News, Teaching | by Pastor Craig Sturm

“How can you know anything for certain?” Have you ever been asked that or perhaps even wondered it yourself, particularly in connection with spiritual truth?

On July 3rd, we will launch a twelve-week journey through the book of 1 John. Though it is a short letter (just five chapters), the Spirit of God has packed it full of Gospel-centered, truth-establishing, righteousness-inducing, love-living-out words!

The Apostle John wrote to churches in crisis when he penned this letter. False teachers were causing the young church to wrestle through some very important issues: Who exactly is Jesus Christ? Can I have confidence that I am a follower of Jesus, a child of God? Do I really need to pursue holiness in my day-to-day life? What impact does God’s love for me have on how I love other people in the church?

In the midst of this fog and confusion, John writes to correct false teaching, not by point-by-point arguments, but instead by clearly and passionately presenting the truth of the Gospel and its implications for living.

Our prayer is that Jesus would use this book to stir our affections for Him, invite us into deeper levels of trust in Him, and move us to align our lives around Him. Additionally, let’s be praying for the men who are already prayerfully preparing to serve you well. One of our hopes and prayers as a church is to become a teaching hospital in order to train, develop, and equip future pastors and church planters.

Christ is all,

Craig Sturm

Prayer, Teaching | by Pastor Randy Lundy

If you’ve been running with us for some length of time, you’ve probably noticed that we often incorporate a form of confession into our Sunday gatherings. That confession can take the form of a prayer, a period of silence, or even a song. We do this regularly to highlight the fact that our faith is a living faith and our battle against sin is an active, daily battle.

In light of the season of Lent (read more HERE), we wanted to give a little more weight and emphasis to this element of our services, and specifically bring a corporate, collective nature to our confessions. Reading the words of a thoughtful, Christ-centered confession together in unison is a very unique and rich expression of our gospel identity as a people.

But for many of us, confessing our sins together can feel strange, uncomfortable, and clunky. The thought and practice of confessing our sins personally with God can be scary enough right? Why add another layer of complexity, awkwardness, and public acknowledgement of our sin when we already struggle to confess our sins privately? I’d like to answer that question, but first we should look at where we get the idea of corporate confession in the first place.

Corporate Confession in the Bible

The first question we should be asking is whether corporate confession is merely a liturgical practice or if there a biblical premise for confessing our sins together? I would submit to us that corporate confession comes first from our biblical heritage before any other church tradition:

Leviticus 16 – An entire day – the Day of Atonement – was set aside yearly for corporate confession among the people of God.

Nehemiah 9:3 – Upon returning from the exile to Assyria, Nehemiah led the people of Israel as they corporately “made confession and worshipped the LORD their God.”

Ezra 9-10 – In a time of widespread revival and reawakening to the Word of God, Ezra led the people in weeping, trembling, and confessing their sin together “before the house of God.”

Psalms – the psalms include numerous prayers and songs of confession, intended for use in the corporate worship of Israel. (e.g. Ps. 51:1 “Have mercy on me of God, according to your loving kindness; according to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.”)

Lamentations – the entire book of Lamentations is a corporate confession of Israel’s sin and national mourning over the consequences of that sin (e.g. Lam. 3:40 “Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD!”)

James 5:6 – we are invited as the church to “confess [our] sins to one another and prayer for one another”

Revelation 2:5 – the church of Ephesus is admonished by Jesus to corporately “remember” and confess where they have gone astray and to corporately return to their “first love”.

As we see from these passages, biblical confession is often more than a private encounter with God in our own hearts.There is something unique that comes from experiencing confession together, that God has designed to be formative and restorative for us as His people. So why is corporate confession a vital part of God’s means of grace to us? I think there are a number of reasons, but I’ll suggest just a few here:

#1 Corporate confession helps us see our sin for what it truly is.

The reality of sin is that we oftentimes don’t see it for how dark it is, until we bring it into the light. We don’t realize how deeply it has ingrained itself in us. We don’t see how pervasive it is in our actions, words, thoughts, and affections. The beauty of corporate confession is that it provides an opportunity to speak of our sin, exposing it to the light as Paul speaks of (Eph. 5:11-13). When done rightly corporate confession can help us identify species of sin that we otherwise wouldn’t have seen. And God uses these prayers to awaken us, renew us, and give us eyes to see the ugliness of our sin and the beauty of His grace. Corporate confession is meant to lead us to Jesus.

#2 Corporate confession give us words when we have none.

You may feel the same way – sometimes it’s hard to know what to say when we’re confessing our sins. We see the selfishness, we see the pride, we see the greed, anger, lust, and self-righteousness, but we lack the words to articulate how much we want to detest and turn from that sin, as well as humbly ask for true repentance. Corporate confession gives us language – biblical, thoughtful, meaningful words – to express our sorrow and grief over our sin as well as our true and unshakeable hope in the gospel.

#3 Corporate confession reminds us that we are not alone in our need of grace.

This is a beautiful reality and unique benefit of being a member of the body of Christ. We are all humbled at the cross, every one. As we confess our sin together, we see quickly that we are not alone in our struggle against sin (1 Cor. 10:13). We see that we are as much in need of grace as everyone else around us. And we see that the same Savior has died and risen for all of us. Corporate confession gives us the permission to own our sin with each other, lean into his grace together, and walk out our growth and sanctification in a community marked by mercy and hope.

#4 Corporate confession exhibits the unity that we have “in Christ.”

To be “in Christ” is to be joint recipients of all the benefits that come from trusting the gospel of grace and the God of grace. By joining in one voice together to acknowledge our need and embrace his provision, we collectively magnify the One who has united us together through his blood, that is Jesus (Eph 2:11-14)! Corporate confession is a living, dynamic parable and apologetic for the gospel as we embrace our corporate identities together as those “in Christ” and invite everyone everywhere to the same hope in the gospel.

Closing Thoughts

Hopefully you can see that there is much more going on when we confess our sin together, than may first meet the eye. It’s not just a private, isolated encounter with our need for grace. That is by God’s design. He wants us to experience redemption not just individually but as communities of faith together. It’s as we acknowledge our need for grace together that we experience our unity in Christ and we give testimony to the watching world that the gospel is enough, even for us. Jesus gets all the glory in that.

May Jesus give us the courage and grace to be a people who can regularly acknowledge the depths of our sin and the corresponding heights of his grace! The gospel is truly astonishing! His grace is sufficient for me. And His grace is sufficient for you. Let’s remind each other of that often as we gather. Love you all.

Soli Deo gloria,
Randy

Discipleship, Teaching | by Pastor Randy Lundy

Today marks the beginning of the Lent season with the celebration of Ash Wednesday. Many of us who grew up in unchurched backgrounds or American evangelical backgrounds have not observed this tradition in the past. So naturally, some questions can arise around this time of year as to what Lent is, how it is observed, whether it is something that Christians should observe or reject, or if there are some aspects of the season that are worthy of observance?

What is Lent?

Traditionally observed, Lent is a forty-day period of fasting and reflection in preparation for Easter. As early as the 4th century A.D., Christian churches marked these weeks as a time of intentional discipleship, devotion, and anticipation. The resurrection of Christ served as the climax of the season. In that sense, it could be said that Lent is to Easter, what Advent is to Christmas — a season of expectation and thoughtful preparation focused around the person and work of Christ in redemption.

Over the centuries (particularly during the Middle Ages) the observance of Lent has sometimes drifted toward superstition and works-based righteousness. We would agree with the 16th century reformers who rightly rejected these excesses in so far as they were distortions of the gospel — arguing emphatically that there is nothing that can be added to our righteousness in Christ. The gospel tells us that we are made right with God in Christ through faith, plus NOTHING. And in that sense, we must be careful to not ascribe an elevated “spirituality” or seek to curate God’s favor through our performance or personal sacrifices. Rather Lent is an opportunity to tangibly reflect on the gospel in fresh ways, through means of grace like fasting and meditation. It’s as we set aside good things like food or media for a season, that we remind ourselves that Jesus is the truest and fullest satisfaction of our souls.

Although I don’t have the time to unpack a full theology of Lent and it’s various elements here, I do want to provide some helpful resources (listed at the bottom of the post) that have been of help to me in properly understanding how we might observe this season in a way that honors Christ, highlights the gospel, and deepens our worship.

How Do We Observe Lent?

As a church, we have celebrated Lent in a few ways over the years. Certainly as individuals, there are many in our church who leverage this season personally for their own discipleship. Collectively, we’ve walked through a special sermon series before (i.e. Lamentations) and incorporated special elements into our gatherings. Here are some of the ways we’re planning to observe Lent corporately this year:

• We’ll begin talking, praying, and planning toward Good Friday and Easter together with growing expectation.
• We’ll be preparing for baptisms on Easter morning! Baptisms were one of the first impetus’ for the observance of Lent, reminding us of our union with Christ in his death and resurrection. If you are interested in being baptized, you can let us know and find more information HERE.
• We’ll pause more regularly for corporate confession together in our gatherings.
• We’ll sing songs specifically focusing our thoughts and worship on the cross/resurrection of Christ.
• We’ll continue to dig into Paul’s letter to the Galatians together each week, and consider the profound ways that the gospel frees us to genuine repentance and devotion to God, not for grace but from the grace we’ve already received through Jesus.

I’d invite you all to join us in intentionally using this season to 1) focus your worship, 2) tangibly remind yourself that Jesus is the ultimate treasure and comfort, 3) create space for Spirit-filled reflection and repentance, and 4) look with anticipation to the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus that we will celebrate on Good Friday and Easter. We have been reconciled to God by grace through faith in Christ, now and forever. That’s good news worthy of reflection.

For Christ and the gospel,
Randy

Additional Resources

• Journey to the Cross – an excellent devotional intended to capture the essence of Lent as a season of expectation for Easter. Highly recommended.
• Approaching Lent as a Reformed Christian – helpful considerations for how to celebrate Lent from a gospel-centered perspective.
• Yes and No: Lent and the Reformed Faith Today – an brief survey of how Lent originated as a means of discipleship within the church and has developed to our current day.

News, Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

This Sunday we are beginning a new sermon series, On Being Human: Relationships, Gender and Being Made in the Image of God. One of the most profound questions we face in life is: “What is a human being?” Philosophers wrestle with it. Sociologists study it. Psychologists delve into it. Social activists fight for it. Politicians try to legislate it. But, what is a human? Specifically, for our purposes, what does it mean to be a man or a woman? How should we view relationships, gender and human sexuality? Can they be whatever we want or is their meaning predetermined? It is hard to exaggerate the importance of this topic. Our view of what humans are impacts our lives on every level and, yet, we often think little of it. On this point, Augustine once said:

“Men go abroad to admire the heights of mountains, the mighty waves of the sea, the broad tides of rivers, the compass of the ocean, and the circuits of the stars, yet pass over the mystery of themselves without a thought.”

In light of that, we’re going to take the fall to work through these important questions from the scriptures. The Bible is not silent on these profoundly relevant issues. Throughout its pages we see that human beings are inescapably related to, and dependent on, God. Humans were created in the image of God with inherent dignity, value and purpose – for joy, in relationship to Him and others. In a culture awash in conflicting perspectives, opinions and conjecture, there is perhaps no greater need in our day than a deep, penetrating and fresh look at God’s revelation of his purposes in the creation of mankind. That is our goal in this series. The following describes the flow of our study:

10/18 On Being Made in the Image of God
10/25 Men and Masculinity
11/01 Women and Femininity
11/08 Marriage and the Mystery of Christ
11/15 Men as Husbands
11/22 Women as Wives
12/06 Singleness and the Mystery of Christ
12/13 The Imago Dei and Sexuality*
12/20 Raising Image Bearers: Foundations
01/10  Raising Image Bearers: Practices
01/17  On Being Human and the Sanctity of Life

Please be praying for our time together.

With affection in Christ,
Pastor Adam

_______________

*Parents: On Sunday, December 13th, we will be exploring topics specifically related to human sexuality. The content will not be explicit nor graphic. However, we will speak about pornography, same-sex attraction, gender confusion and other sexual distortions. If your child(ren) normally participates in the main gathering, and you would prefer they sit out this week, we have made preparations with Cornerstone Kids.

Discipleship, Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

At a recent Sunday gathering, we walked through James 1:18-27 on the Bible as the word of God and what it means to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving [ourselves].” We examined James’ encouragements on how to approach the Bible (put away all filthiness, receive with meekness, and recognize its central role) and how to respond to the Bible (study intently, examine personally, and apply liberally). Last week, by God’s gracious providence, Desiring God released an artistic video on the vital role of the Bible called, “God wrote a book.” It goes well with our study in James. I encourage you to watch it (below).

The Bible is God’s direct revelation to us, through the pens and personalities of human authors, about who He is, what He is like, who we are and what we need, along with His radical promises to us and glimpses of our forever-future with Him. There is no other book like this book.

But, we often only look at it, rather than look through it to the deeper realities it conveys. When we look at it we may only see ancient stories, at best, or printed letters on a page, at worse. But, when we look through it we see reality, with God as the triune blazing center of all that is. Through it he saves sinners, through it he humbles the proud, through it encourages the discouraged, through it he gives strength to the weary. In a word, through it He reveals all we need to know and grow in Him. 

Often, in my experience at least, the reason our reading of the Bible gets dry and laborious is because we’re looking at it rather than through it. Or, John Piper says, “God wrote a book…The Bible is not a wall, but a window.” That’s helpful – and true. 

Christ is all,
Pastor Adam

Discipleship, Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. The term “lent” originally meant “spring” but was adopted by the early church for the name of the six weeks (or, 40 days plus Sundays) leading up to Good Friday and Easter. It has been celebrated by Christians, in some form, for over seventeen centuries. It is intended to be a season of preparation, filled with prayer, heartfelt repentance, humble sacrifice, healthy introspection and turning afresh to Jesus. While this season is perhaps most commonly associated with Roman Catholicism, it is also widely celebrated by many Protestants including Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed churches.

No Meat Fridays

If you’re like me, growing up Roman Catholic, all I understood about Lent was that (1) I had to give up something that I liked for six weeks and (2) I was not able to eat meat on Fridays. In hindsight, this had more to do with my own heart than anything else. But, even after I began to follow Jesus I virtually ignored Lent, chalking it up as an irrelevant religious exercise. It wasn’t until later that I better grasped its meaning and ongoing function for Jesus’ people today. That is, in part, why I am writing here.

Lent is Not Magic

There is nothing ‘magical’ about Lent. It is not commanded in the scriptures. Christians are free to participate or not. Many traditions celebrate differently. You don’t have to give up meat on Fridays. There is no one right way to go about it. Lent serves the same purpose for Good Friday and Easter as Advent does for Christmas. My encouragement, for us all, is to consider utilizing these next six weeks to intentionally prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate Jesus’ victory over death and sin on that first Easter morning.

Four Suggestions

First, make Lent primarily about Jesus, not just ‘giving up’ something. Too often this season becomes more about what we’re giving up, than who it is about. Lent is a ‘means of grace’ to draw us closer to Jesus. Make growing in relationship with him your goal. What would that look like for you? Maybe carve out extra time on Saturday mornings for reading a book on the cross, such as John Stott’s classic, The Cross of Christ or CJ Mahaney’s, Living the Cross Centered Life. Or, re-boot your Bible reading by taking in Jesus’ life through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Or, meet with a group every week to talk about the gospel and its implications in our lives. Or, you could follow along with this excellent devotional called, Journey to the Cross: Reading and Devotions for Lent. Each daily devotion includes a call to worship, confession, contemplation and closing prayer.

Second, a significant aspect of Lent is heartfelt repentance over sin. Take time to consider what is keeping you from him. Don’t rush this. Find a comfortable space where you won’t be interrupted. Keep a journal. Ask the Spirit to highlight areas of sinful unbelief and then bring them to Jesus for forgiveness and renewed faith. If you have little joy or interest in the things of God, consider why that is. Are there areas of your life that are off-limits to Him? What is it that you treasure more than Him? What aspects of the world are more attractive to you than He is? Are you struggling in the dark? Don’t be afraid to go there. He already knows, but loves you too much to let you stay there. His ocean of grace awaits. Involve others too. And remember, as the Scottish pastor Robert Murray McCheyne said, “For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ.”

Third, Lent is traditionally a time when fasting is common and helpful, provided that stoking your affections for Jesus is your primary goal. Letting go of things that are dear to us for a season often reveals much about ourselves that we never knew was there. Fasting highlights our mortality and our absolute dependency. Ultimately, it points us to God who alone can satisfy all of the deepest longings of our hearts. Fasting, or ‘giving things up’, for Lent may look like a lot of things. You could give up food for one, two, three days or more. I have a friend who does a juice fast (fasting from everything but hearty juices) for the entirety of Lent. Or, you could fast from social media, technology, or tv. Or, you could fast from certain spending habits and use that money to serve others. Talk to others and see what they’re doing. John Piper’s book on fasting called, A Hunger for God, is an excellent resource.

Lastly, keep in mind that Lent is not about earning the approval of God nor impressing others. The good news of the gospel is that Jesus lived, died and rose to forgive our sin, give us his righteousness and bring us home to God forever. In Christ, your righteousness is spotless and secure. You can’t add to it, which means nothing you do during Lent can make you more acceptable to God. In Christ, you are fully accepted, approved and loved by God. Rather, Lent is about pursuing Him afresh, renewing your affections and re-asserting him as your greatest treasure. Let’s do that, together. I’m already looking forward to hearing stories of how He moves among us.

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:24-25

Because the tomb is empty,
Pastor Adam

Discipleship, Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

It’s a common problem. How do I love God more? Every genuine follower of Jesus wants to grow in their love for God. But the question is, how? What do we do when we have a hard time loving God? We get an important clue to the answer in 1 John 4:10 where we read, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” You might want to read that again.

God’s initiating love

John is saying that God’s love, from beginning to end, is an initiating love – “not that we have loved God but that he loved us”. Whose love comes first? God’s love. Where do we see God’s initiating love? When God sent “his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (Propitiation is a fancy word for saying that Jesus redirected, and received, the wrath of God that we justly deserve for our sin. That happened on the cross.) In other words, God’s love is an initiating love and we see that initiating love most clearly at the cross. The apostle Paul says the same thing in Romans 5:8, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Even when we were running from him (i.e. “still sinners”) God displayed his initiating love by dying for His people on the cross.

Our responsive love

What does all of this tell us? This tells us that all genuine love for God finds its origin in God’s initiating love for us, in Jesus. Our love for Him is always – and only – a response to His love for us. God initiates with His love and we respond with our love. So, what do you do when you are having a hard time loving God? Answer: Reflect on God’s love for you, in Jesus. If you want to love God more, don’t begin with your love for Him, but with His love for you.

Getting it backwards

We have to be careful because our hearts have a tendency to reverse that order by prioritizing and emphasizing our love for God. We tend to (wrongly) think that God’s love for us is based on our love for him. That is not the gospel. More often than not this is the root of our struggle to love God more. Why would our love for God bloom if we’re not sure how he feels about us? It won’t. The good news of Jesus is that God sent his Son out of love for lost sinners, while we were still sinners (see Romans 5:8 above). God initiates with his love, in Jesus. We respond with our love. That order is crucial and we should be diligent to ensure it is never inverted in our hearts.

Putting it all together

So, all that said, how do we love God more?

First, we need to get the order right. God loves us first, always. Our love for Him is always a response to His love for us, in Jesus. Be sure your heart has the order right.

Second, we must keep in mind that the measure of his love for us isn’t some warm-and-fuzzy feeling or sense that He loves us. The measure of His love for us is the cross. The cross is the objective historical sign and seal of God’s love for you, in Jesus. The cross assures you that His love for you will forever be at flood stage.

Third, once we get the order right and see the cross as God’s eternal pledge of love for us, we should take time to enjoy His initiating love. When did you last take time to reflect on God’s initiating love for you? I’m not talking about his love for people generally, or his church specifically, or your friends who also follow Jesus – but for you? In Jesus, you are perfectly and forever loved by God. His love for us is full, unceasing, and unchangeable, even on our worst days. Take time to consider and enjoy His initiating love. Reflect on how your day-to-day would change if you lived in light of it.

A simple way to love God more

We can’t make our love for God grow by focusing on our love for God. Our love for God grows as we focus on His love for us, in Jesus. Ours is always, in effect, a returned love. Therefore, consider the initiating love of God for you at the cross until you see it – and feel it – and you’re love for Him will grow.

Christ is all,

Pastor Adam

Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

As a church, we want to plant churches that plant churches. However, to plant churches, we need to identity and develop called and qualified men as pastors. A crucial element of that development is learning how to communicate the goodness of the good news of Jesus and its application to our everyday lives – also called preaching.

An Impossible Task

By itself, preaching is an impossible task: content, style, conviction, delivery, organization, pacing, personality, foreseeing objections, crafting vivid illustrations and offering practical application. There are also ever-changing external factors: the room, the lighting, the seating, the heat, the audio, the shifting dynamic of the gathered church and unsolicited critique. Then, there are the ever-changing personal factors in the life of the preacher: the condition of his heart, his affections for Jesus, his level of tiredness, his degree of preparation, his counseling load, personal stresses and family pressures. In my experience there is nothing more demanding nor humbling. Yet, it is God’s primary method for the heralding of the gospel of Jesus and the instruction of His people in the context of the local church.

A Necessary Task

This is why Paul exhorted Timothy to, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Tim 4:2) Teaching and preaching are gifts that Jesus has given to His church “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…” (Eph 4:12). It makes sense that He would assign such an important role to preaching because it is through the Bible that we become “competent, equipped for every good work” that He has prepared for us (2 Tim 3:16; Eph 2:10). In other words, we need teachers and preachers of the Bible because it is through the Bible that we learn who He is, who we are, and what it means to live in light of Him – now and forever. As an aside, that is also why it is crucial for our personal discipleship to consistently sit under gospel-centered, Jesus-saturated, Bible-tethered preaching.

A Messy Task

Therefore, to plant churches we need to create space to develop heralds of the gospel within our church; preachers who learn what it means to rightly handle the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15) and lead Jesus’ people to revel in His unsearchable riches (Eph 3:8). Heralds aren’t merely discovered, they’re forged and developed. That task can be complicated and messy. After all, it is hard to discern if you are called to be a herald of the gospel – and to grow as one, if you are – without actually heralding. We are committed to spreading the gospel through church planting, and therefore we are necessarily committed to developing gospel heralds.

A Teaching Hospital

That is why we often describe ourselves as a teaching hospital. Certain hospitals, such as many in our city, are known as teaching hospitals in which medical residents learn the science and practice of medicine. These residents spend long hours (and years) alongside more seasoned doctors learning, growing, and maturing in order to serve others. The residency serves to highlight strengths and weaknesses that can be safely worked out in the context of the teaching hospital. In the same way, our goal is to be a teaching hospital for future gospel heralds as they learn, grow and mature in their ability to declare and apply the infinite excellencies of Jesus. Along the way we will discover that some are not called to preach – their gifts and calling lie elsewhere – while others are.

If you’re new to our church family it is important for you to know that about us. I’m not jealous about the pulpit. When I step out of the pulpit it is not merely to take time off. We want to develop heralds. The process is messy, to be sure, but well worth any inconvenience, awkwardness or confusion experienced along the way. The local church was not instituted by Jesus to be a theatrical performance where only the best actors get on stage. No. The local church was instituted by God to be an outpost where the gospel is declared and and its implications are lived out. So, when I’m not preaching you’re not merely witnessing a “fill in” but a man who is discerning and working out his calling before the living God of the universe in the context of Jesus’ redeemed people. It is a beautiful sight. Let’s pray, encourage, root for and honor such men and ask Jesus to raise up even more.

For Jesus’ fame and the good of all,

Pastor Adam

Scripture, Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

Downtown Cornerstone, 

 This Sunday (Nov 2nd) we are beginning our next sermon series. Here’s a snapshot of what’s ahead:

“In the year 62, the apostle Paul wrote a letter to a church he planted in the Roman colony of Philippi, located in modern day Greece. Today, we call that letter Philippians. This letter is filled with pastoral warmth, deep joy and genuine affection. Paul’s primary purpose in writing was not to correct, like many of his other letters, but to encourage the church in Philippi (and us) to make progress in their faith as they followed Jesus together. At its very heart is Paul’s declaration, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (1:21). Philippians is a deeply Christ-centered letter and the best picture provided within the New Testament of what a maturing local church looks like. The major themes of this letter include: joy, thanksgiving, humility, unity, the advance of the gospel, perseverance, and over them all, the person of Jesus Christ. Join us as we learn from Paul what it looks like to follow Jesus together in our city, in our generation, for His glory and the good of as many as possible.” 

I am really looking forward to our time together in Philippians and what the Lord plans to do among us through it. Given all that is going on in our city, and within our church, this is the perfect letter for us in this season. Please pray for me as I continue to prepare the series. Please pray for us as a church that we’d have soft hearts that are hungry to learn, trust and follow. Please pray that Jesus would use this series to lead many to trust Him for the first time. Love you, all. See you on Sunday!

Christ is all,

Pastor Adam

Discipleship, City Life, Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

Over the past few weeks our first overseas short-term ministry team has been working in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Their primary aim has been to resource and support local church planting efforts there, most of which are located in massive slums littered throughout the city. You can see photos and updates from their time in Brazil on the Facebook page created for the trip here. 

We are sent wherever we are

In light of the recent Brazil trip, this is the perfect time for us to remember that, though they are there and we are here, we are all sent wherever we are, across the street and around the world. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (Jn 20:21) In other words, Jesus’ people are a sent people – sent with the forgiveness-bringing, shame-destroying, life-changing news of Jesus Christ into our neighborhoods, apartment complexes, offices, and local coffee shops. If you are in Christ, you are sent. In Him, we are a movement of missionaries. 

Help for the relationally-challenged

Some of you are extroverted, out-going, relational rock stars. We all know who you are. So, for me to encourage you to talk to people or offer ideas about how to intentionally pursue others can almost feel insulting. Some of you have even told me that. “It feels so forced.” Well, it is important to note that there is another group, let’s call them the relationally-challenged, who need all the help they can get. I am a proud member of this group and this, my friends, is for you. 

For the relationally-challenged, any time the topic of sharing the gospel with another human being comes up, anxiety, guilt and countless questions are not far behind. Are you talking to me? Are you saying I need to become an extrovert? I don’t even know how to start a conversation. What if I say the wrong thing? What if they ask me a question I don’t know the answer to? What if they get offended? Do I have to do it? Will anyone be with me? What if I don’t have the gift of evangelism? These are all valid questions and concerns, but let me put you at ease. Living sent is all about loving people to Jesus, as best you can.

Redefining sent living

Don’t make living a sent life yet another thing that you add to your schedule. You probably don’t have time for anything else anyways. Instead, do what you are already doing as one sent by Jesus. Living sent is not merely another thing to do, but the posture by which we do all things we’re already doing. Rather than seeing the grocery store clerk (or barista, neighbor, co-worker, friend or family member) as a mere grocery store clerk, see them as a fellow image bearer in need of a Redeemer – and get to know them. You don’t have to share the gospel with them the first time you meet them. In fact, you probably shouldn’t. Take interest in them. Ask questions. Listen. Smile. Pray, pray, pray. Before you know it, you’ll have a relationship on your hands. When the opportunity arises to talk about Jesus, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and leave the results up to Him. That’s it. Don’t over-complicate it. 

Intentionality and the sent life

Yet, living sent does require some intentionality on our part. Who is God calling you to intentionally pursue and build relationships with – even this summer? Who are the top five people in your life that you could intentionally invest in, pray for and pursue this coming season? Of those you already have relationships with, what would it look like to lovingly, winsomely and boldly speak to them about the gospel? What are your first steps of faith as you seek to live sent? What follows are some suggestions as you seek to live an intentionally sent life: 

• Begin each day with a prayerful sense of expectancy and anticipation. Ask God to give you eyes to see the ways He is already moving around you.
• Eat, grab a coffee or ‘happy hour’ with a non-believing friend once a week.
• When you’re going out to do something, ask “Is there anyone I can invite to join me?”
• Rather than jumping between different cafes, barber shops and grocery stores, pick your favorites and be a regular. Get to know the staff.
• Spend time with non-believers on their turf. Do your best to never turn down an invite.
• Try walking whenever you can, if you’re in a context where that makes sense.
• Leave margin in your schedule so you have time to stop and chat throughout the day.
• Participate in neighborhood events. There are a ton of things happening throughout the year, especially during the summer, all around our city (block parties, concerts, outdoor movies and more).
• Become the apartment in your complex, or house on your block, that throws the parties. Be sure to welcome new neighbors as they move in.
• Consider how you could serve and/or meet a need of those around you.
• Take time to develop meaningful relationships with your co-workers.
• Volunteer for a cause you’re already passionate about and invite others to join you.
• Sign-up for a city sports league and get others involved.
• Take some time to write out down the gospel so you’re not stuck thinking, “I don’t know what to say” when the time comes. What verses would you lead others to? Keep it simple.
• Consider it a step of faith to ask the first question or share your own struggles or give a gift.
• Don’t try to impress. Ask questions. Listen. Be honest, open and sincere. God made you like you are on purpose. Embrace that, don’t reject it.
• Ask God to do what only He can in and through you, for His glory and the good of as many as possible – and leave the results in His hands.

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Rom 10:15)

Until Seattle (and the world) knows, 

Pastor Adam