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

I hope you enjoyed last Sunday as much as I did!  The Masters at ABC was a big hit, and I do want to thank everyone who helped make it happen.  Derek Tackett and our facilities team did an outstanding job building and setting up our golf attractions, Nathan Wood gave great vision for the event, and Jennifer Wilcoxson and her food service team helped put together our memorable donut wall.  It was fun watching people of all ages laugh and fellowship together all morning long in God’s house.  I’m also so proud of the 100+ volunteers who gave up their Saturday to serve as the hands and feet of Christ last weekend.  Our missions committee did an outstanding job organizing our ABC Serves event, and I loved seeing our yellow shirts scattered throughout Austin to serve our community.  Thank you to everyone who participated and to all who helped organize this impactful day of ministry.

This weekend marks the kickoff to Holy Week at ABC.  This Sunday we will have special Palm Sunday worship services featuring beautiful music, a performance from our children’s choir, and a message centered around Jesus’ triumphant entry to Jerusalem.  It’s important for us to prepare our hearts for this coming week as we celebrate the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I’d recommend we follow the example of David in the coming days, as he tells us, “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast!  I will sing and make melody!” (Psalm 57:7).  David said his heart was steadfast, or fixed, on the Lord.  His heart’s focus was not wavering or moving in various directions.  He chose to give God his full attention and his full devotion, regardless of what was happening around him.

This is worth noting because David is hiding from Saul in a cave. As you may remember in this passage, Samuel privately anointed David as a King, yet he was still far removed from the comfort and luxury of a throne.  The present king, Saul, was hunting David as he recognized the threat to his own kingship.  This led David to run and spend many nights hiding in the darkness of caves.  Nonetheless, he chose to keep his heart fixed on the Lord amidst his trials.  He would not allow the present darkness and distractions to rob him of worshiping the Lord.  While none of us are physically hiding in a cave, I think it’s fair to say that we are all facing our own battles and threats this week.  Some are facing threats of sickness and disease, while others are grieving the loss of loved ones.  Some of us are in the battlefield of fractured relationships, while others are experiencing financial loss.  All of us have concern over the affairs of our country, and of course our hearts are burdened over what is transpiring in Ukraine.  Nonetheless, it’s important that our hearts stay focused and remain steadfast on the Lord this coming Holy Week.

Holy Week provides an opportunity for you to worship and remember Jesus Christ for who He is and what He’s done.  Don’t step into this next week lightly, but instead, be intentional in fixing your heart on Christ.  First, take time to prepare your heart.  Spend extra time in His Word next week.  I encourage you to read through the passion week accounts in all the Gospels.  Also, turn to 1 Corinthians 15, and spend time reading and meditating on perhaps the greatest resurrection chapter in the Bible.  Let your mind by renewed by the truth of the passion account and prepare yourself for Easter.  Secondly, pray from your heart.  Commit to pray more often this coming week.  Set reminders on your phone if you need to.  Pray prayers of confession and thank Jesus for His constant grace.  Pray prayers of petition for the things that are heavy on your heart.   But most of all, pray prayers of thanksgiving for Christ giving you a new heart to pray from.

Third and finally, I encourage you to invite people on your heart.  Each of us are ambassadors for Christ, and I have no doubt that God wants to use you to reach those who are around you.  Invite people to join you at Palm Sunday, Good Friday, or Easter.  God puts people on our hearts for a reason, and you never know what God may do through one simple invitation.  Easter is the perfect opportunity to engage those who are not regulars in the church.  Let others know that you love them, and that you’d like to bring them with you as your guest for this special celebration.

God is going to do a great work this coming Holy Week.  Set your heart on Him and may we all come into His house ready to “sing and make melody” just like David.  Have a great week and I’ll see you in worship this Sunday.

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer

We had another wonderful Sunday at ABC.  It was encouraging to watch several of our young families step up on stage so they could step out in their faith through our parent child dedication.  There is no greater commitment that a parent can make other than to raise their child in a Christ-centered home.  I’m so proud of these families for inviting Jesus to come and light up their home, and I’m proud of you, church family, for your steadfast commitment to invest in them.  It is pivotal that we continue to do anything and everything we can to shine God’s light into the next generation of Austin, Texas.  Thank you for your consistent prayers, your volunteer efforts with our kids, your encouragement to our parents, and your continued faithfulness in giving so we can continue to provide ministries that make an eternal impact on the home.

This weekend will feature an exciting golf-themed Sunday called “The Masters at ABC.”  As you might have gathered, we’re playing off the upcoming Masters tournament in Augusta by having our very own golf fun right here at ABC.  This Sunday will feature a nine-hole putt putt course in the Great Hall, a driving range and closest to the pin challenge on the field, and an amazing donut wall in “the clubhouse” at the café.  We encourage you to wear your golf clothes as we are having a best-dressed competition, and I hope you’re planning to invite your golf buddies and neighbors who you know love the game.

This Sunday will certainly be a fun and memorable morning in the life of our church, and I think it’s important for us to have fun together.  After all, if anyone in the world should be smiling and filled with hope, it should be the body of Christ.  As Peter reminds us, we have been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).  Jesus Christ has united us with a hope that is unwavering, and He has filled us with the joy of His eternal presence in our lives (Psalm 16:11).  That joy should be evident to those who are around us, and that joy should lead us to enter His house each week with high expectations.  I’ve always loved David’s sentiments when he said,  “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” (Psalm 122:1).  To put it in modern day terms, David was ecstatic when someone invited him to church!  Why would be he be so thrilled?  I believe it’s because he knew there was joy in the house of the Lord.

I do believe there is joy in this house every Sunday.  I hope you sense the same thing, and I hope that joy leads you to come to church every weekend with high expectations.  Yes, this particular weekend will offer some special attractions that we will enjoy together.  But every weekend provides the same opportunity for us to be renewed through the joy of worship and through the joy of spending time with His people.   I believe many who are outside of our church walls are looking for that kind of joy, so I encourage you to think outwardly this week.  There will be a lot of joy in this house this Sunday so don’t miss the opportunity to share it with others. 

I hope you enjoy this beautiful weather outside, and I look forward to worshipping (and golfing) with you this Sunday. 

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer

If you were blessed to have a spring break, I hope you enjoyed it and are now settling back into your regular routine.  Bethany and I loved spending some time away with family and friends, and I was grateful for the outstanding message that our Student Minister, Nathan Wood, delivered in my absence.  As you all know, I was out last weekend along with our Executive Pastor, Matt Gillum, who was celebrating the newest addition to his family, baby Tag.  And while we were both out, I was so encouraged to see that the ship kept on sailing just fine.  I believe it should be the goal for every leader to have things go off without a hitch when he or she is not there, however, that’s only possible if you have an outstanding team standing beside you.  I’m grateful for our A+ staff and lay leaders who lead so well week in and week out.  Thank you for your diligence and your pursuit of excellence in all things.  You truly do make a difference.

This Sunday is the beginning of our spring sprint here at ABC.  This weekend is our parent child dedication, and we’re so proud of the six young families that are publicly committing to raise their children in Christ-centered homes.  The following weekend will feature ABC Serves, our church-wide local service day.  Over 100 volunteers will be deployed to serve as the hands and feet of Christ all across Austin.  The next day is the “Masters at ABC,” which will be a fun golf-themed morning that will offer special attractions for our church family and their guests to enjoy.  We’ll have a nine-hole putt-putt course, a closest to the pin challenge, and a “birdie ball” driving range with prizes.  In between worship and BFG, you’ll even be able to drop by “the clubhouse” to get a donut off our donut wall.  The following weekend is Palm Sunday, which will present our children’s choir in both services.  Later that week, we’ll have our first ever Good Friday service with beautiful music from our orchestra and choir, and the climactic moment of the weekend will be our celebration Easter worship services, which will also include a family egg hunt after the second service.

As you can see there are many things on the horizon, and that’s not even including the month of May which will showcase our ABC Student Ministry Weekend, our Mother’s Day celebration, and our Savior’s Oratorio concert featuring our own choir/orchestra and special musical guests, Veritas.  Our church is not short on ministries and it’s safe to say that ABC is well and alive.  But the question might be asked, “why do we do all these things?”  After all, each of these endeavors demands staff, volunteers, and costly resources.  There are certainly easier paths to travel in church ministry, but I believe the apostle Paul explains why we should work hard within the church.  He writes, ^“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me (Colossians 1:28-29). 

Paul says everything he did in ministry was “toil.”  In other words, he’s saying ministry was hard work!  Paul labored to reach the lost and disciple the saved, but he shared that the Lord provided the necessary energy for him to do so. And today in 2022, I would argue things haven’t changed much in modern church ministry. Ministry is still hard, and the good news is God still provides the grace we need to do it. If ministry feels easy all the time, I would contend that you might not actually be ministering. Because it is not easy to reach the lost, nor is it easy to disciple the saved.  Ministry by its very nature demands personal sacrifice, but the good news is our sacrifice isn’t in vain.  When ministry is done effectively, we see progress in our goal of presenting “everyone mature in Christ.”  We work hard so that others may grow up in the likeness of Jesus Christ.  We fill up a calendar to provide opportunities for people to worship Jesus, to learn how to serve Him, to build Christian community, to be discipled through His Word, and for the lost to be saved through the proclamation the Gospel.  So we don’t work hard just to stay busy, we work hard for the purpose of seeing God change lives. That’s why it’s so important that we do not “grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

Many people give up in ministry because it is hard. The harvest often doesn’t come quickly enough and frustration sets in. This usually leads to us working outside of His strength, and burnout then awaits for us right around the corner. But this spring, I encourage you to abide in Christ and not grow weary of doing good, but instead commit to do two simple things.  First, be a part of this amazing work.  We all give our time and money to something, but I would argue that nothing provides a greater return on our investment than serving the Lord.  Each of our ministries need more volunteers right now that will sacrificially serve as co-laborers.  It’s one thing to attend a ministry, but you receive an entirely different level of joy when you partner with others in that ministry.  Each of us has an opportunity to serve as partners in ministry through sharing our time and talent, but also through sharing our treasure.  Every ministry in the church is only possible through the faithful tithes and offerings of God’s people.  So thank you for being a generous church, and I encourage to continue to partner with us through both your spiritual and financial gifts. Your faithfulness shines the light of Jesus Christ all across the city of Austin.

But secondly, I would encourage you to not only be a part of the ministry, but also invite someone else to come experience it with you.  Perhaps for the first time in two years, almost everyone is re-engaging with culture like they did before the pandemic.  With such amazing things happening in our church, it would be a shame for you to enjoy them all alone.  All of our ministries have open doors to those who are not here yet, as we truly do want to present “everyone as mature in Christ.” God has given you a sphere of influence, and I encourage you to prayerfully consider who you can bring alongside you starting this Sunday.  I’ve witnessed the power of a personal invitation more times than I can count.  Your personal intentionality with friends and neighbors can truly change their lives. It’s easier to just be the beneficiary of ministries, but it’s much more rewarding to watch God bless others through those same ministries.

God is doing a great work at ABC, and I hope that you plan to be a part of it this spring.  Don’t grow weary in doing good, and I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday.

Onward and upward,

Jonathan Spencer