The Doctrine of The Holy Spirit
Pastor Eric is attending a class this week taught by Dr. Sam Storms and hosted by Sovereign Grace Pastors College.
Joe's first Sunday serving on the worship team. Thanks Joe!
We regularly take time in our Sunday services to hear stories of how God is at work in the members of our church. This past weekend Ryan graduated from chiropractic school. Here's some of what they shared...
Lisa: Thank you for loving us over the past 6 years and especially the last 3. This season of school has been the hardest of our married life and you never gave up on us.
You prayed for us. You cared for us. You came alongside us when we were discouraged. God has in so many ways sustained us in large part through you. Thank you.
Ryan: 7 years ago I arrived in California to complete a 3-month long project. That project kept us here for 18 months and introduced us to you. God was preparing us for the unexpected.
Although I returned to Florida in the aerospace industry, God quickly made it clear He was calling me to serve people as a chiropractor. So we came back.
Now we love it here and plan on staying here. I have no clue what the future holds. I can't even explain how I got here today. But I'm so grateful that you have been here in Old Towne Orange. We couldn't have gotten this far without you.
Blackman Graduation Party - April 24
Christian Freedom
Pastor Eric preached last Sunday from 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1, leading us to consider the conclusion to the Corinthian question regarding freedom.
All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful:
- Don't do it if it causes your brother to do it with a guilty conscience. (8:1-13)
- Don't do it if it hinders the work of God and the advance of the gospel. (9:1-23)
- Don't do it if it leads you to sin. (9:24-10:13)
- Don't do it if it doesn't glorify God. (10:14-11:1)
This could sound like Christianity is all about saying no, but this couldn't be farther from the truth. We have been set free to be who we were created to be. The things we do that please God, now please us. We are most satisfied when God is most glorified!
Theology on Tap -
Last night at Theology on Tap, the men had a spirited discussion about how prayer work. Lots of laughs. Lots of banter. It's been so good to talk about God with these guys. You can learn more about Theology on Tap and how you can participate here.
Our big question of the night was whether or not we should pray for God to save people. And our conclusion was a resounding yes!
Because God is sovereign.
Because God is good.
Because God uses means.
What role does prayer have in God's plan to save sinners? The same role preaching and evangelism and all the other things God calls us to do has in saving sinners. God is a God of means and prayer is part of how He is building his church.
Read Michael Horton's response to those who struggle with God sovereignty and our prayers.
Pastor Eric recommended two books during his sermon last Sunday.
The Discipline of Grace: God's Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
“Too often, we say we are defeated by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated. We are simply disobedient. It might be good if we stop using the terms victory and defeat to describe our progress in holiness. Rather, we should use the terms obedience and disobedience. When I say I am defeated by some sin, I am unconsciously slipping out from under my responsibility. I am saying something outside of me has defeated me. But when I say I am disobedient, that places the responsibility for my sin squarely on me. We may in fact be defeated, but the reason we are defeated is because we have chosen to disobey."
“Most people spend their entire lives trying to make their heart’s fondest dreams come true. Isn’t that what life is all about, “the pursuit of happiness”? We search endlessly for ways to acquire the things we desire, and we are willing to sacrifice much to achieve them. We never imagine that getting our heart’s deepest desires might be the worst thing that can ever happen to us.”
The clock is ticking.
Kyle and Kesley Houlton and their 3 boys are planning to relocate to Orange on July 1st. It's a bold move. You can read about it here.
As we make preparations, two big prayer requests have surfaced: housing and employment. We want them to land in a neighborhood that has a probability of becoming the site of a future church. We also want them to be able to support themselves. We do not intend to employ Kyle...he is transitioning to bi-vocational ministry.
Would you please join us in prayer?
- Full-time employment - 40 hours with sufficient pay to support his family.
- A Home in Santa Ana - near downtown Santa Ana with room for 5 people and a base for hospitality.
Watching the Orange Plaza Car show from our church offices.
To be human is to pursue happiness.
Pastor Eric preached last Sunday from 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:13, adding to our study of the topic of Christian liberty. He said "This is the part of the conversation about our freedoms that is frequently omitted. We are champions of our favorite whatevers, but often neglect to acknowledge that our whatevers could become our next idols."
Our freedom requires more discipline, more caution, and more grace than we first realized. The most misinterpreted maxim in the life of Christian is often "For freedom Christ has set us free."