In the City, for the City: It All Starts with Home (week 2)
What happens when your plans change, your comfort is disrupted, and God redirects your steps? You lean in and listen. That’s exactly where we are as a church—and what a beautiful place to be.
This week, we kicked off a new series called “In the City for the City.” It’s more than a title—it’s a declaration. In this season, God is calling us to see our homes, jobs, classrooms, and favorite coffee shops not just as part of our routine, but as part of our mission field.
Because the truth is—revival doesn’t start on a stage. It starts in your living room, your office, your lunch break, and your neighborhood sidewalk. You were placed in Austin on purpose, for a purpose. And the question we’re asking as a church is this: What would it look like to own the geography God has given us?
Let’s dive in.
It All Starts with Home
As we continue our “In the City for the City” series, we’re praying that the vision we carry for our new home would become just as tangible as the physical structure we’re building. We’re not just laying bricks—we’re laying spiritual foundations for what God wants to do in and through us.
That’s why we’re focusing on this phrase: Own Your Geography. It’s not just a clever slogan. It’s a call to take spiritual responsibility for the places we live, work, and play. What if you saw your apartment complex, your office, your favorite coffee shop—not as random places, but as mission fields? What if you started praying for your neighbors by name? That’s what it means to be salt and light in the city.
Salt. Light. And 106 Hours.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:
“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world… Let your light shine before others.”
Here’s the reality—we might spend 4–6 hours a week together at church events. But we spend about 106 hours awake and out in the world. And the growth of God’s Kingdom in Austin won’t primarily come from us spending more time at church—but from each of us being the church in our everyday lives.
In Jeremiah 29, God’s people found themselves exiled in Babylon—a city that didn’t share their values, worship their God, or reflect their faith. Sound familiar? While we’re not literally exiled, we are spiritual exiles in a culture that doesn’t always align with the Kingdom of God.
But what’s wild is this: God doesn’t tell His people to wait it out, escape, or create a holy huddle. He tells them:
“Build houses and settle down… Plant gardens… Increase in number… Seek the peace and prosperity (shalom) of the city… Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
— Jeremiah 29:5–7
Translation? Make it home.
This was more than survival. It was mission. Because transformation doesn’t begin with citywide events—it starts with transformed homes.
Building a Home With Rooms
So, what does a spiritual home look like? Whether we're talking about our church family or your household, we believe the vision for Antioch isn’t about building one “room”—it’s about building a whole house. Here’s the picture:
Living Room – A place to gather (Sundays, events, and outreach).
Kitchen – A place for real connection (Lifegroups, discipleship).
Bedroom – A place of intimacy with God (Prayer rooms, Encounter Nights).
Bathroom – A place to deal with what’s broken (Freedom Prayer, healing ministry).
Guest Room – A place to send people from (missions, church planting).
At Antioch, we feel called to build and steward all of them!
But this call doesn’t end at the church walls. Our personal homes should reflect this same vision. Homes marked by peace, grace, intentionality, and Kingdom purpose. Because who we are at home, when no one’s looking, will always shape the kind of influence we have in public.
Shalom Starts at Home
Jeremiah 29:7 uses the word shalom—a Hebrew word that means more than peace. It means wholeness, flourishing, and the fullness of God's design. God's command to seek the shalom of the city was more than a civic duty—it was a spiritual mission.
So what does that mean for us?
It means you matter where you are. The transformation of Austin doesn’t just come from policy or programs—it comes from the people of God living with passion, integrity, and purpose in every space we inhabit.
"Blessed are the peacemakers (the shalom-bringers), for they will be called children of God."
— Matthew 5:9
It’s Time to Build
So what now?
Let’s build homes marked by grace, unity, and intentionality.
Let’s build a church that’s a true house of healing and mission.
Let’s seek the shalom of our city—not just with words, but with lives surrendered to Jesus and relationships rooted in love.