batch of cookies. Sign-up here.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: POST-CAROLS CHANGE OF PLANS

We’ve canceled the Christmas party that was set to take place right after caroling. The holiday season is filled with many good things, but it sure is a busy time! We’re moving to take an item off the schedule this time around. But by no means is this meant to cut our celebration short! Instead, it will allow us to linger in the park, continue conversations over hot cocoa, spend a few more unhurried moments together, and get home for a good night’s sleep as a new week kicks off.

JAMES 2:1-13

God is after a people who demonstrate their obedience by the way they treat his people. One evidence that we're "doers of the word, and not hearers only" is how we treat those in need. If we help those who cannot help themselves. Our willingness to love our neighbor regardless of what he or she can do for us. James challenges us to “show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (2:1). Why does he need to tell us this? Because we’re prone play favorites, be taken in by outward impressiveness, gravitate to those who are most like us, and invest in relationships we can get something out of. But how did the Lord of glory treat us? He had nothing to gain by choosing us, but he did so anyway. He was rich, but became poor for our sake. He saw us dressed in the “shabby clothing” of our sin, gave us his righteous robes, and offered us a seat at his table. We've been saved by Christ's sacrificial love for neighbors who couldn't do anything to help themselves. He gave himself for our everlasting good, so that we would give ourselves for the good of those around us - no matter who they are.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

CELEBRATE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

This Sunday, we have the privilege of witnessing men and women publicly identify with Jesus Christ as they profess their faith in his sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. They’ll do this through their baptism. That sacrament and means of grace through which we confess with our mouths what we’ve believed in our hearts. Demonstrating outwardly what was true of us inwardly from the moment we believed. Signifying our union with Jesus in his dying and rising. Marking the end of our old life in sin and commemorating our entrance into a new life with Christ and his people - which carries on forever.

BAPTISM IMMEDIATELY AFTER SERVICE THIS SUNDAY AT THE CUNNINGHAM HOME

Join us at the Cunningham home immediately after church this Sunday (12/1) to celebrate the baptism of new believers and have a hot dog lunch. If you’re interested in being baptized or have questions about baptism, please contact one of our pastors.