Mosaic Church RVA

You can't plead ignorance, and you can't plead good behavior. Whether you know God's written law or only the law written on your heart, both will testify against you, and if your count of broken commandments is anything above zero, the verdict is already in. But the Judge you'll stand before is the only one who ever kept the whole law, and he became the sacrifice. If you've been leaning on knowing better or doing better, come hear what it sounds like when he says, "That one is mine."

Who are you pretending to be? The pressure to look like we have it all together runs high in the church, and it's easy to hide our own sin while we judge everyone else's. Paul calls that presuming on God's patience, and the mask doesn't just condemn us; it teaches everyone around us to hide too. But Jesus died for hypocrites, and if he has carried your sin to death, you don't have to save face anymore.

Left to your own free will, you would choose sin every time. Three times in this passage, Paul says God "gave them up," and each one cuts deeper: sin corrupts what we do, then what we want, and finally how we think, until it feels normal. When everyone around you is doing 70 on the highway, it feels like you're standing still. But measured against God's unmoving standard, we're sicker than we ever imagined, which is why the gospel in two words hits so hard: But God.

Jesus saves — but from what? The answer starts with bad news: God's wrath is real, we are without excuse, and our hearts cry out for anything but God. In this week's sermon, we face that bad news head-on so the great exchange sounds like the rescue it truly is.

In this message from 1 Peter 4:10-11, we explore God’s call for believers to minister to one another by faithfully using the gifts He has given them. Every Christian has received unique gifts from God’s varied grace, and those gifts are not meant for personal recognition but for serving the church, building up the body of Christ, and advancing God’s purposes in the world. As good stewards, believers are called to identify needs, use their gifts in dependence on God’s strength, and serve with humility so that God receives the glory. When the church functions this way, needs are met, the gospel is displayed, and God’s wisdom is made known through a healthy, Christ-centered community.

Have you ever gone quiet about Jesus because you didn't want to sound like a fool? Paul's "I am not ashamed of the gospel" is a defiant word aimed right at that instinct, because this news is the power of God to save all kinds of people, and it clothes sinners in a righteousness they could never produce on their own. You can't save anyone. But you can be a faithful tool in the hand of the God who saved you — so take courage, and open your mouth.

You never graduate from the gospel. Paul had never set foot in Rome, yet he was eager to preach the good news to people who already believed it — because the same message that saves us is the message that grows us. An inwardly held faith doesn't get famous; Rome's was, because ordinary believers kept reminding one another what Christ had done. Encourage one person in the gospel today. Then do it again tomorrow.

You can't rebuild without a foundation. As we begin a new series in Romans, Paul introduces himself as a servant summoned and commissioned by his King, and the same King has summoned and commissioned everyone who belongs to Jesus. From the garden to David's throne to the empty tomb, God's promises have never failed, and that faithfulness is the ground we build on. If you've been content to show up, sing along, and head out the door, hear the call: you are essential, and you're meant to help others build.

In Luke 15 Jesus tells a parable about a man with two sons—both estranged from their father in different ways. Whether we’ve wandered far from home or toiled in self-righteousness, this passage points us to the gracious Father who seeks His lost children, restores them by His mercy, and calls them to find their fulfillment in Him.

What does it mean to say, “The Lord is my shepherd”? Psalm 23 calls us to remember who leads us and who cares for us—not only in green pastures and beside still waters, but through the valleys, in the presence of our enemies, and all the way home. Because our Shepherd is also our King, we can trust His steadfast love, His provision, and His protection, as we rest and rejoice in the sure hope of dwelling with Him forever.