God used Steve to show me my own heart on more than one occasion. Many times, my generosity was much more about me than Steve. And I am thankful to God for letting me see that. I am trusting that God is making that new in my heart, along with many other things.

Flying into Cairo was a dream come true for me, and the thought of walking where the stories of Scripture happened awoke in me a childlike excitement. Cairo has an estimated 17 million people living there, with the number likely being much higher. I grew up in smalltown Alabama with a population under 8k, so seeing that vast city and the many people that live there was overwhelming.

Letters of encouragement from the people of Mars Hill Church while being separated during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Morning in Mobile, Al means it is evening in Jakarta, Indonesia. Though we live in entirely different parts of the world and time zones, we are all experiencing similar things. The entire world, for the most part, is taking part in the "stay at home" initiative. Although not everyone is joining in, many are staying home to slow the spread of COVID19.

Letters of encouragement from the people of Mars Hill Church while being separated during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Much is happening in the wide world outside of our bubble here in Mobile, Ala. I must have looked at the blank screen for an hour before I even began to summarize the conversation I was in with our coworker in the gospel serving India. Not only does Samuel serve India, but he also works with folks in Bhutan, Myanmar, and Nepal. Just typing out that fact stressed me out.

Letters of encouragement from the people of Mars Hill Church while being separated during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Letters of encouragement from the people of Mars Hill Church while being separated during the Covid-19 Pandemic

What if Father God, the creator and sustainer of life, the giver of all that is good and perfect, sent you a map for a journey, promising He would personally meet you at specific places on that map? Would you show up? Or would you consider other demands on your time more important? In Leviticus 23 God gives us this map. It is called The Seven Feasts of the Lord. We embark on this journey at Passover, the first of the Seven Feasts.

Letters of encouragement from the people of Mars Hill Church while being separated during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Letters of encouragement from the people of Mars Hill Church while being separated during the Covid-19 Pandemic

It was a sad time when the weekend was over and we all said goodbye. I heard many people either talk about how they wished it was longer, or there would be another one soon. I too will miss everything about the weekend. But in conclusion, I learned that simply hearing the message is not enough, we need to practice it.

I hope that my testimony encourages parents who have done everything they could to surround their kids and grow them up in the truth of the gospel. I’m sure to my parents my story was looking a little bleak, but their efforts had a huge impact in the way I came to submit my life to Christ.

Last weekend was the Mars Hill Youth Retreat, and we really made a push to cover our teens in prayer. While an in-depth recap to share on the blog is currently in the works by one of our youth, I wanted to let you guys in on some of the responses we received from the retreat.

Looking back over all the pictures coming out of “A Call to Arms: an honest conversation about manhood and the gospel” the word power just keeps coming to mind. I mean, just look at all those fighter jets! You can close your eyes and imagine the roar of the powerful engines as the plane crosses the sky. These jets served as the perfect backdrop for an event focused on a powerful issue: safeguarding our minds against sexual sin.

We all want authentic community because that means we know each other well enough to notice when there is a need. It means we’re paying attention to each other.

You are weary. But you too can take hold and claim that thrill of hope. Hope in God’s great rescue plan for His weary children. We get a glimpse of this gift at Christmas; in this Silent and Holy Night.

As our schedules begin to wind down for Christmas, let’s take a moment to look back on all the ways we came together as a church family in recent weeks. There is just so much going on in the life of our church! Whether donating items, gathering for fun and fellowship, or serving locally and also thousands of miles away, the Lord used Mars Hill Church in a variety of exciting ways.

Ransom Recycling was born out of the need to provide steady work for men who have completed Ransom ReProgram.

A group of five of us, from both Mars Hill campuses, recently traveled to Masatepe, Nicaragua, to work on some projects with a ministry that Mars Hill supports. One Collective is a community transformation ministry working to provide better resources for a stable community, while also seeking to live and proclaim the gospel of Christ among the local people.