Mosaic Boston

Did you play any team sports as a kid? I know it's out of season, but baseball was by far my favorite. I was a pitcher, and I used to spend hours practicing with my dad in the back yard. It was those hours of practice that prepared me for game day. But imagine if I never left the back yard. If I never joined a team, put on a uniform, got in the game... would I really know what it was like to be a pitcher? God hasn't just chosen us for himself, he's chosen us for his team. He's given us a purpose and new identity in Christ! Join us tomorrow as we take a look at 1 Peter 2:1-12 and the surprisingly interconnected disciplines of Solitude & Community.

I don't know about you, but I'm totally incentive-driven. I always need to know why I should be doing something and why it's worth my time, especially when the activity takes effort or seems counter-intuitive. Whenever I was told I should be doing something, my knee-jerk reaction is to ask, "Why?" Floss your teeth; why? Eat your vegetables; why? Do your homework; why? Exercise; why? Obey the speed limit; why? Be smart with your money; why? Stop asking so many questions; why? I've found that prayer is in the same category for most people: we know it's supposed to be sort of good for us, but it's hard to do, so we push back with: Why? Well, tomorrow, we'll attempt to answer that question.

Last week, we started a sermon series called "Mystic" to help you train yourself in the disciplines of the Christian soul. Tomorrow, we'll be talking about "giving" as a spiritual discipline. Jesus said, "It's more blessed to give than to received," and to receive more of this blessing on a continual basis, we need to train ourselves to give systematically and develop a lifestyle of generosity. Giving is to become the muscle-memory of our souls, becoming the natural response of our souls to the needs around us.

Have you ever heard someone say something like: "I'm not religious; I'm spiritual'? At Mosaic, we're cool with that statement, as long as it points us back to Jesus, his saving Work, and the spiritual life he calls us to experience, daily. However, we don't want the quip, "I'm spiritual," to be excuse for spiritual vagueness and laziness. We want to grow in true spirituality by exercising our souls regularly in the manner our Lord has prescribed for us.

It's funny that we would need to be reminded to remember God. But on second thought, it makes all the sense in the world. I'm always forgetting to remember God! It's as if I suffer from spiritual amnesia. If I'm not constantly reminding myself about God, I just keep forgetting. Other stuff just gets in the way of God. It's not like I'm purposefully ignoring God; it's just that my busyness crowds him out. Ecclesiastes reminds us: don't let life crowd out God.

Who you are today is a direct result of your past. Your previous thoughts, desires, actions, and relationships have shaped your present reality. Scripture describes this reality by using the agrarian language of reaping what you sow. In Ecclesiastes 11, Solomon tells us "Cast your bread upon the waters for you will find it after many days." He's not talking about feeding ducks in Frog Pond. He's talking about sowing generously when you can, so you will reap an abundant harvest. In verse 6, he says "in the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know what will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good." The law of sowing and reaping applies to every area of life: money, health, relationships, education, vocation, marriage, children, and is especially true in the spiritual realm. Join us tomorrow to learn about how to wisely apply this principle in our lives to reap a harvest of plentiful blessing.

Have you ever had a near death experience? I'm talking about coming face-to-face with death, your life flashing before your eyes, and you think, "This is it!!" Well, do you remember the rest of that day, or that week? What did you think about life? You loved it, right?! You felt SO ALIVE! You cherished every breath, you savored every morsel of food, you hugged your loved ones so much tighter! You began to enjoy life! And then life continues to happen, and we're numbed to the joy of being alive.

How would you define the word "wisdom"? It's not a word that's used often in our culture. The biblical concept of wisdom is much deeper than simply knowledge. I think a helpful definition is: understanding ultimate reality as defined by God and having the ability to live in accordance with it. But that's the catch, isn't it? Lots of us know what's right and good for us, but so often we don't have the ability to act on it. There's always another tug on our hearts.

What do you fear? Financial security of your future? Not finding true love? Finding true love, and losing it? Do you fear for you health? Do you fear death? Did you know that the number one most often repeated commandment in the Bible is "Do not fear"? Scripture also teaches that "perfect love casts out all fear." And yet, the Bible uses the word "fear" at least 300 times in reference to God. Scripture teaches that the beginning of wisdom is "the fear of the Lord." But what in the world does it mean to fear God? Why should I fear a loving God? How do I both love and fear God? Tomorrow, we are covering Ecclesiastes 5 & 6, where the Teacher tells us "Fear God." Join us to learn how "fear of God" is the beginning of a fearless, joyful and meaningful life.

Ever feel stressed out? Ever wonder if Christianity offers any resources to help you handle the pressures of daily life? God doesn't call us to withdraw from this stressful world; He instead gives us a deep peace that transcends our stress. He does this through a deep, abiding relationship with Himself, and deep, life-giving relationships with our friends. As we continue our journey through Ecclesiastes, we'll learn about some relationship killers, that add to our stress and destroy our peace of mind. Join us to learn what they are and how the Gospel of Jesus Christ helps us take them head on.

Scripture teaches that God has created everything, including time. In Ecclesiastes 3, God the Poet gives us a poem to understand time with our minds and hearts; to see how He has created everything beautiful in its time. Time is the fundamental and ineradicable feature of our lives. The unbelievable brevity of our lives deeply conflicts with the deep-seated yearning for permanence. We experience only time, yet we desire timelessness. Why, for heaven's sake? Where did we ever learn of this thing called eternity, to desire it? If our lives have always been characterized by time, why don't we feel at home in it? Do fish complain about being wet? Perhaps there is land? Why do we complain about time? Perhaps there is eternity?

Do you have a job? Do you want a job? Do you hate your job? Do you want another job? (Sorry to be asking you these questions if today is your day off!) We’re always either preparing to work, working, or resting from work. Because work is such a substantial part of our lives, if we don’t learn to enjoy it, we’ll never learn to enjoy life. The cheery Ecclesiastes, in considering work, concludes by saying: “So I hated my life” in 2:17 and “I hated all my toil” in 2:18. Can you give a hearty amen to this conclusion? Well then you’re in luck, because this sermon is for you!