Synergy

God is Worthy to be Sought

There have been many people praying for each of you by name in preparation for Saturday’s Prayer Summit from 9:00-3:00 at Mosaic. There is even a group in Texas that has committed to pray for us during the entire event. For all those that are planning to attend, please pray for our time together that God would reveal more of Himself both individually and corporately. For those still trying to decide about whether to attend, just pray about it, then come!

Mark and I just finished having lunch with Daniel Henderson, the founder of Strategic Renewal Ministries and the facilitator for tomorrow’s summit. His journey of faith and in particular, his increasing understanding of prayer was quite an inspiration to us both. Daniel confessed that as a young pastor, his prayer life was motivated by his desire to earn favor from God so that his church would ultimately be blessed. Prayer was simply something that a pastor was expected to do. Does any of that type of reasoning sound familiar? It is a natural way of thinking.

The real breakthrough in Daniel’s life came when he realized that the sovereign God of the universe was “worthy to be sought.” Period. End of story. That was all the motivation that was needed to propel him into a ministry that has seen many miraculous works of God through prayer.

The mere fact that scripture abundantly encourages, commands, describes and prescribes prayer for the believer should, in itself, be motivation enough for us to pray. We cannot accept this fact without concluding that there are some things that God will only do if we ask Him to do it. That thought is both an awesome privilege and responsibility for you and me. But for us to understand that God desires to be sought after and has provided His children with access to Him through Christ in a very real, deep and personal way, should be the only factor needed to motivate us to pray. Amen.

Daniel is also passionate about making prayer a worshipful, meaningful encounter with our infinite, eternal Heavenly Father. Yawns, glazed-over eyes and prayer should not be synonymous with one another when interacting and relating to the God of our universe. Tomorrow, you have the opportunity to experience prayer in a fresh and powerful way. Much has been done to prepare us as a body for this time. Won’t you join us so that together we can discover the deeper things of God?

Humbled to be your pastor, HL

Our Resolve to Pray

So are you convinced that the prayer of Christ in the garden of Gethesemane is the most important prayer in all of scripture?

Last Sunday, we studied Christ’s prayer in Matthew 26:39. All of eternity hung in the balance as we saw our humble Savior, caught in a moment of total anguish, with His humanity showing through like never before. In that intimate, despondent moment, He cries out, “Abba, Father – Daddy!” And we find our Savior wavering ever so slightly as He understands the magnitude of humanity’s redemption resting on His shoulders. It is almost more than He can bear.

Three times He approaches the Father and essentially asks, “Is there any way, Father, that You can redeem man apart from the cross? If so, please do it.” It is here, in the most private of moments, we are privileged to see the power of prayer. For three times, we can also conclude the answer was the same: “There is no other way, Son. I planned this moment since the beginning of time. You are going to have to walk through this one.” Christ ends His prayer each time, by acknowledging His submission to the Father: “Not my will, but Yours be done, Lord.”

After this, we see Christ strengthened, confident and committed to fulfilling the mission that the Father designed. He boldly marches out to meet His betrayer. He doesn’t run away. He doesn’t cower or hide. He simply moves toward the very thing that moments earlier, He was asking the Father to let Him avoid.

Prayer is about what God wants to do through us rather than to us. When we say to Him, “Not my will, but Yours be done, Lord,” we allow Him great freedom to use us in a masterful, intricate, sovereign plan that may affect generations to come and even eternity itself. Prayer will give you strength to walk through whatever God has called you to do. It is more about God changing you than your circumstances.
Won’t you join us in this season as we recommit and strengthen our resolve to pray?

This week, we will finish the passage in Matthew 26 and contrast Christ’s example of prayer with that of His disciples. Prayer precedes both services at 8:40 and 10:20 AM, respectively.

Also, don’t forget that our first ever Prayer Summit with Daniel Henderson, is coming up on February 16th at Mosaic from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. We will have childcare available until noon. It will be a refreshing time for all of us.

God bless you and know how very thankful I am for each of you, HL

Prayer: Our Focus in the Next Few Weeks

Prayer. What imagery does it invoke in your mind? The classic pose of Jesus praying while immersed in a beam of light from heaven? Bowing before the maker in humble submission in the stillness of early morning? Or maybe, if you’re really honest, the imagery is laced with frustration as you struggle with believing whether or not it really makes a difference; and you wonder deep inside if God is listening at all.

A wise man once said, “Nothing of any eternal significance is ever accomplished apart from prayer.” At Mosaic, we believe this to be true and with this in mind, we’ll focus on prayer over the next three weeks in our continuing series on the passions that drive us. And in so doing, we'll invite you to rediscover a passion for prayer and to experience it in fresh, new ways.

If you're struggling with your prayer life and need encouragement in this critical aspect of our Christian faith, then this series is for you! You'll not only understand the Biblical foundation for prayer, but experience several other exciting prayer events that will begin and end the series.

The first occurs this Sunday, Jan 27th, when we'll spend the entire morning in worship and prayer. Led by Mark DeYmaz, you will want to be there!

Next, Mosaic's annual Ash Wednesday Service will be held on February 6th from 6:55 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. and kick-off the 40 Days of Lent. Designed as a prelude of reflection and sacrifice, Lent is a special season observed by believers throughout the world marked especially by prayer and fasting. Plan now to attend!

Then, on Saturday, February 16th, we'll host Mosaic’s first ever Prayer Summit from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. that day. Daniel Henderson, from Strategic Renewal Ministries, will be joining us to facilitate a day of Spirit led, worship fed corporate prayer. The Prayer Summit will also kick off Mosaic's annual World Christian Conference to be held this year on Sunday morning, February 17.
This Prayer Summit will be an awesome experience for everyone who attends; again, don't miss it!

I am so excited about the weeks to come! Please join me in praying that this will be a wonderfully fruitful time for all those that attend. As usual, I am …

Very thankful for you, HL

An Invitation to Mission-minded Mosaics

Following the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Bishop John Rucyahana returned to Rwanda to preach a message of healing and reconciliation. Despite the horrors of the genocide, he saw hope in Rwanda’s children and founded the Sonrise School. Bishop John and Bridge2 Rwanda, a nonprofit organization based in Little Rock, are working to shape a new generation of young, well educated leaders trained in the teachings of Jesus and equipped to serve others.

With this in mind, Bridge2Rwanda founder, Dale Dawson, who together with his wife Judi, have recently started attending Mosaic, invite you to come and hear Bishop John on Sunday night, January 20 at 6:00 pm at St. Andrews' Church, 8300 Kanis Rd. in Little Rock. God has given our church a unique opportunity to be instrumental in the rebuilding of this devastated country starting with Bridge2Rwanda’s Container Program, a program they will be launching that night.

Through the Container Program, we desire to support 100 students of the Sonrise School by donating the following items (or by making a donation of $25 - $50) to help support one student in the coming year. Items will be collected January 20 – February 29. Collection areas will be available on Sundays at Mosaic Church. You may also drop off donations during regular business hours at the Mosaic office.

1 twin sheet set (any dark, solid color)
1 blanket (any dark, solid color)
1 bath towel (any dark, solid color)
1 package undergarments
1 toothbrush
1-2 pencils
1-2 pens
1-2 dry erase markers
1 dry erase board (8 1/2" x 11") and eraser
1 spiral notebook (200 page)
1 package crayons
1 package colored pencils

God is working in Rwanda and Mosaic is being called to join Him. I hope to see you Mosaic well represented Sunday night at St. Andrews' and meet our goal of helping 100 students by the end of February! M-

No Doubt: We're Off to a Great Start!

Wow, what a wonderful morning we all experienced last week at Mosaic! Great music, an energetic crowd and a renewed sense that God is doing something very special here inspired us all at the start of the New Year. And thanks to those of you who commented on the message; one through which we learned that a God-sized vision from above a) comes only through a personal relationship with God, b) is specific to your life, c) calls you to obey by faith, so that d) you will be blessed and become a blessing to others. And we learned that the collective vision of a local church cannot otherwise be achieved apart from the pursuit of our own personal relationship with God on a day-to-day basis.

Therefore, to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19, 20) requires that we fulfill the Great Commandment (John 13:34, 35) and thus become a Great Church (Ephesians 3:10; 4:21) to the glory of God. And this is the vision of Mosaic!

If you were unable to attend last Sunday, I strongly encourage you to listen to last week's message prior to coming this week at which time, we will be considering the other side of a God-sized vision, namely, the inherent potential of a diverse community of faith walking, working and worshipping God together as one in Christ. In other words, I'll be speaking of our collective vision, updating you on where we are currently and helping us to envision a future in which this church becomes all that God intends for it to be!

And by the way, I'll be announcing where we are financially, one year after signing a contract in faith to someday purchase the old K-Mart on the corner of University and Asher. You won;t want to miss it!

So let's continue in our commitment to make the weekly gathering a top priority for us individually and come determined this Sunday not only to worship God, but to help create an environment in which others - i.e., those who do not yet know Christ, or who will come seeking a church home - experience the love of God through our love and service of the body.

And with this in mind, let me again ask, Who's in your empty chair? Why not pick-up the phone or email an invitation right now and invite someone to come with you this Sunday and experience the people and passion of Mosaic?

I look forward to seeing you and your invited guest(s) then!

Sunday Worship: A Privilege and a Responsibility

Did you know that increasing numbers of North Americans who identify themselves as Christians attend church only once or twice a month? Yet, the strongest and most vibrant churches in North America are those in which members see faithful, consistent involvement each week not only as a privilege, but a personal responsibility before God, others and their families. Of course, mere attendance on Sunday mornings does not guarantee a vibrant walk with God; but it does tend to validate it. And the vast majority of devoted Christ-followers understand the personal importance of the weekly large group gathering, as well as its biblical significance - the church, a visible witness of the love and body of Christ, appealing in His name to a lost and dying world.

To be clear, it is the goal and promise of everyone involved in Sunday morning planning to do all we can to ensure a wonderful experience each week for you and your family, as well as for others you invite to come. With this in mind, I want to encourage everyone of you to start the year strong with a renewed commitment to faithful Sunday morning involvement - both in worship and service - at Mosaic!

Start Strong!

Dear Mosaics,

Welcome to the New Year and to a new season of faith, hope and love at Mosaic! Like many of you, Linda and I, together with our children, were out of town for the Christmas holidays. In fact for the first time in five years, we literally traveled “over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house” in Washington state where more than 18’ of snow made for a very white Christmas – one in which we were at times without power and ate too much food; but most importantly, enjoyed time with extended family, including Linda’s grandfather who is now 99 years old! And while it was great to be there, we have both returned with renewed enthusiasm and great expectations for the coming year in Christ.

With this in mind, I want to encourage every member to start the year strong by joining us for worship this coming Sunday. At that time, I will be casting vision and sharing plans for the months ahead at Mosaic. In addition, let me remind you that this Sunday we’ll return to our two-service format, with corporate worship beginning at 9:00 am and 10:45 am. And for those who invest your lives faithfully in our children and students each week, make sure you come early, prepared and ready to help our young people start the year strong, as well.

In addition, LifeGroups will be getting underway again in the next week or two. LifeGroups are Mosaic’s small group ministry through which individuals gather in homes for fellowship, spiritual growth and accountability twice a month. If you are not yet involved in a LifeGroup, now’s a great time to get connected! To do so, contact Allen Arnn (allen@mosaicchurch.net).

Also this Sunday, don’t forget to register your students, grades 7- 12, for MSM’s annual Winter Camp in Oklahoma the following weekend, January 11-13. Contact Amos Gray or Alison Clinton (amos@mosaicchurch.net / alisonfclinton@aol.com) for more specific details.

And finally, this weekend we’ll begin creating an updated membership directory and asking everyone to help us develop a more effective database for the church. Toward that end, we’ll be asking all members to complete a simple communications form over the next couple of weeks and providing time in the service to do so.

Well, there’s much more to say; but for now, let me, again, simply welcome you to what I pray will be a wonderful year of further growth and development for you and your family, as well as for the church in … can you believe it? … 2008! I look forward to seeing each and every one of you Sunday!

It remains an honor to serve you as your pastor,

Mark