In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Eric made a few brief comments about baptism. But we realize more discussion may be needed.

Baptism is an outward sign of an inward reality.

Has God been at work in your life? Have you trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins? Do you want to live for him? If so, you're probably ready to be baptized.

What if I'm not ready?

You might not be. Talk to a pastor. There are reasons to wait...mostly because some isn't sure they are a Christian. However, more often than not people hesitate and miss out on this wonderful part of the Christian life.

Hit the link below and fill out the form. If you've read to the end of this post, then you're ready to start talking about your baptism.

Learn more and sign up.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
Colossians 3:23-24

To run our services every Sunday we rely on a team of volunteers. They do it for us and their Savior.

They don’t do it to be recognized, which is why it’s so much fun to publicly recognize them.

This past Sunday we had Scott on his last day with the video team training Paul to replace him. Nate on the drums preparing to lead congregational singing while being a dad to his kids. Zac, Ben, Joey, and Anne cleaning our projection screen.

This is only a small sampling. There are volunteers welcoming guests, making coffee, caring for children, printing bulletins, teaching Sunday School, setting up and tearing down, and participating in our liturgy.

All of them are proof that the Lord is at work among us. A community of people who serve Jesus by serving us.

We thank God and we thank you for serving.

This Sunday we will be ending our service with baptisms out in the garden. It is one of the great joys of the Christian life to watch others commit to following the same Jesus we follow. 

DON'T SPLIT BEFORE THE BAPTISMS

Be a witness. Be there to celebrate the grace of God. Be there to encourage your brothers and sisters.

IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BAPTIZED...

You can get baptized this Sunday, but you need to act quickly. If you have believed in Jesus but have never been baptized then learn more about baptism and fill out the form ASAP. A pastor will be in touch to make sure you're ready.

On Sunday we celebrated and prayed for students in our church that just graduated from high school. Abby shared about her time growing up in Sovereign Grace Church and the impact you have had on her. Here it is in her own words:

I’ve been attending Sovereign Grace Church of Orange for about 11 years. I graduated from High School last week and there's one big thing I want to say:

Thank you for supporting me.

Whether it was being encouraged through the Pastors’ sermons, commiserating with my fellow high schoolers, or being renewed every Sunday through worship, you have all cared, not only for me, but for every young person in your church.  

The youth mentorship program in particular was huge blessing for me. I was paired with Grace Wang and we spent our time studying the word and exploring how to apply it to our lives. If you are a high school student who isn’t sure if you want to take part in mentorship I would strongly urge you to. 

Shockingly, I have found that older adults actually have some valuable wisdom.  

Youth group has also blessed me. We take time to tackle and discuss difficult topics and we puzzle through them together. Through our discussion, we have all learned how to arrive at truth together. That is a lesson that I have found to be absolutely invaluable in adult life.

You all are accepting of high schoolers, who can be a bit much at times. Instead of asking us to watch others serving and to learn from them, you actually encourage us to take part in ministry.  From the time I began attending Sovereign Grace as a squirrely 7-year-old, I have been urged to live out my faith by serving. I still remember Mike Davis teaching me how to plug all the cords into the soundboard when I was 10 years old. This practice has fostered a clear maturity in all the youth at this church.  

I think one thing that sums up how I feel about you, Sovereign Grace Church, is that every time I have brought a friend to church with me, later, when I asked them what they thought, I invariably got the same response: “People actually introduced themselves to me…it was weird.” 

Keep being weird.

Keep being welcoming and loving without limitations. Thank you for bearing with me through my many moody and awkward phases. Thank you for teaching me to, as Ecclesiastes 12:1 says, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come.”

SUNDAYS FROM 9:30AM-10:15AM
WOMAN'S CLUB GARDENS

The Bible is the most important book on the planet. If you want to get better at reading and understanding Scripture then take advantage of Sunday School. The aim is to help you grow in your appreciation and application of God's Word.

THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS

If you're looking for a good time to jump in, there's no better time than now. We are making our way through Hebrews. Plan to join us!

"WHATEVER ELSE IN THE BIBLE CATCHES YOUR EYE, DO NOT LET IT DISTRACT YOU FROM HIM."
J.I. PACKER

We are grateful to be part of a denomination that loves and writes good music. Sovereign Grace Music is a gift to our church.

This Sunday we sing a song from their newest album. Come ready to join in.

O LORD, MY ROCK AND MY REDEEMER

VERSE 1
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer
Greatest treasure of my longing soul
My God, like You there is no other
True delight is found in You alone
Your grace, a well too deep to fathom
Your love exceeds the heavens’ reach
Your truth, a fount of perfect wisdom
My highest good and my unending need

VERSE 2
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer
Strong defender of my weary heart
My sword to fight the cruel deceiver
And my shield against his hateful darts
My song when enemies surround me
My hope when tides of sorrow rise
My joy when trials are abounding
Your faithfulness, my refuge in the night

VERSE 3
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer
Gracious Savior of my ruined life
My guilt and cross laid on Your shoulders
In my place You suffered bled and died
You rose, the grave and death are conquered
You broke my bonds of sin and shame
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer
May all my days bring glory to Your Name

Learning to love to read our Bibles is one of the greatest ambitions of our church. For all who are searching for an opportunity to open God's Word and learn alongside fellow brothers and sisters then Sunday School is the place!

MAKE YOUR 2018 A SUNDAY SCHOOL YEAR

Sunday School is where we actively read our bibles together, learn together, and mature together. We meet every Sunday prior to our service in the Woman's Club garden from 9:30-10:15AM.

SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:30AM

Come join us in our journey to know what we believe, why we believe it, and how we respond to objections to the Gospel. The next five weeks in Sunday School will frame Apologetics in Gospel terms so that Apologetics would always further Gospel proclamation.

Sunday School

9:30am

Our Sunday School class is open to everyone and led by a team of instructors. We meet every Sunday prior to our service in the Woman's Club Garden from 9:30-10:15AM. There is no homework and no childcare is provided.