Who’s your favorite _________?
What’s your favorite _________?
Where’s your favorite _________?
Why is that your favorite _________?
How did _________ become your favorite?
Whether we realize it or not, we all have favorites—some that we fashion as good, some that are not so good, and some we hope never make it to the light of day, ever.
Today, we’ll reflect and pray at the intersection of faith and favorites as we press into God’s heart through James 2:1-13 and what it truly means to live with “A Faith Without Favorites.”
In our current series, You Have A Part To Play, this message brings us face-to-face with God’s unwavering love and His heart for common humanity—a heart that honors the dignity of every person, regardless of status, appearance, or background. James, the leader of the early church in Jerusalem, reminds us that true faith in Jesus calls us to live out this shared humanity in real, love-driven ways.
So, as we gather to pray, let’s open our hearts to the truth of James’s words by focusing on three key perspectives:
Our Common Struggle – The sin of favoritism is something we all battle. How often do we judge by outward appearance or social standing? Today, let’s seek God’s grace to recognize these tendencies within ourselves and invite His transforming love to bring us closer to His vision for unity and justice.
Our Common Value – James calls us to see each person as God sees them—made in His image and bearing intrinsic worth. How might our lives look if we truly embraced this perspective in every interaction?
Our Common Call – God’s mercy extends to everyone, and so should ours. Are there moments when we’ve withheld love or grace due to our biases? Let’s confess, repent, and ask God to align our hearts with His, committing to love as Jesus loves, with an openness that reflects His mercy.
As we aim our hearts to adore, confess, thank, and petition God with what’s on our hearts, let’s only pray for ourselves but also for those around us who may not yet know God’s love and justice through mercy:
🙏 For the Church: For a spirit of humility and repentance, self-awareness as we confess the sin of partiality, seeking healing and transformation in our lives. May we become a community that reflects God’s love and the dignity of every person we encounter.
🙏 For Believers in All Spaces: We honor the image of God in others—where we live, work, and play. May we confess and overcome biases and extend God’s grace, mercy, and love to all, intentionally reflecting Jesus’ compassion.
🙏 For Non-Believers and Seekers: Let’s pray for those who may feel marginalized or undervalued. May God’s love find them, breaking down walls of prejudice and discrimination and helping them see their inherent worth in His eyes. May they experience the power of God’s love in meaningful, tangible ways through the actions of His people, the church.
🙏 For Our Hearts and Habits: Align our everyday choices with His heart for common humanity, giving us boldness to show mercy and advocate for justice in our communities and on the campuses.
James reminds us that when we reject partiality and love as Jesus does, we embody God’s vision for humanity—bringing healing and hope to a divided world.
Let’s be the church that maintains unity and embraces this calling, bridging divides and restoring brokenness through faith in Jesus that shows no favorites.
See you at 12 pm!
God Bless,
Pastor Alvin and Mallary Brown
alvin@makingamosaic.com :: mallary@makingamosaic.com
Additionally, we will make space to pray for God to extend His reach beyond the limits of our city and into the world, seeking His wisdom, unity, safety, and provision for the following people and initiatives:
As we pray, let’s lift up Campus Missionary Sarah Campbell in God’s call for her to serve the great city of Houston, Texas, through campus ministry at Texas Southern University and as a member of City Life Houston. Filled with the joy of the Lord, Sarah has been incredibly blessed in leading students to embrace Jesus as their Savior and Lord, embodying authenticity, love, and genuine connection just as He did.
Join us in praying for Pastors Harry Ramirez and Liz Candelaria as they step forward to plant Kingdom Church in Kansas City, Kansas, bringing the hope of the Gospel of Jesus. Let’s lift up their church planting and leadership teams, asking for God’s wisdom, discernment, and perfect timing as they reach the community and campus. Pray that, through God’s Word and the Wikichurch study guide, they’ll build strong teams and launch a small group at a nearby community college—through the person of Jesus as empowered by the Holy Spirit.
General Prayer Requests & Updates
For evangelism to flourish so communities and campuses in the greater Fort Worth area will be reached, and the lost will see and experience the love of Christ and be drawn to his kingdom.
For signs and wonders to follow the preaching of His Word.
For team unity and laborers to help carry the load.
For finances and provisions.
For fully funded campus missionaries (2 per campus) to help reach the next generation — Texas Christian University (TCU), Tarrant County College (TCC), Texas Wesleyan University (TWU) and Tarleton State University – Fort Worth (TSU), University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), and Dallas Baptist University (DBU).
Alvin Brown, the Lead Pastor of Mosaic Church Fort Worth, brings over a decade of pastoral ministry experience and more than 20 years of operational and technical leadership expertise. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunications Management from DeVry University and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. He enjoys spending quality time with his wife, Mallary, and their three children and contributing as a writer to various media outlets.
