Keeping Christ the Central Focus
Sovereign Grace Church welcomes you. We are a Biblically based independent body of believers meeting in Olympia, Washington.
Sovereign Grace Members Site
Sovereign Grace Members click here
Location
Wednesday Bible Study 6:30p Woodland Retirement Home
4532 Intelco Loop SE
Lacey, Washington
Lord's Day (Sunday)
Bible Study: 9:45a
Corporate Worship: 11a
(Columbian Hall)
6794 Martin Way E
Olympia, WA
4532 Intelco Loop SE
Lacey, Washington
Lord's Day (Sunday)
Bible Study: 9:45a
Corporate Worship: 11a
(Columbian Hall)
6794 Martin Way E
Olympia, WA
Vision and Mission
Sovereign Grace is a fellowship of believers that is, introducing the community to Christ, through Christ-centered worship, by encouraging personal spiritual growth, strengthening believers for today’s challenges, and establishing a spiritually healthy congregation in our community that communicates Christian principles through practical application.
Sovereign Grace exists to glorify God by communicating a passion of the holiness of God and His supremacy to the world in which we live, work, and coexist.
Sovereign Grace exists to glorify God by communicating a passion of the holiness of God and His supremacy to the world in which we live, work, and coexist.
Gospel
In the beginning was God. He has always existed. God is completely perfect and Just in all things. God created mankind in His image and provided the Law, the standard by which He expects us to live. He engraved His law on the consciences of mankind and demonstrates His existence through creation itself so that no person has excuse in his or her disbelief and disobedience.
Through the disobedience and unbelief of one man, Adam, sin and spiritual death entered the world as we know it. All mankind now stands guilty of our own sin and unworthiness before our Just, Righteous, and Perfect Creator God and we can nothing in and of ourselves to correct this problem. Each of us is responsible for our sinfulness. A dead man can do nothing to help himself and because we are spiritually dead, we can do nothing to help ourselves. So, we stand condemned and worthy of the eternal, just, and perfect wrath of God.
God hates sin with such a vile hatred because it is contrary to the character and nature of God and desecrates all of God’s creation and profanes His glory. We, being born in sin, by our very existence profane the name of God. All humankind is worthy of and has earned God’s perfect and just and eternal wrath.
God is also gracious and merciful; He has displayed His love toward His enemies, by sending His Son Jesus; nailing Him to a cross to exhibit to us how greatly God hates our sin. He poured out all His perfect wrath upon Jesus on the cross. Jesus being God in human form, was perfect and He willingly, joyfully, and obediently laid down His life on the cross to pay for the sins of those who will believe and appeased the wrath of His Father, our Creator. The assurance of God’s wrath being appeased and Jesus being God in human flesh, is Jesus’ bodily resurrection. The third day after Jesus’ death, He raised from death and now reigns in righteousness in Heaven with His Father.
God tells us to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus and we shall be saved. Believing in Jesus and calling on His name means that the person who calls and believes, completely trusts in the work of Jesus on the cross as the means of saving him or her from sin and the eternal wrath of God. The person who truly believes will no longer continue sinning against God and will desire inwardly, to rely on Jesus’ power and righteousness to keep and save him or her.
How does one become saved? Cry out to God for mercy, asking Him to forgive you for profaning His name (His glory) by your disbelief and disobedience, turn away from your unbelief, and disobedience, and believe in Jesus’ work on the cross and His resurrection as your means of salvation and you will be saved.
Through the disobedience and unbelief of one man, Adam, sin and spiritual death entered the world as we know it. All mankind now stands guilty of our own sin and unworthiness before our Just, Righteous, and Perfect Creator God and we can nothing in and of ourselves to correct this problem. Each of us is responsible for our sinfulness. A dead man can do nothing to help himself and because we are spiritually dead, we can do nothing to help ourselves. So, we stand condemned and worthy of the eternal, just, and perfect wrath of God.
God hates sin with such a vile hatred because it is contrary to the character and nature of God and desecrates all of God’s creation and profanes His glory. We, being born in sin, by our very existence profane the name of God. All humankind is worthy of and has earned God’s perfect and just and eternal wrath.
God is also gracious and merciful; He has displayed His love toward His enemies, by sending His Son Jesus; nailing Him to a cross to exhibit to us how greatly God hates our sin. He poured out all His perfect wrath upon Jesus on the cross. Jesus being God in human form, was perfect and He willingly, joyfully, and obediently laid down His life on the cross to pay for the sins of those who will believe and appeased the wrath of His Father, our Creator. The assurance of God’s wrath being appeased and Jesus being God in human flesh, is Jesus’ bodily resurrection. The third day after Jesus’ death, He raised from death and now reigns in righteousness in Heaven with His Father.
God tells us to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus and we shall be saved. Believing in Jesus and calling on His name means that the person who calls and believes, completely trusts in the work of Jesus on the cross as the means of saving him or her from sin and the eternal wrath of God. The person who truly believes will no longer continue sinning against God and will desire inwardly, to rely on Jesus’ power and righteousness to keep and save him or her.
How does one become saved? Cry out to God for mercy, asking Him to forgive you for profaning His name (His glory) by your disbelief and disobedience, turn away from your unbelief, and disobedience, and believe in Jesus’ work on the cross and His resurrection as your means of salvation and you will be saved.
Hymn of the Month
The Church’s One Foundation
The church’s one foundation, Is Jesus Christ her Lord, She is His new creation
By water and the Word. From heaven He came and sought her, To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her, And for her life He died.
Elect from every nation, Yet one over all the earth; Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, one faith, one birth; One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food, And to one hope she presses, With every grace endued.
Though with a scornful wonder, Men see her sore oppressed
By schisms rent asunder, By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping; Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping Shall be the morn of song.
The church shall never perish, Her dear Lord to defend
To guide, sustain and cherish, Is with her to the end
Though there be those that hate her, And false sons in her pale
Against a foe or traitor, She ever shall prevail
Mid toil and tribulation, And tumult of her war, She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore; ’Til, with the vision glorious, Her longing eyes are blessed,
And the great church victorious Shall be the church at rest.
Yet she on earth hath union With God the Three in One
And mystic sweet communion With those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,On high may dwell with Thee.
Words: Samuel J. Stone 1866
Original Tune: Samuel S. Wesley 1864
Re-arranged Tune: Brian Moss ©1996 Parson John Publishing (ASCAP).
http://www.igracemusic.com/hymnbook/hymns.html
http://www.igracemusic.com/hymnbook/piano/churchsonefoundation.pdf
The church’s one foundation, Is Jesus Christ her Lord, She is His new creation
By water and the Word. From heaven He came and sought her, To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her, And for her life He died.
Elect from every nation, Yet one over all the earth; Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, one faith, one birth; One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food, And to one hope she presses, With every grace endued.
Though with a scornful wonder, Men see her sore oppressed
By schisms rent asunder, By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping; Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping Shall be the morn of song.
The church shall never perish, Her dear Lord to defend
To guide, sustain and cherish, Is with her to the end
Though there be those that hate her, And false sons in her pale
Against a foe or traitor, She ever shall prevail
Mid toil and tribulation, And tumult of her war, She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore; ’Til, with the vision glorious, Her longing eyes are blessed,
And the great church victorious Shall be the church at rest.
Yet she on earth hath union With God the Three in One
And mystic sweet communion With those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,On high may dwell with Thee.
Words: Samuel J. Stone 1866
Original Tune: Samuel S. Wesley 1864
Re-arranged Tune: Brian Moss ©1996 Parson John Publishing (ASCAP).
http://www.igracemusic.com/hymnbook/hymns.html
http://www.igracemusic.com/hymnbook/piano/churchsonefoundation.pdf
Our Beliefs
These beliefs we consider fundamental:*
Holy Scripture:
The Bible, consisting of 66 book in full, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament is God’s written word. It is the only sufficient and authoritative rule for saving faith, Christian living, and obedience unto God. The Bible is verbally and plenarily God breathed and inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Bible as a whole was written by men and providentially and by God’s sovereign decree is perfect and inerrant. It is thus, wholly faithful and accurate, and absolutely essential for testifying of Christ Jesus who is the focus of God’s revelation. We begin with Scripture in our beliefs because, Scripture alone teaches what is essential for our salvation from sin and self and Scripture is the standard by which all Christian living must be measured. This is the tenet known as Sola Scriptura.
Trinity:
The Doctrine of the Triune God is often misunderstood and miscommunicated within the Christian faith. The Lord our God is the one and only living and true God. His substance is in and of himself, he is infinite in being and perfection. His essence cannot be understood by any but himself. He is an absolutely pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts or passions. He is a personal and an intelligent Being, the Author, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all creation seen and unseen. God has revealed Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with distinct personal attributes, yet existing without division of being, nature, and essence. This doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our fellowship with God, and of the comfort of our dependence on him.
The Person of Jesus:
We believe in the virgin birth, Deity, sinless life, miraculous work, atonement, and resurrection of Christ Jesus. Jesus is God in human flesh. He was born of a virgin named Mary; He lived a sinless life. Jesus physically died on a Roman cross having become accursed and having the wrath of God poured out upon Him for our sins. He was rejected by men, abandoned by His closest friends, and died and was buried in a borrowed tomb. On the third day He physically rose from the grave. He ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father in power.
The Nature of Man:
Mankind in Adam is fallen, spiritually dead in sin, bound for hell and incapable of saving himself by any means. Furthermore, man, in his natural fallen state wills or chooses to fulfill the desires of the flesh, and will not at any time in this state of spiritual death choose to follow God. Man apart from God is enslaved to sin, death, and the Devil. Apart from God's gracious and effectual call in Christ Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, man is hopeless and destined to hell. Traditionally, this is known as Total Depravity.
The Nature of Grace and Election:
Salvation of fallen man is solely by grace through God's gift of faith in Christ. God has sovereignly decreed from before creation, to choose by His free and gracious favor to elect unto salvation a particular people for Himself. Salvation of fallen man is solely by grace through God's gift of faith in Christ. God has sovereignly decreed from before creation, to choose by His free and gracious favor to elect unto salvation a particular people for Himself. The work of grace is effectual. God is the initiator of salvation, repentance, and faith; when God, through the working of the Holy Spirit draws the lost soul to Himself, He causes the once spiritually dead person to come to spiritual life, granting saving faith, and repentance and the person responds through the gift of faith that God has given him/her. This is traditionally known as Unconditional Election and Effectual Grace. This also falls under the tenets of Sola Gratia (Man is Justified by Grace Alone) and Sola Fide (Justification comes through Faith Alone). However, it is not simply faith in just anything or anyone. Those who are truly saved are justified and saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone Solus Christus. The object of saving faith is Christ and His righteousness alone.
Spiritual unity of God's elect
"In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity."
Peter Meiderlin / Rupertus Meldenius, 17th century Lutheran pastor (often wrongly attributed to Augustine)
Many Christian fellowships profess belief in the inerrancy of Scripture; yet, tragically they divide over seemingly trivial points of doctrine. At Sovereign Grace, we long for the unity of the body of Christ, yet recognize that we must not forfeit sound doctrine for the sake of unity. By keeping the number of essentials small we wish to pursue the call to be "of one mind" (2 Corinthians 13:11, Philipppians 2:2, 1 Peter 3:8) with our brothers and sisters in the Lord. That mind should be the mind of Christ, the perfection of humility and love.
Below are examples of points of doctrine that we consider non-essential. Equally sincere Christians can disagree over these without breaking fellowship.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit:
We understand Scripture to support the baptism of the Holy Spirit at regeneration rather than at a later time. Under this teaching, all who are saved have been baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Eschatology:
We hold to a reformed amillennial view of Scripture. The Amillennial view is derived from the Historist view of eschatology. Accordingly, we teach and believe that we are currently living in the time of peace and that the work of Christ on the cross is the binding of Satan; that the events mentioned in Revelation are historic events that are not specific to neither the past nor the future but rather, they are have and will continue to be fulfilled until the final consummation at which time Christ will return for His bride. Thus, we are also postmillennial regarding the catching away (rapture).
Worship Style:
We are to worship God our Father in Spirit and in Truth. At Sovereign Grace, we seek to praise our glorious Savior and God through theologically sound music blending Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs including modern hymns, and praise choruses, with traditional hymns. We include Scripture readings and prayer in our season of adoration to our King.
Continuance of Spritual Gifts:
We understand Scripture as supporting the continuance of spiritual gifts until the return of Christ our Lord for His bride. Though certain spiritual gifts are not normative in the Church today, God continues to attest to His glory through the dispensing of these gifts to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Savior. Thus, we do not hold to a Cessationist view of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In clarification, we are not Charismatic in our beliefs regarding the gifts of the Spirit.
*For a comprehensive description of our Statement of Faith link to http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/bcof.htm
Holy Scripture:
The Bible, consisting of 66 book in full, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament is God’s written word. It is the only sufficient and authoritative rule for saving faith, Christian living, and obedience unto God. The Bible is verbally and plenarily God breathed and inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Bible as a whole was written by men and providentially and by God’s sovereign decree is perfect and inerrant. It is thus, wholly faithful and accurate, and absolutely essential for testifying of Christ Jesus who is the focus of God’s revelation. We begin with Scripture in our beliefs because, Scripture alone teaches what is essential for our salvation from sin and self and Scripture is the standard by which all Christian living must be measured. This is the tenet known as Sola Scriptura.
Trinity:
The Doctrine of the Triune God is often misunderstood and miscommunicated within the Christian faith. The Lord our God is the one and only living and true God. His substance is in and of himself, he is infinite in being and perfection. His essence cannot be understood by any but himself. He is an absolutely pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts or passions. He is a personal and an intelligent Being, the Author, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all creation seen and unseen. God has revealed Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with distinct personal attributes, yet existing without division of being, nature, and essence. This doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our fellowship with God, and of the comfort of our dependence on him.
The Person of Jesus:
We believe in the virgin birth, Deity, sinless life, miraculous work, atonement, and resurrection of Christ Jesus. Jesus is God in human flesh. He was born of a virgin named Mary; He lived a sinless life. Jesus physically died on a Roman cross having become accursed and having the wrath of God poured out upon Him for our sins. He was rejected by men, abandoned by His closest friends, and died and was buried in a borrowed tomb. On the third day He physically rose from the grave. He ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father in power.
The Nature of Man:
Mankind in Adam is fallen, spiritually dead in sin, bound for hell and incapable of saving himself by any means. Furthermore, man, in his natural fallen state wills or chooses to fulfill the desires of the flesh, and will not at any time in this state of spiritual death choose to follow God. Man apart from God is enslaved to sin, death, and the Devil. Apart from God's gracious and effectual call in Christ Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, man is hopeless and destined to hell. Traditionally, this is known as Total Depravity.
The Nature of Grace and Election:
Salvation of fallen man is solely by grace through God's gift of faith in Christ. God has sovereignly decreed from before creation, to choose by His free and gracious favor to elect unto salvation a particular people for Himself. Salvation of fallen man is solely by grace through God's gift of faith in Christ. God has sovereignly decreed from before creation, to choose by His free and gracious favor to elect unto salvation a particular people for Himself. The work of grace is effectual. God is the initiator of salvation, repentance, and faith; when God, through the working of the Holy Spirit draws the lost soul to Himself, He causes the once spiritually dead person to come to spiritual life, granting saving faith, and repentance and the person responds through the gift of faith that God has given him/her. This is traditionally known as Unconditional Election and Effectual Grace. This also falls under the tenets of Sola Gratia (Man is Justified by Grace Alone) and Sola Fide (Justification comes through Faith Alone). However, it is not simply faith in just anything or anyone. Those who are truly saved are justified and saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone Solus Christus. The object of saving faith is Christ and His righteousness alone.
Spiritual unity of God's elect
"In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity."
Peter Meiderlin / Rupertus Meldenius, 17th century Lutheran pastor (often wrongly attributed to Augustine)
Many Christian fellowships profess belief in the inerrancy of Scripture; yet, tragically they divide over seemingly trivial points of doctrine. At Sovereign Grace, we long for the unity of the body of Christ, yet recognize that we must not forfeit sound doctrine for the sake of unity. By keeping the number of essentials small we wish to pursue the call to be "of one mind" (2 Corinthians 13:11, Philipppians 2:2, 1 Peter 3:8) with our brothers and sisters in the Lord. That mind should be the mind of Christ, the perfection of humility and love.
Below are examples of points of doctrine that we consider non-essential. Equally sincere Christians can disagree over these without breaking fellowship.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit:
We understand Scripture to support the baptism of the Holy Spirit at regeneration rather than at a later time. Under this teaching, all who are saved have been baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Eschatology:
We hold to a reformed amillennial view of Scripture. The Amillennial view is derived from the Historist view of eschatology. Accordingly, we teach and believe that we are currently living in the time of peace and that the work of Christ on the cross is the binding of Satan; that the events mentioned in Revelation are historic events that are not specific to neither the past nor the future but rather, they are have and will continue to be fulfilled until the final consummation at which time Christ will return for His bride. Thus, we are also postmillennial regarding the catching away (rapture).
Worship Style:
We are to worship God our Father in Spirit and in Truth. At Sovereign Grace, we seek to praise our glorious Savior and God through theologically sound music blending Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs including modern hymns, and praise choruses, with traditional hymns. We include Scripture readings and prayer in our season of adoration to our King.
Continuance of Spritual Gifts:
We understand Scripture as supporting the continuance of spiritual gifts until the return of Christ our Lord for His bride. Though certain spiritual gifts are not normative in the Church today, God continues to attest to His glory through the dispensing of these gifts to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Savior. Thus, we do not hold to a Cessationist view of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In clarification, we are not Charismatic in our beliefs regarding the gifts of the Spirit.
*For a comprehensive description of our Statement of Faith link to http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/bcof.htm
About Sovereign Grace
Sovereign Grace Olympia
created this social network on Ning.
Our Distinctives
Some of the characteristics that distinguish Sovereign Grace are that we are:
Baptistic: The view that baptism is to be administered by immersion and should only be administered to persons who have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Additionally, it is the view that there are two offices within the local Body of Believers which include pastor or elder and deacon. Finally, Baptistic describes the view that there are only two ordinances observed by the Church: baptism and communion.
Reformed: The doctrinal belief in the Doctrines of Grace that acknowledge the sinfulness and inability of man to participate in his salvation and the power of God to effectually accomplish the work of salvation. The Doctrines of Grace, are Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Particular Redemption, Effectual Grace, & Perseverance and Preservation of the Saints.
Elder Led: The method of church polity in which the governance of the local body is comprised of a plurality of Biblically qualified men leading the congregation in the vision, business, and overall leadership decisions.
Autonomous: The method of church polity in which the congregation adheres to self-governance apart from outside entities or hierarchies.
Missional: Implementing the approach of a missionary in one’s culture with a deliberate thrust toward presenting the Gospel without compromising Scripture.
Conservative: The view regarding Scripture as being wholly the Word of God being divinely inspired, infallible, without theological error, and entirely relevant for the day in which we live.
Baptistic: The view that baptism is to be administered by immersion and should only be administered to persons who have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Additionally, it is the view that there are two offices within the local Body of Believers which include pastor or elder and deacon. Finally, Baptistic describes the view that there are only two ordinances observed by the Church: baptism and communion.
Reformed: The doctrinal belief in the Doctrines of Grace that acknowledge the sinfulness and inability of man to participate in his salvation and the power of God to effectually accomplish the work of salvation. The Doctrines of Grace, are Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Particular Redemption, Effectual Grace, & Perseverance and Preservation of the Saints.
Elder Led: The method of church polity in which the governance of the local body is comprised of a plurality of Biblically qualified men leading the congregation in the vision, business, and overall leadership decisions.
Autonomous: The method of church polity in which the congregation adheres to self-governance apart from outside entities or hierarchies.
Missional: Implementing the approach of a missionary in one’s culture with a deliberate thrust toward presenting the Gospel without compromising Scripture.
Conservative: The view regarding Scripture as being wholly the Word of God being divinely inspired, infallible, without theological error, and entirely relevant for the day in which we live.
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