Saul—the Saved Sinner

Last Sunday, Pastor Eric preached from Acts 9:1-31. This passage details one of the most consequential events in the book of Acts. Here, we read the inspired account of Saul’s conversation. A persecutor turned apostle. An enemy turned evangelist. A transformation so radical that he would go on to write most of the New Testament. This event shows the extent of God’s saving power, and challenges us to examine our heart and lives. As a result, our response is one of humility and amazement.

Listen to the sermon here.

A Few Quick Notes from Sunday

Last Sunday, we had our Member Meeting right after the service. We thank God for these times together and the privilege it is to come together as a body of believers committed to one another. We discussed membership updates, leadership transitions, gave an update on Andrew Maples’ residency, introduced new ministry programs, and encouraged the church in doing long term ministry in a short term city. Here are a few brief highlights from the public notes:

1. Under leadership transitions, we discussed Pastor Eric’s changing responsibilities in our denomination. Over the past 5 years, he’s had increasing responsibility within our denomination. This has been a wonderful and fruitful opportunity. However, after much prayer and counsel, the pastoral team agreed that it’s best to reduce Erics responsibilities outside of our church. This will provide Eric a more sustainable pace of life and allow him to focus even more of his time and energy right here in Orange.

2. This year, we are introducing two new courses that we hope will become a regular part of our ministry year. We’re also making further strides to grow as a praying church. These are the steps we are taking:

• First, as an extension of our “Who’s Your One?” campaign, we are introducing a New Believer Course that introduces Christianity to all those hoping to learn more.

• Second, we’re introducing a Young Parents Course beginning in January. We’ve seen an increase of young children in our church—and we praise God for this! We want to make sure our parents are being cared for and given the proper help in this stage in life.

• Third, we are introducing a Prayer Team. This team consists of a group of members who help the pastors care for others in the church by offering appropriate care and prayer.

• Finally, our monthly prayer meeting will become a prayer service. This simply means that we are expanding our prayer meeting to include things such as a time of worship. It’s our hope that the Lord will continue to use these meetings to sustain our church and bring glory to his name.

If you were unable to attend the meeting or would like a full copy of the notes, please contact Melissa at the church office. We’re excited to see what the Lord has planned, and we look forward to walking in it together.

Basketball, Playgrounds, and Fellowship

As part of our Summer Events Calendar, we meet once a month to play basketball at El Camino Real Park. Not a fan of basketball? Don’t worry, we’ve got something for everyone. Some people play ball, some play with their kids on the playground, and others simply enjoy spending time talking to one another. Here’s the details:

• Meet at El Camino Real Park (400 N Main St 92868) from 6:30-8:30pm

• Family friendly

• Open invite

Come and go as you please. It’s perfect for the whole family and all ages so bring whatever you need for the night. Plus, it’s a great opportunity for outreach. We hope to see you there.

Updates and Encouragements from our pastors

If you’re a member of SGCO or consider SGCO to be your church home, we invite you to stick around this Sunday after the service for our Member’s Meeting. These are special times when we all come together to talk about our church and enjoy extended fellowship. Bring your own lunch or bring cash for our famous Buck-O-Slice pizza. We plan to cover a few things like leadership transitions and new ministry programs. You don’t want to miss it!

Remember to check out our summer calendar

Looking for something to do this week? Our church has something for you. Upcoming events include game nights, basketball, and pool parties. You can find all the events on our summer calendar. Additionally, be sure and check our Playgroup Facebook page for details and updates about certain events. If you have any questions, contact Kirsi.

Prayer and encouragement

Jesus is present and actively involved in our lives and the world. It’s a good habit to constantly remind ourselves of this. A great way to do this is by reading stories of God’s activity from fellow Christians around the world. And it doesn’t stop there. We actually get to be involved in God’s activity through our prayers!

Our family of churches continually publishes updates and prayer requests from our partners on the Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Blog. It’s filled with amazing stories about God’s faithfulness. Take a minute and scroll through. It’s bound to build your faith. And while you’re at it, please take a moment to pray for our partners. You’ll find this month’s prayer requests below.

1 John 5:14 says “This is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” Therefore, let us run to him, humble and dependent, knowing he hears our prayers as we all play our part to see the gospel advance through the work of church planting, emerging nations and missions. Join us as we cry out to our Lord, with full assurance He answers our prayers in accordance with His good and perfect will.

1. Please pray for Bob Kauflin as he leads the Worship God conference this month. Please pray that God would use the conference to encourage and equip attendees to serve in their local churches more effectively, joyfully and fruitfully. Please pray that there would be a spirit of unity, joy, and faith pervading at the conference, and that the songs to be introduced from Unchanging God, Vol 1 & 2 would be an encouragement. Pray that the participation of Jonathan & Sarah Jerez (Spanish Christian music artists) would encourage those seeking to make an impact in the Spanish speaking world.

2. Pray for the inaugural Together 2022 conference that will be happening in Australia. It will bring the two churches in Australia together for a few days to explore what biblical and gospel centered partnership looks like as they seek to pioneer a new denomination in Australia and extend our family of churches across this great land. Please pray for God’s presence in all aspects of the conference as both churches enjoy a weekend of fellowship, worship, and making memories together!

3. Please pray for the O’Mara Family (Ed, Robin and their 3 children Teagan, Liadan, and Kilian) as they move to Italy, with a view to planting a gospel-centered church. Please pray they would experience God’s protection as they travel, and that the family would settle well, and quickly, into a new culture.

4. Please pray for the people of Ukraine as the Russian invasion enters its fifth month. Please pray that the pastors and churches in Ukraine continue to be the hands and feet for Jesus, and that our Sovereign Lord continues to sustain them, and use these opportunities to grow their trust in Him. Pray that the light and hope of the gospel would shine even more brightly in the midst of darkness and suffering, and that the manifold wisdom of God be revealed through His church.

The Beauty and Importance of the Gathered Body

Last Sunday, Pastor Dustin preached from Psalm 122. This Psalm helps us understand the importance of our Sunday morning meetings. Sadly, it’s easy to lose sight of this. We don’t see our Sunday service for what it is, we become distracted, or perhaps we simply don’t come because we’d rather do other things. Whatever it is, this Psalm reminds us of the beauty of the gathered church body. God has designed these meeting for his glory and our good, and he even has a role for each of us here. There is no place like this place.

Listen to the sermon here.

Join us as we put our faith into action

Faith is accompanied by expression. In other words, what we believe directly affects how we live. The Bible says a lot about this. We’re saved by grace, and that grace produces changed lives that point to the love of God. This means that our faith results in good works and changes how we relate to others, especially those who need help (e.g., Matt 5:14-16; 25:34-40; Jas 2:14-17, etc.).

Our time at the House of Hope is a great place to put our faith in action. On the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month, we meet at the House of Hope from 6:30pm to 8pm to share a meal with and get to know the residents—and we could use your help! Simply sign up, drop by, and show and tell them about the love of Jesus. Each conversation goes a long way.

You can sign up to serve here. For more information, contact Andrew Maples.