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:
7:00 pm - Houlton, Schlieder, and Erkelens Home
10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom
This year marked our 4th annual Festival of Nations celebration. It was a celebration of the beauty of our unity in diversity in and through Christ Jesus. On the same week as our city celebrates Dia De La Independencia, we celebrate our dependence on Christ and what He has created in our small church. See some of the moments we were able to capture on camera. Congratulations to Deanna Curiel, winner of Best Dessert, Truett, Silas and Karsten Houlton, winners of Best Kids Dish and, for the second year in a row, Haiyan Shelton, winner of Best in the World!
Celebration 2022 is right around the corner. We’re expectant the Lord will meet us as we come together with our sister churches in the mountains. It’s a special event, and no one leaves with regrets. Still on the fence? Don’t be. We’ve got it all covered from financial aid to helping you with any concerns. We’re here to make it work, because we want to see you there! Contact us with any questions.
In Mark 4:1-20, the pace of the story slows down and we take our seats along the sea as Jesus teaches from his floating pulpit. And as he teaches, it’s all in parables. Jesus tells stories drawn from the everyday stuff of life that reveal the true nature of the kingdom he’s come to bring and the proper response to it. In the well-known parable of the sower, Jesus explains that though everyone hears him, not everyone truly “hears” him. The four soils represent four responses to the gospel message. Three of these are ultimately a rejection of that message. While one of them is the genuine reception of the gospel by grace through faith, that evidences itself through good fruit. Jesus explains this parable to us so that we would not be surprised or shaken by various types of rejection of the gospel, but would always be surprised by and celebrate grace where it’s found in and around us.
The Church is the people of God made up of all those he’s called from every tribe, nation, and tongue (Rev 7:9). Our church is made up of a multi-lingual people who live in a multi-lingual city. We express our love for our city and enjoy our unity in our diversity as we sing songs in both English and Spanish. Last week, we worshipped God as we sang “My Soul Will Wait (Psalm 62).” And this week, we’ll sing the Spanish translation, “Mi Alma Esperará” as we worship the One God who’s united us in one family. Listen to the song here and read the lyrics below so that you’re ready to sing along!
VERSE 1
Si me acecha Satanás y desmayo en mi interior,
Si me cubre oscuridad y me agobia el temor;
En silencio esperaré, confiaré en Ti, Señor,
Tu Palabra es mi sostén.
CHORUS
Tú, mi Salvación, mi fortaleza,
Esperanza fiel y roca eterna,
Mi alma, o Dios, esperará por Ti.
VERSE 2
Tú, mi escudo y protección, en peligro y tempestad,
Si prospera el pecador, como un soplo pasará;
Yo sé bien que triunfarás, Satanás vencido está,
Tu poder me guardará.
CHORUS 2
Tú mi salvación, mi fortaleza,
Esperanza fiel y roca eterna,
Mi alma, o Dios, esperará por Ti.
En mi soledad, tú, mi consuelo,
Refugio fiel, mi fundamento,
Mi alma, o Dios, esperará por Ti.
VERSE 3
Cuán inexplicable amor, no merezco tu bondad,
Por tu obra de expiación, encontré en Ti la paz;
La batalla terminó, no hay vergüenza ni temor,
Ya la muerte derrotó.
TAG
Derramamos nuestras almas
Ante Ti, Señor.
Confiaremos en tu gracia
Nuestro Salvador.
Savor Santa Ana is here! Can’t wait to gather in the heart of the city as we enjoy the food and fare of local restaurant owners and artisans.
The whole church is invited to gather together tonight! Come join us for good food with good friends as we take advantage of a great opportunity to love our city and meet our neighbors.
Buy tickets online or stop by a ticket booth location to pick up your tickets and a map. Then you decide where to go, choosing among participating vendors across downtown! Ticket booths open at 5 pm, event runs 5:30 to 9:30 pm. Ticket booths are cash only.
Savor Santa Ana is a walking event: your tastings will occur at restaurants that you walk to. Walk around or hop on the free London bus to get around downtown!
This Sunday, at 4pm in the Schlieder backyard we’ll be hosting our fourth annual “Festival of Nations”. Coinciding with Fiestas Patrias and Dia De La Independencia, we 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.
Bring a dish (entrée, dessert, or side) representing your heritage - however you interpret that! 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!
As a church, we gladly affirm that, “The Word of God is clear, and everything we need in order to know, love, and fellowship with God can be plainly understand through ordinary means” (SGC Statement of Faith 1.3). However, though the Word is clear, we also confess that “not all Scripture is equally plain,” - some parts are harder than others to understand and apply to our lives. Even the Apostle Peter thought so (2 Peter 3:16)! That’s why this month we’re recommending, Hard Sayings of the Bible by F.F. Bruce. A book to guide your grappling with the most difficult verses in the Bible. From answering, “What is the unforgivable sin?” to “Did the sun really stand still in Joshua 10?” This volume, which contains 46 specific entries for the Gospel of Mark alone, will benefit your study of Scripture for the remainder of our current sermon series and for years to come.
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:
6:00 pm - 4th Street in DTSA
10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom
4:00 pm - Schlieder Backyard
This upcoming Monday, September 12th at 7pm, our sending church, Sovereign Grace Orange, is hosting an event you don’t want to miss!
Jeff Purswell, Director of Theology for Sovereign Grace Churches, will be teaching on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, drawing from our revised Statement of Faith. We’ll focus on our continuationist convictions and what they mean for us. This is a great opportunity to hear from a widely respected scholar (and a wonderful pastor) about a vital aspect of our faith. All are welcome. You can find all the details here.
