Whenever we turn a New Year, I find it to be a great time to think about life and who I want to be in the coming year. I also take time to ponder what I feel I would like our community to be thinking about. So, this is really just a few things I wanted to say to our wonderful community at Mosaic. I really love these people!!

This week we are super pleased to have Shane Treadway share his thoughts about hope. There is a bit of a dead space at the beginning, so be patient for a few minutes. We had some mic trouble.Shane, Carey and their family have been missionaries in Peru with Pioneers. They are now in Bellingham, while Shane works on his masters in cultural anthropology. It is great to have them here and for our community to get a chance to hear their thoughts about Advent Hope.

Do you ever wonder what the shepherds out in the field who heard the angel proclaim "joy to the whole world", would think of the world now? I think they would look around and ask, "Joy to the world? Where is the joy? This place is a mess!"Yet, throughout the Bible, we see joy as one of the qualities that is part of God's kingdom. But, what is it? How do we get it? Especially during Advent, what do we do when we are not joyful?(Note: Unfortunately, Advent Week 1, did not get recorded.)

Many people struggle with the idea of infant baptism. I find that very easy to understand, as most of my life I only practiced baptism by immersion based upon the person's profession of faith.Within our community, we also practice infant baptism. This comes from our belief that God is a covenant making and keeping God. Infant baptism really has nothing to do with the individual faith of the child; how could it, they are too young to understand. Baptizing a child has everything to do with the parents recognition that God has made a covenant with their family and that God will be faithful, regardless of the faithfulness of the child.Listen in and see what you think.

What the locust has eaten....What the Father has restored...What the Father will do....Heidi Price shares thoughts from the book of Joel.

WARNING! MATT EXHIBITS SOME UNBRIDLED ENTHUSIASM DURING THIS TALK! HE USES EMPHATIC LANGUAGE AND GOT UP FROM HIS STOOL A FEW TIMES. PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN LISTENING.LISTENERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THIS TALK WAS RATED AS "VERY IMPORTANT" BY MATT'S WIFE (come on, we all know that never happens!!!)

Should you be a "tither"? Some would say absolutely and others would say that tithing is under the old covenant. What does the Bible teach about tithing and whether or not we should continue this practice today.

"If you give today, I guarantee that you'll receive back, 30, 60 even 100 times what you give, as long as you give in faith..."If you have ever listened to Christian broadcasts or watched certain TV channels, you have likely heard something like the above. Frankly, it sickens me, as i am sure it does you.However, it raises questions, especially when we look into what the Bible has to say about why God provides. As uncomfortable as it might make us, the principle of "sowing and reaping" is in the Bible from start to finish. How does this principle affect whether or not God provides for us, or does it all?

When we think about what hinders us from being gernerous people, there is probably no greater challenge than the questions that come into our minds about God's provision. But, when you read the Bible, "God as provider" and trusting God to provide, are almost synomous with being "God's people". So, if God is provider, how does God provide? If we have questions about provision, maybe the problem is the way we have defined it.