This weekend, the pastors and wives of Sovereign Grace Churches across the west region (California, Colorado, Arizona and West Texas) will be gathering in Irvine to engage in fellowship and to strengthen their marriages. Pray that the Lord would meet them and accomplish much among them before this upcoming Sunday.
In his devotional book, “Life As A Vapor: Thirty One Meditations For Your Faith” John Piper writes this about prayer: “We pray to God for the enablement of what He calls us to do, and what He calls others to do. In fact, that is exactly why prayer is necessary.” Piper is right. Prayer is necessary. It is vital. Without prayer we can’t fulfill what God has called us to do as a family of churches. Therefore, as we start 2023, let us consistently, and fervently pray for one another asking God to enable us to do what He has called us to do in advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world for His glory alone.
To aid your prayers for our family of churches, please see the "Sovereign Grace Churches First Quarter 2023 Prayer Requests” listed below. May God answer our prayers, enabling us to accomplish all that He has planned for our family of churches in 2023 in a way that brings Him glory.
Pray that God would give the members and pastors of Sovereign Grace churches a renewed desire, and opportunities to share the gospel with unbelievers in our communities and workplaces.
Pray for the Ark Church in Dnipro, Ukraine asking God to protect them, and to use them to meet practical needs, and to offer gospel hope to people impacted by the war.
Pray for the U.S. National Church Planters Assessment that will be held in Southern California in January asking God to give wisdom to Greg Dirnberger and John Loftness in assessing future church planters in Sovereign Grace.
Pray for Jefferey, Jo, Dave Taylor, and Mark Prater as they lead an Asia-Pacific Pastors and Wives Conference March 28-30, 2023, in Manila, Philippines. Pray that God would use the singing, preaching, and fellowship to strengthen and encourage the pastors and wives attending the conference in the gospel.
Pray for the Sovereign Grace Leadership Team as they lead a retreat, February 6-8, 2023, that will include our U.S. Regional Leaders, Global Leaders, and a group of future leaders asking God to envision, strengthen, and equip our leaders to serve our churches throughout the world.
Pray for Fred and Dawn Weindelmayer, Sovereign Grace missionaries in Thailand, asking God to continue to open doors for them to share the gospel with unbelievers.
Pray for Jeff Purswell, our Director of Theology and Dean of the Pastors College, as he teaches a new Pneumatology class, January 31-February 3 in Louisville, KY that many Sovereign Grace pastors plan to attend asking God to deepen their understanding of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Pray that God would continue to provide financially for Sovereign Grace Churches so that we can fund the gospel opportunities He is giving us throughout the world.
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:
6:30 am - French Park Grass Area
7:00 pm - 4th St. Market in DTSA (contact Kara Davis for more details)
10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom
12:30 pm - The Spurgeon Building Atrium
Join us for an afternoon of lunch, fellowship, and teaching as we hear from guest speaker, Charlotte Richardson from Center Church in Gilbert, AZ. Charlotte will help us make the most of our relationships and enjoy the gift God has given us through our sisters in Christ. We encourage you to prioritize this meeting and come be refreshed by the word of God and Charlotte’s seasoned wisdom. It’s an afternoon you won’t want to miss!
Register for the event here.
On Sunday we were joined by guest preacher Greg Dirnberger from our sister church, Emmaus Road in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We heard from God’s word in Joshua 1:8 and were reminded of the importance and impact of biblical meditation in our lives. What is meditation? “Meditation is a holy exercise of the mind whereby we bring the truths of God to remembrance, and do seriously ponder upon them and apply them to ourselves” (Thomas Watson). This practice grounds us in God’s word, steeps our souls in the riches of God’s truth, and empowers us to persevere in the Christian life.
Outside of Sunday mornings, small groups are the most important moment in the life of our church. Make it a priority to attend small groups in 2023 in order to encourage one another and be encouraged. To care for others and to be cared for. To point your brothers and sisters to Christ and apply his gospel to their lives, and experience the same.
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:
6:30 am - French Park Grass Area
7:00 pm - Houlton, Schlieder and Erkelens Home
10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom
The church is like a body with many members (1 Cor. 12:12). Our lives are connected. We need one another. Church membership is our way of ensuring everyone who belongs to our congregation enjoys the benefits and privileges of being a part of Cross of Grace Church.
We want to make it simple for anyone interested in becoming a member of Cross of Grace Church to pursue the process. If you’ve been visiting for any length of time, this class, which we call “Starting Point”, is for you. If you are interested in this class, register here.
With the narrative's turn in chapter 8, Mark turned on the lights. In chapter 9, he raises the dimmer switch as far up as it'll go. Who Jesus is literally shines forth to the disciples as Peter, James, and John behold him in radiant glory. Talk about a mountaintop experience! The two scenes in the beginning of the chapter are reminiscent of the events of Exodus 19-34. Through two discipleship failures, Jesus further reveals the contours of the cross He’s now actively moving toward. For us, these scenes help us to better understand precisely what living a cross-shaped - or in other words, a “Gospel-centered” - life really looks like. Listen to last Sunday’s sermon to learn more.
After a month off for our December “Fallow Month,” Men’s Meeting is back! Tonight, the men of our church are gathering together to sit under God’s word and spur on each other’s walk with Christ. All guys, 15 years and older, are invited to participate in a conversation where "men talk like men" about God. The topics are chosen to challenge the group and promote humble theological dialogue. Meets every second Thursday at the 4th Street Market patio at 7:00 pm.
