Jesus may be in your heart, but grandpa is in your bones
Dear Mosaic Family,
When Scripture uses the word "family," it doesn't just refer to your immediate family, nor just to your extended family. It actually refers to your entire extended family over three to four generations. This means that when you think of your "family," you should be going back to the mid-late 1800s. Though we can be affected profoundly by events and people in our lives, no one impacts us more powerfully than our family.
It is common to see certain patterns repeating from one generation to the next: addictive behavior, substance abuse, sexual immorality, broken marriages, etc. In Nehemiah 9, the people of God devote significant time to recalling the sins of their forefathers. The phrase "fathers" is used over and over again, as they prayer a prayer of heartfelt confession to God. In Nehemiah 9:16-17, they pray: "but they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. They refuses to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck..."
The people of God understood, that if they were to move forward, they need to come to terms with their past. They did not justify their personal sins with the sins of they parents. Instead, they acknowledged that their parents' sins were formative in their own lives, and they need to be refashioned and transformed by the Gospel of God's grace. Have you come to terms with the influence of your family on you?
The great news of the Christianity is that your biological family's past does not determine your future. God does! Your past is not your destiny! When we are adopted as children of God into the family of God, we must put off the sinful patterns of our family or origin, and relearn how to live life God's way in Jesus' new family.
Join us tomorrow as we study the Nehemiah 9, and revel in God's transformative grace, which gives us a hope and a future!
Praying for you,
Pastor Jan
Announcements:
Holiday Services. Sunday, Dec. 24 and Sunday, Dec. 31, 11:15 a.m.
Mosaic Boston Brookline will be holding ONE service at 11:15 a.m. on the Sundays of Christmas Eve, Dec. 24 and New Years Eve, Dec. 31. Both will be family-friendly services, and Mini Mosaic will not be offered.
Child Dedication. Sunday, November 19th, 9:30am. If you would like to dedicate your child to the Lord, register by emailing Raquel@mosaicboston.com
Full Childcare at 9:30 & 11:15. Mini Mosaic is growing! We are now offering full childcare for nursery, preschool and elementary children in the 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services. The nursery classroom will now be open to newborns.
Mosaic Youth Group. Every Sunday, Mosaic holds a youth group gathering during the 9:30service. If you know anyone looking for a youth group, let them know!
Pre-service Prayer. Join us in the upper hallway of the Temple Ohabei Shalom for a time of pre-service prayer on Sundays at 8:45AM and 4:30PM. It's an opportunity for us to pray for the church, the city, and the world.
Mosaic Boston App. Did you know Mosaic has an app? You can download it here.
Mini-Mosaic Performance. Sunday, December 17, 9:30 a.m.
Our kiddos in Mini Mosaic will be performing a special Christmas song during the 9:30 a.m. service. Come and be encouraged!
College Lunch. Sunday, December 3, 1 p.m.
Our next college lunch will take place after the 11:15 service. Come for a time of food, discussion and fellowship with other students.
Songs for Sunday. If you would like to know what we'll be singing on Sunday (so you can be ready to sing your heart out!) you can find the playlist here.
Give to Fund the Mission. Giving is a joyful and sacrificial act of worship to our Lord, who has given everything to us and for us. We offer you the opportunity to invest in God's mission here. The easiest way to give your tax-deductible gift is through our secure portal on our website, found here.
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