SEVEN KEY CONVICTIONS

The latest installment of the Sovereign Grace Journal is here! This collection of articles written by SGC pastors for the pastors and members of Sovereign Grace Churches is dedicated to answering the question, “What does it mean to be a Sovereign Grace church?” The answer that is gladly-given, humbly-elaborated, and joyfully-celebrated throughout the journal is: seven key convictions that shape the ministry of every congregation within our family of churches. We embrace these shared values as faithful applications of biblical principles that guide everything we do as we strive for the glory of God and the good of his church.

We encourage you to take the time to read about the values that make us who we are, unite us in gospel partnership with our sister churches, and keep us on course as we carry out our mission. Celebrate where you see these values practically expressed in the life of our church. Pray for them to shape us more and more.

PURCHASE A COPY HERE, DOWNLOAD THE PDF, OR READ IT ARTICLE BY ARTICLE HERE

IS YOUR LOVE FOR CHRIST FADING?

Do you remember what it was like when the Lord first saved you? When you first came to know Jesus and your life was wonderfully turned upside down? When you just couldn’t help but study his word, seek him in prayer, or share his gospel with others? This question is posed to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7, and to us as well. On Sunday, Pastoral Intern, Jason Roenicke introduced us to the church in Ephesus that was by all accounts a good and faithful church. Yet something was missing: their passion for Christ was fading. They were steadfastly serving, patiently enduring, and vigorously defending the truth, but they were like a lampstand in danger of running out of fuel. They’d grown complacent in a good church and “abandoned the love [they] had at first” (2:4). How can we return to our “first love” for Christ? By reminding ourselves that he’s never abandoned his “first love” for us. Our love for him is revived when we rest in his unchanging love for us.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

SATURDAY, JULY 30 AT 4PM

Announcing our first-ever French Park Block Party! This July, we’re making plans to go into our neighborhood so that we can get to know our neighbors. We’re throwing a party so that our neighbors would catch a glimpse of the joy we have in Jesus. We’ll invite them to join us for tacos, music, and games so that we can show our neighbors how glad we are to be their neighbors.

More details to come. But for now, mark your calendars for a fun night of summer fun, meeting our neighbors, making new friends, and extending God’s welcome to the people of French Park.

THE CHURCH IS BEAUTIFUL

We’ve just finished our 6-week sermon series, “The Beauty of the Church.” In this time, we’ve beheld 6 reasons why we should love being and belonging to the local church. Six wonderful sights of her beauty and glory in the pages of scripture which reflect the very beauty and glory of Christ himself. It’s our hope that you’d come away seeing the church the way Jesus sees her. That you’d be freshly encouraged to be the church, serve the church, and labor for the good of the church. That you’d agree with Spurgeon and say, indeed, the church is “the dearest place on earth.”

CATCH UP ON WHAT YOU MISSED

We don’t want you to miss a glimpse of this beauty! If you missed a week or want to listen in again, you can find the links to the sermons we heard below. Take the time to listen in and behold the beauty of the church as:

The Bride of Christ - The church is beautiful because Christ is beautiful.

The Body of Christ - The church is beautiful because she’s a body built by God.

The People of Christ - The church is beautiful because she’s marked by the love of God.

The Kingdom of Christ - The church is beautiful because she’s present expression of the goodness and beauty of God’s reign over God’s people in God’s place.

A Pillar and Buttress of The Truth - The church is beautiful because she’s been entrusted with promoting and protecting God’s very truth.

God’s Rescue Plan for the World - The church is beautiful because her mission is beautiful.

CONTINUE BASKING IN HER BEAUTY

If you haven’t yet, we encourage you to grab a copy of our June Book of the Month, “Why Should We Love The Local Church?” by Dustin Benge. This book will give you a greater appreciation of just how wonderful it is that we get to be and belong to the local church. It will stoke your affections for Christ and his bride.

By God’s grace, would we continue to be the beautiful church he’s made us to be!

FRIDAY, JULY 1ST AT 6PM AT SANTIAGO PARK

This Friday, the Houlton small group will be taking the OC Rescue Mission Chili Van out into our city to share a meal - and the gospel - with our homeless neighbors. They’re going into our city to speak to our city. If you’re not a member of the Houlton small group, but would like to join the Chili Van outreach this month, let your small group leader and Pastor Jeff know.

Contact Pastor Jeff for more details.

EVERY 1ST AND 3RD FRIDAY OF THE MONTH

Outside of Sunday mornings, small groups are the most important moment in the life of our church. They are a context where biblical discipleship happens within the church as we connect the truths of the gospel to every aspect of our lives. Each group meets in a home, splitting their time between singing, praying, and discussion. Some groups include young children in their meetings. All groups welcome guests. Carve this time out in your calendar to be refreshed in the gospel and to serve your friends by pointing their lives to Christ.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SMALL GROUPS, CLICK HERE

JUNE 27 - JULY 3

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:

FRIDAY, JULY 1: PARK DAY

• 10:30 am - Morrison Park, Santa Ana

FRIDAY, JULY 1: CHILI VAN OUTREACH OR SMALL GROUPS

• 6:00pm - Chili Van Outreach (Houlton Group)

• 7:00 pm - Small Groups (Schlieder or Erkelens Home)

SUNDAY, JULY 3: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

THIS FRIDAY, JULY 1 AT 10:30AM

Before kicking off our Summer Park Days next week, we’re joining our sister church, Sovereign Grace Church of Orange, for a park day this Friday. Join us at 10:30am at Morrison Park in Santa Ana for a fun time of fellowship open to everyone. Bring your friends, family, or neighbors and join us as we share in the joy of Jesus! We hope to see you there!

GOD HAS SENT HIS CHURCH TO DECLARE THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS OF HIS SAVING WORK

On Sunday, Pastor Jeff concluded our “Beauty of the Church” sermon series as he preached from John 20:19-23. He helped us behold the beauty of the church as God’s rescue plan for the world. The local church is the center of God’s saving activity in the world. He sent her to welcome the world into the beauty of Christ through the word of the gospel. He’s given her his Spirit to work in and through her gospel witness. And he’s granted her the confidence that those she welcomes through the gospel on earth have truly been welcomed by God in heaven. Listen to this message to be encouraged and equipped in our mission.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

STARTING POINT- SUNDAY, JUNE 26

The church is like a body with many members (1 Cor. 12:12). Our lives are connected. We need one another. Church membership is our way of ensuring everyone who belongs to our congregation enjoys the benefits and privileges of being a part of Cross of Grace Church.

We want to make it simple for anyone interested in becoming a member of Cross of Grace Church to pursue the process. If you’ve been visiting for any length of time, this class is for you. We invite you to join us for one two-hour class on a Sunday afternoon immediately following our worship service. The aim of the class is to provide an introduction to what we believe and how those beliefs shape our life together as a church. Lunch and childcare are provided.

Register here.