%5B3%5D.jpg "banner7 (4)")
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Next Is Back!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Caregroup @ The Rawlings' house tonight
Hey Caregroup!
I am looking forward to seeing you all tonight at our Singles Caregroup. In case you were wondering, yes, we are meeting and we will be back at my house tonight.
I know it was only a couple of weeks ago since I got to be with most of you but I missed you last week and I’m anticipating a great time worshipping together with you and hearing how God has been at work in your life lately.
Please don’t be discouraged by the colder weather and early onset of night-time these days – it will be sure to be warm and bright inside our cozy little abode!
I’m looking forward to seeing you all.
Your bro,
-Matt
I am looking forward to seeing you all tonight at our Singles Caregroup. In case you were wondering, yes, we are meeting and we will be back at my house tonight.
I know it was only a couple of weeks ago since I got to be with most of you but I missed you last week and I’m anticipating a great time worshipping together with you and hearing how God has been at work in your life lately.
Please don’t be discouraged by the colder weather and early onset of night-time these days – it will be sure to be warm and bright inside our cozy little abode!
I’m looking forward to seeing you all.
Your bro,
-Matt
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Care Group @ Payne’s
Hey Care group,
This week we will be meeting at the Payne’s.
I hope all is well and you are able to make it Friday at 7:00 pm
Your bro,
Matt
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Daylight Savings Ends
Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Calling All NEXT Memories
Do you have a memory from Next 2009? The Next Staff wants to hear it! And they want to share it with others.
If you attended Next 2009, you know that there’s no substitute for being there. How did God meet you? Was it worshiping passionately (and loudly), listening to Joshua Harris or C.J. Mahaney preach about Christ, talking at midnight over coffee, or praying in the morning with your community group (and more coffee)? If you had a couple of sentences to broadcast to the world, what would you say?
Let Next be your megaphone. Send two or three sentences to next[at]sovgracemin[dot]org. They may even use them in announcing Next 2010 (but they’ll ask permission first).
They’ll send more info about Next 2010 over Thanksgiving. In the meantime, mark May 28–31 in your planner, iPhone, huge wall calendar, iCal, back of an envelope, or whatever you use to remember stuff.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Desserts Galore!!!
For our meeting THIS week, I’d like to ask that everyone make a significant effort to make it out on time at 7:00pm. Not only does it honor your fellow care group members and allow more time for fellowship, it will also give us time to have a Dessert Bar. To facilitate the Dessert Bar, we will get started on time and end earlier than we normally do to allow plenty of time to feast on home-made sweets and sumptuous treats afterwards.
So, in addition to being at our place at 7:00pm next Friday night, I’d like to ask that everyone please bring a home-made Dessert to share with the group. If everyone brings something, I’m sure the table will be full of decadent treats for us all to take our time sampling.
Forget Whitman’s – this is going to be a great Singles Sampler! I’m already looking forward to it…
Your bro,
-Matt
Friday, October 16, 2009
We Need You!
The Winter Wonderland Event is coming soon (56 days to be exact)! Would you like to be a volunteer? There are many ways to serve and we would love your help.
Volunteer Sign-up is THIS SUNDAY!!! Look for the Winter Wonderland table in the "lobby".
Thursday, October 1, 2009
No CARE GROUP!!!
Care group has been CANCELED for this Friday night. That’s right, NO CARE GROUP this week! All of our care group leaders are attending the Small Group Leader’s Conference this weekend.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Snack Schedule
10.02 Barry, Katie, Ryan M
10.09 Laura, Jessica B, Josh R
10.16 Cherith, Willy, George
10.23 Courtney, Jessica R, Hannah
10.30 Josh P, Michele, Brooke
11.06 Seth, Wendy A, Sarah
11.13 Cesar, Susanna, Emily
11.20 Jenna Beth, James, Barry
11.27 No Care Group
12.04 Ryan M, Christa, Laura
12.11 Jessica B, Josh R, Cherith
12.18 Willy, George, Courtney
12.25 No Care Group
01.01 Jessica R, Matthew, Josh P
01.08 Michele, Brooke, Seth
01.15 Sarah, Cesar, Susanna
01.22 Emily, Jenna Beth, James
01.29 Barry, Katie, Ryan
Christa C will e-mail you the week you are scheduled to bring snack.
Picture Courtesy of Petr Kratochvil
Sunday, September 20, 2009
the Cross too simple, my Sin too complex?
The cross seems too simple to me at times and my sin too complex.
It seems too easy of a remedy and my sin so awful. Surely it is foolish to believe so naïvely.
Surely my heinous sin cannot be forgiven by merely believing and trusting in the Gospel and the sacrifice of the Cross of Christ – this is too difficult to trust in completely…
Surely I must do something, surely I must atone – after all, I have been saved already and I knew better when I sinned this time. I am ashamed now – I just want to hide my face from Him because I do not want Him to see my guilt. At other times, I want to pretend as if I didn’t sin and that His wrath isn’t against sin and try to claim that my sin really doesn’t matter and that it doesn’t make a difference, because, after all, I’m saved aren’t I.
But, still trying to carry my sin and feeling that the weight of sin is still upon me, I only feel more distant from God and begin to doubt that God’s forgiveness is really for me or that I can ever really be the recipient of His love, because my sin is too great and my heart too hard.
Then, in the cool of the day, He comes looking for me and in my shame I hide and try to cover my nakedness with clothes I have crafted on my own, thinking He cannot see that I am naked through these leaves that I have pieced together. I do not want Him to find me and I want desperately to hide my face, so that I do not have to look into His all-knowing eyes – I do not want to experience His wrath, His disappointment and most of all, I do not want to feel this shame that I am trying to avoid at all costs. Yet, I truly have sinned and I am dirty and defiled, naked and wretched and I crouch in shame. The foul odor of my body of sin gives my whereabouts away – not that He needs such help finding me...
Soon, I hear His footsteps stop in front of my trembling, lowered head. I dare not look up, as a scared child hiding beneath the sheets, hoping that these leaves will cover me – yet, they are no camouflage at all. He is not distracted nor does He turn aside. He turns to me and then, when I deserve His wrath, He gently lifts my head with His hand and He dresses me in His Son’s own magnificent clothes of righteousness and then He speaks to me and says that He does not excuse my sin and that His wrath truly does burn against it and it would have raged against me as well - that my sin made all the scourging, the desertion, the beating, the mocking, the thorns, the bitter nails of the Cross, the gradual draining of blood from the body and the final heaves of the painful death of His Son necessary. Yet, instead of me, all of His righteous fury has burned fiercely against His Son once and for all time, and now He looks at me with forgiveness, kindness and love.
Now, I must trust the Cross and Jesus’ sacrifice alone – it is my only hope and I cannot pay for the punishment my sins deserve. No amount of condemnation or guilty feelings, no attempts at self-atonement and no false attempts at concealing or minimizing my sin will do. I must simply trust wholly and completely on what I was, and am, most undeserving of – the giving of God’s Son for me. So simple and yet so hard – it means I must die and I must put away any hopes of trust in myself. It means I must stop hiding, lay aside these feeble leaves I have strung together with my ugly threads of pride and come out into the plain light of the garden - naked, poor, wretched and dirty. I must come to Him humbly and plainly acknowledge all of my sin and ask Him for mercy for it all and in every part, because only His blood can wash me truly clean and only His clothes will be able to remove my shame.
It is difficult to trust the simple truth of Christ’s atoning sacrifice for me, when I keep trying to cover my sin and pick up my own ragged clothes of pride again. Still, the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ demands that I lay aside my pride and any attempts to earn salvation. It demands that I come humbly to the Rock of Ages for Him to dress me.
Yes, it remains hard at times to trust the simple message of the gospel, yet trust in the Gospel and the Cross of Christ alone I and we all must do with all that we are - for the Gospel truly is our only hope… and what a glorious hope it is indeed! Washed in His blood, clothed in His righteousness and trusting in Him alone, we will not be ashamed.
It seems too easy of a remedy and my sin so awful. Surely it is foolish to believe so naïvely.
Surely my heinous sin cannot be forgiven by merely believing and trusting in the Gospel and the sacrifice of the Cross of Christ – this is too difficult to trust in completely…
Surely I must do something, surely I must atone – after all, I have been saved already and I knew better when I sinned this time. I am ashamed now – I just want to hide my face from Him because I do not want Him to see my guilt. At other times, I want to pretend as if I didn’t sin and that His wrath isn’t against sin and try to claim that my sin really doesn’t matter and that it doesn’t make a difference, because, after all, I’m saved aren’t I.
But, still trying to carry my sin and feeling that the weight of sin is still upon me, I only feel more distant from God and begin to doubt that God’s forgiveness is really for me or that I can ever really be the recipient of His love, because my sin is too great and my heart too hard.
Then, in the cool of the day, He comes looking for me and in my shame I hide and try to cover my nakedness with clothes I have crafted on my own, thinking He cannot see that I am naked through these leaves that I have pieced together. I do not want Him to find me and I want desperately to hide my face, so that I do not have to look into His all-knowing eyes – I do not want to experience His wrath, His disappointment and most of all, I do not want to feel this shame that I am trying to avoid at all costs. Yet, I truly have sinned and I am dirty and defiled, naked and wretched and I crouch in shame. The foul odor of my body of sin gives my whereabouts away – not that He needs such help finding me...
Soon, I hear His footsteps stop in front of my trembling, lowered head. I dare not look up, as a scared child hiding beneath the sheets, hoping that these leaves will cover me – yet, they are no camouflage at all. He is not distracted nor does He turn aside. He turns to me and then, when I deserve His wrath, He gently lifts my head with His hand and He dresses me in His Son’s own magnificent clothes of righteousness and then He speaks to me and says that He does not excuse my sin and that His wrath truly does burn against it and it would have raged against me as well - that my sin made all the scourging, the desertion, the beating, the mocking, the thorns, the bitter nails of the Cross, the gradual draining of blood from the body and the final heaves of the painful death of His Son necessary. Yet, instead of me, all of His righteous fury has burned fiercely against His Son once and for all time, and now He looks at me with forgiveness, kindness and love.
Now, I must trust the Cross and Jesus’ sacrifice alone – it is my only hope and I cannot pay for the punishment my sins deserve. No amount of condemnation or guilty feelings, no attempts at self-atonement and no false attempts at concealing or minimizing my sin will do. I must simply trust wholly and completely on what I was, and am, most undeserving of – the giving of God’s Son for me. So simple and yet so hard – it means I must die and I must put away any hopes of trust in myself. It means I must stop hiding, lay aside these feeble leaves I have strung together with my ugly threads of pride and come out into the plain light of the garden - naked, poor, wretched and dirty. I must come to Him humbly and plainly acknowledge all of my sin and ask Him for mercy for it all and in every part, because only His blood can wash me truly clean and only His clothes will be able to remove my shame.
It is difficult to trust the simple truth of Christ’s atoning sacrifice for me, when I keep trying to cover my sin and pick up my own ragged clothes of pride again. Still, the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ demands that I lay aside my pride and any attempts to earn salvation. It demands that I come humbly to the Rock of Ages for Him to dress me.
Yes, it remains hard at times to trust the simple message of the gospel, yet trust in the Gospel and the Cross of Christ alone I and we all must do with all that we are - for the Gospel truly is our only hope… and what a glorious hope it is indeed! Washed in His blood, clothed in His righteousness and trusting in Him alone, we will not be ashamed.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Embassy Suites
Sunday, September 13th
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Care Group Location Change
Our caregroup will be meeting at the “House of Payne” (AKA the abode of Dan & Kimberly) this coming Friday night, instead of our house like we normally do.
Please try to be on time (7:00pm), because you never know, the meeting may actually start without you and you wouldn’t want to miss out.
Need directions? Contact the church office at, 864.346.2361 or jessica[at]sgcsc.org.
Your bro,
-Matt R
Please try to be on time (7:00pm), because you never know, the meeting may actually start without you and you wouldn’t want to miss out.
Need directions? Contact the church office at, 864.346.2361 or jessica[at]sgcsc.org.
Your bro,
-Matt R
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Next Worship LIVE
The Next Worship Album is available for download. You can download it HERE. The cost is $5! Here is the song line-up:
God Over All (Devon Kauflin)
His Name is Jesus (All Hail the Power) (Judah Groveman)
He Is Jesus (Stephen Altrogge)
Praise the Lord (Doug Plank)
By This We Know Love (Judah Groveman)
All I Have (Jordan Kauflin)
Jesus Thank You (Pat Sczebel)
I Need You (Kristian Stanfill/Eddie Kirkland)
The Name above All Names (Judah Groveman)
What a Savior (Devon Kauflin)
I Will Glory in My Redeemer (Steve & Vikki Cook)
Blessed Is the One (Doug Plank)
Oh the Deep, Deep Love (Bob Kauflin)
God Over All (Devon Kauflin)
His Name is Jesus (All Hail the Power) (Judah Groveman)
He Is Jesus (Stephen Altrogge)
Praise the Lord (Doug Plank)
By This We Know Love (Judah Groveman)
All I Have (Jordan Kauflin)
Jesus Thank You (Pat Sczebel)
I Need You (Kristian Stanfill/Eddie Kirkland)
The Name above All Names (Judah Groveman)
What a Savior (Devon Kauflin)
I Will Glory in My Redeemer (Steve & Vikki Cook)
Blessed Is the One (Doug Plank)
Oh the Deep, Deep Love (Bob Kauflin)
Friday, June 26, 2009
What Was The Name...
It's been a month...Next memories are fading. You really wished you would have purchased that book, but you can't remember the title. A specific worship song blessed your soul, what was the title? A quote stood out in a message, but you couldn't jot the whole thing down.
Wouldn't it be nice if that information was online?
Wouldn't it be nice if that information was online?
The Next team has come to the rescue. All of this information (and much more) has been posted on the Next website. To make things easier for you, we have included some links below. Enjoy!
Mp3's of conference messages
Bookstore List
Worship Line-up
Application Questions
Message Notes
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
NEXT MP3s
NEXT 2009 messages are available for download. We recommend that you download and listen to them. They are excellent!
Download HERE.
You can also view hundreds of pics from the conference. Don’t forget to look for your friends. SGC folks are in quite a few! NEXT 09 Pics
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
No Care Group/NEXT Travel Info
There will be NO CARE GROUP this Friday. This will give those attending the NEXT conference an opportunity to pack and go to bed early.For those of you attending NEXT, a couple of reminders:
• Bus is leaving the Marriott (back parking lot) at 5:30am. That means that you’ll need to get there a little before, so we can pray and load up the
luggage.• Don’t forget to bring quarters! We will have a bunch of chilled sodas on the bus. (Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper, Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Mountain Dew, and Juice Boxes)
• Please have someone BRING YOU! If you have a friend or parent that can drive you to the Marriott, please do so!!! We can only park a couple cars in the Marriott parking lot. So, the more people that can carpool and be brought by someone else, the better! Thanks for serving the Marriott in this way.
• If you have not given Jessica $$$, please put it in the mail…(need the address? jessica[at]sgcsc.org). Just address it to the church and to Jessica's attention.
• Don’t forget, everyone will be checking themselves into the Hilton. Just give your name at the front desk.
Conference Details:
Registration Check-in is from 3pm – 8pm.
Bookstore will be open early this year! It will be open on Saturday from 3pm – 8pm.
First session begins at 7:45pm, doors open at 7:15pm. Get to doors early if you want a good seat!
What should I bring? Clothes are helpful. A toothbrush... But, seriously, bring shoes for walking (you’ll be doing a lot of standing/walking), Bible, Notebook, Pen. Just the usual things for a weekend conference. Oh and bring cash for coffee…you’ll need it. ;)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Next $$$
We need you! Yes, you. This Sunday (May 17th) is the deadline for the NEXT hotel & bus payments. If you haven't paid the church, please bring your payment on Sunday . (Please give NEXT payments to Jessica.) If you are paying by check, please make the check out to Sovereign Grace Church and write NEXT in the memo. If you're paying cash, please put it in an envelope and mark the envelope with, yep you guessed it, NEXT. Thank you!!!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
NEXT Registration, Closes May 10th
Everyone knows one. Everyone has a friend that does “it”. But, no one wants to admit that they procrastinate too. Who me?
Since we know that you don’t procrastinate, this is a reminder for your friend, please make sure you remind them…
Or maybe your finances have been tight and you’re waiting for your tax return…
Whatever the case may be, DON’T FORGET!!! Registration for the NEXT conference closes on May 10th. That’s right, your last chance to register is fast approaching. So, don’t delay, register today…
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Verses to make you hungry...
Below are some verses from the Bible to encourage your thirst for His Word. I pray that you will be motivated by a desire to taste of His good grace and enjoy Him as you read His Word.
Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Job 23:12 I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.
Psalm 119:18-20 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. 19 I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! 20 My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.
Psalm 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
Psalm 119:64-65 The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes! 65 You have dealt well with your servant, O LORD, according to your word.
Psalm 119:92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. 93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life. 94 I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts. 95 The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I consider your testimonies. 96 I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad. 97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
Psalm 119:97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
Psalm 119:103-107 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules. 107 I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word!
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:111-114 Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. 112 I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end. 113 I hate the double-minded, but I love your law. 114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.
Psalm 119:123-125 123 My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise. 124 Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes. 125 I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies!
Psalm 119:127-131 Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. 128 Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way. 129 Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. 130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. 131 I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments.
All of the verses quoted above are taken from the ESV Bible. You can find the ESV Study Bible online here
Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Job 23:12 I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.
Psalm 119:18-20 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. 19 I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! 20 My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.
Psalm 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
Psalm 119:64-65 The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes! 65 You have dealt well with your servant, O LORD, according to your word.
Psalm 119:92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. 93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life. 94 I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts. 95 The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I consider your testimonies. 96 I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad. 97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
Psalm 119:97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
Psalm 119:103-107 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules. 107 I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word!
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:111-114 Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. 112 I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end. 113 I hate the double-minded, but I love your law. 114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.
Psalm 119:123-125 123 My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise. 124 Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes. 125 I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies!
Psalm 119:127-131 Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. 128 Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way. 129 Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. 130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. 131 I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments.
All of the verses quoted above are taken from the ESV Bible. You can find the ESV Study Bible online here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)