Thank You For Loving Us Twice

How long have you been coming to Sovereign Grace? 

Paul: This is a hard question to answer. I originally came to Orange County to serve in an unrelated church plant. I love the everyone there; it was home for me and it’s where I met Andrea. 

However, over time we found ourselves afraid to speak freely about our lives and struggled painfully in silence. The church seemed to value the appearance of righteousness more than being honest, and when we needed grace the most, we were treated harshly.

We felt hurt and decided to find a new church.

Our first impression of you.

Andrea: I still remember our first few weeks. Strangers treated us like long-time friends and welcome us into their homes. It was so genuine. I remember sitting in a small group meeting where you were all sharing the ups and downs of your lives. Everyone was responding with grace and love. I decided I wanted to be part of this church. 

Our problems followed us.

Paul: Yet as time went on, the resentment and anger we felt against our previous church overwhelmed us and was impossible to ignore any longer. We began to fear the same thing would happen again and we left Sovereign Grace. I told myself that I would never go to church again.

Why we came back.

Paul: By God’s grace, I soon realized how much I needed to grow and my heart longed to enjoy fellowship again. You (Sovereign Grace) had left an unforgettable impression on us. It was here that we found people living out the gospel in community. You embrace one another not according to merit but genuine love. I couldn’t stay away.

Andrea: Six months ago we took what we learned from you and applied it to our broken relationships at that prior church. We asked for their forgiveness and sought reconciliation and gained our old friends back.

Thank you for loving us twice.