Antioch Waco

1 Corinthians 16:8 and 9 speak of a wide door, opened by God, but which many adversaries are trying to shut. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” This summer, let’s respond to Jesus’ knocking and resist the adversaries that would try to close God’s open doo...

It's Baptism Bash Sunday—what a moving time of celebrating God's transforming grace in the lives of so many of our family members! The parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 portrays an apt description of each of our lives. When we sin and go our own way, our Father is beckoning us back with open arms. He is unimaginably better than we could ever guess. Thank You, Jesus, that You are always thrill...

It's Baptism Bash Sunday—what a moving time of celebrating God's transforming grace in the lives of so many of our family members! The parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 portrays an apt description of each of our lives. When we sin and go our own way, our Father is beckoning us back with open arms. He is unimaginably better than we could ever guess. Thank You, Jesus, that You are always thrill...

God is drawing each of us, every moment of every day, into His grace. We can either respond to it with acceptance, or we can reject it by trying to rely on self-transformation.

Throughout Scripture, we consistently see the importance and value that God places upon women and their role in His Kingdom. On this Mother's Day, Jeff Abshire took us through a tour of four key truths the Bible makes evident about women. First, women are created by God on purpose and for a purpose. Second, Jesus values women. Third, the Holy Spirit has gifted women. And last, we as a Church need...

In 1 Corinthians 15, we see Paul coaching the Corinthians in giving a generous donation to a church in another city. How can we glean biblical practices that translate to our 21st century life? Paul answers 4 basic questions that apply even in 2022: who, when, what and how? Who—everyone can give. When—frequently and soon after we receive income. What—amounts proportional to your income. How—to a t...

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." These verses in Philippians 2 perfectly encompass the essence of Christian love, which we read more about in 1 Corinthians 13. Holy Spirit, convict us to love how you love! Like Jesus said of His cruci...

Happy Easter! In Jimmy's sermon this week, we traveled through the life of Peter. What a roller coaster! Peter's life and obedience to Jesus was erratic and mistake-filled. And yet, Peter's faithfulness to repent and keep choosing Jesus resulted in him being a founding father of the Church. No mistake we make is ever too much for Jesus to redeem. Like Peter, after we mess up, let us respond: "Yes...

As Mick shared with us yesterday, Palm Sunday was quite possibly a disappointing shock to the Israelites who lived it. When they expected King Jesus upon His arrival in Jerusalem to clear the palace of its Roman oppressors, instead He cleared the temple of its Israelite hypocrites. Jesus calls us to do the same—when the culture of our day seduces us into complacency and selfishness, let us respond...

In 1 Corinthians 11, we see Paul rebuking the Corinthian church for taking communion in an unworthy manner. They were guilty of prioritizing the Greek culture in which they were comfortable and trying to fit the gospel in as an afterthought, at the expense of the weak and powerless in their midst. When we take communion, let us make sure we do not commit the same sin. Let us examine our hearts—not...

Like all of God's gifts to us, the gift of tongues is a good and perfect gift that comes down from the Father of Lights. Throughout the Bible, we see the gift of tongues uplifting the people of God and inviting the lost into His Kingdom. Tongues is a miraculous gift for individuals to worship God and be encouraged; tongues is a boon that allows us to intercede when we have no words to express our...

Discernment of spirits, one of the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:10, refers to the revelation gift from God that allows us to recognize and distinguish between spirits that are human, demonic or angelic or the Holy Spirit. We need this gift so we can expose darkness and reveal truth, set people free from the bondage of the enemy and glorify God and reveal His power and authority to the world...

Matthew 9:36 says, “When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” This phrase—“he had compassion on them”—follows Jesus throughout His travels in Scripture. When He observed people who were lost in their sin, His response was to fight for their salvation. For the past many weeks, we’ve studied the gifts the Holy Spi...

1 Corinthians 12:13 says that every believer has been baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body, and we have all been given one Spirit to drink. We are commanded to be drenched in and encompassed by the Holy Spirit as well as filled up and saturated in Him. It is only when we jump fully into His presence and fill ourselves with His Spirit that we can enjoy true unity with the body of believers...

1 Corinthians 2:4 speaks of a message and preaching that are "not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power." This is a power that God is calling each and every one of us to adopt! This week, we'd like to celebrate the power that is freely at work in our Latino community and that is flowing out from Latino believers around the world to transform the nations of...

Like all spiritual gifts, instances of miraculous healings are "kisses of love from God—the compassion of God to care for His people." (Thanks for the quote, Pastor Jimmy!) Whether healing comes instantaneously, through a process of months or years, or when our bodies are fully restored and we meet Jesus face-to-face, every time we seek God for healing, we receive grace. And whether we receive hea...

Wisdom and knowledge are both virtues God has given us through which to live with honor and integrity. 1 Corinthians 12, however, speaks of a different element of wisdom and knowledge—as manifest gifts of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God. Words of wisdom are a result of hearing God's supernatural wisdom for specific situations. A word of knowledge is a supernatural revelation from God about so...

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul exhorts the Church to eagerly desire the spiritual gifts, but especially to desire prophecy. Prophecy reveals the love of God for the Body of Christ; edifies, exhorts and comforts—or strengthens—the Church; and stirs up the Church to be what God has called us to be. Let’s eagerly desire to prophesy so that we can usher the kingdom of God into our world.

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He promised that it was for the Church's good that He leave so that the Holy Spirit could come. When we walk in the Holy Spirit, we see His power in our lives through the gifts He gives: motivational gifts—ingrained compulsions God puts in each of us that steer toward His kingdom; gifts of ministry—callings God gave each of us to steward faithfully; and manifestati...

If we wonder how a life walking in perfect unity with the Holy Spirit would be, we have only to look at the life of Jesus. Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit when they believe in Jesus Christ, but believers must be filled—baptized—with the Holy Spirit continually. If we want to walk in the power of Jesus and usher in the kingdom of heaven to earth, we must be repeatedly filled with the Holy...

When Jesus, God incarnate, ascended to heaven, He promised to leave His Spirit—the Holy Spirit—to be our Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Counsellor and Strengthener, always present. It is only by the power of the Spirit that we can claim Jesus as Lord. Let’s respond to the Holy Spirit with humility and with hunger, not with distance and resistance. As we draw near to Him, He promises to draw near to...

In 2021, we felt the call of God for Antioch to be like the Queen Mary—conscripted and fitted for His purposes. As we’ve waited on the Lord for His word over 2022, we’ve sensed that the Queen Mary word is extending through 2025, and that our response this year is to ignite the boiler room, to stoke the engine of what God is doing through prayer and intercession. We also believe 2022 will be a year...

Liminal: relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process. Liminal circumstances can often feel like limbo, not being settled on either side of a thing. If we engage liminal spaces appropriately, though, they can be an opportunity for transformation. How can we best take advantage of liminal spaces? By letting go of the past, giving thanks for the present and looking forward with hope.