THE REALITY OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE

In Ephesians 6:10-20, the new set of clothes we put on in Christ includes armor for battle. Satan and the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (6:12) are real and really intend to oppose the progress of the gospel, the progress of our growth in Christ, and the pursuit of peace within the Church. But, even as the struggle is real, we “take up the whole armor of God” (6:13) and fight with confidence that we will win because Christ has already won. We look to him and are strengthened to stand firm in these evil days because he’s already stood underneath the wrath of God, the curse of death, and all the hatred of the devil and emerged victorious on the other side.

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ALL HUMAN AUTHORITY IS UNDER CHRIST

At this juncture of the household code, the ancient and contemporary household composition contrasts sharply. The immediate context of Paul’s words here and the gospel-shaped principles for exercising and experiencing authority, are set in the relationship between slaves and their masters. Before we make the jump to apply them to our modern workplace, we need to grasp the situation into which these words were initially spoken. But far beyond a history lesson, or even an intellectual wrestling with what the Bible has to say about the institution of slavery, the reality that Paul is aiming at in this passage is simultaneously timeless as well as the very thing that has spurred on the abolition of slavery in time. This is the reality of the gospel which teaches us that every Christian is a slave to Christ. Being reconciled to him, we experience a reconciliation to one another which eroded the system of slavery from the bottom up. Being reconciled to him, we’re freed from our slavery to sin and self and get to serve a Master who is committed to the good of those who are his. There’s no one like Jesus and there’s no better life than one lived for him.

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CHILDREN ARE A BLESSING FROM THE LORD

We continue on in our journey through the "household code" in Ephesians. After describing how the realities of the gospel both shape and are reflected in marriage, Paul turns our attention to the fruit of marriage: children. The second pillar of the household code concerns how the gospel shapes our exercise of authority in parenting the children the Lord has given to us. With this, God's word gives us the timely reminder in our world today that children are not a burden to be avoided but a blessing to be received as a good gift of God to the glory of God. Would the Lord work through each of us - those yet to be parents, those in the thick of the parenting task, empty-nesters, and each and every member at Cross of Grace - to commend his mighty works to the next generation (Ps 145:4) and invest in the future members and leaders of Cross of Grace. 

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AS STEWARDS OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD

This past Sunday, was a sweet celebration in which we received the gift of another pastor at Cross of Grace Santa Ana! But how should we consider him? What is the biblical valuation of what a pastor means to his people? 1 Corinthians 4:1 tells us that he is, above all else, “a servant of Christ,” and a steward of the very "mysteries of God,” given to us to lead us in enjoying, applying, and extending the gospel of Jesus Christ to one another and our neighbors.

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THE MYSTERY NOW REVEALED

What is marriage? God established marriage in the beginning and called it good. And it has remained his good gift ever since - even as man fell, sin entered into the world, and the deepest meaning of marriage remained a mystery. But now, in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the true meaning of marriage has been revealed and we receive the example of marriage par excellence and are motivated and empowered to enjoy marriage to its fullest extent. Listen to this sermon to learn more about the glorious way in which husbands and wives are equal in value, different in role, and come together to reflect the most beautiful of pictures to a watching world.

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LIVE OUT YOUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST AT ALL TIMES, IN ALL PLACES, AROUND ALL PEOPLE

Are you a person of integrity? Better yet, how would you rate the integrity of your Christian life? If we’re honest, all of us experience a gap between what we believe to be true and who we believe ourselves to be in Christ and how we actually behave. God gives us Ephesians 5:15-21 to help us close that gap by his grace. Listen to the sermon and be encouraged to step into a new year making the best use of the time the Lord has given us.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

YOU SHOULD HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF YOUR PASTOR

This past Sunday, marked a milestone moment in the life of our church. We commemorated the transition of Jeff Schlieder into the role of Senior Pastor of Cross of Grace Church. As we did, we heard God’s word proclaimed from 1 Pet 5:1-5 and learned what we should expect of our pastors and how we should respond to them. The picture of faithful pastoring that is offered by the Apostle Peter and the entire scope of the Scriptures is that of a shepherd. Pastors come into God’s own shepherding work and are called to model their ministry after Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd himself who lays down his life for the sheep. Pastors have been temporarily entrusted with the care, protection, and leadership of Christ’s sheep and their task is to direct them back to him, time and time again. Would we receive our pastors with gratitude and humility as an expression of our trust in the Chief Shepherd of our souls - rejoicing in the Christ who suffered once for our sins, and will return to receive us into glory with him.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

THE PEACEMAKER HAS COME

We’re all longing for peace. But, if we’re honest, peace is not our normal experience. According to the story of Scripture, the whole history of mankind has been one of trying and failing to be at peace with God, with each other, and with ourselves. But at Christmas, God himself comes to us from heaven in order to bring true and lasting peace on earth. Charles Spurgeon sums up the story of the world and declares the wonder of Christmas by saying, "There had been no peace on earth since Adam fell. But, now, when the new-born King made His appearance, the swaddling-band with which He was wrapped up was the white flag of peace. That manger was the place where the treaty was signed, whereby warfare should be stopped between man's conscience and himself, and between man's conscience and his God." Our search for peace ends when we find it in the person of Jesus Christ. The promise of Christmas becomes ours when we welcome the Peacemaker into our lives (Lk 2:14).

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BY SINGING LOUD FOR ALL TO HEAR

This past Sunday evening, we hosted our first ever Carols in the Park, and what a joy it was! Church members and neighbors gathered together in French Park for a night of singing well-loved songs, enjoying warm drinks and sweet treats, and celebrating the holiday season. We had fun, made new friends, deepened existing relationships, welcomed our neighbors to join us at church on Christmas Eve, and worshiped Jesus Christ - the One who was born to bring us into his joy forevermore!

Thank you to all who served us by singing in the choir, bringing cookies and drinks, and setting up the event! Relive the celebration by scrolling through some photos from the night.

LET THE LIGHT OF CHRIST SHINE UPON YOU

Getting dressed in the dark is not a good way to be well prepared for the day. It leaves us prone to pick up dirty old clothes and put them back on again, place our shirt on backwards, or piece together an outfit that doesn’t match at all! The same is true of our lives in Christ. As we strive to put off the old self and put on the new, we need to get dressed with the lights on. Shining the light of God’s truth upon the actions and attitudes we clothe ourselves in so that we turn away from the “unfruitful works of darkness,” and walk in all the goodness, freedom, and no-strings-attached joy of Christ’s light. The Savior is eager to drive away the shadows that remain within our hearts, cause us to be a people who shine forth his beauty to a watching world, and make us more and more, today, the people we’ll be on that Great Day, when we step into the fullness of his light, see him as he is, and are seen by him with any trace or stain of sin.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE