This week, we’ll have the pleasure of hosting Emily Jones. Emily hails from a Sovereign Grace church in Ohio and believes the Lord is calling her to serve Him someday in the country of Spain. She’s prayerfully considering how to best prepare for that eventuality and along with spending several months working at an orphanage in Mexico, would like to live and serve in a Spanish speaking context here in the United States prior to heading over to Europe. To get a taste of living in such a context, Emily will be visiting our city this week. She touches down on Thursday and leaves next Tuesday. Many in the church are already planning on having meals and going on outings with her. Whether or not you’re among them, would you pray for her time with us? Pray that the Lord would meet her and grant her clarity for her future. Pray that exposure to the people in our city would only intensify her desire to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

A CELEBRATION OF UNITY IN DIVERSITY

On Sunday, September 12th, we’ll be hosting our fourth annual “Festival of Nations”. Coinciding with Fiestas Patrias and Dia De La Independencia, we want to celebrate what God has built in our church through the Gospel - the gathering of people from all different nationalities and heritages into one new family in Christ.

HOW CAN YOU PREPARE?

1. Bring a dish (entree, dessert or side) representing your national heritage. Bring your best effort. The results will be judged and the “Best In The World” award will be given to the individual whose dish impressed the most. Multiple dishes per family are ok! 

2. Join us at 4pm on Sunday, September 12th in the Schlieder backyard in the heart of Santa Ana.

A BETTER KING DOES YOU NO GOOD IF YOU’RE STILL AN ENEMY OF THE KING

“Priest” may not be in your everyday vocabulary or your current list of needs. But in the Old Testament, the job of a priest was to “intercede” for the people of Israel with God by offering sacrifices. Why? Because through their daily individual sins, they violated God’s covenant with them. In other words, sin sets humans up as enemies of the King and we need a priest to stand in the gap. The problem that 1 Samuel 2 identifies is that Israel’s priests at the time were corrupt. Their corruption illustrated a far greater problem that Hebrews 7 and Hebrews 10 explain: not a single human priest is sufficient for the task and no animal sacrifice can completely atone for human sin. The message that we’re left with in 1 Samuel 2: you need a better priest and a better sacrifice if you have any hope of living in the goodness of the better King you need. By God’s grace, He provides both the priest and the sacrifice. Listen to last Sunday’s sermon to learn more.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

HOW TO SPREAD THE JOY OF JESUS

Our mission as a church is to spread the joy of Jesus in Downtown Santa Ana. But what does it look like for us to be on mission? How do we make disciples of our neighbors and engage the city to which God has called us? How can we grow in our ability to share the good news of the gospel with boldness, clarity, and love for the lost? If you’re asking any or all of these questions, then this class is for you!

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Our 2021 Fall Class will begin on Monday, September 13th. Registration is open to men & women, however there is no childcare provided. Please only register if you are able to attend at least 5 of the 6 scheduled meetings.

• Dates: 2nd & 4th Mondays in September, October, and November

• Time: 7pm-9pm

• Location: Schlieder Home

• Materials: Bible and a notebook

REGISTER HERE

HEAD TO FRENCH PARK AFTER CHURCH

This Sunday take the opportunity to eat lunch with your French Park neighbors. Immediately after the service, we’ll be walking over to French Park to eat lunch and enjoy one another’s company while in the midst of the neighborhood God has placed us in. Here are the details:

• It’s “BYOL” (bring your own lunch). If you forget your lunch or your favorite lunchbox isn’t clean, there are plenty of great restaurants nearby in DTSA.

• It’s optional - but we highly encourage coming!

• Bring some folding chairs - unless you like sitting on the grass, bring something to sit on.

• Expect the Lord to build existing relationships and create new ones with our neighbors

ALL 3 SMALL GROUPS MEET AT 7PM

Pray along with us for the first meeting of our third Small Group in Downtown Santa Ana (South), led by Jason Roenicke.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SMALL GROUPS, CLICK HERE.

AUGUST 16 - AUGUST 22

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. See below for a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:

WEDNESDAY, August 18: FINAL PARK DAY OF SUMMER

• 9:30 am - Morrison Park, Santa Ana

FRIDAY, August 20: SMALL GROUP

• 7:00 pm - Houlton, Schlieder and Erkelens Home

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22: PICNIC IN THE PARK

• 12:00 pm- French Park

STARTING POINT - A TWO HOUR CLASS FOR GUESTS

If you’ve been visiting for any length of time and would like to learn more about what we believe as a church and how those beliefs take shape in the life of the church, this class is for you. The aim is to help you discern whether or not this is the church family the Lord is calling you to. If we discover together that this isn’t the church for you, we want to help you find another church. If by the end of the class you believe this is where the Lord is leading you, then we’d love to take steps toward welcoming you as a member and assisting you to plug into the life of the church.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

AUGUST 29 IMMEDIATELY AFTER CHURCH AT THE HOULTON HOME.

LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED.

THIS WEDNESDAY AT MORRISON PARK

Throughout the summer, members of the church have been gathering for a casual park day. This has been a once-a-week hangout time to encourage fellowship, meet others, and spend time in the city where we have been called. 

We have experienced the Lord’s work through our time together. This time has allowed us to meet various patrons who frequent the park. We have been able to engage in fruitful conversations with members of our congregation and with guests who have joined us as well.

There is one more chance to gather as we wrap up for the summer. Anyone is welcome, whether you have kids or not. Bring a blanket or chair and some snacks and meet us a Morrison Park August 18th at 9:30 am. We hope to see you there!

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, EMAIL OFFICE@CROSSOFGRACESA.ORG

GOD GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE

In 1 Samuel 2:1-11, Hannah exults in the grace that God has shown her in the midst of her weakness. Little would Hannah know, but her simple song introduces one of the major themes of the rest of the book and, in fact, the world we live in, over which God is King. This principle is that God gives grace to the humble and opposes the proud. He gives strength in weakness. Riches in poverty. Joy in repentance. This reversal of worldly values is essential to the Christian life and requires a daily clinging to the cross of Christ, where the greatest reversal of all took place. Listen to this Sunday’s sermon and read the below-referenced articles to learn more and to grow in cultivating humility.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

Assume You Are Wrong by Tim Shorey

God Does Not Need You To Be Strong by Jon Bloom

In Marriage, As In Life, Weak Is Strong by Dave Harvey

Seven Subtle Symptoms of Pride by Fabienne Harford