Recap and Resources from Monday Night

Pneumatology (i.e., the study of the Holy Spirit) is a vital aspect of the Christian faith. From one’s moment of salvation to one’s daily Christian walk, the Holy Spirit—and hence, our pneumatology—pervades all of life. We need to have an understanding of the Holy Spirit. That’s why we brought in Jeff Purswell, Director of Theology of Sovereign Grace Churches.

Jeff discussed our denomination’s beliefs on pneumatology and what these beliefs mean for our lives. One of the defining values of Sovereign Grace Churches is a continuationist pneumatology. You can read more about what that means by checking out our 7 shared values or reading our Statement of Faith on the Holy Spirit. Likewise, our understanding of the Holy Spirit affects how we live. For example, we don’t want a narrow pneumatology. We want our understanding to be robust, expectant, and defined by Scripture. We also don’t want an untethered pneumatology. We believe that the focus and aim of the Spirit’s work in the believer today is to exalt Christ, make Christ’s saving work effective in our lives, and make Christ’s presence an experienced and operative reality. Finally, we don’t want a neglected pneumatology. We want an intentional, conscious, and continual trust and dependence on the Holy Spirit. By learning more about the Holy Spirit and addressing these errors, we hope to know and experience the wonder and joy of the Spirit. To help do this, we’ve included a few resources below:

• For those unable to attend, here’s the outline from the seminar.

• The Mystery of the Holy Spirit by R.C. Sproul. In his discussion of the Spirit, Sproul makes deep theology accessible and shows you how to apply these truths to your life and the church. If you want to know more about the Spirit, this is a great place to start.

• He Who Gives Life: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit by Graham Cole. If you really want to get into the weeds and you’re willing to put in the time, this detailed work will help you dive deep into a study of the Spirit.

• If you’re looking for something shorter, try starting here for a few good resources on various aspects of the Spirit.

As always, if you’ve got questions, feel free to contact the church office to get in touch with a pastor. We’re here for you and want to help you however we can!

Hurry and Register While There’s Still Time!

Celebration 2022 is right around the corner. The Lord has been faithful to meet us each time we get together with our sister churches in the mountains. It’s a special event, and no one leaves with regrets. Still on the fence? Don’t be. We’ve got it all covered from financial aid to helping you with any concerns. We’re here to make it work, because we want to see you there! Contact Melissa with any questions. Deadline is September 18th. Details and registration below.

Evangelism Made Easy

We love the House of Hope. During our time there, we’ve built friendships, had great conversations, and grown in our faith along the way. Good things are happening. But of course, this doesn’t work without your help! This is a great opportunity to get involved in the community and live out the Christian faith. It’s an easy commitment. We’re there two evenings each month for a few hours. Can’t make it each time? No problem. Come when you can. Our next meeting is this Wednesday (9/14). The details are simple:

• 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month

• Meet at the House of Hope at 6:15pm

• Eat dinner and hangout at 6:30pm

• Pack up and leave at 8pm

To help us plan for food, please take a second and put your name on our sign up sheet. You’ll also find the full details there. Per request of the House of Hope, the address is not made public for safety reasons. Once you sign up, we’ll provide the address. We look forward to seeing you there!

We’ll See You at the Park This Tuesday (9/14)

Back by popular demand, we’re keeping our basketball nights on the calendar. We’ll be at the park this Tuesday (9/14). Start stretching, start practicing, and get ready to hit the court. Not a fan of basketball? Don’t worry, we’ve got something for everyone. Some play ball, some take their kids to the playground, and others simply enjoy spending time with one another. Here’s the details:

• Meet at El Camino Real Park (400 N Main St 92868)

• 6:30-8:30pm

• Family friendly

• Open invite

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

Seeds and Roots Classes are Back in Session This Week

Last week, the heat pushed us inside. This week, everything is back to normal. Our Seeds class (0-3 yrs) and Roots class (4-7 yrs) are up and running. We’re excited to have your kids with us again.

If you’d like to be in the loop with all things Grove related, contact Andrew Maples to get on our weekly email for things like lesson summaries, discussion points to help you talk to your kids about Jesus, and resources. And don’t forget about our monthly verse calendar. There’s always something exciting happening at the Grove.

Learning to See God’s Activity All Around Us

There’s a lot going on in the world. The news can be discouraging—even scary at times. Not to mention, we’ve got our own problems at home and at work. For some, it’s easy to look out at the world and wonder what God is doing. What’s he up to? Is he even here? The answer is even better than we can imagine. God is here. He is present, and he is active. These stories are proof. That’s one reason we share them every month. They’re meant to cultivate a deep belief in the presence and saving activity of God in the world and in your life. So be encouraged, pray for faith, pray for our partners, and join us in declaring the praises of our present and loving God.

Take a moment and read through this month’s posts. You’ll find a list of ways you can pray for our partners. You’ll hear stories from conferences in Mexico and the United States. You’ll learn about our first Chinese speaking church and our partners in Australia. And finally, you’ll meet those who’ll add to this list in the future at our Pastor’s College. It’s all in the blog below.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT

Mark your calendars for Monday, September 12th at 7pm. This is an event you don’t want to miss. Jeff Purswell, Director of Theology for Sovereign Grace Churches, will be teaching on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, drawing from our revised Statement of Faith. We’ll focus on our continuationist convictions and what they mean for us. This is a great opportunity to hear from an experienced scholar about a vital aspect of our faith. If you’ve never heard Jeff teach, you’re in for a treat. All are welcome. You can find all the details here.

The Virtues that Define Sovereign Grace

The gospel is more than a simple message that we teach every Sunday. The gospel is the power of God for salvation (Rom 1:16). It is the framework through which we view the world. It defines how we live and think. And when we truly embrace the gospel, it produces a culture marked by biblical virtue.

The explicit gospel focus of our church and our family of churches has led us to value seven virtues in particular: humility, joy, gratitude, encouragement, generosity, servanthood, and godliness. It’s not an exhaustive list, but we’ve come to recognize that these particular virtues define our churches. The Sovereign Grace Leadership Team explains this in more detail. You can hit the button below to check it out. It’s worth reading about each virtue, seeing where it shows up in Scripture, and considering the place of each virtue in your own life.