Teachings

One of the primary elements of our worship gatherings is exploring the scriptures. Together as a community of faith we seek to faithfully interpret and apply these ancient texts to the realities of twenty-first century life. We do this because we believe God is present with us, that God's Story is continually unfolding all around us and that he is still renewing all of creation and inviting us to participate.

  • Nov 14, 2019 • 33 min

    CONFESSIONS OF A PHARISEE (WK 2) with Eric Smith, Founder of Pillar Seminary

    Eric Smith, Founder of Pillar Seminary in Omaha, NE, shares with us part of his journey and the ways in which God has always been in the midst of it as provider.

  • Nov 7, 2019 • 34 min

    CONFESSIONS OF A PHARISEE (WK 1) with Eric Smith, Founder of Pillar Seminary

    Eric Smith, Founder of Pillar Seminary in Omaha, NE, shares with us from Matthew 11

  • Oct 31, 2019 • 31 min

    COLOSSIANS (WK 4): "Large-Hearted"

    Colossians 3:3-4:1 Mosaic Gathering Prayer/Proclamation: October 27, 2019 What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we are called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to. But friends, that’s exactly who we are: loved children of God. Dear loved children of God— I hope you let go. I hope you let go of holding yourself to impossible standards. Lower the bar. Receive grace. God delights in who you are. And while you’re at it, I hope you let go of ignoring your beauty and strength. The mirror is tired of your harsh words, for you are made of star stuff and music. You are the only you there is, and you. are. simply. stunning. The tape in your head is tired of your harsh words. You are a gift to this world. May you have respect for your individuality and difference. And I hope you’ll consider letting go of certainty. For the sun will always rise and set, and you will always be loved. What more do we really need to know than that? So let go of your fear. Let go of perfection. Let go of busyness as a sign of your self worth, And the notion that creativity is a luxury. Be wild and free. Plant roots like a redwood, And a spine like a sunflower; For the days are short, and you are beautiful. I love nothing more than to see you happy. So don’t be afraid to let go. The only thing you cannot lose is my love…God’s evergreen love. What wondrous love is this?  Love that ate with sinners. Love that welcomed children.  What wondrous love is this?  Love that healed the lame. Love that listened to the silenced.  What wondrous love is this?  Love that died for us. Love that rose for us. Love that still forgives and knows us.  Family of God, we are in the presence of such wondrous love. Let us worship God together.

  • Oct 24, 2019 • 28 min

    COLOSSIANS (WK 3): "Orientation"

    Colossians 2:20-3:4 Mosaic Gathering Prayer: October 20, 2019 We believe in God, the Great Sewist— Who weaves us together in community, Collecting our loose ends and turning them into belonging. We believe in the Holy Spirit— Who hems us in before and behind,  Catching us when we fall and writing us into God’s holy story.  And we believe in Jesus Christ— Who loved and claimed the people society had thrown out, refusing to disregard anyone as scrap. We believe God has woven part of God’s self into the fiber of our being, Making us inherently worthy of love and belonging.  We believe the fabric of our lives are weak,  That we are prone to error and need God’s handiwork to remind us of love.  We believe in the Church, and that like a quilt of different fabrics, She is designed to be as diverse and beautiful as God’s creation.  And we believe that when life unravels, God is there to stitch our wounds together,  To hold us in the palm of God’s hand, to tell us of love, And to invite us into a new journey. Amen.

  • Oct 17, 2019 • 37 min

    COLOSSIANS (WK 2): "Our Walk in Christ"

    Colossians 2:6-19 Mosaic Gathering Prayer: October 13, 2019 Gracious God, For the morning dawn, which promises new life; And for your love, which knows our name, We give you thanks. For a place to belong—for this place to belong— And for grace that is always bigger than we deserve, We give you thanks. For the promise of justice that will roll down like a mighty stream And light that shines in the darkness, We give you thanks. We have so much to thank you for, gracious God, so in gratitude, we offer you these gifts. May they help cultivate your promised day here. May we help cultivate your promised day here In this world some walk with arrogance. Some walk proud. Some walk angry. Some walk defeated. Some walk alone. Teach us to walk in Jesus, rooted and built up in his love. So as we come to you today in prayer, we ask once more for your help. Cultivate in us a persistent energy for justice. Cultivate in us a resilient determination to show grace. Cultivate in us the heart to claim one another—even when we come from different places, people, religions, political opinions, or beliefs.  Cultivate in us the sunrise. And when we fall short, when we keep your light to ourselves, when we find ourselves caught in the monsoon of our own doubt, when we choose ourselves over belonging to others, forgive us.  Find us in the rain. Find us in the dark. Find us in the seas of our hurt and suffering and speak poetry to us. We are convinced that with just one taste of your love, we will be artists and dreamers, believers and optimists, once again.  God of grace, you deserve our very best. Thank you so much for accepting our best, worst, and everything in between.  In deep gratitude we pray, Amen.

  • Oct 10, 2019 • 33 min

    COLOSSIANS (WK 1): "The Treasure Holding All Things Together"

    Colossians 1:1-20, 28-2:3 What does the letter want to convey? A reality enveloped in Jesus the Christ is a reality saturated in liberation and love. "We need to know that God can not help because he is the God who was, is, and is to come. God does not have to help us in the ways we think we need him to help because the help he can offer is exceedingly better. We are asking for finite helps. He offers the infinite. In this life, then, as it can be known now, we can learn to live with God knowing that he is the God who was, is, and is to come, and therefore a God who can not help. We can learn a Spirit-led helplessness, to embrace futility without in any way refusing responsibility to do good or lessening our efforts to obey God. There is powerlessness in the blood. Wonder-working powerlessness."    -Chris Green --

  • Oct 4, 2019 • 26 min

    EVANGELISM (WK 4): "Come and See"

    John 1:43-51 Mosaic Gathering Prayer: September 29, 2019 God of the seasons— You hold together the past, present and future. Help us to let go of the need for certainty, So that we can hold onto you. Help us let go of fear and comparison, So that we can hold onto you. Help us to let go of to-do lists and anxiety, So that we can hold onto you. God of the seasons, as we enter this space, We strive to let go of everything that keeps us from being with you. With honest hearts and open minds, we pray— Let us worship, You, Holy God.  Create in us a curiosity for your ways. God, you invite us to cultivate compassion,  But too often we hold grudges and keep score.  You invite us to cultivate justice,  But too quickly we forget that we belong to one another.  You invite us to let go of judgment,  But we find stones are too easy to throw.  You invite us to let go of what others think,  But so easily we hold our worth in another’s eyes.  Guide our feet, our hearts, and our minds to a better world.  Forgive us when we lose our way.  We ask for the grace we need to be people who cultivate life in a world of sin and death. Thank you for the abundant grace you give as we ask to receive. Thank you for the gentle invitation of Jesus to come and see his way of life. Keep our eyes open to Jesus, the One who gives life abundantly. Thank you for a Story of good news in which we find our home. Create us to be people of your good news Story. God of grace, you deserve our very best. Thank you for accepting our best, worst, and everything in between.  In deep gratitude we pray, Amen.

  • Sep 25, 2019 • 29 min

    EVANGELISM (WK 3): "The Whole Hog"

    "I have come that (whoever comes to me) may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10b Mosaic Gathering Prayer: September 22, 2019 Father, as we gather here in each other’s presence today, we bear witness to ourselves and to each other that You are among us.  You are God for us, and that is the Gospel Jesus, clothed in human flesh to experience Union with us, we assent that You have brought us into Union with the Godhead. You are God with us, and that is the Gospel Winsome Spirit, we submit to Your mantle of love that covers our hearts and minds. You are God in us, and that is the Gospel God of freedom, we proclaim that Your message of deliverance has been misunderstood and misrepresented, and we are each somewhere on the journey towards a healing of our understanding of You.  You are the God of truly good news, and that is the Gospel. God of restoration, we confess that we have each to some degree misrepresented You to others, and we ask Your forgiveness for that and Your healing of any wounds that may have caused. You are the God of restoration, and that is the Gospel. As we prepare our hearts for this time of active openness to You, we ask that You remove any barriers in or around us that are blocking us from truly drinking deeply of Your gift of Life. You continually offer us Life to the Full, and that is the Gospel. Amen.

  • Sep 19, 2019 • 47 min

    EVANGELISM (WK 2): "The Story of Good News"

    0:00-13:05: Interview with Liana McCain about Young Life at Lincoln High. 13:05-46:53: The Story of Good News -Acts 3:11-21 -Acts 10:34-43 Mosaic Gathering Prayer: September 15, 2019 Lord, we come to You today from many places. Some of us come from places of brokenness and hurt, some from places of overflowing gratitude, and others of us come from places somewhere in-between extremes. Whatever place we’ve inhabited this week, we recognize the power of Your story at work in our lives. We gather here to partake in this one enduring story and to take up Your good news for ourselves and our neighbors. God, give us Your good news - fresh - this morning.  In the hustle and bustle of our daily routines, in our too-often- stagnant mindsets, we have the tendency to overlook the power of Your story in our lives. We seek life where life cannot be found. We stumble. We blunder. We fail. By all definitions, we are imperfect. In our brokenness, we turn to You.  God, You make beauty of our messes.  At the core of our lives, Your story is at play. In our comings and goings, You are present. We thank You for inviting us to live our humanity purposefully. It is not always easy, yet in Your goodness alone, we find true life. God, You are good.  You have been writing Your story forever. To the people of Israel, You announced peace through Jesus. In Judea, You spread the news of Jesus’ baptism and Your miraculous workings in His life. You fulfilled Your story in Christ’s death and resurrection. Even in this present age, Your good news spreads. Your story is the best story ever told. Your gospel is the best news the world has known.  God, may we know the power and beauty of Your story at work in our lives. Amen.

  • Sep 19, 2019 • 28 min

    EVANGELISM (WK 1): "The Ugly, The Bad, The Good (?)"

    Betsy Miller shares her story of evangelism. Mosaic Gathering Prayer: September 8, 2019 God, we come to you this morning, seeking your voice. Through the fog and the noise of life, we seek clarity. May we know you in the darkness and may we find you in the light.  Synchronize our hearts to the rhythm of your love. There are times for everything, times to rejoice and times of sorrow In these times, we often turn from you. We close off our hearts to your voice and calling. It is easier to question your promises.  There are parts of ourselves that we keep locked away  even though you have access we don't allow you to enter. We run to and from our despair we overlook your understanding. May we know your heart overflowing with love and mercy. May we seek your truth in the things we cannot see. May we feel your presence  In the moments we feel alone. May we hear your words over the lies we tell ourselves. To know you, is to love you.  To seek you, is to find you.  May we hold close your promises Of Love, Hope, Freedom, and Grace. Amen.

  • Aug 12, 2019 • 24 min

    RECONSTRUCTION: "Rebuilding Ancient Ruins"

    They will rebuild the ancient ruins And restore the places long devastated; They will renew the ruined cities That have been devastated for generations. Isaiah 61:4 . .. .. "This is my Father's world. O let me ne'er forget That though the wrong Seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet. ___ This is my Father's world, The battle is not done: Jesus who died shall be satisfied,  And earth and Heav'n be one. ___ This is my Father's world Why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King, let the heavens ring God reigns, let the earth be glad." -"This is My Father's World"

  • Aug 12, 2019 • 22 min

    DECONSTRUCTION: "Setting Captives Free"

    The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:1-3a

  • Aug 12, 2019 • 33 min

    FORMER PASTOR BILL RADTKE SHARES: "Lessons on this Journey"

    Bill, our former pastor during Mosaic's transitional period who moved to Florida in 2018, shared with us about his journey and what he has learned from then to now.

  • Jun 10, 2019 • 29 min

    STORIES OF WONDER, AWE AND WISDOM (WK 2): "She Moves in Mysterious Ways"

    Again and again, the ancient and often ambiguous scriptures challenge and cheer us on as we walk our difficult paths of faith. They open windows and unlock doors inviting us to risk and to venture beyond what is familiar to seek God directly. They invite us to see through the words on the page to see what God is up to in the here and now so we can embrace wisdom and participate with God's work. It's been said the beginning of awe is wonder, and the beginning of wisdom is awe. Together, let's discover our place in these ancient scriptures filled with stories of wonder, awe and wisdom. Wherever you might be on your journey of faith, we invite you to join us.

  • Jun 3, 2019 • 38 min

    STORIES OF WONDER, AWE AND WISDOM (WK 1): "Barefoot Beyond The Wilderness"

    Again and again, the ancient and often ambiguous scriptures challenge and cheer us on as we walk our difficult paths of faith. They open windows and unlock doors inviting us to risk and to venture beyond what is familiar to seek God directly. They invite us to see through the words on the page to see what God is up to in the here and now so we can embrace wisdom and participate with God's work. It's been said the beginning of awe is wonder, and the beginning of wisdom is awe. Together, let's discover our place in these ancient scriptures filled with stories of wonder, awe and wisdom. Wherever you might be on your journey of faith, we invite you to join us.

  • May 20, 2019 • 34 min

    'LUKE'S JESUS'

    Eric Smith, Founder and President of Pillar Seminary, shares from one of his favorite passages of scripture.

  • May 13, 2019 • 29 min

    'TAKING IT ON THE CHIN FOR OTHERS'

    Eric Smith, Founder and President of Pillar Seminary, joins us to share a little about what it means to "take it on the chin".

  • Apr 30, 2019 • 38 min

    SACRED MOMENTS OF RESURRECTION (WK 2): "No Easter Showcase! Just Sacred Moments" Pt. 2

    Mosaic Gathering Prayer: April 28, 2019 As we clock our weekly hours, as we recount our past years, Lord there’s such temptation to look back with dissatisfaction, to compare our journeys with others’. Even as we follow You, God, self-doubt and fear of insufficiency follow us. They creep in like thieves and misdirect our attention. A million little moments we nearly miss and yet, in this brokenness... Lord, we welcome You here. Spirit, give us eyes to see You and the paths You’ve called each of us to uniquely follow. Lord, we welcome You here. As we stumble, as we compare, as we doubt, Lord clarify our vision. It’s so easy to lose sight of Your quiet presence in our lives when we seek something special and glimmering. In the ordinary moments of Your living resurrection... Lord, we welcome You here. God, remove the scales from our eyes. Remove the dust and specks. Help us to see You clearly. Stir in us a patience and a mindfulness for all You have in store for us now and in the moments to come. Lord, we welcome You here and we invite You to stay here, now and forever. Amen.

  • Apr 22, 2019 • 24 min

    SACRED MOMENTS OF RESURRECTION (WK 1): "No Easter Showcase! Just Sacred Moments"

    More than showcasing his resurrection to the world, Jesus is passionate about speaking sacred moments of resurrection life into our existence. ‘Peace be with you’ is just one of the ways Jesus speaks God's new world into our experience of Good Friday tragedies and Holy Saturday silence and grief. Our sorrow, fear, skepticism and comparisons will be transformed as we become aware of these sacred moments being spoken to us.

  • Apr 15, 2019 • 33 min

    STILL BE OUR VISION, O RULER OF ALL (WK 6): "Making Space for a Kingdom of Communion"

    Mosaic Gathering Prayer: April 14, 2019 God, Creator of our world, artist of our hearts, author of our stories, we come to you with tired bones and white knuckles, as we attempt to hold on so tightly to what isn’t ours.   We acknowledge your presence as it fills this room through the breath from our lungs.   You are the beginning and the end, we come to You.  You feel our anxieties and you see our struggle. You know the weight of what we carry, let us let You lighten this load.  Lord, relieve us.  Help us to see You in every space of our hearts, stories, and individual worlds. In the spaces that may be seen but also in the unseen.  Lord, reveal to us.  Let us be in awe of the immensity of your Spirit. Let the vastness of your love, overwhelm us. Lord, inspire us.  Meet us in the darkness where our questions cast shadows, may the light of your love draw us in close. Lord, lead us.  As we come together with others in community, reveal to us your beauty through the hearts you gave them.  Lord, pursue us.  Let us pay attention to your meticulous detail and care as the robust colors of Spring reveal themselves. Lord, show us. May we never take for granted your intimate nearness. May we see, hear, and feel you all around us.  Unite us together through the shared struggles and joys of our lives. As we seek, we find our identities in You, everlasting strength and infinite love.  Amen

  • Apr 8, 2019 • 37 min

    STILL BE OUR VISION, O RULER OF ALL (WK 5): "A Kingdom of Joy"

    | Mosaic Gathering Prayer: April 7, 2019 Father of us all We bring our hearts, minds and bodies before You this morning. Anything that is anxious and scattered within us, we still. We center ourselves in this place, in our chairs, in our bodies. And we open ourselves to You. Holy Father, You created our hearts and You know our hungers. Sweet Spirit, You dwell within us and You see our thirst. Strong Brother, You walked among us and You know our pain. We invite You into the broken places in our hearts; Dear Lord, bring healing. We invite You into the anxious places in our minds; Dear Lord, bring calm. We invite You to bless anything unloved in our bodies; Dear Lord, bring affirmation. We invite You to touch any strife in our relationships; Dear Lord, bring grace. We invite You to hold any pain in our lives; Dear Lord, bring peace. We invite You into our homes, our neighborhoods, our city, our country; Dear Lord, bring restoration. We invite you into our world; Dear Lord, bring love. Together, we affirm the reality of the abundant life You offer. Together, we pray for an ever-increasing experience of this abundance. We lay our doubts and our frustrations in Your hands. And receive from You,  Joy.

  • Apr 1, 2019 • 36 min

    STILL BE OUR VISION, O RULER OF ALL (WK 4): "A Kingdom of Restoration"

    | Mosaic Gathering Prayer: March 31, 2019 God of Love, we come before you as your children. We acknowledge you as Creator and Sustainer of our lives. Some of us feel great faith and life at work inside of us, Some of us are hopeful skeptics underneath a weight of burdens, Some of us are filled with all kinds of questions, doubt, and despair,Some of us are bruised reeds and smoldering wicks. Your love envelopes us all.Your mercy pursues us.Your grace carries us. And so we choose love, in all of this we choose love. We turn to you in prayer. For those in our state of Nebraska still recovering and rebuilding from flood loss Lord, have mercy For neighbors and those in this room experiencing difficult times of addiction, sadness, loneliness and despair Lord, have mercy For families that are experiencing broken relationships Christ, have mercy For those suffering under unjust systems of power and selfish hands Christ, have mercy For those twisted by envy, violence and hatred God of Justice, intercede For those cultivating a new way of hope, belonging, sustainability, and love God of Peace, intercede For us here at Mosaic and all communities of faith striving to be a light in the darkness Holy Spirit, empower us May we love those far off and those near. May we love those who are strangers and those who are friends. May we love those with whom we disagree and pray to understand that we are bound by something deeper than our beliefs. We confess we have failed to love our neighbors in all the ways you have called us Lord, have mercy. We confess we have often built walls between ourselves and others rather than dismantle those walls Lord, have mercy. As we walk roads of darkness and inhabit spaces of loss in order to bring restoration Lord, have mercy. As we look to you for the forgiveness of sin Gracious Lord, we receive life and rescue you have made possible to us through Jesus. We pray these things as your children you love We pray these things by the grace of God  With the love of the Son  And in the power of the Holy Spirit!  Amen.

  • Mar 25, 2019 • 32 min

    STILL BE OUR VISION, O RULER OF ALL (WK 3): "A God-Like Justice"

    As hikers need a compass, and as travelers need a map and a goal, followers of Jesus need a clear vision of what Jesus' kind of society looks like when it is lived out. In a cultural landscape that is part patriotism, part consumerism, part violence, part affluence and part vanity fair we believe Jesus is calling us to cultivate something very different. Join us for our Sunday gatherings as we explore and seek to live this vision of Jesus together in our lives and neighborhoods.

  • Mar 18, 2019 • 28 min

    STILL BE OUR VISION, O RULER OF ALL (WK 2): "A Kingdom of Mustard Seeds"

    As hikers need a compass, and as travelers need a map and a goal, followers of Jesus need a clear vision of what Jesus' kind of society looks like when it is lived out. In a cultural landscape that is part patriotism, part consumerism, part violence, part affluence and part vanity fair we believe Jesus is calling us to cultivate something very different. Join us for our Sunday gatherings as we explore and seek to live this vision of Jesus together in our lives and neighborhoods.

  • Mar 11, 2019 • 32 min

    STILL BE OUR VISION, O RULER OF ALL (WK 1): "Transformative Grace in Our Kingdoms of Ash"

    As hikers need a compass, and as travelers need a map and a goal, followers of Jesus need a clear vision of what Jesus' kind of society looks like when it is lived out. In a cultural landscape that is part patriotism, part consumerism, part violence, part affluence and part vanity fair we believe Jesus is calling us to cultivate something very different. Join us for our Sunday gatherings as we explore and seek to live this vision of Jesus together in our lives and neighborhoods.