BAPTISM AFTER SERVICE, SUNDAY, JANUARY 17th

Baptism is one of the sweetest moments in the life of the church. It’s a visible portrayal of the effects of the Gospel in a person. Baptism does not save a person or contribute to their salvation. Rather, it’s an outward display of an inward work that has already taken place. It’s also an act of obedience, something that every believer is commanded to do.

JANUARY 17TH IN THE HOULTON’S FRONT YARD

On Sunday January 17th, immediately following our service, we will have the joy of watching some of those among us get baptized. This will be a brief event held outside, with social distancing made possible. All COVID precautions will be taken. We highly encourage you to come and witness this sweet moment in our church.

If you’re interested in being baptized or just have questions about baptism, please email kyle@crossofgracesa.org.

PRAYER IS THE POWER OF THE POWERLESS

As we heard in last’s week’s sermon, prayer is one of the greatest tools and weapons at our disposal. Even when we feel we might have nothing, we still have access to the throne of the Lord and Creator of all things, who acts on behalf of those He loves in power. Why wouldn’t we pray? Here are a few topics of prayer to guide your prayers this week.

1. Pray for the leaders of our city, state and nation (1 Tim. 2:1-2) as unrest continues to prevail.

2. Pray for those in our city who are experiencing new or perpetuating stress financially, familial or otherwise.

3. Pray for those in our church who are undergoing quarantine or who are currently ill.

4. Pray for those who are experiencing health issues unrelated to Covid.

5. Pray for those who are searching for work.

6. Pray for those who have recently suffered heartache and loss.

7. Pray for those who need discipline and strength in particular areas of their Christian walk.

8. Pray for those whose faith is failing and weak.

9. Pray for faithfulness and courage on behalf of leaders in the church and all Christians in our city to continue to proclaim the saving message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

10. Pray for the requests of individuals who have shared them on our church Slack prayer channel. If you have questions about how to be added to this, email office@crossofgracesa.org

    KEEP SENDING PRAYER REQUESTS TO PRAYERS@CROSSOFGRACESA.ORG

JANUARY 4TH- 10TH

Every Tuesday we publish a blog post to share what’s going in the life of the church for that week. See below for a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:

SUNDAY, JANUARY 10TH: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00am - Meeting Room - Outdoor Courtyard.

WHICH MONTHLY MEETINGS WILL RESUME AND WHEN?

Our annual “fallow month” which occurs every December, during which we cancel everything but our Sunday gathering in order to allow for organic growth of relationships during a typically crazy month … has ended. Now that January is upon us, though, the Southern California region remains under a strict lockdown. So which meetings on the church calendar will resume and when?

WE’RE PRIORITIZING OUR SUNDAY GATHERING

Until further notice, Sunday morning gatherings are the only in-person meetings which will remain on the calendar. This means that small groups, men’s meetings and women’s meetings and the upcoming spring class are all on standby for the time being. One main reason for this is that when positive cases and exposures do come to light, tracing the exposures within the church becomes exponentially difficult if multiple meetings per week are being conducted, which in turn threatens the possibility of us gathering at all during the week. Thus, in order to protect and preserve our Sunday gathering, we’ll avoid all other gatherings.

SMALL GROUPS AND MEN’S AND WOMEN’S MEETINGS WILL RESUME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

We know that this is difficult for you. It’s difficult for us, too. Small groups are a lifeline of God’s grace to most of us where God’s Spirit gives us sweet reminders of the Gospel through rich fellowship, giving us the strength we need to carry on during difficult times. If you’re longing for these meetings to resume, that’s a good thing. Look to your small group leader for updates on how your small group might creatively create a context for fellowship without an in-person gathering, make a commitment to grow in your personal devotional life and prayer life and press into individual relationships with others in the church. Text them and ask how you can pray for them. Be mindful of needs. Continue to love one another. God has sustained us this far. He’ll sustain us still.

PRAY NOT BECAUSE YOU SHOULD, BUT BECAUSE YOU CAN

2021 is likely to bring more of the same as 2020. In the last message that was preached in our advent series before the new year, we were reminded that our hope can’t rest in a better year. It must rest in the gifts given at Christ’s first coming and the securing of all God’s promises in Christ at His second coming. But during the in between, what does it practically look like to hope in Christ? Acts 12 and, in fact, the book of Acts as a whole teaches us that prayer is the single greatest tool - and often the single most underutilized tool - that we as Christians have at our disposal.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

IT WAS TRUE LAST YEAR. IT’S STILL TRUE THIS YEAR.

FROM LAST YEAR: The New Year is often a time to reflect upon the year-gone-by; a time to look forward to the possibilities and opportunities of a year whose pages are yet to be written; an opportunity to resolve to start afresh in an area that has grown slack, unproductive or simply absent. However you prepare to enter this New Year, go into it reminded of the ultimate “new beginning” and the greatest “renewal” this world has ever seen - and it didn’t come merely with the arrival of a new year. It came through the salvation of Jesus Christ. His perfect life credited to us gives us a more perfect victory, a more satisfying success than any resolution could ever give us. His sacrificial death wiped the slate of our past sins and failures more completely than the ending of an old year could. May this New Year remind you of the new life, new identity, new hope and new community that the work of our Savior, Jesus Christ has offered you by grace through faith in Him.

Happy New Year indeed.

DELIGHTING IN THE TRINITY BY MICHAEL REEVES

¿QUE ES LA TRINIDAD ? POR R.C. SPROUL

January’s book of the month is Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith by Michael Reeves. This book has not yet been translated into Spanish, so for our Spanish speakers we are recommending ¿Que Es La Trinidad? by R.C. Sproul which is available for free download.

A BOOK THAT TEACHES ABOUT THE ESSENCE OF WHO GOD IS

In our recent “Cast of Christmas” preaching series, we explored the role of the Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - in the incarnation of the Messiah. Yet, the doctrine of the Trinity remains for most as a difficult-to-understand doctrine that doesn’t easily connect with a sense of wonder and worship. However, the Trinity of God is the essence of who He is. Michael Reeves helps us to not only better understand the Trinity, but in our understanding, to increase our ability to delight in, wonder at and adore our God.

Purchase the book in English here.

Download the book in Spanish here.

A SONG THAT RECOUNTS HOW PRECIOUS A GIFT JESUS IS

As you look ahead into a new year, you likely have grand hopes and aspirations for what might come in the next 12 months. Yet, no matter how high your hopes might reach, they cannot reach higher than Jesus. There is nothing and no one quote so good, satisfying, fulfilling, wonderful or joy-giving. Thus, this Sunday, we’re introducing a new song that sets this truth deeply and sweetly into our hearts. The lyrics are below, in English. Read them slowly in adoration of Jesus and listen to this song in preparation for our Sunday gathering.

JESUS, THERE’S NO ONE LIKE YOU - LISTEN HERE.

LYRICS: 

VERSE 1
There is no song we could sing
To honor the weight of Your glory
There are no words we could speak
To capture the depth of Your beauty

CHORUS
Jesus, there’s no one like You
Jesus, we love You, ever adore You
There’s no one like You
Jesus, we love You, ever adore You, Lord

VERSE 2
There is no sinner beyond
The infinite stretch of Your mercy
How can we thank You enough
For how You have loved us completely?

BRIDGE
All we have
All we need
All we want is You

DECEMBER 28TH- JANUARY 3RD

Every Tuesday we publish a blog to share what’s going in the life of the church for that week. See below for a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1ST: NO SMALL GROUPS

• Small Groups are currently suspended due to Stay At Home Order in Place in Orange County

SUNDAY, JANUARY 3RD: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00am - Meeting Room - Outdoor Courtyard.

ENJOY PICTURES FROM OUR SECOND CHRISTMAS EVE IN OUR CITY

Last week on Christmas Eve, we gathered as a church to celebrate the advent of Christ at our second annual Christmas Eve service in Downtown Santa Ana. This service, though a bit different with masks and social distancing, was still another remarkable and sweet moment in the life of our church. We had cookies, coffee, and cocoa, held a bilingual service, and finished by singing with candles in the Ebell Club courtyard.