What is your role at MHC?

Campus Pastor of Mars Hill West Seattle, which means I oversee everything we do as a church in this beautiful corner of the city.

Tell us about your family:

Married to Jen with (currently) two young children, Carter and Macy.

When did Jesus change your life?

Short version: Freshman year at the University of Washington.

Long version: I grew up Catholic understanding what it meant to be a “good” person and having a fairly deep cognitive understanding of who Jesus was, yet that knowledge never penetrated my heart. I lived a moral life while running from God, attempting to live apart from my Creator and Sustainer who put the very breath in my lungs. I built a personal kingdom on awards, recognition, sports, relationships, leadership positions and personal pursuits – ultimately finding my value therein. In comparing myself to others around me I felt as though I was doing pretty good, not perfect but better than most, and imagined this would give me preference with God – cuts in line, so to speak.

On the outside I was a “good” guy, yet full of self-righteousness, pride and rebellion against God seeking to establish my own kingdom (i.e. live however I wanted) instead of submitting to his. I later learned I was self-deceived, thinking that I knew all that I needed to know, not realizing that knowledge is only a part of the equation.

I was challenged upon arriving at the University of Washington by a friend who explained to me, through Scripture, that God doesn’t grade on a curve – God requires perfection (Mt 5:48). I still remember it, “What the &*(^! perfection?” I spurted. It struck me that the common phrase, “Nobody is perfect,” was actually admitting and excusing what separates us (i.e. sin, thus imperfection) from God at the same time. Conviction set in.

Over the ensuing week or so, I began to come to a deeper realization that I was a sinner. Not a sinner in the typical pop-cultural “everyone is a sinner” sense, but in a much deeper profound heart-wrenching sense. I would read Jesus saying things like, “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23)

That made the hair on the back of my neck rise. It means that who we are comes from inside of us and I am unable to change that because of where the source is located. What I do is intricately connected to who I am. There’s no such thing as committing an autonomous disconnected sin. This conviction of sin, deep rebellious sin, even though I was a perfectly good guy by worldly understanding, moved me to seek forgiveness, reconciliation and redemption by Jesus Christ. That was over ten years ago and nothing has been the same since. Though I do still sin Jesus is transforming who I am from the inside out.

How has your life changed since meeting Jesus?

In every way, though primarily in the areas of pride, anger, envy, lust, selfish ambition, and impatience.

Tell us how you came to be at Mars Hill, as a visitor, member, and elder:

Several buddies of mine in college, who were involved in the early days, introduced me to Mars Hill. The first time I set foot in Mars Hill was in the Laurelhurst building in 1998. I visited again when the church met downtown but I wasn’t consistent until the church moved into the Paradox on University Avenue in the U-District. From there I got involved in community groups, taught classes, served as an Acts29 intern, and eventually came on staff with Acts29. Over time, I became a pastor and oversaw youth across three campuses until our move out to West Seattle.

What is your biggest challenge in this ministry?

People.

What is your greatest joy while serving in this ministry?

People.

Please share a favorite quotation:

“Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” -C.S. Lewis

What books/authors have fueled your thinking or challenged you in the last few years?

Bible, works of the puritans, Jonathan Edwards, Piper, Mahaney, Keller, Steve Timmis & Tim Chester

What’s your favorite/preferred genre of music?

Trance (Electronic)

What’s your favorite Seattle-area eatery?

Cactus

What’s your favorite scripture?

Colossians 1:15-20 ESV
(15) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (16) For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. (17) And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (18) And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. (19) For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, (20) and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Why?

Why? Because this is what everything is about.

Check out Pastor Adam’s blog posts (articles and sermon media) at this link.