Where is your faith?
Dear brothers and sisters,
When you think of the commandments decreed by God, which ones immediately come to mind? Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not covet. Rejoice. Give thanks. Pray without ceasing. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. These seem like the big ones. These are the ones that should be highlighted over and over, right? Of all the commandments issued in the Holy Scriptures, which commandment do you think is repeated most frequently?
"Do not be afraid!" That's the one, given is many different forms, on many different occasions. Do not fear. Do not be anxious. Fear not. It’s been said that there are 365 “Fear nots” in the Bible — one “Fear not” for every day of the year! Lloyd Ogilvie in Facing the Future without Fear even said there are 366 “Fear nots” in the Bible, one for every day of the year, including Leap Years! Actually, there are many more “Fear nots” in the Bible if you include all the different iterations. Thank God because we need to be reminded to “Fear not” and trust God everyday.
God isn't telling us that life with Him isn't scary. Actually, obedience to God often takes us to incredibly nerve-wracking precipices. Often, God is the One leading us into the heart of the storm — into the eye of the hurricane. Psalm 23 is a great example. It begins with a really lovely scene. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Then the Psalm makes an emphatic juke. Out of the blue, the faithful believer is seemingly teleported from the bucolic green pastures to the barren valley of the shadow of death. How did the faithful follower of the Great Shepherd end up in Death Valley? The Psalmist tells us, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." The Good Shepherd led him there. David doesn't fear, but takes comfort in the fact that the Shepherd is close. If the Shepherd led him there, He will surely lead him through, and lead him out.
Join us tomorrow as we study Luke 8:22-25, where Jesus leads the disciples into the middle of the most terrifying storm of their lives, takes a nap while they panic, then calms the storm and their raging fear. Then, as He typically does, leaves them with the mystifying question: "Where is your faith?"
Praying for you,
Pastor Jan
Announcements
Members Meeting
Sunday, February 24, 1 p.m.
If you are a member of Mosaic, join us for our first quarterly members meeting and bring a dish to share.
Mosaic Teens Game Night
Friday, March 1, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Join Mosaic Teens for a night of fun, food, and fellowship, hosted by the Ang family. For directions and questions, please contact Tyler Burns: tyler@mosaicboston.com.
Mosaic Membership 101 Class
Sunday, March 10th, 1-3 p.m.
Want to learn more about membership at Mosaic? Come to our membership 101 class. Lunch provided, but please RSVP to admin@mosaicboston.com.
Baptism Seminar
Sunday, March 10th, 5pm
If you're interested in learning more about baptism at Mosaic, sign up for our upcoming baptism seminar: admin@mosaicboston.com.
New Community Groups!
Weeknights
We are excited to announce new community groups in Kenmore, Needham and Dorchester! If you would like more information, visit our website or email admin@ mosaicboston.com.
Songs for Sunday If you would like to know what we'll be singing on Sunday, you can find the playlist here.