4401 BRECKENRIDGE LANE,LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY 40218SERVICES EVERY SUNDAY AT 9:00, 10:30 AND 12:00
It is that time of year again. It is getting colder and what would be better that warming up beside the fire? How about warming up beside the fire with 75 of your friends outside! Add some great fireside food, fall festival fanfare and you have a perfect FALLVEMBER to remember. More details you ask? Hayride, games, hotdogs, smores, chili and maybe a bovine or two.
When? Saturday , Nov 14 , 7-10 pm
Where? Behind the Church
For the last few decades Praise and Worship has come to be known as a type of music that we sing on Sundays, or the type of music that we all crave when we go to a Christian concert, but why? Why has this become such a popular style of music and on what basis is it built upon.
This is what we will be looking at on Thursday nights this September. For 5 weeks, starting Sept 3, we will look at the biblical understanding of the words praise and worship. What do they mean? In what context do we see them used? What does that mean for us? Are we praising and worshiping?
REALITY- A midweek interactive time where single/young adults seek to build real relationships with both God and man through…
REAL Fellowship,REAL Worship, and the TRUTH/ God’s Word. (Luke 2:52)
SUMMER CONCERT- JEREMY CAMP– AUGUST 24- KENTUCKY STATE FAIR
Join us as we go hear one of the top Christian recording artist for FREE at this year’s Kentucky State Fair. Jeremy’s music is from the heart of a changed man. His walk with the Lord through tragedy and joy gives inspiration for believers no matter what their background. Don’t miss this awesome opportunity to hear one of Christians music’s greatest …live. We will be taking the bus for those that want to save the cost of parking.(seats are a first come first serve) Simply go to FACEBOOK and Sign up for the event through 9th & O’s Singles Group or by emailing Philip
ONE LIFE…………ONE STORY
2009 Single Adult Labor Day Retreat
When? Sept 6-7 (Sun-Mon)
Where? Wooded Glen Resort
Early Registration is now open!! The Title “One Life One Story” challenges us in our obedience of sharing our One Story, the story of what Christ has done in our One Life. Breakout sessions will include how to share your story at: work, home, school, with strangers, and many more. Recieve $25 OFF FINAL COST of retreat by registering on-line before July 21. (Scholarships are available by contacting me at pbrown@naobc.org. We are committed to work it out so that your lack of finances will not be your excuse. Call me or email me if you would like to sponsor or need support)
REALITY IN JUNE
Our Thursday night worship and fellowship will be helping the Vacation Bible School on the week of June 11. From 6:30 to 7:30 pm we will be handing out cookies and lemonade to the families of those who have attended VBS this week.
It is time for another REALITY at the Browns. This year we will meet here at the church between 6:45 and 7:15 to be shuttled to the Browns neighborhood. We will have corn toss, finger foods, testimonies, and Andrew Lucius will be leading us is some worship songs as well.
July 4th- Seniors and Singles
The 4th Annual Singles and Seniors Grill-Out is only a month away. Each year our Senior Adults and Singles here at Ninth and O spend some awesome time together around great food, games. This year we are adding stories to that. Yes! Stories! The senior adults and singles will be sharing their stories of salvation with each other. You won’t want to miss this event as we encourage one another and glean from our senior adults. Sign ups will be in your BFG and at REALITY starting May 31.
Baseball; An American Tradition
We will be taking in the Bats JUNE 16.
Click Here to Purchase Tickets On-Line. (Group Event Full) If you are still wanting to go and are willing to pay non-group pricing please contact Jill Jones Event Coordinator.
Singles Leadership Team (2) for 2009
I am now taking recommendations for the Singles Leadership Team for the second part of 2009. These positions will help with the implementation of the overall Singles Ministry at Ninth and O. The commitment will be for 6 months and will start the second week of May. This team will also meet the Singles Pastor, BFG teachers, and the co-chairs each month. There are 4 positions that will be available for the second part of 2009. You may recommend yourself. 1. Male Rookie Rep (member of church less than 6 months) 2. Female Rookie Rep (member of church less than 6 months) 3. Fellowship Coordinator 4. Retreat Coordinator. For more information on each position you may contact me at pbrown@naobc.org.
Because of Him
Philip D. Brown
Associate Pastor of Single Adults.
My spring break this year was spent in California., from LA to San Diego. My primary reason for heading out west again was to spend time with missionary friends who are on furlough for 7 weeks. But also to remember great food I used to take for granted –fine dinning such as In & Out Burger simply can’t be beat! I’ve already talked with some of you about what an amazing & challenging trip it was – for others of you allow me to briefly explain.
My flight was joyously consumed in good reading. I was able to finished the book “Will Medicine Stop the Pain” – by Elyse Fitzpatrick & Henderson M.D. I was using the book as a resource for a conversation with friends planned later in the week. My purpose in the meeting was to speak truth about choices they are making that are not Biblical – while I spoke in love, the results have not been good, and I just pray the Lord uses His word to change lives.
I spent 9 days in California, because of this I was able to spend 2 Sundays at Grace Community Church! Oh how I love this church. The men & women who are apart of Grace Church are among the most godly and solid people on earth. Even though the church is a little north of 10,000 people, it still feels like a family. During the month of February Grace Church celebrated their 40th anniversary! It was an entire month long celebration where John MacArthur spoke on “Reasons I love the church.” Not a single believer would be able to walk out of the church without having a greater love for the church as well. —–
This time of year was the time for the Shepherds Conference. Thousands of pastors from all over the world come to learn (51 countries were represented; 3500 pastors). Grace Community was very busy the two Sundays I was there. My second Sunday we had the treat of hearing Dr. Mohler speak in the college-young adult group. He was behind Rick Holland’s pulpit – the pulpit that taught me more about the word & living for God than any other person (apart from my dad & Dr. MacArthur). It was neat to see him in California.
One of the people I met during college was one of the starting members of Grace Community. She graciously took me to breakfast Monday morning. She is 78 years old, but still as sharp as a tack! From the time I left until now she memorized Philippians & Ephesians! (I have only been gone 3 years). We had very encouraging conversation – we talked about how true worship is not something confined to your “quiet time”, but it is involved in everything we do. Every thought, every action, every moment spent during the day should be spent worshiping our great God. We talked about missions and how God has used, and will continue to use, Grace Community to share Christ to people who haven’t heard of him! She even gave me a check for my trip to Uganda! (I’m not leaving anytime soon, but she wanted to give me a start).
I could continue to go on & on about that day – I met with many different people for lunch or coke or something hearing about what God has been doing in peoples lives & encouraging one another to continue in good deeds & love for one another.
I then left for San Diego to see the missionaries. Danielle Hurley discipled me in college, so we are very close. Her 4 children were with her in there, and Shannon (her husband) was at the Shepherd’s Conference. No matter who you are or where you go; if you are doing the work of the Lord somehow the enemy will try to attack the unity that is there and try to stop the progress of the gospel. During this trip, the Hurley family’s ministry was attacked, very harshly and unjustly. There were emergency late night elder meetings with 2 different churches that took place during this week, investigations over ridiculous accusations, and a lot of heart break & tears. While Shannon’s integrity, ministry and morality was in question (not by Grace Community elders; but an individual from another church & country) I was watching his wife and sister-in-laws respond. This is where I was able to see faith chosen over question; peace chosen over anxiety; love chosen over hate; forgiveness chosen over bitterness; prayer chosen over gossip; family chosen over disunity. They truly lived out before my eyes their new nature received in Christ – which does not get bogged down with things of this world, but looks to the future with hope and faith in Christ. They lived out a great example for how godly women respond to difficult circumstances. It was an honor to be with them, pray with them, encourage them, and serve them.
On the train ride back to LA I was able to read the Bible and pray – specifically many of the Psalms which were comforting after this week reminding me that righteousness is of great gain and that those who walk in the way of the Lord (like the Hurleys) will never stumble or be moved – God will hold them steady and the accusers will be put to shame.
One of the books I picked up & read on the way home is called Crazy Love – by Frances Chan. I recommend this book to everyone! For the sake of space, I won’t share about it during this post – but ask me about it and I’ll tell you why you should read it That’s my week in a very short summary – hitting some of the high lights. I am really thankful the Lord allowed that opportunity. It was very encouraging, refreshing and growing – overwhelming me yet again with God love!
I had a dream a couple of months ago that had a deep impact on my everyday thinking. Before I tell you what it was I want to admit that I don’t think it was some revelatory dream that I received or something, in fact parts of it run contrary to my understanding of God’s word. For those reasons don’t read too much into the fact that I had a dream… Now with all that being said I would like to share some thoughts that have arisen in my mind because of the dream.
I had a dream that I witnessed the second coming of Christ. (don’t think I’m crazy or a heretic yet, read on…) Maybe I was spending to much time reading through the book of Revelation (lol), but the way the dream effected me was quite real. It put the idea of eternity squarely on my mind. It was amazing how quickly I forgot all my problems, work, stress, and plans that I had. I quickly abandoned the task I was doing in the dream when this all started. Even when I awoke I still was left with thoughts of eternity on my mind. It was like my mind shifted into a new gear.
As I stood there in my dream believing that in the next few minutes I was going to come face to face with the Jesus Christ there were really only three things on my mind: 1. an amazement that “this world” in which I had spent 24 years was now coming to an end, 2. concern that Christ would “know me” (Matt 7:21-23), 3. and I was very aware of my sinfulness. Everything else in my mind blew away like dust in the wind.
Yet again God allowed me to stare eternity in the face just this last week. Some of you may know that I am at the Army’s Chaplain School in SC. Last week we took a trip to the South Carolina Medical School’s morgue. We went so that we would get exposed to death (forcing us to come to to terms with many issues) and for some simple medical training using the bodies. This is valuable training for Chaplains in a time of war.
I expected to see some things that would make me uncomfortable. I did not expect it would affect me as much as it did. I saw a lot of things that night, and so many thoughts rattled around in my head. I could not help but wonder where the souls of the bodies in front of me where spending eternity. What would they say if they could talk now? How glorious is it to live forever with God? How horrible is the second death (Rev 21:8)?
As I lay down to sleep that night I was uneasy. I still saw those images vividly in my minds eye. Those same thoughts from the morgue still wore on my mind and the question of my own salvation loomed large. “Am I really saved? How do I know that I am really saved?” It’s funny how questions you have settled in your mind over and over again can still come calling, asking once more for an answer. An uneasy night was only made bearable by reading from God’s word, praying and quoting scripture in my head. As I quoted versed that dealt with salvation and faith in Christ I simply tried to examine my life and my faith in light of those verses.
There are times in our lives when we are confronted with eternity quite plainly. Often these are in the face of great tragedy or death. Though these times may be uncomfortable I give thanks that God allows them in order that He may order our thoughts anew. Every so often the Lord shakes me and opens my eyes again to what is really important. Like His discipline these experiences are uncomfortable but yield great fruit in season. Even the questioning of ones faith is an exercise that can make us stronger.
I encourage everyone to ask themselves honestly and frequently “where will I spend eternity and how do I know?” I think one reason people do not do this is because they are afraid of the answer they’ll uncover if they probe to deeply. This is pride and we must overcome it. I can speak form experience; pride looks awfully foolish when one stares at eternity for any length of time.
Examine your thoughts. What are they filled with? What are your days filled with. How would they change if you knew a minute from now would bring eternal change to your life? Probe whatever it is in your mind that gives you assurance of your salvation. Measure it against God’s word. If you have never had an experience that has positioned eternity squarely in your sights then it is my prayer that God would give you one.
One of the things that I love about being at Ninth and O is the fact that we are not expected to be perfect. That is a good thing, because none of us would feel comfortable there if it wasn’t so. The difference about the family at Ninth and O is that we acknowledge that we are sinful. From our pastor to a person in a pew, we realize that until we see Christ we will struggle with our sinful flesh. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that we are being changed. It is a process. We do have a goal but it is not set by man, it is has already been set by Christ, the perfect God/Man.
I don’t know about you, but I seem to always point out someone else’s problems way before I look at mine. The word “hypocrite” gets thrown around a lot as something that only someone does. But for me, I know that I am a hypocrite. I know I fit the description pretty well. Hypocrisy is defined by living contradictory to what you state you believe. Well, I echo Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament. “Why do I seem to do the things I know I should not, yet don’t do the thing I know I ought”. The problem here is that our society has taught us that if you do something you should believe in what you do. The end results in the fact that we say we are hopeless if we sin once. That could be true if we are not a believer, but for a believer, we have hope in Christ.
Recommended Video (especially for pastors and seminary students)
The Single’s Vision in 2009 is for everyone in our group to share their story of how God has changed their lives. There were many of you who had the opportunity to share the love of Christ with someone in your family this holiday season. For those who have lost ones in your family, my prayer goes out to you for strength this year. For those who are blessed to have a Christian family, may we all be in prayer for our friend’s lost family members. Whether it is prayer or sharing your faith, I urge each of you to “not grow weary in doing good” and may we see the fruit of our labor in 2009.
Questions for Comment
1. Is it harder to share with someone you know or someone you have never met?
2. What keeps us from sharing our faith?
3. Is it your story or God’s?
