Mosaic Teaching Guide
8 March 09
The Second Sunday in Lent

Mosaic’s Mission
Our mission is to become a diverse community of friends who know, love and serve God in the way of Jesus.

Our Common Confession
Everyone is broken and in need of healing.
Jesus offers us healing for our brokenness.

Everyone is lost and in need of a home.
Jesus offers us a home in the heart of the Father surrounded by a faith family.

Everyone is tempted to fake it and needs to become real.
Jesus invites us to face the truth about everything.

1. The Healing of the World.
2. Sticks and Stones
   1. It requires little evidence to convince anyone that words can be very destructive. 
   2. Much of the biblical narrative tells us to be careful about the misuse of words.
1. “Keep you tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.  Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it” (Psalm 34.13, 14).
2. “I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12.33-37).
3. “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters” (James 4.11).
4. “Beloved, to not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged!” (James 5.9).
5. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue . . .” (Pr. 18.21).
3. Life Giving Words
1.  “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4.29).
4. Practicing Simplicity in Our Speech
5. Healing the World through our Words

 

Mosaic Study Guide
For Personal Reflection or Smaller Group Encounters

Questions for Everyone: What’s the best complement you’ve ever received?  Who is the most affirming person in your life?  On a scale of 1 – 10 (1 being = you never encourage anyone ever to 10 = people want to be in your presence because you are such an encouragement) how do you rate yourself as an encourager?

Jesus said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12.36).

Questions: How do you respond to Jesus’ words?  Why is Jesus’ teaching so forceful?  Why are words so important?

The Apostle Paul said, “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4.29). 

Questions: What would happen to your speech if you lived strictly by Paul’s teaching?  Why do we use discouraging or critical speech so much? 

We discussed what it means to heal our world through the use of our words.

Question: How might you begin the healing?

 

 

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