The church of Pergamum was in the middle of a wicked, godless city. With sin all around, the church has endured persecution and has remained faithful. However, some believers were beginning to adapt a high-bred faith of culture and Christianity. Jesus has harsh words, and yet encouragement to the church: repent and remember that the victors inherit eternity. Can the American church relate to the failings of Pergamum?

The church in Smyrna was in trouble. They were being persecuted, afflicted, and were pushed into poverty for following Jesus. With their backs against the wall, Jesus gives a comforting statement…I SEE YOU. His command to the church to stand strong through it all offers them a great peace to know they are not alone. How can this letter to a church thousands of years ago help to shape and guide us today?

The book of Revelation can be a confusing, jaw-dropping, even divisive book of the Bible. However, when you dig in and start to understand what is being said, it is a book of great joy and peace as we look to the future and see that God wins. Before anything is shared about the future, Jesus begins by having John write down instruction for the seven churches in Asia. Ephesus is first with clear direction from the Lord – you are DOING everything right but you have lost your first love. How does this warning impact the modern church today?

The meaning of life is a question that many people have spent their lives trying to answer. All sorts of answers to that question are at the tips of our fingers in the information age. But this poses a problem: What is the real answer.

This Sunday, we explore the answer that God has given us in Scripture. What does God's meaning for all of man? For the Church? For me?

It would appear by how Christians act and talk sometimes, that God has a limit to who He loves. We’ve all seen the angry guy yelling on the corner, or the “truth -slinging” on social media about some religious topic. Then, we evaluate our life and how it matches up with others, and we start to believe there is no way God could love us. But, what is true about God? Does he really love all people without limits, or does He love people based on how we live our lives? To find that answer, we have to dig into the character of God to find out who He is.

If God is good, why does he allow so many bad things to happen? If He is all powerful and all loving, wouldn’t He stop bad things from happening? In the midst of pain and suffering, these questions and more flood our hearts and minds. Knowing and believing that God is good is the beginning. Now, we must change our perspective to see life through God’s story to help us embrace Gods goodness and mercy in the midst of a broken and fallen world.

The big question of the day, is God good? If so, how can we know? The question itself is problematic, because we are asking the wrong thing. What if we redirect our question to explore what God has done to show humanity that He is good? In Mark 10:17-31, we see a time where Jesus defines goodness for us, and then proceeds to show us that God isn’t just good, He is the definition of it.

The Heavens Declare | Praising the Creator | Kurt Knutson by Mosaic Church

Our ministry Partners Ashley Thomas (Hope Street - Milwaukee) and Michael Strand (CMA Missionary - Bosnia)share and encourage us to live a life with Faith Over Fear.

10 Words | Part 10: The 10th Commandment - Do Not Covet | Nick Jonckowski by Mosaic Church