Greetings, Everyone -

 

One of the most significant things we can do as believers to GROW is to read.  Of course, I mean the Bible.  We need to be in God's Word daily to find out what our Creator and Redeemer has said to us.  I hope that by the time you read this, you have spent time with God already.  He is worthy of our devotion and praise and worship and love and obedience.

 

But I also believe that we - as Christ-followers - can significantly grow by reading great books.  Jonathan has just passed on to me a great book by N.T. Wright called, SURPRISED BY HOPE. I promised to get to it as soon as I am done with the book I just started: BATTLING UNBELIEF.  It is written by John Piper - one of my favorite authors.  It's one of those books where highlighting the important stuff is a waste of time, because he says so many things worth highlighting that the whole book would be in that weird-looking orange color.

 

Here is Piper's definition of faith: "always being satisfied with all God is for us in Christ."  He makes the point that many believers miss out on the full blessing of following Christ because they think that faith is just giving mental assent to the truths of the Bible.  It is much, much more than that.  He picks up on the analogy Jesus gives, hat He is the bread of life (John 6) and the water of life (John 7) -- and that true faith is being fully satisfied with with water when we are thirsty and with food when we are hungry.

 

I like that; it gives me the idea that faith is an ACTIVE PURSUIT of all that I am, for everything that He is.  It's as that song says, "I want to know You, I want to hear Your voice, I want to know you more."  I hope that is your desire, and that you would express that desire by living for Him today and directing all your attention to following hard after Him.  Know Him today as the Lover of your soul and the One who embraces you with His wonderful grace and truth.

 

Pastor Deone

 

P.S. I hope to see you this Thursday.  We will be looking at the parable of the talents - remember, when one was given five, one was given two, and one was given one.  I have a unique way of looking at it.  I hope you will come and hear it and be part of our distinct worship experience and lots of fellowship after.

 

COMING EVENTS...

 

Thursday, May 8, @ 6:30 P.M.

Barbecue Dinner (No Bible Study on this night)

$3

($5 at the door)

 

Sunday, May 25 @ Clarence Town Park

Memorial Day Picnic

Tickets now available through Eastern Hills Church Singles and The Chapel Singles 

Hey all -

 

Hopefully you received the email from Dad just a short time ago.  If you didn't - that's ok.  From now on, this will be our primary method of communication - right here, on Mosaic's blog.  You can even make it your homepage if you're that computer savvy.  Each and every Tuesday, check back here for some current announcements and a brief note from myself or my Dad.

 

This "new" system will help us in a number of ways. If you miss something that Joe or Dad said on Thursday Nights by way of announcements, you don't need to worry.  Chances are that it will already be posted on this site.  Also, Tuesday is one of the most boring days.  Monday - everyone hates it.  Wednesday - you're halfway through the week.  Thursday - MOSAIC Singles meets tonight.  Friday - the weekend is here!  But Tuesday... nobody likes Tuesday.  Nothing happens on Tuesday.  

 

That has all changed.

 

So be sure to check back here every Tuesday - and lots more times in between - for some important information and an encouragement from God's Word.  It doesn't get much better than that. 

 

I hope you're all enjoying the series on the Parables of Christ - "Everybody Loves a Good Story."  To have a head's up on this week's message, check out Matthew 13; it's a long chapter (58 verses), but believe me - it is worth the 2 minutes it will take to read it.  Dad and I have dialogued a few times about this Thursday and I can promise you this: you won't be disappointed.  Be there this Thursday at 7.  And bring some people with you.

 

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, and however you feel RIGHT NOW, I want you to remember a small truth tucked away in the story of Jonah.  "Salvation is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9).  My prayer is that you have discovered and experienced - firsthand - how true that is.  If you have, let others see that it is true in your life through every word you say and every thing you do.  

 

In Him,

Jonathan 

First of all I'd like to tell you about a new opportunity for all you left-handers out there.  If you're like me and you are left-handed, you know how turning the pages of a Bible can be difficult.  It was clearly designed for a right-handed person and it leaves us at a disadvantage!  But Thomas Nelson Bibles are releasing a brand new Bible today - the Left-Handed Bible!!!  It is available in KJV, NKJV, ESV, and NIV (NASB will be released next year at this time).  I'm highly recommending it and I'll be preaching from it starting this Thursday for our series on the parables of Christ: "Everybody Loves a Good Story."  You can get your copy of the Left-handed Bible at The Chapel Bookstore.

 

Ok, ok - Happy April Fool's Day!!!  Finally, a holiday for gullible people - something I can appreciate!  

 

But I began thinking about what a "FOOL" is, particularly what the Bible says about fools.  Obviously, we can go to Proverbs and find that word and it's root over 70 times.  But one of the most well-known FOOL statements comes from the Psalms:

 

Psalm 14:1

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."

 

Certainly, I expect that the majority of you who are reading this do not feel that way.  Many of you are walking with God through Christ and I see that.  But consider this...

 

Imagine there was a party that all of your friends were going to.  Or perhaps your friends were all going over to Applebee's (who doesn't love that Appetizer Sampler??) and then to catch a movie at the Regal.  What if you didn't get an invite?  I mean, these are your dearest friends and they didn't invite you!  Wouldn't you be crushed?

 

You would.  And then two or three days later, you run into one of those friends at the store, and you ask them about the other night.  Their response was, "Oh yeah, we just forgot to call you, that's all."  Or even worse, what if they said, "Oh...huh...honestly, we didn't even think to invite you"???  Wouldn't that be the ultimate blow?

 

The sad thing is that we do this with God.  Oh, we praise him with our lips on Sunday morning, but our conduct is far from the light. It is far from His Truth.  We may say, "I love God," but if we hate our brother, we are liars.  We may say, "I love God," but if we have an unforgiving heart, we are liars.  We may say, "I love God," but if He's not honored in our dating relationships, we are liars. 

 

Friends, what's worse - saying, "There is no God"?  Or giving lip service and then acting like He doesn't exist?  Which is worse?  The fool says that there is no God; but the greater fool has experienced God and pretends like He doesn't exist. 

 

Please don't be a fool.  There is too much riding on you for you to fail. You are a witness for Christ.  Live like it.