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A Word from Pastor John
"For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."
Ephesians 6:12 NLT
This verse serves as a sober reminder for us as we journey through our days. Sometimes it seems like people are the problem. Whether it's political divisions, difference of opinion, or someone who happens to rub us the wrong way.
The Bible says here that our true struggle is not against people or politicians. Our true struggle is against dark, spiritual forces that are unseen.
The problem is not that somebody else has offended you. The core of the problem is that you have allowed yourself to be offended. Perhaps pride and anger have swelled up inside of you. Only you can control your reaction. Sometimes, the problem is not the other person. Perhaps the other person has no idea they offended you. The problem is a spiritual one.
The same goes with society at large. This last 18 months has been a wild ride with much finger pointing. Maybe some of you feel like you're living in the last days.
But as we read through the Bible, we see God's people endure historical events far worse than we can imagine. Yet God is faithful.
The interesting thing is that the biblical solution to these problems is not to get better politicians. The biblical solution is to allow the Kingdom of God to reign in our hearts and in our lives. We recognize that this world is not our forever home. There is no way we can fix it. Only God can do that.
So let's be reminded this week, our struggle and our battle is never against people. We must cling close to God as our true battle is against dark, spiritual forces that we cannot see. But God is always faithful, and God is always victorious.
Pray for One Another
To request prayer, email mosaicnazarene@gmail.com
or call/text (520) 709-0815
Our pastors and their families
Our board members
The many unspoken requests
Dani Miller and her son Paxton
Lois Severson and family
David
Neal and Jan Larson's friend, Gary
MOPs Ministry
Alice Romano and family
Valerie Thibadeaux
Ellita and Steven Vickers and family
Afghanistan
Clarence's friend Gary Leonard
Gia's family and friends
Make sure you're a part of our Facebook group to get prayer requests as they come in: https://www.facebook.com/groups/21109057279
Bible Reading Plan
Don't worry if you missed the first 36 weeks, just pick up the Bible today and start here!
Click the links below to read online
Verse of the Week
Click here to read the verse in context.
Nazarene News
They will know us by our love: Marvin's Story
A young man named Marvin was facing life in prison. His youth leader, Jenee Noriega, stood up for him and worked with his lawyer so Marvin could have a second chance at finding a brand-new life. Jenee's passion to fight for Marvin stemmed from her own life experiences.
Marvin grew up homeless, along with his father, for much of his early childhood. His father’s abusive behavior and alcohol addiction made it difficult for him to provide for Marvin consistently. In school, Marvin started getting into trouble, leading to more problems outside of school as he got older. While in middle school, Marvin turned to selling drugs to provide for himself.
“It was hard, I had no hope at the time,” Marvin said. “I even asked myself, ‘Why am I here? What’s my purpose?’ I asked myself this a lot. And many nights I would just cry, asking ‘Why me?’”
At school, Marvin became friends with Destanee. Destanee’s mom, Jenee Noriega, has been an associate pastor at Total Life Church since 2018 and conducts a youth Bible study. Even though Destinee kept inviting Marvin to the Bible study, he continued to turn down her invitations.
One night, Marvin and his friend were walking around downtown Kansas City when Destinee, along with her mom and some other teens from their youth group, spotted him. Noriega invited the two to get ice cream, and they did. Marvin instantly realized there was something different about Jenee.
“She really showed me the love of Christ,” Marvin said. “At that time, I didn’t know it [was Jesus], but I could tell she genuinely is a loving person and that’s something I had never seen.”
Marvin started showing up to youth groups and Bible studies. He eventually accepted Jesus Christ into his heart on 1 January 2020 at a New Year’s party that Noriega hosted. But things would get harder for Marvin.
His dad kicked him out of the house at the beginning of the pandemic, and Marvin resorted to his old environment on the streets. He committed an armed robbery to feed himself and eventually was sent to jail facing 60 years to life in prison. He realized that he was alone, just he and his cellmates. Nobody on the outside seemed to care about him, except Jenee Noriega.
Noriega had been in Marvin’s shoes before. She had been homeless, abused by her father, and abandoned by her mother, just like in Marvin’s life. She herself had spent time in prison. One Sunday, Noriega attended church and prayed with a woman who began knocking on her door every week to reach out and bring her to church.
She came to the Lord because of the faithful and persistent Christians at Sandia Church of the Nazarene in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Having come from similar backgrounds, Noriega’s life journey intersected with that of Marvin’s. So Noriega kept knocking.
Noriega began putting money on his books, an act of kindness someone had done for her when she was in prison. Marvin would call her and get caught up on the weekly Bible study. He eventually started leading fellow inmates in Bible study at the prison.
After working persistently behind the scenes with Marvin’s lawyer and parole officer, Noriega was able to appeal Marvin’s case before a judge to drop the charges against him. Both Jenee and Marvin’s prayers were answered—the judge dropped all charges against Marvin.
“God’s grace to me was a second chance,” Marvin said. “He was speaking to me through the hard times, even when I didn’t acknowledge it. He saved my life, so His Grace is everything to me.”
Marvin desires to share his story so that others may come to know the same God that saved and rescued him and continues to love him. He has felt a call to ministry and hopes to pursue that after graduating high school.
“[God] has been telling me I have to do more for the Kingdom. I can’t just settle there and be complacent, and look for man’s applause,” Marvin said. “I have to do more for Him. It’s my goal this year is to bring somebody to Christ.”
by Daniel Sperry for Nazarene News | 27 Aug 2021
Opportunities to Give and Serve
Mother's Of Preschoolers starts this week on the 7th! We need people to cuddle babies while parents receive Godly guidance and support just once or twice per month.
We also need cookies. Write "Mops" on your cookie package and place in the church freezer. NO NUTS please.
Contact - Bonnie Strunk (480) 296-1831.
Donations of clothes for infant to adult are currently being accepted.
Thank you so much, for your continued generosity of both time and resources.
Your gifts make a difference!
Contact Barbara Keeler: (520) 709-8925
Things we need: ➤Your Time ➤Diapers and pull ups in Newborn, 1,2,3,4,5 ➤Wipes ➤Baby Food (no formula) ➤Lotion ➤Your Monetary donation ➤Canned Food
💚Green Drop box in Foyer💚
You may always designate how you would like your offerings to be used for Mosaic Ministries besides our general fund. Here are some ministries in which you may want your offerings to go:
✎ LoveWorks ✎ Children's Ministry ✎ MOPs ✎ Prison Ministry
✎ Outreach ✎ Women's Ministry ✎ Facilities Upgrade Fund
Information
Check our UPDATES page for new things.
For our live Google calendar go HERE
(for all your Mosaic news)
~ See our services on YouTube! RIGHT HERE
Our services can also be viewed on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mosaicnazareneflorence
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M O S A I C K I D S
This weeks topic is:
Prayer
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Coming Up...
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❓❓ Bible Trivia ❓❓
New CHALLAGE! Be the first to email me with the most correct and get a PRIZE! mosaicnazarene.org
1. Q: When Saul conquered the Amalekites, what person did he keep as a prisoner instead of killing like God said to?
2. Q: What did David take from the brook to fight Goliath with?
3. Q: What prophet did King Saul ask to speak to for advice?
4. Q: What capital city did David abandon as Absalom came towards it?
5. Q: How many days was Lazarus dead before Jesus came to visit?
6. True or False: Jesus ask the children to stay back while he was teaching important things to grown-ups.
7. Q: How many lepers did Jesus heal when only 1 returned?
8. Q: Name the two Old Testament people who appeared when Jesus was transfigured?
9. Q: How did Paul and Silas respond to the jailer after an earthquake set them free from prison?
10. True or False: Bananas are a fruit of the Spirit? 🍌
Answers will posted on the next Newsletter.
Last weeks answers: CONGRADULATIONS TO Carolyn Kurtz for winning last week!
1. Q: Who did Abraham send to find Isaac a wife? A: His oldest servant
2. Q: As Isaac was dying and blind, who suggested that Jacob should steal the blessing? A: Rebekah.
3. Q: Which brother of Joseph volunteered to stay in Egypt instead of Benjamin? A: Judah
4. Q: When the people demanded Saul make a sacrifice to God that only priests should make, what did he do? A: Make the sacrifice anyways
5. Q: Who was Saul’s son that David befriended? A: Jonathan
6. Q: Where did David go after Saul continued to hunt him? A: The Land of the Philistines/ Philistia
7. Q: Which books of the Bible record David’s time as king? A: 1st and 2nd Samuel
8. Q: Who returned to Israel to build up the walls of Jerusalem? A: Nehemiah
9. True or False: Jesus didn’t like the people because they worshiped God the wrong way? A: False – Jesus welcomed all to follow him
10. Q: Who helped pay the bills for Jesus and the disciples ministry? A: Several women who he had healed – see Luke 8:1-3
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Humor... kinda
What size was the lumber that was made to build the ark? 2×2.
How do pastors like their orange juice? With pulpit.
When preparing for the Feast of Weeks, what did some disciples wonder? “How much is this going to (Pente)cost?”
What types of boats do believers want to go on? Discipleship and worship.
Where was Solomon’s Temple located? On the side of his head.
The Here After
The Pastor came to visit the other day. He said that at my advanced age I should be thinking of the hereafter.
I told him, "Oh, I do it all the time."
"No matter where I am - in the living room, upstairs, in the kitchen, or down in the basement, I am always asking myself: 'Now, what am I here after?'"
NEW PET
A bored young man decided life would be more fun if he had a pet.
So he went to the pet store and told the owner that he wanted to buy an unusual pet. After some discussion, he finally bought a talking centipede, (100-legged bug), which came in a little white box to use for his house.
He took the box back home, found a good spot for the box, and decided he would start off by taking his new pet to church with him. So he asked the centipede in the box, "Would you like to go to church with me today? We will have a good time." But there was no answer from his new pet. This bothered him a bit, but he waited a few minutes and then asked again, "How about going to church with me and receive blessings?" But again, there was no answer from his new friend and pet. So he waited a few minutes more, thinking about the situation.
The guy decided to invite the centipede one last time. This time he put his face up against the centipede's house and shouted, "Hey, in there! Would you like to go to church with me and learn about God?" This time, a little voice came out of the box, "I heard you the first time! I'm putting on my shoes!”
Social Distancing Guidelines
Please practice social distancing on the church property as much as possible
Sanitizer and masks are available at the front table
If you feel sick or have a temperature, please stay home
Communion elements will be available on a table as you enter the church
Offering will be taken as you exit the church after service
Surfaces will be regularly cleaned and sanitized
Thanks for respecting the guidelines and one another!
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