We Thank God For The Cunninghams

Every Sunday morning, the vast majority of Sovereign Grace Church of Santa Ana works hard and joyfully sacrifices for God’s glory and the good of our neighbors. But there’s one couple who goes above and beyond. Silently, inviting no recognition or thanks, Jim and Angie Cunningham roll up - box of doughnuts (or conchas) and carafe of coffee in-hand - and set up a refreshment table. It’s a small, yet significant gesture that reflects the generosity and the grace of the God we gather to praise. Thank you, Jim and Angie, for your example of joyful generosity week in and week out.

Next Sunday, take the opportunity to thank Jim and Angie - or anybody else you see serving with a joyful heart. It honors God and acknowledges His grace that’s at work in the lives of every member of our church.

School Is Back In Session This Week

Just last week, we purchased and dropped off supplies to bless teachers as they go about their very important work of educating the next generation in our neighborhood. This week, please pray for them, their administration and the students who will be filling their classrooms. Pray for wisdom to teach what honors God and that children would enter a new school year filled with growth, achievement and learning about the truth of God’s world around them.

7:00pm

North small group @ the Erkelens home

Central small group @ the Houlton home

Spanish Speaking small group @ the Houlton home

For questions and directions, please contact office@sovgracestantaana.org

God’s Loves Us Too Much To Allow Us To Settle For Our Sin

In last Sunday’s message from Joel 2, we read about the prophet Joel’s warning to the people of Judah of a coming judgment greater than the locust invasion of chapter 1 … if they remain in their sin. The irrationality of our sin is such that sometimes we’ll be content living with the consequences of our dishonor of God, while God stands ready to give us His blessings. For those who belong to God, Joel 2 teaches us to understand the warnings of God’s just judgment on sin to be a means to draw us back to fellowship with Him - something far greater than any sin promises.

Listen to the message here

God Is Adding Laborers For The Harvest

This upcoming Sunday, we have the privilege of welcoming new members into our midst. These are people who have committed to participating in the life of the church and performing the “one anothers” with this local body of Christ. They’re also individuals whom we, as a church, commit to so the same with and for. We praise God for His grace and the evidence of the advancement of His Gospel through Santa Ana.

What an exciting time this is to be doing ministry. As we grow as a church and impact both English and Spanish speakers, we’re actively working to introduce good, theologically sound, Spanish songs to our congregation. With that in mind - over the next 10 weeks, we’ll be introducing a number of new Spanish songs into our Sunday morning Liturgy. Some of the songs will be hymns or recognizable Sovereign Grace songs. Some will be songs that were written exclusively in Spanish.

This upcoming Sunday we will be introducing "Hay Libertad." You can listen to the song here. The lyrics are below, in both English & Spanish. Please take a few moments this week to listen to and read through this song in preparation for Sunday.

When Christ returns, all nations will proclaim that He is Lord. When we sing on Sundays, we’re experiencing a foretaste of that very reality.

VERSO 1

Las cadenas de la muerte me quitó

Para mí ya no hay condenación

Hay libertad, libertad

Siendo esclavo del pecado me libró

En la cruz compró mi redención

Y libertad, libertadd

CORO

Rompió mis cadenas

Me dio vida nueva

Y al fondo del mar echó mi maldad

Lavó mis pecados

Y me ha perdonado

Solo en el nombre de Jesús

Hay libertad

VERSO 2

Yo proclamo al que en la cruz por mí murió

Y cambió mi duro corazón

Por libertad, libertad

El poder de su evangelio me salvó

Y no me avergüenzo del Señor

Mi libertad, libertad

PUENTE

Al que el Hijo hace libre

Es libre en verdad

VERSE 1 

The chains of death you took away 

For me there is no condemnation 

There is freedom, freedom 

Being a slave to sin, you freed me 

On the cross he bought my redemption 

And freedom, freedom 

CHORUS 

My chains are now broken

He gave me a new life

And at the bottom of the sea he cast my evil 

He washed my sins 

And he has forgiven me 

Only in the name of Jesus 

There is freedom 

VERSE 2 

I proclaim the one who died on the cross for me 

And changed my hard heart 

For freedom, freedom 

The power of his gospel has saved me 

And I'm not ashamed of the Lord 

My freedom, freedom 

BRIDGE 

Who the Son sets free

is free indeed

Bring Your Best Recipes!

Contact Krista Alvarez or Rebecca Erkelens for details. Childcare will be provided and fun will be had. See all you ladies Saturday at 11!

Our Sister Church, Cross of Grace Church In El Paso

El Paso is a city that in many ways is very much like our city. For many reasons, the tragic shooting that took place this past weekend hit closer to home than others. It makes us long for the day when Christ will return to make all things new. It also makes us hope for true recovery, restoration and peace for the city through the Gospel. Thankfully, we have a sister church, Cross of Grace Church, who are mere miles from the site of the shooting.

Last Sunday’s Offering Will Go Towards Recovery Efforts In El Paso

As an expression of solidarity, last Sunday’s offering was taken in order to be sent directly to Cross fo Grace Church that they might be even more effective in ministering the Gospel in the wake of this tragedy. Please pray for God to use these funds for His glory and the good of the city.

If you’d like to know how else you can pray for El Paso, read Cross of Grace pastor Ricky Alcantar’s article, 6 Ways You Can Pray For El Paso.

If you’d like to donate directly to the victims’ families fund, you can do so here.

Thanks To Everyone Who Thoughtfully And Meaningfully Donated

The school we meet at one Sunday mornings has been a blessing to us for nearly two years. As the next school year nears its start, we endeavored to be a blessing to the school in a particular way. The school administration informed us that what they really need and have no budget for is “teacher appreciation”. You responded and, Lord willing, teachers will enter this school year feeling just a little more acknowledged and appreciated, inspiring them to persevere in loving and educating the children of our neighborhood. Thanks for being a blessing, Sovereign Grace Santa Ana!

Fake Positivity Ignores A Very Real God

This Sunday marked the beginning of our fall sermon series in the Minor Prophets. Beginning in the book of Joel, we came across a Hebrew nation that had just endured a devastating locust invasion. It was not mere happenstance, but rather a consequence of the prolonged sin of God’s people and their unresponsiveness to the consequences of their sin. God then issues a consequence that they can’t ignore. It’s not, however, out of cruelty. Instead, it’s done out of love - to bring them back to Himself. The peoples’ willful ignorance of their own sin and its consequences had led them to miss what God was up to. The same is true in our lives. When we smooth over our disobedience with positivity and rationalization; when we ignore the very real consequences of our sins, we run the risk of missing the very real mercy of God drawing us back to Himself.

Listen to the message here.