Prayer and Encouragement From Around the World

Each month, we like to post the prayer requests and stories from our friends around the world. We believe that prayer is one of God’s chosen ways through which he will accomplish his purposes. Prayer is powerful and effective. And because of prayer, our hearts can be encouraged and our faith can be strengthened by hearing the stories of the miraculous ways that God is at work. From our first Chinese church plant to a Pastor’s and Planter’s Academy in Africa, you can find it all on the Missions Blog. Join us as we continue to pray for our partners this month.

1. Pray for Todd Peterson and Erik Rangel. Pray for wisdom as they continue conversations with church leaders from India and determine a way forward for future SGC partnerships. Todd and Erik have been leading the Villatoro ministry in Vempadu with the hopes of converting it into a formal foundation. They have also been overseeing plans for a Bible College in Gundugolanu.

2. Pray for Bert Turner (Executive Pastor of Covenant of Grace Church, Copley, Ohio) as he continues his time in Brazil (September 1st – October 12th). Pray for safety, health, and good communication with Pastors Emerson, Fabiano, Guilherme and Jader as they seek to build gospel-centred relationships. Also, pray for Rich Richardson as he joins Bert in Brazil.

3. Pray for Dave York and his team of SGC pastors (Dave Taylor, Riley Spring, Tony Walsh and Lynn Baird) who will travel to the Philippines from October 7th-16th to conduct oral exams for the ordination of 19 men.

4. Pray for Nick Kidwell and his team who planted Valley Creek Church in Malvern, Pennsylvania on Sunday October 2nd. Pray for team unity and pray that it will be a place that brings about gospel change for many folks in the community there.

We’re Singing a New Song This Sunday

We want to introduce you to a new song that we’ll be singing this Sunday. Some of you will recognize it from Celebration. Others might be hearing it for the first time. Either way, we want you to have the video and lyrics so that you’ll be ready to sing with us on Sunday.

How I love the voice of Jesus
On the cross of Calvary
He declares His work is finished
He has spoken this hope to me

Though the sun had ceased its shining
Though the war appeared as lost
Christ had triumphed over evil
It was finished upon that cross

Now the curse it has been broken
Jesus paid the price for me
Full, the pardon He has offered
Great, the welcome that I receive

Boldly I approach my Father
Clothed in Jesus' righteousness
There is no more guilt to carry
It was finished upon that cross

Death was once my great opponent
Fear once had a hold on me
But the Son who died to save us
Rose that we would be free indeed!

Death was once my great opponent
Fear once had a hold on me
But the Son who died to save us
Rose that we would be free indeed!
Yes, He rose that we would be free indeed!

Free from every plan of darkness
Free to live and free to love
Death is dead and Christ is risen!
It was finished upon that cross

Onward to eternal glory
To my Saviour and my God
I rejoice in Jesus' victory
It was finished upon that cross (3x)

Something from Nothing?

Last month, we discussed how to talk about God’s holiness and mankind’s sinfulness with our unbelieving neighbors. Now, let’s talk about God’s existence.

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 ESV

God exists. It’s the most foundational belief. We can’t have any hope of our neighbors being saved if they don’t first believe that there is a God.

If you’re speaking to someone who is atheistic or agnostic, it’s wise to start by simply pressing them to consider the clues for the existence of God.

Ask them, “Why is there something rather than nothing?” Listen to their answer. And as you formulate your response, make use of Tim Keller’s observations. He writes, “Everything we know in this world is ‘contingent,’ has a cause outside of itself. Therefore the universe, which is just a huge pile of such contingent entities, would itself have to be dependent on some cause outside of itself…What could that be but something outside of nature, a supernatural, noncontingent being that exists from itself” (The Reason for God, ch. 8).

Nothing can’t produce something. There must be something greater than the universe. That’s the only reason that adequately explains the universe’s existence.

Now, that doesn’t prove that the God of the Bible is real. But it does make the skeptic deal seriously with the reality of God’s existence. And His existence needs to be established before we can talk about what He’s like.

(For more arguments about the existence of God, refer to chapter 8 in Tim Keller’s book The Reason for God.)

Next Steps

1. Decide who your “one” is for October and prepare to share about them with your small group. If you didn’t share the gospel with your “one” from last month, feel free to pick them and try again!

2. Prepare to share with your small group about the unbelievers in your life who claim to be atheistic or agnostic. Ask your fellow small group members to help you strategize how to talk about the existence of God.

3. Invite your “one” to the Christianity 101 class. It starts this Thursday night at 7:00pm. Offer to attend with them.

4. Review the “Who’s Your One?” webpage and make use of the recommended resources at the bottom.

May our neighbors come to know that God exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

Celebration 2022 Is in the Books

What a weekend. We loved seeing everyone in the mountains, and we want to send a big thanks to all those who made it possible. If you’ve got pictures or videos from the weekend that you’d like to share, we’d love to see them! Feel free to send them to our photos account.

As we settle back down in our normal routines, we want to encourage everyone to reflect on the messages and conversations that took place over the weekend. Remember to find satisfaction in Christ by treasuring God’s Word, meditating on the Cross, and walking in step with the Holy Spirit. Reach out and follow up with those you met. And of course, praise the Lord for all he is doing through our church. We can’t wait to do it all again next year.

Our First Class is Happening This Week

Have questions about Christianity but don’t know where to go? We’ve got a place for you. Meet us at the Women’s Club every Thursday in October from 7-8:30pm. This is a safe place to be new. We’ll provide an overview of the Bible’s storyline and give you plenty of time to ask questions. Everyone is welcome, so mark your calendars and invite a friend!

Not Coming With Us? We’ve Still Got Something For You

This Sunday, we’ll be together in the mountains for Celebration 2022. That said, we will not be meeting at the Women’s Club this Sunday. We’ll miss our friends who aren’t able to join us, and we want to make sure that you’re still covered for Sunday. We encourage you to make a point to spend time with the Lord. If you’re looking for ways to worship, turn on the songs we’ll be singing at Celebration. If you want to get in the Word, pick a sermon. To dive deeper into what we believe, check out our resources page. Whatever it is, take a moment and come before the Lord. We’ll be back to normal next week.

Learning to Trust God in Adversity

Sometimes, we can feel like our life is a mess. It may seem like the odds are stacked against us. In fact, our friends in Acts 12:1-25 could relate. Pastor Dustin helpfully walks through Acts 12 to teach us an important lesson from these early disciples: our mess is God’s masterpiece. Regardless of what the situation looks like, God’s plan is always playing out. This chapter helps us see what God is doing even when it gets messy.

Have Questions? We’re Here to Help

Start telling your friends! Christianity 101 is a 4-week introductory course about the Christian faith. We’ll show you how the Bible makes sense of our existence and deepest questions by walking through the BIble’s storyline. It’s a safe, casual setting to ask questions and learn about Christianity. Here’s the details:

Every Thursday this October
Open Invitaiton
7:00pm-8:30pm
Woman's Club of Orange
121 S Center St, Orange, CA 92866

As we’ve mentioned before, church members are welcome to attend. However, we want our members to make a point to invite unbelievers. Tell your neighbors, send a link to your co-workers, text your friends, offer to come with them—we need you to get the word out! Don’t miss this opportunity to share about the hope that we have. More details and registration below.