There’s just something refreshing about spring flowers and new, green growth on everything this time of year, isn’t there?  Seeing fresh growth everywhere has a way of energizing me to want to get busy beautifying my own yard.

I’m not actually the one making the growth or flowers happen.  That’s God’s business.  Mine is just to clear away the winter debris and create the environment where God can do His beautifying and renewing work. 

That’s a bit like our life in Christ:  God calls us to get rid of the debris of sin in our own lives through confession and repentance.  We have to pull out the rake of reflection, let the Spirit of God pass it over the various ‘flower beds’ of our lives and remove the stuff that will otherwise choke out beautiful, new growth in Christ.  God is the real power of any spiritual springtime that will do the renewing work of turning the empty soil of our souls into a beautiful garden of His grace. 

So, as you find yourself admiring the fresh beauty that God is creating all around Spokane these days, keep inviting Him to do a new work of beauty in the garden of your heart.  Take some time to let the Holy Spirit work over the soil of your soul using the tools of His Word, meditation on His truth, prayer, fellowship, worship, serving, journaling and more. Let God’s beauty take root in your life this season so that others will be reminded of the new growth God can bring to them as well.

Speaking of spring cleaning, don’t forget the following things God may want to use to bring beauty to your soul and fresh life to those around you:

• Come serve and fellowship with others as we do a little spring cleaning at our own home, the Mosaic Center, both Saturday, May 1^st and Monday, May 3^rd from 9:00-noon. Bring your paint brushes, cleaning rags and tools as we tidy up our well-used home of both the HUB and Mosaic Center. 
• Join one of the many Bible studies that is available Monday to Sunday every week. Whether it’s the Rooted small group series that still has 7 weeks to go (Fridays at 5:30 or Sundays at 4:00) or one of our many mid-week studies all over downtown, let the power of God’s Word bring new life to your soul.
• Come experience the life-changing “incense” of being in the presence of God in prayer with other believers. Every Wednesday evening, we gather from 7:00-8:00 p.m. to encounter God through prayer at Mosaic. If you’re an early riser, Thursday morning from 6:30-7:30 a.m. is another God-encounter in prayer at Mosaic. 
• Speaking of God’s presence, there is no substitute for worship of our Living God. Whether Saturday evenings at Changing Lives (5:00 p.m.) or Sunday mornings at Mosaic (8:30, 10:00 & 11:30) work best for your schedule, don’t miss the vision of and encounter with Jesus Christ that we’re having week by week as we discover the beauty of Christ in some of the Old Testament passages and stories.  Pastor Andrew will be leading us into encountering Christ in Genesis this weekend.
• Mosaic’s 1^st Missions Conference is coming up in May. On three consecutive Sundays, May 16, 23 & 30, we’ll be hearing first hand from some amazing brothers and sisters who have helped build the church all over the world.  And we’ll be seeing just how God is moving in our own church to engage us in this most amazing adventure of world missions through those He is calling out to various corners of the world.  Expect God to stir up the soil of your soul in some amazing ways this month.
• Women’s Fellowship Coffee will happen on Saturday, May 22^nd from 9:30-11:00 a.m. at Mosaic. It will be a wonderful opportunity for our women to discover through fellowship what God has for them in the coming days. It will also be an opportunity for Mosaic men to serve and bless them by providing some great food and child care.  Don’t forget to sign-up on Sundays for either part of this great time of fellowship. 

Enjoying the fresh beauty of God’s work this spring,

Pastor John