THE SHAPE OF THE CHURCH

We began a series in 1 Timothy, an ancient letter from one pastor to another, penned for the good of the entire church. While privately addressed to Paul's protege, Timothy, it is publicly intended to shape the life of the Church in Ephesus - as well as the Church down through the ages. As we seek to live well in God's world (like we learned in the book of James) and avail ourselves of all the grace God has to give (as our study of the ordinary means has taught us) we don't do these things alone. This is because God has saved us into a community, the body of Christ, the Church. So how then should we live out our lives in the church? Or, to put it another way, what should shape our lives together as a church? More than anything else, the truth we'll encounter again and again in the pages of 1 Timothy is that nothing shapes how the church lives more than what the church believes. 

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AT 7PM

This week, 4 groups will meet throughout our city to share in the joy of Jesus and apply his gospel to each other’s lives. Outside of Sunday mornings, small groups are the most important moments in the life of our church. Make it a priority to attend one this week.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SMALL GROUPS, CLICK HERE

TAKE NOTE THAT THE NEXT MEETING IS ON 4/27

We’re onto our second month of Youth Ministry at Cross of Grace! Classic pages are being read, rich discussions are being had, and fun & fellowship are being enjoyed! Take note, that due to Easter, the next meeting will take place on 4/27.

Then join us next month, as we resume our normal schedule of meeting every 1st & 3rd Sunday at Hopper & Burr in DTSA.

THE FUN STARTS SUNDAY AT 6:30PM

FIND MORE INFO ON CGSA YOUTH MINISTRY 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 2nd neighborhood outreach of the year! On Saturday, April 12th, 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, share the gospel of Jesus Christ, and invite them to our Easter Service.

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: 1) equip us, 2) build up our faith, and 3) 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.

Reach out to Robert Lopez with any questions about getting involved.

MARCH 31 - APRIL 6

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, APRIL 3

• French Park Run Club

  • 6:30am - French Park Grass Area

• Small Groups

  • 7:00pm - Roenicke & Lee Homes

FRIDAY, APRIL 4

• Small Groups

  • 7:00pm - Houlton & Erkelens Homes

SUNDAY, APRIL 6

• Sunday Gathering at the Ebell Club

  • 10:00am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

• Youth Ministry

  • 6:30pm - Hopper & Burr in DTSA

JOIN US ON GOOD FRIDAY

This Easter season, we're planning a combined Small Group gathering on April 18th at 7pm. Both the Thursday & Friday evening small groups will join forces for a meeting in the Houlton backyard. Together we’ll sing songs, read the passion narrative, and pray. Mark your calendars for Friday, April 18th at 7pm, for this special Good Friday gathering.

INVITE YOUR NEIGHBORS TO EASTER SUNDAY

Join us on Easter Sunday to celebrate the Savior the grave could not hold. Use our digital flyer, which can be found here, to invite your friends, family and neighbors to join us at the Ebell Club at 10:00 am Sunday, April 20.

YOUR IDENTITY IS BOUND UP IN CHRIST

This Sunday, we were well-served by guest preacher, Derek Overstreet from Sovereign Grace Church of Tucson. He reminded us of the foundational truth that nothing in this life is more important than who we are in Christ. That no matter your station in life, your identity is bound up in Christ. This is where all spiritual growth and joy begin. And when we understand our past and future in Christ it shapes our present experience of life with Christ. Looking back to the cross, we are reminded that we are not who we once were. Looking forward to heaven, our life here and now takes on an entirely new focus.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

REMINDER: NO ELEMENTARY CLASSES THIS SUNDAY

This Sunday is the 5th Sunday in March, so we’ll only offer the Nursery/Preschool Class which is geared toward kids ages 0-3. All kids 4 and up will remain with us after the singing portion of our service to hear the preached word outside of their usual classroom setting. We’ll have coloring sheets to help the kids follow along as they hear the gospel alongside their parents.

These 5th Sunday breaks serve 3 purposes. They provide an opportunity to bridge the gap between Children’s Ministry and the regular life of the church. They get our kids ready for what comes next once they graduate from the Elementary Class. They contribute to a helpful pattern of rest for our Children’s Ministry volunteers who serve so joyfully and selflessly every Sunday morning.

CONTINUE LEARNING ABOUT THE ORDINARY MEANS

We’ve just completed a sermon series on the ordinary means of grace. 7 weeks of studying those God appointed means to make us more like Christ. The special channels which bring God’s undeserved favor, spiritual blessing, and soul-altering help to us like delivery trucks carrying gifts to our doorsteps or tortillas which bring the deliciousness of the taco to our hungry mouths. The visible, tangible, experiential handles for our faith which bring us grace. They are: 1) Gathering on the Lord’s Day, 2) Hearing the Word of God, 3) Communion with God through Prayer, 4) the Fellowship of the Church; the Sacraments of 5) Baptism, and 6) Communion, and 7) Generosity.

We hope you’ve come away with a refreshed appreciation and renewed expectation for the extraordinary work God does in us through these ordinary means. To help you catch up on anything you’ve missed, continue learning about these important activities, and encourage you to feast all the more heartily on the grace of Christ, we’ve got some additional resources for you.

Across the board: general resources on all the means

• Habits of Grace, David Mathis

• Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald Whitney

• Sovereign Grace Churches Statement of Faith, Section 12: The Church of Christ

By Topic:

The Lord’s Day

• Sermon - Acts 20:7-12

• Call Sunday a Delight, Jeff Schlieder

• Preparing for Sunday Worship, Kevin DeYoung

The Word

• Sermon - 1 Peter 1:22-2:3

• A Peculiar Glory, John Piper

• Reading the Bible Supernaturally, John Piper

Prayer

• Sermon - Philippians 4:4-7

• A Praying Life, Paul Miller

• Praying Backwards: Transform Your Prayer Life By Beginning in Jesus’ Name, Bryan Chapell

Fellowship

• Sermon - 1 John 1:1-4

• The Grace of Friendship, Jeff Schlieder

• Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

• How Should We Develop Biblical Friendships?, Michael Haykin

• Made for Friendship, Drew Hunter

• The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis

Baptism 

• Sermon - Romans 6:1-12

• Diving Deeper Into Baptism, Jeff Schlieder

• 10 Key Bible Verses on Baptism, Crossway

• From Paedobaptism to Credobaptism, Gary Crampton

Communion

• Sermon - 1 Corinthians 10:14-22

• Communion Dinner Homily - Luke 24:13-35

• Feasting Our Hearts on the Riches of Communion, Jeff Schlieder

• The Lord’s Supper as a Means of Grace, Richard Barcellos

• The Lord’s Supper: Eternal Word in Broken Bread, Robert Letham

Generosity

• Sermon - 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

• The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn

• Joyful Generosity, Brendan Willis, Kyle Houlton, Leo Parris, & Mark Prater

• Gospel Patrons, John Rinehart

ALL LADIES, HIGH-SCHOOL AGED AND OLDER ARE INVITED

Each month, the ladies of CGSA gather 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.

Tonight, they’ll continue their discussion of the Shaping Virtues of our family of churches & ask how they can embody the virtue of servanthood as women in Christ. We hope to see you there!

JOIN IN TONIGHT AT 7PM AT THE SCHLIEDER HOME