2020 HOSPITALITY CHALLENGE
This is the third month of our 2020 Hospitality Challenge. Hopefully over the past few weeks, you have been thinking of different people you could share a meal with. We want you to be able to use both your home and your time for the glory of God and the good of our Santa Ana neighbors.
The first couple months of the challenge have already had a positive impact on members. Click here to read a testimony.
Why are we doing a hospitality challenge? Because it’s one of the best ways to get to know and love new neighbors. Author Tim Chester says,
“Few acts are more expressive of companionship than the shared meal… . Someone with whom we share food is likely to be our friend, or well on the way to becoming one.”
In this, we’re simply following the model of Jesus, who used food as a means for effective Gospel ministry:
“Jesus spent his time eating and drinking—a lot of his time … His mission strategy was a long meal, stretching into the evening. He did evangelism and discipleship round a table with some grilled fish, a loaf of bread, and a pitcher of wine.”
Out of ideas of who to invite into your home? Consider inviting one of your neighbors next door or down the street from your home. Don’t know any? Look for opportunities to introduce yourself to one or two of them in particular this month.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN MAKING THIS CHURCH YOUR HOME CHURCH, REGISTER FOR THIS CLASS
REGISTER HERE
If you’ve been visiting Sovereign Grace Church of Santa Ana for any length of time, we’d like to invite you to our upcoming “Starting Point” class. It’s a class that takes place immediately after church on Sunday, March 15th. Lunch will be served. It’s an opportunity to learn about the particular beliefs of our church and what those beliefs look like in practice in the life of our church together and with our community. If you’d like to attend, please register here or at the link above.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SERVICE AT THE HOULTON HOUSE
LUNCH PROVIDED
We Remembered And Proclaimed
Our third annual communion service was a wonderful time of singing, listening, sharing, loving and remembering. A break from our normal order of service, our annual communion service is an entire Sunday celebration centered around the Lord’s Table. We share an actual meal together - many thanks to the hands that prepared the food, decor and everything else - and then together, we took the bread and the cup in remembrance of Jesus’ broken body and shed blood.
His Body Broken. His Blood Shed.
Listen to the message of the Bread and the Cup from last Sunday here.
DISCUSSION BEGINS AT 7PM
SANTA ANA SMALL GROUP: ALVAREZ HOME
“EAST SANTA ANA” SMALL GROUP: ERKELENS HOME
If you’d like to join a small group, visit a small groups or have questions at all, please contact office@sovgracesantaana.org
STARTING POINT - A TWO-HOUR CLASS DESIGNED TO HELP YOU LEARN ABOUT THE LIFE AND BELIEFS OF THIS CHURCH
REGISTER HERE
If you’ve been visiting Sovereign Grace Church of Santa Ana for any length of time, we’d like to invite you to our upcoming “Starting Point” class. It’s a class that takes place immediately after church on Sunday, March 15th. Lunch will be served. It’s an opportunity to learn about the particular beliefs of our church and what those beliefs look like in practice in the life of our church together and with our community. If you’d like to attend, please register here or at the link above.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SERVICE AT THE HOULTON HOUSE
LUNCH PROVIDED
Surprised by Suffering by R.C. Sproul
Sorprendido por el Sufrimiento por R.C. Sproul
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.
March’s book of the month is “Surprised by Suffering” by R.C. Sproul. If you haven’t yet experienced deep suffering, all you have to do is live long enough. This is a difficult reality of living in a fallen world, awaiting the return of Christ. Yet, God’s Word promises His good and redemptive work not only through our suffering, but even in the midst of your suffering. If you’re currently experiencing the pain of adversity, pick this up and immerse yourself in the truth of God’s Word. If you’re not currently experiencing suffering, pick this up and ground your hear and mind in the Gospel to prepare for the moment when trials unexpectedly come.
DTSA Festival of Literary Arts & Culture this Saturday
This Saturday, March 7th is Santa Ana’s fourth annual Boca de Oro (Mouth of Gold) Festival of Literary Arts & Culture. This event has free writing and arts and crafts workshops, panel discussions, author talks and performances on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. throughout Downtown Santa Ana.
We Love To Take Opportunities To Meet Our Neighbors
For more details, visit the event’s website.
A UNIQUE AND SPECIAL MOMENT IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH
This upcoming Sunday, we’ll be sharing a meal together during our annual communion service. Communion is a sacrament that we share together on a regular basis as a church family. We do it more often than not on Sundays. But this year, on the same day as our clocks spring forward (the dreaded day when we lose an hour of sleep), we’ll have an entire service devoted to sharing in the Lord’s Table together.
The service is a demonstration of who we are as a church family. It's a visible reminder of why and by whom we exist.
FAQ'S
WILL THERE BE CHILDCARE?
Not this Sunday. Family-style means everybody will be together the entire time. Kids will get antsy and that's ok. Don't feel bad about getting up and down from your seat with your children.
I AM NOT SURE IF I/MY CHILDREN SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE LORD'S SUPPER. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Anyone who has placed their trust in Christ is invited to join us. Please read our statement on communion for more information. We welcome you to contact one of our pastors if you would like to discuss further.
IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP?
Sign up to bring a dish/item here.
If you'd like to help with set-up, email Krista Alvarez at krista@sovgracesantaana.org
Holiness - A True Sexual Revolution In A Sexually Permissive World
This past Sunday, Jeff Schlieder preached from 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 - a passage which deals with the temptations to sexual immorality present within the first century church at Thessalonica. While the “sexual revolution” taking place in our modern world might seem at times like a new level of normalization of sinful behavior that the world has never seen the likes of, the reality is that sexual permissiveness has often been the norm in our fallen world throughout history. It certainly was in First-century Greece, even more-so than today.
What is truly revolutionary, though, is the standard of purity, the standard of marital fidelity, the standard of holiness introduced into this fallen world through God’s Word. This standard is no mere written list of rules, but is based ion our very union with Christ and in the Trinity itself. Take an hour out of your day and be reminded of the Gospel reality that the whole you is called to holiness.
Listen to this week’s sermon here.