SGC Singles

Singles Meeting this Friday

2011-01-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year! Now that life is "settling down", we're starting our monthly singles meetings back up. Hope you all can make it this Friday night. Looking forward to worshiping our God together!

· Friday, Jan 7
· 7:00pm
· Please bring 1 snack (anything from chips to apps, to pork-rinds or toast and anything in-between – whatever you feel like – surprise us!)
· Don't forget your Bible and notebook!
· Cold drinks and coffee will be provided
· Please bring a folding chair (if you have one) in case we need extra

We're still meeting at the Bent Creek Clubhouse. It is located at 106 Marcie Rush Lane, Greer, SC.

It is just off of Westmoreland (the road that runs behind the Village at Pelham Hospital), that is at a light off of Highway 14.

Directions to the clubhouse are here: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=&daddr=106+Marcie+Rush+Lane,+Greer,+SC&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=34.85641,-82.214309&sspn=0.001545,0.003473&ie=UTF8&ll=34.856566,-82.226057&spn=0.049161,0.111151&z=14

No "Big Care Group" Meeting in November

2010-11-03T15:55:00.001-04:00

We will not be having a "big care group" this month. This Friday we will be in our separate care groups.

Embassy Suites

2010-10-14T12:36:00.001-04:00

Sovereign Grace Church will be at the Embassy Suites THIS Sunday. The Embassy Suites is located off of Verdae Dr. Directions can be found on our website.

Big Group This Friday

2010-09-28T14:33:00.003-04:00

We are looking forward to seeing you all this coming Friday night, October 1 at 6:30pm at our Singles Big-Group meeting!

Instead of meeting in the now regular Singles Caregroups, we will be meeting at the Bent Creek Clubhouse, on Marcie Rush Lane (picture of the facility and directions are below).

This is the location for all of our Singles Big-Group meetings, which will occur on the first Friday of each month.

We will be having a Potluck Dinner before we watch the first video in the Proclaim series. Please bring a main dish and a dessert. Dinner will begin at 6:30pm.

You can view directions to the club house HERE.

Movers Needed

2010-09-11T07:32:00.001-04:00

Looking for something to do next Thursday and Saturday? Two couples in our church are moving and need some help. See below for more information…

Hey, guys,
We have two families--the McKelveys and the Sandifers--moving next weekend. The McKelveys are heading to Florida, the Sandifers to Virginia. It's a big job, and I'd love to get all the help we can in order to send them off smoothly.

The McKelveys will be progressively loading their truck next Thursday and Friday night (16-17 Sep), with the goal of heading out early Saturday morning. We'll probably get started around 6:30pm or so each night, but of course come when you can and leave when you need to.

The Sandifers will be loading on Saturday morning (18 Sep). We'll be starting around 9am, and they'd like to be on the road by early afternoon.

Obviously, the more help, the better. It would be great to let me (and the McKelveys/Sandifers) know if/when you're planning to help, but also feel free to spread the word and do some recruiting of your own. We have about a week!

All of grace,
Matt McCarnan

Notes from “Big” Meeting

2010-09-04T11:21:00.001-04:00

Prov.3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

“Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelm us.” - Jerry Bridges

1. Who we Trust – “Trust in the Lord”

a. Trust in God who is all-powerful

Dan. 4:35 – all the inhabitants of the earth are considered as nothing (they are not meaningless) it means that all of the inhabitants of the earth cannot diminish or thwart what God can do and wants to do… for He does according to His will…and no on can keep His hand from doing what He wills or charge God for what He has done.

Jer. 32:17; 26-27 'Ah, Lord God! It is you who has made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you…. The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?

Isa. 26:4 "Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, {we have} an everlasting Rock.

b. Trust in God who is all-wise

Job 11:7-9 “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea”

“To say that God is omniscient is to say that He possesses perfect knowledge and has no need to learn. But it is more: it is to say that God never learned and cannot learn.” - A. W. Tozer

c. Trust in God who is all-loving

2 Chron. 6:14 "…O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart,

God even loves those who disobey Him:

Neh. 9:17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.

His love never ends:

Psalm 136:2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.

His love is not like ours:

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.

Nothing can separate us from Him love:

Romans 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Eph. 2:4-5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—

Not only is God able to do what is best for you, He actually knows what is best for you and He loves you and wants what is best for you.

When the climb is easy – we can tend to forget Him

When the climb is hard, we may doubt Him

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

2. How we Trust - “with all your heart”

a. Your thoughts

b. Your emotions

c. Your desires & ambitions

3. How we Trust - Not in yourself – “do not lean on your own understanding”

a. Your wisdom

b. Your strength or abilities

c. Your family or friends

4. What Trust looks like –“in all your ways acknowledge Him”

a. In thought

b. In word

c. In deed

We are not saved by works – we are not saved by keeping the law – we are saved by faith

Hebrews 11:6 “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. “

5. Trust and He will reward – “and He will make your paths straight”

Matthew 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Heart-felt prayer indicates a dependence on God to do what only God can do. A heart that doesn’t pray is a heart that says I can do this myself…

Do you believe that God’s love is such that you will not be kept from any, every good thing that God can rightly give you, that will be for your building up and growth?

The Big Group

2010-09-02T09:24:00.001-04:00

We are looking forward to seeing you all this coming Friday night, September 04^th at 7:00pm at our Singles Big-Group meeting!

Instead of meeting in the now regular Singles Caregroups, we will be meeting at the Bent Creek Clubhouse, on Marcie Rush Lane (picture of the facility and directions are below).

This will be the meeting location for all of our Singles Big-Group meetings, which will occur on the first Friday of each month.

If everyone could bring a snack and a drink to the meeting it would be much appreciated. (You could even save money by bringing a snack and hanging out at the clubhouse instead of going out to a restaurant). If you are on the schedule to bring snacks (1 salty, 1 sweet, 1 drink) at your regular care group, please bring those snacks to the Big Group meeting.

If you have a folding chair, please bring that too, we need some extra seats for Friday night.

We are going to have a great night of worship, fellowship and fun – We can’t wait to see you all there.

You can view directions to the club house HERE.

Thanks!

2010-08-31T09:15:00.001-04:00

A big THANK YOU to everyone that came out for our first Car Wash!

FREE Car Wash Info

2010-08-27T14:00:00.001-04:00

As you know, tomorrow is our combined, Parent/Youth & Singles, Free Car Wash Outreach event. We are looking forward to the event tomorrow and are anticipating that the Lord will bless our time together.

I believe that this will be a good chance to deepen relationships within the church and just serve people practically with God’s love. Our prayer is that this practical expression of kindness will be a blessing to people and that we will have a chance to plant seeds of the gospel in people’s lives through our example and conversation.

In order to serve the community well, I’ve included a few important details for you below. Please be sure to read these before tomorrow, so that we can serve together more effectively.

Arrival time: Please arrive at 8:30am, so that we can give you your assignment and be ready to wash by 9:00am. If you have signed up, we are counting on you to be there on time (unless you let us know of a different arrival time in advance).
Location: Precision Detailing & Auto Shine. 1877 S Highway 14, Greer, SC 29650. For directions via Google Maps, click HERE.
Parking: we will need to park out back behind the location – please look for people with yellow parking vests on to direct you
Assignments: We will need a lot of different people doing various jobs. We will do our best to put you in an assignment that is well-suited to you, however, we will rotate through different assignments to give people a break. We will have one of the following roles ready for you to serve in:
- Washer
- Dryer
- Rinser
- Greeter
- Drink/Snack Server
- Sign-holder
- Traffic help
- Floater (to engage in conversation with guests)
Food: Please make sure you pack your own snacks and lunch - you will need the energy to stand out in the hot sun all morning and work! We will supply water and soft-drinks.
Finish Time: we are planning to be done by 1:00pm.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the event tomorrow. I know it will be a fun and memorable time!

Your bro,
-Matt

Thank You! (Car Wash Info)

2010-08-24T09:57:00.001-04:00

Thank you to everyone who contributed to snacks for our Car Wash this Saturday. Please pray for good weather and many opportunities to share the gospel!

Car Wash Info:

Saturday, August 28th

9am – 1pm

Precision Detailing & Auto Shine (Click HERE for map & directions)

Car Wash!!!

2010-08-11T09:38:00.001-04:00

Saturday, August 28th

9am – 1pm

Please RSVP (yes/no) to Jessica. We look forward to seeing you there!!!

New Care Groups

2010-08-10T09:37:00.001-04:00

We’re very excited about our new singles care groups. Need more info? Need contact info? You can find it HERE.

We are excited to see all that God will do through this multiplication, Enjoy your new care groups!

Yes, snack schedules will still be posted on the sidebar! New schedules are coming soon…

Desserts Galore

2010-08-04T12:38:00.001-04:00

This Friday night will be our final time together in our current care group configuration meeting at our house.

For our time together, we will be having a time of worship together like we normally do but we will follow with a time for everyone to meet the Childs and the Barnetts and hear their testimonies, ask them questions and generally get to know them a little better.

After that, we will be having a dessert reception together to welcome them to the group and allow more time to speak with them individually on Friday night. At the same time, we will use the time to celebrate what God has done in the Singles group over the past while as we look forward to multiplying the groups very soon.

So, in addition to bringing yourself, we are asking that everyone please bring their favorite dessert and a drink to share this Friday night, (instead of the typical snacks).

I’m looking forward to our time and we can’t wait to see you on Friday.

Your bro,

-Matt

Church-Wide Picnic

2010-07-21T09:04:00.001-04:00

Join us for another church-wide picnic!

The Picnic will be a pot-luck style, laid back affair where we will have an opportunity to just gather together, play games, share in fellowship.

Click HERE for more information (and what to bring).

Want to volunteer? We need your help! Please contact Scott Triolo or Glendaliz Garcia. They will be happy to assign you to a team!

Extended Worship & Bonfire

2010-07-15T14:18:00.001-04:00

We are meeting in an alternate location this Friday night for some extended worship, lots of snacks, fire and fun!

This Friday night, we will be meeting at the Barnett’s house at 7:00pm.

We will be having a time of extended worship outside and enjoy a bonfire and snacks at some point too – it should be great!

To make things more enjoyable, we’d like everyone who comes to bring a snack and a drink to contribute to the festivities.

Also, please bring a camp-style chair or outdoor folding chair. We wouldn’t want you to have to end up sitting on the ground.

We are looking forward to seeing you there.

Your bro,

-Matt

Contact Jessica for directions, 864.346.2361 or jessica[at]sgcsc[dot]org.

Additional Hiking Info

2010-07-14T15:01:00.001-04:00

Meeting place: Wal Mart parking lot on Woodruff Rd.
Meeting time: 8:00am
Return time: no later than 6:00pm
Destination: Sam’s Knob/Black Balsam, in the Pisgah National Forest (and possibly some smaller trails for folks who are up to it)

Details:

The drive is almost 2 hours to the hike. The hike from the parking lot to the field where we will eat lunch is about a 20 minute hike max. (easy)
(There will be restrooms about a 10 minute walk/hike from where we will be eating lunch)
The hike from the field to the top of Sam's Knob is about 45 minutes at a walking pace. (moderate)
Once we reach the top of the mountain there is plenty of room for people to have fun, enjoy the view and explore.
If there are some individuals that are unable to hike Sam's knob we may be able to split the group and have one group stay in the field or head to the creek.
From there, we will be hiking from the field down to a creek (about 20 minutes) to play around and cool off. This is of course after we come back down the mountain as there is only one trail up the mountain. (easy)
We should have no problem getting back at 1800.

Items needed for each individual:

Items indicated by an * are optional but we should have at least 1 for every 5 people

Hiking boots or shoes with strong ankle support (no crocs or open-toe shoes)
Day pack (school backpack is fine)
First-aid kit (can be in a ziploc bag: band-aids, antiseptic wipes or bottled) *
32 oz water bottle (can be 2 16 oz bottles if they want)
rain jacket (can just be a large black trash bag if you don't have one)
Matches *
Packed Lunch
Snacks (optional) such as granola bars, raisins & peanuts, apple, etc.
Camera (optional)
Pocket knife (optional)

If you have not RSVP to Jessica, please do so ASAP.

Snack Schedule

2010-07-14T10:48:00.000-04:00

Snack schedule has been posted. See sidebar ----->

Hiking Trip!

2010-07-07T10:20:00.001-04:00

The Parent/Youth group of our church will be taking a hiking trip on Saturday, July 17^th and I’d like it if all of the Singles can come along – to make it a Parent/Youth & Singles hike.

This will be a good chance not only to serve the Parents and Youth of our church, it will also provide you with a chance to build relationships with families in the church. In addition, your presence and example of godliness will be a good role model for the youth of our church, who could benefit greatly from having older brothers and sisters in Christ to look up to and follow.

We will be leaving at 8:00am on Saturday, July 17^th and heading up to the Brevard, North Carolina area for a day full of hiking, lunch together and fun. We’d really love to have you there with us.

Please e-mail Jessica[at]sgcsc[dot]org if you can make it and also let us know if you’d be interested in helping with coordinating the hike itself too (our very own Eagle Scout, Josh Pratt will be helping lead the effort).

It will be lots of fun!

Your bro,
-Matt

Care Group @ Childs

2010-07-07T09:17:00.000-04:00

Care Group will be held at the Child’s home this Friday (July 10th). Please contact the church office if you need directions, 864.346.2361.

Baptism Video

2010-06-22T11:38:00.001-04:00

Sovereign Grace SC Baptism from James Naisang on Vimeo.

Care Group Location Change & Picnic Help

2010-06-16T09:44:00.001-04:00

Care group will be at Child’s home this Friday. Please contact the church office for directions, 864.364.2361.

Calling all Singles! We are still in need of volunteers for the Father's Day Picnic. Want to help? Contact Scott T., Glendaliz G., or Josh P. Thank you!!!

Don’t forget that we are all invited to the Crawford/Frank wedding THIS Saturday! Have a great week!!!

New City…New Focus

2010-06-15T09:32:00.001-04:00

Start saving your pennies!!!

I Thank My God For You

2010-04-20T09:05:00.001-04:00

Are you attending Next 2010? If so, we encourage you to pray for yourself and your friends!

While you are praying, don’t forget to pray for the countless volunteers that are serving you, so you can encounter God. To help fuel your prayers, check out this blog post…

I Thank My God For You (Praying For/Thanking the NEXT Team)

Care Group @ Child’s Home

2010-03-23T10:32:00.001-04:00

Good morning! Matt asked me to let you know that care group will be meeting at Matt & Stacie Childs home, this week. Check your inbox, we have sent you their address and phone number. Didn’t receive it? Call the church office at, 864.346.2361.

We are looking forward to seeing you on Friday @ 7pm!!!

Yes, we will be back at the Rawlings on the following week!

No Care Group This Week

2010-03-18T16:59:00.001-04:00

In light of the Family Meeting on Wednesday, there will be no care group tomorrow night (Friday).

Why Spend The Time & Money?

2010-03-10T09:13:00.001-05:00

I don’t know about you, but the older I get the more I realize that money just doesn’t grow on trees. And we all know that time is money. Taking time off for a conference can be a huge step of faith. Spending a couple hundred dollars can seem like millions. Why go? Especially when you can just download the messages from the comfort of your home. I recently came across this blog post and thought it may encourage you, get you excited about the conference, and answer some of those “Why” questions…

If you are like me, each year as you get ready to type your credit card code to sign up for NEXT; try to walk through the months of the year to figure out what month “9” is so you don’t mess up the expiration date; you eventually ask yourself this question “Why am I going to NEXT? Why spend the time? Why spend the money?”
For me it isn’t the thrill of packing in a hotel room with three other guys. It isn’t the rush of joy that I get seeing a Ninja in the morning with a fresh cup of coffee or the head ache I acquire from staying up until all hours of the night. Or the joys of trying to find your way to your Family Group in the morning. All those things are great don’t get me wrong…. They make awesome memories and God uses memories to build friendships so lets keep doing it!
But I keep coming back to NEXT year after year because I encounter the living God. I encounter God through the messages that cut through my sinful soul and strengthen me with truth; I encounter God in those sweet conversations late at night with a brother or sister in Christ; I encounter God through genuine worship to God through both singing and applying God’s word to my life. I walk away each year reminded, my God is real, he sent his son to redeem me and he is worthy of all praise I can give him.
I don’t know where you are at… maybe you punching in that credit card number just because you have done it year after year. Or maybe you have never been to NEXT, you don’t know anyone and it seems like a huge jump into the unknown. Or maybe you are college student and you have discovered money doesn’t grow on trees. If I could just urge you do what you can to make it to NEXT ’10….
I don’t know what God has in store for you, but I know this…. God will be there and you will encounter him…. And when Christians encounter God, wow big things happen! So sign up and maybe we will run into each other getting coffee from a Ninja.
Oh and by the way, September is the 9th month in the year….

Post taken from Next Blog: Why Spend The Time? Why Spend The Money?

I’m Too Poor To Attend

2010-03-02T09:02:00.001-05:00

I want to go to Next ‘10, but I don’t have the finances. Times are tight and you can only budget so much. The Staff at Next know that it can be hard to find the dough to attend Next. So, they have come up with a couple of posts on the Next blog. Hopefully, it will give you some ideas and make finding cash a little easier.

You can find the link to their first post below. Check their blog later this week for more posts on practical fundraising.

I’m Too Poor To Attend (Fundraising Ideas) by Christopher Cooke

Next Deadline

2010-02-23T15:17:00.001-05:00

Are you planning on traveling to Baltimore and rooming with us? If so, we need to know soon...very soon. Many details need to be finalized. These details cannot move forward until we hear from you. Please let us know by March 30th (yes or no).

Please contact Jessica at, 864.346.2361 or jessica[at]sgcsc.org.

Costs:
Registration - $150 - www.thisisnext.org
Hotel - $110 (Four people to a room).
Bus - $125

Please note: Registration increases on April 1st.

Next Promo Video

2010-02-18T09:35:00.000-05:00

Next 2010 Promotional Video from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.

Go to www.thisisnext.org to find out more about Next 2010!

Care Group @ Payne's Home

2010-02-04T09:39:00.004-05:00

Care Group will be held at Dan & Kimberly Payne's home, this Friday night (February 5th). We will be begin at 7pm.

You should have received an e-mail with their address and phone number. Didn't receive the e-mail? Contact Jessica at jessica[at]sgcsc.org or 864.346.2361.

We look forward to seeing you there!!!

Care Group Location CHANGE

2010-01-27T09:42:00.001-05:00

This Friday (January, 29th) the Singles Care Group will be meeting at Wendy C’s house. Please check your e-mail for directions and parking instructions.

Didn’t get the e-mail? Please e-mail Jessica at, jessica[at]sgcsc.org.

Parenting Seminar

2010-01-23T11:29:00.002-05:00

What!?! Why is there information about the Parenting Seminar on the singles blog? As Matt mentioned in care group, we would like your help. We are looking for babysitters!
Many families in the church will not be able to find childcare for this event. Would you consider volunteering to watch someone’s kids? This will enable both parents to attend. The classes are on Sundays from 3 – 5pm.
Class Dates:
February 28
March 14
April 11
April 25
May 23
June 13
June 27

Want to help, but don’t know who to ask? Click HERE to e-mail the church. We will gladly find a family for you.

Update on Haiti Relief Efforts

2010-01-22T18:51:00.000-05:00

Below are some quick bullet points on developments in Haiti
1. Relief has begun getting into Haiti via the Dominican Republic (DR)
What a unique, but powerful example of what it means to be a part of a ‘family of churches’. Al Pino (pastor in our Miami church) has been working with our contacts in the Dominican Republic (DR,) who we found out already had medical clinics in Port-Au-Price (PAP), to get additional resources to them to fund their work there. Thanks to the SGM Disaster Relief Fund we have already been able to get over $25,000 to them to continue their work in that area. We are now looking over strategies to utilize these routes to get additional aid into the country, as well as specific help, for the churches/orphanages that we relate with in Haiti.

2. Doors continue to open each day. Marlaine Alix was able to leave earlier this week to travel into Jacmel, Haiti via the DR to start an initial assessment of the needs there and to determine what we can do to further help them. She will be working her way back to Florida so we can continue to assess what the best next steps are soon. Both Daniel and Marlaine hope to travel there the first part of next week to begin evaluating local resources in the areas around the churches/orphanages that were hit. The churches in the DR have graciously offered to assist in whatever ways that they can in the initial response in Haiti. So, we are currently working to get those two groups in contact with one-another to coordinate their work. While Daniel and Marlaine are in Haiti, we are shifting our primary contact with them to their daughter Vanessa who will help us coordinate any efforts stateside as well as assist us in gaining a better idea of what is going on.
We have learned that most of the churches there, that did have buildings, were hit pretty hard during the earthquakes. At this time, it is difficult to get a clear picture of what exactly this looks like but it is not hard at all to quickly pray for those whose lives were completely changed in such a short time. In addition to the destruction of the church buildings and the loss of some church-members lives, many of the church members have lost their homes, loved ones and their livelihood.

3. What’s next? This is a common question and one that we hope to be able to answer more clearly as we gather information on what is actually happening on the ground from our contacts. We are trying to sift through a myriad of information as it comes in rapid-fire succession from Haiti, the DR and other sources.
Please pray for wisdom to be able to sort through everything and determine the right course of action to pursue.

Right now we are mainly focused on directing our attention on the following

a. Offering what care we can to the leaders we have been working with in Haiti
b. Getting resources to the DR for their work in PAP
c. Pursuing opportunities to get additional relief into Haiti (targeting areas with churches/orphanages)
d. Assessing what the condition of the churches/orphanages is currently
e. Support for those who are there
f. Considering what long term impact we can have that would best serve the churches

4. What can our church do? – The fact that so many of you think and respond this way make it such a joy to serve these hurting people. Please focus people’s attention on two things right now: Pray, Give to SGM Relief Fund.

a. Prayer. Pray for all of those whose lives have been affected by this. Pray for protection from disease as well as protection from the violence that has resulted from the food, water, clothing and housing shortages. Pray for on-going funding and wisdom in the decisions that lie ahead. And lastly, pray for strength for those serving in that region.

b. Giving to the SGM Relief Fund. This allows us to quickly get needed resources into affected areas via the most direct means possible. It also offers us flexibility in getting resources into the country when there really are no other direct routes for now. Many larger and more experienced relief organizations are struggling to get resources in there right now, so we are being mindful of our role in the long term rebuilding efforts in that nation as well as in serving the churches in that region. Although many would like to donate food or other good directly, it is difficult for us to manage the logistics of this and it is more expedient to work through funding local contacts to distribute relief and care.

5. Are we planning to send teams into Haiti? – This is a great question that helps confirm that our folks are really seeking to care for one-another in deed as well as in prayer and giving. Right now, this is not the most strategic way that we can support them at this time and right now, we are not able to send teams into Haiti. There are a number of factors being considered in this regard as we continue to monitor the situation on the ground and look at what we can do to best serve the people of Haiti. In the days ahead, we will be trying to determine how we can best set our churches up for success in that nation. Pray along with us that God’s kingdom would come in the hearts and lives of the Haitian people. Since this is a part of an ongoing work in that nation, we will continue to re-evaluate the situation to see if we can be of help by sending service teams.

e-News

2010-01-21T10:28:00.001-05:00

We’re trying out a new form of communication this week. Instead of sending you multiple e-mails, filling your inbox, and generally confusing you with data; we’ve decided to try out an e-Newsletter. Check your inbox! You should have the first ever SGC Singles e-News waiting for you. Please let us know if it serves you and what you think! We’re always open to ideas and suggestions.

Don’t have it yet? You can also view it online: http://mim.io/12f12

Haiti Disaster Relief

2010-01-15T08:35:00.005-05:00

In response to the devastating earthquake that occurred in Haiti on Tuesday, Sovereign Grace Ministries has opened a Disaster Relief fund to help deliver food, medicine, and other needed aid there. We will distribute the funds we raise primarily through existing ministry contacts we have on the island—both in Haiti and the Dominican Republic—who are already involved in relief efforts.

If you want to join us in our support of these efforts, you can donate to the Disaster Relief fund on our website or by calling 800.736.2202. On behalf of our friends in Haiti, thank you for considering this opportunity to give.

Regardless of your ability to make a donation, please join us in praying that those affected by the earthquake would receive aid quickly, and that despite these hardships the gospel would continue to go forward in that nation.

Gift Wrap Pics

2010-01-09T09:45:00.001-05:00

Here are some pictures from our Singles Gift Wrap Outreach and our Singles Christmas Party.

Thank you again for all your help. Both events were a huge success!

Bows, Gingerbread, & 2010

2009-12-17T15:42:00.002-05:00

5th Annual Toys R Us Gift Wrap!

This Saturday

9am – 3pm

Toys R Us (Haywood Rd.)

Wear a red shirt and Santa hat. We’ll see you there!

2nd Annual Gingerbread Contest (and Christmas Party too)

This Saturday evening

6pm – 9pm

Bring $5 & a wrapped gift for the gift exchange.

Registration Is Open!!!

Registration for the Next 2010 conference is open. Join us as we worship the Savior, listen to some great speakers, fellowship, and make a lot of memories.

Care Group Location Change

2009-12-02T13:59:00.001-05:00

This Friday night our Singles group will be meeting at 7:00pm at Wendy C's house.

It should be a great time together to fellowship, worship and apply God's Word to our lives practically.

Need directions? Check your e-mail (Matt R. sent out a link) or contact the church office, 864.346.2361.

Next Is Back!

2009-11-25T23:43:00.001-05:00

The Next Website & Blog are up and running. What is Next? It’s a conference that we are very excited about. For more information, click the links below…

Next 2010

Next Blog

Promote Next on your blog or website…

Caregroup @ The Rawlings' house tonight

2009-11-20T17:09:00.001-05:00

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

Care Group @ Payne’s

2009-11-12T11:03:00.001-05:00

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

Daylight Savings Ends

2009-10-29T10:04:00.001-04:00

Daylight Savings ends this Sunday.

Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour.

Calling All NEXT Memories

2009-10-27T17:06:00.001-04:00

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.

Desserts Galore!!!

2009-10-20T11:01:00.001-04:00

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

We Need You!

2009-10-16T12:50:00.001-04:00

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".

No CARE GROUP!!!

2009-10-01T09:54:00.001-04:00

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.

Snack Schedule

2009-09-30T08:56:00.009-04:00

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

the Cross too simple, my Sin too complex?

2009-09-20T07:58:00.000-04:00

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.

Embassy Suites

2009-09-09T15:12:00.001-04:00

Sunday, September 13th

Sovereign Grace Church will be meeting at the Embassy Suites on Sunday, September 13th at 10am. The Embassy Suites is located on Verdae Blvd. near the intersection of Woodruff Rd. & Roper Mtn. Rd. We will return the the Marriott on the following Sunday. Click HERE for maps and directions.

Care Group Location Change

2009-07-21T08:57:00.003-04:00

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

Next Worship LIVE

2009-07-09T09:38:00.002-04:00

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)

What Was The Name...

2009-06-26T09:33:00.003-04:00

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?

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

Map to Picnic Extravaganza

2009-06-10T10:18:00.002-04:00

View Picnic Extravaganza in a larger map

NEXT MP3s

2009-05-29T09:09:00.001-04:00

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

No Care Group/NEXT Travel Info

2009-05-19T09:55:00.004-04:00

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. ;)

Next $$$

2009-05-13T20:10:00.004-04:00

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!!!

NEXT Registration, Closes May 10th

2009-04-29T09:31:00.001-04:00

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…

NEXT Registration

Verses to make you hungry...

2009-04-15T12:23:00.003-04:00

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

Getting started on a Bible Reading Plan

2009-04-14T16:05:00.002-04:00

As you are probably aware, we have just started a church-wide Bible-Reading plan this week (we're using one from the Discipleship Journal). If you’d like to download and print it, you can do so directly here: http://www.navpress.com/uploadedFiles/15074%20BRP.dj.pdf

As we embark on reading the Bible together this year, although our goal is to read the Bible each day, we want to do so in dependence on the grace of God knowing that we may not actually read His Word as consistently as we would like, even when we try.

Please do not become discouraged and give up though – what matters to the Lord is not checking off the daily reading box, but that we come to Him in humble dependence, looking to be fed, nourished and refreshed by Him.

Be aware, as with any Bible reading or devotional plan, there can be a temptation to legalism or pride, as if our doing the plan faithfully impresses God or in some way means that we’re being “good Christians”. God is impressed with those who come to Him contrite and in humble dependence on Him.

On the other hand, do not feel like you have to go back and re-read the days you miss as if you cannot keep pressing forward without doing so. If you miss days, I would encourage you to either press on, skip that day and just read the next day so you can keep current with your family or caregroup (preferable – so that you can experience fellowship/discussion about the Bible with others more easily) or just read the plan acting as if you didn’t miss a thing and read whatever verses are next, no matter how long it has been.

There is a great temptation to feel overwhelmed when embarking on such a plan - especially if we miss a lot of days and we feel like we are so far behind that we cannot continue. Please do not fall into this trap. If you miss days – approach each day as a fresh start and remember that what matters is whether you are reading God’s Word – not whether you perfectly follow a plan or read every verse sequentially. No matter how many verses or books you skip, you can be sure that God will be faithful to use His Word in your life whenever you read it and whatever passage you happen to be reading.

Remember that God is not angry with His children when we don’t read the Bible and He isn’t thinking less of us if we miss checking the boxes – no, He just longs for us to come to Him and He meets us, leads us, guides us and refreshes us when we do so humbly.

So, if you haven’t started reading – let me encourage you to start on day 3 tomorrow…

God’s Word is sweeter than honey, more valuable than the greatest treasure, it is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path and it can make even the most simple wise – let this encourage and motivate us to read His Word and feast on His goodness found therein.

-Matt

Free in Christ

2009-04-01T14:02:00.005-04:00

Do you ever despair at the sin in your life? If you've been born again in Jesus Christ take courage, because you've been made new and are no longer enslaved by sin.

We no longer need to fear God's wrath since Jesus has completely fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law. Now the Holy Spirit who knows our hearts, as well as all of our mixed motives and competing desires, perfectly intercedes for us in the midst of our weaknesses. He is constantly in the process of working everything in our lives according to His good purposes.

Even though we may feel unlovely, God loves us because of His Son and nothing will separate us from His love - no circumstance, no person and not even our own feeble failings. It is precisely because of the freedom that we now have in Christ and the great love that He has poured out on us that we can take courage knowing that He is for us and we are more than conquerors through Him. (read all of Romans 8 to get the full story)

Free in Christ

So often in my life
I’m tempted to despair
I see the sin in my heart
And the wickedness in there

I can feel like I’m unworthy
Unfit to bear His name
Like I am not His child
Weighed down by all my shame

But then I remember
That the source of my faith
Does not lie within me
But in His amazing grace

Jesus saved me from myself
And all my wickedness
He rescued me from God’s wrath
And gave me His righteousness

Now I am forgiven
I No longer stand condemned
I’ve been cleansed in His blood
Washed clean and free from my sin

So now I am worthy
Because I bear His name
I am His chosen child
He has taken all my blame

Now I’m free in Christ
My hope in Him secure
I’m free to live for Him
My inheritance is sure

Copyright Matthew Rawlings, March 27, 2009

Registration INCREASES

2009-03-31T10:23:00.001-04:00

Have you been planning on registering for Next 09, but more important things have occupied your time (like school, care group, sorting your sock drawer…). Take 5 minutes and do it TODAY!!! Registration increases tomorrow (12am, April 1st). Don’t delay, register today.

http://www.thisisnext.org/2009-conference#register

Not sure if you’re going? Want to go, but cannot afford it? Contact Matt R. or e-mail us at: jessica[at]sgcsc.org.

BBQ

2009-03-28T17:11:00.005-04:00

A great big thank-you goes out to Stephen Frank for fixing us a sublime BBQ feast. Even though it ended up raining heavily, the weather didn't spoil our fun as we huddled under our redneck-inspired tent&tarp. Check out these pics from our time...

BBQ Before Group

2009-03-25T09:18:00.005-04:00

Join us this Friday night for catered BBQ. That's right, we'll be having dinner together before care group. What do you need to do?

RSVP: jessica[at]sgcsc.org

After that, arrive at the Rawlings at 5:30pm with $5.50. We look forward to seeing you there!

Embassy Suites TOMORROW

2009-03-21T12:09:00.005-04:00

Click HERE for maps & directions.

Hilton This Sunday

2009-03-13T10:09:00.004-04:00

Click HERE for maps and directions.

THIS IS NEXT

2009-02-20T10:28:00.001-05:00

Fundraising 101

2009-02-13T09:50:00.001-05:00

Let’s face it, singles just do not have money stashed away in a sock drawer. It can be tough to make ends meet. And when it comes to a conference, is your first thought, “And where do you expect me to get money for this?”

Well the creative genius’ on the Next Blog have read your mind. They are posting a series on fundraising ideas and ways to make your hard earned cash stretch. So, don’t waste time. Stop whatever you are doing and check out these creative ideas!

Fundraising Ideas – Round 1

Fundraising From Your Living Room

Still short cash? Talk to Matt R.

30 hours

2009-02-06T14:51:00.001-05:00

Are you looking for some theologically rich sermons to download? Well, look no further! thisisnext.org has just released a Resources page. On it you’ll find no less than 36 messages from the New Attitude conferences. That’s somewhere over 30 hours of sermons from men like John Piper, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, Mike Bullmore, Bruce Ware, Bob Kauflin, C.J. Mahaney, Wayne Grudem, and Joshua Harris.

What are you waiting for? Start downloading!!!

http://www.thisisnext.org/resources

No Care Group This Week

2009-02-05T09:36:00.001-05:00

Don’t forget, there is no care group this week (Friday, February 6th).

Stop by the Next Promo Table this Sunday…pick-up a poster, sticker, and “bookmark”.

Na is Next

2009-01-29T10:40:00.001-05:00

New Attitude is over. Meet Next.

The vision of NEXT is to gather worshipers of Jesus Christ who burn with a passion to see the gospel transferred to the next generation. Yes, that includes college students and singles. But it also includes married couples. And it also includes people like Bob and Marge Merriman who are in their sixties. This couple has been coming every year since the first conference to participate and serve. If you have a desire to see gospel truth clearly proclaimed, faithfully lived and expressed in worship and mission then NEXT is for you. Joshua Harris

We hope you’ll take the time to check out Next. Here’s some helpful links:

What is Next?

Next Blog

Next Webzine

Next Conference Information

Next Conference Registration

New Attitude Registration TOMORROW

2009-01-27T15:46:00.006-05:00

The New Atttiude website is about to change. New name. New speakers. New look. And it all begins tomorrow. Conference information, speakers, and registration will be available tomorrow, January 28th.

If you have an opportunity, visit Na this week. What are we talking about? Why are we so excited? Check out the website, you'll quickly find out.

New Attitude

Videos from previous years...

Location Change

2009-01-21T07:41:00.001-05:00

The location for care group this week has changed. We will be meeting at Wendy C. home at 7pm on Friday night.

Need more info? Contact the church office at, 864.346.2361 or info[at]sgcsc.org

Don't Forget

2009-01-14T08:35:00.016-05:00

We will NOT be meeting at the Marriott this Sunday (January 18th).

We will be meeting at the Embassy Suites. The Embassy Suites is located on Verdae Blvd., near Woodruff Rd. & Roper Mtn. Rd.

Need directions? Click HERE.

Snack Schedule

2009-01-06T10:40:00.007-05:00

Care Group snack schedule is online! It is posted on the sidebar to your right. --->

Check out www.newattitude.org. They are posting some incredible testimonies of what God has done in previous conferences.

Care Group THIS Friday

2008-12-31T12:18:00.003-05:00

Although the rest of the church is not having regular Caregroup since tonight is New Year’s Eve, we will still be meeting this coming Friday night (January 02) for our regular Singles Caregroup.

It will be good to see you all at our house this Friday night at 7:00pm as we enjoy our first time of fellowship together in 2009!

UPDATED: We will be having regular care group every Friday night this month!

Gift Wrap Pics

2008-12-21T19:07:00.001-05:00

Pictures taken by Jessica B, Ryan M, and Barry W.

Care Group Moved to Saturday

2008-12-19T09:15:00.003-05:00

As a reminder, this week our Singles’ Caregroup will be meeting on Saturday night at 6:00pm for our Christmas party, instead of having our normal meeting on Friday night.

This means that you’ll have off Friday night now, to catch up on reading your Bible, have fellowship or just get extra sleep in preparation to serve on Saturday morning at the Gift-Wrap outreach at Toys-R-Us…

However you choose to spend Friday evening though, we really are looking forward to a great time together this Saturday serving folks at the Gift-Wrap Outreach (9:30am-3:00pm at Toys-R-Us) followed by dinner, fellowship and general, merrymaking festivities at our Singles’ Christmas Party (6:00pm-? At our house). For those concerned about doing too much in your old age, you’ll have at least a couple of hours to get in a long nap or watch some reruns on the golf channel in between the Gift Wrap and Christmas Party.

Hopefully by now, you’ve already received separate “e-vite” e-mails for both of these events. If you have gotten both “e-vites”, please make sure that you respond online to both of these invitations for us asap, since it is way easier to keep track of things and plan this way. If not or if you have any questions, please drop me a line and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. If not or if you have any questions, contact the church office at, 864.346.2361 or info[at]sgcsc.org.

Need directions to Andrew & Jennifer's Wedding? Here's a link and wedding details:

Saturday, December 27th
11:00am
Reception to follow.
Get directions HERE

Mission: Gift Wrap

2008-12-16T09:27:00.006-05:00

We are looking forward to serving our community this Saturday. What an opportunity to express the love of Christ to Greenville. Here's a couple of important reminders:

Wear a Santa hat & a RED shirt. (This helps to identify us as part of SGC.)
Bring a pair of scissors.
Dress warmly! We recommend gloves and a scarf.
Please pray for the event. Pray that God will be glorified. Pray that people will be blessed. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel. Pray for NO RAIN! Right now there is a chance of rain.
Arrive at Toys R Us at 9:30am (this Saturday, December 20th).
RSVP if you have not. Please contact the church office at, 864.346.2361 or info[at]sgcsc.org

Need Directions? Click HERE

Curious what do we do at the Gift Wrap? Enjoy the slideshow below...

We look forward to seeing you there!

Free Na Registraion

2008-12-09T12:35:00.004-05:00

Ten years ago New Attitude began. This year the staff at Na are looking back at God’s kindness and forward to what’s next. And they need your help.

They want to hear your own story of what God did through a Na conference in your life. So they’re offering one free registration until the beginning of registration (mid to late January). Every week they'll throw all the names of people that have submitted registration testimonies into a big hat and pick a winner. It’s that simple.

Want more info? Check out their blog post, Free Registration Anyone?

Need directions to the Winter Wonderland Event on Friday? Click HERE.

Mission: Gift Wrap

2008-12-06T16:03:00.000-05:00

Calling all singles. We need you! We will be hosting our 4th annual FREE gift wrap event at Toys R Us on Saturday, December 20th. All singles are invited and encouraged to come.

Please contact the church office (864.346.2361) if you are able to wrap presents or be a greeter.

Lunch will be provided.

Singles Christmas Party on Saturday, December 20th at 6pm. More details to follow.

CareGroup TONIGHT

2008-12-05T08:04:00.001-05:00

Our caregroup will be getting together for our regular meeting tonight at 7:00pm.

However, we will be meeting in a different location this Friday night – at Wendy C.’s home.

For directions or more information, call the church office at, 864.346.2361.

Do You Really Know Yourself?

2008-11-21T12:01:00.003-05:00

"Know Thyself"

This was the highly esteemed Greek principle inscribed at the front entrance way to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, which meant “Know Thyself”. The saying referred to the Greek value of understanding human behavior, morals and thought, because it was thought that ultimately to understand oneself is to understand other humans as well. Although there is some truth in the idea that knowing yourself is important, this idea has some serious limitations as well.

Knowing yourself is important if you are to understand what motivates you, what you desire and what you are living for. However, self-examination is not enough and in the end will prove futile if we do not examine ourselves in the light of God’s Word. We must seek to understand the desires and inclination of our sin nature that remain and then seek to apply the truth of Scripture our lives. We must know how our ambitions and desires stack up against what God says is true and discern how they compare to what the Bible says should motivate our lives.

Ultimately, our motivation should be to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord because of what He has done for us through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Or as the Apostle Paul said about living for the sake of Christ, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

So what about you? Do you know yourself? If you answer the below questions honestly, (not how you know you should answer them but being honest about what you really think) they may help reveal what is motivating you:

What are your favorite things to do?
What do you like to spend time on?
What are your favorite things to watch?
What are your hobbies?
What do you like to spend money on?
Who are your favorite bands?
What are the last 5 songs or artists you downloaded on your iPod?
What are your favorite TV shows?
What are your favorite movies?
What are your favorite books?
What are your favorite shoes?
What are your favorite clothes?
What are your favorite games?
What are your favorite internet sites to go to?
What do you want to do in life?
What do you spend most of your free time doing?
Who do you want to notice you most?
Who do you most want to impress?

Your answers to the above questions could help reveal what you really love. The question is whether a motivation to live for God because of His great love for you is revealed? Or is a love for the world or the things of the world revealed?

1 John 2:15-17 says,
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions - is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

This scripture confronts us where we live and doesn’t leave us with any wiggle room. If we love the world or the things of the world, the love of the Father is not in us. This is radical. This requires that we know ourselves and that we live to love and please the Lord in what we do.

Obviously, because sin still remains in our hearts, our desires are never completely pure and our motives are most often mixed. The question is not whether we at times live for things other than God – the question is what the over-riding desire of our lives is normally. Do we seek to make each day an act of worship to God, even though we fail and need His grace continuously or are we just coasting along and living for the world and the things of the world without even realizing it? Or perhaps, even more seriously, are we living for the world and comfortable with it?

So, the question for us is, what do you love? Over the next few posts, we are going to address the topic of worldliness. In the meanwhile, I would encourage you to pray and ask the Lord to reveal your heart to you. Where you experience conviction, I would encourage you to repent and trust in the grace of God to enable you to live a life that is pleasing to Him. We can never earn our salvation or keep our salvation by how we live, but how we live is a good indicator of whether we really love God.

(By the way - you may have noticed that this is the same as the CrossCurrent post - Although I wouldn't normally have the same post on two blogs, I think this topic will serve both groups)

Yes, we have Caregroup!

2008-11-21T10:55:00.002-05:00

We are having our regular Singles Caregroup tonight, at the normal location and normal time (7:00pm). I am looking forward to seeing everyone there tonight!
-Matt

Care Group Cancelled - Memorial Service Friday

2008-11-06T15:37:00.003-05:00

Care Group is cancelled for Friday, November 7th.

The singles will be attending Ruby G's memorial service at 7pm. If you would like more information on the service, contact the church office at, 864.346.2361.

Fall Back

2008-10-31T17:23:00.001-04:00

Time change THIS Sunday! Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour on tomorrow (Saturday) night.

Important Info

2008-10-25T21:07:00.003-04:00

Care Group is cancelled on Friday, October 31st.

Joshua Harris released an important announcement about the New Attitude Conference. Read his blog post HERE.

If you haven't had an opportunity, check out the SGC Care Group Blog. Application questions, sermon mp3, Sunday's text, and Sunday's songs can all be found on the Care Group Blog.

No Care Group/Beauty Meets The Gospel

2008-10-21T19:47:00.007-04:00

There will be no care group this week.

The ladies (members) will be meeting this Wednesday for their quarterly meeting.

Questions? Need more info? Contact the church office at, 864.346.2361.

2008-10-17T00:05:00.001-04:00

Josh R. has requested prayer for his mother (Joanna) who is dealing with severe health issues. Joanna has a double, auto-immune disorder where her body is rejecting her liver and pancreas. Her skin is also being affected by this disorder. Please also pray for Josh's father, James who is being affected financially because of the current economic situation. Remember Josh in prayer too, as he needs grace and wisdom to know how to minister to his parents during this time of trial.

Get your own ESVSB!

2008-10-16T17:07:00.004-04:00

It's here! The long-awaited, much-hyped, ESV Study Bible has finally rolled off the presses!

I received my personal copy just last week, (we pre-ordered a while ago), and I've already benefited from it by reading the notes on the book of Habakkuk (we'll be hearing some messages from Habakkuk on Sunday mornings soon).

If you haven’t gotten your own ESVSB (that's a mouthful of an acronym), they’re available now in a variety of styles and colors. For those who like something other than leather (I prefer leather personally), you can also order it in hardcover.

No matter whether you prefer hardcover (for the bargain shopper), bonded leather, true tone, genuine leather or the ultra-luxurious, calfskin leather (can you say "uber-expensive"?), I'd encourage you to get one for yourself soon and experience a renewed desire to know God through his word.

Care Group Schedule

2008-10-16T08:15:00.004-04:00

1^st Friday of month – Care Group

2^nd Friday of month – Men’s Community Group (members)

3^rd Friday of month – Care Group

4^th Friday of month – Women’s Community Group (members)

5^th Friday of month – Care Group

Care Group is this Friday (10.17) and will be held at the Rawling's home. Care Group on October 31st is cancelled.

No Care Group

2008-10-07T09:56:00.004-04:00

There will be no care group this week.

The men (members) will be meeting this Wednesday for their quarterly meeting.

Questions? Need more info? Contact the church office at, 864.346.2361.

Location Change

2008-09-28T18:45:00.006-04:00

Care Group is this week. However, the location has been changed.

Care Group will be at the Cook's house.

Need directions? Call the Cooks at 864.991.8066.

Why Small Groups?

2008-09-16T09:27:00.007-04:00

Need to download the book, but can't find it...check out the link below.

Why Small Groups? Download Set

Mark Your Calendar!

2008-09-09T12:16:00.008-04:00

Members Family Meeting - Wednesday, September 17th

NO CARE GROUP - Friday, September 19th

________________________________________________________

20% off ESV Study Bible!

Receive a 20% discount through September 15, 2008

New Attitude answers your Bible questions

New Attitude Articles

Baptism Pics online

SGC Flickr Photostream

Care Group THIS Friday & Na* Pics

2008-08-26T10:54:00.002-04:00

Singles Care Group is THIS Friday night at 7pm. We look forward to seeing you there!

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Check out New Attitude's Flickr Photostream. They just posted 100+ new pics from Na 08.

4th Friday

2008-08-19T15:02:00.000-04:00

Do we have care group this Friday or not?

Warning! Singles Care Group schedule, does not follow the rest of the care group schedules this month. This is the 4th Friday of the month, so no care group this week.

Still confused? Check out the Singles Calendar.

Care Group This Friday

2008-08-12T10:06:00.008-04:00

Just a reminder, Singles Care Group is THIS Friday (August 15th). We look forward to seeing you there!!!

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Snacks? Are you on the schedule to bring snacks? Check out the schedule on the sidebar. --->

Calendar questions? Check out the Singles Calendar.

Celebrating Baptism

2008-07-29T09:53:00.003-04:00

Check out the below video of highlights from the baptism service that we held a couple of weeks ago. What a privilege it was to participate together in celebrating 18 people publicly declaring their faith and new life in Christ!

Resources to Remember

2008-07-26T09:00:00.001-04:00

5 days left to purchase the ESV Study Bible at a 35% Pre-Order Discount!!!

From now until July 31, friends of Sovereign Grace Ministries are invited to pre-order the Study Bible at a 35 percent discount. Simultaneously, Crossway will donate five percent of these purchases to Sovereign Grace Ministries. These donations will be used to support families who are training at the Pastors College. The Pastors College exists to train men to serve, lead, and plant Sovereign Grace Ministries churches and to support men currently serving as pastors within Sovereign Grace.
To receive the discount—and support men in the PC—simply click on the following link. You will be directed to a customized webpage where you can see an overview of the Study Bible and place your order.

Click here for more information: www.crossway.org/8sbsg

Sermon Transcripts & Mp3s

Want to review what you heard at Na*? Were you unable to attend Na* this year? Transcripts & Mp3s of the Na* messages are available for download.

Transcripts (scroll to bottom of page)

Mp3s

...New pictures in Candid Shots. Check it out -->

A New Home

2008-07-10T10:06:00.001-04:00

Are you looking for Sunday's Application Questions? Are you looking for this coming Sunday's Worship Songs? They have a new home.

Application Questions and Sunday Worship Songs can be found on the SGC Care Group Blog.

Check it out!!!

Singles blog isn't going anywhere...we're staying right here.