Mosaic Boston

You often hear the accusation, “I don’t believe in Christianity, because the church is full of hypocrites.” So, is that a fair assessment? In Galatians 2:11-21, Paul recounts an instance when he had to call out hypocrisy in the church. He tells Peter, and the others in Antioch, that their conduct is "out of step with the truth of the Gospel." So where did they go wrong? Paul’s illustration will help us understand what hypocrisy is, what it isn’t, where it comes from, and how to fix it. We’ll also see that hypocrisy is something we’re all in danger of falling into, and learn how to proactively guard against it.

St. Paul, the most zealous Jew of all Jews, had a radical life change when he realized that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. He was willing to endure persecution and die for his new faith. Christianity is something that you can't make up – it's too crazy!

The search for truth about God has always been a struggle, because Satan is the great counterfeiter. He has false gospels, preached by false ministers, producing false Christians. Every Christian must practice spiritual discernment. How can we intuitively spot false gospels? We need to know the true Gospel inside and out. Join us as we start our series through the book of Galatians.

If I pursue wisdom in every area of life, why do I still experience setbacks, disappointment, and sometimes, even, suffering? Why do bad things happen to wise people? In order to live life as an adult, one needs a robust practical theology of suffering.

Preparing for a job, getting a job, and keeping a job are all part of growing up. Since work takes up so much of our lives, and so much of our lives depends on our work, the ancient wisdom literature of Holy Scripture has lots to say about it. The ancient wisdom literature teaches that work is a good gift from God. Ecclesiastes 2:24 says "There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil." Do you find enjoyment in your work?

Self-control is the ability to say "no" to your urges (and "yes" to something greater and more important), and this is actually one of the great proofs of the immateriality of the soul. Your ability to control your self proves that you are more than just a material being. Listen in as we look to the ancient wisdom literature of Proverbs to see what it has to teach us about self-control.

Nothing has shaped you, and nothing will shape you, more than your family and friends. Just think about how much of who you are, and where you are, is a direct result of your family and best friends. Not only do the closest people in your life form the person you become, but they are also the source of your greatest joys, or your greatest sorrows. Let's turn to Scripture to see what ancient wisdom offers on this subject.

Today, getting an education is more expensive and student debt is worse than it's ever been, getting a well-paying job is harder, and buying a home is nearly impossible. As one financial expert put it, the next generation is starting their economic race 50 years behind the starting line. Great. Where can we turn to find tried-and-true financial advice? We turn to the ancient wisdom literature of Scripture to see what it has to say regarding developing financial wisdom.

We live in an age of colossal confusion regarding the most important and consequential areas of life. Since our society can't tell us who we really are, it certainly can't offer much helpful advice in terms of how we are to live. We live in an age of colossal confusion regarding the most important and consequential areas of life. Since our society can't tell us who we really are, it certainly can't offer much helpful advice in terms of how we are to live.

This week we kicked off our series drawing ancient wisdom from the book of Proverbs to apply to a modern life. Adulting includes taking care of your health: physical, emotional, financial, and relational. However you will never be truly healthy and you will never truly understand life, if you're not spiritually healthy.

Easter Sunday Service 2017 from Brookline

Good Friday service from April 14, 2017 at Mosaic Boston | Brookline

This week we looked at one of the most astonishing "I am" statements in the Gospel of John. In the context of proclaiming himself as the life-source of the universe ("I am the true vine"), Jesus shockingly says, "apart from me you can do nothing." Now, that's a staggering statement to make! Nothing? At first glance, there appear to be many things, many people do daily, apart from Jesus.

In John 14: 1-14, Jesus pronounces his famous words: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

If we love God, then why are we prone to wander away from Him? Jesus answers this question and more in John 10:1-21. In this message, we see how Jesus reveals that He alone is the Good Shepherd of our wandering souls.

From the very beginning, when God spoke and broke into the chaos of the darkness, light has been associated with the nature of God. So much so that when Moses looked at God’s back, Moses’ face began to glow. To the Hebrews, God’s presences in the wilderness was represented by glowing pillar of fire. In the temple era of Israel, God was represented through flames and candles in their most holy building. 1 John 1:5 doesn’t tell us that he is like light, but it says, “God is light…” Meaning that in God’s nature he illuminates and is perfection. John 8:12 says, “I AM the light of the world.” This statement was bursting with meaning to his Jewish listeners - listen in as we unpack what Jesus said.

As we look at who Jesus is, in his own words, it's intriguing that Jesus compares himself to food. More specifically, Jesus compares himself to bread. Actually, he makes a stronger statement than that, he flat out says: "I am the bread of life." What in the world does that mean? Jesus is revealing a profound truth about us and about God. He is telling us that we are desire machines, animals of desire. We hunger. We want. We long. We yearn. We dream. And as hard as we try to satisfy our deepest desires, they just seem to keep roaring back, often stronger than before, leaving us even more dissatisfied. No matter how much we accomplish, earn, spend, have, experience, etc., we always want/need more. So what are we to do?

Who is Jesus Christ? Lots of people have lots of ideas about Jesus Christ. But who is Jesus in his own words? What did he say about himself? In this sermon series, we walk through the famous "I am" statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John. We're going to give Jesus a chance to reintroduce himself to us.

In Chapter 6 of Ephesians, St. Paul gives us God's plan for parenting, work, and spiritual warfare. Parents are told to commit to raising their children in the "discipline and instruction of the Lord." Employees are told to commit to doing their jobs "not by way of eye-service as people pleasers" but from sincere hearts, as if working for the Lord. Finally, all Christians are told to commit to the Lord and stand against the Evil One. Though there are many themes in the chapter, the central truth that undergirds everything is that true love assumes commitment. Without commitment, there is no Christianity. Jesus Christ loved us so much, that He committed his life for ours.

Some people argue that if marriage is so natural, then why would it require work? And how come some couples, who are willing to put the work in, can't seem to make it work? Since our culture doesn't have much of an answer to these question, many just say we weren't designed for marriage. Scarlett Johansson, who was recently divorced for the second time, said in an interview: "I think the idea of marriage is very romantic; it's a beautiful idea, and the practice of it can be a very beautiful thing. I don't think it's natural to be a monogamous person. The fact that it is such work for so many people -- for everyone -- proves that it is not a natural thing." So is monogamy natural? If so, why does it take work? If not, how can we make marriage work? Listen in to find out more.