You’ve waited all year, and it’s finally here. Our 8th annual SGCO Chili Cook Off is this Sunday after the service. All cooks should drop off their chili in the garden before the service. We’ll be there to tell you where to go and help you set up. Everyone else, get ready to cast your votes for the spiciest, most creative, and best tasting chili. It all takes place in the Women’s Club garden right after the service. Click here for all the details.
All ladies are welcome to join as we celebrate the end of our Same Page Summer reading plan. Location is TBD but go ahead and mark your calendars. It’s been such an encouraging time together. We’ve seen results and experienced growth. That said, we don’t want to stop. That’s why we are continuing are study of God’s Word by jumping straight into another reading plan!
Our new reading plan will take us through the end of May. You can view it here. And remember, this isn’t meant to be burden or add any more stress in your life. It’s quite the opposite. It’s designed to keep you in the Word and fill your heart and mind with God’s truth everyday. And you won’t be alone. There’s plenty of ladies reading alongside you. It all begins September 5th. Contact Kirsi for questions and details.
We are a joyful church. It’s evident in the lives of our members and in the way we sing together every Sunday. When we sing this Sunday, we’ll be introducing a new song. The video is above and the lyrics are below. We’d encourage you to read it, watch it, or put it on your playlist before Sunday so you know what to expect.
Verse 1
We won’t fear the battle
We won’t fear the night
We will walk the valley, with You by our side
You will go before us
You will lead the way
We have found a refuge, only You can save
Chorus
Sing with joy now: our God is for us
The Father’s love is a strong and mighty fortress
Raise your voice now, no love is greater
Who can stand against us if our God is for us
Verse 2
Even when I stumble
Even when I fall
Even when I turn back, still Your love is sure
You will not abandon
You will not forsake
You will cheer me onward with never ending grace
Bridge
Neither height nor depth can separate us
Hell and death will not defeat us
He who gave His Son to free us
Holds me in His love
We experience God’s power and presence in unique ways when we pray together. Just think about it. When we meet tonight, we expect to encounter the God of all creation—that’s an amazing thing! He hears us when we pray, and each time we gather, we expect to leave and never be the same. That’s the beauty and power of prayer.
Whether you’re a church member, a guest, or a friend of the church, we want you to join us for prayer. Mark your calendars on Tuesday (8/23) from 7-8pm at the Women’s Club (121 S Center St, Orange, CA 92866). For all the details and to submit your prayer requests, visit the prayer page on our website.
It’s almost here. You’ve waited all year for it. And it’s only one week away. This is your chance to show off your creativity and cooking skills. This is the 8th annual SGCO Chili Cook Off. So, get ready to bring the heat—along with the creativity and your best recipe. We’ll be giving out awards in three categories: Spiciest, Most Creative, and Best Tasting. If you call it chili, we will too.
Join us right after the service this Sunday in the Women’s Club garden. We’ll have an extended time of fellowship and a chance to try and cast your vote for your favorite chili. If you still want to bring your chili, it’s not to late to participate! Register your chili and find all the details here.
Psalms is a beautiful book. It doesn’t shy away from life’s complexities. Perhaps no other book in the Bible captures the range of human emotions and human experiences like the book of Psalms. It gives an unflinching look into the ups and downs of life while constantly pointing the reader to a faithful and loving God. Psalm 88 is a perfect example.
Last Sunday, Israel—a faithful member of our church—preached from Psalm 88 and encouraged us to pray when we experience pain. The Psalm never gives a direct answer to why we experience pain, but it teaches us to cling to the Lord when we are overwhelmed, lonely, and scared. The fact that this Psalm is even included in the Bible is evidence that God gets us, he knows how we feel, and he equips us to make it through every situation.
On Sunday, we introduced Kaylynn as our newest church member. We couldn’t be more excited. We believe membership matters, so it’s always a joyous occasion when someone joins our church family. You can read more about our convictions here. In short, we believe that membership helps establish, communicate, and sustain true gospel community. We’re committed to loving one another and helping one another be faithful followers of Christ. You can read Kaylynn’s testimony below. If you’re interested in or have questions about membership, contact the church office. We’d love to talk.
It’s such a privilege to share a little about myself as I officially join this church as a member. When I was three, my mom shared the gospel with me and asked me if I wanted to accept Jesus Christ. I promptly said, “No, I did not at all.” But a year later, I changed my mind, and my faith since then has been a constant in my life as I grew up. I was baptized at 11 at my childhood church and have continued to walk with Christ. In October of last year, I met Joe. We were both on the same dating app and starting chatting and eventually went on a date. A few weeks later, he brought me to visit his church on Reformapalooza. The first person I met was my now sister-in-law—Sarah—who said hi, then promptly ran away. But overall, I felt his church had a strong Bible believing, prayer filled tradition. Eventually Joe and I started dating, and in January, I started regularly attending now our church, Sovereign Grace of Orange.
I see God’s grace at work here in many ways—most importantly, in the care and the love the congregation has for one another and the staff. Most recently, I felt this love when my brother-in-law was killed in a car accident. Many people came up to me to cry and pray. The church ended up donating money to help out my sister in lieu of sending flowers. This meant so much to our family that this church would care for us like this.
That being said, I’m excited to join this wonderful congregation and help care for its members the way they have cared for me. I’m also excited to hear the word preached every Sunday and be led in faith filled and truth filled worship. Thank you all for being so good to me.
When we pray together, we experience God’s power and presence in unique ways. It is an amazing thing to consider that the God of all creation meets us when we come before him. We expect to encounter God. We expect to leave and never be the same. That’s the beauty and power of prayer.
Whether you’re a church member, a guest, or a friend of the church, we want you to join us for prayer. Mark your calendars on Tuesday (8/23) from 7-8pm at the Women’s Club (121 S Center St, Orange, CA 92866). For all the details and to submit your prayer requests, visit the prayer page on our website.