A DINNER THAT REPRESENTS THE LIFE WE SHARE

We’re bringing our Daylight Saving’s Sunday tradition back! Mark your calendars for March 13th at 11:00 AM. Please note that our service time will be moved back exactly one hour. Our regular Sunday morning service is being replaced by an all-church meal centered on the Lord's Supper. We will eat and drink together as we meditate more deeply on our Savior's sacrifice.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO PREPARE

Not only will we share in the eating of a meal. We’ll share in the preparation of the meal. This is an event that requires all hands on deck. Whether you’re a single or a family, sign up to bring one of the needed dishes or items on March 13th.

SIGN UP FOR A DISH/ITEM HERE

WE ARE ONE BODY, MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER

Paul says in Ephesians 4:25 that we are one body, yet “members one of another”. So, think of church membership not so much as “membership in a club” and more as an expression of commitment to the people around you. The Bible is full of “one anothers” - commands toward believers to act in godliness toward other people. What Scripture makes clear is that these “others” refer to a specific group of people and not all people generally. These others are the men and women identified in a particular local church. As members of Cross of Grace Santa Ana, we have the privilege of living out the Christian life with one another. We celebrate and grieve with one another. We build deep relationship with one another. We join arms to advance the joy of Jesus in a particular neighborhood with one another. We help one another pursue holiness. We remind one another of the sweetness of the Gospel.

In light of this, we praise God for the new members, Daniel & Deborah Lee and Truman & Katie Severson, we had the joy of introducing this last Sunday. As you celebrate this expression of God’s grace among us, read the encouraging testimony that Daniel & Deborah shared this Sunday:

For our family, attending Cross of Grace for the past few months has been a genuine blessing.

Debbie and I are originally from SoCal and we settled back down here last summer after a short stint up in NorCal for a few years.

During the pandemic, our last small church plant family in San Francisco unfortunately had to close their doors. For about 1 year, we were in a bit of a church limbo situation after we decided to settle back permanently in Orange County.

During that year, it became a clear and ongoing prayer request for us to find a church family that we could call home and commit to for the long haul, and our criteria was actually quite simple: in today's generation and culture, church authenticity was a key one for us. Through that lens, we asked the Lord for a local Bible teaching church that fears the Lord while also radiating grace, and one that has a heart for community and missions.

I really believe that Cross of Grace has been God’s answer to our prayers. The genuine community, warmth, and heart for the Gospel that we’ve seen and experienced over the past few months has been so palpable, not just from leadership but really from everybody that we’ve met.  Our family is really honored to become members and looking forward to serving and growing together with you all at Cross of Grace. 

We look forward to joining our new members in spreading the joy of Jesus in Downtown Santa Ana!

HE WILL STRENGTHEN OUR HAND IN HIM

The wilderness is a place that nearly every major biblical character found themselves in at one time or another. And usually it’s because God explicitly led them there. Literal wisdom experiences map onto the spiritual wilderness experiences of God’s people (Ps. 63:1). This past Sunday, we went with David back into the wilderness - in 1 Samuel 23-24 - to learn and relearn two essential lessons of wilderness wanderings as God’s people, namely that the wilderness is a good place to be and there are no shortcuts through the wilderness. Listen to last Sunday’s sermon to learn more.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

SERVICE STARTS AT 11:00 AM

We’re bringing the Daylight Saving’s Sunday tradition back! Mark your calendars for March 13th at 11:00 AM. Our regular Sunday morning service is being replaced by an all-church meal centered on the Lord's Supper. We will eat and drink together as we meditate more deeply on our Savior's sacrifice.

More details to follow on how to prepare and what to bring so keep an eye on the blog.

THE LORD CONTINUES TO GROW HIS CHURCH

This upcoming Sunday, we have the privilege of welcoming new members into our midst. These are people who have committed to participating in the life of the church and performing the “one anothers” with this local body of Christ. They’re also individuals whom we, as a church, commit to so the same with and for. We praise God for His grace and the evidence of the advancement of His Gospel through Santa Ana.

ALL LADIES, HIGH-SCHOOL AGED AND OLDER ARE INVITED

Women at all stages of life are invited to come and learn how to be women whose lives honor God - women who live in light of the Gospel.

This meeting will be an introduction to What is Biblical Theology by James Hamilton Jr, a book we will be reading over the next several months. No pre-reading is necessary for this first meeting. You can purchase a copy of the book in either English or Spanish.

Women’s Meeting takes place on the 4th Thursday of every month at 7pm. Tonight it will be at the Houlton Home. We hope to see you there!

FEBRUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 27

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:

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24: WOMEN’S MEETING

• 7:00 pm - Houlton Home

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27: NEW MEMBER SUNDAY

• 10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S DESIGN FOR SEXUALITY

The Lord met us graciously this past Saturday. 45 men from the Sovereign Grace Churches in Santa Ana, Orange and Yuma gathered together to learn what the Bible has to say about human sexuality and how to grow in "glorifying God in our bodies” (1 Cor. 6:20). Pastor Erik Rangel served up one of the clearest and most coherent teachings on the subject most of us men have ever heard. We left well-served, prepared to serve one another and to enter into the fight, and profoundly grateful for our partnership with our sister churches.

See above for a photo recap and below for the full list of resources Pastor Erik Rangel suggested for further study.

• The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution by Carl Trueman

• Pure in Heart: Sexual Sin and the Promises of God by J. Garrett Kell

• Sex and the Supremacy of Christ by Editors: John Piper and Justin Taylor

• God, Marriage, and Family by Andreas Kostenberger

• Sexual Temptation: Establishing Guardrails and Winning the Battle by Randy Alcorn

• The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy and Kathy Keller

• Christian Ethics: An Introduction to Biblical Moral Reasoning by Wayen Grudem

• Friends and Lovers by Joel Beeke

• Men of God by The Good Book Co. - Philip Jensen, Tim Chester, Rico Tice, Hugh Palmer and others

• The Masculine Mandate by Richard D. Philipps

• The Death of Porn, Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility by Ray Ortland

• Disciplines of a Godly Man by Kent Hughes

SPRING CLASS BEGINS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28 AT 7PM

Every spring and fall, we hold a six session class over the course of twelve weeks (every other Monday) on a subject intended to contribute to the growth and sanctification of members of the church. This spring, we’ll be hosting a course on the topic of parenting. When our church was planted, there were 9 young children in the church. Now, there are more than 35. We have new parents, parents entering into new seasons and parents (likely every parent!) who just need some help faithfully raising their children in the counsel of the Lord.

CHILDCARE WILL BE PROVIDED

If you are unable to secure consistent childcare for the class, we don’t want that to prevent you from registering. Therefore, childcare will be provided for those who need it. Please contact us with any questions regarding childcare.

ANYONE CAN REGISTER, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT CURRENTLY A PARENT

If you’re a parent or even if you hope to become a parent in the future, make this class a priority. Each registered household will be required to purchase a copy of Parenting by Paul Tripp. Save the dates in your calendar; every other Monday beginning on February 28 and ending on May 9. Register today through the link below.

REGISTER FOR THE CLASS HERE

GOD WILL NOT LOSE HIS PEOPLE

1 Samuel 22 presents a startlingly tragic event: Saul, the one charged with leading and protecting God’s people, slaughters God’s people. What he failed to do to Israel’s enemies, the Amalekites, he does to the people of Israel. By all appearances, it looks like God has left—like He’s not in this anymore. Until we discover that a man named Abiathar has escaped. What we learn from this passage is that God has historically preserved a remnant among His people throughout history and that He’s done so unfailingly. Furthermore, He’s preserved His guidance among His people. And the sure guarantee of both is His Son, Jesus Christ. Do you feel like you’re “losing” a sense of God’s guidance or presence? Listen to this week’s sermon to learn more.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE