God Loves The Church

In 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20, the Apostle Paul expresses intense affection toward the church in Thessalonica that might seem disproportionate given their lack of size, influence, etc. This transparent moment in the writings of Paul teaches us something fundamental about the local church - that it is precious because it’s precious to God. The men and women who comprise each local church are “blood-bought” treasures to the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28) who gave His very life to call them His own. The implication for us? We ought to love and treasure and prioritize what God treasures. Love your brothers and sisters in the local church.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

Evening Communion Service on March 8th

Every year on Daylight Saving’s Sunday, we switch gears and hold an evening service. Mark your calendars for March 8th at 5:00pm. Our regular Sunday service will be replaced by an all-church meal centered on the Lord's Supper. We will eat and drink together as we meditate more deeply on our Savior's sacrifice.

It's a potluck and more instructions will be coming, so keep an eye on the blog. 

Pray for the Men of Sovereign Grace Santa Ana, Orange and Pasadena

This Thursday- Saturday men from Sovereign Grace Church of Santa Ana, Orange, and Pasadena will be traveling up to the mountains of Idyllwild for the every-other year Men’s retreat. Spend time this week praying for these men:

• That God would deepen the relationships between the men that attend

• That God would use Ben Kreps, the guest speaker, to apply biblical truth to us in a

  powerful and pointed way.

• That God would strengthen men who are struggling and in need of care.

• That God would save men who aren’t Christians who join us at the retreat.

• For the men that could not join in the retreat this year: that their walks with God would be strengthened as well

• For the wives & children of the men attending, that things would run smoothly while their husbands/fathers are away

Bible Doctrine: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith by Wayne Grudem

Doctrina Biblica: Enseñanzas Esenciales de la Fe Cristiana por Wayne Grudem

By recommending a new book every month, we’re recommending resources to you that help you to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet. 3:18). It is not required that you purchase or read these books. They’re mere recommendations to assist you in choosing good books that help you to make the best use of the precious time you have.

A “Systematic Theology” For The Everyday Christian

February’s book of the month is “Bible Doctrine: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith” by Wayne Grudem. This book is a “systematic theology” book. “What does that mean?”, you ask. Systematic theology answers “what does the Bible teach about (____) subject?”, brings together all of the passages regarding that subject and provides you with a clear and oftentimes simple way to understand what can often be difficult teachings or doctrines of the Christian faith. What does the Bible teach about the Trinity, spiritual gifts, salvation, the Son of God, the Church, angels and demons, holiness, or the end times? You’ll find helpful answers grounded in the Scriptures to all of these questions and more. To learn more about what systematic theology is, click here. Whether you consider yourself a scholar or not, this is the kind of book every Christian should own and regularly refer back to. Mercifully, this particular systematic theology is an abridged version of Wayne Grudem’s original Systematic Theology.

It’s still admittedly a large book, but every page will enrich your mind with the wonder of God’s Word.

Purchase the book in English here.

Purchase the book in Spanish here.

SIGN UP FOR OUR SPRING MONEY MANAGEMENT CLASS

If we’re all going to be honest, we could each grow in our money=spending a stewardship habits in at least one area. Money is such a complex and pervasive element of our human experience that it’s easy to lose our way or even to find our way in the first place to God’s designed purpose for our money.

If you’d like to become a better steward of the resources God has supplied you with, then register for our 2020 spring class centered on teaching you Biblical principles of financial stewardship for God’s glory. The classes are conducted in a small group setting, using a discussion format and curriculum from Crown Ministries MoneyLife series. 

6 CLASSES, EVERY OTHER MONDAY, BEGINNING MARCH 9TH

MEETINGS WILL BE AT 7PM AT THE CUNNINGHAM RESIDENCE.

THERE WILL BE NO CHILDCARE AVAILABLE.

Jim and Angie Cunningham will lead the class. Their mentorship is invaluable. Our sister church in Orange has done this class for many years. You can check out testimonies of those who’ve been impacted by their class here. 

Materials cost $40 per person. Scholarships are available.

Space for this class is limited, so make sure to sign up today!

Sign-ups close on February 29th. 

SIGN ME UP.

Christians have been unified around a central story for millennia. Through this story, God has built His Church. He established and kept the local church in first century Thessalonica. He’s done the same with Sovereign Grace Church of Santa Ana. Listen to last week’s sermon from 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 to learn how God calls men and women into His Church and then sustains them, deploys them and grows them, even through seasons of deep suffering.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

Of Course You Do. Use It To Help Us Document the Lord’s Work in Santa Ana.

Part of the joy of planting a church is watching it grow. God is spreading the joy of Jesus and we want to document it through pictures, capturing the moments in time when God is actively doing just that. All you need is your phone and you can be an official Sovereign Grace Santa Ana freelance photographer.

Send all your photos to photos@sovgracesantaana.org

Need some ideas of what to photograph?

• Sunday gatherings

• Small group meetings

• Men's and women's meetings

• Your friends and family members together

• Group photos anytime the church is gathered

• Candid photos and posed photos

Let’s Sing a New Song to Our Savior this Sunday

This Sunday we’ll be introducing a new song during our Sunday service. This is a song that gives voice to what we know to be true of the love of Christ - that it is greater and more sure than any other love. The lyrics are below, in English. Read them slowly as you consider the love of your Savior and listen to this song in preparation for our Sunday gathering.

How Vast The Love - LISTEN HERE.

Lyrics: 

Verse 1
Come gaze upon your Savior
Behold your great High Priest
Draw near in awe and wonder
His cross has spoken peace

Verse 2
Come rest from sin and striving
Find endless stores of grace
The heart that turns to Jesus
Is cleansed from every stain

Chorus
Oh, how deep, how wide, how long
Oh, how vast the love of Jesus
Oh, how sure, how sweet, how strong
Oh, how vast His love for us

Verse 3
So lift your eyes to Jesus
Arise from doubt and shame
His blood cries, ‘It is finished!’
Our life is in His name

Verse 4
What now can separate us?
Can death or pain or fear?
We have this strong assurance
In Christ we’ve been brought near
And in His strength we’ll labor
His promises our hope
Thus far His love has led us!
His love will lead us home!

The Erkelens - Using Hospitality To Have “Family Night With More Than Just Our Family”

This month we launched our 2020 Hospitality Challenge. To learn more about this year’s challenge, Read this post. The month of February presents a fresh opportunity for you to extend hospitality toward another one of your neighbors.

Read below for an example of how one family in the church - the Erkelens - used their home and a meal to build a relationship with a neighbor in January:

In theory, we love inviting friends over to share a meal. I love to cook, and when I was single and then  as a newly married couple, we had people over for dinner at least once a week.  In the nitty gritty of family life with homework, kids schedules, and late night lesson planning, hospitality now often gets pushed to the back burner.  The hospitality challenge gave us a tangible goal – to free up one night of the month and make it a priority to open our home. We took the opportunity to get a date on the calendar with a couple that we have been trying to get together with for 5 months.  We were a little concerned because our kids get very jealous when we cancel “family night” to do something else.  This couple doesn’t have kids, but our kids love them.  We had dinner, put on a pot of Moroccan mint tea, and played Uno way past our kids’ bedtime.  It was family time with more than just our family, and this time our kids weren’t complaining. Now they are joining in the excitement of the hospitality challenge and suggesting who we should invite next.

Learn About How Melissa is Helping Kids in Orange County

A regular attender of Sovereign Grace Santa Ana, Melissa Lownes, has created an opportunity for members of the community to come together and support kids and families in need. Melissa’s passion is to meet the needs of Orange County foster families who are struggling in their role of caring for the kids placed in their homes. The funds she raises go toward buying supplies for kiddos aged newborn to 5 years old.

She raises funds a few ways:

1) Accepting Donations of anything from used clothes to kitchen decor that she sells at a monthly garage sale.

2) Raising Funds through a GoFundMe Account.

3) Word of Mouth- Share her mission and donation page with your friends!

To Learn more about what Melissa is doing or to donate head here.

If you have items you would like to donate, please email Melissa here.