It is hard to believe, but the holidays are just around the corner.  I am so excited to see how God is going to move through ABC during this special season.  But I am also aware that the holiday season can be quite painful for some.  This year, ABC has grieved the loss of 25 believers in our church family.  The holidays can be extremely difficult for these surviving family members and closest friends, as each celebration is a reminder of their recent loss.

That is why we are hosting our first ever “Christmas Memorial Service” on Sunday November 30^th at 5pm.  The purpose of this worship service is to bring glory to God by remembering the ones we have lost in our church family this year.  The service will feature encouraging music, a comforting message, and a time where we will read the names of our church members who have gone home to be with the Lord this year.  We will light candles in their absence as a symbol of our remembrance of them. 

I would like to invite you to join us for this special service.  Your presence will serve as a ministry to these families.  I pray God will use this service to encourage our souls and strengthen these families as we prepare for the Christmas season.  I also hope this service will become a new tradition in our church, as we continue to prioritize our love and care for one another at ABC.

I hope to see you this weekend in worship for a Lord’s Supper Sunday.  I will kick off a new 3-week series titled, “The Generous Life.”  We will look to the Scriptures to examine what it means to live a joyful and generous life for Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.  I hope to see you at 8:45am or 11:15am

P.S. This is the last call for Egypt!  We still have a few spots available.  Sign up to secure your spot today: https://www.signaturetours.com/JSPencer26

Onward and Upward,

Dr. Jonathan Spencer

This Sunday, we will distribute our updated Annual Report in preparation for the 2026 budget year.  Church vote for this proposed budget will take place on Sunday November 9^th.  Inside this year’s Annual Report you will find highlights of what God has done through the ministry and mission of ABC this past year.  You will also be able to review the proposed 2026 budget and understand how your tithes and offerings will be stewarded in the upcoming year.

I am so excited that this 2026 proposed budget is the first debt-free budget in church history!  Jesus is going to advance the Great Commission through ABC at a new level, as resources are now reallocated to maximize ministry impact.  Accordingly, we are renaming our General Fund, the “Great Commission Fund” this year.  This name change gives clarity to the underlying purpose behind our general fund giving and spending.

Why do we spend money in our budget on facilities?  So we can have a beautiful place to gather and make disciples. Why do we budget significant funds for children and youth?  So we can make disciples in the next generation.  Why do we spend money on personnel?  So our staff can equip the saints to go and make disciples.  Why do we spend money on outreach events?  So we can reach our community to make new disciples.  Why do we give away 10% of our contributions to missions?  So we can obey Jesus by making disciples of all nations.

I am excited to see how God will advance the Great Commission forward through us as we partner together in our general fund giving.  Thank you for your faithfulness and join me in praying for God’s blessing over ABC as we enter this debt-free, fiscal year.  I also encourage you to join me in praying for our guest speaker, Pastor Bryant Wright.  As mentioned Sunday, I am looking forward to hosting one of my mentors this Sunday at ABC.

Bryant is the founding pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Georgia, where he led that church to grow to over 7,000 members during his 38-year pastorate.  During that time, he also served as the President of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2010-2012.  He most recently served as the inaugural President of Send Relief, the compassion ministries arm of the SBC.  In his retirement years, Bryant stays active by mentoring young pastors and continuing his broadcasted preaching ministry, Right From The Heart Ministries.  I know we will be blessed by his message this Sunday, so please join me at the 8:45am or 11:15am service to give Bryant a warm Austin, Texas welcome.

Onward and Upward,

Dr. Jonathan Spencer

The apostle Paul said, “pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ” (Colossians 4:3).  Paul was always looking for open doors in ministry.  He longed to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help believers mature in their discipleship.  So he kept his heart and eyes open to the people who were crossing his path.  If we want to be a multiplying congregation, we must also adopt this mindset and pray for God to give us ministry opportunities each day.

I’d encourage you to ask two simple questions in your daily prayers.  First, “Lord, who around me needs to know Jesus Christ?”  We’ve established through our series that every Christian is a missionary with a mission field.  So it is wise to pray for God to give us opportunities to witness.  Second, I’d encourage you to pray, “Lord, who around me needs to grow in Jesus Christ?”  We’ve learned God wants to mature all Christians and grow them in ministry leadership.  There are likely believers around you that need discipleship.  You can be like Paul if you simply look for your Timothy.

Simple, faithful prayers and intentional actions lead to Kingdom multiplication.  God wants you to live on mission for him, so where are those open doors in your life?  I hope to see you in church this weekend as we conclude our “Multiply” sermon series.  This Sunday is also our Egypt Bible Tour interest meeting.  If you are considering joining us for this trip of a lifetime, come join me in the Chapel at 12:30pm (more info: www.austinbaptistchurch.com/Egypt).  Invite a friend, and I look forward to worshipping with you at 8:45am or 11:15am.

Onward and Upward,

Dr. Jonathan Spencer

On October 6, 2024, we launched Light The Way, a two-year generosity initiative designed to eliminate our debt, expand our mission, and extend the message of Jesus Christ.  On that kick-off Sunday, ABC carried around $4.5 million in debt.  Exactly one year later, on October 6, 2025, Austin Baptist Church became DEBT FREE! 

This is an incredible testimony of God’s grace and your faithfulness to Him.  Thank you for being a generous church and worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ through your giving.  I’m humbled to serve as your pastor, and I am grateful for what this debt retirement means.  The Great Commission will be advanced even farther, and lives will be forever changed because of your generosity. 

I’m most excited that we will begin “tithing as a church” within our general fund budget.  Ten percent of what comes in, will go out to advance the Gospel through missions locally, nationally, and across the globe.  When you give to the church, you will also be giving through the church.  A debt-free budget is a game-changer for the Kingdom of God.

Thank you for your partnership in this effort.  Today, let’s give glory to God for what He has done.  I also encourage you to continue in your giving to Light The Way, as we still have unfinished business in our missions projects, media improvements, and security enhancements.  I am confident, by God’s grace, these remaining objectives can be fully completed in 2026.  God bless you and thank you for your partnership in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Let’s worship this weekend and give thanks to our generous God.

Onward and Upward,

Dr. Jonathan Spencer

Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  Jesus had a clear vision for his disciples.  He said his followers will become his witnesses, and they will multiply themselves across the earth.  What began with 120 faithful believers in the upper room of Acts chapter one, has now become a movement of two billion professing Christians across the globe.

This was accomplished through multiplication.  This Sunday I’m going to begin a new sermon series titled, “Multiply: How God Can Advance His Mission Through Us.”  For the next few weeks, we will see how God wants to use each of us to make more disciples and expand his Kingdom even farther.  In conjunction with this sermon series, October will be themed as our “Missions Month.”  Every Sunday you will hear a report of some of the wonderful ministries we partner with as a church locally, nationally, and globally.  This month we are also training our adults in interpersonal evangelism through our Bible Fellowship Groups at 10am.

I encourage you to come expectantly and learn how God can use you to advance his mission right here in Austin and beyond.  Lastly, don’t forget our Egypt Bible Tour is now open for registration: www.austinbaptistchurch.com/egypt.  Come experience the trip of a lifetime and get a glimpse of what God is doing through our church’s partnership with TC Egypt.  I’ll host an informational meeting Sunday October 19^th at 12:30pm in the Chapel for any who would like to learn more.

Onward and Upward,

Dr. Jonathan Spencer

Our vision at ABC is “to see God light up your life, your home, your neighborhood, and the world.”  To fulfill that vision, we must be intentional in building bridges to our neighbors around us.  God has blessed us with a great opportunity to share the love of Christ with some of our closest neighbors at the Cardinal Point Apartments.  Cardinal Point offers affordable housing with free on-site services for families in need.

On Saturday October 4^th, a group of volunteers from ABC will provide dinner and fellowship there on site.  You are invited to come volunteer by simply serving food and breaking bread with our neighbors.  We prayerfully believe this will be the first of many opportunities to relationally engage our neighbors and introduce them to Jesus and our church.  If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to light up your neighborhood, here it is: https://austinbaptistchurch.com/event/cardinal-point-volunteer-supper-event?d=2025-10-04

We have one more week in our current sermon series, “The One Anothers.”  We’ve learned to love one another, welcome one another, forgive one another, bear one another’s burdens, and encourage one another.  This Sunday we’ll conclude our series by learning to serve one another.  We will also celebrate our young families through Parent Child Dedication, and we will take the Lord’s Supper together as a church family.

Lastly, don’t forget our Egypt Bible Tour is now open for registration: www.austinbaptistchurch.com/egypt.  Come experience the trip of a lifetime and get a glimpse of what God is doing through our church’s partnership with TC Egypt.  I’ll host an informational meeting Sunday October 19^th at 12:30pm in the Chapel for any who would like to learn more.

Onward and Upward,

Dr. Jonathan Spencer

1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”  God cares.  This simple but profound truth gives great comfort to our souls.  He knows our anxieties, He knows the battles we face, and He cares about them.  Last Sunday we saw one way God demonstrates this care is through the care of the local church.  What burden can you help carry for someone else this week?  We are all ministers, and we all have an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

One way we demonstrate our care is by also caring for those beyond our church walls.  I had a great trip to Los Angeles with a few staff and church members last week.  We spent time with our church planter, Derek Berry, and his sweet family.  We also had the opportunity to visit an incredible ministry center sponsored by the SBC’s Send Relief.  This ministry is meeting the needs of north Hollywood and pushing back darkness with the light of Jesus Christ.  I’m looking forward to continuing this partnership through your ongoing generosity to Light the Way.  I am especially excited for the group of young adults we will send to serve these ministries in Los Angeles in 2026.

God is doing a great work through our church.  I encourage you to continue to BE the church by loving one another, welcoming one another, forgiving one another, bearing one another’s burdens, and this weekend we will learn to encourage one another.  Invite a friend, and I look forward to seeing you at 8:45am or 11:15am. 

Onward and Upward,

Dr. Jonathan Spencer

Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”  People walk into the church carrying all kinds of heavy weights.  These weights are invisible, but their presence is undeniable.  Some are carrying heavy anxiety from their home lives.  Marital conflict, rebellious kids, and relational heartache can become unbearable at times.  Others are carrying heavy burdens from their work.  An unquenchable pressure to perform and a to-do list that never ends creates a high level of stress.  Others are facing a personal financial crisis, a serious health ailment, or grieving the loss of a loved one. 

The anxieties in our hearts can be overwhelming at times, but praise be to God for giving us the gift of His church.  The One Anothers sermon series is teaching us how to be the church to one another.  The church is called to shine as a city on a hill, a place of refuge for those who are weary.  We are Biblically called to love one another, welcome one another, forgive one another, and this Sunday we will see we are called to bear one another’s burdens.  How can you help lighten the load for someone in our church this week?  King Solomon said one simple way is to share “a good word” with them today.

I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday.  Invite a friend, and I’ll see you at 8:45am or 11:15am.

Onward and Upward,

Dr. Jonathan Spencer

Psalm 122:1 says, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’.”  I hope you are glad when you come to ABC each Sunday.  I truly do believe the gathering of God’s people is a special and sacred thing.  God wants His people to be connected to Him, but He also wants us to be connected to one another.  The One Anothers sermon series is reminding us of how we are called to relate to one another within the church.  So far, we’ve learned we are called to love one another, welcome one another, and this Sunday we will see we are called to forgive one another.

As we continue to learn how to “be” the church, I would encourage you to take your next step at ABC.  It is one thing to attend our church, but it is a much sweeter thing to become a part of the faith family.  What is your next step?  For some, it may be to officially join the church.  Others may need to find authentic community through a Bible Fellowship Group.  Or perhaps you need to check out Midweek or find a volunteer team to serve on.  We have many onramps into the life of our church, so I encourage you to prayerfully find yours this month.

As a reminder, we have relaunched our Citizen ATX podcast show.  We just released a new series titled, “Blueprints: Jesus’ Design for the Church.”  This podcast series will complement our Sunday morning sermon series.  On Sundays, we will focus on how to “be” the church, but in our weekly podcast show we will focus on “what” constitutes a church.  We are covering topics such as the gathering, the great commission, authority, ordinances, spiritual gifts, and more.  Citizen ATX is available on all major podcast platforms, or you can click this link to access content online: https://citizenatx.buzzsprout.com/

I look forward to welcoming you Sunday.  Invite a friend, and I’ll see you at 8:45am or 11:15am.

Onward and Upward,

Dr. Jonathan Spencer

School is back in full swing which means the college football season is upon us!  This Sunday is College Colors Day, and we are inviting you to wear your favorite team’s colors.  Most of you know I enjoy watching college football, but I also love how football brings a community together.  It gives a reason for people to come together and watch a game.  And it also gives a conversation starter for people to build connections with others.  I hope many connections are made this Sunday as we represent our favorite teams and perhaps even enjoy some friendly banter.

Even though we will represent many different teams this Sunday, our sermon series will remain focused on the one team we are all a part of: Austin Baptist Church.  The One Anothers sermon series is focused on how we can be the church here at ABC.  Last Sunday we saw we are called to “love one another,” and this weekend we will focus on the New Testament’s instruction to “welcome one another.”  How can you make someone feel welcome this Sunday?  It all begins with intentionality. 

We must always be a church that exists for those who are not here yet.  Welcome someone this Sunday, as Christ has welcomed you into His family.  If you are heading out of town for this three-day Labor Day weekend, I wish you safe travels on the road.  For those of us who are staying in town, I encourage you to invite a friend to church, and I look forward to seeing you at 8:45am or 11:15am.

Onward and Upward,

Dr. Jonathan Spencer