We asked five men at the West Seattle campus what they’ve learned about being a man in Christ: Chris and Nels, Jim, Scott, and Matt.

Chris, 39

What does it mean to have your sons at the church? It means everything. There's a part of it that's leading by example and introducing them to my faith, which I hope to be their faith. But it's also, and I know everybody says this, but the big thing about Mars Hill is community. … The actual sermon is just a very small piece of the whole life of a Christian and living in community. It's a lifestyle; it's not something you do for a couple hours on Sunday, which I think for me was what it used to be. So how have you grown in your faith through community, outside of the sermons? I tend to be a very private person overall, a pretty shy person. I wasn't a person that would reach out, or even, if I was talking to people, the conversations were very surface-level, like "Hey how are you?" "How's the weather?" Very friendly and cordial but not taking it to a deeper level. A big part of what I've learned a little bit more about is how to go to a deeper level and feel a little bit more comfortable in that. And I think being in community – like I went through Redemption Groups last fall and part of the whole divorce and kind of the pain of that and stuff – and just speaking with other men specifically that have issues and have problems, [I saw that] these aren't a just bunch of perfect people, they all have flaws, too. Seeing that and talking about that and learning about what other people's "issues" or problems are and what my problems were, just made it a lot easier to open up. So it helps relationships here, but it's also … helped my other relationships at work or with family members. What's something you've learned that's stuck out to you lately? I think the thing that's been speaking to me mostly is how God pursues you. … I always had this idea that it's your choice and you have to reach out to God, you making that decision (and it is to an extent). But I guess the thing i've thought about more and experienced more myself is the pursuit of God of you. [I've noticed it] in everything in the last few years as far as just during really hard painful times and times when I think I have consciously or unconsciously turned away, that God was still pursuing me, even when, if I was depressed or angry or sad and times when I've turned away I still feel that pursuit, and keep coming back and whatever happened, that kinda kept drawing me back in. So that's the thing … the pursuit no matter what.

Nels, 7

What are some of your favorite Bible stories? [After much prompting] I like the story about the fishes. Well, at first they couldn't catch any fish and then they caught a lot. Why is that story cool? I don't know. I just like fish. I have another one that I like. I like the one where this person gets trapped in the lion's cage. Why do you like that one? Isn't that story scary? No. Because an angel comes and freezes the lions, like this.

Jim, 75

What have you learned by coming to this church? 1967, we got saved in this church, with Pastor Duff. We had marital problems, three little girls. We got saved here, kept going here till [the church] had its problems, I was up to a couple of packs of cigarettes a day–I couldn't get off 'em. So we decided to drive bicycles. We bought bicycles for the whole family. Pretty soon we started commuting back and forth to work. We rode around all the time and we run into people and we share our testimony about how we got saved and about Christ. But we couldn't send them anywhere. The church we went to didn't appeal to young people. And we said, "Gee, if only we had a church we could send these guys to." And somebody mentioned Mars Hill up in Ballard, and so we went there, and we said, "This is it." … And our kids came up and said, "Well that's it: we're going there." Because [the church] met the needs of their sons, our grandsons. And we've been coming ever since. We love this guy [Pastor Mark]. He preaches Jesus. You go to these other churches, you do not hear the name of Jesus. How have you grown personally in the last few years? I don't know if you call it "growth" but you have a tendency, when things get old, and, you know, you hear the same thing over and over again, you have a tendency to get complacent about the whole thing. And Pastor Mark's inspired us more to be a more urgent believer in Christianity. And we just totally appreciate how he challenges men. What do you see him challenging them men in? In being men, getting jobs, worshipping the Savior, following the Savior, being nice to their wives and their families – having families, and so on and so forth. … It means a lot [to have our grandsons here] because we know they're hearing the word of God.

Scott, 47

What have you learned about being a man in Christ in the last few years? Well, funny you should mention that because I was just thinking about that last couple weeks and then in the service today, too. A woman's security in a spouse is based predominantly in understanding that that spouse  is submitted to higher authority. So that really, if I want my wife to be secure, her confidence in me, her comfort in me, her security as a spouse to me, has got to be based in my complete submission to Christ. So when does this come up in your marriage? I think that's what gives her the confidence to be able to speak to me, maybe about things that are difficult. … Oftentimes it's a criticism that men have of women sometimes is that they don't speak up, but if my wife has to be concerned about living out of myself then she's concerned about my responses. But if she knows that I'm submitted, even if my initial response might not be the right one, that ultimately, she's tapped into a higher authority than me, one that I'm submitted to. So, it gives her confidence to be able to speak to me and talk to me about things that matter, which is important for a relationship. So what's your response when she brings up stuff like that? Well, because I am submitted to a higher authority, it tempers my response to her. But I see my wife, over the last few years of our marriage as she's grown, as I've been better submitted to Christ, that she's just more able to do that. And that's wonderful for our relationship.

Matt, 26

What have you learned about being a man in Christ in the last few years? My mind goes to identity: How does God define me as a man? What are the roles and responsibilities of a man? Which is huge, that's everything. First, looking at God, who is God? Father, Son, Holy Spirit, as a trinity, how does he relate himself. What does being made in his image and likeness, what does that mean for me as a man? How God loves and pursues. As a man, how am I supposed to love and pursue everybody? Penetrate the deepest parts of their hearts so they find freedom in Christ, and [asking myself], Lord, what's my role in that? So what does that look like for you? These are things I've never heard before, never thought of before, just completely new for me. Realizing how I relate to other people is different. On the premise of God dying on the cross (Jesus) to draw us back into a relationship with him … that relationship we should be trying to live with that kind of deep, trinitarian love in all ways with other people. So how I relate to people, especially as a man, is [focusing] directly on that. That's probably the one single, biggest thing that's been hitting me over the last six months to a year: What's my identity? Who's God? And, how am I supposed to love them with the deepest parts of my heart? … It's completely flipped my life upside-down. These men were interviewed by MH staff editor Holly K. and photographed by blog team volunteer Karen W. at the West Seattle's Sunday service.