Testimonies: Reidlands
Cross of Grace is a church full of diverse people from different backgrounds who all have one thing in common: Jesus! We want to highlight this by sharing stories and testimonies from the people at CoG. First up: Mike and Donna Reidland
"There was a time in my life when I knew that I was going to hell; two divorces, drunkenness, I knew I had missed my chance to be good enough to go to heaven. But because of God‘s mercy and grace, my sins have been forgiven, Donna and I have been married for more than 41 years, and I know that one day I will go to heaven to be with Him." - Mike Reidland
"There was a time in my life when I thought that being a reasonably good person was all I needed to do to go to heaven, but God had to let me see that it was impossible to be good enough and that I wasn’t actually good by anyone’s standard. Then in His mercy, He saved me, and life has never been the same. Now, in spite of the tests and trials that God allows into my life for my good and His glory, I have peace and joy, knowing that one day I will spend eternity with Him." - Donna Reidland
The Reidlands have attended Cross of Grace since last September and shared their testimonies at this year's Easter service. They have lived in El Paso for about 50 years and came to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in 1983, right before they married. Over the years, they have served the Lord throughout the city and now call Cross of Grace their home church!
P.S. Want to get connected to the church? Check out our various groups on our ministry page.
The Thread — A Psalm 136 Retelling
This Sunday I shared a poetic version of Psalm 136 that was originally done by the great English poet John Milton. I’ve revised the refrain and added some language at the end. I pray it helps you hold the thread this week. -Ricky
John Milton, revised
Let us, with a gladsome mind,
praise the LORD, for He is kind:
See his steadfast love endure
Ever faithful ever sure
Let us blaze His name abroad,
for of gods He is the God:
See his steadfast love endure
Ever faithful ever sure
He, with all commanding might,
filled the new-made world with light:
See his steadfast love endure
Ever faithful ever sure
He hath caused the golden sun
all day long his course to run:
See his steadfast love endure
Ever faithful ever sure
He with thunder-clasping hand,
smote firstborn of Egypt land:
See his steadfast love endure
Ever faithful ever sure
And in spite of Pharaoh fell,
He brought forth His Israel:
See his steadfast love endure
Ever faithful ever sure
He in battle has brought down
kings of prowess and renown:
See his steadfast love endure
Ever faithful ever sure
To His servant Israel,
gave their land therein to dwell:
See his steadfast love endure
Ever faithful ever sure
Even now his victory rings
In my life and new hope springs
See his steadfast love endure
Ever faithful ever sure
Recent peace and hope and love
Given from his hand above
See his steadfast love endure
Ever faithful ever sure
Let us therefore hold the thread–
Of all He’s done and all He’s said
See his steadfast love endure
Ever faithful ever sure
The story told and then retold
In my life now will unfold
See his steadfast love endure
Ever faithful ever sure
Always Better News Book Interview
We are giving away copies of Pastor Ricky’s new book, “Always Better News” on Easter Sunday! What is this book? Who is it for? Read on to find out!
1. What inspired you to write this book?
I (Ricky) grew up in church so I heard the basics of Jesus, the gospel, etc. many many times. They were the wallpaper to my life. But somewhere in my teenage years I began to see the gospel not as the wallpaper to the Christian life but as the pathway of the Christian life.
Even more, I learned that the gospel isn’t just true it’s also good. The term gospel literally means “good news” but for too many the gospel itself is boring, irrelevant, or disconnected from their lives. But as I grew in my faith as a teen more and more the gospel became not just news but good news. Since then every year I’ve studied the gospel it has become more amazing, astounding, surprising, and shocking to me.
As a pastor for the past 14 years I’ve seen over and over that I’m not alone. Many Christians see the gospel as wallpaper. Many Christians see the gospel as news but not particularly good. I want to change that.
2. Who is it for?
Really, I wrote this for my city of El Paso. If you read statistics on how many claim to have some kind of Christian religious affiliation or have every gone to church, it’s most people. But if you read statistics on how many read the Bible, or follow Jesus consistently, it’s far lower. That gap is what I’m writing to. Because I was once in that gap myself.
First, I wrote it for anyone who grew up in or around the church or religious environments. There are blessings to that, but one huge downside is that the gospel – the heart of our faith – no longer amazes us. I’m hoping this helps.
Second, I wrote it for anyone who is seeking to re-establish a relationship with God. Maybe they grew up in or around the church but drifted as some point. And maybe they’re really going to examine their relationship with God – perhaps even for the first time come to their own relationship with God through the gospel. Or maybe they have wandered for a while, known they’re a Christian, but want to reground themselves in who God is, who we are, who Jesus is, etc.
And third, if someone has no Christian background but wants to honestly examine the heart of the Christian faith, this is a great place to start. Skeptics, doubters, naysayers welcome.
3. Why the title “Always better News”?
One of our most faithful church members is Mrs. Wheeler who has followed Jesus for decades. And over the years I’ve been in many small group meetings with her. And the thing that has amazed me is that every year the gospel seems to be more wonderful for her. She tears up as she speaks about it. She smiles when she remembers it. I want to be like her when I grow up. She is more and more amazed with each passing year that Jesus loves her, that he died for her, that she has life and hope in him.
In many ways the gospel is like a diamond. You can look at it from a thousand angles in a hundred different lights and it shimmers and shines just slightly differently and beautifully. The more you examine the gospel the more you see.
So that’s why I say the gospel is always better news than you think.
I would love to see a generation of Christians who confess that the gospel is not just good news, as if it was something that impacted us once, but always better news and is something that continues to amaze us.
4. Why is the gospel better news to you?
It’s not. And I know that’s a bad answer to that question!
But the gospel doesn’t always feel like better news to me. I can hear it and sing it only for it to begin to fade back into the wallpaper of my life. The incredible news that I have a creator who loved me and set his affection on me and sent Jesus to save me…is truly incredible. Yet sometimes it doesn’t feel incredible.
That’s why I’ve found that I need to hear it over and over and keep hearing it. Because the gospel is always deeper, more profound, more beautiful, more intricate, than I understand. The problem is not with the gospel, then, it’s with me. And only my staring at the diamond again until it shimmers will help me match my wonder to the reality of the truths there.
5. What do you hope people take from this book?
I hope people become Christians. I’m a good old fashioned revival preacher. I want that because being a Christian is the best thing in the world.
And I hope that Christians will be amazed again by truths that are familiar to them. I hope that perhaps the next Sunday after they read this the songs they sing they’ll sing louder, the preaching they hear they will Amen, and their Bibles will shimmer with glory just a little more.
6. Where can people get the book?
Here’s the deal: We do not want to make any money on this book. None. Our church has covered the cost of me writing it and getting it edited and into print.
So you can get it in two ways: First, on alwaysbetternews.org you can just download it for free.
Or second, you can grab it on Amazon. It’s less than $4 I think, which is the lowest we could charge.
Or last, if you come to church we’ll happily give you a copy. And a coffee to go with it.
7. Anything else you want to tell other people about the book?
This book came from a church. My name is on the cover but the members of Cross of Grace are on every page. The pastors before me did such an amazing job building a culture of gospel preaching and gospel amazement. A book like this only comes out a culture like this, and I’m so grateful.
This was a labor of love from some specific people as well. I want to thank Jeannie Glenn, Becky Gayle, and Anna Parrish who edited the book in different forms and improved it immensely.
I did the majority of writing in Marfa, TX which is a place of such strangeness and wonder and I hope that just a little of that is left in the book too.
-Ricky Alcantar
How should I prepare for Resurrection Sunday?
The week leading up to Easter is a great way to join Christians all over the world in a focused remembering of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. These are a couple practices that I’ve found helpful in following the Apostle Paul’s lead in “resolv[ing] to know nothing but Christ and him crucified” during this week that I would encourage us to do:
1. Read the accounts of the events leading up to the Resurrection from each of the gospels. Start in Luke 19, Matthew 26, Mark 11, and John 13 and read through the resurrection account.
2. Pray that the Lord would continue to draw people to himself this week, and every other!
3. Listen to music that helps stir our affections for Christ as we are reading and praying. (check out our Good Friday and Easter Playlists)
4. Get together with other believers and reflect on the mercy and grace shown by Christ through his sacrifice.
5. Anticipate and participate in a great celebration on Easter Sunday!
- Jon Vogan
P.S. Get more details for Good Friday and Easter Sunday services here.
Praying for Easter
Thank you CoG for taking all 500 of our Easter invitations to share with our city!
This Easter, we are praying that the Lord will bring the people in our city to auditoriums (and amphitheaters) all over El Paso, as the gospel is declared! We also pray that eyes and ears will be opened as the good news both comes alive and is celebrated in the hearts and out of the mouths of everyone as we celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death.
Please continue to pray people will find a church service to attend this Sunday and that our city experiences the new life that can only be found in Jesus Christ.
~Abby
P.S. Have someone in mind that you want to invite but haven't yet? It's not too late! Head to our Easter page to download a digital invite.
CYP Snaps
A few snapshots from CYP last Wednesday!
Our College and Young Professionals dove into the spiritual discipline of fasting with Jake Elliot. They ended the night with a challenge from Jake to do a fast from sundown to sundown the next day.
We are grateful for this group that challenges each other to look more like Christ!
~Abby
P.S. Want to join the next meeting? Click here to find out more details.
2 Guardrail Questions for Life
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31
Two weeks ago Ricky encouraged us to consider two different questions when faced with dilemmas in everyday life.
1. Does this help my neighbor?
2. Can I do this for the glory of God?
These questions function as guardrails and bike pedals for our lives when deciding how to use the personal freedom that we have in Christ.
Let us allow this mindset to change every part of how we live and turn our focus outward to how we can serve others and glorify God.
~Abby
P.S. Missed the sermon? You can now listen to our Sunday sermons on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! Just search for "Cross of Grace Church Sermons" to start listening.
Women’s Brunch 2024
February 10th was our annual Women's Brunch. Thank you to all our table hostesses and to everyone who participated. It was a wonderful morning of food and fellowship!
Julia Novoa talked about biblical productivity based on a small booklet by C.J. Mahaney. We still have a couple of extra booklets in our Zero Dollar Bookstore if you would like a copy.
We are so grateful for the encouragement and community we have through our church family!
~ Abby
P.S. Want to get connected with events like this? Go to our events page.
Resources for Smashing Idols
On Sunday we covered 1 Corinthians 10 which was a call away from idolatry and toward the Lord. Because the Lord loves us he warns us that idols never love us back and never save and sustain the way they promise, but the Lord loves us and saves and sustains us in a way no idol can.
If you want to read and study more on this particular topic here are some top recommendations. They’re great for smashing idols in our lives.
One Page — Paul Tripp “Idol Worshippers” — The best one page summary of this concept and the image won’t leave your mind
One Seven Minute Podcast — John Piper on What Is Idolatry? — A wonderful summation of the Biblical theme of idolatry in a simple and winsome format
One Article — David Powlison on Idols of the Heart and Vanity Fair — It’s no exaggeration to say this article changed my life and helped me understand my heart better that I might turn to Christ
One Book — Tim Keller Counterfeit Gods — This book not only helps you understand idolatry but helps you through the process of replacing your idols with the Lord in the areas of money, sex, power, and much more
May the Lord help us see what to flee from and what to flee toward that we might find life.
-Ricky
Resolved
This past Sunday Ricky encouraged us to live as “heavy metal Christians.” In other words, to be all in, all the time, in all things for the Glory of God. He introduced us to Jonathan Edwards, a man who began pastoring a church at 19 years old and created “resolves” for his life to help him live all in for Christ. Ricky followed Edwards’ example and drafted the following resolves as an example of how we can create our own resolves:
Resolved, to pray that God would sovereignty direct my life for the greatest gospel impact.
Resolved, to consider honestly whether I should move to reach the unreached and give my life away for the sake of the gospel. And if not that, consider how else God has called me to give my life away for the sake of the gospel.
Resolved, to decide what career and vocation to pursue not based on wealth or notoriety or excitement but on God’s calling and whether he might use it for the kingdom.
Resolved, to decide where I’ll live not based on amenities and comfort and even family but on where God is sending me.
Resolved, to plan to never retire and instead spend my life serving others and making an impact as long as God gives me the breath.
Resolved, if God leads me to join a church plant team and move away for the sake of the gospel.
Resolved, to pray for my local church and that God would position me well to participate in its mission.
Resolved, to pick my church not based on comfort and convenience but on whether it’s clearly preaching the gospel and on mission.
Resolved, to be the most committed and encouraging member of my small group so that those in the group might be strengthened for their individual missions.
Resolved, to search every Sunday for those who are new or out of place — they may well be those God is drawing to himself.
Resolved, to serve in kids ministry, youth ministry, and young adults ministry so that God might save the next generation of the church.
Resolved, to help resolve conflicts where I am involved and help others by being a peacemaker, so that the church’s mission might not be distracted and hindered.
Resolved, to pray for the lost around me and ask God to send me into the harvest with opportunities to share the gospel.
Resolved, to study the Bible and gospel so that I might faithfully share it with others.
Resolved, to become friends with people who don’t know Jesus and invite them into my life.
Resolved, when I’m regularly around people who don’t know Jesus, to not just sit there but learn their stories.
Resolved, to take every opportunity to share what Jesus has done for me and what he can do for others.
Resolved, if God does give me a family, to pray that God would help us be a family on mission.
Resolved, if not married to choose my spouse not only based on looks and compatibility but also on whether we’ll make an impact together for Jesus.
Resolved, to spend time not only managing my kids or playing with my kids but laboring to display and preach the gospel to my kids.
Resolved, to be willing to say no to my kids at times so we can serve the Lord through building the church and reaching the lost.
Resolved, to pray that I’d live differently with all that God has given, seeing it not as mine but as God’s.
Resolved, to plan my budget and spending with kingdom priorities, giving regularly to my local church and beyond it.
Resolved, to plan my time and calendar with kingdom priorities that move even other good priorities like vacation and hobbies and comfort around.
Resolved, to set my time with God in your daily schedule as not optional but more necessary than eating and drinking.
Resolved, to help a brother or sister in Christ with finances as needed and as God allows.
Resolved, to see anything I have or own as dust and air when I look ahead to eternity and therefore offer them in service to Christ.
Resolved, to do all of these motivated not by pride or by fear but by what Christ has done for me.
Resolved, to fight the accusations and failures and condemnations of the enemy when I fail and fall with the blood of Christ and promise of glory.
Resolved, to pursue the mission of Christ with all my might ultimately trusting not my resolve to cling to Christ but his resolve to cling to me.
As we go into a new month, we encourage you to think about one resolve you could dedicate yourself to. Let us be a church known for our “heavy metal” Christianity, known for being sold out for Jesus.
“Should nothing of our efforts stand, no legacy survive / Unless the Lord does raise the house, in vain its builders strive / To you who boast tomorrow’s gain, tell me what is your life / A mist that vanishes at dawn, all glory be to Christ” - All Glory Be to Christ by Gospel Community Worship
~ Abby
10 prayer points for Sanctity of Life
In light of Sanctity of Life Sunday, Stephen Prescott shared 10 prayer points for us to pray about this week.
1. Pray for a softening of the hearts of U.S. governors, State lawmakers, and members of Congress to the gospel. Pray for them to see babies in the womb and their mothers as valuable people made in the image of God.
2. Pray for women around the world who feel as if they have no other option than to end the life of their unborn child.
3. Pray for the fathers of unborn children to encourage women to choose life for their child and that they would get involved with appropriate support for life.
4. Pray for the Church. Pray that she will be able to show love and compassion to women in unexpected pregnancies. Pray that she will continue this love and compassion for women that choose life or an abortion.
5. Pray for the Christ-exalting pregnancy resource centers throughout the U.S. and the world. Pray for their protection. Pray that women in unexpected pregnancies will be connected with them.
6. Pray for the abortion providers in the U.S. and around the world. Pray for their salvation, and for their eyes to be opened to the precious lives they are seeking to abort.
7. Pray for those providing abortion recovery services. Pray that women will connect to them and will learn about forgiveness and redemption through Christ.
8. Pray for OBGYNs. Pray that pro-life OBGYNs will flourish, and women will be led to these practices divinely.
9. Pray that the Lord will use whatever means necessary to give women truthful information about the adoption option.
10. Pray that, in God’s miraculous way, women will connect with Lifeline Children’s Services and other Christ-exalting pregnancy counseling ministries so that we will have an opportunity to share the gospel with them.
P.S. Prayer points taken from Image Bearers: Shifting from pro-birth to pro-life. lifelinechild.org/nextsteps
Why are CGs Important?
The Shoffeitt Family
Why do we love and encourage CGs at Cross of Grace? Alec shared a bit about what CGs mean to our church family.
"I love Community Groups at Cross of Grace because it's all about family discipleship. We gather across our city, throughout the week, to help one another follow Jesus as brothers and sisters in Christ. We need one another! We are better together in community than we could ever be alone. I thank God for my community group because God has used them to help me grow as a husband, father, and follower of Jesus."
- Alec
This weekend we are having a Community Group fair in between services to help you get connected with a CG. Come meet some of the leaders and get plugged in!
P.S. Want to learn more about CGs? Visit https://crossofgrace.net/ministries
COG’s Top 15
Colossians 3:16
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."
Each week, when we gather, we seek to follow God's desire that his people sing to Him together for the benefit of one another! Looking back over the last year, I was really encouraged to see the list of the top 15 songs that we've sung as the gathered body of Christ. I have a friend who likes to say, "The doxology of the church today is the theology of the church tomorrow." Basically, the songs we sing have a significant influence on what we believe about God. These top 15 songs represent not only a breadth of theological topics, but a depth of theological truth. The content of these songs helps us see the character of God, the grace, forgiveness, and mercy found in Jesus, and the help and conviction found through the Holy Spirit! These songs have helped us shout for joy at all that God has done, these songs have allowed us to boldly proclaim the gospel, and these songs have helped us walk through seasons of grief and look forward to the day when sin, pain, and death will be no more! These songs continue to help us hide the truths of God's Word in our hearts as we teach and admonish one another through our singing each Sunday.
As we navigate the joys and sorrows that 2024 will surely bring, let us continue to sing boldly, with thankfulness in our hearts to God, every time we gather!
- Jon Vogan
P.S. To listen to the playlists, see the following links:
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/51oJmD1vizQJuXtswhBQ7i?si=c4a66f55b57c4dc0
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/cog-top-15-2023/pl.u-Aekei7197MZ
YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY5aTBdyK3DL_trUvK7h2QI-ngLVoF14m&feature=shared
RELAY Young Adult Conference 2024
This past weekend was the first-ever Sovereign Grace RELAY Conference! Over 700 young adults from across the U.S. attended, including a group from COG. It was an incredible time of teaching, worship, and fun, all for the glory of God.
Let us continue to pray that young adults in the church will continue to grow a fire in their hearts for Jesus!
P.S. At the conference, Ricky discussed the Christian life in the power of the Spirit and addressed two key reasons we receive gifts. You can read it at https://jralcantar.substack.com/p/carry-the-fire-breakout-outline
A New Years Challenge
As we kick off the year many of us make resolutions like “I’m going to get fit this year” or “I’ll only eat one donut a week” or “I’m going to read a book every month.” Good resolutions can be helpful but I’ve found that often that resolving to start patterns is better than any one specific goal. Patterns tend to shape our life day to day, month to month, and beyond. So with that in mind here’s my new years challenge.
1) Read a book on the cross in January
The gospel is of “first importance” according to 1 Cor 15. If so, what better way to start the year than with what is of first importance? Read a book on the cross this month.
Here are a few to start with:
What did the cross achieve? — Packer // A short punchy introduction to the cross.
FREE — 50 Reasons Jesus Came to Die — Piper // This one is short and punchy and perfect for reading a handful each day in January. And you can download it completely for free.
Living the Cross-Centered Life — Mahaney // This set of teachings changed the way I thought about the cross — not just as something I believed in one, but something that changes me every day.
The Cross of Christ — Stott // This is a challenging read but so rewarding. Stott helps us see the cross as a diamond in its beauty and complexity.
2) Find a worship anthem for the year
I love the line in the hymn “Come Thou Fount” that says “tune my hear to sing thy praise.” It’s helpful to “tune” our hearts to where they should be and I’ve found that starting the year with a worship anthem (louder the better) serves my soul.
Find some great anthems recommended by Jon Vogan (our music team lead) here
3) Get outside
Nature declares the glory of God according to Psalm 19 and starting the year spending time in creation is a key practice for me. It reminds me that I’m small, that God is big, and that he is glorious. Find a trail near you.
4) Set a time a place to meet with God
This might be the most important one. Rather than focusing on a big goal, focus on setting a pattern for the year. Find a specific time to meet with God every day. Have a plan. Get consistent. Read the word. Pray. It can be as simple as starting with reading one Psalm per day and praying the Lord’s prayer, or involve a whole plan to read through the Bible in a year. But start a pattern this month and carry it forward.
Prize?
Achieving the challenge is its own reward but if you complete the 4 for 2024 challenge you’ll get a victory sticker at the end of the month. I love free stickers.
Now get after it.
-Ricky