Austin Street Church of Christ

08/27/2026

08/24/2026

No Fear
By Jay Kelley

While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. – I Thessalonians 5:3-11

Our Bible text is long today, but I believe that it needs to be read in its entirety, especially in today’s world where there seems to be two polar opposites
One group seems to be of the “peace and safety” persuasion. They do not attend worship regularly or at all. They may or may not have a “church home.”
They believe they are going to heaven some day because they are “good people” and live as though tomorrow will always come.
Another group are scared silly about the coming “rapture” or some other imminent destructive event. While they usually attend worship regularly they are usually poorly educated in the Bible.
They are unwilling – or unable – to come to that settled knowledge of the truth the Bible gives.
Sadly, some in the church fall into both categories. The answer is to encourage one another and the only true encouragement is found in the word of God.

Jay Kelley is the evangelist for the Austin Street Church of Christ in Levelland, Texas. His e-mail is [email protected]

08/24/2026

Top 5 hacks for consistent church attendance from Trey Morgan

1) Make the decision early in the week—or at least by Saturday—that you’re going. Don’t wait until Sunday morning to decide whether you’re going.

2) Try to go early. Don’t give yourself the opportunity to second-guess it.

3) Even if you’re super late, still go. Missing one Sunday makes it easier to miss the next.

4) Plan to meet a friend at church or go with a friend. Accountability is important.

5) Don’t wait until Sunday morning to figure out the details. Have everything planned out on Saturday. Lay out your clothes, know what you’re going to fix for breakfast, know what time you need to get up to get there, etc.

08/18/2026

Bride of Christ
By Jay Kelley

You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. – Song of Solomon 4:9

Solomon’s great poetic tribute to married love is often dismissed as simply that – a tribute to the way God intends love between a husband and wife to be.
However, when we see the relationship between Christ and the church – in Ephesians 5, it helps us understand that perhaps Solomon is talking about something deeper as well.
The amazing thing about this passage is not that God is the husband. After all, he is perfect in every way. Creator and sustainer of life, full of righteousness and praise, God deserves all the love that we can give and more.
The other side is what is amazing. Our passage teaches us that God loves us in an even greater way. We – the church of Christ – have captivated his heart.
It is the church that makes up the people to whom God has chosen to reveal his son. We are the ones to whom God has given “the rest of the story.”
It is to the church that God has poured out his Holy Spirit and it is the church that God has espoused to Jesus as a bride. It is the bridegroom’s coming that we eagerly await.
Within the allegory of the church as the bride of Christ dwells all the symbology of the marriage bond. The purity of both bride and groom is there, as well as the husband’s (Jesus) role as defender, protector and provider and the bride’s (the church) role to love, honor and obey.
We should remember that.

Jay Kelley is the evangelist for the Austin Street Church of Christ in Levelland, Texas. His e-mail is [email protected]