The Austin Stone Podcast

“If You’re putting pause on an area of my life, that doesn’t mean that I’ve failed. It doesn’t mean that You’re withholding anything from me. It means that there’s something new for this season that I’m in.”During her residency at The Austin Stone, Lauren became more deeply rooted in the firm foundation of Christ. But it didn’t happen overnight. Her journey to grow those deep roots started in 2016 when she started attending The Austin Stone. Her heart for ministry quickly grew, and Lauren began discerning whether or not God was calling her to full-time ministry. Through fear but plenty of faith in God’s hand on her life, Lauren left the comfortable world of students and college ministries to apply for the worship ministry.But Lauren’s residency didn’t end in the worship ministry. The Lord walked with her through a surprising ministry career shift, producing more faith and holiness along the way.

Ross Lester digs into Hebrews 8:1-13 and important parallels with the current and early church in how we view, value, and love Christ.

“We serve a God who meets us where we are and takes us where He wanted us to be.” When Carmen got married, she never imagined where she’d be in 2018. That raising kids would be so challenging. That her husband would get sick. That he would pass away.When Carmen’s husband passed away six years ago, she began attending The Austin Stone. At that time, she was struggling with a growing reliance on alcohol. Carmen felt burdened with responsibility, and like many of us, and used alcohol to find some peace. But the Lord used a sermon about idolatry to explicitly call her back to Himself, and from that day forward, despite ups and downs, she was never the same.Carmen’s is a story of God’s relentless love for us. It’s a story of relapse and recovery. Of a mother who wanted a brighter future for her children. And it’s a story of God’s unending pursuit of His children and His children’s children.

No one anticipates their marriage will face deep hardships. Even more so, no one expects a sermon on divorce to draw them deeper into the body of Christ.In 2014, Candy and her husband separated, and shortly after, a friend invited her to The Austin Stone. Transitioning churches is always hard, but Candy was committed to link arms with a body of believers that aligned deeply with her love for truth. So she gave The Stone a try, first by listening to a Matt Carter sermon on divorce. “It was probably one of the hardest messages I’ve ever listened to, but also one that felt the most true to me,” she remembers.In the months to come, Candy experienced the deep loss and pain of divorce. But in God’s kindness, she also experienced countless examples of God’s love for her through her small group and leaders who were active and present with her and her daughters as they searched for hope after divorce. Through all of it, Candy heard the Lord share a consistent message she’s now sharing with all of us:  “Nothing you go through is wasted. Even the hard things we walk through, God uses all of it. No matter how hard it is, God uses all of it for His glory.”

Halim Suh spends time looking at what it means that Jesus is an intercessor, a better hope, and our forever priest.

Barbara was excited when her church became part of The Austin Stone family, and then the pandemic hit, and she was suddenly isolated from her new church family. But God knew what she needed, and as He cared for her, Barbara felt God saying, “I care about relationships. I care about friendships.”God was faithful to bring these women together to experience His love through one another. Barbara says, “God has continued to knit us together in this relationship. It’s beyond explanation—because all of us are different. All of us have different things going on in our lives. And yet, God has said, ‘This is something I’m giving you.’”

“How has God been faithful in your life?” We asked six partners this question in our new series, Stories from The Austin Stone, and their answers beautifully display God’s goodness to His people.

Ross Lester spends time looking at what it means for us to be multigenerational investors.

Tyler David spends time looking at what it means for us to be welcoming witnesses

Ross Lester spends time looking at what it means for us to be equipped ambassadors.