ALL LADIES, HIGH-SCHOOL AGED AND OLDER ARE INVITED

It’s our first Women’s Meeting of the year! Each month, the ladies of CGSA meet together for a time of discussion where “women talk like women” about God, experience rich fellowship, and encourage one another. All to promote the growth of women in Christ as women in Christ.

This time around it will be a little different, as the ladies enjoy a Paint & Snack night! They’ll also hear from our own Keiren Wright, who will share on a topic that is close to her heart and important for all Christians - beauty and creativity. Keiren will connect the dots on how we, as imagers of the Creator, are called to be creative and to display the beauty of the Lord in our lives.

If you are able, please bring a snack to share. We hope to see you there!

JOIN IN TONIGHT AT 7PM AT THE CUNNINGHAM HOME

YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS

In the church, we’re all called to counsel. To connect the truth of God’s word to the on-the-ground realities of one another’s lives. But are you confident to counsel? Do you wonder if you’re equipped for this? Do you know what distinguishes Biblical Counseling from other popular approaches to helping someone change? Do you know where you’d start to address the situations your brothers and sisters are facing and how to move those conversation onto the wisdom, remedies, and solutions that are found in Jesus Christ?

BECOME EQUIPPED TO BLESS THE CHURCH

However you answered the questions above, God desires to use you as an instrument of grace in the lives of those around you. To help you grow in confidence and eagerness for this vital ministry, we’re excited to bring in Pastor & Biblical Counselor, Pete Payne from our sister church in Westminster, Colorado the evening of January 25. He’ll lay a foundation for what Biblical Counseling is, provide a model for how we can engage in it, and take all the questions we have to offer. Here’s what you need to know:

• Date: Saturday, January 25

• Time: 6pm-9pm

• Location: The Lost Bean - 814 W Chapman Ave, Orange, CA 92868

• Additional Details: No cost to register. Refreshments offered. Childcare not provided but youth 13 and up are welcome to attend

REGISTER HERE

JANUARY 20 - JANUARY 26

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, JANUARY 23: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB

• 6:30am - French Park Grass Area

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23: WOMEN’S MEETING

• 7:00pm - Cunningham Home

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25: BIBLICAL COUNSELING SEMINAR

• 6:00pm - The Lost Bean - 814 W Chapman Ave, Orange, CA 92868

  • Register here to help us get a headcount

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

WE ARE ALL MADE IN HIS IMAGE

This past Sunday, our church observed Sanctity of Life Sunday. A day established by President Reagan in January of 1984 - corresponding to the date that Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973 - to memorialize and commemorate the countless unborn lives that have been lost to abortion in our nation - a number that, since 1973, exceeds 62 million. All these years later, even with Roe now overturned, this issue is far from resolved and there’s still much work to be done in the cause of protecting life.

But the reason we mark this date is not merely or mainly political, it’s theological. It’s because we believe that every human being is an image bearer of God. Possessing intrinsic dignity and value, deserving the equal protection of the laws of the land, and a neighbor we’ve been called to love. We don’t proclaim the sanctity of all human life because the president issued a proclamation in the 80’s, but because God has issued a proclamation in his holy word (see Gen 1:26-27, 5:1-2, 9:1-7; Ps 139:13-16). This is summed up in our Statement of Faith, section 4, paragraph 2, “Man’s Creation in God’s Image”:

God created man, male and female, in his own image as the crown of creation and the object of his special care. God directly created Adam from the dust of the earth, and Eve from Adam’s side, as the parents of the entire human race. They were created to know and glorify their Maker by trusting in his goodness and obeying his word. God gave them dominion over all creation, to fill, subdue, and steward the earth as his representatives. All human beings are likewise made in the image of God. Despite the effects of the fall on sinful humanity, all people remain God’s image bearers, capable of fellowship with him and possessing intrinsic dignity and value at every stage of life from conception to death. Redemption in Christ progressively restores fallen men and women to their true humanity as they are conformed to the image of Christ.

WE ARE CALLED TO PROCLAIM THE RIGHT TO LIFE FOR EVERY PERSON MADE IN HIS IMAGE

As image-bearers of God who have been remade in the image of Christ, we have a calling from God to promote and protect the sanctity of all human life. We encourage you to join us in the following ways:

• Praying that God would:

• Protect the unborn in our country by changing the hearts of men and women participating in abortions, changing unjust laws that promote abortion & passing legislation which protects the right to life

• Pour out his mercy and grace upon those who have participated in abortions and provide them with his forgiveness in Christ

• Provide his people with a zeal to proclaim the intrinsic dignity and value of every person at every stage of life

• Use us to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have been caught up in the awful realities of abortion

• Learning more about what the Bible has to say about the sanctity of life. Here’s a helpful resource to get you started.

• Stewarding your involvement in the democratic process toward justice for all neighbors.

• Getting involved with our local crisis pregnancy center, Living Well Pregnancy Centers. At the table this past Sunday, Angie shared 2 immediate ways we could get involved:

  • Volunteer at Living Well Pregnancy Centers. There is 1 more volunteer training day coming up. Click here for more details.

  • Walk for Life Fundraiser: Join/form a team and raise money as you walk for life on Saturday, February 22, 2025. You can find all the details here.

PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY OF CHURCHES

From Mark Prater, Executive Director of Sovereign Grace Churches:

Epaphras, the man who planted churches in Colossae, Laodicea, and Heirapolis, is described in Scripture this way, “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers…” (Colossians 4:12). Robert Carver in his article entitled, “Portrait of a Prayer Wrestler” says this, “This phrase, ‘struggling on your behalf in his prayers’ has been variously translated as ‘laboring earnestly,’ or ‘wrestling.’ It pictures serious effort and energy.” The early church prayed for one another with a compelling earnestness, and fervency.

Struggling in prayer for one another certainly marked the partnership shared by the early church, and it must mark the partnership we share in Sovereign Grace today for “apart from Him, we can do nothing.” (John 15:5) To aid us in struggling on behalf of the churches, and our shared mission in Sovereign Grace, below you’ll find the Sovereign Grace Churches First Quarter 2025 Prayer Requests.

Here’s how you can be praying for our fellow laborers and gospel partners as the new year gets underway:

• Pray that God would give the members and pastors of Sovereign Grace churches a renewed desire, and opportunities to share the gospel with unbelievers in our communities and workplaces.

• Pray for Sovereign Grace Church in Pasadena, CA. Because of the recent fires several members of the church needed to evacuate, and a few of the members lost their homes. Pray for God’s comfort, wisdom for decisions, and His provision for the families impacted by the fires.

  • Keep up to date & learn more about how you can help relief efforts here.

• Please pray for Brian Kiama (Lead Pastor) and Jonathan Leslie (Associate Pastor), as they plant Sovereign Grace Church in Nairobi, Kenya. Please pray that God would draw unbelievers to their Sunday services that begin in January, and that God would provide all they need to start the first Sovereign Grace church in Kenya.

• Please pray for Marty Machowski, Executive Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA, as he travels to Lord’s Grace Church in Seoul, South Korea, January 10-20, 2025. He’ll be jumping into teaching the day after he arrives, serving at a seminar designed to teach couples about the work of the Spirit in the family home. Please pray for clear weather and no flight delays, as well as strength and stamina amidst a full schedule. Pray that the Spirit of God touches the lives of the folk that attend. Please also pray for his time with our very own Songhwan Kang, Pastor of Lord’s Grace Church, as he seeks to encourage and bless him and his wife, Miran. Songhwan has been reaching out to a group of pastors in his area who have shown interest in learning about our Sovereign Grace values, and so please pray for Marty as he teaches them.

• Please pray for Ed O’Mara (Lead Pastor of Chiesa Grazia Sovrana di Torino, Italy and SGC Area Leader for Europe), as well as Rocco Dalia (Co-planter in Italy) asking God to give them wisdom and safe travels to Catania, Italy for 4 days at the end of January to meet with the leaders and congregation of Chiesa Grazia di Verità, pastored by Giuseppe Fortuna, as they explore adoption into Sovereign Grace. The goal of this time is to help them take the next steps and continue to build toward interdependence in the broader European area. Please pray for clarity and wisdom for all involved such that Christ would be glorified, local churches would be well served, and the gospel would advance across Italy. 

• Pray for the Sovereign Grace Leadership Team as they lead a retreat, February 3-7, 2025, that will include our U.S. Regional Leaders asking God to envision, strengthen, and equip our leaders to serve our churches in the States.

• Pray for Juan Jose Salano, Lead Pastor of Iglesia La Gracia in San Jose, Costa Rica, who recently completed the Sovereign Grace ordination process, and will be officially ordained on March 27, 2025, becoming the first ordained Sovereign Grace elder in Costa Rica. Pray that God would bless this ordination service, and use it to strengthen Iglesia La Gracia’s mission to advance the gospel in San Jose and beyond.

• 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.

god’s means of caring for us

Last week, we heard about patiently enduring the trials in our lives. Waiting upon God to bring forth the slow fruit of suffering and bring in that Day when suffering is no more. But what do we do while we wait? Practically speaking, what do you do when you’re suffering or sick? Drink herbal tea, take medicine, go to the doctor, lay in bed all day? How about anxious, depressed, overwhelmed? Do you withdraw from those who care for you? Internalize every problem? Scrutinize every thought and action? When you're pained by the danger a straying brother or sister is facing? When your personal comfort is far from ideal, what’s your first reaction? Is it to fix the problem yourself? Is it to resign and accept it as your lot? Is it to fight and resist with everything you have, hating even the thought of it? OR, is it to pray? Casting yourself upon the power and mercies of God. Inviting others to join you in doing the same. In this final passage of James, God's wisdom counsels us to make prayer our first response. To bring him into everything, because prayer is God's means of caring for us in the midst of anything. His gracious instrument to shape our hearts and make us whole.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO ATTEND

This Friday, we’ll have our last meetings before the upcoming small group expansion. In February, we’re excited to launch a 4th group that will gather on the 1st & 3rd Thursday of the month at 7pm.

Outside of Sunday mornings, small groups are the most important moment in the life of our church. Rich opportunities to share in the joy of Jesus and apply his gospel to each other’s lives. Make it a priority to attend one this Friday.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SMALL GROUPS, CLICK HERE

YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS

In the church, we’re all called to counsel. To connect the truth of God’s word to the on-the-ground realities of one another’s lives. But are you confident to counsel? Do you wonder if you’re equipped for this? Do you know what distinguishes Biblical Counseling from other popular approaches to helping someone change? Do you know where you’d start to address the situations your brothers and sisters are facing and how to move those conversation onto the wisdom, remedies, and solutions that are found in Jesus Christ?

BECOME EQUIPPED TO BLESS THE CHURCH

However you answered the questions above, God desires to use you as an instrument of grace in the lives of those around you. To help you grow in confidence and eagerness for this vital ministry, we’re excited to bring in Pastor & Biblical Counselor, Pete Payne from our sister church in Westminster, Colorado the evening of January 25. He’ll lay a foundation for what Biblical Counseling is, provide a model for how we can engage in it, and take all the questions we have to offer. Here’s what you need to know:

• Date: Saturday, January 25

• Time: 6pm-9pm

• Location: The Lost Bean - 814 W Chapman Ave, Orange, CA 92868

• Additional Details: No cost to register. Refreshments offered. Childcare not provided but youth 13 and up are welcome to attend

REGISTER HERE

MEET AT THE EBELL PARKING LOT AT 9:45AM

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news” (Romans 10:15).

It's our first neighborhood outreach of the year! On Saturday, February 1st, we’re going into French Park and DTSA to have spiritual conversations with our neighbors. We’ll take the initiative to get to know them, ask how we can pray for them, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Love to do this sort of thing? Come on down! Scared to do this kind of thing? Then come on down as well! We’re expecting that the Lord will use us to extend his welcome to our neighbors as he takes our very ordinary efforts and blesses them in extraordinary ways.

We’ll meet at the Ebell parking lot at 9:45am to pray before we go out. We’ll wrap up around noon at Hidden House for a quick debrief.

Check out some snapshots from our last outreach & reach out to Robert Lopez with any questions about getting involved.

JANUARY 13 - JANUARY 19

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, JANUARY 16: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB

• 6:30am - French Park Grass Area

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17: SMALL GROUPS

• 7:00pm - Houlton, Roenicke, and Erkelens Homes

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00am - Meeting Room: Ballroom