There are many facets to our life as a church! Our hope is that these posts will enable you to plan, pray, and ultimately rejoice in what the Lord is doing at Sovereign Grace Church. Here are a few updates for you to do just that! 

Forge is this saturday!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5TH.
BREAKFAST WILL BE SERVED AT 8AM.

Erik Rangel, who serves as the senior pastor at the Sovereign Grace Church in Yuma (Legacy Church), will be coming to teach the men in our church how the bible speaks to men about sexual temptation.

Bring your teen sons and your friends. All men are invited!

For more information, contact Derek Overstreet.

New sermon series - COLOSSIANS: ALIVE IN CHRIST

We are excited to study the book of Colossians as a church starting THIS Sunday, October 6th.

If you haven’t yet received your free copy of the Colossians ESV Scripture Journal, you can pick one up at the Information Center on Sunday morning.

The Bridge Course

There are TWO Bridge Courses starting on Tuesday, October 8th! One of the courses will be meeting at the Church and the other at Coffee X Change Bistro on the Eastside at Tanque Verde & Kolb. 

Do you have one person you can invite? Now is the time to take action! 

For a list of the questions and topics for each session, go to BridgeCourse.org. If you want to get involved or learn more, contact Tim Lambros.

relay: a sovereign GRACE cONFERENCE FOR YOUNG adults

The RELAY Conference exists to inspire young adults to live for the glory of Christ.

If you are between the ages of 16 to early 30’s, please join us for a brief meeting on Sunday, October 13th, after the service to discuss the RELAY CONFERENCE. Derek will provide a breakdown of the costs and share other helpful details about this exciting event. We'd love to have you join us!

For more details and registration information, visit the RELAY SITE HERE.

Membership Class

SUNDAYS, OCT 13TH, OCT 20TH, OCT 27TH, AND NOV 3RD AFTER THE SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE.

If you are interested in becoming a member or learning more about Sovereign Grace Church, please join us for the upcoming Membership Class!

Childcare and lunch will be provided.

To sign up, please reach out to Tom Wilkins or visit the Information Center on Sunday morning.

gifts of the spirit weekend with

mark prater

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18TH, FROM 7PM-9PM & SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19TH, FROM 9AM-2PM.

Join us as we allow the Scriptures to inform us about the gifts God gives his people through the Spirit!

Lunch and childcare will be provided on Saturday.

To sign up or find out more about this event, please CLICK HERE.

SG YOUTH teaching

Pray for the youth as they kick off the first teaching of the year on October 20th!

This year, Derek will be taking the youth through a five-part series titled, CAPTURE:
October 20th - The Greatness of God
December 1st - The Significance of Truth
January 26th - The Beauty of Holiness
February 23rd - The Centrality of Love
April 27th - The Value of Ambition

Pray that God uses this series to reach the hearts of the students and also pray for Derek as he prepares for these teachings.

sovereign grace pastors conference

Please pray for your pastors and their wives as they travel to Orlando, Florida to attend the Sovereign Grace Pastors Conference from November 5th through the 7th.

Invitation sunday

SAVE THE DATE! Sunday, November 17th is our first Invitation Sunday/Community event.

This is a Church-wide focus on inviting friends, neighbors, or anyone else to join us for church and then a BBQ following the service.

More details to come!

Leadership Training - Part 1

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD

This free training is open to everyone—men, women, youth, friends, and anyone who wants to grow in their understanding of biblical leadership.

More details will be coming soon! If you're interested in attending this event, please sign up below, and we'll send you the details as they become available.

SIGN UP HERE!

We believe the gifts of the Spirit have continued. Therefore, we are continuationists and this is significant! But we are affirming more than simply that they have continued. Our conviction is that the gifts have continued for the glory of Jesus Christ, the good of His church, and Gospel hope for the world. 

What exactly are we affirming?

Regarding “The Gifts of the Spirit,” our Statement of Faith says: 

“Christ loves the church, his body, and provides for its health and growth through the Holy Spirit. In addition to giving new life, the Spirit sovereignly bestows gifts on every believer. Spiritual gifts are those abilities and expressions of God’s power given by his grace for the glory of Christ and the building up of the church. …The gifts are not to be exercised with apprehension, pride, or disorder, but with faith, love, and order, and always in submission to the authority of Scripture as the final revelation of God.  With the exception of those among the apostles who were commissioned as eyewitnesses of Christ and made recipients of normative revelation, the full range of spiritual gifts remain at work in the church and are given for the good of the church and its witness to the world. We are therefore to earnestly desire and practice them until Christ returns." 

This is our conviction. 

Why do we affirm this? 

We believe the scriptures teach this. Some reading this are new to the topic of “the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” Maybe your church background held another view doctrinally or you previously experienced a very limited expression of the gifts. Some have witnessed the misuse of the gifts. The Apostle Paul addresses this in the Corinthian church but instructs them regarding the orderly use of the gifts in their gathering, and, surprisingly, he urges them to pursue and “earnestly desire the spiritual gifts.” (1 Corinthians 12-14). Without minimizing our experience, our conviction must be objectively grounded in the scriptures. 

At times, we will have questions, yet at the same time, we earnestly desire the gifts of the Holy Spirit and their practice in our church. This is why we teach on this, and this is why we are having our Gifts of the Holy Spirit Weekend with Mark Prater - Friday, October 18th, from 7-9pm, and Saturday, October 19th from 9am-2pm. PLEASE SIGN UP!

We are asking you to join us and pray that during this weekend we will be further equipped by the word of God and that we will experience the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit as we earnestly pursue the gifts of His Spirit.

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From our Statement of Faith, the following is a robust list of the foundational scriptures on this topic: 

John 16:4-15
Ephesians 4:7-8, 13-16
Ephesians 5:25-27
1 Corinthians 12:7, 11
1 Corinthians 14:26
Ephesians 4:12
Romans 12:6-8
1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28-30
1 Peter 4:10-11
Ephesians 4:11-12
1 Corinthians 12:21-26
1 Corinthians 14:1; 13:1-3; 14:33
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21
1 Corinthians 14:29
2 Timothy 3:16
Revelation 22:18-19
Acts 1:20-26
John 14:26; 15:27; 16:13-15
1 Corinthians 14:37
Galatians 1:11-20
Revelation 21:14
1 Corinthians 1:7; 12:31; 13:8-12; 14:1, 12

There are many facets to our life as a church! Our hope is that these posts will enable you to plan, pray, and ultimately rejoice in what the Lord is doing at Sovereign Grace Church. Here are a few updates for you to do just that! 

GRACEKIDS: ELEMENTARY CLASs

Summer break is coming to an end, which means the GRACEkids Elementary Class (grades 1st-5th) will be starting back up soon!

The first Elementary Class of the new GRACEkids year will be on Sunday, September 8th! This will also be the Sunday the 1st graders will graduate from the Preschoolers Class and move to the Elementary Class.

If you have any questions, please contact
John & Joelle McCauley.

church Family Meeting

Mark your calendars for an important and exciting Church Family Meeting on Sunday Evening, September 29th, at 5:30 PM, where we will unpack what our mission will look like in 2024-2025!

Dinner will be provided. Children and guests are welcome to join us.

Membership Class

If you are interested in becoming a member or learning more about Sovereign Grace Church, information about joining the Membership Class in October will be coming soon.

Forge is back!

Saturday, October 5th. Breakfast will be served at 8 AM.

Erik Rangel, who serves as the senior pastor at the Sovereign Grace Church in Yuma (Legacy Church), will be coming to teach the men in our church how the bible speaks to men about sexual temptation.

For more information, contact Derek Overstreet.

New sermon series - COLOSSIANS: ALIVE IN CHRIST

We are excited to study the book of Colossians as a church starting in October!

Be on the lookout for your free copy of the Colossians ESV Scripture Journal that will be available in a few weeks.

gifts of the spirit weekend with

mark prater

NEW dates for the GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT WEEKEND are Friday, October 18th, from 7PM-9PM & Saturday, October 19th, from 9AM-2PM !

Join us as we allow the Scriptures to inform us about the gifts God gives his people through the Spirit!

To sign up or find out more about this exciting event, please CLICK HERE.

relay: a sovereign GRACE cONFERENCE FOR YOUNG adults

The RELAY Conference exists to inspire young adults to live for the glory of Christ.

While the conference is aimed at college students and young adults (18-25 years old), as well as their leaders, they welcome high school students ages 16-17 and those in their late 20s or 30s. We don’t have strict age limits.

For more details and registration information, visit the RELAY SITE HERE.

You may have noticed that we have been singing some new songs on Sunday mornings (songs like “Sing” and “All Things”).

These songs were early releases of Sovereign Grace Music’s newest album titled “Knowing God” which was released today! These songs are rich in good theology, but as Bob Kauflin (Leader of Sovereign Grace Music) reminds us, “good theology always leads to glad doxology.” We encourage you to listen and get to know these songs, not simply because we will sing many of them as a church, but so that these truths will lead us to joyful praise and adoration for God and His Gospel. 

Here is a brief description of the album from Sovereign Grace Music:

“2023 marked the 50th anniversary of J.I. Packer’s classic book, Knowing God. What originated as a series of magazine articles has become a tool that God has used to shape, deepen, and ignite the theology of five decades of Christians. 

So the Sovereign Grace Music songwriters set out to write and record an album of songs based on Packer’s book. First, it would be an opportunity to highlight how God has used Knowing God to make theology not only accessible but delightful. Second, we knew Packer’s book would be a rich resource for songs that connect the head and the heart. Third, we hoped it would cause those who have never read it to do so, and stir those who have already read it to read it again! Finally, good theology always leads to glad doxology. Knowing God isn’t simply a book to read. It’s songs waiting to be sung.

…in early 2022, we began writing them. It would be an overwhelming task to try to write a song for each of the twenty-two chapters, and it would also make for an excessively long album. Instead, we based our songs on sentences, paragraphs, or chapters that inspired us. Sometimes the connection was obvious. Other times, Packer’s words served as a springboard for articulating related themes.”

Links to Listen or Download
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYdnaVTk3ydFMs7Sb46QNoDadRsHWkYdj
Bandcamp: https://sovereigngracemusic.bandcamp.com/album/knowing-god
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6kFQYERknrmQg2N7cnGpKg

To stay up to date on album releases and more, you can follow Sovereign Grace Music on Instagram @sovgracemusic.

There are many facets to our life as a church! Our hope is that these posts will enable you to plan, pray, and ultimately rejoice in what the Lord is doing at Sovereign Grace Church. Here are a few updates for you to do just that! 

Sermons in the psalms: Volume 2

As the sermon series “Christ in the Chaos: The Book of Judges” is coming to an end in a few weeks, we are excited to announce that we will be going through the book of Psalms again this summer in the “Sermons in the Psalms: Volume 2” sermon series starting in July!

GRACEKIDS: ELEMENTARY CLASS SUMMER BREAK

It's that time of year again when the GRACEkids Elementary class takes a break for the summer! The Children’s Ministry classes for this group (grades 1st - 5th) will take a break during July and August and will start back up on the first Sunday in September. 

If you have any questions, please contact John & Joelle McCauley.

regional youth retreat

Last year SGYouth and the SGYouth leaders had a great time being with other Sovereign Grace Churches youth groups at the SGC West Region Youth Retreat.

SGYouth has the wonderful opportunity of joining the other churches again for a multi-church youth retreat July 12th through the 15th! The theme this year is “Jesus is better”!

If you would like more information on this Youth Retreat, you can contact Jon Lambros.

gifts of the spirit weekend with

mark prater

NEW dates for the GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT WEEKEND are Friday, October 18th, from 7PM-9PM & Saturday, October 19th, from 9AM-2PM !

Join us as we allow the Scriptures to inform us about the gifts God gives his people through the Spirit!

To sign up or find out more about this exciting event, please CLICK HERE.

relay: a sovereign grace young adults conference

The RELAY Conference exists to inspire young adults to live for the glory of Christ.

While the conference is aimed at college students and young adults (18-25 years old), as well as their leaders, they welcome high school students ages 16-17 and those in their late 20s or 30s. We don’t have strict age limits.

Early Bird registration is open until June 30th!

For more details and registration information, visit the RELAY SITE HERE.

Have you ever come to the Gathering on Sunday morning and not really felt like singing? If you are like me, then your answer is yes. I’ve been leading worship for over 14 years (meaning I probably enjoy and think about singing more often than most), and yet I can often come on Sundays and be far less excited about singing than I should be. 

The reality is that we should be far more anticipatory about singing together when we gather. But too often, we aren’t. We approach those precious 25 minutes more informed by our feelings than the God who created us, redeemed us, and offers this incredible means of grace called singing. 

Have you ever thought (or said) something like this on a Sunday morning?
It’s been a tough week, I’m not really in the mood to sing.
My morning has been chaotic with the kids... I need a break. 
I’m weary from sin or trial in my life… I don’t feel like singing… I don’t feel worthy to sing.
Singing isn’t really my thing… I worship God in other ways.
I have a horrible voice… I don’t want people to hear me sing.
These songs aren’t really my preference…. so I’m not going to sing.
The band doesn’t sound very good today… so I’m not singing. 

Because sin still exists in the world, it is not uncommon for us to experience these struggles on any given Sunday morning. None of us are immune. But the question is, what do we do when we don’t feel like singing? 

I want to encourage us to do something radical: Sing! 

Not because you feel like it.
Not because you like the song selection.
Not even simply because God commands it in His word.

Sing because it reminds you (and others) of the Gospel truths we so easily forget (Colossians 3:16) 
Sing because He is sustaining you in that very moment (Psalm 55:22)
Sing because He offers you an unending well of grace in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16)
Sing because He has triumphed over sin and redeemed you (Psalm 71:23)
Sing because He will come back again and bring you safely home (John 14:1-3)
Sing because it’s what we are going to get to do for an eternity together (Revelation 15:3-4)

You’ll be amazed at what the Lord will do when we trust Him, obey Him, and sing. 

As you head to the Gathering this Sunday, consider the following from Bob Kauflin (Leader of Sovereign Grace Music). 

“Confess your weakness, confess your inability, ask God to reveal his glory to you in Jesus Christ, and start singing the truths of God’s word. Most likely, it won’t be too long before your perspective changes, and you’re not thinking about whether you feel like singing anymore. You’ll be thinking about how worthy Jesus is to receive the praises of his people.”

So, brothers and sisters, sing because our Savior is worthy to receive the praises of His blood-bought church.  

We have the joy of singing a new song this Sunday called (you guessed it) Sing! It reminds us of this truth: Sinners, redeemed by a faithful God have every reason to sing. In fact, we must sing. Listen below!

I can’t wait to see you at the Gathering this Sunday and SING.

There are many facets to our life as a church! Our hope is that these posts will enable you to plan, pray, and ultimately rejoice in what the Lord is doing at Sovereign Grace Church. Here are a few updates for you to do just that! 

marriage workshop with

Trey & Charlotte Richardson

Saturday, March 23rd, from 9AM to 3PM

Join us for our Marriage Workshop where we'll explore how the Gospel can transform your relationship, bringing lasting hope and real change by God's grace!

There is still time to sign up! Visit the Marriage Workshop webpage to register and to find out more about this exciting event.

Good Friday Service & Easter Sunday Service

Good Friday and Easter Sunday are next week!

Join us for the Good Friday Service on Friday, March 29th at 7PM as we come together to worship Jesus and reflect on the sacrifice He made for us on the cross and Easter Sunday Service on Sunday, March 31st as we celebrate His resurrection!

sgu spring 2024 unit

Our next Sovereign Grace University (SGU) class will be every Tuesday in May!

SGU is a discipleship class focused on theology and this spring we will be going over THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH.

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION is now open, but only until March 31st! To register, visit our SGU PAGE.

chili cook-off &

Pie bake-off

SG Youth Fundraiser

SGYouth’s THIRD annual Chili & Pie Competition Fundraiser is April 14th! The rules are simple, sign up, bring your best, and the church will vote the winners. To sign up to compete, simply text “CHILI” or “PIE” to 520-999-2862

If you don’t want to enter the contest, just come hungry! All proceeds will go directly to sponsoring students in our youth group for the Sovereign Grace Regional Retreat this July. The youth need your help, and we guarantee you will not walk away hungry!

Water baptism

Baptism Sunday will be held on April 14th after the Sunday morning service (and before the Chili & Pie Competition)!

If you would like to be baptized, or if you want more information on baptisms, please contact any of the pastors. You can also check out a blog post that Pastor Derek Overstreet wrote about water baptisms titled “The Importance and Joy of Baptism Sunday”,

Bridge course

Our outreach to the ex-offenders in the transition homes with the Bridge Class is halfway done! Please continue to pray for the five men in the Bridge Class and for Paul McKenna and Tim Lamrbos as they lead the class.

Please also pray for the FIVE men who were saved last fall as they are part of a discipleship course for new believers that Rick Baker and Scott McLeod lead.

We hope to see some of these men get baptized on April 14th at our Church!

Regional assembly of elders (RAE)

The pastors will be traveling to the RAE that will be held in California on April 18th through the 20th.

Please pray for them as they are cared for and encouraged by other pastors in the Sovereign Grace Churches West Region!

There are many facets to our life as a church! Our hope is that these posts will enable you to plan, pray, and ultimately rejoice in what the Lord is doing at Sovereign Grace Church. Here are a few updates for you to do just that! 

Gifts of the Spirit weekend with mark prater

Join us as we allow the Scriptures to inform us about the gifts God gives his people through the Spirit!

Friday, Feb. 23rd, from 7PM-9PM & Saturday, Feb. 24, from 9AM-2PM

To sign up or find out more about this exciting event, please CLICK HERE.

march membership class

The next Membership Class will be after the Sunday morning services on the first four Sundays in March (March 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th). Lunch and childcare will be provided.

To sign up for this class, please CLICK HERE.

Marriage workshop with Trey & Charlotte Richardson

Another exciting weekend seminar coming up: a Marriage Workshop with Trey & Charlotte Richardson on March 22nd & 23rd!

Trey serves as a pastor at our sister church, Center Church, in Gilbert, AZ. His primary responsibilities have most recently been counseling and overseeing men’s and women’s ministries at Center Church.

Registration details will be sent out soon!

Good Friday Service & Easter Sunday Service

Good Friday and Easter Sunday are right around the corner! Join us for the Good Friday Service on the evening of Friday, March 29th, and the Easter Sunday Service on Sunday, March 31st. This is a great opportunity to invite friends and family!

More details to come.

Ministry Team Leaders Night

We are so grateful for all of the Ministry Team Leaders in our church! Please be praying for the leaders as they gather on Sunday, April 7th, for fellowship and leadership training.

sgu spring 2024 unit

Our next Sovereign Grace University (SGU) class will be in May!

SGU is a discipleship class focused on theology and this spring we will be going over THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH. Registration and more details to come.

Check out previous class materials and lectures HERE!

There are many facets to our life as a church! Our hope is that these posts will enable you to plan, pray, and ultimately rejoice in what the Lord is doing at Sovereign Grace Church. Here are a few updates for you to do just that! 

deacons meeting

Our deacons, Scott McLeod and Bob Rabe, meet with Derek quarterly to plan and review the ministries in our church. Please pray for them as they meet on Saturday, January 20th!

regional Pastors & Wives Retreat

The pastors and their wives will be attending the Sovereign Grace Church’s West Region Pastors and Wives Retreat from January 25th to the 27th. Please pray for your pastors, Derek, Tim, and Tom, and their wives as they travel to California to be cared for along with other Sovereign Grace Church pastors in the West Region.

spiritual gifts seminar

SAVE THE DATE! Mark Prater will be at our church on February 23rd & 24th for a weekend seminar on Spiritual Gifts.

Mark has served as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania (our sister church) since 2002. He also serves as the Executive Director of Sovereign Grace Churches.

Registration information and details to come!

marriage workshop

Another exciting weekend seminar coming up: a Marriage Workshop with Trey Richardson on March 22nd & 23rd!

Trey serves as a pastor at our sister church, Center Church, in Gilbert, AZ. His primary responsibilities have most recently been counseling and overseeing men’s and women’s ministries at Center Church.

More details to come!

sgu spring 2024 unit

Our next Sovereign Grace University (SGU) class will be in May!

SGU is a discipleship class focused on theology and this spring we will be going over THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH. Registration and more details to come.

Check out previous class materials and lectures HERE!

“Judges:Christ in the chaos” preaching series

In October we began a 22-week series in the Book of Judges. Judges is ugly, violent, and depressing. Yet, in all the chaos, we see God powerfully at work as He faithfully and patiently sustains His people and points us forward to our Savior.

If you have not received your FREE copy of the ESV Scripture Journal on the book of Judges, you can pick one up at the Information Center.

As we step into this new year, it is your pastors’ desire to pray for you. We know that some are suffering physically, are gripped by discouragement and sorrow, at times tempted toward sin, under attack from the enemy, battle condemnation, and need wisdom and hope for the future. In what follows, hear our heart for you.  

First, hear Paul’s prayer for the Church in Ephesus from Ephesians 3:14-19 (ESV):

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Now, hear our heart and prayer for you:
Father, as we head into this new year, we are thankful to you for our precious Church. Even as the faces and names of these saints come to mind, we are overjoyed with the knowledge that you are already at work in each one of them. Lord, be merciful and heal the sick and encourage the discouraged. Lift up the souls of the faint and brokenhearted. Move sinners into repentance. Lead us into everlasting joy in you

Holy Spirit, may our church know that you are at work in their “inner being so that Christ may dwell in” their “hearts through faith”. Strengthen, purify, and grow our church by your presence and work in their lives. Strengthen their faith, reminding them of the everlasting love of Christ. Fortify them against the enemy. Keep them anchored in the truth of your word and its sound doctrine. Exalt the Son of God, Jesus, and empower the Church to heed his command, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” (Acts 2:40 ESV), and empower them to watch their lives and doctrine closely according to your word (1 Timothy 4:16 ESV). 

Jesus, thank you for your undeserved atoning sacrifice on the cross for your Church. May your church grow in our knowledge of, our need for, and our joy in you. Send us to this world with this good news and make disciples. When we gather, may our worship, singing, and encouragement of each other be our overwhelming happy response as we exalt your name. We ask all of these things in your name, Jesus.

Paul ends his prayer with these words in Verses 20 and 21: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. AMEN.”

— Tom Wilkins

Our Marriages Needed the Redeeming Power of God.

Thursday night was our Community Group. It so happens that our group right now has six married couples. Our topic for discussion last night was based on the role of the husband and this was strategic and will be followed by our next meeting that will discuss the role of the wife. These two meetings follow our church’s recent Sermon Series – The Final Word: Gender, Marriage, and Complementarian Roles According to Scripture (what a gift God’s word is to us regarding these issues has been and what a gift these sermons have been to our church).

So, the agenda for our meeting was set. The Bible text was Ephesians 5. Our guide for discussion was Chapter 2 from the book, “Love that Lasts – When Marriage Meets Grace”, by Gary and Betsy Ricucci. The title of the chapter is “Leading with Love – The Role of the Husband.” 

Yet my heart for our group was one of desperation, a desperation for the Holy Spirit to minister to these couples… to Lisa and me. I knew that this meeting was coming at a time that met the various couples right in the middle of life’s suffering, bewilderment, conflict, trouble, failure, sin and more. Our meeting was not filled with starry-eyed newlyweds. Together we needed instruction, help, encouragement, correction, conviction, repentance, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and most definitely real and lasting hope, hope we knew but have often forgotten could be found only in Jesus. Our marriages needed the redeeming power of God. 

Knowing this, I began the meeting by reading the final word’s in Chapter 2. Gary wrote:

“Men, I could have easily filled this chapter with the examples of my failures to love, lead, understand, and honor my wife. But that wouldn’t serve you.” He went on. “Instead, I want to draw your attention to the glorious gospel of the Son of God who cleanses us from our past and then moves us forward to grace-filled future.” 

Each husband (and their wives) so needed to be reminded about the redeeming power of God in the glorious gospel! The time flew by, and we seemingly barely scratched the surface, yet nearing the end of our time, one of the wives highjacked the last several minutes of the meeting and each of wives encouraged their husbands in specific ways that God was at work in them as they fulfilled their roles husbands. 

Our marriages so needed this Community Group! God has been at work redeeming husbands’ and wives’ roles, redeeming their marriages, and our marriages so needed to hear it. Instead of being left to the condemning nature of a litany of failures, each husband was encouraged forward by the truth of God’s redeeming power that is at work in their marriage. 

Let this simple retelling of a single Community Group’s story direct your gratitude, and your worship to your Savior, Jesus, who loved His bride so much that “He gave himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:25 (ESV)

-Tom Wilkins

There are many facets to our life as a church! Our hope is that these posts will enable you to plan, pray, and ultimately rejoice in what the Lord is doing at Sovereign Grace Church. Here are a few updates for you to do just that! 

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SGU Autumn 2023 Unit

The first class in the Sovereign Grace University Unit, The Doctrine of Man/Sin, started September 3rd!

SGU is a discipleship class that focuses on theology and this fall we will be going over THE DOCTRINE 0F MAN & SIN.

If you haven’t signed up yet, there is still time! To register or to find out more information, visit our SGU PAGE HERE.

“Judges: Christ in the Chaos” Preaching Series

October 29th, we begin a 22-week series in the Book of Judges. Judges is ugly, violent, and depressing. Yet, in all the chaos, we see God powerfully at work as He faithfully and patiently sustains His people and points us forward to our Savior. Don’t forget to grab your free Judges Journal, coming to the Information Center soon.

5TH SUNDAY STRETCH WORSHIP & PRAYER NIGHT

A WORSHIP & PRAYER night will be held at the church on October 29th (the fifth Sunday) at 7PM. This event is a time for us to “stretch” ourselves - to come together as a church community to praise and worship God and pray together about specific topics. For more details about this event, please reach out to Tom Wilkins.

FALL CHURCH PICNIC

After church on Sunday, November, 5th we will be having a churchwide picnic after the Morning Service! Food, fun, and fellowship…and a great opportunity to invite guests!

2023 Pastor’s Conference

Pray for your pastors and their wives as they attend the SG Pastor’s Conference in Orlando, FL, Nov. 14-16. It is a wonderful time of refreshment, teaching, and fellowship with like-minded men and women from around the globe who are uniquely on gospel mission together. 

PRE-SERVICE PRAYER

At 9:30 AM each and every Sunday morning, you will find a number of people gathered in our auditorium for prayer, including those who are serving every Sunday. We pray for our service. We pray for all those who will be attending that morning. We pray that the Gospel will advance in the hearts of all who come. And YOU are invited to come and join us too!

RELAY 2024 CONFERENCE

Your pastors are excited to invite you to RELAY 2024 - A Sovereign Grace Young Adults Conference on January 4-6, 2024, at the Sovereign Grace Church in Glen Mills, PA (Covenant Fellowship Church). 

This conference is geared towards young adults ages 18-25 years old, but those who are 16-17 years old as well as those in their late 20’s or 30’s are welcome. (Both singles and married couples are invited!)

CLICK HERE for more conference details!

The issue of gender is all around us: in schools, at work, in politics, on the internet, in your neighborhood, in your family, and in the media. The world thinks gender is fluid; the Bible says it is the fixed handiwork of God. Our goal as Christians is not to win arguments but to lovingly lead people to Jesus. For this reason, being equipped and ready to engage in humble, patient, informed, and biblical conversations is critical. The books below will help you do just that. May God use you to help others see the same identity, hope, and joy you have that IS Jesus!

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the gender revolution

Patricia Weerakoon

“Contemporary discussions of sexual and gender issues faces a plethora of challenges….Here is the clarity of thought and writing one expects of experts. Agree or disagree with their arguments, but you will come away better informed, and better able to engage in the discussion with more light than heat” —D.A. Carson

gender ideology

Sharon James

“Get this book and read it and get lots of copies for friends and family to read as well. This little book reminds us that God created us male and female, and that that is very good” —Mark Dever

The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self

Carl R. Trueman

“This is a characteristically brilliant book by Carl Trueman, helping the church understand why people believe that sexual difference is a matter of psychological choice” —Rosaria Butterfield

eikon

A semi-annual journal for biblical anthropology that engages issues like sexuality, gender, marriage, singleness, family, and others from a biblical, historical, and theological perspective. You can access these journals online for free OR you can subscribe to eikon to get the copies mailed to you for only $25 annually!

There are many facets to our life as a church! Our hope is that these posts will enable you to plan, pray, and ultimately rejoice in what the Lord is doing at Sovereign Grace Church. Here are a few updates for you to do just that! 

SG Youth Kickoff

Please be praying for the youth, their parents. and the youth leaders as we start the SG Youth year with a Kickoff BBQ on Sunday, August 27th!

For more information on SG Youth, contact Jon Lambros.

sgu fall 2023 Unit

Our next Sovereign Grace University (SGU) class will be in October!

SGU is a discipleship class that focuses on theology and this fall we will be going over THE DOCTRINE 0F MAN & SIN.

EARLY BIRD registration will open on September 1st! Visit the SGU webpage for dates, times, and registration information.

Guest Preacher

We are excited to have Eric Turbedsky preach on Sunday, September 10th! Eric is the senior pastor at the Sovereign Grace Church in Orange County, CA and he is the Sovereign Grace Churches West Regional Leader.

“The Final Word” preaching series

Everybody has something to say about gender, marriage, and roles in today's culture, but God has already spoken. Beginning September 17th, we will take a look at HIS thoughts on the matter through this six-week preaching series.

Ministry Team Leaders night

We are so grateful for all of the Ministry Team Leaders in our church! Please be praying for the leaders as they gather on September 24th for fellowship and leadership training.

“Judges:Christ in the chaos” preaching series

In October we will begin a study in the book of Judges. Stay tuned for more details.

relay conference

Your pastors are excited to invite you to RELAY 2024 - A Sovereign Grace Young Adults Conference on January 4-6, 2024, at the Sovereign Grace Church in Glen Mills, PA (Covenant Fellowship Church). 

This conference is geared towards young adults ages 18-25 years old, but those who are 16-17 years old as well as those in their late 20’s or 30’s are welcome. (Both singles and married couples are invited!)

CLICK HERE for more conference details!

Community Groups

At Sovereign Grace Church we cherish our life together outside our Sunday gathering. Community Groups are a primary means by which we disciple and fellowship with one another.

If you are not part of a group, we encourage you to get involved. Visit the Community Group webpage to find a group in your area.

Verse 3 from "God Is Faithful (Psalm 114)"

We have known Your mercy and Your love as in the past
If days be few or many You will guide us to the last
You have said it, we believe it, every promise holding fast
For we know that You are good

Truths like these remind us of the faithfulness of God toward His people. From Old Testament saints to the New Testament church, including us today: GOD IS FAITHFUL TO HIS PROMISES!

Join us in a noisy celebration this Sunday as we sing together of the faithfulness of God!

Title: God Is Faithful (Psalm 114)
Album: Unchanging God - Songs from the Book of Psalms, Vol. 2
Link to listen HERE.

Chorus:
O sing, hallelujah! 
Our hope springs eternal!
O sing, hallelujah!
Now and ever we confess
Christ our hope in life and death

We are excited to sing a new song from Getty Music this Sunday.
Whatever we encounter this week, may this truth spur us to sing as we proclaim that Christ is our hope in life and death!

Title: Christ Our Hope In Life and Death

Words and Music: Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, Jordan Kauflin, and Matt Papa

Link to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OibIi1rz7mw

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
For His steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, 
Whom He has redeemed from trouble.
Psalm 107:1-2

We are excited to sing a new song from Sovereign Grace Music this Sunday. May your heart be filled with awe and gratitude at the steadfast love of God as you listen to this song this week!

Title: We Give Thanks (Psalm 107)

Album: Unchanging God - Songs from the Book of Psalms

Link to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKN2yQ157v4

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4

 Heaven is coming one day!

There is a day coming that, in the end, will be simply indescribable, but God’s word does begin to describe it. God himself will be with us! An earlier verse calls this “a new heaven and a new earth.” What a day! On that day, there will be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, and no more pain! What a day! And on that day, God will crush all suffering and sorrow and death! I recently lamented, “I do not want us to see one more gravesite!” Well, there is a day coming that we will not have to! On that day God’s new heaven and earth will be brought in on the wave of his glorious and permanent presence. Heaven will be brought to us by Him. Imagine what that day will be like when all sin and sorrow are truly removed and we are finally in the promised presence of God – in the twinkling of an eye!

 In our grief, hope remains!

We learned a few weeks ago that a dear brother in Christ and a member of our church, Marc Leap, had passed away in his home. Grief and sorrow once again are suddenly on the scene. We are reminded that we are not yet in the new heaven that is to come. Death still plagues us. Mourning, crying and pain remain but they are not all that remains. Hope remains! “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”(1 Thessalonians 4:13-14) Jesus’ resurrection and His promise of our resurrection is the foundation of all of our hope in the face of our present sorrow. The Gospel transforms how we grieve. The Gospel infuses our grief with hope. The Gospel promise of the certain heaven to come bursts in on the darkness of sorrow with the blinding light of this hope – Jesus died and rose again! (Vs. 16)

It's still true, I do not want to visit another graveside but, when my soul remembers that God will be faithful to end all grief and usher in the new heaven where I finally will see the risen Jesus, I will know that hope be waiting for me at every single one.

 -Study the Resurrection and find Heaven’s Hope, Jesus-

At Sovereign Grace Church, what we believe shapes what we do and how we do it. This is true both individually and corporately. If you visit our website (it’s new and significantly improved, so check it out here), you will find our Statement of Faith and our Seven Shared Values. Together they represent the beliefs we cherish and are shaped by.

For this reason, we are excited about the latest Sovereign Grace Journal. Fourteen articles dedicated to explaining and celebrating the key convictions that characterize, define, and unify us as a local church and a family of churches, Sovereign Grace Churches. 

If you are wondering why this edition of the journal should be important to you, in the words of Sovereign Grace Churches Executive Director Mark Prater:

“Because they function daily in the life of your church.”

Only by the grace of God can we live out our shared values personally and corporately. But we are sure this unique resource can be a means of grace and will bless you as the Lord uses it to fill your mind and heart with precious truth, gratitude for your church and our family of churches, and above all, passion for your Savior who makes it all possible. Enjoy!

Purchase the Journal on Amazon here. Download the FREE PDF here.

I love Sundays! Singing with the saints. Serving with my brothers and sisters. Praying together. Having my mind and heart shaped by the truths of God and the Gospel. As I heard a wise pastor once say, “The church is the dearest place on earth, and Sunday is the dearest day of the week”

I especially enjoy baptism Sundays. We get to do everything above, THEN go out back, eat pizza, hear testimonies of grace and watch on as individuals identify with Christ by getting dunked in water. I love baptism Sundays!

If you are considering getting baptized or want to understand it better, I encourage you to consider four essential elements of water baptism and its importance to the believer.

1. Baptism is a sacrament of the church. Along with the Lord’s Supper, water baptism is a church sacrament. Our Statement of Faith defines a sacrament as a “precious means of grace that signifies the benefits of the gospel, confirms its promises to the believer, and visibly distinguishes the church from the world.” 

2. Baptism is for believers. We do not believe in infant baptism because there is no evidence for it in the New Testament. On the contrary, the New Testament pattern is that baptism follows salvation (Acts 2:38,41; 8:12; 10:44-48; 16:14-15, 30-33). If you have repented of your sin and placed your faith in Jesus, water baptism is for you!

3. Baptism is symbolic, not salvific. Salvation does not come through baptism; it comes through faith (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 5:1). Baptism is an outward sign of an inward work of grace. Through faith, a person is brought into a union with Christ, and water baptism symbolizes that union as a public identification with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 6::3-4, Colossians 2:11-13, 1 Peter 3:20-21). When baptized, believers publicly declare their life belongs to Christ, and they desire to live for his glory. 

4. Baptism is obedience. In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded believers to be baptized (Matthew 28:19). This means baptism brings about a degree of joy and spiritual benefit, just as any act of Christian obedience does (John 15:10-11). Wayne Grudem explains it this way: There is the blessing of God’s favor that comes with all obedience, as well as the joy that comes through public profession of one’s faith, and the reassurance of having a clear physical picture of dying and rising with Christ and of washing away sins.

Are you a Christian? If so, have you been baptized? If the answer is no, contact your pastor today to discuss the spiritual importance and blessings of getting dunked to the glory of Christ!