Mosaic Boston

What if I told you, there is an investment opportunity with 0% risk and guaranteed returns? You would tell me it's too good to be true! Well, don't take it from me. Take it from God Himself! Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Are you laying up treasures for yourself in heaven?

We've all experienced the stress of keeping really good news. It's so hard because good news is contagious. When we hear it we want to spread it. Last week we went through a cliffs notes version of the biblical story. We talked about how King Jesus is the focus of the whole cosmic story: Genesis to Revelation. This week is about your role in the story. We all have a part in the greatest story of all time. How well are you taking on your role?

Many of us our captivated by stories of kings, queens and kingdoms. Stories of just rulers returning to their thrones are rooted in the eternal cosmic story of the Gospel. Our new series, "In Boston as it is in Heaven," looks at Christ's royal return to set things right. While a story like Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings may capture your imagination, you can only observe. But in the story of King Jesus, you get to participate. Yeah, it's awesome.

Our mission at Mosaic Boston is to help people get a vision of God, and so understand their need for spiritual cleansing from the Savior Jesus Christ, and join the mission of God helping others do the same. After Isaiah's heart and lips are cleansed he hears God say: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then Isaiah said, "Here I am! Send me." Join us as we look at this glorious passage in Isaiah 6.

Why is it when Jesus preached publicly, the good, the bad, and the ugly always showed up to listen to what he had to say? We see this over and over throughout the gospels. It is not by coincidence that tax collectors and sinners, Pharisees and scribes, the outcasts and the elite were all drawn by his message. Jesus’ relationship with these radically diverse groups challenges us today, clarifies our role as followers of Jesus, and gives us great insight on what the Father values. When we understand what the Father values, it changes what we value as well.

If image is nothing, why do we expend so much life-energy to attain a certain image, protect that image, and project that image? Though created in the image of the living God, since the fall, we let the world inscribe its image on us. In the final sermon in Galatians, we look at how gazing at God's image in Jesus Christ leads to redeeming and repairing our self-image.

Many people are comfortable relating to God as Father, and most are comfortable with understanding the divinity of Jesus. However, many Christians have a hard time relating to the Holy Spirit. But living the life God has called us to live is impossible apart from the person and power of the Holy Spirit. Let's examine the command to "walk by the Spirit," be "led by the Spirit," and "keep in step with the Spirit."

The same indifference or apathy that I sometimes feel toward the Freedom Trail, we as Christians sometimes feel toward our freedom in Christ, extended to us by the grace of God. We no longer revel in it. As soon as this happens, the Gospel's transformative power in our lives weakens, and we fall away from grace. Holy Scripture reminds us: "It is for freedom that Christ has set you free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1). Are you experiencing this freedom now?

When Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, they were at a crossroads: to place their faith solely in the works of Christ, as originally taught by Paul; becoming reliant on the religious practices suggested by the Jewish teachers, or leaving Christianity to go back to their former lives. Though it’s been two millennia since Paul wrote to the Galatians, modern people are still constantly deciding between similar choices.

Like any family, God's family has it's own dynamic. While human families change with every new child, our dynamic with our Heavenly Father is established. In Galatians 3:15-4:7, we'll discover that our status as God's children is revolutionary for our lives and our church.

When you first started following Christ, it was all so new and exciting. Fast forward one, two, or three years and things have changed, and in quiet moments of honesty with yourself you wonder what has happened. Galatians 3:1-14 has answers for when your relationship with Jesus is at that point. We’ll see a church that was at one point closely following Jesus, but began to fall away from their faith as time moved on.

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.