FROM SOVEREIGN GRACE MISSIONS

Psalm 139.7-10 declares, ‘Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there you hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.'

There is nowhere we can go where we are outside of God’s presence, nowhere, and that’s one of the many things that makes prayer such an incredible and daily opportunity. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is always present, always with us, and always eager to hear us.

And so here’s some specific things that you can be praying for, and talking with the King about, in the month ahead…

1. Please pray for the National US Church Planting Group as they meet for a final retreat with the 2022-23 Church Planting Cohort, June 15th-18th. With 3-4 US Church Plants planned for the next 12 months, this is such an important time together.

2. Please pray for Nate Treguboff (Cross of Grace, Minnesota), Josh Montague (Cross of Grace, TLI), Dave Quilla (Covenant Life Fellowship, Oregon) and Joshua Chambers (formerly of TLI) as they travel to Amman, Jordan, June 8-16th, to train ten Pastors from Pakistan. These Pakistani Pastors have a long relationship with our family of Churches, represent some 400 Churches, and are keen to pursue full partnership with Sovereign Grace. This is the final instalment of a five year endeavour and so please pray for safety, for fruitful classes and for wisdom and understanding on wise next steps in this great opportunity.

3. Please pray Justin Crews and Spencer Vaughn (Sovereign Grace Community Church, Roanoke, US) as they head to teach at the Gracelife Pastors & Planters Academy in Liberia, with our friend Dyonah Thomas, June 19th-26th. Please also pray for their strategic trip to Sierra Leone to put boots on the ground as we look to a possible SG Church Plant in 2024. Exciting times!! In addition, please pray for Andy Farmer (Covenant Fellowship, Glenn Mills, USA) as he heads to teach at the Trinity Fellowship Pastors College in Ethiopia, June 16th-19th. Would this be a rich and blessed time for everyone involved,

4. Please pray for the Pastors who will be coming in from Germany, Prague, Italy, Belarus, Turkey, Sweden, and the UK, for this month’s SGC Europe Pastors Retreat, June 20-23rd. They will be joined by Mark Prater (SG Executive Director) and Dave Taylor (SG Director of Global Missions), as they dream together and plan together for the future of Sovereign Grace Churches in Europe.

5. Please 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. We really do have more opportunities than we can fund and so we are so in need of His grace in this.

6. Please continue to pray for the ARK Church in Dnipro, Ukraine, led by our friend Michael Ostanin. This dear church continues to feed over 400 people a week, care for refugees on a daily basis, and share the good news of Jesus Christ with any and all that will listen. They are doing an amazing work in Ukraine, may we never tire of praying for these dears saints.

… May His grace abound to us all.

IT’S LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY

Our Block Party is less than 2 weeks away! You can participate in the following ways:

1. Joining the neighborhood outreach this Saturday, June 17th from 10am-12pm. Meet at the Hidden House parking lot.

2. Sharing the digital flyer located here with Santa Ana neighbors in our community.

3. Sign up to volunteer at the Block Party here.

EVERY 1ST & 3RD FRIDAY OF THE MONTH

Outside of Sunday mornings, small groups are the most important moment in the life of our church. Make it a priority to attend small group this Friday at 7pm 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.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SMALL GROUPS, CLICK HERE

June 12 - JUNE 18

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, JUNE 14: SUMMER PARK DAYS

• 10:00 am - Jack Fisher Park in Santa Ana

THURSDAY, JUNE 15: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB

• 6:30 am - French Park Grass Area

FRIDAY, JUNE 16: SMALL GROUPS

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

SATURDAY, JUNE 17: FRENCH PARK OUTREACH

• 10:00 am - Meet at the Hidden House parking lot

SUNDAY, JUNE 18: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

1 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE. 3 ELEMENTARY GRADUATES. 1 KINDERGARTEN GRADUATE.

This past Sunday we had the privilege of celebrating a special moment in the life of our church. We recognized and prayed over 5 young people who are transitioning from one level of our children’s and youth ministry onto the next. We’re grateful for God’s grace in their lives and excited to see how he works in and through them in this new chapter.

Would the Lord bless our kids, cause his gospel to take root in their hearts, and raise up the next generation of men and women who will carry on the mission of Cross of Grace Church!

A MEAL THAT GROUNDS BELIEF IN REALITY

In Mk 14:12-26, Jesus gives his friends a meal that will teach them, remind them, and reassure them of what he's dying for. On that day when the Passover lambs were being sacrificed all throughout Jerusalem (14:12), the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world was preparing to offer his body and spill his blood to atone for his people's sin. Jesus took the Passover, said it was about him, and gave his people a meal so that we could remember his death and all it accomplished until we entered into the full experience of its blessings: face to face and raising a glass with the Son of God in his Kingdom fully come (14:25).

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

IN MY PLACE CONDEMNED HE STOOD BY J.I. PACKER

As we continue our sermon series through the book of Mark, we will enter into the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus and come near to the foot of the cross, which is why this important book celebrating Jesus’ substitutionary atonement is a great resource and addition to our sermon series.

From the publisher:

In My Place Condemned He Stood combines three classic articles by Packer -"The Heart of the Gospel"; his Tyndale Biblical Theology Lecture, "What Did the Cross Achieve"; and his introductory essay to John Owen's The Death of Death in the Death of Christ-with Dever's recent article, "Nothing but the Blood." It also features a foreword by the four principals of Together for the Gospel: Dever, Ligon Duncan, C. J. Mahaney, and Al Mohler. Thoughtful readers looking for a compact classic on this increasingly controversial doctrine need look no farther than this penetrating volume.

To coincide with the Book of the Month, we recommend this following Spanish resource on the same topic.

PURCHASE A COPY OF THE BOOK HERE

IMMEDIATELY AFTER SERVICE. MEMBERS REQUIRED, GUESTS INVITED

Every six months, we hold a brief members meeting after service which usually lasts about 30 minutes. This meeting is mandatory for all members, but guests are welcome as well. This meeting is a time to communicate what we wouldn’t communicate on a typical Sunday morning. We’ll look back on what God has graciously done in the last 6 months in our church and look forward to where we believe God is taking us as a church. Come this Sunday eager to hear what God is up to in our church.

ALL GUYS 15 AND OLDER ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND

Every second Thursday, the men of our church gather 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. Tonight they’ll be discussing the return of Christ and how it should affect our day-to-day lives. Join in at the 4th Street Market patio at 7:00 pm.

June 5 - JUNE 11

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, JUNE 7: SUMMER PARK DAYS

• 10:00 am - Jack Fisher Park in Santa Ana

THURSDAY, JUNE 8: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB

• 6:30 am - French Park Grass Area

THURSDAY, JUNE 8: MENS’ MEETING

• 7:00 pm - Fourth Street Market Patio

SATURDAY, JUNE 10: WALK WITH MAYOR Amezcua

• 10:00 am - Meet at the corner of Spurgeon and 20th Streets

SUNDAY, JUNE 11: SUNDAY GATHERING AND MEMBERS’ MEETING

• 10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

• 11:30 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom