Austin Bailey's Ministry Blog

All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16  The Word of the Lord When you think of the Bible, what is the main purpose as Christians to use the Bible for? Here is a follow-up question, Why do you read the Bible? I find the word of God is so  much more extraordinary  than many other books I've read growing up. In high school, I was required to read literature books to gain wisdom about authors use of language, storytelling, and giving feedback. The books I read were very beneficial for my education, but they were not compelling compared to God's word. At three quarters into my apprenticeship, I believe the Bible has so much power to speak into people's lives (including myself), and importantly, it’s the story of God and his relationship with humanity, for the most part specifically with the people of Is...

Give thanks  to the  Lord , for he is good.  His love endures forever.  Give thanks  to the God of gods.  His love endures forever.  Give thanks  to the Lord of lords:  His love endures forever. Psalms 136:1-3 We're Back!! As the winter break ended, Winter Camp went through and was a huge success (keep reading for more)! At the beginning of the new year, our staff went on a retreat in central Texas. I shared in last months blog that our purpose for staff retreat is to help rejuvenate their spirit and prepare for the spring semester and Winter Camp (don't worry, we're ALMOST THERE).  WINTER CAMP!! Here it is! WINTER CAMP 2020! We had a massive turn out of over 500 students who came to camp to worship God and have fellowship with the community. Some of our staff prepared amazing sermons over the most common Psalms the church are familiar with. One of my favorite types of psalms is gratitude. Having a heart of thankf...

2019-2020 FOCUS apprentices at staff Christmas party Reflection over the semester! The first half of my apprenticeship has completed and it's been an incredible journey! Many friends and family have asked me, "How's your apprenticeship coming along?" Here's my response; The apprenticeship has been teaching me how good of a God we serve and that he tremendously loves us despite how much we mess up. God has shown me some of my blind spots and that He is not upset or impatient with me in fixing it. He calls me to be faithful and trust that He is good and is making me into a new creation. The classes have been a blessing to help me build a deep understanding of Biblical theology, how to be a good steward with my money, and improving a healthier physical lifestyle. As this semester ends, a new semester begins for new growth opportunities and students to minister. Please join me this new year in prayer for new students coming to Collin.  Christmas Card Outrea...

Give Thanks! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and a time of fellowship. I would like to take this time on my blog to reflect gratitude. The word 'thanks' appears over 70+ times in the Bible, and there's a reason why. To God, it is essential to share gratitude to a creator of everything.  Giving thanks reminds us of how much we do have when we are prone to covetousness. We tend to focus on what we  don’t  have. By giving thanks continually, we are reminded of how much we  do  have. When we focus on blessings rather than wants, we are happier. When we start thanking God for the things we usually take for granted, our perspective changes. We realize that we could not even exist without the merciful blessings of God.   G ive thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's Will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 I encourage you to take a minute (time yourself) and think about all the people who loved us into bei...

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I'll say it again, Rejoice." Philippians 4:4 My peer team group. All of us lead a small group at different campuses at Collin. We meet together every third week to have fellowship and discuss how we can grow more as disciples. REJOICE in Growing!  Let me be honest with you; October was a challenging month for me. When I dive closer to God, He unfolds new characteristics and relationship growth for me to be more like Jesus. One growth area God revealed to me is to seek approval from Him and not from people. It's been challenging to me in the past; I've set up false expectations I want people to see in me to get their approval. For example, I've listened to LIES that say, "You need to be a good minister, show you don't struggle with anything, and you have everything together." It took me until this semester in the apprenticeship not beat myself about it. Instead, I choose to REJOICE, and to trust God to help ...