JAMES 1:1-4

This Sunday, we began our sermon series in the Book of James. A letter written to one of the earliest expressions of the New Testament Church, which contains timeless wisdom from God. One that comes to us today in order to bridge the gap between who we are now and where we want to be. To lead us down the path of spiritual wholeness. To make our lives in God’s world “work” the way we long for them to do so. James kicks things off by squaring with the reality that some way or another, all of us are going through it. Facing trials of various kinds. Finding life to be filled with hard things. Into this unpleasant experience, James proclaims the good news that these trials are not obstacles to who and where we want to be, but the vehicles God uses to get us there. Through faith in the Savior who was tested, tried, and ran the race with perfect endurance before us, we have confidence that God will get us through the hard things we face. What’s more, that he’s purposing every hard thing to bring about a good thing.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

ALL LADIES, HIGH-SCHOOL AGED AND OLDER ARE INVITED

Our Women’s Ministry exists to promote the growth of women in Christ as women in Christ. Each month, the ladies of CGSA meet together for a time of discussion where “women talk like women” about God, rich fellowship, and encouraging one another. Tonight, they’ll continue their discussion of the Shaping Virtues of our family of churches & ask how they can embody the virtue of gratitude as women in Christ. We hope to see you there!

JOIN IN TONIGHT AT 7PM AT THE Schlieder HOME

PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY OF CHURCHES

From Mark Prater, Executive Director of Sovereign Grace Churches:

In his commentary on the book of Judges, Dale Ralph Davis writes this about prayer, “Yahweh’s hearing is the most crucial matter for all prayer…When God listens to our voice, we must never respond with a yawn. We will trivialize prayer whenever we forget the repeated miracle it involves, the gracious condescension of the King of glory, who stoops down to listen to our verbs and nouns, our adverbs and questions, our groans and tears.”

What an amazing, humbling truth that we must never take for granted. God listens! In gracious condescension, He stoops down and listens to our prayers. May that “repeated miracle” fuel our desire to pray for our shared mission, and for one another in Sovereign Grace. Would we pray for the requests below and continue to be amazed that God listens!

• Pray that God would give us opportunities to invite unbelievers and the unchurched to Sovereign Grace churches as we hold our Christmas related events and services in December.

• Pray that God would give the members of Sovereign Grace churches opportunities to share the gospel with unbelieving family members, friends, neighbors, and coworkers over the holiday season.

• Pray for the Sovereign Grace Churches Pastors Conference, November 5-7, 2024, in Orlando, FL asking God to work in a way that our relationships among our churches are strengthened, pastors and wives are equipped for what God has called them to do, and that our family of churches is united in our shared gospel mission all for the glory of God alone.

• Pray for the annual Sovereign Grace Churches Council of Elders meeting on November 4, 2024, in Orlando asking God to give our pastors wisdom to make decisions that strengthen our mission, foster our unity, and that best serve our churches.

• Pray for Bob Kauflin as he leads four Prepare Him Room events in December in Franklin, TN, Knoxville, TN, New Orleans, LA, and Louisville, KY. Pray for the musicians, vocalists, and staT joining Bob asking that God would grant them grace to use their gifts to make much of Christ as we celebrate His birth.

• Pray for Pat Tedeschi, currently a pastor at Greentree Church in EggHarbor Township, NJ who will be moving to London in early 2025 to lead Oasis International Church into partnership with Sovereign Grace. Pray that God would provide visas, housing, etc. for Pat and his wife Dana, and ask God to give Pat wisdom and help to lead Oasis Church to continue their gospel mission in London with a strong interdependency among the Sovereign Grace churches in Europe, and among our family of churches globally.

• Pray for the Philippine Pastors Institute, which started another academic year in September, looking to theologically equip 14 students. It’s the hope that through this Institute Sovereign Grace Philippines, and the Mindanao Region specifically, will continue to be faithful in gospel ministry for generations to come.

• Pray that God would continue to provide financially for Sovereign Grace Churches so that we can fund the gospel opportunities He is giving us throughout the world.

NEW SERMON SERIES STARTS THIS SUNDAY

After 4 months considering the collapse of nations and cultural pressures to compromise our convictions in the Book of Isaiah, we’re switching gears. Moving from the grand sweeping trajectory of the big story God is writing in history, awaiting the coming Servant of the Lord, the establishment of his Kingdom in the earth, and the one day completion of his reign in a new heavens and new earth, to a New Testament Book which seems to be situated right in our living rooms. A letter to one of the earliest expressions of the New Testament Church, which reiterates the challenge to live in God’s world, God’s way and presses it down into the nooks and crannies of the day-to-day, utterly practical, seemingly mundane realities of life. Applying God’s wisdom to the questions and situations which are right in front of us and always close to home:

• How should I respond in times of trial or temptation? Read James.

• What should I do if I can’t control my tongue? Read James.

• What are marks of true saving faith? Read James.

• How do I deal with relational conflict? Read James.

• How should I go about making decisions in life? Read James.

• How do I grow in my faith and make my life “work” better in God’s world? Read James.

Expect that God will meet us through this imminently practical and indispensable letter that we could rightly call “The New Testament Book of Proverbs.” Changing us into the likeness of the One who is the embodiment and personification of wisdom himself, Jesus Christ, “the Lord of Glory” (James 2:1).

RESOURCES TO GET YOU READY

In addition to reading through James, check out the links below to get the most out of this new series:

Introduction to James - ESV Study Bible

The Book of James: A Complete Animated Overview - The Bible Project

Why Study the Book of James? - Greg Gilbert

Do James and Paul Disagree on Justification by Faith Alone? - Thomas Schreiner

READ THE BOOK OF JAMES IN ITS ENTIRETY HERE

THINKING ABOUT GOVERNMENT, VOTING, AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION…LIKE A CHRISTIAN

In case you missed it, we’re in the thick of another election season. You’ve received your ballot and been bombarded with all kinds of ads, mailings, and information. You’re trying to make sense of various measures, policies, and political candidates. And there are certainly important matters at hand. A mayoral race in Santa Ana, seats on school boards, statewide propositions, legislative representatives, and yes, even a national presidential election.

You may be engrossed in it all. You may be tired of it. You may be anxious. You may want to just wash your hands of the whole thing. But here’s our encouragement as you consider how to engage in the political process: Take this opportunity to be a good neighbor by casting your vote to promote your neighbor's good. Lean into the process by lending your voice to call upon our government (at every level) to be what God intended it to be: a servant appointed by and accountable to him to promote the good (as he defines it), protect the innocent, restrain the wrongdoer, and bring justice to bear (Romans 13:1-4).

A FEW QUICK HANDLES

As God’s word guides you and your conscience permits you, we encourage you to engage at every level possible in this important process. Not prioritizing one aspect over another, but becoming informed, thoughtfully considering the arguments and issues, and understanding the impact of participating in the city, county, and state levels, as well as the national. Each part is important and we do well not to over or underestimate the impact that our participation can have on one level or another.

1) As you participate, participate like a Christian:

• With the settled confidence that Christ reigns at the right hand of God, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion” (Eph 1:20-22). All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him (Ps 2:7-12; Mt 28:18). And however shakeable, uncertain, or unclear the future of our nation might be, in Christ we’ve received a “Kingdom that cannot be shaken” (Heb 12:29). No matter the outcome of any election, Christ is Lord, he is able to turn the heart of kings like a stream of water (Prov 21:1), and he will never fail to preserve his people as we await the full realization of his reign (Jn 10:28; Rom 8:31-39; 1 Cor 15:20-28; Heb 13:20-21; 1 Pet 1:3-9; Jude 24-25).

• With the assurance that Christ’s purposes in the world through his Church will never be thrown off or thwarted (Mt 16:18, 28:19-20).

• With your ultimate hope fully fixed on Christ’s “lasting city” to come (Heb 11:10), BUT with a desire to see his blessings poured out on our city, here and now (Jer 29:5-7).

• With “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be[ing] made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Tim 2:1-2). Praying for whoever wins the election. Asking that God would grant wisdom and strength to do what is right, serve the city, county, state, or nation and even use a crooked stick to draw straight lines - as he did with Cyrus (see Is 45:1-7).

2) With the goal of casting your vote for the people, measures, and policies that will:

• Most broadly speaking, minimize evil and maximize righteousness - even imperfectly. We can vote in a way which holds back what God considers wrong and moves things in the direction of what God says is good and right (Rom 13:8-10; Gal 6:10).

• Protect the innocent - especially our preborn neighbors (Prov 23:11).

• Restrain what is wrong and bring justice to bear (Gen 9:5-6; Lev 24:17-23; Prov 20:10; Rom 13:3-4).

• Bless our neighbors - and our nation - by promoting what God says is good, beautiful, and true to the best of our ability (Phil 4:8). Knowing what God says about matters of abortion, justice, family, human sexuality, immigration, and so on, and then casting your vote in a way that lines up most with what pleases him. Trusting that this will bless our neighbors near and far.

• Contribute to us leading peaceful and quiet lives (see 1 Tim 2:2) and best clear the way for the mission of the Church to move forward. To be clear, the mission of the Church is spiritual and does not rely upon human methods or political means to advance (see Eph 6:12), but our political participation can cultivate an environment beneficial to the gospel’s progress. Following from that gospel progress, we can and should expect this-worldly fruit to follow. “While evangelism and missions certainly seek the highest good of “the city,” political engagement seeks to preserve social order and human flourishing for the good of “the city”” (Tom Hicks, article linked below).

3) If you're struggling with how to engage, your pastors are here to help. We’re happy to talk with you about these things and help you think through them from a biblical perspective. Please pull us aside or reach out to us in the coming weeks if there’s any way we can serve you.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Should Christians Be Involved in Politics? by Tom Hicks

How Should Christians Think About the 2024 Presidential Election? by Albert Mohler. Especially helpful are the categories of “Person, Policy, and Party” when considering the effect of your vote

Three Truths for This Year’s Election by Andrew Walker

Why ‘No Matter Who Wins, Jesus is Lord’ Isn’t Just a Cliché by Alex Kocman

The Nature and Purpose of Government by Kevin DeYoung

The Purpose and Role of Government by Michael Oh

OCTOBER 22 - OCTOBER 28

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, OCTOBER 24: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB

• 6:30am - French Park grass area

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24: WOMEN’S GROUP

• 7:00pm - Schlieder Home

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27: CGSA BANDCAMP

• 12:30pm - Houlton Home

  • Reach out to Pastor Kyle if you’d like to attend

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28: THE BRIDGE COURSE

• 7:00pm - Hopper & Burr (202 W Fourth St, Santa Ana 92701)

  • Registration is open throughout the course - invite a friend anytime!

WE ARE ONE BODY, MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER

Paul says in Ephesians 4:25 that we are one body, yet “members one of another”. Church membership not so much as “membership in a club” but more as an expression of commitment to the people around you. The Bible is full of “one anothers” - commands toward believers to act in godliness toward other people. What Scripture makes clear is that these “others” refer to a specific group of people and not all people generally. These others are the men and women identified in a particular local church. As members of Cross of Grace Santa Ana, we have the privilege of living out the Christian life with one another. We celebrate and grieve with one another. We build deep relationship with one another. We join arms to advance the joy of Jesus in a particular neighborhood with one another. We help one another pursue holiness. We remind one another of the sweetness of the gospel.

In light of this, we praise God for the new members, Rachel Marcus and Eber & Samantha Orellana, we had the joy of introducing this last Sunday.

We look forward to living in the goodness of Jesus alongside them!

REGISTER TODAY

RELAY 2025 is just 3 months away! We’re excited about this opportunity for the young adults of Cross of Grace to connect to brothers and sisters from our family of churches across the nation and across the globe! If you’re a young adult (ages 16-30ish), we encourage you to attend the 2nd-annual RELAY Conference taking place in Glen Mills, PA next January, 2-4. You’ll be equipped to live for the glory of Christ. You’ll be inspired to carry forward the doctrine, values, and mission that we hold so dear as Sovereign Grace Churches. You’ll experience a rich time of teaching, singing, and relational building designed to strengthen us for decades to come. Whether you’re new to our family of churches or you’ve been around a while, don’t miss this chance to enjoy what God is doing among us.

There are Pre-ConferencePastoral Interest sessions, along with a lunch and dinner, available prior to the conference for young men who may feel called to pastoral ministry.

Some conference details:

• The conference will take place at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA.

• Lunch and Dinner will be provided on Friday

• Speakers include CJ Mahaney, Jared Mellinger, Jon Payne, Jeff Purswell, and Dave Taylor

Registration is now open. For more details and to register, please check out the conference website.

WATCH LAST YEAR’S RECAP VIDEO HERE

FOLLOWING THE PATH OF WISDOM

This past Sunday, we bridged the gap between where we've been in Isaiah and where we're headed in the Book of James. We've been called to live in God's world, God's way, time and time again. But living in the world in this way is not our default setting. All of us are prone to go our own way and lean upon our own understanding. Even as believers, we still fight against this reflex. Into this struggle, the Book of Proverbs comes to us as a practical guide to living well in this world. But far from being a simple instruction manual, a collection of life hacks, or some "if you do A, you will always get B" system of cause and effect dependent upon our own efforts and works to realize, Proverbs is so much more. Because the wisdom we need to live in this world can only be received by the God who made it. The foundation for truly understanding who we are and how we should live flows from a personal relationship with the One who created the heavens and the earth and recreates us after his likeness in Christ. Or, as Solomon says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov 1:7).

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

THE CENTRAL CHARGE: BE AN UNCOMPROMISING CHURCH

We just finished a 21 week journey through the Old Testament Book of Isaiah. A piece of divinely inspired literature that is majestic, challenging, and seemingly bottomless in the depths of the riches it contains. For the past 4 months, we’ve been immersed in the story of the Southern Kingdom of Judah’s sinful compromise which brought about their catastrophic collapse. We heard time and time again that the faithful way to respond to the collapse “out there” is to deal with compromise wherever it’s found “in here.” We were challenged to be an uncompromising church.

A people who hold fast to their convictions in a time when it feels harder than ever to be an ordinary Christian. Who live in God’s world, God’s way. Who refuse to settle for less than God has for us in the gospel by transferring our trust, misplacing our hope, or seeking security in things that are not God to feel okay in this troubled cultural moment. Week in and week out, we were called to see ourselves in Judah’s story and use Isaiah as a mirror to check for any cracks of compromise within our lives that could hinder our joy in Christ, weaken our presence as salt and light in Santa Ana, and threaten the household of God that is Cross of Grace Church.

THE CENTRAL HOPE: BEHOLD AN UNWAVERINGLY FAITHFUL GOD

But most of all, we were called to behold a Savior who will never compromise his commitment to us. Not placing our hopes in how uncompromising we could be, but in the unswerving faithfulness of the God who’s always ready to give us grace. Who meets us right in the thick of our crimson-red compromise and promises to wash our sins as white as snow. Who stands ready to bring back and bind our wandering hearts to him. Who strengthens us when we’re weary and feel like we can’t go on. Who is patiently and powerfully making us into the uncompromising, countercultural, and truly compelling to our neighbors kind of people he’s called us to be. All to his great glory, our ever-increasing joy, and the good of the city he’s placed us in.

REVIEW, RE-LISTEN, AND RESPOND

Below is an overview of the entire series. Review the steps of our journey. Catch up on any sermons you might’ve missed. Continue resting your soul in the Savior Isaiah reveals. Keep on striving to glorify him every step of the way on the uncompromising path that’s before us.

• 1 - Series introduction. In a time when it’s harder than ever to be an ordinary Christian, we need to be an uncompromising church.

• 1-66 - How the Story of Isaiah fits together. A summary of the structure and contents of the entire book, complete with 4 key handles for understanding the story of Isaiah. Find the outline here.

• 2 - To those in troubled times and tempted to compromise, God says, “Stand firm, you’ll be on the right side of eternity.” We have a future hope that’s already begun to break into the present. We should live NOW in light of THEN.

• 6:1-7 - Why does God take our sin so seriously? Because he is uncompromisingly holy. This means that we must be cleansed from sin.

• 6:8-13 - We need the full story of holiness. Because we haven’t just been cleansed from sin but cleansed for service. A life where every “no” to sin leads to a much better “yes” of enjoying life in God’s presence and giving ourselves to his purposes.

• 7-9 - To a people compromised in sin, God promises a Son. He is “Immanuel,” - “God with us,” - and this places courage within us. When the pressure’s on, will we live in fear or with courageous faith in the promises of God?

• 13-23 - All mankind is compromised. Not just the people of Israel, but all the nations stand accountable before God. Isaiah’s words of judgment show us that the whole world needs the whole gospel. We can’t compromise our witness by shying away from declaring the bad news of the danger our neighbors face as we share the good news of salvation in Christ.

• 24-27 - Everyone wants to truly live. Everyone has a vision of “heaven.” But how can we truly come into this experience of uncompromising life? Is 24-27 tells us there is a real heaven, but we can’t get it without getting God.

• 14:12-16 - In a time when it’s harder than ever to be an ordinary Christian, it’s not just the world “out there” that’s stacked against us but the unseen realm as well. The portrayal of Satan in Is 14:12-16 teaches us that behind every collapsing culture is the influence of the Original Compromiser. In a battle that is not against flesh and blood but spiritual powers and principalities, we need more than merely human strategies and solutions.

• 30-31 - Turning to “Egypt” is never the right decision, but turning to God is always the right decision. When we find ourselves actively caught up in compromise, how do we respond when the consequences began to be felt? Do we give into sin, seek counsel that tells us only what we want to hear, trust in idols of various kinds OR cast ourselves upon the God who is ready and willing to meet us with grace?

• 35 - The journey of the Christian life is difficult, but we won‘t regret a single step of it. We have a King who will surely bring us home. We won’t be disappointed when we get there. And we can enjoy the journey all along the way.

• 36-39 - We may or may not be tempted to quit the race altogether, but the danger of complacency is always around the corner. We can be tempted to take a breather from faithfulness or coast through life presuming upon grace. But being an uncompromising church means not settling for bare minimum Christianity.

• 40 - The comfort after collapse. The worst came for the people of Judah, but God was there on the other side. When we experience moments of “collapse,” and wonder if God is there or even cares, we’re comforted by the good news that even as we grow weary, God never does. He’s never abandoned us and he never will.

• 41-48 - God vs. Idols. Judah is in captivity in Babylon and God seems defeated and irrelevant. When we’re falling down, we grab for the nearest thing to break our fall. When we’re collapsed on the side of the road, the hand that’s easiest to reach is the most appealing offer of help. The idols in our lives seem more present, tangible, and available than God. But contrary to appearances, God alone is worthy of our trust. Find an outline here.

• 49:1-7 - Meet God’s Champion: The Servant of the Lord. He’s the only One who can break our fall and pick us up again. We were created to be uncompromising, but we failed. We need someone to be everything we were meant to be and live the uncompromising life we were meant to live. Jesus Christ comes into the world to do this for us.

• 52:13-53:12 - The Suffering Servant. We don’t just need someone to live the life of faithfulness we were meant to live, but to die for all our unfaithfulness toward God. Jesus Christ is the uncompromising substitute who was crushed in our place to take away our sin and heal our compromising hearts.

• 54 - The New Covenant. The Servant’s death seals the deal on an unbreakable covenant of everlasting love. God’s people broke the Old Covenant written on tablets of stone, so he establishes a new one, guaranteed by the death of his Son, that would be written on their hearts.

• 55 - Who does God invite to receive all that the Servant has accomplished? He welcomes the worst (the compromised sinner, who’s thirsty, broke, and poor from seeking life apart from God). Offers them the very best (Jesus Christ and all the benefits of his saving work). And graciously guarantees the result (working by the power of the word that spoke the universe into being to create life in the dead and keep his promise to receive all who’d respond to his call).

• 58 - Don’t compromise your worship. Even if we’re not bowing down to idols, we can worship the right thing the wrong way. We must turn away from hypocritical, insincere, and self-serving spirituality and seek God as our goal and great reward. We won’t be disappointed when we do.

• 61 - The ALREADY of Isaiah. Isaiah anticipates the saving reign of the Lord’s Servant being established in the earth. This began 2,000 years ago in the first coming of Christ, and ever since his grace has been going forth. Advancing his Kingdom, jail-breaking those in spiritual captivity, and making his redeemed people a beautiful sight to behold before the eyes of a watching world.

• 65:17-25 - The NOT YET. We concluded the series looking forward to that day when there will be no more compromise forever. Setting our hopes upon that time when we’ll only be living in God’s world, God’s way and it will be the best day ever - forever. Sin, death, and sadness shall be overcome by joy and peace in the presence of God, together with his people, in the goodness of a perfected creation. Come, Lord Jesus and bring us into our forever home!