“Staying” In Jesus Is The Key To The Christian Life

John 15 contains a word that isn’t used very often in today’s English language. Yet Jesus uses this word as a summary instruction for how to live in His absence. The word is abide. To help His disciples understand what it means to abide, He used compelling imagery - imagery of a life-filled vine and branches that are wholly dependent on that vine for anything, especially bearing fruit. At the end of the discussion, while we might be tempted to believe that “abiding” is some special spiritual technique, to abide is to simply “stay”. The simple discipline of staying is the single most important, yet most difficult discipline of the Christian life.

On Sunday, pastor Kyle identified 8 of life’s greatest needs from John 15 for which abiding in Christ is the key. If he was going too fast and you didn’t catch them all, here they are again:

1. The Key To Connection (vv. 3, 4a)

2. The Key To Fruitfulness (vv. 4b-7)

3. The Key To Joy (v. 11)

4. The Key To Love (vv. 9-10; 12-15)

5. The Key To Identity (vv. 8, 16)

6. The Key To Purpose (vv. 16-17)

7. The Key To Security (vv. 18-25)

8. The Key To Witness (vv. 26-27)

Listen to the sermon here.

God’s Word From the Mouth of One of the Wisest and Godly Men We know

This past Sunday, Jim Cunningham stood behind the pulpit and preached God’s Word from Romans 1:1-17. He served us well and reminded us that the Gospel is the saving work of Jesus for everyone, regardless of distinction.

Jim has spent a lifetime loving God’s people and taking the Gospel to his out neighbors and friends, whether in Santa Ana, Orange, Pasadena Thailand or at his workplace in LA. The message we heard from Jim was from God’s Word. The message, however, came from a man whose life is worth imitating. Thus, this past Sunday was a treasured moment for our church. Thank you, Jim (and Angie!) for showing us what it means to faithfully follow and proclaim Christ through many seasons of life.

Listen to the sermon here

If You Love Jesus, You Will Love The Holy Spirit

Hours before Jesus leaves His disciples for the cross, He comforts their troubled hearts with two realities: the reality of His return and the reality of the coming of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit, for modern Christians like us can easily be assumed and taken for granted. But the picture that Jesus paints is anything but common. He hints that the Holy Spirit will be His very presence. The Holy Spirit will dispense Truth just as Jesus dispensed Truth. The Holy Spirit will help God’s people in even greater ways. In short, the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within believers is a glimpse of heaven come down to earth.

Listen to this last Sunday’s sermon from John 14:15-31 to grow in your understanding and experience of the Holy Spirit.

Listen to the sermon here.

Jesus Is Not Leaving Forever

The disciples’ hearts were in turmoil on the night of the Last Supper. They had just learned He would soon be leaving them. But their lives were about to be turned upside down as they watched him within the next 24 hours fall into the hands of His enemies, being crucified and killed. Yet, Jesus looks at His friends and says, “let not your hearts be troubled” and follows this with rock-solid reasons for why the disciples - and any other Christian - can have security of soul even when the rug has been puled out from under your life. Listen to last week’s sermon from John 14:1-14.

Listen to the message here.

Jesus Did Not Come Merely To Be An Example

This past Sunday, Kyle preached from John 13:21-38. In it, we hear Jesus tell Peter that despite his best intentions, he won’t last the night before denying Jesus. This illuminates a significant principle in our followership of Jesus: following Jesus’ example does not equate to being a follower of Jesus. Why? Because there’s nobody who can follow Him on the path to where He’s going without ever falling off the path. Jesus came to be more than an example. Thus, there is something more fundamental to following Him than following His example. Listen to the sermon to find out more.

Listen to the message here

Serving Others Is How We Represent Jesus Best

Nobody has a higher position than Jesus. Yet in John 13:1-20, Jesus literally stoops low to wash the feet of His friends. He follows this action with the words “you also ought to wash one another’s feet”. Jesus instructs His followers - His representatives in this world - to go low. Going low to lift others up should characterize the life of the Christian. By God’s grace, going low characterizes Sovereign Grace Church of Santa Ana. Despite this, there’s room for each one of us to learn from Jesus and one another and excel still more.

Listen to last Sunday’s Sermon Here

A New Nation and Race - Spiritually Defined

From September through December of 2018, 5 men from within Sovereign Grace Church of Santa Ana underwent a 6-session course titled “the preachers club”. Any man who aspired to or even thought about growing in the gift of preaching and teaching was invited. For four months, through discussion, reading and actual sermon preparation, the members of this “club” grew in their understanding of the craft of preaching God’s holy, inerrant Word. Whether or not these men become pastors; whether or not they each preach the sermons they’ve written, God is glorified as members of this local church seek to grow in their gifts for the building up of His church.

This past Sunday, we had the treat of hearing God’s Word preached from one of those men - Mike Alvarez. Listen to his sermon from 1 Peter 2:9-12.

Listen to the sermon here.

You Came To This Hour For The Glory of God

This past Sunday, as Kyle preached John 12:27-50, we heard the last words of Jesus’ public ministry. The emphasis was on time and glory. Jesus’ “hour” had come. The time had run out to hear the words of the Son of Man. The decision was before them: live for the glory of God or for the glory of man? The same decision is before us.

Listen to the sermon here.

To Follow Jesus Is To Follow Him On The Hard Road To Glory

There were many who wanted to follow Jesus while He was on earth. As He entered Jerusalem thousands hailed Him as King. They wanted to follow Him as their leader. But Jesus made it clear what exactly it means to follow Him. In John 12:12-26, we discover that following Jesus leads to glory - even honor from God the Father. But it also requires walking a hard road. And Jesus was about to demonstrate just how hard that road can be. Listen to last week’s sermon to learn more.

Listen to the message here.

There Is No Limit To The Love You’re Allowed To Show For Jesus

Mary poured $26,000 worth of oil on the feet of Jesus. Was this display of love too extravagant? Judas seemed to think so. Jesus, however, stopped Judas in his tracks and commended Mary for her actions. How much love should we demonstrate to Jesus in our lives? How worthwhile is He of our love in concrete terms? Listen to last week’s sermon from John 12:1-12.

Listen to the message here.

(Plus, apparently, last Sunday was also red shirts and jeans day. Sorry to those who missed the memo)