It's time for the 10th and final plague. The knockout blow in the fight against Pharaoh and all the powers that stood behind him. But this blow lands differently than all the others. Because, for the first time, it lands on Israel too. This plague involves them in a way none of the previous have. To teach them - and us - that freedom comes at a price. That the only ones whose chains are getting broken are those who are covered by the blood.
Small Groups are back after the December fallow month. 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. Start the year off in fellowship with brothers, sisters, and dear friends in Christ.
This Saturday is our first neighborhood outreach of the year! A team from CGSA will go into French Park and DTSA to strike up 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. You’re invited to grow more confident sharing the gospel, learn from your brothers and sisters as you watch them reaching out, and see God “paint our city blue,” one blade of grass at a time.
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.
Want to see what it’s like? Check out this video from our September outreach. Reach out to Robert Lopez to RSVP or ask any questions.
Youth Ministry continues this Sunday. They just started a new book that’s really quite old: The Faith: Teen Zine vol. 1. A book which walks teens through the Apostles’ Creed and connects modern readers to an ancient confession of the Christian faith. They’re exploring big questions about faith that have been asked since the beginning. Dwelling on the rock-solid answers God has revealed. And joining their voices to the chorus of praise that’s been echoing in every place, culture, and time for the past 2,000 years. You won’t want to miss this!
Show up this Sunday evening, grab a copy of the book if you still need one, and get ready for a rich time together. See you at Hopper & Burr!
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. Below we’ve got a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:
Basketball in the Park
6:30pm - El Camino Real Park
Reach out to Manny for more info
French Park Run Club
6:30am - French Park Grass Area
Small Groups
6:30pm - Lee Home
7:00pm - Roenicke Home
Find out more about Small Groups here
Small Groups
7:00pm - Erkelens & Davis homes
Neighborhood Outreach
9:45am - Hidden House Parking Lot
Reach out to Robert for more info and to RSVP
Sunday Gathering at the Ebell Club
10:00am - Meeting Room: Ballroom
Youth Ministry
6:30pm - Hopper & Burr in DTSA
Learn more about Youth Ministry here
We’re continuing to join forces with our sister church, Sovereign Grace Church of Orange, and play basketball as a means of fellowship and outreach. Join in every Tuesday.
Meet at El Camino Real Park (400 N Main St, 92868).
6:30pm - 8:30pm.
Open invite. This is a great place to bring your friends, co-workers, and neighbors - no matter where they’re at with church or what they believe.
Come and go as you please. Bring whatever you need for the night. We hope to see you there.
This Sunday, we were joined by our dear friend, Kyle Houlton from Sovereign Grace Church of Orange. He pointed out that while we’re all living, everyone wants to be even more alive. We all want an ideal life. So where do we get it? What does it look like? What shape does it take on when it’s lived out? The answer is Jesus Christ. The One who is not just some kind of life dispenser, but who is himself our life. If we’ve died to sin and been raised with Christ, the only life we have now is the life of Christ in us. Which means that the way to be most alive is get more and more of Christ. Striving to make all that is precious to him precious to us. Increasingly taking on his shape so that all that displeases him affects us in the same way. Eagerly waiting for that day when the One seated at the right hand of God in heaven returns to this earth and our ideal lives are fully realized.
After the December fallow month, the men of Cross of Grace will gather together to sit under the word, bear their brother’s burdens, and call out to the Lord in prayer. All guys 15 years and older are welcome to join in at the Robles’ home tonight at 7pm. They’ll be discussing the plagues upon Egypt and what God wants to teach us through them. Come ready to be challenged, encouraged, and built up as men in Christ!
From Mark Prater, Executive Director of Sovereign Grace Churches:
In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch after their first missionary journey, and verse 27 tells us, “And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done.”
This end of year video is doing just that–looking back at 2025 to declare all that God has done. Sovereign Grace experienced a year full of God’s grace, undeserved mercy, and so much more than could fit in this short video. However, it is good for us to consider all He has done, giving Him thanks, and looking with hope to the future.
I hope this video encourages you. He has used the members, leaders, and pastors of our local churches to reach the lost, disciple, reach the next generation, build strong local churches, and so much more. Hasn’t He been good?
May we never tire of declaring all God has done, for his glory alone. As we go forward in mission together in 2026, let’s be actively aware of God’s activity in us, through us, and around us. He has done great things!
We love the Ebell Club and are so grateful to gather in the heart of DTSA. As an expression of that gratitude, let’s continue being the best tenants we can. In addition to our regular Sunday morning “house rules” (supervising kids at all times & staying out of the planters), we’ve got one new one for you:
Please keep the employee entrance off Mortimer St clear. Let’s keep our kids off the porch railing outside the employee entrance door for their safety as well as the good of the nearby planters. Parents, please help by keeping an eye on your kids after service and encouraging them to play along the sidewalk.
Thanks for doing your part to love our meeting space!
