Mars Hill Church | Sermons | Audio

Sexual assault is an epidemic: 1 of 4 women and 1 of 6 men have been assaulted—including Pastor Mark’s wife, Grace. Sin would leave us as shamed, defiled victims, but in Jesus, we are cleansed from all unrighteousness if today we turn from sin and trust in him. Two key books on assault from Mars Hill leaders: “Rid of My Disgrace” http://amzn.to/fWmyl3 and “Redemption” http://amzn.to/huKDbT

Before sin entered the world, God created sex for marriage between one man and one woman. People distort this gift and tend to see sex as either god or gross. However, the Bible gives six ways in which sex is a gift from God: for pleasure, children, knowledge, protection, comfort, and oneness. When God tells you to be faithful to your spouse, what he’s saying is, “I want the best for you.”

If you don’t take out the trash in your marriage, it will stink up the whole relationship. Don’t fight with criticism, contempt, defensiveness, or stonewalling. Rather, fight to the glory of God by recognizing sin and repenting of sin. The only way your relationship will be enduring and endearing is if repentance and forgiveness are practiced; otherwise, it will not get better, it will get bitter.

A wife is to respect her husband (Eph. 5:33). A respectful wife has a head of respect (How do you think about your husband?), a heart of respect (How do you feel about him? What do you say about him?), and hands of respect (What do you do for him?). A disrespectful wife may be silent/compliant, or loud/contentious. Still, it is possible to disagree respectfully. Do you respect your husband?

Marriage is a covenant, not a contract. Every covenant—including the new covenant of salvation—has a head, who is ultimately responsible for the covenant. The husband is the covenant head of a marriage; he is responsible for his marriage, his wife, and his kids. Similarly, Christ took that which was not his fault—our sin—and he made it his responsibility on the cross. He is our covenant head.

God the Trinity is a friend and has friends, and he made us in his image and likeness for friendship with him and one another. Marriage is about friendship. How’s your friendship with Jesus? With your spouse?

Pastor Mark kicks off Real Marriage by sharing his and Grace’s marriage testimony, in which God has given them a new marriage with the same spouse. You can defeat Satan in your life and marriage by the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 12:11). Jesus died for sin so you can put your sin to death. Because of the blood of the Lamb, there’s a testimony. In a testimony, Jesus is the hero. What’s your testimony?

Pastor Mark visits 9 of 14 Mars Hill churches, seeing God’s work and asking what mission looks like for each. Being on mission means having the Father’s heart, then going to work with him. Just like the Apostle Paul, we become all things to all people, doing whatever we can to reach as many as possible. What does it mean to be a missionary—not just a Christian—in the city where God has placed you?

What does Jesus say about Christmas? We are invited to find out as we listen in on a conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus in John 3 and learn that Christmas is about God’s love, His only son Jesus and the gift of eternal life.

Jesus was born to adopt us as sons and daughters of God.

In Luke 2:10 an angel announced announced the birth of Jesus as “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” The good news we celebrate at Christmas is of a God who was willing to enter this dark world as the Light of the World in order to overcome and defeat both the darkness in us and the darkness around us.

Sinners assume they can’t change, religious people assume they can change themselves, and spiritual people want to change but open themselves to any force or power to do so. You do need to change and you do need another power to change you, but it must be the power of the Holy Spirit—which is what empowered Jesus’ life. Repent, receive the Holy Spirit, become a new person, and live a new life.

One of the core values of Mars Hill Church is complementarian relationships. Pastor Mark explores what this means practically by answering three important questions with Scripture, starting in the beginning: what is God’s intent for men and women (Genesis 1–3), what is God’s intent for men and women in the church (1 Timothy 2–3), and what is God’s intent for men and women in the home.

Pastor Mark preaches through 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 on gospel-centered theology, one of the core values of Mars Hill Church. Just as for Paul, our theological convictions lead to hard work empowered by the Holy Spirit. We believe that the gospel is most important, Jesus is alive and he saves from sin and religion, and God’s grace results in making disciples and planting churches.

This documentary gives a glimpse at the ups and downs of the early years of Mars Hill Church. It’s a story that includes didgeridoos during offering and one-dollar bills in the tithe—but more than that, it’s a story of how God was incredibly faithful to a group of people who had no idea what they were doing, except that they were committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to serving his church.