Posts in Recommendations
Wrestling With The Baltimore Protests

Our very own Jason was featured in The Washington Post this past week.

Four ways we can wrestle with the Baltimore protests without fueling the fire

“Two circles make a triangle. I’m right!” I was driving my 4-year-old daughter Luna home from preschool when out of the back seat, without any, provocation she tells us this nugget of wisdom.

Unfortunately I find this be the tone of dialogue on race relations in America, especially now in Baltimore. We find ourselves convinced of our positions without any hope of budge.

To those who already know they are right, I doubt a blog or any historical precedence have any affect. Enjoy your coffee.

But! To those willing to wrestle, I humbly submit four ideas to hang your thoughts on.

  1. Understand: we are all image bearers of God
  2. Consider: Understanding is not condoning
  3. Remember: Events don’t happen in a vacuum
  4. Look forward: We are the problem, but we are not without hope

"I believe the forgiveness found in Jesus is powerful enough not only to fix the wrongs of my past, but also to transform how I live in the present."

Read the entire article over at www.washingtonpost.com.

Book Recommendation - The Reason For God
CREDIT BANANNA-MEI ART

Pastor Eric referenced The Reason for God by Timothy Keller this past week during his sermon from Mark 11:1-11. Buy the book on Amazon or at our bookstore.

The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to died for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less. 

Why Your Life Online Matters

Some of the more popular places in Orange County have no street addresses. No one would even know if you visited them today or not.

Google

Facebook

Youtube

Yahoo

Amazon

How we conduct ourselves online matters. It matters because there are real people on the other end of our Facebook posts. We can't suspend the command to use your words (and pictures) to encourage one another.

We do business online. We buy stuff online. And there are real businesses on the other end of our transactions. We represent Christ in every transaction, whether we them meet face to face or on Ebay.

We consume media online. We watch video online. We read news online. And the internet makes access to everything quick, easy, private, and anonymous.

We are a community of individual internet users.

The reality is that Sovereign Grace Church (as a congregation) has an online life. So let's live it no differently than we live the rest of our lives on streets and in our homes. Let's live it in community, let's encourage one another towards godliness, and let's help one another do all of the above.

This is why we are offering every adult member of our church a free account with Covenant Eyes, and internet accountability service. We committed to providing the best opportunities to walk out our faith together.

Learn more about Covenant Eyes.

New Years Recommendations

New Years is a great time to evaluate the past and plan for the future. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." Here are a few resources to get you started.

Bible Reading Plans

Spend more time reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on scripture. Tim Challies provides a good roundup.

52 Sundays

Develop a commitment to worshiping with the church. There is a strong correlation between church attendance and spiritual health. Here's a list of articles from our 2014 plan.

Biblical Friendships

Our relationship with other christians is often more important than we think. And takes more effort too. Buy this book and resolve to build better friends this year.

Join A Ministry Team

Be who God has called you to be: a saint busy with the work of ministry (Ephesians 4), walking in good works (Ephesians 2), always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15). Go here to connect with a ministry team leader.

Be Accountable

Invite your friends into your life online. You'll be spending a lot of 2015 consuming media. Check out our free offer to every member of Sovereign Grace Church.

 

52 Sundays: The Final List

We challenged our members and regular attenders to attend a church service every week in 2014. You can read more about the 52 SUNDAYS challenge here. This article is part of a series of articles about 52 SUNDAYS.

Big thanks to everyone who made it to church every week in 2014! We'll have more to say about you soon.

Here is the final list of all the articles we published. Take a refresher course on why Sundays are so important as we begin a new year.