City Life, News | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

You’re invited to your party.

On Sunday, April 1st, we are celebrating our first birthday together as a newly-forming, Jesus-following people in the heart of this great city. Jesus’ church is a people, not a place, so this is our birthday. We’re not celebrating the planting of an organization, but the planting of the gospel in this city that is resulting in a new, redeemed, forgiven people for Jesus – us. Yet, this isn’t about us and what we have done, but about Him and what He is doing.

We exist to build a great city through
the gospel of Jesus Christ for the glory of God.

A great city is one in which Jesus is loved, sin is forgiven, lives are transformed, mercy is extended, hope is planted, justice is worked, and joy is rampant. All of this points to the Great City that is to come (Rev 21:9-27) and is only, ultimately, made possible through the gospel of Jesus. We’re already seeing this take place in small measure and it is beautiful in God’s sight.

We don’t know the future,
but we know the One who holds the future
– and He’s all that really matters.

At the end of our lives, we’ll only wish we had trusted Him more and loved others better. While it is (very!) exciting to think of all that Jesus may do in and through us, let’s not make those things the standard of our success. Let’s work, pray, love, serve, live, and share the gospel as though it is all up to us (because it is!)…while trusting it is all up to Him (because it is!). Somewhere in the middle of all that we get the joy of partnering with God in His purposes and He gets the glory.

But, don’t forget. Jesus is our success.
Jesus is our righteousness.Jesus is our hope.
Jesus is our celebration. Jesus is our joy.
Jesus is our salvation. Jesus is our redemption.
Jesus is our Shepherd. Jesus is our King.
Jesus is our God.

So, you’re invited to your own party as we celebrate Jesus’ work in, among and through us. From the beginning of this church, we have asked Him to do what only He can, so that the city will not confuse our work for His. Let’s continue to trust Him for the same in the year(s) ahead.

Join us on Sunday April 1st, 10:00am, at the AMC Theatres in Pacific Place (6th & Pine) for a family-style celebration. Be sure to invite someone to see what Jesus is doing. No Cornerstone Kids provided.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Eph 3:20-21

News

This Sunday, March 11th Daylight Savings Time will begin, so don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour so you can arrive to the Sunday gathering on time. Please take note and spread the word. We look forward to gathering with you!

Community, City Life | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

If you hang out among Downtown Cornerstone long enough, eventually you will hear someone talk about being “on mission”. Admittedly, it’s not helpful to use terms that require additional explanation and defining. At the same time, new terms can shed new light and new insight on ancient ideas. That’s the case here.

To be “on mission” is to intentionally befriend unbelievers, in love, for the purposes of the gospel of Jesus.

In other words, by faith in Christ, we have received a new identity of “missionary”, sent into our city armed with the message and mercy of Jesus Christ. To be “on mission” is to practically live out that identity in simple, loving, every day ways, befriending unbelievers for the sake of the gospel, the good of the city and the glory of God. Let’s continue, trusting Him, as Jesus’ people sent on mission.

News, Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

Today is Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of the season of Lent (forty days leading up to Easter, excluding Sundays). This ancient Christian season is about preparing ourselves to rightly celebrate Good Friday and Easter, days that mark Jesus’ death for sin and victory over the grave. I love this season. It’s a season that reminds us that we are part of a much bigger story than our own, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses from millennia past. It’s a season that reminds us we are mortal. It’s a season that reminds us our only true hope is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Its a season that reminds us it is OK to feel deeply about sin and suffering.

Our experience, appreciation and understanding of Good Friday and Easter is largely determined by how we prepare for them. That is what Lent is for. As with any tradition, Lent can become meaningless but it doesn’t have to be. For me, growing up, Lent meant little more than not eating meat on Fridays. It can be more. It is more. Lent is a time to prepare our mind, heart, imagination, affections, conscience and will to lay hold of the great love of God in the person and work of Jesus Christ afresh. This preparation is primarily marked by the practice of repentance, reflection and confession. What follows are some thoughts to help aid in your practice and participation in this season.

 
Also, be sure to join us tomorrow night, Thursday (February 23rd), for our monthly prayer night. We’ll be placing a particular emphasis on the season of Lent in prayer and repentance.

City Life, News | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

Last week I had an opportunity to attend the Downtown Seattle Associations’ (DSA) State of Downtown Forum with 1,000 other business, art and civic leaders at the Westin Hotel. Both DCC and my family are members of the DSA. If you are a downtown resident, you should consider it yourself. It was a great event, filled with helpful insights on life (living, working, shopping, playing) downtown.

You might ask, “Why would a church be involved in something like that?”

First, we love Jesus Christ. We are a church with a deep love for Jesus, a thirst for His Word, and a passion for the spread of His Gospel. All things were created by Him, for Him and through Him – including Seattle. He is the Cornerstone of the church, this city, and reality itself. He is not distant and detached. Rather, he made this city and fashioned every person here in his image. Our city’s love for beauty, art, creativity, outdoors, and technology all point to the One who made and sustains them all. Therefore, it goes without saying, Jesus loves Seattle and wants “all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim 2:4)

Second, we love Seattle too. If we love Jesus, we also love what he loves, including Seattle. Therefore, we embrace our city, learn from our city and are for our city. We are not in Seattle to stand above it (in judgment) or hide under it (in fear) or to mirror it (in surrender), but to serve it (in love). We love Seattle. We are Seattlites and are here for fellow Seattlites who dislike, hate or are skeptical of the church – as well as those who love Jesus’ church. We want as many people as possible to meet Jesus and experience life as it was intended to be – now and forever.

Third, this is why we exist to build a great city through the gospel of Jesus for the glory of God. God created all things good, whole and perfect. Sin shattered that perfection. But, God sent His son, Jesus the Christ, to live, die and rise again for the forgiveness of sin and to begin the restoration process of the entire universe – through His redeemed people. To be truly Christian is to be truly human; living as we were always intended to live, in loving relationship with God and others. God offers us this life-as-it-should-be through the Gospel, and sends us to be “salt” and “light” (Mat 5:13-14) in our city; to be agents of preservation, renewal and light in our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods. As this happens, the city changes. Personal Gospel renewal inevitably leads to city renewal as the very social, cultural and spiritual fabric of the city is redeemed. The result? A great city, where Jesus is loved, sin is forgiven, lives are transformed, relationships are reconciled, mercy is extended, integrity is restored, families are rebuilt. That kind of city is a foretaste of forever with Jesus.

“But, how do we do that?”

To do that well, our aim is to cultivate a faithful presence in our city and continually work to understand what makes our city tick. Or, in other words, as the Apostle Paul said:

“I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all
for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” 1 Cor 9:22-23

If we genuinely love our city, we should strive to understand it so that we can faithfully and effectively articulate the unchanging gospel into our ever-changing culture. That’s where the DSA event comes in. To become “all things to all people” is to understand where others are coming from (likes, fears, passions, hopes, dreams, etc.) in order to more effectively extend the gospel of Jesus. Here are some things I learned about our city last week:

 
Let’s love our city – and the people of our city – well, for Jesus’ sake. Let’s work to cultivate a significant faithful presence for Jesus, being intentional about spreading his mercy and message. That doesn’t happen overnight, but over decades. Let’s continue to ask Him to do what only He can, in our lifetime and in generations to come. God’s story truly is the greatest show on earth. “Behold I am laying in [Seattle] a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” (1 Peter 2:6)

-Pastor Adam Sinnett

Community, City Life, Uncategorized | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

We recently moved. Three blocks to be exact. And, well, it was a little bitter sweet. Why? Because we saw God do some amazing things in our little 2nd floor 850 sq ft apartment, and 11th floor community room, in the middle of the city. We saw Him grow an eight person launch team into a church. We saw Him answer prayers in extraordinary ways. We saw him multiply one community into six. We saw people come to know and grow in Jesus. We hosted many not-yet-believers and had countless opportunities to share the gospel. We hosted many of you. We saw relationships form, broken and reconciled – sometimes all at once! We saw many take the step of faith in committing to a church plant. We sang. We laughed – a lot.

It is probably not a surprise to you that God uses spaces. Don’t miss this. Yes, clearly, God uses people. But, he uses people in spaces: arks, prison cells, tents, deserts, whale bellies, castles, baskets, stables and more. Here’s what I want you to know, believe and live: God wants to use the spaces he has placed you in for his glory, the good of others and your joy. I want to encourage you to not see the every day spaces that you find yourself in (cars, cubicles, offices, homes, complexes, coffee shops, etc.) as neutral to the things of God. He wants to transform how you see and use the normal spaces in your life as miniature stages where his story can continue to unfold in small and big ways. He invites all of us into that.

#1 He wants to use your spaces.

It can be too easy to think that God only works through certain people, but not me, and certain places, but not mine. How would your outlook change if you viewed your every day spaces as stages within God’s story? We may not say it out loud, but we often live in a way that demonstrates our lack of faith in a God who is present, living, and working. We create a false separation between sacred and secular, when all of life is sacred. God is everywhere and everything is His, including your every day spaces. How could you redeem the use of your spaces for Him? Our previous apartment was just an apartment, but God used it as a stage for so much more. He wants to do the same with yours.

#2 Don’t underestimate what God wants to do through you.

Maybe this is because we live in Seattle or maybe it’s just the human heart, but too often we underestimate what God wants (or can) do through us. So, we wait or abdicate. We think, “I’ll do more when I’m in a better place.” We never get there, so we never do. Jesus wants you to experience the exhilaration of using your spaces for him, viewing them as stages within his redemptive story. That could mean personal transformation as you commit to trusting him and walking by the power of his grace in your every day spaces. It could also mean regularly inviting folks over for dinner or dessert, taking opportunities to pray for others as the Spirit prompts you, recognizing and meeting the needs of those around you and more. Start simple, but pray big. Don’t underestimate what God wants to do through you.

#3 Fight cynicism with anticipation.

We often celebrate cynicism, particularly in our city. But, cynicism is just unbelief that masquerades as intellectualism. It looks and sounds smart, quick and witty – but it is filled with unbelief in a God who has worked a massive redemption and delivered some massive promises to His people. The gospel of Jesus Christ transforms cynicism to optimism. Optimism creates a sense of anticipation. God’s specialty is taking normal, ordinary people and doing abnormal, extraordinary things. Our lives should reflect an anticipation that God is who he says he is. Fight cynicism with gospel-birthed anticipation.

#4 Some Practical Suggestions.

By now, some of you may be asking, “But how?” Good question. First, get to know your God really, really well through daily means of grace (Bible, prayer, community, etc). The better you know Him, the more you’ll trust Him. Second, repent of unbelief and cynicism as the Spirit leads. Ask Him to fill you with a fresh sense of hope, joy and anticipation in him. Third, consider dedicating your spaces to God. Not in a weird, I’m-going-to-anoint-my-elevator-at-work sense. But, just a simple prayer over your home, cubicle or car, telling Jesus you want to use them as mini-stages within His larger story. Ask Jesus to give you eyes and ears to see the many ways He is already at work in you and others around you – ask to join Him in that work. Lastly, think through what Jesus wants to do in and through you in your daily spaces. Wouldn’t it be cool to say, “That apartment is where Jesus transformed my anger” or “I shared the gospel with 10 co-workers in that cubicle” or “I learned what prayer is in that car” or “Jesus healed my marriage in that coffee shop” or “We hosted 20 non-Christians this year for dessert at our dining room table”? Your car is not just a car. Your apartment is not just an apartment. Your cubicle is not just a cubicle. They can be stages within God’s story; God uses spaces.