The preaching of God’s word stands at the heart of our Sunday gatherings. Each and every week, the Father welcomes us to hear the gospel of his Son in the power of the Spirit. As the word goes forth from an ordinary wooden pulpit - and the very ordinary and imperfect pastors who stand behind it - God does an extraordinary work. Filling our hearts with faith, hope, and confidence in his promises. Assuring us of his love. Comforting us in sorrow. Convicting us of sin. Building up the household of God that is Cross of Grace and making our church an increasingly beautiful place to be.

We had the privilege of sitting under 53 sermons in 2024. Which ones did God use to shape your life and year?

HERE’S WHAT OUR PASTORS HAD TO SAY

Jeff

• Ephesians 6:1-4 - Parenting - As someone in the thick of life with little ones, the truth that “children are a blessing from the Lord and not a burden to our lives” is a much needed reminder that bears frequent repeating. This sermon gave me fresh ambition to embrace the amazing responsibility of raising up children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and to enjoy my kids as God’s good gifts.

• Galatians 5:14 - Neighbors - This sermon answered the question “why do we exist as a church?” in ways that were deeply soul-stirring and eminently practical. We exist to spread the joy of Jesus to our Santa Ana neighbors, and to do this, we must be neighbors to them. The kind of people who know them, love them, go out of their way to serve them. The kind of people they would be sad to see leave. This is the kind of message that’s worth revisiting again and again, year after year.

• Isaiah 36-39 - Complacency - This sermon spoke to where we’re so many of us likely find ourselves: not on the verge of quitting the difficult race of the Christian life, but just wanting to stop for a little while. Tempted to slow down, presume upon grace, and coast through life instead of running hard after God all the way to the end. The categories for complacency offered in this sermon were helpful lenses to look at my own heart and examine where I’m prone to settle for “bare minimum Christianity.”

Kyle

• Acts 2:42-46 - Ordinary - This sermon served as a sweet reminder of the fact that there’s nothing impressive about us as a church, but that what IS impressive about us is our Savior. 

• Isaiah 6:8-13 - Holiness - This sermon captured my attention and “drove the nail” into my conscience of the importance of holiness both as a Christian and as a Christian leader. 

• Isaiah 40:1-31 - Comfort After Collapse - This sermon itself was God’s mercy, declaring, in the midst of my own compromise and sinfulness, just how eager God is through His Son to welcome me back into relationship with Him. 

Jason

• 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 - Spiritual Gifts - Great reminder to pray boldly for the gifts and celebrate them among us, because God delights in giving them. 

  • Due to technical difficulties, we don’t have the beginning of the sermon audio. Read the introduction here and follow along with the recording for the rest of the message.

  • For more info on the spiritual gifts, check out this short guide.

• Isaiah 7-9 - Courage - Courage is a quality of a Christian not often talked about. To see it exemplified in Scripture and the God who is its the source was of great encouragement to press into it even when the danger is real. 

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Which sermons did the Spirit use to make an impact on your life last year? To jog your memory, here’s a list of all the sermons we heard in 2024. Go back and listen to one or two. Catch up on any you missed. Share the sermons that God used in particularly powerful ways with us on Slack or sending an email to the church office and let us know how his word shaped your life, changed your heart, and blessed your walk with Christ last year. We’d love to celebrate his grace alongside you!

In addition to the web links below, you can find every Sunday sermon on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

• 1/7/24- Ephesians 5:15-21 - Wear your new clothes everywhere

• 1/14/24- Ephesians 5:22-33 - Marriage is a picture of the beauty of the gospel

• 1/21/24- 1 Corinthians 4:1 - What is a pastor?

• 1/28/24- Ephesians 6:1-4 - Children are a blessing from the Lord, not a burden to our lives

• 2/4/24- Ephesians 6:5-9 - Every Christian is a slave of Christ

• 2/11/24- Ephesians 6:10-20 - Spiritual Warfare: We are new people in an old, embattled world

• 2/18/24- Ephesians 6:18-24 - Prayer: The armor of God and the blessings of God need God to work

• 2/25/24- Revelation 19:1-10 - From beginning to end, marriage is intended for your joy

• 3/3/24- Revelation 12:1-17 - Know Satan’s Story. Know Satan’s Strategies. Know Christ’s Victory.

• 3/10/24- Matthew 26:26-29 - Communion Homily - The Past, Present, and Future Tense of Communion

• 3/17/24- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 - Spiritual Gifts: Earnestly desire all the grace that God has to give

• 3/24/24- 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 - Membership Series: Our Gospel & Doctrine

• 3/31/24- Matthew 28:1-10 - Easter Homily - The old has really gone and the new has truly come

• 4/7/24- Philippians 3:7-9 - Membership Series: We are joyful

• 4/14/24- Romans 8:32 - Membership Series: We are generous

• 4/21/24- Psalm 119:89-96 - The Mighty Word of God

• 4/28/24- Acts 2:42-47 - Membership Series: We are ordinary

• 5/5/24- Galatians 5:14 - Membership Series: We are neighbors

• 5/12/24- Isaiah 1:1-31 - We need to be an uncompromising church

• 5/19/24- Isaiah 1-66 - How the story of Isaiah fits together

• 5/26/24- Isaiah 2:1-22 - Live now in light of then

• 6/2/24- Isaiah 6:1-7 - Why does God take our sin so seriously? Because he is uncompromisingly holy.

• 6/9/24- Luke 19:28-44 - Jesus is the King of Peace

• 6/16/24- Isaiah 6:8-13 - God wants us to be at home with holiness & really live in his house

• 6/23/24- Isaiah 7-9 - God with us puts courage in us

• 6/30/24- Isaiah 13-23 - The whole world needs the whole gospel

• 7/7/24- Isaiah 24-27 - There is a real heaven, and you can’t get it without getting God

• 7/14/24- Isaiah 14:12-16 - Behind every collapsing culture is the influence of the Original Compromiser

• 7/21/24- Isaiah 30-31 - Turning to Egypt is never the right decision, but trusting in God is always the right decision

• 7/28/24- Isaiah 35:1-10 - The uncompromising path to uncompromising life will be worth it in the end

• 8/4/24- Isaiah 36-39 - Don’t let your weariness or your confidence keep you from running hard after God

• 8/11/24- Isaiah 40:1-31 - Comfort after Collapse: We may grow weary, but the King never does

• 8/18/24- Isaiah 41-48 - God vs. Idols: God alone is worthy of our trust because God alone is: The Creator of the heavens and earth, the Redeemer of all mankind, and the Author of all history

• 8/25/24- Isaiah 49:1-7 - The most uncompromising thing about us is our uncompromising need for Christ

• 9/1/24- Isaiah 52:13-53:12 - You need an uncompromising substitute to be crushed in your place and heal your compromising heart

• 9/8/24- Isaiah 54 - The New Covenant: the unbreakable promise of uncompromising love

• 9/15/24- Isaiah 55 - God invites the worst, offers the best, and guarantees the result

• 9/22/24- Isaiah 58 - God is the goal and great reward of our worship

• 9/29/24- John 6:1-15 - What it means to be spiritually satisfied

• 10/6/24- Isaiah 61 - The grace of God is never in decline

• 10/13/24- Isaiah 65:17-25 -  One day, we’ll do nothing but live in God’s world, in God’s way

• 10/20/24- Proverbs 1 - Wisdom is how you do life in God’s world right

• 10/27/24- James 1:1-4 - God’s wisdom leads us down the path of spiritual wholness

• 11/3/24- James 1:5-11 - To get wisdom, all we have to do is ask

• 11/10/24- James 1:12-18 - God-given trials are the surprising friend of happiness

• 11/17/24- James 1:19-27 - On the path of wisdom, faithful hearing always travels side by side with obedient doing

• 11/24/24- Titus 2:11-14 - God has given you what you need to run well: past, present, & future grace

• 12/1/24- James 2:1-13 - Love your neighbor regardless of what they can do for you

• 12/8/24- James 2:14-26 - We are saved by faith alone, but true saving faith is never alone

• 12/15/24- James 3:1-12 - Resting between your teeth is the rudder of your entire life

• 12/22/24- James 3:13-18 - The world’s wisdom climbs to the top. God’s wisdom kneels to serve.

• 12/24/24 - John 1:14-18 - Christmas Homily - You need to see Jesus Christ

• 12/29/24- James 4:1-12 - To wisely respond to conflict, we must think rightly about ourselves

LET US KNOW HOW GOD’S WORD CHANGED YOUR 2024 HERE

As many of you know, the four LA wildfires have proven devastating in the past couple of days. We have friends, family, and members of our sister church, Sovereign Grace Church of Pasadena, who are being affected by this crisis. As a church, the Lord has positioned us to serve them. The pastoral team has discussed and humbly ask you consider doing one or both of the following:

• Pray - for those who have been affected. Asking God to protect and preserve life. Comfort those in mourning. Bring peace to the fearful and suffering. And sustain his church in LA. Using them to serve their neighbors in the midst of crisis. Praying specifically for our brothers and sisters at Sovereign Grace Church of Pasadena. Many have evacuated and some have lost their homes.

• Offer help - either by offering your home as a temporary place to stay, or connect with a pastor to provide other means of help for those affected.

Would “the Father of mercies, and God of all comfort,” comfort those in this affliction (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

OUR EBELL RESERVATION HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 12:15PM EVERY SUNDAY

We’re happy to announce that our Ebell Reservation has been extended to 12:15pm every Sunday! This means we get a little extra time to fellowship post-service.

While our reservation has extended we still ask that you pick up your kids from Children’s Ministry immediately after service to allow the volunteers to clean up their areas. But don’t rush out. We hope you would use the extra time for ministry together. Respond to the preached word by praying with one another, catching up with your brothers and sisters, introducing yourself to new guests, and so on.

If you are scheduled to serve, please begin to breakdown at 11:50am to ensure we exit the building by 12:15pm.

LED BY PETE PAYNE OF GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH IN WESTMINSTER, CO

In the church, we’re all called to counsel. To engage in “the conversational aspect of Christian ministry” as we apply the riches of the gospel message to the particulars of one another’s lives. To connect the truth of God’s word to the challenges we face while living in God’s world. To comfort, care for, encourage, admonish, and build one another up in Christ.

We’re all called to counsel, but are you confident to counsel? Do you wonder if you’re equipped for this kind of ministry? Do you know what distinguishes Biblical Counseling from the approaches you’ll find in the culture around us? Do you know where you’d start to address the situations your brothers and sisters are facing and how to move those conversation onto the wisdom, remedies, and solutions that are found in Jesus Christ?

BECOME EQUIPPED TO BE AN INSTRUMENT OF GRACE

However you answered the questions above, God desires to use you as an instrument of grace in the lives of those around you. To help you grow in confidence and eagerness for this vital ministry, we’re excited to bring in Pastor & Biblical Counselor, Pete Payne from our sister church in Westminster, Colorado the evening of January 25. He’ll lay a foundation for what Biblical Counseling is and provide a model for how we can all engage in it. More details to come, but here’s what to know for now:

• Saturday, January 25

• 6pm-9pm

• No cost to register

• Refreshments offered

• Childcare not provided

• Location TBD

REGISTER HERE

EVERY 2ND THURSDAY OF THE MONTH

After taking the month of December off for Fallow Month, Men’s meeting returns tonight at 7pm. All guys, 15 years and older, are invited to participate in a conversation where "men talk like men" about God. Join in at Hopper & Burr (202 W 4th St, Santa Ana, CA 92701) at 7:00 pm.

JANUARY 6 - JANUARY 12

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, JANUARY 9: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB

• 6:30am - French Park Grass Area

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9: MEN’S MEETING

• 7:00pm - Hopper & Burr (202 W 4th St, Santa Ana, CA 92701)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

YOUR LIFE IS NOT YOUR OWN

Following his charge to "humble yourselves before the Lord" (4:10), James offers 2 particular warnings against an arrogant heart. Contrary to the humble person who holds their desires with open hands before the Lord, the proud have a tightly clenched fist around their plans and their wealth. They fail to live well in God's world because they prove to be bad stewards of what God has given to them. Taking their time (4:13-17) and their wealth (5:1-6), and presuming upon them, trusting in them, and acting like these gifts are theirs to do with what they please. Into our proneness to treat what is God's like its ours, and to fight for control of our lives, enters wisdom. All our days have been numbered in God's book, so first and foremost, we ought to use them for his glory (Ps 139:16). All our wealth is a blessing to be received and used like a tool to build God's Kingdom, not a savior to trust in (Mt 6:19-21). We look to Jesus who lived every day of his life - and even went to his death - saying, "If the Lord wills it" (Mt 26:39). Who, though he was rich, became poor for our sake (2 Cor 8:9), and taught us "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). According to his grace, we can wisely spend our time and money for the glory of God and the good of our lives in his world. 

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

EVERY 1ST & 3RD FRIDAY OF THE MONTH

After taking a break for the month of December, we’re excited to resume our small group meetings! These groups meet throughout our city to share in the joy of Jesus, encourage one another, and apply the gospel to each other’s lives. Outside of Sunday mornings, small groups are the most important moment in the life of our church. Make it a priority to attend one this Friday at 7pm.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SMALL GROUPS, CLICK HERE

IMPORTANT AIMS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

As the new year gets under way, there are a handful of new initiatives we’re pursuing in faith. Ministry opportunities we’re excited about that we believe God will use to advance our mission, glorify his name, and increase our joy. Below you’ll find 3 key areas where we’ll be concentrating our efforts as a church in 2025. Please join us in asking God to work in and through them and consider how you’d like to be a part of these exciting things:

Discipleship

• We’re launching a 4th small group! Starting in February, this new group will meet at 7pm on the 1st & 3rd Thursdays of the month. This is significant. Decreasing the size of each group will position us to disciple and care for one another even more effectively as we rejoice, weep, bear burdens, build one another up, and hold fast to Christ together in these important moments of our church’s life.

• We just might need to launch a 5th group sometime later this year as well. Stay tuned for more updates there!

  • P.S. to help us be the best small group members we can be, we’re also hosting a Biblical Counseling Seminar on 1/25. This is an evening of learning, equipping, and asking questions we’d love as many church members as possible to benefit from. A one night investment that will bear fruit in our life together all year long. Watch the blog for more details here.

Youth

• For the first time ever, we’re rolling out a youth group! Sometime in February or March, we’re starting up the Youth Book Club. A ministry for the Jr. High and High School students of our church that aims at their growth in Christ. The Youth Book Club will come alongside the discipleship efforts of our parents to:

  • Host discussions around the kind of books that shape hearts and souls.

  • Build intergenerational relationships with adult members within the church.

  • Provide an intellectually challenging and socially stimulating context to space for our youth to invite their non-Christian friends.

  • Help youth think wisely and deeply about living God’s way in God’s world.

Increased Opportunities for Mission & Evangelism

• Local - In addition to our regular patterns of the weekly Run Club, annual French Park community events, sharing in city wide festivities, and the Fall Bridge Course, in 2025 we’ve got 4 neighborhood outreaches planned. Saturday mornings we’re setting aside to go into our city to have spiritual conversations, share the gospel with our neighbors, and become equipped and emboldened to make evangelism a part of our everyday lives. Mark your calendars for 10am on 2/1, 4/12, 9/6, and 11/15 and expect the Lord to use our ordinary evangelism in extraordinary ways.

• Global - This summer, we just might be sending Emily Jones to Santander, Spain! She’d join the brand new church plant, Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Santander in doing the same thing we’re doing here: inviting neighbors into the everlasting joy of Jesus. Please pray for God’s direction, provision, and peace and consider how you might partner with her as she prepares for what’s next in the process of this potential relocation.

Would the Lord lead us into a new year with fresh faith and eager expectation for all he has ahead of us. Seizing the opportunities to share in the joy of Jesus and spread it to neighbors all the way from Santa Ana to Santander!

GET READY FOR ALL THE LORD HAS IN STORE IN 2025!

LED BY PETE PAYNE OF GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH IN WESTMINSTER, CO

In the church, we’re all called to counsel. To engage in “the conversational aspect of Christian ministry” as we apply the riches of the gospel message to the particulars of one another’s lives. To connect the truth of God’s word to the challenges we face while living in God’s world. To comfort, care for, encourage, admonish, and build one another up in Christ.

We’re all called to counsel, but are you confident to counsel? Do you wonder if you’re equipped for this kind of ministry? Do you know what distinguishes Biblical Counseling from the approaches you’ll find in the culture around us? Do you know where you’d start to address the situations your brothers and sisters are facing and how to move those conversation onto the wisdom, remedies, and solutions that are found in Jesus Christ?

BECOME EQUIPPED TO BE AN INSTRUMENT OF GRACE

However you answered the questions above, God desires to use you as an instrument of grace in the lives of those around you. To help you grow in confidence and eagerness for this vital ministry, we’re excited to bring in Pastor & Biblical Counselor, Pete Payne from our sister church in Westminster, Colorado the evening of January 25. He’ll lay a foundation for what Biblical Counseling is and provide a model for how we can engage in it. More details to come, but here’s what to know for now:

• Saturday, January 25

• 6pm-9pm

• No cost to register

• Refreshments offered

• Childcare not provided

• Location TBD

WATCH THE BLOG FOR THE REGISTRATION LINK