Podcast - Mosaic | Lynchburg, VA Church

Dear Mosaic Family,

As the apostle we now know henceforth and forevermore as Paul and his sidekick, Barnabas, engage in the work of spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles, they are at first rewarded with great success. But it doesn't take long for obstacles to arise in their path, and in Paul's case, it nearly cost him his life. We know the work of the Lord is not easy, nor is it without trials, but we must learn, as Paul and Barnabas did, how to persevere. If we overcome our circumstances as Jesus has overcome the world, we will sow the seeds of a great harvest.

Sometimes, the Lord allows us to reap the harvest, as we are going to do this Sunday. After the message, we will have the privilege of witnessing the baptisms of several of our fellow congregants. Following that, we will break bread together and praise the Lord for what He has done. It’s going to be a time of great celebration, so please join us!

See you Sunday,

Ron Miller

Dear Mosaic Family,

Are you travelling over the Fourth of July? Experts predict 43.6 million people will drive over Independence Day weekend. After spending 19 years in North Jersey, I do suggest staying far away from Interstate 95! Going on a trip takes preparation, even a short journey. Plans have to be made for home, work, the pets, and also for the destination. With three boys, Jennifer and I try to plan enough snacks for them and coffee for us.

Imagine taking a journey in the 1st century? No a/c or wifi!!! How did they do it? This Sunday, we will study the first full journey of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13. They set sail with the purpose of bringing the good news of Jesus Christ westward. My prayer is for a deeper awareness, conviction, and challenge as takeaways from this text, to bring encouragement to live out this faith journey in our generation.

Peace,

Karl Records

Dear Mosaic Family,

I want to remind you today about how significant it is that God has chosen to live within you. You were created for LIFE, but sin and death were having their way with you until you received the incredible grace gift of Jesus’ love and forgiveness. You have been bought for a high price; therefore glorify God in your body! (1 Corinthians 6:20) Yes, He gave us this gift freely, but there is a purpose attached to it. God wants us to radiate His life to others around us. All we really have to do is live in and enjoy His life and the radiating will happen without coercion. Simply abide, in an awareness that you are His and that He lives in you and the fruit of that will naturally occur in your adding life. This is who you are now! Christ lives in you and wants to live through you!

Preparing for this week’s message on Acts 12 has been no small struggle. Some portions of scripture are loaded down with applicable spiritual truth. This passage isn’t quite like that. It’s loads with historical facts, and you have to look closely to see what God is saying in the words. We’ll talk about the prideful Herod Agrippa I, the imprisonment of Peter and the fervent prayers of the Church. Come and explore this chapter in the history of God’s people with your spiritual family. Come with open hearts to learn what God has for us.

You are loved and seen and valued.

John Stroud

Hello Mosaic Family,

Join us this Sunday, Father's Day, to honor and celebrate all our Mosaic Dads in a uniquely prepared service! We will hear from three of our very own as well as some special guests from around the world offering a perspective of fatherhood from their various cultures. With God the Father as our ultimate example, Dads will share personal testimonies as they have navigated their roles of servant leadership in their families.

In addition to the wisdom exchanged, we will continue the Father's Day festivities with a Breakfast Bar for all to enjoy, featuring a special gourmet "Donuts for Dads" gift to all the fathers. Lastly we will end our time together with a riveting "all church" participation activity you will not want to miss! Did I hear someone say... "Competition?"

Tom Kawiecki

Hello Mosaic Family,

Imagine you’re the apostle Peter, doing a victory lap on your way back to Jerusalem after delivering the message of salvation in Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and saving untold numbers of souls as they accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. You walk into the midst of your brothers and sisters in Christ, some of whom were your closest and dearest friends as you ministered with the Messiah during his time on earth, and you’re expecting hugs and cheers for what you’ve done. Instead, they are upset with you! What’s that all about?

Sometimes, the people in the church can be our worst critics, and we see that playing out even today. Let’s look at how Peter handled this sticky situation, and how he not only persuaded them but brought them into the mission of spreading the Gospel to the world beyond the Jewish people. We’ll look at what Peter’s experience teaches us today, even if we aren’t as successful as he was in quelling the objections of his fellow believers. We’ll also see the believers take on a new name! I can’t wait to dive into this story with you!

See you Sunday

Ron Miller

Hello friends,

Did you have any divine appointments this week? A divine appointment could be defined as an encounter with another person that God has specifically and unmistakably arranged. I am amazed how God brings people into my life for His purpose. The divine appointments are mind blowing and always on time.

Previously, we came across Peter in Samaria, as he recognized the faith of the believers. After they received the Holy Spirit, Peter returned to Jerusalem.

This week, the Adventures of Peter continue with two miracles and a Divine Appointment.

We will learn together on Sunday morning:

1) How making your bed is spiritual.

2) How we can obey God regardless of circumstances.

3) How a vision of eating clean and unclean animals really had to do with equality between people groups.

See you Sunday!

Karl Records

Dear Mosaic Family,

This Sunday, we will be unpacking the powerful moment in history captured in Acts 9 when Saul (soon to be Paul) and Jesus meet for an unexpected boxing match on the road to Damascus. We all know who won that bout, but there are some gems in this narrative that relate not only to Paul's conversion, but to us today as we consider those in our life who seem impossibly far from God.

Come prepared to "do business" together on behalf of those individuals.

See you Sunday,

Jeff Nitz

Hello, Mosaic Family!

Do you guys realize what an amazing thing it is to be a child of God living at this time in this city? Wow! God has given us a “caboodle” of amazing opportunities to bring the Kingdom. People have been shaken by everything that has happened in the past year or so. We are people of the Kingdom placed here for “such a time as this” to share a message of hope and reconciliation!

Mark 1:15 tells us how Jesus declared, “The time is at hand, the Kingdom of God has come near…” He brought the Kingdom to earth and made a way for us to become partakers in it.

Colossians 1:13 says that God, “…has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” We’re now citizens of the Kingdom of God and ambassadors of reconciliation. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

This weekend we will dive into Acts 8 to see how God worked through persecuted followers of Jesus to spread the Gospel into some dark places. We’ll learn from the responses of a Samaritan Sorcerer and an Ethiopian Eunuch. It would be great if you could read the chapter before we gather on Sunday.

We look forward to seeing you all as we gather as His church to reveal His community of love in the heart of our beautiful city.

See you Sunday,

John Stroud

Dear Mosaic Family,

When we were last in the book of Acts, we were introduced to seven deacons appointed by the church and assigned the responsibility of ensuring the equitable distribution of food to the needy in their midst. Stephen was called out from their number as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit,” “a man full of God’s grace and power.” He was brought before the Sanhedrin like the apostles before him for performing “great wonders and signs among the people” in the name of Jesus. The outcome of this encounter, however, marked a turning point in the history of the early church.

While they didn’t know it at the time, the end of Stephen’s story was the beginning of another story that would mark the spread of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. I’m excited to dig into the story of Stephen in Acts 7 with you!

See you Sunday,

Ron Miller

Dear Mosaic Family,

This Sunday is the day we honor our Moms for the huge role they play(ed) in our lives. We figured that the best folks to talk about being a mom are women with some “street cred” in that area. We invited Lisa Kawiecki, Jessica Yelle, and Garvisa Stroud to draw from their life experience and relationship with God as they answer several questions about motherhood and faith.

There will also be some surprises in the service that you won’t want to miss. Hint: the children will be joining us for worship before heading off to Mosaic Kids with Ms. Gayle.

We look forward to coming together as a family this Sunday!

Grace and peace,

The Elders