I hope you enjoyed our special 4^th of July weekend at ABC! I’m still thanking God for an amazing weekend of worship as we celebrated our nation’s freedom, and most importantly, our spiritual freedom in Jesus Christ. I’m thankful for Derek Tackett, our facilities team, and all of our volunteers who worked hard to make Freedom over Austin an overwhelming success. And I’m proud of Carlos Jordan for putting in many hours behind the scenes to create the video testimony from Beach Week that we showed in worship. But I’m especially proud of those 5 individuals who chose to stand up and raise their flags for Jesus Christ through believer’s baptism during our services last Sunday. It has been encouraging to see our “Let There Be Light” sign continue to light up, as Christ continues to light up more lives that walk through our church doors.

One gentleman who came forward last Sunday to be baptized was attending for only his second week. He was invited by a friend in our church to worship with him two weeks ago, and God began to speak to his heart through our worship services. When I offered the invitation, he came forward immediately to be baptized. As encouraging as that was, I was even more encouraged by what he shared with me afterwards. He told me that he had already brought swim trunks with him to church that morning because God had put baptism on his heart. So when the invitation to be baptized was offered, it was simple confirmation from the Lord that He was at work and calling him to make this important decision.

Last week I was also honored to sit down with a gentleman and got to pray with him as he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. He has been attending our church for some time, and after many years of consideration, he chose to invite Jesus Christ into his life. He was led to this moment in part by watching his own daughter make that same decision at our Kids Camp this summer. It’s amazing how God so often speaks into our hearts through the witness of others who are around us. So may I remind you, your personal witness matters every single day. You CAN make a difference in the lives of those around you. Your intentionality to invite others to church matters, and it also can make an eternal difference in someone’s life. God is doing a great work in our church, and each of us have an opportunity to join Him in that effort.

Starting this Sunday, we will begin our final sprint to Vacation Bible School. As we saw last weekend, next generation ministry does matter because “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations” (Psalm 33:11). God’s Word does stand forever, and He has promised to pass on His plan of salvation to the next generation. Because of that, I’m praying that many children will come to know Jesus as Lord at VBS. Vacation Bible School is such an important event in the life of our church because it reaches so many families in our community who are unchurched. I’m praying that God will draw many young children to Himself, but then He will use their testimonies to draw their parents to Himself too. I’ve found it to be true so often in church that when you reach the kids, you then have a good chance to reach the parents.

I encourage you to help us extend this invitation out to your community this week. As you walk into our church this Sunday, you will see displays in our common areas with new ABC invite cards. Grab a couple cards and put them in your wallet or purse. As God crosses your path with folks in your own sphere of influence, look for opportunities to invite them into the life of our church. For some, perhaps VBS will be the best opportunity to draw them into our church for the first time. But don’t forget that every Sunday serves as a great opportunity to invite someone into our fellowship. So who can you extend the light to this week? As we saw last Sunday, one simple invite truly can change a life.

Have a great week, and I’ll look forward to worshipping with you Sunday.

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer

I hope you’re planning to wear red, white, and blue this Sunday and join us for a special day of worship and fellowship at Austin Baptist Church.  We will be celebrating the great freedom that God has given our nation to worship Him openly and without fear of persecution.  This is a freedom we must never take for granted, as 1 out of 7 Christians around the world do not have that same liberty for themselves (Cf. 2021 World Watch List produced by Open Doors).  We know our freedom is only available because God has used countless men and women in our nation to stand up for that freedom and fight for it at all costs.  Because of that, this weekend we will honor our local heroes who have served our nation through our armed services.  The apostle Paul tells the church to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10).  I hope you plan to join me this weekend in expressing your gratitude and showing honor to whom honor is due.

But this weekend we are also celebrating an even greater freedom that God has given those of us who are in Christ Jesus.  Paul explains, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin” (Romans 6:6-7).  By grace and through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, the penalty of our sin has been removed.  His death became our own, and we can now live freely as sons and daughters of God.  We no longer must fear the penalty of our sin which is death, but we also do not have to be held captive by the power of our sin.  Jesus Christ forgives us of our old life bound to sin, but He also enables us to live new lives free from its bondage.  His enabling grace can set you free each day from addictions and strongholds, so you can walk in the light just as He is in the light.

In light of this truth, Paul instructs us: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness” (Romans 6:12-13).  Paul says our spiritual freedom should lead us action.  Just as our physical freedom leads us to pledge allegiance to our great nation, our spiritual freedom should lead us to pledge an even higher allegiance to Jesus Christ.  His great mercy and grace should lead us to show our honor to God and devote ourselves to His purposes for our lives.  And I hope you understand, you will begin to experience freedom and joy when you begin to present yourself to Him day after day.

This celebration of freedom will carry over to Sunday evening for our second annual “Freedom Over Austin” event.  I hope you plan to come back at 7pm that evening for a dynamic event with something for everyone.  We will have live music, an all-American carnival, food trucks, inflatables, train rides, and of course, an amazing professional fireworks show soon as it gets dark.  Bring a lawn chair with you and find a comfortable spot to watch the show that evening.  I also encourage you to do two things before this Sunday.  First, consider serving with us.  Great events are only possible through great teams of committed volunteers.  We still need more people to join the effort so please consider signing up to help HERE.  Secondly, consider who you can invite to join you.  We do this event for our church family to enjoy the fellowship, but we also do it so we can extend our fellowship out to the entire community.  Prayerfully consider inviting a neighbor, colleague, or friend to come and be your guest that evening.  Sometimes special events like this are the best opportunity to introduce someone new into the life of our church.

Thank you for your continued faithfulness in worshipping through giving.  This event is only possible because of your stewardship and continued partnership in ministry.  I encourage you even in these economically challenging times to continue to offer God the first fruits of what you receive.  I’m certain that God will continue to bless each of us, as we strive to be a blessing to others for His glory (Cf. Malachi 3:10, Proverbs 3:9-10).  Have a great rest of your week, and I look forward to celebrating freedom with you this Sunday at ABC.

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer

The month of June was recently declared “LGBTQ+ Pride Month” by President Joe Biden.  His official proclamation is a continuation of the precedent established by two of his predecessors, President Clinton and President Obama.  Even if you did not read Joe Biden’s official proclamation, you most likely have seen some of its effects.  Pride flags are raised on many flag poles just below the American flag, department stores are marketing rainbow merchandise in the front of their stores, and most websites and television channels are broadcasting pride promotions to communicate their full support.  Some of this support has even carried over into professional sports. 

For years, professional teams have hosted “Pride Nights” at their ballparks or arenas.  On these nights, they encourage the LGBTQ+ community to come to the ballpark for a night of support and celebration, and the teams usually communicate that support through rainbow banners, signage, and various messaging.  However, the Tampa Bay Rays took their effort one step further on Saturday.  Following the example of the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, they chose to incorporate pride symbols into their official team uniforms.  They added the rainbow colors into the “TB” on their ballcaps and added a colorful sunburst to their jersey sleeves.  But these colorful touches have not been the focus of the headlines this week.  The focus has been on the athletes who refused to wear them.

Pitchers Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Thompson were among those who chose to not wear the rainbow flagged uniforms, instead electing to wear their standard gear.  Of course, the media wanted to know why these athletes would go against the grain and not support the LGBTQ+ community as their ballclub’s management recommended.  Jason Adam was chosen to serve as the spokesperson for the group and he explained:

“A lot of it comes down to faith, to like a faith-based decision. So it’s a hard decision. Because ultimately we all said what we want is them to know that all are welcome and loved here. But when we put it on our bodies, I think a lot of guys decided that it’s just a lifestyle that maybe — not that they look down on anybody or think differently — it’s just that maybe we don’t want to encourage it if we believe in Jesus, who’s encouraged us to live a lifestyle that would abstain from that behavior, just like (Jesus) encourages me as a heterosexual male to abstain from sex outside of the confines of marriage. It’s no different. It’s not judgmental. It’s not looking down. It’s just what we believe the lifestyle he’s encouraged us to live, for our good, not to withhold. But again, we love these men and women, we care about them, and we want them to feel safe and welcome here.”

So to sum it up, these five Christians said they had a deeply rooted spiritual objection to wearing the pride symbol.  They said doing so would communicate them taking pride in something that their faith says is sin.  This position of course infuriated many across our country.  NY Times writer Tyler Kepner wrote a response article titled, “An Attempt at Inclusion Proves There Is More Work To Do.”  In his article, he says “By creating special uniforms for Pride Night, the Rays were expressing their beliefs as an organization. As the primary messengers for the franchise, the players should have been expected to reflect that position.”  In his article he also quotes author Andrew Maraniss who said, “When people use their interpretation of religion to justify discrimination against people for the way they were born, it’s really an indictment of them and their faith.  Acknowledging that people are people and all fans are welcome, that’s not something you should be able to opt out of.”

Maraniss said that those five players failed to acknowledge “that people are people and all fans are welcome.”  I find that accusation puzzling because if you re-read the statement from Jason Adam, he actually said the exact opposite.  He said, “we love these men and women, we care about them, and we want them to feel safe and welcome here.”  So how could this author, and millions of Americans, view these players as discriminatory when they said that they love the LGBTQ+ community and want them there?  I would argue it’s because the LGBTQ+ community is not seeking our acceptance; they demand our affirmation.  They don’t want Christians to just receive them.  They want Christians to give them the one thing that they cannot give: the celebration of their sin. 

This perspective is exactly why this article was titled with the phrase, “there is more work to do.”  What is the work that needs to be done?  It is the removal of the traditional Biblical worldview from our culture.  For many in our country, it does not matter how nice a Christian may be or how welcoming they may present themselves.  They will no longer accept your acceptance.  They want your ringing endorsement instead.  Anything less is viewed as unacceptable, and their mission will proceed until they have fully shifted the moral fabric of our society.

This puts Bible-believing born again Christians in an increasingly difficult position because the Bible is rather clear on the issue.  The Scriptures speak against the sin of homosexuality pretty straight forward in both the Old and New Testaments (Cf. Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Timothy 1:10).  The Bible tells us that God made us male and female (Genesis 1:27, 5:2) and Jesus said marriage was designed for a man and woman to be brought together by God to become one flesh just like our first parents, Adam and Eve (Matthew 19:4-7).  I realize some will read my words and say, “that’s just one interpretation.”  You are correct, it is one interpretation.  But it is the literal interpretation of God’s Word, and it is based on thousands of years of Judeo-Christian heritage and tradition.  Indeed, there are other modern, progressive interpretations that are littered with tainted presuppositions and personal agendas which drive them.  But the church must not be surprised or swayed by those alternative teachings. 

The apostle Paul affirmed the authority of all Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and then he charged Timothy to preach that Scripture (2 Timothy 4:2) because others would stop preaching it themselves: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).  Church, those days are already here.  People have accumulated teachers to suit their own passions.  If you have a behavior or vice that you want affirmed, you can certainly find a church somewhere to do exactly that.  Consequently, people have wondered off into myths just as Paul warned.  But that is exactly why we must listen to the same instructions that Paul then gave Timothy: “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5).

We have to be “sober-minded” in this season.  We cannot let our discernment be clouded by cultural influences and competing ideologies.  Instead, we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.  And we must be prepared to “endure suffering” for doing so.  If you do not fall in line with the cultural pride movement, make no mistake about it, there will be consequences.  This is the general pattern for whenever you stand for God’s Word.  Jesus himself was rejected and cancelled by His own culture, so why should we expect a better treatment?  Do not be surprised for “ The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).  We must endure any form of suffering and continue to “fulfill our ministry.”  We cannot become so fixated on the problems of this world that we fail to move forward with the mission Christ has given us.  Paul is telling Timothy, it isn’t time to cower.  It’s time to get to work.

So what should that work look like?  Traditionally, whenever the church sees evil in the culture, it has felt compelled to respond via boycott.  In fact, some are calling right now for boycotts of the various entertainment companies, amusement parks, sports teams, and retailers that are supporting the pride movement.  And if you have taken that position, I’m not here to tell you that you are right or wrong.  But I am going to encourage you to consider Paul’s words: “All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful” (1 Corinthians 10:23).  You have the freedom to boycott anything you may choose, but my question is, “is it helpful?”  I’d encourage you to consider three things to process that question:

First of all, what is the purpose of your boycott?  Usually, the purpose is to financially penalize an organization in hopes that the inflicted pain will force their hand to change.  If that is the driving mission, it seems that most Christian boycotts have historically failed.  Even in my young life, I’ve seen more Christian boycotts than I can count (Disney, Target, Starbucks just to rattle off a few), but I cannot recall any of them making a lasting impact on the company’s bottom line.  The targeted organization tends to continue business as usual, and eventually the opposition begins to fade and grow tired.  I believe the lack of effectiveness is in part because Christians are simply outnumbered.  Jesus told us, “For the gate that is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many (Matthew 7:13).  Christians can try to cancel businesses if they’d like, but it seems that the world will offset their inflicted losses.

Secondly, consider how wide is the scope of your boycott?  For instance, some might say every Christian should start boycotting the MLB right now.  Fair enough, but are you prepared to boycott everyone else?  The truth is virtually every large business, bank, retailer, sports league, university, or professional organization has adopted some form of a LGBTQ+ affirming position and policy.  Even in the last week, I’ve personally seen rainbow flags on my emails, commercials, and ads for Facebook, Instagram, Google, Youtube, Amazon, the NBA, NFL, and MLB, Old Navy, Target, The Gap, Kendra Scott, NASCAR, Columbia, Petsmart, Yankee Candle, my banking institution, and the US Army.  That list could go a mile long, but those are literally just the first few I can remember interacting with in the last few days.  So if you’re going to champion boycotting, it’s worth considering, “how far will you champion?”  Where do you draw your own personal line of conviction?  That line might end up going way further than you originally intended.

Thirdly, consider how will your boycott align with your mission?  To me personally, boycotts seem to work antithetically to the Gospel mission.  The Bible doesn’t tell us that sinners are the problem and they must be avoided at all cost.  The Bible says they are the mission and they are in fact to be pursued.  If we go live under rocks and wait until Jesus comes back, we will have neglected the sacred mission that Jesus gave His church to go and shine light into dark places.  Jesus didn’t say “Go and make disciples if they are easy to reach and don’t offend you.”  But He did say that He will build His church and the gates of hell won’t stop Him (Cf. Matthew 16:18).  Isolating ourselves away from the world only prevents us from engaging it, and it robs us from seeing the Gospel advance into places of darkness. This is why Paul told Timothy to instead “do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry (Cf. 2 Timothy 4:5). 

Instead of focusing on boycotts, I’d encourage Christians to focus their energy on three things this month.  First, focus on prayer.  Pray for those in our country who have been swept away by the teaching of the Pride movement.  Pray for Jesus to awaken hearts that are currently trapped in sin and spiritually blind to their ways.  Pray for God to soften hearts and bring conviction and clarity to Christians who have been brought into the confusion.  Pray for our children, that they may not fall into the snares of this ideology, but instead they will be rooted and secure in God’s Word.  Pray for salvation to continue to come to the LGBTQ community and for more lives to be radically transformed by the grace of God. 

Secondly, focus on courage.  Hold the line on your convictions this month.  We don’t need Christians apologizing for God’s Word.  God’s Word stands on its own power.  I’m proud of those five Christian baseball players who were willing to count the cost to live out their Biblical convictions.  It’s one thing to go into a business with a pride flag, but it is another thing to be forced to wear the flag in a business.  I’m proud of their decision, but I’m also proud of how they communicated it.  They did not condemn and cast stones at the LGBTQ community.  They simply spoke the truth with a whole lot of grace.  Our culture needs more men and women to rise up and follow their example.

Thirdly and finally, I encourage you to focus on the coming elections.  President Obama was correct, elections do have consequences.  And there are leaders right now in our country that want to push the Equality Act into our society.  The title is deceptive, and it is not about equality.  They want to legislate a new morality and silence the biblical convictions of business leaders.  There are politicians who want to target states and schools that have chosen to protect young women from having to compete against young men in their own sports.  Be educated in the political realm, and vote for politicians that preserve religious liberty, uphold Biblical values, and advocate for policy that reflects truth and common sense. 

I truly do believe many Christians are floundering right now on this topic because they don’t even know what is right.  Many pastors and churches have avoided speaking to these things due to fear and a lack of urgency.  Some pastors have thought they don’t need to address this because they are “preaching to the choir” on Sundays.  Those days are gone.  Choirs and entire churches are divided and filled with as much confusion as the world, and part of this is due to their own pastor’s silence.  A lack of teaching will always create a vacuum (especially in young lives), and people will seek out teachers to fill those voids.  Pastors and Christians, you must speak truth on these things to combat the many voices that people are already listening to.  Church leaders must be less worried that they may become irrelevant if they speak truth, because I assure you they will become irrelevant if they do not. 

Stories like the Tampa Bay baseball game will only continue in the days ahead.  But even as darkness clouds our world, do not forget that the light of Jesus Christ is still with you.  We are not called to take pride in this month’s movement, but we are called to take pride in our Living Savior. “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).  May we all walk on our knees this month and find our power and pride in the cross of our resurrected King.  “For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be the glory forever.  Amen.” (Romans 11:36).

Last Sunday was an amazing day in the life of our church.  Our worship services were dynamic and filled with wonderful music, a special recognition of our graduating seniors, and a powerful video testimony from one of our own members.  I’d like to thank Nathan Wood and our student ministry team for helping make the day special for our graduates and their families.  Additionally, I want to thank Lisa Ghera for sharing her story and our Director of Media, Carlos Jordan, for doing an amazing job telling that story through film.  Many hours of unseen work went into that 7-minute video, so I do thank all who were involved and went above and beyond.  Additionally, I want to thank Dr. Todd Stearns, our choir and orchestra, media teams, and all who made our Savior Oratorio such a success.  The music was powerful, inspiring, and so well done.  Thank you for leading us with excellence, and I know everyone that attended was blessed by the immense talent that led us in worship that evening.  It truly was an incredible Sunday and I hope you were able to experience every piece of it.

As electrifying as Sunday morning was, I must admit that late Sunday evening became equally disheartening for completely different reasons.  As many of you know, Guidepost Solutions, a third-party investigative firm, released its Sexual Abuse Task Force Report for the Southern Baptist Convention that evening.  I came home from church Sunday night to read the headlines and began delving through the nearly 300-page report.  It was sickening to read so many instances of convention leadership mishandling reports of abuse, and even worse, mistreating and mischaracterizing the actual victims of abuse.  It appears that some in leadership chose to worry more about protecting the shield than protecting the sheep.  Some were more concerned with legal liability than the moral liability to our Gospel witness.  It was heartbreaking to see prominent leaders called out by name for inexcusable sin, lies, and cover ups.  But most of all, the report brought light to the depth of hurt that many victims have carried in Baptist churches for decades.  It is only appropriate for us to now grieve with those victims this week.  Paul explains that “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:26 ESV).  Just as we should honor and celebrate our brothers and sisters for their successes from last Sunday, we should also suffer and lament with our brothers and sisters around the country who have been carrying years of pain from abuse.

As we process the report with other SBC churches, I do want to remind you of a few key things.  First of all, this report is being called a “bombshell” report by the news.  Indeed, the report is filled with shocking and horrible things, but we must not forget that it was also a “requested” report.  Messengers at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting overwhelmingly voted and demanded for this independent investigation to be conducted this year.  I was personally in the room and voted for it myself.  There has been writing on the wall for several years, and messengers knew it was imperative for SBC churches to receive an unbiased and true assessment of what has been going on behind closed doors.  This is why the report was conducted through a third-party and the attorney-client privilege was waived.  Guidepost was directed to dig deeply and they certainly did.  I think it is important for us to remember the origin of this report because it shows the heart of most Southern Baptists.  Virtually everyone at that annual meeting (and I believe in most SBC churches) want transparency from leadership and desire to do anything and everything to ensure the protection of our congregations.  I believe virtually every SBC member agrees that sexual abuse is detestable, unbiblical, and has no place in our churches.  That heart led to this investigation, and consequently, I believe light has now shined into previously dark places.

Secondly, I want to encourage everyone to pray for the SBC in its next steps.  Make no mistake about it, this report will be the talk of the annual meeting next month.  Many are wondering what are the SBC’s next steps?  The report does offer some guidelines to be considered which I know will be discussed further.  However, the bottom line is there must be reform.  Southern Baptists, a report like this demands a response, and I am hopeful that the SBC will respond accordingly.  Acknowledging mistakes is a vital first step, but it is not the only step.  Corrective measures must be put into place in response.  Paul explains, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10 ESV).  Worldly grief is simply feeling bad about the consequences of poor decisions.  It is wallowing in regret and shame about a poor course of action that has led to pain.  Paul says that kind of grief never leads to new life, only death.  However, Godly grief leads to repentance without regret.  As Christians, we are called to identify sin, crucify it with Christ, seek forgiveness, and then seek restoration and redemption through His grace.   My hope and prayer is that this will be the course of action for the SBC.  We must learn from this and do better, plain and simple.  I expect reform and so should you.  I am optimistic that reform will indeed come about because I still believe that is the desire for most Southern Baptists around the world.  I will look forward to hearing from leadership in Anaheim and reporting back afterwards.

Thirdly and finally, I do want to speak towards things here at ABC.  The report was correct in saying Baptist churches are autonomous, and consequently, we do have our own child protection policy that we adhere to. Every volunteer that works with kids is background checked every two years, has been interviewed and trained by staff, and has had personal references checked.  Additionally, every child and student volunteer has been certified through Ministry Safe training, which educates adults on best practices with kids and helps them better understand how to identify signs of abuse and potential predators.  Every staff member has likewise gone through each of these measures including the Ministry Safe training.  Additionally, about a year ago, we installed cameras in every classroom in the preschool and nursery area to provide both accountability and the resource of recorded footage if an incident report ever came up in a classroom.  I would like us to extend this technology to the children’s ministry classrooms as well in due time.  I say all of this not to provide a false sense of security.  The reality is no church or organization can 100% guarantee safety.  We do live in a fallen world, and sin will continue until Christ returns.  However, I am proud to say that we have been consulted by professionals and have implemented many commonsense practices that I believe mitigate risk.  As your pastor, and a father of three children, I want you to know we value the safety of every person on campus, especially our children.  I am proud of our church and I hope you are too.

I know it’s been a hard week for the SBC, and we should pray for our convention and for God to lead us in the next steps.  We do serve a God of redemption and my hope and prayer is that beauty will come from these ashes in His timing.  Thank you for your continued support and prayers, and I pray that all Southern Baptists will continue to unite under the authority of God’s Word, by the Great Commission that drives us, and through the Holy Spirit that unites us.   I look forward to seeing you this Memorial weekend for a special Lord’s Supper Sunday.

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer

Last week, I was scrolling through my social media feed and saw a familiar sight.  A parent had posted a video of their baby’s first bite of cake.  As is customary for many households, this little birthday boy was put in a highchair and presented a small cake made just for him.  Friends and family gathered around the table, pulled out their phones to record, and then cheered him on as happy spectators.  Right on cue, the inquisitive child stuck his hand in the cake, felt the sticky icing, and brought it to his lips.  A smile came across his face as he looked to his parents with eyes of excitement and perhaps even disbelief over how good it tasted, and then he jumped right back in for another big handful.  Most of us have been in that kind of room.  We have watched our children, grandchildren, or nieces and nephews experience their first taste of sugar.  While I’m sure every child’s reaction was unique, I would also dare say every reaction shared common ground.  I would guess none of your kids spit out their first dessert and gave up on sugar for the rest of their lives.  Instead, I would suspect they tasted and saw that it was good, and that goodness led them to a lifetime of coming back for more.

David tells us, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8 ESV).  The verb for “taste” was commonly used in the Old Testament in a literal sense, but here David beautifully applies that same word as a metaphor.  When he says “taste” the Lord, he is instructing his readers to come and have their own personal experience with Him.  A child can watch other people eat cake all day, but he will only experience its goodness if he exercises the faith to try it for himself.  In the same way, you will never know the goodness of the Lord until you take that step of faith to personally encounter Him.  We can certainly learn about God and observe His beauty from a far, but David says blessed is the man who personally takes refuge in Him. 

As we journey through these New Testament encounters with Jesus Christ, I hope you do not miss out on having your own personal encounter with Him.  I would never advise someone to watch baking shows and never actually try cake.  Nor would I advise someone to go to church, but never experience Jesus in their own life.  God wants us to experience His presence in a personal way, and the good news is He wants us to keep coming back for more each day.  When a child eats cake for the first time, that bite is not meant to be his last.  It is meant to be the first bite of many more to come over the course of his lifetime.  In the same way, God wants His children to keep coming back for more grace each day.  Perhaps you encountered Jesus in the past, but are you still taking refuge in Him?  If not, today would be a great day to taste and see that the Lord is still good.  Worship Him this week.  Speak to Him as a friend because He is (Cf. John 15:15).  Share your heart and concerns, hear His voice through the Word, and receive the peace and joy that can only come from walking with Him (Cf. Philippians 4:6-7)

As we continue in our series, I encourage you to invite others to join you on Sundays.  As we saw in last week’s sermon, lives can truly be changed when burdened friends commit to bring their loved ones to Jesus.  Many assume that their friends and peers would never go to church.  Some of this is for good reason, as George Barna discovered in his research that sadly only 30% of millennials and Gen Z are active in any form of faith.  But he also discovered that about 80% of those polled said they would be open to attending a church if they were personally invited.  The truth is many of our friends, colleagues, neighbors, and even family members have never tasted and seen that the Lord is good, but data also says they are willing to giving it a try.  Worshipping with the body of Christ is great way for them to receive that first taste.  I encourage you to prayerfully consider who you can bring with you and boldly invite them to be your personal guest. Additionally, our Savior Oratorio concert will be an amazing opportunity to bring friends with you this weekend.  The 6pm concert will feature our choir, orchestra, and special musical guests, Veritas and Lindsey Graham. We will also be blessed to have Lindsey singing with us this weekend in our Sunday morning worship services.

Take some time to taste and see that the Lord is good this week, and come ready to worship on our special Senior Recognition Sunday.  Let there be light in your life this week, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday.

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer

I was so proud of how our students led us at church last Sunday.  ABC Student Weekend was a huge success, as we saw so many teenagers step up to lead us across all our ministry areas.  We had teenagers greeting, ushering, and serving an amazing lunch.  Students shared testimonies in adult BFG classes, and dozens of students helped lead us in worship at both of our services.  I especially want to thank Ashley Benedict and Ava Reddoch for boldly sharing their testimonies on stage.  I also want to thank Nathan Wood, Josh Wright, and our entire student ministry adult leadership team for serving behind the scenes to help make it all happen.  Lastly, I want to thank you church family.  Thank you for encouraging and loving our students, and thank you for generously supporting our church’s ministries for them.  Your continued faithfulness to our general fund helps resource these ministries, and your gifts at last Sunday’s luncheon will help make Beach Week accessible to any teenager that wants to experience a life changing week in Alabama.

The excitement will continue this Sunday as we celebrate Mother’s Day at ABC.  The book of Proverbs tells us, “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:28-30 ESV).  I thank God that ABC is filled with Proverbs 31 mothers who truly fear the Lord, and this weekend is an opportunity for our church family to rise up and give them praise.  We’re going to do this through a special time of recognition and prayer, a Mother’s Day photo spot to commemorate the morning, and through a special sweet treat that will be handed out to mothers following our services.  Additionally, both worship services will feature a photo slide show of our ABC moms, a video tribute from some of our ABC kids, and a special live testimony from a mother on stage.  You will not want to miss this weekend, so bring all the mothers in your life, and invite other moms around you to join us for a memorable day of worship.

This Sunday we are also going to rise up to serve mothers in need in the Austin area.  Austin Baptist Church has been a long-time supporter of the Trotter House.  This Christian ministry offers services and resources for mothers who are walking through a pregnancy crisis.  The Trotter House has saved countless lives of babies as they have guided mothers who are in desperate need through their pregnancies and through the raising up of their children.  But most importantly, Trotter House has also seen God save many souls of mothers in their ministry through the process.  As a proud supporter of their ministry, ABC is rolling out our annual “baby bottle campaign” this Sunday.  You will have an opportunity to give above and beyond your tithes to help this vital ministry continue in their mission in Austin, Texas.

Their mission is especially important considering this week’s news.  As you have likely heard, a leaked draft opinion made its way into the news headlines.  The opinion suggests that the Supreme Court is poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.  While I was troubled to see a confidential document wrongfully publicized for political purposes, I was also thrilled to see the content of that document.  For nearly 50 years, countless believers have labored, prayed, and worked towards this defining and critical moment in our nation’s history.  I thank God that this evil decision may finally be overturned, and I encourage you to join me in prayer for our Supreme Court.  Pray for courage for our justices, pray for our lawmakers, and most of all pray that justice will roll down like waters.  Overturning Roe v. Wade will undoubtedly save millions of lives, and the church must continue its work in protecting the unborn because the unborn matters to God. 

David reminds us, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13 ESV).  We must continue to advocate for the sanctity of life, as the Scriptures are clear that every human, born or unborn, has intrinsic value in God’s eyes.  I encourage you to give towards the Trotter House and their mission in the coming weeks.  But I also encourage you to prayerfully consider how you can serve mothers and children in need.  By the grace of God, abortion numbers will indeed go down if this decision is official.  However, that also means needs will go up for desperate mothers and young children.  May the church rise up in these critical days to serve and to shine the light of Jesus Christ into dark places.   Come prayed up and expectant as we worship Christ together this weekend.  I look forward to seeing you at 9am or 11:11am.

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer