There have been some great stories at Mars Hill Church over the past week. Here are a few of my favorites.
- This past Sunday, Pastor Adam Christiansen at Mars Hill Ballard led a man to Jesus after the 11:15 a.m. service. The man was traveling by Greyhound on his way to an alcohol treatment facility. The bus stopped in Seattle, and he missed his connection. He walked from the Greyhound station downtown all the way to Ballard, and wandered into Mars Hill for the last 15 minutes of the sermon. After the service, he came up front for prayer. He told Pastor Adam he believed in God, was devastated by his sin, and wanted to “give the keys to somebody.” Pastor Adam walked him through the gospel, and the man met Jesus and took a Bible. Then he came back for the 4 p.m. service and got to hear the full sermon.
- Last Sunday, a man attended church for the first time in his life at Mars Hill U-District. It was his first time in a church and he approached Pastor Drew at the end of the 6 p.m. service and poured his heart out: “I’ve robbed, I’ve cheated, I’ve been in and out of jail, and I can’t live like this anymore. I need Jesus, I need a new life.” Pastor Drew presented the gospel to him and the man accepted Jesus as his Savior! He said he didn’t want to leave, so he sat through the 8 p.m. service as well.
- A woman at Mars Hill Albuquerque who is pregnant has experienced severe migraines, heart problems, and over 30 contractions a day. At her 20-week ultrasound appointment, the doctor found fluid in the baby’s kidneys, which could be a soft marker for Down syndrome. Her doctor told her to schedule appointments with a cardiologist, neurologist, and schedule a 3-D ultrasound. On top of this, their young son has had nonstop ear infections and, as a result, rarely sleeps all the way through the night. They asked Pastor Al to pray over them. He prayed for God to heal the mom and that the baby would be healthy, and then anointed them with oil. Since then, the mom hasn’t had migraines or heart problems, and her contractions are down. The fluid in baby’s kidneys became insignificant. The doctor concluded the baby has less than 1/1000 chance of having Down syndrome and the mom only has a 3% chance of going in to preterm labor.
- A 6-year-old boy who attends the Downtown Bellevue church has been asking great questions about God the past couple weeks. Last Sunday, he said he wanted to believe in Jesus so his Community Group leader talked to him about salvation. She finally asked him if he was ready to believe in Jesus and he said, “I don’t think I can. I would have to obey all the rules, and I know I can’t do that.” She walked him through the truth of Jesus and the cross. When she was done, the boy had huge tears in his eyes and he said, “Really?” He prayed to receive Jesus as his Savior. Later that day he asked, “Can I tell everyone about Jesus, and what he’s done?”
- At Mars Hill Federal Way, Pastor Bubba talked with a woman who ran out of this Sunday’s sermon crying. She said she was guilty of not respecting her husband and ruined their marriage. Her husband ended up cheating on her with a minor and is currently in jail. They are now divorced and she is a single mom with kids and feeling the weight of her sin. Pastor Bubba counseled her about not being responsible for her ex-husband’s sin and how God sees her suffering and cares deeply. He assured her she is not alone but loved by God and prayed for her. She said she would be back to the church next week.
- Pastor Alex Early at Mars Hill Ballard met a man at post-service prayer who is visiting Seattle this week. Three years ago, he was homeless when a friend gave him an iPod loaded with Mars Hill sermons. He listened to them, and his life was changed. He’s in town this week on business with his fiancé and was so excited and privileged to be able to visit Mars Hill.
What a great God we have who walks with us through the junk and sin in our lives. It’s amazing how much he cares for us and sends people to meet us exactly when we need him. Praise Jesus for the people who became Christians this week! Pray for them as they begin their new life in Christ.
