Living as Art

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

God loves to demonstrate His desire to be a powerful God of our present and future, not just our past. While worshipping together Sunday, Claudia Sawyer shared about experiencing complete freedom from back pain just a few weeks ago during prayer time at Mosaic. Yesterday, many expressed a deep need that man cannot satisfy – whether physical, emotional, relational or financial people need what only God can provide. Please continue to look to God for your need – and I pray your faith increases to believe Him for the seemingly impossible!

We continued our investigation of God’s glory, examining its correlation to the reverence we exhibit. We looked at Eli’s sons and the trouble the Israelites experienced by their disregard and lack of respect for God’s presence that the Ark of the Covenant tangibly represented. Although our culture can make living reverentially difficult, Haggai instructs us to consider our ways in order to maintain a correct perspective of our position in our relationship with the Lord. God refuses to be mocked, and He demands to be more than a good luck symbol in our lives.

Ways we show reverence with Him begin with the way we think about ourselves. He sees us as valuable and we need to live as though we have value. Additionally – we must respect all humanity and avoid the arrogant assumption that somehow we earned the right to live in His glory. When we treat others respectfully we live as examples of the truth – that all humanity has one and only one access to God’s presence – His son Jesus. And to accept His love means also accepting our need of forgiveness – the same forgiveness he longs to offer everyone. Revering God means we must be willing to acknowledge that truly all – including us – have fallen short of the glory of God…and it is only His beautiful, courageous love for us that grants us the privilege of living in the light of His glory.

Please make an effort this Thanksgiving week to express respect for the family and friends in your life. Let your gratitude to God for His love and forgiveness be evident to everyone you encounter during the holiday.


Psalm 85:9
Surely His (God’s) salvation is near to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, [and is ready to be appropriated] that [the manifest presence of God, His] glory may tabernacle and abide in our land.

Investigating Glory

I have been thinking all morning about our church family and how much I love being a part of your lives. As leaders and vital members of our church body, please do not take the beautiful relationships around us for granted. Please make an effort this week to make 3-5 phone calls to people God puts on your mind or heart. It doesn’t take much time, and it greatly encourages others when we let them know someone cares about them.

The last three weeks the Holy Spirit has ministered to us in powerful ways – new and unique each Sunday to the needs of everyone there. I am enjoying my research and study time for the Glory series and I wanted to encourage you to enhance the effectiveness of this topic for our body by taking time to research and study it for yourself. Additionally – it is vital to bring what we learn before the Lord and let His Spirit touch it and bring insight and new revelation that personally impacts and changes our lives.

People all around us are desperately looking for truth and for something real, authentic and genuine. The reality of God’s glory should radiate from all of our lives for the world around us to easily see. As we discussed yesterday, the business and chaos of life, promoted by our culture, can keep us from living affective lives that exhibit God’s glory. Dessert circumstances are all around us and if we want to experience the promises that God has for us, we have to let His glory lead, guide and direct our lives. Just as the pillar of smoke led the Israelites by day and the pillar of fire led them at night, God’s word contains His glory and leads us all the time, every day...however, we have to lock our vision on it. We have to read it, and allow it to light and guide our paths as David says “like a lamp unto our feet”.

Many of us are worn out, frazzled and overwhelmed. Life has proven hard and strenuous and we feel our energy and passion waning. God’s glory, like the manna the Israelites gathered and ate each morning when they awoke, is available for us each day. However our obedience to God’s word and our hunger for His truth will decide if we “partake” of it or not. Many times, instead of relying on God for our sustenance – provision of our daily needs – we often attempt to do things in our own power and strength and we find ourselves empty and insufficient. Jesus made His Spirit available for us to have anything and everything we need each and every day. We cannot hoard it and save it up for later, but we can live in faith that He is the source of our most serious, soulful needs.

Thank you for committing your lives together with ours to show and radiate God’s glory to our community, nation and world. Please share any insight regarding your investigation of God’s glory with our Mosaic family.