Mars Hill Church - Mobile, AL

The Corinthian church was fractured by division, jealousy, and pride because they were being shaped more by the surrounding culture than by the gospel of Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1:10–17, Paul reminds us that when we lose sight of Christ, our preferences and pride begin to divide what Jesus died to unite, and that the only cure for fractured relationships is lifting our eyes back to Christ c...

In 1 Corinthians 1:4–9, Paul reminds a struggling church that their hope was never found in their own strength, but in the grace of God that saved them, sustains them, and will one day make them blameless in Christ. These verses call us to rest again in the faithfulness of the God who always finishes what He starts.

We begin our study of 1 Corinthians by looking at verses 1–3. Though the Corinthians belonged to Christ, their lives were shaped more by the world than by the gospel. Yet Paul begins not with condemnation, but with grace, reminding them—and us—who we are and what we are called to be in Christ

In Jonah 4, we hear the heart of an angry prophet and see the heart of a loving God. Through loving discipline and probing questions, God exposes Jonah's heart—a man who is happy to receive grace yet struggles to extend it to others. As the book ends with an unanswered question, we're left to consider not only Jonah's response to God's grace, but our own.

In Jonah 3 , we see God's prophet reluctantly obey, Nineveh humbly repent, and God graciously relent. Together, these events reveal the depth of God's mercy and His purpose to work in His people so He can work through His people to extend that mercy to the world.

We're in Jonah 2 this week where Jonah recognizes God’s sovereign hand behind both the storm and the great fish. In the depths of the sea, Jonah feels the crushing weight of his rebellion, yet it is there that he discovers the depth of God’s mercy and grace. From the bottom, Jonah confesses that salvation belongs to the Lord alone, pointing us to Jesus, the true and better Jonah, who entered t...

Jonah 1:4–17 shows us a reluctant prophet running from God and a merciful God refusing to let him go. While Jonah descends deeper into rebellion, pagan sailors surprisingly ascend in faith and worship. Through the storm, the sea, and the great fish, we discover that Jonah is far more like us than we realize—and that God’s grace is far more relentless than we imagined.

We begin our study through the book of Jonah, looking at the opening three verses. Two things should shock us: 1) God’s merciful heart for sinners and 2) how reluctant God’s messenger is to share God’s mercy. Jonah has God’s word, but he’s out of sync with God’s heart. And as we study Jonah, we’ll begin to see how easily the same thing can happen in us.

Upon concluding our study through Esther, we pause and reflect on Mother's Day upon Proverbs 31. Wisdom, often personified as a woman in Proverbs, was modeled by Esther. It is a virtue worth pursuing. However, Proverbs 31 should not be read as a checklist for women and mothers; it is to be read as a reminder of the one who gives wisdom generously and ungrudgingly to those who ask. Ultimately,...

We're wrapping up Esther this week looking at Esther 10. In these short few verses we'll be reminded again that God’s presence may be hidden, but he is never absent—He raises up His people at the right time to work for the good of others and accomplish His purposes. Even in ordinary settings, His sovereign plan is unfolding, calling us to trust Him and use what He has entrusted to us for H...

Esther 9 gives us the completion of the great reversal—where God keeps His promises, defeats His people’s enemies, and secures their rescue, leading to justice and joy. In response, God’s people celebrate and establish Purim, not just as a moment to remember, but a reality to live in.

Esther 8 continues the beautiful reversal—where, through God’s royal servants, the decree of death is overturned with a decree of life and secured by the king's irrevocable word. Though God's people wait for the results of the edict to fully unfold, they live in joy-filled celebration as if it is already theirs.

Esther 7 reveals the great reversal—where God rescues His people through Esther and brings down the proud enemy. It reminds us that even when He seems hidden, God is still on the throne and for His people. It ultimately points us to the greater reversal in Jesus, where He takes our place, secures our rescue, and defeats our greatest enemies—sin, Satan, and death.

Esther 6 shows God’s hidden providence at work through ordinary moments—a sleepless night sets off a chain of events that honors the overlooked servant and humbles the proud enemy. This reversal points us to Jesus, the rejected and humbled servant who is now exalted, having triumphed over sin, Satan, and death. Because of that, we can rest in His care, trust His timing, and take heart knowing He i...

Esther 4 shows us that God’s hidden providence does not remove suffering but meets us in it, calling us to trust His promises and step forward in costly obedience. As Esther moves from fear to faith, we are reminded that God works through ordinary people and moments to accomplish His purposes.

Esther 3 reveals an ancient enemy plotting to destroy God’s people. Yet behind the scenes God is already at work, raising up a faithful servant—one who refuses to bow to the enemy, stands silent before his accusers, and through whom the enemy will ultimately be crushed.

Esther 2 exposes a dark empire where people are disposable, and God’s people appear weak and vulnerable. Yet even in the midst of darkness and sin, God is not absent—behind the scenes He is quietly working to accomplish His purposes and rescue His people.

When God seems absent and the world appears sovereign, Esther shows us that He is quietly and meticulously ruling through ordinary circumstances to accomplish His purposes and rescue His people. Esther 1 exposes a kingdom that looks powerful and seductive but is deeply fragile, while slowly unveiling the hidden providence of God over all things.

In Galatians 6:11–18, Paul expresses his final concern about false teachers who undermine the gospel and boast in outward performance to gain approval. He contrasts them with a gospel identity that boasts only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of the cross, the world has been crucified to us, and what truly counts is not religious status but new creation. Paul ends by reminding us tha...

In Galatians 6:6–10, Paul shows us the life a gospel identity produces. A Spirit-filled life supports the ministry of the Word, cultivates daily habits that strengthen the soul, perseveres when growth feels slow, and overflows in love and good deeds—especially to the household of faith. It is a life shaped by the One who poured himself out for us.

In Galatians 6:1-5, Paul provides us with instructions on the Christian life and our life in Christian community. He assumes we will struggle and sin, and he also assumes that brothers and sisters will care enough to step in and help. The language Paul uses gives us a brief roadmap on how: we confront, we repair, we restore, and we do it all in gentleness and humility knowing that we will each giv...

In Galatians 5:25–26, we are reminded that our life in Christ began by the Spirit and continues by the Spirit. Paul urges us to keep in step with the Spirit, freeing us from the pursuit of a self-made identity that only leads to comparison, pride, and insecurity.

How do we know the Spirit is at work in our lives? In Galatians 5:19–24, Paul provides evidence  by contrasting the works of the flesh with the fruit the Spirit produces in those who belong to Christ. 

In Galatians 5:16–18, Paul teaches us how to live the Christian life. The Christian life is lived not by self-effort but by walking in active dependence on the Holy Spirit. As we walk by the Spirit, we are freed from gratifying the desires of the flesh. But the Christian life is not easy! Paul shows us there is a real conflict we should expect. But that tension is evidence of the Spirit’s work wit...

In Galatians 5:7-15, Paul warns believers to beware of those who would distort Christian freedom into merit, performance, and self-reliance. He reminds us that Christian freedom is neither legalism nor license, but the freedom to serve Christ and love others with the same love we have received.