The church is more than just a building.  Church is more than an hour of worship or a class that you attend.  The church is more than a ministry or program that you serve in.  All of those things are wonderful functions and byproducts of the church, but they are not the church itself.  The church is the people.  The Greek word is ekklesia, which literally means “the called-out ones.”  That word was previously used to describe the assembly of people for various civic purposes, but in Matthew 16:18, Jesus took that word and applied it in a new context for his own people. 

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rockI will build my church, and the gates of hellshall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).  The church is the called-out people of Jesus Christ who share that same confession of Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).  The church is a great blessing to God’s people because it serves as a family of faith for those who call upon the name of Jesus.  In fact, because it is such a blessing, the author of Hebrews exhorts the church to “not neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25).

We need each other.  The Bible is clear that the Christian life is not meant to be done alone.  It is difficult to shine your light for Jesus when you are constantly surrounded by darkness every day.  This is why Jesus created his church to function as a “city on a hill.”  The church offers hope for the lost, but it also offers refuge for the believer.  My question for you to consider today is: what is the church to you?  Is the church a family that you belong to, or have you perhaps relegated it to a much smaller function?  If you are not actively engaged in the community of faith, I would encourage you to take your next step today.

Our church is not a building, it is a family.  We come together each week in a building to worship and lift up the name of Jesus together, but we also break out into smaller groups to begin to do life together.  We offer Bible Fellowship Groups for all ages because we prioritize both of those things: the bible and fellowship.  We want every Christian to grow in their understanding of God’s Word, but we also want every Christian to grow in their relationships with each other. 

We have people in our church who have done life together for over 50 years!  What a legacy and incredible honor for them to experience that much life together.  My prayer is that God will grant each of you with such a blessing.  The reality is believers are not meant to do life alone.  We need each other for encouragement.  We need each other for correction and accountability. We need each other to walk through career transitions, new additions in our home, and tragic losses.  We need each other when we are sick and hurting, and we need each other when we are full of good health and life.  We are the sons and daughters of God, and he has called his children to walk through life as a family.

If you haven’t found community yet, we would love to help you do so.  Simply reach out to our staff or fill out a get connected form at church or online, and we’ll be ready to come alongside you in this season.  Don’t neglect the gathering this weekend and take the opportunity to lift up the name of Jesus and be sharpened by your brothers and sisters in the faith.  I look forward to worshipping and connecting with you this Sunday.

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer

It was great to kick off our “More Than Conquerors” series with you last Sunday.  I hope you have spent the week walking in the new freedom that Jesus Christ has purchased for you.  As we learned last weekend, we have been freed from our condemnation, but we were also freed for a specific purpose.  God wants you to experience new life.  The Spirit of God now lives in you, and this week we will see that the Spirit of God has given us new power.  I hope and pray that we will begin to walk in that power, because the church always comes alive when the people of God begin to walk according to the Spirit of God.

What is your ministry right now?  I would encourage you to pause and reflect on that question.  How is the Spirit of God using you to help build up the people of God in this season?  1 Peter 4:10 reminds us, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”  The church has been given a mission to lead people into a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ.  However, that mission will never be fulfilled through us until we first yield to the Spirit’s calling in us.  The Spirit of God equips and empowers the people of God to do the work of God.  So I ask you to consider once again, what ministry has the Spirit given you in this season? 

Our church has growing needs inside our church walls.  I could go down the list of opportunities to serve in the ABC Kids and Student ministries, the music ministry, our BFG’s, the media ministry, our greeters and ushers, and even our social media and communications ministries.  We need more people to help with inreach and outreach.  We need more prayer warriors, more encouragers, and more mentors.  We need more who will step up to care for those who are sick and hurting.  The needs are innumerable, and the same could be said outside our church walls.

God has strategically placed each of us into a community to shine our light.  The reality is the vast majority of our neighbors and colleagues are not in church regularly on Sunday mornings.  Who could you begin ministering to on your own block?  Who is in your own sphere of influence that needs to experience a life changing relationship with Jesus?  One small invitation into your home and into your church home could change everything.  As we look forward to this weekend, I encourage you to consider how you can allow God to work through you this year.  If you have breath in your lungs, God has purpose for your life.  He has given each of us the Spirit to equip us with the power we need to accomplish His purposes in our lives.   

Lastly, I want to remind you that I’m offering two informational meetings for ABC’s Israel trip in November.  I hope you plan to join me in person on Wednesday night or online on Thursday evening.  Additionally, we have a Discover ABC Dinner coming up on January 29^th.  This will be a great opportunity for us to get to know those who are new to our church, both recent new members and recent visitors.  Registration is open and childcare is available (click HERE).  Thank you for all you do and may we all shine our light this week as we walk in freedom.  I look forward to worshipping with you this Sunday.

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer

I missed seeing you last Sunday, but I want to thank you for helping me welcome Dr. Alex Himaya to Austin, Texas.  I hope you are as excited as I am about our new partnership with TC Egypt.  I encourage you to specifically begin praying for the people of Fayoum as our church is in the process of establishing a new TC campus in that city right now.  In fact, I’ll be heading to Egypt in March with a group of men from our church to minister to the Egyptian people and to check-in on the progress of our new campus.  I cannot wait to see how God is going to change the lives of many in the Middle East through our church’s efforts in the coming days.

Thank you for being a generous church.  Like Pastor Alex said last Sunday, ministry like this is only possible because of your faithful tithes and offerings.  I hope you realize that your financial partnership is a partnership in the mission of God.  My prayer will always be for God to use every dollar in our church to help lead people into a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ.  Life change is our mission here in Austin, and it is our mission all around the world.  And that mission can only be accomplished through the continued generosity of God’s people.

I also want to thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement in my doctoral studies.  I humbly realize that I cannot be doing this without a supportive church.  This program will indeed continue to demand a lot of my time and energy over the next 2 and half years, but I do believe this journey is worth the investment.  I’ve heard Pastor Craig Groeschel say many times, “When the leader gets better, everyone wins.”  My prayer is for God to use Gateway Seminary to make me better.  Join me in praying that God will use it to refine me, grow me, and make me better so I can serve you better as your shepherd and leader.

This Sunday I will be returning to the pulpit to kick off our new series titled, “More Than Conquerors.”  We will be focusing on perhaps the greatest chapter in the entire Bible: Romans chapter 8.  The Apostle Paul is going to remind us that we are indeed more than conquerors through our faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus defeated sin and death, and so can we.  Jesus accomplished God’s purposes through his suffering, and so can we.  Jesus experienced an intimate relationship with his Father here on this earth, and so can we.  And Jesus received new life, and so can we.

A new year brings new things.  I’m praying that God will bring a new work in your heart this year.  There are things in my life that I know need to change, and there are things in your life that you know need to change as well.  The good news is change is possible through walking with Jesus.  Over the next several weeks, Paul will help you understand the new life that God has designed for you to walk in through his Spirit.  As we study together, I encourage you to do two things.  First, invest into our church in these coming weeks.  Be here faithfully each Sunday.  Come prayed up and expectant to hear from the Lord.  Get connected into a BFG and find a place to serve.  Introduce yourself to people you do not know and make them feel welcomed. Consider plugging into midweek as it returns on Wednesday nights.  As you invest into the life of the church, I believe you will see God invest into your life through the church.

Secondly, invite others to join you.  Invite friends and family.  Invite neighbors and colleagues.  But do not only invite Christians.  Of course, Christians are always welcomed into our church.  But we must be careful to not be a church that only collects Christians.  Jesus calls his church a city on a hill, so we must always make room for those who are searching for light.  Who has God placed in your life that does not go to church regularly?  Take the time to personally invite that person this week.  A new year brings new opportunities.  You never know how God may already be preparing that individual’s heart.  The only thing keeping them from coming to church may in fact be their lack of an invitation.  Prayerfully invite someone to join you each week, and let’s see how God uses this season to shine light into our community in a fresh way.

I can’t wait to see you this Sunday.  Keep shining this week, and I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday.

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer

I hope you enjoyed The Sights and Sounds of Christmas!  Last Sunday was an incredible day in the life of our church, and I’m thankful for what God did through our special Christmas event.  Over 1,000 people joined us for one of the two concerts, and many more came for just the festival.  The music was incredible, and I loved hearing the beautiful, full sound of the choir and orchestra coming through our new sound system.  The fellowship at the festival was wonderful, and I was so encouraged to watch our people simply enjoy spending time with one another.  I believe the entire event honored the Lord and served as a great witness to our community.

Thank you to the many of you who brought your friends, family, and neighbors to be a part of the night.  I’m honored that you believe in your church enough to want to share it with those who are around you.  I also want to especially thank Dr. Todd Stearns for his outstanding leadership with our worship ministry.  A production like that is only possible with great vision and direction from leadership.  Thank you to the choir, orchestra, tech team, and the many staff and volunteers who worked so hard behind the scenes to make it all happen.  You can only pull off an event of that magnitude if you have an A+ team.  I’m thankful to pastor a church with so many talented individuals, and so many willing servants.

This Sunday will be another big weekend as we approach our annual “White Christmas” Sunday.  As you likely know, our church will be blessing 110 families in need with baskets full of food this weekend.  I encourage you to not come to church empty handed.  Instead, bring your gift to worship and we’ll have a special time of offering during our services.  Additionally, we will not have our preschool or children’s worship services this weekend (nursery will still be open), so we encourage you to bring your children/grandchildren to church for this meaningful time of worship.  Immediately following the 11:11 service, you will have an opportunity to help assemble the baskets and get them loaded into cars for delivery.  All 110 baskets will be delivered after church by our amazing volunteers.

I pray that you will come to worship this weekend with a generous heart.  White Christmas reminds me of the words from the author of Hebrews: “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Hebrews 13:16).  God’s people are called to be a generous people.  This generosity is, of course, in response to God’s generosity to us.  Every Christmas, we celebrate the greatest gift that has ever been given.  God gave us his own son, and then the Son gave his own life so we could live.  In view of God’s great mercy and grace, we are now called to present our entire lives as living sacrifices to the Lord (cf. Romans 12:1).  Sharing food with a family in need is just one small way you can this.

I encourage you to maintain this spirit of generosity as we close out our year end giving.  About 25% of our general fund contributions historically come during this final month.  Your tithes and offerings to the general fund are essential, as they fund the life and ministry of our church.  Thank you for being a generous church, and last Sunday’s great outreach event reminded me of the blessing that you are.  We were only able to offer ministry like that to our entire community because of your continued stewardship.  May we each continue to shine our light for Jesus Christ in these coming weeks, as we celebrate that the Light has come.  I look forward to worshipping with you this Sunday.

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer

I’m looking forward to being back with you in worship this weekend.  I’m currently wrapping up my Israel trip and looking forward to telling you more about it in Austin.  It has been a phenomenal experience, and I’m looking forward to experiencing it once again with many of you next year.  A trip like this changes the way you view Scripture.  It is thrilling to see the words of the Bible come alive in person in the Holy Land.   As a reminder, registration is now open for our November 2023 trip, and you can learn more about it and put down your deposit HERE.

It’s going to be a big Christmas weekend here at ABC.  We’re pressing on to week two of our sermon series, “The First Songs of Christmas.”  Over the course of this study, we’ll get to examine those first songs of praise recorded during that first Christmas season.  We’ll study the songs of Elizabeth, Mary, Zechariah, the Angels, and Simeon as recorded in Luke chapters 1-2.  I want to thank Dr. Gillum for delivering a great sermon last weekend, and I’m excited to see how God will continue to prepare our hearts during this advent season.

This Sunday is also our special community event, “The Sights and Sounds of Christmas.”  I’m thrilled to see our choir, orchestra, and music ministry come together for an amazing time of worship at 3pm and 6pm.  In between those two concerts, we’ll have a family friendly Christmas festival at 4pm featuring a snow slide, inflatables, ice sculpting, cookie decorating, hot chocolate and more.  This event is the perfect opportunity for you to invite a neighbor or friend to join you.  I’m confident that they will have an incredible experience, but most importantly, they will get to hear the hope of Jesus Christ through message and song.

Don’t miss the opportunity to shine your light this Christmas season.  Many in our city are disconnected from the Lord and the church, but Christmas gives us a divine opportunity to reach out in a fresh way to those who are around us.  This is the season of light, so “in the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).  Begin praying for your neighbors, colleagues, and friends, and then invite them to come experience Christmas at ABC.  One simple invitation can change a person’s life.

As we press on this December, I do want to thank you for your continued generosity.  Weekends of ministry like this are only possible because of your faithful stewardship and partnership in ministry.  As we approach year end giving, I encourage you to continue in that spirit of generosity and join me in prayer that God will continue to meet our needs so we can serve as that city on a hill that he has called us to be.  I look forward to seeing you in worship this Sunday.

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer

I hope you had a restful thanksgiving and are preparing for all that God is going to do this Christmas season.  We are going to have a spectacular December here at ABC, and I hope you plan to be a part of it each week.  This Sunday, we are kicking off our new Christmas sermon series, “The First Songs of Christmas.”  In this series, we will examine Luke chapters 1-2 to study the first songs of praise that were sung during that first Christmas season.  Additionally, ABC Kids will be having a “Polar Express Sunday,” and we’ll have hot chocolate available for all to enjoy this weekend.

This Sunday, Dr. Matt Gillum will be kicking off our series because, as you know, I am currently in the Holy Land.  It has been a phenomenal experience so far to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and his disciples.  Over the course of this trip, I’ll get to see where the Christmas story began right there in Bethlehem.  Additionally, I’ll get to experience some phenomenal Biblical sites including Jericho, the Mount of Olives, the Sea of Galilee, and Jerusalem.  We’ll float the Dead Sea, see the Valley of Armageddon, the empty Garden Tomb and so much more.

I’m on this trip for two primary purposes this week.  First, I’m taking this trip for my own spiritual development.  This is my first trip to Israel, and I know this experience will help me better understand and teach the Scriptures.  It’s incredible to see the Bible come alive in person, and I am confident that God will use this entire experience to grow my faith and enhance my ministry to you.  But secondly, I am here in Israel to prepare myself to lead a group from ABC in 2023.  I’m having a great time partnering with another Pastor and getting to sit under his solid teaching and leadership this week.  I’m also enjoying getting to work with Signature Tours, who will be coordinating our own trip next year.

With all of that in mind, I’d like to invite you to join me for a 10-day tour on November 5-14, 2023.   This truly will be a trip of a lifetime, and I encourage you to prayerfully consider joining me for this discipleship experience.  Information and registration is already online HERE.  Consider putting down your $500 deposit this holiday season to secure your spot for 2023.  Additionally, this Israel tour may be the perfect Christmas gift for you to consider giving this month.  I can’t wait to come back next year and see God’s Word come alive in your eyes as well.

I’m already looking forward to what God has in store for our group next November.  I encourage you to continue to pray for me, but also pray whether God may be leading you to join me in the Holy Land next year.  I’ll miss you this Sunday, but I know you will be blessed by your time of worship and fellowship together.  I look forward to seeing you back in Austin next week.

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer

It is great to welcome back our mission team from South Texas!  As many of you know, we sent a group of men to build a new home for a family of 12 in Penitas, Texas.  We actually began this mission project months ago through our first ever “Project Homebuild.”  Over 100 ABC volunteers rolled up their sleeves during the month of August to build the framing for this home inside our own church.  That structure was then disassembled into sections and shipped to its final destination in South Texas.  For the past week and a half, 20 ABC men gave up their time and money to go finish the job.  Not only did they reassemble the framing, but they finished the entire exterior of the home!  They then went on to complete all the plumbing and electrical installations as well.  Pretty amazing accomplishment for 9 days of work.  Most importantly, they got to meet and spend time with the Quintanna family.  We now pray that this home will be a blessing for this sweet family for many years to come.

I love these kinds of stories because that is what the church is supposed to be about.   The Bible tells us, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).  Jesus Christ laid aside his interests to take on our interests.  He did not come to earth to be served, but rather to serve us.  As Christ followers, we must strive to walk in his likeness.  Every day, we have opportunities to lay down our own lives for the sake of others.  I encourage you to maintain that heart of service.  God wants to use you, and I believe he gives you opportunities every day to be his hands and feet.  However, our hearts must remain soft and responsive to his invitation.

This weekend, you will have another unique opportunity to serve our church.  Christmas will be officially in full swing after our worship services.  Volunteers will begin flooding our hallways with Christmas trees and beautiful decorations.  I encourage you to consider rolling up your sleeves and joining us in the effort.  Additionally, this weekend is “Lottie Moon Sunday.”  We are launching our Christmas missions offering, and you will have an opportunity to give above and beyond your tithes to support missionaries around the world.  We are also welcoming Dr. Todd Lafferty as our special guest speaker in worship.  Dr. Lafferty serves as the Executive Vice President and COO of the International Mission Board.  He will give us a great message about what God is doing around the world and how we can be a part of it.

I encourage you to join us this weekend and make the same commitment that we heard from Nehemiah: “We will not neglect the house of our God” (Nehemiah 10:39).  Don’t neglect meeting together, but instead commit to worship in the house of the Lord.  Don’t neglect giving your tithes and offerings, but instead commit to year end giving.  Over 25% of our church’s contributions are received during these final few weeks, so I encourage you to approach this season with generous hearts just as Christ has been generous to us.   Join me in prayer that God will continue to use ABC to meet the needs of others in our city, our state, and around the world for many years to come.

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer