The Church at Brook Hills

Brook Hills College – Blog

1. Secret Church – This Fall

   September 27, 2010 by Britten Taylor

   

   Join us for Secret Church, Friday, November 5, 2010, from 6pm-midnight

   TOPIC: Body of Christ
   During Secret Church this November, we will explore and examine the doctrine of the church, its significance for our lives, and its purpose in the world. Through the blood of Christ, we have become a part of the body of Christ. Through his new covenant with us, we have become a part of a new community, different from any other institution, organization, club, or relationship that we might have or join. We literally have an eternal bond with one another, linked together in a family of faith that spans across countries and centuries. Across the universal body of Christ, God has designed local churches to be individual displays of the character of Christ in the world. These churches are not ultimately about places and programs, or performances led by professionals; instead, they are about people. People brought together from different ethnicities and different backgrounds, with different gifts and different personalities, all united together by the grace of God for one purpose: the advancement of the gospel of God for the demonstration of the glory of God to all peoples.

   TICKETS

   Tickets will go on sale through the Secret Church website (Schedule & Tickets page) on Friday, October 8, 2010 at 9am(CT).

   You will only be able purchase tickets through our website and trust me they will go lightning quick!

   For more information and to purchase tickets on October 8, go to www.secretchurch.org.

   Category: Church Comments (0)

2. Why heaven will never be (for all eternity) boring!

   by Britten Taylor

   Someone once asked me a question, shortly after God saved me (10+yrs ago), that quickly became a source of intellectual struggle for months on end.  In my immaturity (I was still on the bottle drinking milk) I was unsure of the answer and my uncertainty fueled skepticism and doubt in my mind. Looking back, the question was simple and should have been answered easily, but my view of God was not large enough and my perception of eternity was skewed.

   The question: How can heaven be eternally enjoyable? An eternity anywhere (the beach, swiss alps, even heaven) will eventually become boring, right?

   I have come to see the answer is pretty simple. The short answer is heaven will not ever be boring, because God is infinitely glorious! Never ever ever will we finish discovering ‘Who God is’ and ‘What He has done’! And, as a result of knowing God more fully, our joy will increase for all eternity (without end)!

   Two Resources that have helped me better understand how the infinite nature of God’s glory  is linked to my eternal satisfaction (ie, never being bored)…

   1. Desiring God. The book. And the ministry. But, especially the book. This book, for the first time in my walk with Christ, showed the inextricable (like that word!) link between God’s glory and my joy. It not only helped me think through questions like “how can heaven not get boring” but also proved to be an effective tool in my daily battle with sin.

   I know of no other way to triumph over sin long-term than to gain a distaste for it because of a superior satisfaction in God…God’s passion to be glorified and our passion to be satisfied are one experience in the Christ-exalting act of worship-singing in the sanctuary and suffering in the streets. (Desiring God, pg, 12)

   2. Anything C.S. Lewis wrote.  Everything I have read from him has always firmly planted our duty to serve God deeply in the delight we find in God. Need an example…go no further than this one.

   “If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desire, not too strong, but too weak.

   We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” (The Weight of Glory)

   In the end, eternity with God will never be boring because we will be with God for all eternity. And God has never been, nor will He ever be, boring.

   He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! Rev. 22:20

   Category: Gospel, Uncategorized Comments (0)

3. This is NOT Six Flags over Jesus!

   September 22, 2010 by Britten Taylor

   

   I recently read a quote that, in my humble opinion, addressed one of the most difficult issues facing the church today. In my three years of college ministry, I have spoken to dozens of students who had “made a decision”, “prayed a prayer”, and/or “walked the isle” only to realize many years later that they had never experienced conversion!  A matter of fact, I have spoken with 3 college students this month whom God saved this summer after realizing they had religious activity in their childhood or teenage years, but never had been redeemed by blood of the Lamb!

   The quote:

   “The person who loves you most will tell you the most truth. One of the greatest distinguishing marks of a false prophet is that he will always tell you what you want to hear, he will never rain on your parade, he will get you clapping, he will get you jumping, he will make you dizzy, he will keep you entertained, and he will present a Christianity to you that will make your church look like a Six Flags over Jesus. And keep you so entertained you are never addressed with great issues such as these:

   Is God working in my life?

   Am I growing in holiness?

   Have I truly been born again?”

   “In modern day evangelism, this precious doctrine [of regeneration] has been reduced to nothing more than a human decision to raise one’s hand, walk an aisle, or pray a “sinner’s prayer.” As a result, the majority of Americans believe that they’ve been “born again” (i.e., regenerated) even though their thoughts, words, and deeds are a continual contradiction to the nature and will of God.” – Paul Washer

   Now, before some of you get up in arms. I do understand the difference in justification and progressive sanctification. Even after God redeems us by His grace through faith we must grow in godliness. But, that is not what Paul Washer is referring to. He is referring to those whose understanding of Christianity resemble what one college student told me a few years ago when confronted with a particular life-style issue, “I like to sin. Jesus likes to forgive.”

   Conversion is a matter of life and death. And we need to understand that the Gospel is not simply looking for our intellectual assent. The Gospel requires transforming commitment.

   In his book, Radical, David Platt says it this way….“Jesus is no longer one to be accepted or invited in but one who is infinitely worthy of our immediate and total surrender.”
   

   
   

   Category: Church Comments (1)

4. College Worship Gathering this Thursday!

   September 21, 2010 by Britten Taylor

   

   Three times this semester we will gather together as a college ministry to exalt Christ and to be transformed by His Word. Our hope is to see God raise up students across Birmingham to be radically committed to the mission of Christ.

   Our first Worship Gathering will be this Thursday, September 23 @ 8pm in the Student Center at the Church at Brook Hills.

   Dr. David Platt, Pastor of the Church at Brook Hills, will teach from the Word.  The emphasis of our study will be about the mission of the Church–to glorify God by making disciples of all nations.  Mandi Mapes and Josh Poore will lead us in songs of worship and we will have a time devoted to prayer for our lives to be used by God to impact nations! We hope to see you (and a truck load of your friends) there!

   We set up a Facebook Event Page HERE. To help promote this event please invite your large-and-in-charge Facebook friend list to the event page!

   Category: College Life, Uncategorized Comments (0)

5. Are you out of your skull?

   September 19, 2010 by Britten Taylor

   A college student recently did one of the most kind, loving, encouraging, Christ-honoring things that a college student can do to this college minister…he gave me a book. A really good one at that. (Hint. Hint!) This book is solid. I have been given some garbage books before to read, but this was different. As I read each page in this book, I find myself amazed by the glory of God, encouraged by the grace of Christ, and desperate for more of His Word! Now that is a pretty stinkin’ amazing combo. The book? “The God Who is There” by DA Carson.

   Below is a quote from the book that I thought was particularly important for college students to consider. To set the stage as to why it is so important, I believe many christian college students have little to no understanding of how to go to war against their sin and temptation. Most see the battle plan as grit your teeth and try REALLY hard.  And that is just not how to do it!

   In the second chapter Carson is writing on the deceitfulness of the first rebellion (ie, Adam and Eve taking the fruit in Genesis 3). As I read this paragraph I stopped and prayed for myself, my family and those in the college ministry to know/feel this truth.  And in light of sin and temptation for each to see the surpassing joy that is found in Christ!

   We gain a little insight into the terrible slippage going on in the woman’s mind if we conjure up what she should have said. Perhaps something like this: “Are you out of your skull? Look around! This is Eden; this is paradise! God knows exactly what He is doing. He made everything; He even made me. My husband loves me and I love him-and we are both intoxicated with the joy and holiness of our beloved Maker. My very being resonates with the desire to reflect something of His spectacular glory back to Him. How could I possibly question His wisdom and love? He knows, in a way I never can, exactly what is best-and I trust Him absolutely. And you want me to doubt Him or question the purity of His motives and character? How idiotic is that? Besides, what possible good can come of a creature defying His creator and Sovereign? Are you out of your skull?

   When you are tempted…respond with “Are you out of your skull”!

   Cutting someone with your words, pornography, worshiping your GPA, spending an insane # of hrs on XBox, dating/pursuing someone who is not submitted to Chirst and His Lordship….”are you out of your skull”? It would be a very stupid decision to choose the above sin/temptations, or any other sin/temptation for that matter, over being “intoxicated with the joy and holiness of our beloved Maker”!

   Dont just grit your teeth and try really hard. Beg God to show you the surpassing joy that is in Jesus Christ.

   Category: College Life, Uncategorized Comments (0)

6. Elevate pt. 1

   September 2, 2010 by Britten Taylor

   

   One thing that has remained constant (and will remain constant) for the College Ministry at The Church at Brook Hills is the emphasis on the mission of Christ! We are deeply committed to encouraging and equipping college students to “Glorify God by making disciples of all nations.” All of our efforts and energy are directed to that end.

   With that said, over the past several months, we have been wrestling with the method and system by which we are doing this. There were many factors that lead to this time of wrestling; Global Disciple-Making efforts, considering the state of the church in America, and reading a particularly difficult orange book (ie, Radical). Through it all it became painfully clear that we needed to have a much more radical (no-pun intended) approach to raising up disciple-makers that are urgently reproducing/multiplying disciple-makers!

   So, through constant prayer, many discussions, and countless hours of preparation, we want to share with you our new leadership development process. We call it… Elevate.

   Elevate is going to be the method by which we interview, train, and then mentor leaders to be multiplying disciple-makers. It is a system that we believe will help us be more effective at accomplishing our goal. Christ has commanded (not suggested) each person to make disciples of all nations. And because of that, we are convinced beyond a shadow of doubt that each of us will be held accountable one day for how we spent our one life to that end. We don’t want to waste our lives on the things of this world OR religious activity. We desperately want our one life to count and are convinced that we can make it count if we fully devote our lives to effectively making disciples!

   Over the next week or so I want to spend some time via the College Blog hashing some of the details out as it relates to this leadership development process.

   So stay tuned. Up first…”Elevate: Why do we need to revamp our leadership development?”

   Category: Church, UncategorizedTags: Elevate | Comments (0)

7. College Mixer (Free Lunch) September 12th, 12:30pm

   September 1, 2010 by Britten Taylor

   

   College Students are invited to join us for a FREE Lunch!
   DATE: Sunday, September 12th
   TIME: 12:30pm (after 11am Worship)
   LOCATION: Student Center

   Each semester we begin with a what we call College Mixer (Free Lunch).  And this Fall semester is no different. We do this for several reasons.

   First, we want to begin by getting as many of our college students in one place to enjoy a meal together, hang-out, and share some one-another time.  At The Church at Brook Hills our focus is on weekly Worship Gatherings (Sunday AM/PM) and weekly Disciple-Making Small Groups, but for college students there is always value in getting a slew of students together in one place just to hang.

   Second, we want to be able to cast vision to our students. We are well aware that Brook Hills College Ministry is one voice of many on your campus, so our hope during College Mixer is to take a few minutes and update each of you about what all will take place throughout the semester and encourage as many as possible to get plugged in.  Just a side note, our mission is to- “Glorify God by making disciples of all nations”. Therefore, our desire is for everything we do to be aimed at encouraging and equipping students to embrace and devote their lives to this mission through the local church.

   Third, we want to get as many college students connected into College Small Groups as possible.  I have said it before, and I will probably say it again, discipleship happens in relationship. Therefore our hope in College Small Groups is to see God form biblical community among students that is marked by great mercy for each other, for people in Birmingham, and all nations.  Connecting to a small group gives students the opportunity to grow inwardly thorugh Christ-centered relationships and grow outwardly through Gospel-centered ministry both locally and globally. At the Mixer students will be able to connect to an existing small group or even form a new group among their peers on campus.  Either way, College Ministry Staff will help get you connected.

   I hope to see you September 12th after our 11am Worship Gathering.

   Category: College Life, Uncategorized Comments (0)