Austin Street Baptist Church

06/03/2026

“If there is anything you want, let us know, and we’ll come show you how to get along without it.”

I find this statement very thought-provoking. How many of us can relate to “thing-itis”—the constant desire for more? I know I’m guilty of it at times. Lord, forgive us for always wanting more when You have already blessed us so abundantly. Help us to be content, grateful, and mindful of the many blessings You provide each day. May our hearts be focused on You rather than on accumulating things. 🤔🙏🏽📖

Real life and real living are not related to how rich we are.
—LUKE 12:15 (TLB)

Being Rich

There are two ways of being rich—have a lot, or want very little. The latter way is the easier for most of us. Many people make themselves miserable by wanting more than they can ever have. They suffer from “thing-itis,” the insatiable desire for more, better, and newer things.

Jesus was the most satisfied man that ever lived, and He had less than most of us. “The foxes have their holes, and the birds their nests, but the Son of man has no place to lay His head.” He had learned the secret of adjusting His wants to His needs.

E. Stanley Jones tells about a poor man who had an overnight guest, and as he showed him to his humble bedroom in the hayloft, he said, “If there is anything you want, let us know, and we’ll come and show you how to get along without it.”

We don’t need to learn how to get more, but how to get along with what we’ve got, and get on with the business of living.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Father, You have given me so much more than I deserve. May I always show a grateful and contented heart.
Billy Graham Daily Devotional

06/02/2026

Togetherness Tuesday
It’s such a joy! Isn’t it amazing how God brings His people together? Fellowshipping with other believers not only uplifts, inspires, and unites us, but also reminds us to stand in the gap for one another through prayer. What a blessing it is to gather together, grow in faith, and support one another as the body of Christ.🙏🏽📖✨

THE POWER OF GATHERING

Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts.
(Acts 2:46)

I think about the leaders of the underground church in China who take enormous risks to gather in secret. The church in Doha, Qatar goes to great lengths to meet outside the city because they believe it's worth it.

In both places, these Christians understand there's something powerful in gathering together. They know the church isn't a building, but the scattered church is strengthened when we gather inside one.

Here's what I've learned: gathering as the church is how we stay tethered and anchored to Jesus instead of drifting, both individually and collectively.

There's something that happens when believers come together that doesn't happen when we're isolated. We encourage each other, pray for each other, and experience God's presence in ways we might miss on our own.

Don't underestimate what God wants to do when His people gather. There's power in the gathering.

Gathering with other believers keeps you anchored and strengthens your faith.

TODAY'S REFLECTION

1. How have you experienced the power of gathering with other Christians?
2. What steps can you take this week to prioritize fellowship with believers?
Christine Caine Daily Devotional

06/02/2026

Monday Meditation
When life gets difficult, where do you turn? Place your trust in God and God alone. The things of this world may offer temporary comfort, but they can never truly satisfy the deepest needs of our hearts. God is our strength, our refuge, and our hope in every season. When trials come, let us choose to fix our eyes on Him, knowing He is faithful to carry us through.

Where is your trust today?🙏🏽📖✨

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭42‬:‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Songs in the Dark

Even in life’s hardest and most depressing seasons, God is with us and is listening to us.

One purpose of a song of lament, or lament psalm, is to be honest with God. It’s about expressing vulnerability by telling God exactly how we feel. We should never be afraid of God or how we speak to Him, because He is able to handle our deepest emotions and complaints. And lament psalms are our model in Scripture on how we can be honest with Him.

Psalm 42 is a lament psalm. It is a song about the hopelessness of the writer’s current condition. It speaks to deep sorrow and grief that is experienced in life. The writer of Psalm 42 does not know why he is depressed. He’s not sure why certain things are happening to him. And so he goes to God in prayer and song, expressing the deepest parts of his soul.

Another purpose of lament is to connect the hopelessness of life with the hope that God gives. Laments act as a bridge between our present situation and the promises we’re waiting on.

The writer of this Psalm speaks to his own soul and encourages himself to continue to hope in God. He knows that no season lasts forever, and there will come a time when joy returns to him.

We will all go through seasons of sadness and grief. And we will have Psalms as a guide. The first step is to come before God and honestly express yourself to Him. Tell Him exactly how you feel.

Next, remember the promises that He has given you in His Word. Recount how much He loves you and cares for you.

And lastly, encourage yourself to put your hope in God. Move towards songs of praise in spite of your current circumstances YouVersion Daily Devotional

05/31/2026

Solace Sunday
May we come and sit at the feet of Jesus each day, setting aside the distractions and demands of life to spend time in His presence. May we reach for Him in complete surrender, laying down our worries, burdens, fears, concerns, joys, and praises before Him.🙌🙏🏽

Pause, now...

“...you are worried and upset about many things…” (Luke 10:41 NIV)

Does that sound like you? Are you feeling anxious and unsettled? It wouldn’t surprise me with everything going on in the world. But these worries already existed when Jesus walked the earth—when He was literally within reach!

And yet, not everyone took hold of that WONDER-ful opportunity.

Because it’s only when you reach out that you begin to realize that Jesus is within reach.

Jesus had been traveling with His disciples and was invited into the home of a woman named Martha:
“She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.” (Luke 10:39 NIV)

I can imagine Martha throwing a few annoyed looks at her sister: “Why isn’t she helping me?” And eventually, she asked exactly that.

Do you know what Jesus replied? The very words we started with: “Martha, Martha … You are worried and upset about many things…” and then He gives the answer: “…but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
(Luke 10:41-42 NIV)

Only one thing is needed… Especially when you feel anxious and overwhelmed.

The Lord says, “Sit at My feet. I am within reach.”

Did you notice? Martha had invited Jesus into her home, but she still didn’t come to rest. She was so busy with everything else that she ultimately missed Him.

Maybe you’ve invited Jesus into your life too—and you’re wondering why you’re not experiencing His peace right now.

Are you actually sitting at His feet and listening? Or are you expecting Him to “do His job”—to help you, heal you, take away your worries—while you keep rushing through life?

Three times Mary is mentioned in the Bible, and three times she is found at Jesus’ feet. And Jesus says about her: “Mary has chosen what is better…” (Luke 10:42 NIV)

Isn’t it beautiful that Jesus values us simply being with Him more than doing things for Him?

You are a miracle!
Déborah Rosenkranz

05/31/2026

https://www.youtube.com/live/dUfBq0WtLDQ?si=TI7Zq-LXY7lZiG6r

Austin Street Baptist Church1308 E. Gonzales St.Yoakum, Texas 779...

05/31/2026

Saturday Spotlight✨

Lord, may we be mindful of the words that leave our tongues. Help us to speak with kindness, encouragement, grace, and truth. May our words build others up, reflect Your love, and honor You in everything we do and say. Let our speech be a testimony of the work You are doing in our hearts. Amen. 🙏🏻

“May our words point others to Him.” ✨

Every Careless Word

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”
Matthew 12:36

Jesus spoke plainly about our idle words, yet His warning often goes unheeded. Jesus said that for every idle word there will be a time of accounting in the day of judgment. We would expect Jesus to condemn profane and vile uses of the tongue, but idle words? Idle words are things we say carelessly, without concern for their impact on others. We too quickly assume that the sins of our tongue are minor sins, sins that God will overlook. Yet Jesus was fully aware of the devastating nature of our words, for the idle words that come from our mouths give a lucid picture of the condition of our heart (Matt. 15:17-20).

The Book of Proverbs encourages us to speak less rather than risk saying something offensive (Prov. 17:28). Often when we have nothing significant to say we are tempted to speak injurious, idle words. The more time we spend in idle chatter, the greater the likelihood that we will say things that are harmful.

James cautioned believers to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). We are in much less danger of saying something offensive when we are listening than when we are speaking!

Think carefully about the words that come from your mouth. Christians should speak only words that uplift and bring grace to others (Eph. 4:29). Do you need to speak less? Do you need to be more careful about the kind of humor you use? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you evaluate whether your words build up others or whether they destroy and hurt others.
Henry Blackaby Daily Devotional

05/29/2026

Father God, thank You for this reminder. May we fully surrender our lives to You and trust Your loving hand as You remove anything that hinders our growth in You. Prune away what is unhealthy, unfruitful, or keeping us from becoming all You have called us to be. Draw us closer to You each day, shaping our hearts to reflect Your love and truth.

More of You, Lord, and less of us. Have Your way in us, that our lives may bear fruit that brings You glory.

In Jesus’ name, Amen. 🙏🌿

What It Takes to Thrive

In both gardening and spiritual terms, planting and harvesting are exciting seasons. Planting is the start of an adventure; harvesting is the product of hard work. It’s easy to celebrate new beginnings and hard-earned completions—but one thing that’s not as much fun?

The pruning process.

Who wants to acknowledge what’s dead and unproductive in their lives? Who wants to trim back what’s already blooming—leaving you smaller, awkward, and feeling extra weak?

But pruning is exactly what we need to keep producing fruit.

“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
John 15:2 NIV

Jesus mentions two separate actions in this process—cutting off what’s dead and pruning fruit.

Cutting out what’s dead makes sense. It’s extra weight, it’s unproductive, it’s blocking sunlight, and it’s stealing good energy from branches that could thrive. But without proper context, pruning fruit feels backwards.

However, the purpose of pruning isn’t to disable something, but to revitalize it.

If a branch is weak or diseased, it could not only damage itself, but the surrounding trees as well. Without pruning, both the tree and the life surrounding it can never reach full potential.

Pruning creates room for more growth.
Pruning stimulates production.
Pruning keeps the plant or person strong.

God is a good Gardener. He wouldn’t be a good Gardener if He left you to yourself—overgrown, ineffective, and full of dysfunction. But He cares for those He loves. He cuts off what’s dead for your benefit. He lovingly trims back ineffective things in your life to make way for more fruit.

You can trust God with your life because He cares about who you are and who you can become.

So what “dead branches” are you dragging around? Is it possible that God is pruning you for future growth? Take a few moments and talk to God about any areas in your life that you recognize need to change.
YouVersion Daily Devotional

05/28/2026

Togetherness Thursday ~
How beautiful it is to know we have prayer partners to call upon in times of battle and weariness. Just as Aaron and Hur lifted Moses’ arms, God never intended for us to walk alone.

I pray that if you’re reading this, you have faithful prayer partners who will stand beside you in prayer and encourage you in faith. And if not, may God bring those people into your life. What a beautiful gift it is to journey together in prayer. 🙏🏽 🤝✨

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
John 13:35

The Importance of Prayer Partners

The Lord doesn't expect us to fight our battles alone—be willing to accept or give help when needed.

Try holding your arms up in the air for as long as you can. No matter how strong you are, you’ll eventually find it impossible to keep them raised.

In Exodus 17:8-16, Moses was faithfully praying on a hill while his soldiers were below, fighting the Amalekites. As long as his arms were raised, the Israelites prevailed. But he couldn’t maintain this posture on his own for very long. He needed Aaron and Hur to hold up his hands.

The Lord never expected Moses to do the job by himself. Nor does He expect such a thing of us—that isn’t how He operates. God has built His church in such a way that the world will recognize Christians by their love toward one another (John 13:35). We are ultimately dependent on God, but as believers, we’re likewise interdependent upon each other. Everybody needs an Aaron and a Hur—people who can hold us and help us in our intercessions before the Lord.

Ask God to bring people into your life who can faithfully and lovingly lift you up in prayer without judging you or expecting anything in return. And ask the Lord to open your eyes to those around you who need an Aaron and a Hur in their life.
Charles Stanley Daily Devotional

05/28/2026

Please enjoy worship service with others in person at church on Sunday. But if you have to miss or would like to listen again, we are pleased to give everyone this opportunity. Blessings to all!!

Austin Street Baptist Church1308 E. Gonzales St.Yoakum, Texas 779...

05/28/2026

Worshipful Wednesday!
Heavenly Father, may we begin and end each day with grateful hearts, thanking You for every blessing You pour into our lives. May we continually praise Your Holy and Mighty Name—not only for what You do, but simply for Who You are. You are faithful, loving, our Refuge, and worthy of all honor and praise! 🙌🙏🏽💫
.. when troubles come ... sing His praises with much joy.
—PSALM 27:5,6 (TLB)

Count Your Blessings

Christians are not altogether immune from depression. The fact is: the trend of events and the mounting tide of evil are enough to give one sobering thoughts—Christian or not.

David, the sweet singer of Israel, was not always on top of his depression. Sometimes his glad song was turned to a depressive mourning.

“My tears have been my meat day and night, while continually they say unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted in me?”

I find that the cure for depression is praise. In other words: be so busy counting your blessings, that thoughts of gloom and despair will be crowded out.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY ~
Thank You, heavenly Father, for the Psalms which help me see that even in the depths David talked with You. Whatever my circumstances, I will learn to praise You.
Billy Graham Daily Devotional