Testimonies About Reading God’s Word

We know that remembering to read the Bible by ourselves can be difficult. Sometimes we need a little help. That’s why we have our Summer Bible Reading Challenge beginning in June. Our reading plan is designed to get you in the Word each day. You can find more information and sign up here.

But don’t just take our word for it. Two of our members—Zac and Anna—gave us their perspective on Sunday morning. You can read their testimonies below

Anna:

I joined the Bible Reading Challenge partly from a hunger to read more Scripture, and partly because of the format. The plan covers the entire Bible in just 9 months and the emphasis is to read what is assigned for that date and not worry about the days that you missed.

While it is a fast pace, the simplicity of the focus—just taking in Scripture (whether via reading or audio)—has been a tremendously rich experience for me. Historically, I have relied on journaling through Scripture verses, but with this plan, you don’t have time to journal for 20 minutes on every verse.

The approach of reading large portions every day is an act of faith towards God. Rather than trusting my abilities in meditation and study, I am choosing to trust that God is true to his promise that his Word is living and active. 

I have seen Scripture shape me as weeks have passed, impacting my thoughts and highlighting the character of God, the trustworthiness of his promises, and the glory of his plan of salvation. Reading Scripture at this pace has helped me keep moving through difficult books and has helped me see themes and make connections all over the Bible.

In Jeremiah, I saw how tremendously longsuffering God is towards his people and the affection of his heart towards wayward sinners.

In Daniel, I saw how God comforts Daniel as he responds in fear to terrifying visions of the world’s opposition to the Lord by the Lord’s assurances to him that he is greatly loved.

Job showed me how to wrestle with blameless, undeserved suffering and pointed me towards the ultimate Blameless Sufferer, Jesus.

Ephesians opened my eyes to the Lord’s salvation and heart and promises for us being an overflow of abundance and that where I fear God being stingy, he is lavish in his generosity.

I experienced this richness, despite missing many days. At the end of this challenge, I missed three months in their entirety, and a few others were spotty. So. Did I fail the challenge? Absolutely not!! Even with missing three whole months, I read and feasted on far more Scripture than I ever would have without participating! 

I am hungrier for the Lord and his word than I was at the outset. I am more mindful of the Lord’s work. I have more hope in the return of Jesus and am more grounded in trust of his faithfulness to me. 

In addition, it has been a delight to be reading the same passages as other people in the church, and it has increased my motivation with excitement to talk about how the LORD is using his word in our lives.

So. I cannot highlight enough the richness and fruitfulness of this challenge and want to urge you to join us for the next one. Thank you.

Zac:

I signed up for the Bible Reading Challenge because I found past reading challenges to be really fruitful, and I hadn’t read through the entire Bible for a number of years. I also find that the structure and accountability help me to be more consistent with my Bible reading than I am when reading by myself. 

While I will admit I had trouble keeping up with the reading and have missed some days and some chapters, the Holy Spirit was there to meet me when I did read. When I submit my heart to the reading of God’s Word, the Spirit gives me something to hold on to regarding the character of God and the hope we have in Him. The Spirit sometimes illuminates passages such that I feel I had never read them before. I sense that God is conversing with me and has new things to say. For example, we were reading Ezekiel last month, which I hadn’t read in many years. In the opening chapter, Ezekiel describes seeing a vision in heaven of the likeness of a throne with a likeness of a human appearance seated upon it. One of the guys pointed out that this could be a Christophany, that is a non-physical appearance of Christ in his pre-incarnate glory. For me reading that chapter was like getting a new glimpse of our Lord that I hadn’t picked up on before.

And that example alludes to one of the pleasures of going through this reading plan: we were doing it together. Many of the other men participating in the challenge were using the Bible App to share what we learned each day. The Holy Spirit was also speaking in and through these men to my encouragement and benefit.

I would encourage the members of the church to also consider joining future group reading plans so that you might also receive the same blessings and encouragements I received.

What We Learn from the First Church Scandal

Last Sunday, Pastor Dustin preached from Acts 4:32-5:11. The early church is abounding in grace and unity as a result of the gospel. Specifically, we see that it is a generous church. They know they have the riches of heaven, so they are ready to part with the riches of the earth.

However, one self-interested couple sins and is punished. What is the reason for their punishment? The answer might surprise us. Along the way, we learn that our response is a healthy and holy fear of God accompanied by a gratefulness for Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to capture a recording of the sermon, but you can read the transcript below.

Read the Sermon Transcript

May It Never Be Said of You and Me That We Did Not Have Because We Did Not Ask.

One of the highest privileges of the Christian life is prayer. These meetings are a time when we come together to encounter and converse with God. We believe that God hears our prayers and loves to answer our prayers.

Join us as we pray together this Tuesday, May 24th at the Women’s Club from 7-8 pm.

Diving into God’s Word Together

The Bible is the very Word of God. It bears witness to Jesus Christ and God’s activity in the world. It contains what the Creator and Ruler of the universe wants us to know. It is our source of joy, strength, and delight. And it’s easily accessible every day. Sometimes, we just need a little help.

Join the men and women of our church in our 2022 Summer Bible Reading Challenge. If you already have a Bible reading plan, keep at it. If not, now is a great time to get started. To join us, simply click the link below.

Join the 2022 Summer Bible Reading Challenge.

Join us as we celebrate our friends

Our friends Danny, Nathalie, and their two sons, James and Caleb, are moving to Florida. It’s difficult to see them go, but we trust that the Lord has great things for them at their new home. Help us send them off with a time of fun, fellowship, and prayer. The Gnewuchs have graciously agreed to host. Here’s what you need to know:

• Saturday, May 28th from 6-8 pm

• Tacos and dessert provided

• Open invitation

If you have questions or need directions, please contact Diane. Join us as we celebrate our friends and the Lord’s work in their lives!

Praying for our Student Neighbors

On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to host a student outreach event at Orange High School. Our partners from the National School Project and our students leaders at Orange High came together to proclaim the gospel to a group of students during lunch. We were able to get to know them, give them gospel resources, and talk about Jesus.

This is the final outreach of the year, but we’ll still be maintaining a presence on campus. And we could use your help. Please continue to pray for the students at Orange High. Here are a few requests:

• Ask God to save the students who attended the event. Pray that the Holy Spirit continues to move on campus.

• Ask God to continue to give us opportunities to know the students.

• Ask God to continue to give us favor with the Orange High faculty.

Prayer is a vital part of our work at Orange High. Through your prayers, we’ve seen the Lord work in the hearts of many students. We’re excited to see what God does next!

A Testimony On Faithful Stewardship

Finances are a big deal in Scripture. God owns all things, distributes as he pleases, and entrusts gifts to us. These gifts are meant to be used for all creation’s flourishing, not just personal gain. How we use them says a lot about our hearts.

Our Money Management class exists to help God’s people become faithful stewards. Below is a testimony from Lauren Maples, a recent graduate of the class. As you read, consider God’s gifts to you, how you steward your own resources, and look to sign up in the future!

Hi! I’m Lauren Maples.

My husband Andrew and I were excited to hear about the Money Management class for a few reasons. 

One – We’re new to California and prices here are – well let’s just say they’re different. We knew that we would need to think strategically with our finances if we were hoping to make this new life work, both now and in the future. 

Two – Though we actually moved here from Kentucky, we were both born and raised in Tennessee and met through a Sovereign Grace Church in Knoxville. That church offered a money management class and covered the same material. Over the years, I heard testimony after testimony from individuals and families who were affected by that class. When I realized that Sovereign Grace Church of Orange offered a similar class, I was excited. I always assumed that this was some kind of magic class that offered the solutions to all money management problems – both spiritually and practically.

Our third reason for taking the class was - We really liked Les and Sue Card (who teach the class) and we were excited to learn more from them in any capacity. 

During our time in the class, we were surprised to discover that much of the class wasn’t about practical tips and tricks (though there definitely was that element). The class was centered around Scripture – answering the questions “what does God have to say about money?” and “how does or should this affect our view of money?” 

Though I would have said that I already knew the answer to these questions, the class’s emphasis on these questions gave Andrew and I the opportunity to discuss the topic more deeply between ourselves and with the rest of the class. 

This reminder and challenge to steward our money to the glory of God because it IS God’s greatly served us!

I’ve personally wrestled with a healthy mindset of giving – desiring to be generous and give in faith, but not relying on God’s grace and wisdom for what that might look like. Les and Sue were able to give helpful input, point us to Scripture, and encourage Andrew and I to talk together and pray about this. 

Lastly, I was encouraged by the group itself. While we talked about stewarding our money, spending plans, giving, buying homes (or trying to) and more, we also shared our current struggles and needs and had opportunities to pray for one another. I gained new friends and was challenged in my walk with the Lord because of this group. 

Les and Sue, thank you so much for consistently sacrificing your time, energy, and resources to lead this class year after year! Andrew and I were greatly served and encouraged by our time learning from and with you all. 

I would take it again. Thanks. 

Focus on the Lord, Not on the Opposition

This past Sunday, Andrew Maples, our pastoral resident, preached on Acts 4:5-31. He reminded us that God’s people are not of those who shrink back and remain silent in the face of opposition. Whenever the disciples faced opposition or had the opportunity to preach the Gospel, they boldly told others about Jesus. Are we able to act with the same boldness? God’s Word says yes. We boldly proclaim the joys of Christ, because we know the Scriptures and are filled with the Spirit.

Listen to the sermon here.