Mosaic Boston

Today, we continue our study of Jesus’ parables with one of His most demanding and provocative: the parable of the Good Samaritan. The big idea is that Jesus, the ultimate Good Samaritan has showed us the greatest mercy when we were in the most dire need, and the deeper we are moved by His mercy, the more merciful we become, even to those seemingly least deserving, like James E. Holmes. May we be a people of Micah 6:8, who “do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.

I believe that as a church, God has led Mosaic Boston into a season of focused prayer. God will provide for us, as He always has. However, even in this time of desperation, we mustn’t forget that our greatest needs are not physical, but spiritual. Thus, our most fervent prayers mustn’t be “to God” but “for God.” We don’t just need more of His blessing; we need more of His presence, which is the ultimate blessing. Join us as we continue through the parables of Jesus with a look at two of His parables about persistent prayer, found in Luke. I believe Luke 11:13 with all my heart: “the heavenly Father [WILL] give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” He will give Himself to us if we persistently seek Him through prayer

In his famous “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus said “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” He means that your heart and your life will always follow what you treasure most in life. Thus, what we value most, actually controls us. Today, as we continue to study the parables of Jesus, we turn our attention to the two shortest parables, found in Matthew. These parables teach us that true spiritual treasure is always hidden behind the ordinary, always accessible to true seekers, and always produces transformative joy. Join us as we mine the treasures God has stored up in His Word and in the Gospel.

This Sunday, we’re launching our summer sermon series on the “Parables of Jesus Christ.” These are the greatest stories ever told, communicating the greatest truths every taught. Each story packs an intellectual, emotional, and spiritual punch and I’m confident this series will be a huge blessing for your walk with Jesus. Join us for the first installment in the series. We’ll take a look at the somewhat cryptic yet profound parable of the “Ten Virgins”, with huge implications for faith, perseverance and practical protection from “burning out.”

In Nehemiah chapters 8-13, we see God’s Word read and explained, and the people of God responding to it with excitement, repentance and covenant obedience. However, as time passes, people lapse into their former ways, and reformation must happen anew. Doesn’t this sound familiar? If we are to become a city within a city, renewal and reform must be constants in our life of faith. We have a natural bent toward compromise, backsliding, and disobedience, so it is crucial to keep vigilant watch over one’s heart, stay in the Word, and remain a faithful part of the covenant community of faith.

Life in the city can get so hectic sometimes, wouldn’t you agree? There’s always something else to do and somewhere else to go someone else to see. There’s always a game to watch, or a show to see, or another assignment to do or project to complete. So with this hustle and bustle, all too often we lose sight of what really matters. As we run around doing a lot of good things, we sometimes forget about the great things. This week, we’re focusing our attention on Nehemiah chapter 6, where the big idea is found in verse 3, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.” Nehemiah has zeroed in on his “great work” and was so focused on doing something GREAT for God that nothing simply GOOD could distract him. This story is rich with practical truths for our lives.

When is the last time you asked God about revealing His will to you? Do you ever wonder about what you can practically do to discern God’s will? A couple times in his book, Nehemiah says something along the lines of “what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem” (2:12, 7:5). Join us as we meditate on how to develop a sensitivity to what God puts in our hearts to do for His Kingdom.

Today we talk about praying for the Holy Spirit to do great things in the city, and then planning and acting on those prayers.