Generational Faith
February 1

The local church is failing many of our young people.  A commonly cited pattern is that roughly two-thirds of young people who were active in church as teens disengage within the next few years after high school. Some return later; many don’t.

Simply attending church as a child does not automatically produce “sticky faith” (to borrow the title of a major Fuller Youth Institute project). One of the consistent themes in that research is that siloed youth ministry and mere attendance—by themselves—do not reliably yield long-term discipleship. What helps is when teenagers are meaningfully connected to faithful adults across the whole church.
As they put it: “Teenagers also need to rub shoulders and build relationships with adults of all ages.” Another line is just as direct: “Young people appear to benefit from intergenerational activities and venues that remove the walls … separating the generations.” And this challenge is memorable: “Each young person is greatly benefited when surrounded by a team of five adults. We call this the new 5:1 ratio.”

This is a call especially for parents and grandparents. If you want your children—and someday your grandkids—raised in a Christian home, don’t let them only be known by their peers and their youth minister. Surround your child with faithful Christ-followers of all generations.

That’s why we’re launching Oasis, a 10-week Sunday night gathering designed to bring generations together. Bring a board game or wear basketball shoes. Come alone or invite friends. Sit and visit while others play, or jump into a game of dominoes. After open gym and fellowship, we’ll gather for worship and a brief devotional.

It won’t happen all at once and a 10,000 mile journey starts with one footstep, but we pray community is formed and faithfulness is practiced on a generational scale.


- Lance Havens

The Restoration Movement
January 18

The Restoration Movement didn’t begin with command, example, necessary inference (CENI) hermeneutics. The first generation of leaders were dabblers in those arguments. For the generation that followed, however, CENI became an animating force. This interpretive method grew closely tied to our identity.  It made the grand promise of offering an “objective” way to read Scripture. The church would “speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent.” We would restore “New Testament Christianity” and usher in a new epoch. Our numbers swelled. It worked.

But no tree grows to the sky. Reality hit. CENI fueled petty divisions over kitchens, classes, colleges, communion, and countless other issues. I’ve discussed those flaws previously.
CENI, noble in its intent, proved—like most human endeavors—to involve tradeoffs. Its emphasis on study and obedience is laudable. Yet its limitations became increasingly apparent. Today, our universities no longer teach it, and most ministers no longer preach it.

What’s next for the mainstream of our movement? Two sources have shaped my own study: John Mark Hicks and Tom Olbricht. Both reject cultural relativism and the abandonment of obedience. The paths they advocate will not lead to a “free-for-all” in the assembly. They do call us to place Christ at the center of our reading of Scripture, to respect authorial intent, to read the Bible as a unified story, and to engage it with theological depth that distinguishes between description and prescription.

No hermeneutic is perfect. The church of the future will look back on our time and see our flaws. In the end, we place our hope in the Logos—not in the way we conceptualize how to read the printed words.


- Lance Havens

The Restoration Movement
January 18

The Restoration Movement didn’t begin with command, example, necessary inference (CENI) hermeneutics. The first generation of leaders were dabblers in those arguments. For the generation that followed, however, CENI became an animating force. This interpretive method grew closely tied to our identity.  It made the grand promise of offering an “objective” way to read Scripture. The church would “speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent.” We would restore “New Testament Christianity” and usher in a new epoch. Our numbers swelled. It worked.

But no tree grows to the sky. Reality hit. CENI fueled petty divisions over kitchens, classes, colleges, communion, and countless other issues. I’ve discussed those flaws previously.
CENI, noble in its intent, proved—like most human endeavors—to involve tradeoffs. Its emphasis on study and obedience is laudable. Yet its limitations became increasingly apparent. Today, our universities no longer teach it, and most ministers no longer preach it.

What’s next for the mainstream of our movement? Two sources have shaped my own study: John Mark Hicks and Tom Olbricht. Both reject cultural relativism and the abandonment of obedience. The paths they advocate will not lead to a “free-for-all” in the assembly. They do call us to place Christ at the center of our reading of Scripture, to respect authorial intent, to read the Bible as a unified story, and to engage it with theological depth that distinguishes between description and prescription.

No hermeneutic is perfect. The church of the future will look back on our time and see our flaws. In the end, we place our hope in the Logos—not in the way we conceptualize how to read the printed words.


- Lance Havens

Hermeneutics, Again
January 11

Earlier, I praised the strengths of CENI (command, example, necessary inference).  Today, I share my critiques of CENI as a centering hermeneutic.

1) It stresses church practices over transformation - Left unchecked, CENI sends adherents on a quest to perfect the local congregation using a blueprint never clearly presented in Scripture, while saying far less about discipleship and spiritual formation. My tribe taught me the prooftexts for a plurality of elders but did not teach me how to fast.

2) It elevates the epistles over the Gospels - I love Paul. But CENI gives outsized weight to Acts and the epistles. This sidelines Jesus’ teachings as the interpretive core.

3) It is inconsistently applied - Weekly communion and offerings are treated as binding patterns, while foot washing, the holy kiss, and warnings about gold and adornment are dismissed as “cultural.” One could argue that practices embraced by churches of Christ in the 1950s were deemed “authoritative,” while those we didn’t prefer were labeled “cultural”—and we’ve been locked in ever since.

4) It ignores authorial intent - Rules are often drawn selectively from incidental details (the one-cup communion debate comes to mind), rather than from what the author intended to teach.

5) It leads to division - “Necessary inferences” become tests of obedience, and churches fracture over kitchens and clapping. CENI flattens the text, obscures the contours of importance, and sacrifices the Golden Rule and the unity of the body over lesser issues.

No hermeneutic is perfect but understanding how we read can help us speak more gently, listen more patiently, and remain united as we seek not a pattern, but Christ.


- Lance Havens

BIBLE STUDY
January 4

I’ve previously described several hermeneutical tools used within churches of Christ. I’ve intentionally saved CENI (command, example, and necessary inference) for last. It is the principle most closely associated with our movement, yet it has been steadily declining—first at the university level and now in schools of preaching. It is rarely emphasized in pulpits today, though it still has a stronghold among older members who were taught by ministers trained between the 1930s and 1960s.

The roots of CENI extend back to Zwingli and the Reformation of the 1500s, and more directly to the Enlightenment and Scottish Common Sense Realism. The Campbells (Thomas and Alexander) held a more nuanced view of CENI than many assume. Thomas was openly cautious about making deductions binding, and Alexander leaned more toward grammatico-historical principles. He occasionally used CENI-style arguments in debates, but not in his more substantial writings. It was later leaders who hardened CENI into a formalized hermeneutic.

CENI has been a blessing in many ways. It has upheld the centrality of Scripture over human traditions. It has called us to close, careful reading. It has placed a rightful emphasis on obedience. I’m grateful for this fruit. However, an unguarded strength becomes a double weakness, and CENI has its share of weaknesses as a primary hermeneutic. I’ll discuss those later.

If you have stayed with me this long, thank you. I know these are not typical bulletin articles, and some may be taken aback by this kind of discussion. Just know that we interpret Scripture from the foot of the cross—not from fear, not from tradition, not from pressure, but from the love of Christ, who draws us to himself.


- Lance Havens

IMMANUEL
December 28

In the 1950s, psychologist Harry Harlow studied how attachment forms. Infant monkeys were given two surrogate “mothers”: one made of wire, and one wrapped in soft cloth. Though both offered nourishment, the infants consistently clung to the cloth mother. When frightened, those with warmth and comfort found security; those with only provision withdrew in distress and suffered. Harlow concluded that attachment requires more than proximity—it requires warmth, approachability, and presence.

That insight helps us see the beauty of the Christmas story. In Luke 2, shepherds are terrified by the appearance of angels announcing Jesus’ birth. Yet they are drawn not to the spectacle, but to the child—lying quietly in a manger. The angel was glorious, but unapproachable. Jesus was vulnerable, near, and able to be held. The angel was a messenger; Jesus was the Message.

Christmas is beautiful not because of gifts, decorations, or even angels, but because God chose closeness. Rather than shouting instructions from heaven, God came near. In Jesus, God bonded Himself to humanity—walking with people, touching the untouchable, and sharing life with those He loved.

Faith can easily become mechanical—a checklist of songs, prayers, and routines. But Christianity is not built on boxes checked; it is built on attachment to a Person. We gather not to perform a sequence, but to center our lives on Jesus.

The gospel is an invitation to attachment—to Jesus, and through Him, to one another. Christmas reminds us that God came close—and He still does.

- Lance Havens

HERMENEUTIC PRICIPLES
December 14

I have been describing the three major hermeneutic principles associated with Churches of Christ. The one most historically associated with our movement is CENI (command, example, and necessary inference). However, beginning in the 1970s and continuing through the 1990s, the Grammatico-Historical Method became mainstream in Churches of Christ. Today it is the dominant academic and ministerial hermeneutic. It has even supplanted CENI as the primary approach at at least one of our schools of preaching. So, in a sense—if not fully today, then certainly in the near future—the Grammatico-Historical Method is the dominant hermeneutic of our movement. I realize this may come as a surprise to some of you.

Now allow me to explain the Grammatico-Historical Method. This approach pays close attention to grammar, vocabulary, literary form, historical context, and authorial intent. The most important takeaway is the emphasis on authorial intent. Interpretation must begin with what the author intended the original audience to understand. This method discourages proof-texting, eisegesis, and other imprecise reading practices. It is also why many preachers today are encouraged to present expository sermons rather than the topical sermons you may remember from the past.

Many conflicts within the church revolve around well-meaning Christians who do not realize they are reading the same text through different lenses. One person may be using necessary inference with the goal of restoring New Testament Christianity, while another is employing a hermeneutic not rooted in pattern theology but instead grounded in the whole of Scripture and its context. The first may quickly cite isolated texts, while the second points to broader teachings (and sometimes to tensions within the proof-texts themselves).

Regardless of the lens we use, the Scriptures remain God’s gift to us—revealing His character, explaining the human condition, offering hope for all generations, and ultimately pointing us to and glorifying Jesus Christ.

- Lance Havens

HERMENEUTICS
December 7

Previously, I mentioned the three primary hermeneutical approaches historically used in churches of Christ. Today, I will discuss perhaps the least emphasized of the three—Tripartite Dispensationalism. The result of this approach often feels like a fish in water: the fish simply takes the water for granted. Yet earlier in our history, this framework was not so obvious and even contributed to fractures within the Stone-Campbell Movement.

Tripartite Dispensationalism views Scripture through the lens of eras—typically the Patriarchal Era, the Mosaic Era, and the Christian Era. For example, Christians today may eat pork, while God’s people in earlier eras were forbidden to do so. We also no longer practice temple sacrifices or observe the Sabbath as a matter of binding law. Once, when I explained this approach to a friend, he responded, “So you don’t believe in the Old Testament?” I clarified that the Old Testament is fully “Scripture,” but its laws are not binding on Christians as covenantal authority.

This seems obvious to many of us today. However, in 1816, Alexander Campbell was teaching among “Separate Baptist” congregations—groups that shared much common ground with the early Restoration Movement. Campbell affirmed the divine origin of the Old Testament but denied the binding authority of its commands and examples, declaring them “fulfilled.” This disagreement caused a significant fracture between the groups.

So what’s the point? We stand on the shoulders of giants. Not every generation must re-fight the same interpretive battles. Paul tells us in Ephesians 3 that the “mystery of Christ” has been made known to people of other generations—the mystery of how God grafts together Jew and Gentile, calling people of every tongue, tribe, and nation into unity under the headship of Christ.

- Lance Havens

HOW TO THINK ABOUT THE BIBLE
November 23

Last week I pointed out that people have been thinking about how to think about the Bible almost as long as Scripture itself has existed. Today I want to introduce a few technical words that describe how we read and interpret the text.

The first word is exegesis. It literally means “to draw out” and refers to discovering the author’s intended meaning. The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary puts it this way: the goal of exegesis is “to know neither less nor more than the information actually contained in the passage.”

Its evil twin is eisegesis. Eisegesis occurs when we strip a passage of its context and authorial intent and replace it with our own meaning. Matthew 18:20 (“where two or three are gathered…”) and Jeremiah 29:11 (“I know the plans I have for you…”) are familiar examples of verses often pulled out of context.

The modern reader is charged with coming under the authority of Scripture’s clear teaching—but doing so requires interpretation.

Exegesis is one tool within the broader field of hermeneutics, which refers to the lens or method by which Scripture is interpreted. Historically, within Churches of Christ, three primary hermeneutical approaches have been used:

1.Grammatico-Historical – emphasizing authorial intent and the original audience.
2.Tripartite Dispensationalism – distinguishing between God’s dealings with Jews, Gentiles, and the Church.
3.CENI: Command, Example, and Necessary Inference – the approach most closely associated with what is known as pattern theology.

You may wonder why this discussion matters. It’s a fair question. Loving God and loving others is our highest calling—and reading Scripture well is one of the primary spiritual disciplines that shapes us for that mission.

- Lance Havens

BIBLE STUDY IS HARD
November 16

Bible study is hard. Time, language, and culture are obvious obstacles to a clear reading of Scripture. But in my experience, my expectations and presuppositions can be even more damaging, because they’re less obvious.

Jewish scholars have reflected on how to read Scripture for centuries. In Christianity, the New Testament is “theology on the go,” written in the midst of ministry. Early Christian leaders identified which writings were canon and composed the creeds as bulwarks against heresy, wrestling with questions of authority and orthodoxy.

All of this leads to one point: as long as there has been a sacred text, there have been followers grappling with how to think about that text. Whether it’s the Mishnah and the Talmud or the Apostles’ Creed and later theology, the Bible can be read simply—but not simplistically.

In some ways, it is easier to say what the Bible is not. It is not a book of spells, though its words are living and active. It is not a magic eight ball or a fortune teller, though it answers our most important questions and reveals how history culminates. It is not a rulebook, though it teaches us how to live.

So we struggle on, as generations have before us. In these pages we discover ourselves (we are darker than we think). We discover our purpose (it’s better than we think). And we discover God and His love for us (it is greater than we can imagine).

In December we will begin a study on the Gospel of John in our Sunday morning Bible classes. Make plans to join us and be transformed by the Word.

- Lance Havens

POLARITY
November 2

Some parts of faith are simple. There are black-and-white issues in life. The Ten Commandments come to mind. There’s little disagreement among Christians about what is clearly God’s best. We may struggle with how to apply those truths in particular situations, but we generally know the “right answer.”

Then there are more nuanced matters. I’ve encouraged people to hold two ideas at the same time, describing Christianity as a two-handed faith. In one hand we hold the mercy of God; in the other, we rightly recognize Him as a just judge.

This week I learned there’s a single, elegant word for that tension between two good things: polarity. Pairs like grace and works, truth and love, faith and reason, and justice and mercy aren’t problems to solve—they’re complements to balance. In my experience, most disagreements among believers come down to where to place the fulcrum. That’s understandable. But to grow, we first have to admit that a fulcrum exists—and that probably no one knows exactly where it belongs.

That truth should actually comfort us. It means there’s no formula for every situation. Even if we found balance once, the ground may have shifted—so the fulcrum might need to move again.

Luke was a “fulcrum guy.” Ben Siburt notes that Luke places the Parable of the Good Samaritan (service) right beside the story of Mary and Martha (devotion). Luke doesn’t ask us to pick one. He invites us to live in the tension of both service and devotion.

Recognize tension between good things. Know the season. And with both hands, hold tightly to the faith that lives in holy balance.

- Lance Havens

DIVORCE CARE
October 19, 2025

DivorceCare begins November 5 in the Hope Classroom at 6:30 p.m.  Call/text/email Chuck Morris at 210-573-5083 or chuck5614@gmail.com. See below for more details.

Separation and divorce, no matter how amiable, are among life's most painful experiences. A DivorceCare group offers a safe, welcoming space where people truly understand the difficult emotions and unique challenges of this time.

This 13-week support program is designed to help you navigate your personal healing journey. Because separation and divorce are often messy and confusing, the group provides helpful ways of coping with challenges, managing new relationships, and gaining solid support every step of the way.

At each weekly meeting, you will first view a video featuring respected counselors, ministers, and healthcare professionals who discuss crucial divorce and recovery topics, alongside relatable personal stories. This is followed by a small group discussion, allowing time to talk, share support, and personally apply the lessons learned. Each participant receives a workbook filled with valuable exercises to navigate their road to recovery.

Key topics covered include how to manage powerful divorce-related emotions like loneliness, anxiety, bitterness, anger, and grief; how to cope with major life changes; the importance of forgiveness; and practical advice on navigating legal and financial issues.

Whether you are in the early stages of separation or struggling with the painful aftermath, this is an important opportunity to be around people who understand exactly what you are feeling.

If you are walking through separation or divorce, we warmly invite you to attend.

For more details, and to find and register for our group, please visit https://www.divorcecare.org/leaderzone/my/groups/277278.

You are welcome to just show up without registering.

-Chuck Morris

MISSIONS
October 12, 2025

As I am writing this, I am in New Mexico and have spent several days with the brothers and sisters of many of the Navajo churches of Christ. The Whiddens and Purschs are on our second trip to the Navajo Nation reservation in New Mexico and Arizona. Our hearts have been touched by the pleas of our brothers and sisters here.

There are several common pleas/needs that we have encountered on both trips here. First, they need couples capable of teaching and preaching to “spell” the primary workers of the congregations so that they can decompress and also be fed themselves. The second request is leadership training and development. We are in the process of developing a solution to this problem. We will share this with the congregation in the near future.

The third need is monetary assistance to keep the utilities on in the church buildings. The congregations on the reservation are very poor and it often falls to one or two members to absorb the costs of the utilities, but it is very difficult due to the general poverty level on the reservation.

Can you help by giving two weeks to a month to spend with a congregation on the reservation to teach and encourage the Christians there? Can you teach a course on spiritual leadership or personal evangelism? Contact one of the members of the missions committee if you are interested in either of these efforts.

-Clay Whidden

WORSHIP WITHOUT WALLS
October 5, 2025

I’ve always felt renewed by the outdoors—whether on mountain trails, quiet parks, or even in my own backyard. The beauty of creation lifts my spirit and fills my heart. That sense of vitality is why I’m so grateful for Worship Without Walls: a day for us to step outside the church building and encounter God together under the open sky.

This special service reminds us that worship is not confined to four walls. The God who created mountains, rivers, and trees also designed us to thrive in His presence, wherever we gather. Worship Without Walls gives us a chance to breathe deeply, look around at one another, and be encouraged as we sing, pray, and share life in Christ.

When & Where

• Sunday, October 26th – No gathering at the AACC building
• Meet at the Brownwood Event Center (601 E. Baker St.)
• Worship begins at 10:30 AM – no Bible classes that morning

What to Expect

• A beautiful downtown setting with shade and comfortable seating
• Golf carts available for anyone who needs assistance
• After worship: pulled pork sandwiches and games on the lawn

This will be our second year at the Event Center, and it has quickly become a highlight of our fall calendar. It’s a day of joy, fellowship, and renewal. Please make plans to join us, invite a friend, and let this time of worship refresh your soul like streams of living water.

-Lance Havens

MISSIONS
September 28, 2025

How do you measure success? Numbers are a normal way to measure how successful we are in
different areas of life: money, degrees, cars. It’s easy to measure “spiritual” success the same
way: baptisms, attendance, offering.

When it comes to the Great Commission, it’s easy to do the same thing. But the truth is that it is
all about people. Yes, a lot goes on: Bible studies, service programs, building projects, retreats.
But in the end, it is all about people. It’s exciting to see how God changes people. Without
minimizing the huge spiritual changes He makes in all of us, it is so wonderful to see the changes
He makes giving people purpose and bringing dignity to their lives.

Ronaldo is 28 years old. We met him, his Mom and his younger sister 2007. They were very
poor! They lived in a 1 room house made of adobe with no running water. That had been their
past and their future didn’t look much better. That same year Agustina became a Christian,
followed by Ronaldo and Leslie. Little by little, we saw God in action. He began working
through the local church, improving their living conditions, their health and work opportunities.

In 2014 Ronaldo made the decision to do something extraordinary for someone in his
environment: go to college. He was accepted into one of the country’s best universities and
graduated with a degree in Agricultural Engineering.
Ronaldo’s life is one of the ways I measure success in missions. He is a faithful Christian man
who always wants to do what is right in God’s eyes, help provide for his Mom and live a life
worthy of the dignity Jesus brought to it.

-Butch Sandoval

A GOOD PROBLEM
September 21, 2025

In April, we upgraded our auditorium seating. For years our attendance averaged around 300, but our pews seated over 900. That meant we were used to worshiping at only 30% capacity. Conventional wisdom says churches thrive when capacity is between 60% and 80%. We were far outside that range—and felt the consequences.

Through the Faith Driven Campaign, we removed the pews and installed chairs. With the same 300 average attendance, we were now at 60% capacity. It felt right. Our already strong singing was enhanced, and the fuller room carried more energy.

Then God began blessing us with growth. Attendance started climbing. Last Sunday, with 348 in worship, we were about 70% full (subtracting the first row). That puts us squarely in the “sweet spot” of 60%–80%.

Still, old habits linger. Many of us like to spread out, and it’s tempting to think the answer is more chairs. But I believe the answer is attentiveness—and an opportunity to show love.

Last week, some guests arrived late and struggled to find seats together. If you consider yourself a mature Christ-follower, I have a simple request: open your eyes. Watch for new faces—or familiar ones—looking for several seats. They may feel awkward or embarrassed.

Solve the problem. Wave them over. Slide down. Ask others you know to scoot closer. It’s a small act, but you never know the ripple effect of such awareness and kindness.

The New Testament is full of moments where large crowds made space—and that’s when the miracle happened. Think of Zacchaeus climbing the tree. Remember the paralyzed man lowered through the roof. Picture the bleeding woman pressing through the crowd. When room is made, lives are changed. Make room—you never know what miracle God may do.

-Lance Havens

OVERCOME EVIL
September 14, 2025

When evil cannot debate, it shames. When evil cannot reason, it silences. When evil encounters good, it kills.

We have entered an era of political violence. President Trump was struck by a would-be assassin’s bullet. Charlie Kirk was murdered in a targeted political assassination. These are unmitigated acts of evil.

Stephen spoke the truth. Filled with bloodlust, the religious leaders plugged their ears and rushed at him. Jesus spoke the truth. No one could stand against him either, so he was crucified.

A theme of my ministry is this question: How should we live? In light of recent acts of evil, I am reminded of two things.

First, we are redeemed by the Prince of Peace. Christians must remain committed to non-violence. Charlie Kirk’s persona was marked not by one microphone, but two. His career was built on conversation. He listened.  He spoke.  He debated.  When his opponents could not defeat him in debate they turned to violence. As Christians, we must keep having conversations with those we disagree with—on a variety of topics. More talk. Zero tolerance for violence.

Second, Charlie spoke the name of Jesus at virtually every opportunity. He loved Jesus. He loved telling others about Jesus. He was never bashful about inviting Jesus into every area of public life. Speak the name.

As we mourn, let us not retreat in fear or lash out in anger. May we do what followers of Jesus have always done—stand firm in truth, walk faithfully in peace, and speak boldly in love. Evil may strike with shame, silence, or even death, but it cannot extinguish the light of Christ.  Jesus is the Resurrection.  He is the Way.  In Him is Eternal Life.

-Lance Havens

LIFE GROUPS
September 7, 2025

Inertia is the pull to stay where you are when God is calling you forward.  It’s Gideon’s fleece.  It’s Moses’ objection.  It’s Paul kicking against the goads.  For us inertia is very likely the desire for a nap on the couch and our own carefully curated list of streaming options and football games.  Inertia can be the invisible chains stifling sanctification and suffocating growth.

Inertia whispers that faith can flourish without fellowship and that intimacy with God can be had without inflicting the flesh.  That simply isn’t true.  Today, I invite you to strike a blow against the status quo championed by inertia.  Step into a rhythm that is either new to you or is simply recapturing a passion you once held.

This is a season of momentum at Austin Avenue.  This week we had what is likely the largest crowd for a midweek service since the pandemic.  If you aren’t a midweek attender, show up.  If you are a midweek attender we need more helpers, cleaners, and servers.

The new Sunday AM bible class quarter started today.  Compared to norms, we have really large class attendance.  But 40% of you still don’t attend a bible class.  Find a class.  The majority of our congregation is not wrong in finding value in our classes.

Life Groups launch today, sign up.  It is roughly two months of talking about Jesus with other people trying to emulate him.  Join.

We are in a good place.  Don’t miss it.  Don’t stay the same while others grow. Don’t sit it out while others sweat it out.

-Lance Havens

MISSIONS
August 31, 2025

When is the best time to plant a tree?  Twenty years ago.  When’s the next best time?  Today.  We all know that we plant seeds in the mission of God’s plan.  Matthew 13’s Parable of the Sower tells the tale of seeds that fall on the path, or into the rocks and thorns.  But wait, there is always good soil.  

There are many plantings that don’t find good soil.  But when you do, oh what the Lord will do.  Twenty years ago, this congregation planted the seed of God’s word in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba.  Twenty years later, this metro area has four churches praising God, with a fifth one being planted in the next year.  Souls have been saved. Lives have been changed.  A terrible bus accident – three young lives lost but the church persevered and trusted in God.  Austin Avenue families have visited.  AIM students have served.  Missionaries have come and gone. Families have been fed.  Youth groups have evangelized.  

The first person baptized is now a missionary in Brazil.  Elders have been named at Cochabamba Centro Church of Christ.  Local Bolivians have graduated from the Monterrey School of Preaching.  Songs of Praise have been raised up by over 200 where there were none.  All by the grace of God.  All by the action of this congregation.  All because good soil exists.  All because it’s the best time to plant a tree.

-Rodney Chesser

A BETTER YES
August 24, 2025

One of my favorite teachings is the idea of finding a “big yes” in life. Tim Elmore puts it well: “You can do almost anything, but you can’t do everything.” Hebrews encourages us to “run the race set before us.” It’s all the same idea.

We are surrounded by ministry opportunities, both locally and globally. Our church is abundantly blessed and able to serve in many of them. But here’s the truth: with God’s blessing we can do anything—but we can’t do everything.

When I hike, I can’t climb two peaks at the same time. In the same way, churches often preach about sacrificing the bad for the good, but we rarely admit that even good things must sometimes be sacrificed for the better things that God uniquely calls us to do.

One lesson of the Incarnation is that even Christ embraced human limitations. In John 12, when the Greeks asked to see him, Jesus didn’t say “no” outright. Instead, he stated his mission: to give his life for all people. His implicit “no” led to a greater “yes”: he would be “lifted up,” drawing all people to himself.

Jesus was mature enough to say “no” to a very good thing because God had given him a better “yes.” In doing so, the “no” itself became a “yes.” He was lifted up—and spiritually speaking, those seeking Greeks got their “yes.”  They saw Jesus.
Here’s the point: not even Jesus did every good thing before him. He did what the Father laid out for him and trusted it was sufficient.

Today, ask God to show you what he has laid out for you. What is the “big yes” God is calling you to? He won’t call you to everything, but he will call you to what matters most.

-Lance Havens

BORROWING WORSHIP
August 17, 2025

Can you borrow the intangible? Can you give away what was never yours to keep? The answer is yes—it happens every Sunday. Language, ideas, words, texts, connections: these are my native tongue. Singing—choruses, shape-notes? Not so much. And yet every week I borrow those gifts from you. I’m swept up in your harmonies; my soul soars on your melodies—even though I couldn’t tell the difference between the two. Those shape-notes might as well be hieroglyphs to me.

Yet week after week you share a gift that was never yours to keep—a gift realized only in the giving: praise. All worship is rightly directed toward God—a pleasing aroma in the throne room, a veritable feast. Within that feast are crumbs; like a grateful beggar, I’m overjoyed just to be at the table—even if most of my vocal offerings are only the scraps I’ve gleaned from you.

Last week, Chad wrote about incorporating microphones into our worship service. To be clear, this is nothing new at Austin Avenue. The singers will remain seated in the pews; the only difference is that those holding microphones are committing to greater preparation and intentionality.

Here’s the paradox: the microphones aren’t for the gifted singers—though they may hold them. They’re for people like me—people who struggle to know and sing “their part.” I can devote more praise to God when I can clearly hear a model of the part I’m trying to sing.

So thank you—for lending what can’t be owned, for proclaiming what I cannot sing (well), and for sharing such a special moment with me and my family each week.

-Lance Havens

WORSHIP TEAM
August 10, 2025

Leading worship is a heavy responsibility. A worship leader must select the right songs that set the right mood, energy, and message and allows a large group of people to worship God in varying stages of life. Each week, a worship leader is an emcee, a conductor, a volunteer coordinator, and an event planner. There is a lot that goes through a worship leader’s mind during the service and during a song. We strive to give our best so that focus can be directed towards God and not our individual shortcomings.

The elders have decided to evaluate a Worship Team to assist the worship leader on Sunday mornings. This would be four singers on microphones – soprano, alto, tenor, and bass – who will compliment the worship leader and encourage the body to sing and worship with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength.

If you have a passion for singing and would like to participate in the Worship Team, please come join us each Wednesday night after class, starting August 13, in the auditorium. Each night we will practice upcoming worship songs, explore new songs, and begin planning the Worship Team introduction into our Sunday services. We also invite our sound and computer teams to join us in this process, ensuring we create an effective Worship Team that enhances, rather than replaces, our congregational singing.

If you are unsure and want more information, join us on Wednesday night and let’s learn together how we can best serve Austin Avenue in this way.

-Chad Benton