Although God is completely loving and true, it is not always easy for us to believe it or to receive it. In this discussion, we talk about how teaching we have received and models we have experienced in church and other organizations, impact our ability to live into the love of God.Our desire is to nurture a deep understanding that God loves us and wants to be our Father, for the rest of our days. This is the ethos that we desire within Mosaic. In order to maintain that, there are certain things that we value and practice so that we remain a safe place to grow in the knowledge of the love of God.

This week we took a little time to pause and reflect on what we have been talking about. As a wise parent of teens once told me, "Too much of a good thing is still too much."Often, we just keep talking and talking at our churches, somehow believing that regardless of whether or not we are taking things to heart and letting God change us, that more is better. Sometimes (often times?), more is just more.

Misha shares about her journey with the Father, particularly related to stepping back into speaking and teaching.

This week we continued on with our discussion about the things that hinder us from receiving the Father's love. There is also a short recap of the portion that did not get recorded last week.Are you living as a victim? Do you struggle with insecurity? Do you find it hard to live free from shame or the fear that God is punishing you? Have you found it hard to forgive those who have hurt you? These things can hinder you from receiving the Father's love or be a sign that you are not living in the freedom of knowing God's love in a deep, personal way.Invite God to speak to you before you start listening. Ask God to reveal just how much He loves you and to free you from anything that hinders you from receiving that love!

I asked this question of the community at Mosaic, "Is there anyplace in your life where you know that you know, that you are unconditionally loved?" It's a difficult and deep question. Of course, in our community, we can find an easy answer to the deepest of questions, so one of the guys piped up, "My dog". :)Whether God loves us, is love, can do nothing but love, etc.... doesn't really matter if we can't receive love. The greatest love in the world has no effect on those that can't receive it or don't know about it.So, what hinders us from receiving the deep deep love of our God? This week and at least one more week will be spent looking at the things that resist the truth of God's love in our lives.

If you want to start this series out the way I would encourage you to, you would begin by sitting down with a pen and paper, get quiet, and then take 10-15 minutes to get in touch with the response of your senses (not just your mind), when you hear the word "father".Whether your mind goes to God as father, your earthly father or tries to run from the word all together, the exercise can be very helpful. How you respond will likely impact your ability to receive and live into the love God has for you.Stick around with us for a few weeks and hopefully you'll begin to discover a God who loves you with the most profound and life-changing love you could ever imagine.

What's Your Ebenezer? (aka, "When the stuff hits the fan")After 7 years of working with our children, discipling women and helping launch numerous small groups, Carla was finally compelled to share with the community on Sunday morning. We've known she has lots to give away so it was exciting to finally have her share with the entire community.

What a great three weeks it has been with Misha. Through story and interaction with the Scripture, she has challenged us to bring God into the places of our lives that are not easy, which is key to getting to a place where we actually enjoy God.This week, after starting with a story from a very dark season of her life, she asks the question, "What do you want to do with your life?" It might be easy to answer when things are going good, but how do you answer it when there doesn't seem to be an potential change in negative or pain-filled circumstances?

Are you enjoying God? It's not an easy question to answer. In a very interactive way, Misha guides the community through some things to think about on our way to a more God-enjoyed life.