NOVEMBER 5 - NOVEMBER 11

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, NOVEMBER 7: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB

• 6:30am - French Park grass area

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7: MEN’S MEETING

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

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10: STARTING POINT

• 12:30pm - Houlton Home

  • Register here for the class

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11: THE BRIDGE COURSE FINAL MEETING

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

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

ASK GOD WHO GIVES GENEROUSLY

All of us experience a gap between where we are and where we want to be. We want to be spiritually whole. We long for our lives in this world to “work.” Last week in James 1:1-4, we learned that the trials we endure are designed by God to get us to where we want to go. If trials are the vehicles, then wisdom is the way to wholeness. James 1:5-11, contains the first mention of “wisdom” in the letter and highlights our need to turn away from our own understanding and acknowledge God in all the various ways that will be examined throughout the rest of the book. And to get this wisdom, all we have to do is ask. And ask we can and ask we should. Because the foolish sinners that we are have become beloved sons and daughters before our God and Father through our faith in Christ the Son. Because God is rich with wisdom and ready to give it away without reservation. Because the wealth of this wisdom is a treasure no one can take from the "lowly," and remains the prize of prizes even to the one with plenty. Believe God has what we lack. Believe God will listen and answer. Be confident and ask away!

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

REMEMBERING THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION

On October 31, 1517, a German Monk named Martin Luther nailed a document calling for reform in the Catholic Church to the door of the local church in Wittenburg. What followed was a movement that has changed both the Church and the world to this day!

Semper Reformanda!

In case you missed it, we published a blog full of Reformation resources. Check out the post here.

TWO MORE SMALL GROUPS IN 2024

Our small groups encourage genuine relationships within the church. Each group meets in a home, splitting their time between singing, praying, and discussion. All groups welcome guests. Outside of Sunday mornings, small groups are the most important moments in the life of our church. There are two more small groups left in 2024, before our December fallow month. Make it a priority to attend one this Friday.

For more information about our small groups, click here.

MOVED TO NEXT SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH

If you’ve been visiting Cross of Grace for any length of time and would like to learn more about what we believe as a church and how those beliefs take shape in the life of the church, this class is for you. If you’re discerning whether or not this is the church family the Lord is calling you to, this class is for you. If you’re ready to take the next step in pursuing membership at Cross of Grace, Starting Point is your starting point to do so!

Wherever you’re at in the process, we invite you to join us one two hour class. Immediately after church at the Houlton home in Santa Ana with lunch and childcare provided.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

OUR PASTORAL TEAM WILL BE AWAY FOR THE WEEK

Every year our family of churches enjoys a family reunion. A time when pastors, wives, and members of Sovereign Grace Churches come together for a week of worship, fellowship, and encouragement in our shared mission. This year there are 700+ registrants from 22 different nations attending our annual gathering in Orlando. It’s sure to be a sweet time away!

As a pastoral team we say thank you for sending us! This conference is one of the highlights of our year - and this time, there are six members going! The Schlieders, and the Roenickes, as well as the Lopez family have registered to attend. We’re grateful for this time which always makes us eager to come back and serve the church. In addition to sending us, we also ask that you please pray for us while we’re here. Throughout the week, you can pray that:

• The Lord would refresh our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Pray that we would be brought so close to the fire of the cross that the sparks would fall on our hearts and set our affections aflame for Christ.

• The Lord would use this time to equip us to serve our church well. We’re being sent by the members of our church for the members of our church. Pray that we’d come back better leaders than when we left.

• The Lord would build existing and establish new relationships among pastors and members of Sovereign Grace Churches across the globe.

• The Lord would give us moments of clarity about our local mission. Pray for the Lord to fill us with His Spirit to give us a greater longing to spread the joy of Jesus to our neighbors.

OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 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:

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB

• 6:30am - French Park grass area

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1: SMALL GROUP

• 7:00pm - Houlton, Roenicke, & Madrigal Home

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3: STARTING POINT

• 12:30pm - Houlton Home

  • Register here for the class

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4: THE BRIDGE COURSE

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

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

FOR THE FINAL QUARTER OF 2024

We’re entering the final months of 2024, and we don’t want you missing out on any of the good things going on in the life of our church. Here’s your one-stop shop to make sure you’re in the know. Make sure to note some of the changes to our regularly scheduled events and save the dates below:

November

• 11/7 - Men's Meeting (moved up a week)

  • Hopper & Burr @ 7pm

• 11/10 - Starting Point: Immediately after service at the Houlton home

  • Register here

• 11/21 - Women's Friendsgiving (moved up a week)

  • Schlieder home @ 6:30pm

• 11/23 - Neighborhood Outreach: Meet in the Ebell Parking lot @ 10am.

  • Reach out to Robert with any questions

December

• 12/1 - Baptism Sunday: Immediately after service at the Cunningham home

  • If you’re interested in being baptized. Contact us here.

• 12/8 - New Member Sunday + Members' Meeting: Plan to stay an extra 45min after the service

• 12/15 - Carols in the Park: French Park @ 6pm

  • Join us for an hour of spreading Christmas cheer.!

• 12/24 - Candlelight Christmas Eve Service

  • The Ebell Club @ 5pm

IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY, SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHURCH CALENDER HERE

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