What a privilege….

As I think about Bro. Darryl’s sermon from Sunday morning and as I visit with people who are either homebound or in nursing homes, I am reminded of the tremendous privilege it is to be able to listen to and read the Word of God.

I am reminded that I may not always have the ability to read the Bible with my eyes or hear God’s Word with my ears. One day I may only have of the Bible what I remember and have memorized. This underscores to me the importance of spending time in the Word and internalizing its message.

One resource I have found helpful is the Weekly Memory Plan available as an RSS feed through the web site for the ESV Bible. Each week they choose a different verse to memorize.

If you are new to the world of blogging (like me), there is a description of what RSS feeds are, along with a few other feeds (Verse of the day and Bible reading plans) you might find helpful by clicking here.

--Mark

Pics from a Hispanic Ministry Conference at the BX

Recently, the BX hosted an event for our Hispanic Ministry. We had a guest speaker, and it was very profitable for encouraging and discipling new believers. Over 70 people were in attendance, including children. Pastor Carlos Betancourt organized this effort.

Here are some pictures of the event.

Some of the Greatest People at Brainerd You Might Not Have Met

I was thinking this morning about how privileged we are to have such a great custodial staff under the direction of Bob Rann. Many of our church members never see these employees in action, but they definitely benefit from their work.

Our custodians are active serving members of other churches, but they treat this church like their own. When we have an event on Saturday night (like a wedding), they are here pitching in until everything is clean and presentable for Sunday. They also respond quickly to anything that comes up throughout the week. They are here to serve, and are a HUGE encouragement to the staff here. I have never, and I mean NEVER, heard a complaint from any of these friends when they are asked for their help. They work in a way that honors God! What they do is an invaluable piece of the puzzle here at Brainerd.

So, here is a public thank you to Gary Howard, Victor Lavette, Julia Wise, Melvin Varnell, Alice Carruthers, and Gilda Stephens! You guys are the best, and Brainerd appreciates all you do.

--Curtis

BBCKTD (Brainerd Baptist Church Krystal Throw Down)

Contrary to popular belief, I am not an "all you can eat" kind of guy. I left those days behind me several years ago when I came to the realization that I am getting old. For this reason I did not enter the BBCKTD (Brainerd Baptist Church Krystal Throw Down). The event was held Sunday night in "The Crossing" with over 100 people in attendance. We watched middle school and high school boys and 1 girl (Leah Wilson) stuff Krystal hamburgers and Krispy Kreme doughnuts in a effort to lay claim to the title of "Eating Champ". At the end of the night we crowned 5 winners in 5 different divisions. Here are our winners.

Middle School:

• Krystal: Jay Yates
• Krispy Kreme: Andrew Barber

High School:

• Krystal: Tyler Watson
• Krispy Kreme: McLain Still

Adult:

• Krispy Kreme: Bill Lane

For a side note, Bill Lane put on a show as he downed a dozen doughnuts to defeat the likes of Robert Rabon, Jim Barber and Travis Rann to be crowned adult "Eating Champ". Not sure he is ready to challenge McLain Still or Tyler Watson, but I am sure that his small group Bible Study is very proud of him for bringing home the crown. Not sure that his girls would say the same, but hey, you can't make everyone happy.

For all you Kobayashi wannabe's, get ready. You have a year to work up the skills needed to lay claim to the title of "Eating Champ" at next years "BBCKTD".

--Lee

3 on 3 Men's Basketball Tournament

Brainerd Crossroads is putting together and 3 on 3 Men's Basketball Tournament! First let me give you some of the information:

Date: March 30th & 31st

Time: March 30th, starting at 5pm, and Saturday, March 31st tentatively starting at 8am
Age: 18 and older

Cost: $10 a person

Sign-up Deadline: March 18th

You will get all the information through the church website, and email. I would also like to ask for volunteers who might not want to play, but who would be interested in helping this tournament be successful. If you would like to help please contact me @ 423.624.2606. I hope to see you out there playing hard for the Lord! May the Lord bless you through this week!

--Ryan

B-Ballers came out of the Woodwork!

Last night as I walked into the gym, there were already 25 people ready and waiting to play basketball, at our open gym! Just as I was about to get started about 10 more people walked in, and by the evenings end we had about 37 people, wanting to play basketball! It was very exciting. I got to meet some new faces and see some old faces as well. During the devotional time I shared about sports ministry and how we can use our talents and gifts to praise the Lord (Colossians 3:23). It was a great time, and I was very encouraged to see everyone come out and play. Next week, I hope to see everyone back again. I will be sharing about worshiping God in the sports arena. I was thinking about how many people we had last night and if we keep getting these kind of numbers will might have to have extend our hours!!!

--Ryan

A Readable Bible

In Bro. Darryl's message yesterday morning, he mentioned utilizing a "readable Bible" in your quiet time. For me, that has become the English Standard Version (ESV). Although I know that there are MANY beneficial translations, my spiritual life has greatly benefited from the ESV. I have enjoyed reading it, studying from it, memorizing it, and preaching and teaching from it. I ran across this website that highlights some of the benefits of it. If you have a minute take a look at it.

--Curtis

Glory

I came home from church tonight and in trying to unwind from my normal Sunday-energy high, found the movie Glory on TV. I love this movie. The soundtrack is one of the best of all time and many of my favorite actors are in the film. It's hard to imagine a time when hate and bigotry was as blatant as is portrayed in this movie about the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment during the Civil War. As soon as I think that thought though, I'm reminded that bigotry is not relegated to a time of slavery.

If we are not aware of the potential for racism and bigotry in each of us then we are as vulnerable as any of the racists in the movie. The Bible teaches us that we are completely depraved and our natural tendency is not towards love and acceptance but rather hate and bigotry. It is only because of God's gracious kindness towards us that we have been saved from our sin.

God keep us from the sin of racism. Whether black or white, Asian or Indian, we were all made by you and loved by you. May our church be a reflection of the congregation of worshipers around your throne, made up of every nation and every tribe.

--Collin

Where in the World Are We Going?

This weekend we will have a group come back from Uganda. They will have been a part of God's global purposes in a unique way. I wanted to pass along some dates for some upcoming mission trips we plan on taking in the not-too-distant future. If you are interested in going on one of these, please give me a call. I would love to talk to you about it.

• Venezuela Partnership - July 12-18
• Ecuador Partnership - August 31 - September 6

In addition, we are planning a trip to Ukraine in the late summer/early fall, and we have some possibilities of taking a trip to Asia in the fall.

Much more detailed information will follow, but I wanted to whet your appetite. Also, be on the lookout in early April for another OnMission 101 class.

--Curtis

I'm no Michael Jordan

We have started back up with Open Gym Basketball here at the BX. I must say that it is going well, We have been averaging about 20-25 people each week, which is great! I have really enjoyed getting to meet the guys who come regularly. The really cool thing about sports is that no matter where you are from or what you did, it brings people together. It is the universal language and it brakes down all kinds of cultural boundaries. It is great to use sports as a way to develop relationships, and share Christ. So whether on the court, field, or mate, wherever our arena of competition is, you have the opportunity to impact the lives of the people you come in contact with by your actions and your words. So, next time you compete be intentional about playing in a way that will bring God all the glory, and honor as well as being a example for Him!
I hope to see you soon!

--Ryan

Lee's First Blog

Well, here it is! My first blog. I need everyone to understand that it has taken a couple of weeks for me to get over UNC loss to NCSU. The win over Duke helped, along with the fact that NCSU has lost 3 in a row. Well, on to more important information.

Camp is just around the corner! The dates for camp are June 24th - 29th. The theme for camp this summers is "The Cost: here & now". Our speaker is Michael Bayne from First Baptist Norfolk Virginia. Michael was the morning speaker for camp 2 summers ago and we are excited about having him again this summer. Our worship leader will be Nashville recording artist Josh Wilson. Josh was part of a concert that we hosted in the BX back in November. I know that our students will be blessed by Josh and we will love how he leads us in true worship at camp.

We are also in the planning stages for our summer mission trip that will be opened to all High School students. The dates for the mission trip are July 22nd - 28th. We have partner with First Baptist Asheboro NC to work with a Habitat for Humanity work site and Cross Road Retirement Center. Our student praise band will also have the opportunity to lead 2 or 3 worship services that week.

For more information about camp or the mission trip get in touch with Christie or myself. We would love to tell you more!

Lee

Communication You Might Be Missing

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