FROM MARK PRATER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SOVEREIGN GRACE CHURCHES

A few words from the Executive Director of our family of churches on the future of Sovereign Grace Churches:

One of my prayers for Sovereign Grace is asking God to give us grace to be a multigenerational family of churches that continues to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ, all for the glory of God alone. I find joy watching God answer that prayer as our most recent Pastors College class graduates, and our next Pastors College class is scheduled to start at the end of August. These recent graduates, and new students, represent our future, young men being trained for pastoral ministry who will faithfully serve in our local churches. God has also answered my prayer by giving us Jeff Purswell. As you know, Jeff is the Dean of the Pastors College, and our Director of Theology, and he does an excellent job of leading this program that has a strong theological training focus, an important relational component, and a gospel culture shaping influence. In our most recent Sovereign Grace Mission Video, I wanted to give you a quick look into the Pastors College, hear from some of our recent students, and give you a chance to hear from Jeff about his heart and vision for the future of the college. You can view the video here.

With faith for our future,
Mark

FRIENDS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE AN ORIENTING PRESENCE IN LIFE

Psalm 55 describes the deeply emotional experience of betrayal. David had endured countless trials during his lifetime. He had learned to suffer long under the oppression of his enemy. But when the people he had grown to trust turned their back on him (v. 13), he discovered that it was a pain almost too intense to withstand. Friends are supposed to be an orienting presence in our lives, so when betrayal occurs, the disorientation is magnified. Where do we turn when friends unexpectedly act like enemies? To the always faithful Friend, to the one who gave us grace when we had turned our back on Him, to the One who has shown us that there is hope for restoration even in the most broken friendship. Listen to Sunday’s sermon to learn more.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

Santa Ana Public Library Summer Reading Challenge is back!

Read, complete interesting missions, earn points and grand prize opportunity drawing tickets, win great prizes, gift cards and more! The Summer Reading Program runs from June 14 through August 14, 2021!

REGISTER YOURSELF OR YOUR CHILD HERE.

PICNIC IN THE PARK IS JULY 25

Join us for lunch after the service as we love each other, meet our neighbors, and spread the joy of Jesus in French Park.

WHAT TO PLAN FOR

1. Bring a brown bag lunch with you to church for every member of your household

2. Bring a lawn chair or folding chair for every member of your household

3. Plan on walking straight from church to French Park immediately after the service has ended. It’s 200 yards north of the Ebell Club, so no need to drive. You may keep your car parked in the Ebell parking lot.

FRIDAY AT 7 PM

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SMALL GROUPS, CLICK HERE.

JULY 12 - JULY 18

Every Tuesday we publish a blog post to lay out in one place what’s going in the life of the church for the upcoming week. See below for a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14: PARK DAY

• 9:30 am - Morrison Park, Santa Ana

FRIDAY, JULY 16: SMALL GROUP

• 7:00 pm - Madrigal and Houlton Home

SUNDAY, JULY 18: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

A FEW IMPORTANT REMINDERS

We know you’re grateful for the Lord’s provision of our meeting space at the Ebell Club of Santa Ana. We want to make sure that while we’re there, we’re good tenants that the owners and Ebell Board love hosting. One of the ways we can continue to do this is by following the rules. These include:

1. No running inside the building - this includes the courtyard.

2. Help kids stay in designated areas and pathways - keep them out of the plants and off the trees. No climbing any guardrails.

3. Make sure we are out of the building by 12:00 pm, if not sooner.

4. Help keep the entrance clear once we have cleared out of the building. There are often events and tours scheduled immediately after our time concludes. Let’s make it easy for the Ebell staff to give their other clients as positive an experience as possible.

These simple, but important guidelines will help us to take care of the Ebell Club for as long as we have the privilege of being there.

WHEN THE SONG IN YOUR HEART FEELS LIKE THE WRONG SONG

Surprisingly, the most common of all psalms in the Bible are psalms of lament. These are songs expressing despair, sadness, grief, sorrow and hopelessness to God. They face the reality of life in a fallen world head on and give honest expression to what we feel in our hearts, especially during the prolonged trial. Psalm 39, though, is even unique among the psalms of lament - it never turns the corner. It’s sad from beginning to end. Why read and love this psalm? Because you don’t always experience a quick and clean resolution in your deepest suffering. Yet, what Psalm 39 very importantly teaches us is that even when you can’t sing a happy song, you can sing a hopeful one. Listen to this week’s sermon to learn more.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

SERVE RESIDENTS AT THE RESCUE MISSION BY GIVING THEM A RIDE TO CHURCH

Our church is grateful to be connected with local the non-profit, Orange County Rescue Mission! The Rescue Mission is a non-profit organization that seeks “to minister the love of Jesus Christ to the Least, the Last, and the Lost of the Community” through residential and transitional housing programs for men, women, and children who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Though these programs are available to individuals all across our county, the work of the Rescue Mission has historically made a big impact upon and served many Santa Ana neighbors as well.

As a church, we’ve been privileged to have Rescue Mission staff members, program alumni, and current program residents make up our membership over the past few years. And as a church, one of the primary ways we partnered with the Mission prior to the pandemic was through providing transportation to and from our Sunday services to Rescue Mission residents who were interested in joining a local church. This aspect of our service in the community was put on hold at the outset of the pandemic, but as of this past Sunday, 7/4 has resumed once again! This is where you come in. We’re on the look out for drivers who can transport these students and their families to and from church each Sunday.

If you’re interested in serving our community this way, please contact Pastor Jeff at jeff@crossofgracsa.org for further information on how you can spread the joy of Jesus to the residents of the Rescue Mission.

MORE INFORMATION ON THE ORANGE COUNTY RESCUE MISSION CAN BE FOUND HERE.

TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE CAMPUS HERE

1 & 2 SAMUEL ESV JOURNAL

We’re already halfway through our Psalms summer sermon series. Following this series, we’ll head into the fall and winter of 2021 with the book of 1 Samuel. To help you follow along with this series and dig deep into God’s Word revealed through this wonderful Old Testament book, not only are we recommending the 1-2 Samuel ESV Journal for you, we are purchasing a journal for every adult in the church. These will be distributed during an upcoming Sunday service.

So, begin reading through 1 Samuel. Find a favorite pen to accompany this journal. And get ready to take sermon notes as God writes His truth on your heart.