Golden Gardens baptisms, July 2010

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My husband works as a maintenance director at a nursing home in Federal Way. About six months ago, a new resident got admitted, his name was Gerald. Gerald was about 80-some years old and had diabetes.

During lunch, my husband, Tim, was talking about Jesus with another elderly resident who is a Christian and Gerald moved from his table to sit next to them because something spurred his interest. He started asking questions about God, as though he had never even heard of him before and just began soaking it up. He wanted to know where he could learn more about Jesus and so my husband ran to his car and found a random Bible (one from Mars Hill actually) and gave it to him. Tim suggested he start with the book of John. This was on a Friday.

By Monday, when my husband went back into work, Gerald was waiting anxiously to ask him what he should read next because he flew through John. So Tim told him to just go through the New Testament and he read through most of it in a matter of weeks.

They had several conversations over the following weeks, Gerald had tons of questions (even asking, “Now, if I become a Christian, does that mean I have to start voting Republican?” to which my husband laughed and said, “No.”)

After a few weeks passed, Gerald’s son came to visit him and talked with Tim. The son told Tim how he was so excited to hear his dad talking about Jesus—apparently he had been praying for his dad for some 40 years that he would come to know the Lord but Gerald had never seemed interested.

That afternoon, Gerald’s son had the priviledge of leading his father to Christ!!! Gerald accepted the Lord and continued to soak up the Bible. About two to three months after that, Gerald passed away. I never got a chance to meet Gerald, but my heart rejoices that I will get to meet him someday and that it is never too late for God to bring people to him.

–Melynda
Bellevue campus

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I’m so thankful for all that has happened because of the relentless pursuit of my life by God. He always continues to amaze me with his mysterious ways.

–Scooter
Downtown campus

Hi Pastor Mark,

I grew up in a non-Christian home, mostly responsible and married for 17 years, when the deep hole in my heart began to surface, I was crying every night for a year even though it seemed as if I had everything of the “American dream.” This deep void led me to choose every sinful thing I was tempted with, starting with believing in an Al-Anon “higher power,” an adulterous affair, psychology and divorce being a simple choice, and these openings led me further into Satan’s world of the New Age (I dabbled in Buddhism, Hinduism, energy work, astrology, numerology, tarot readings, angel cards, etc.), all the while thinking someone (whoever it was) really cared about me and was leading me to my destiny.

This “destiny” led me to Seattle and I felt really special because someone was finally guiding me, although since I had not read the Bible at the time, I didn’t realize it was totally demonic.

I came to Seattle alone and cut off from everyone trying to reach “enlightenment” and everything that I knew turned on me completely, with voices condemning me for all I had done. Somewhere among all the voices I was hearing, one was God saying, “Come to Jesus, and you will be grateful.” I didn’t know what this meant and tried to go to a local church, but the voices were saying I didn’t belong in church.

I continued to experience condemning voices and was suicidal. I ended up at Fairfax [Hospital’s] mental facility and finally called my family. My brother-in-law showed me the Mars Hill app and I could listen to sermons while the voices that were condemning me kept me out of church. I came to Jesus listening to the It’s All About Jesus sermon series.

I came back to Seattle, went to Mars Hill Church, got baptized and am now serving, in community, a member of Mars Hill and also am employed at World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization. Thank you, Jesus, for each of these blessings!

But first and foremost, I am totally committed, all in, with Jesus Christ, asking him daily to guide my life. I cannot describe what it feels like to walk with him each day, handing him my fears, troubles and sorrows and in turn. He leads and guides me with his peace and joy into his will for me. What a relationship!

And it wasn’t immediate: I backpedaled away from the Holy Spirit, not realizing the huge commitment he really wants from us. And praise him, he pursues me again and again until, by God’s grace, I finally say, “OK, I’m all in,” for Jesus!

Mars Hill is an awesome place where we are convicted [of sin] and shown all about Jesus (the Truth) and how to worship, serve, be in community and also about spiritual discipline. I am super grateful to be a member here where it’s all about Jesus!

In Christ,
Liz
–Ballard campus

Jesus wants this to be your story. Jesus wants this to be the story of the people in your life. Come on Sunday, come on Easter, and sign up to be baptized.