Mosaic Lincoln

Everyday we are bombarded by marketing that specifically taps into our longing for love, sex and relationships. How do we process all of this information, and what does God have to say about our love lives?

In week one of our series Climb The Palm Tree we ask the question, “are we more in love with the idea of falling in love, then we are with actually being in love?” How do we fall out of love with falling in shallow love, and learn to LOVE LIKE WINE.

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It can be very tempting for religious people to read Jesus' words in the beatitudes as a list of things to do in order to become blessed. "Blessed are the poor in spirit? Then I must become poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn? Then I must mourn. Blessed are the meek? Then I must grow in meekness." And on it goes. If we read the beatitudes this way, however, we will have turned Jesus' blessings into something they were never intended to be and we will have missed the whole point of his message.

Special thanks to Dallas Willard, Rob Bell, and R.W. Glenn for their contributions to this message. To learn more about Mosaic, visit us at mosaiclincoln.org.

Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “Wherever two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Is it possible that what he really meant to say was “Wherever two or three are gathered, there will be problems"? It certainly seems to be true anyway. In a world saturated with conflict peacemaking is tough work. But for those who would follow after Jesus, peacemaking is part of the call.

Special thanks to Matt Chandler, Todd Pickett, and Jim Van Yperen for their contributions to this message. To learn more about Mosaic, visit us at mosaiclincoln.org.

This week we explore together what some perceive to be Jesus' most intimidating beatitude yet: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." What exactly does he mean by this? Is he asking of us something we are incapable of being? Is there any authentic way that ordinary people can experience the reality of a pure heart? How are we to understand what Jesus is saying here?

Special thanks to Dave Johnson, Brennan Manning, and Brian Zahnd for their contributions to this message. To learn more about Mosaic, visit us at mosaiclincoln.org.

Inside each and every one of us is an innate sense of justice. Nobody had to teach you this. It is in each one of us from birth. It is the thing inside of you that causes you to be upset when you or someone you love is wronged. And it is what makes you long for that wrong to be made right. In Jesus' sixth beatitude, however, he introduces an idea that almost always offends our innate sense of justice: mercy.

Special thanks to Matt Chandler, Greg Boyd, and Brian Zahnd for their contributions to this message. To learn more about Mosaic, visit us at mosaiclincoln.org.

The story of The Magi is a strange, often misunderstood story. But it has a lot to teach us about how God can speak to us in the midst of seasons of waiting.

Jesus' kingdom message has always elicited very different responses from different kinds of people. To the poor and the oppressed, his message is like cold water to a parched soul. To the rich and the powerful, however, his message can be more than a little unsettling. Are we willing to hear Jesus' words for what they are? Are we willing to ask what the implications may be for us - some of the most wealthy, advantaged and opportunity-laden people on the planet?

Special thanks to Dave Johnson, Glen Stassen, and Brian Zahnd for their contributions to this message. To learn more about Mosaic, visit us at mosaiclincoln.org.

In his third beatitude Jesus presents us with what is perhaps his most paradoxical idea yet: "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Once again we are confronted with the fact that Jesus' vision of the kingdom of God looks very different from what we know to be true about how the world works and who gets ahead. How are we to understand what Jesus is saying here and why is it so incredibly important for us here and now? You might be surprised by the answer.

Special thanks to Rob Bell, Brian Zahnd, Eugene Peterson and Dallas Willard for their contributions to this message. To learn more about Mosaic, visit us at mosaiclincoln.org.

In his second beatitude the paradox of Jesus' kingdom teaching is on full display. Blessed are those who mourn? Happy are the sad? Blessed are the depressed? Do any of us actually believe this? Just as importantly, do any of us even want to? Though we may be inclined to gloss over suffering and avoid it at all costs, Jesus models for those who would come after him a different way.

Special thanks to Dave Johnson, Brian Zahnd, Eugene Peterson, and R.W. Glenn, for their contributions to this message. For more about Mosaic, visit us at mosaiclincoln.org.

The Beatitudes have been debated for centuries. Are these to be understood as conditions for entering the kingdom or as characteristics of those that have already entered? The answer is yes.

Jesus begins The Beatitudes with a puzzling statement even to today's audience who know the whole gospel story. How strange this teaching must have seemed to those on the mountainside. It challenges the reader to consider the upside down truth that exists in the new kingdom.