3 CHURCHES WITH ONE VOICE

Of all the blessings we anticipate at Celebration 2022, we expect the singing to be a big one. It thrills and strengthens our souls to hear other saints singing to the same Savior as us. That happens every Sunday. But it will be even more special to sing with two other churches.

WE’VE GOT YOUR PLAYLIST FOR THE DRIVE UP THE MOUNTAIN

We’ve put together a Spotify playlist with all the songs the worship team will be drawing from this weekend. There are even a few new ones. So put this on and sing through the songs while you’re driving. It’ll be the perfect preparation for your heart and your vocal cords.

We’ll see you and sing with you in Idyllwild!

SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2

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, SEPTEMBER 30: CELEBRATION CALIFORNIA DAY 1

• Idyllwild, Ca

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1: CELEBRATION CALIFORNIA DAY 2

• Idyllwild, Ca

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2: CELEBRATION CALIFORNIA DAY 3

• Idyllwild, Ca

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2: NO SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• Sunday service will take place in Idyllwild, CA

THE QUESTION ASKED BY ONE WHO HAS SEEN THE TRUE IDENTITY OF JESUS

In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus’ disciples tremble in fear and awe as they witness Jesus exert His power of nature itself. Until this point, Jesus was still a stranger to His disciples. They thought they knew and understood Him, but a moment of revelation makes them suddenly realize that the God of the universe very well may be with them in the boat. Is Jesus still a stranger to you? Do you tend to tremble in awe and fear at circumstances and the natural world instead of the Lord over nature? Listen to last Sunday's sermon to dive deeper into this incredible passage from the Gospel of Mark.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

RECAP AND RESOURCES FROM THE SEMINAR

If you missed out on the Holy Spirit seminar at Sovereign Grace Orange, don’t worry. We’ve got everything you need to make you feel like you were there. You can find the notes and a summary of the seminar, along with the audio and video recordings below.

Pneumatology (i.e., the study of the Holy Spirit) is a vital aspect of the Christian faith. From one’s moment of salvation to one’s daily Christian walk, the Holy Spirit—and hence, our pneumatology—pervades all of life. We need to have an understanding of the Holy Spirit. That’s why we brought in Jeff Purswell, Director of Theology of Sovereign Grace Churches.

Jeff discussed our denomination’s beliefs on pneumatology and what these beliefs mean for our lives. One of the defining values of Sovereign Grace Churches is a continuationist pneumatology. You can read more about what that means by checking out our 7 shared values or reading our Statement of Faith on the Holy Spirit. Likewise, our understanding of the Holy Spirit affects how we live. For example, we don’t want a narrow pneumatology. We want our understanding to be robust, expectant, and defined by Scripture. We also don’t want an untethered pneumatology. We believe that the focus and aim of the Spirit’s work in the believer today is to exalt Christ, make Christ’s saving work effective in our lives, and make Christ’s presence an experienced and operative reality. Finally, we don’t want a neglected pneumatology. We want an intentional, conscious, and continual trust and dependence on the Holy Spirit. By learning more about the Holy Spirit and addressing these errors, we hope to know and experience the wonder and joy of the Spirit. To help do this, we’ve included a few resources below:

• For those unable to attend, here’s the outline from the seminar.

• The Mystery of the Holy Spirit by R.C. Sproul. In his discussion of the Spirit, Sproul makes deep theology accessible and shows you how to apply these truths to your life and the church. If you want to know more about the Spirit, this is a great place to start.

• He Who Gives Life: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit by Graham Cole. If you really want to get into the weeds and you’re willing to put in the time, this detailed work will help you dive deep into a study of the Spirit.

• If you’re looking for something shorter, try starting here for a few good resources on various aspects of the Spirit.

As always, if you’ve got questions, feel free to contact the church office to get in touch with a pastor. We’re here for you and want to help you however we can!

*Blog post excerpted from Sovereign Grace Church of Orange’s blog

WATCH AND LISTEN HERE

ALL LADIES, HIGH-SCHOOL AGED AND OLDER ARE INVITED

With the summer potlucks behind us, we are transitioning to a discussion based format based on topics that have come up recently in our women’s meetings.

For September we will be exploring the topic of friendship. To guide our discussion we will be reading several chapters from J.I Packer’s book Concise Theology. Reading is not required for participation. Just come eager and expectant to dive into the riches of God’s word.

Join us tonight at 7pm at the Schlieder Home. We hope to see you there!

SEPTEMBER 19 - SEPTEMBER 25

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:

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22: WOMEN’S MEETING

• 7:00 pm - Schlieder Home

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

AN UPDATE FROM SOVEREIGN GRACE MISSIONS

Have you subscribed to Sovereign Grace Churches Missions Blog? It is full of updates on what the Lord is doing around the world. You’ll find a list of ways you can pray for our partners. You’ll hear stories from conferences in Mexico and the United States. You’ll learn about our first Chinese speaking church and our partners in Australia. And finally, you’ll meet those who’ll add to this list in the future at our Pastor’s College. It’s all in the blog below.

SIGN UP FOR THE BLOG HERE

MAKE CELEBRATION 2022 AS GREAT FOR OUR KIDS AS IT IS FOR ADULTS

We’re so excited for another year of CA Celebration! This is a wonderful opportunity for us to come together, worship God, and be refreshed in the joy of Jesus. It’s also an incredible opportunity for us to spread that same joy to our kids! We’re hopeful the Lord will use our 4 Celebration Kids sessions for their good as they: have fun, make friends, and hear the good news that Jesus is the greatest treasure of their souls in an age-targeted manner. 

This is an awesome privilege, but one we’ll need your participation to steward well. If you already serve in Children’s Ministry or plan on utilizing Celebration Kids, consider partnering with us by clicking the link below.

Have any questions about Celebration Kids? Contact Pastor Jeff.

SIGN UP FOR A TIME SLOT HERE

GOD’S WILL IN GOD’S TIME

We often pray and live with the expectation that God will - or should - answer us according to our preferred timeline. But in the middle of Mark 4, Jesus tells three parables - one about a lamp, one about a crop and one about a tiny mustard see. What’s Jesus’ point? God’s kingdom will come and it will grow. The seed will sprout and bear fruit - even if it takes time. Even if it begins very small; as small as a mustard seed even. The applications for real life are many. Listen to last Sunday’s sermon to hear more.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

CHRIST EXALTED IS OUR SONG

Christ himself is our song. When we consider who he is and what he’s done it causes our souls to sing. This Sunday, in addition to bringing back some familiar songs we haven’t sung in a while, we’ll be singing a new song as we raise our voices to the Risen Christ. Take a few minutes to listen to the song here and read through the lyrics below so that you’re ready to sing with us.

Verse 1
Christ exalted is our song
Our anthem through eternity
Praises rise and wake the dawn
Heralding His majesty
Christ without a rival reigns
Over all creation
Name above all other names
Enthroned in adoration

Verse 2
Christ exalted is our song
The Sovereign over everything
Left His glorious throne beyond
Stepped into our suffering
Hands that shaped the heaven’s frame
Reached to heal the leper
Mighty God in meekness came
To lead us like a shepherd

Verse 3
Christ exalted is our song
The Man of Sorrows mocked and tried
Bore the judgment for our wrongs
For our sins was crucified
Hear the love in His refrain
‘Father please forgive them’
As He bears the bitter weight
Of guilt and condemnation

Verse 4
Christ exalted is our song
Buried but in vict’ry raised
The keys of death and life belong
To the Firstborn from the grave
Glory, glory to the King!
Crowned with countless praises
Christ exalted we will sing
Throughout unending ages!