Singing Oaks Church of Christ | Brandon Bell

Distractions

By Brandon Bell, Campus Missionary | August 25, 2017

I suffer from a mental illness doctor’s call Attention Deficit…….. Dude, what was I talking about?

So I’m no stranger to distractions. Recently, I started to realize that God often uses distractions for good. What I view as just an ADD moment, can sometimes lead me to deeper spiritual insights. As a minister, many times distractions come in the form of a better ministry opportunity.

However, Satan certainly uses them too. That sounds like a no-brainer, but I’m not just talking about distractions that come in the form of an inappropriate pop-up on your computer, or the everyday business that keeps us distant from God.

Unfortunately for us, Satan is really good at distracting us with good things in order to keep us from doing greater things to which God is calling us. That’s what keeps churches on the treadmill; expending so much energy, time, spiritual gifts, and money, but getting nowhere.

Celebrating Our Hispanic Ministry & Culture

By Brandon Bell, Campus Missionary | July 7, 2017

I am so thankful to be a part of a church who has a Hispanic ministry and is striving to be one body with our Spanish speaking brothers and sisters! In the past 5 years I have led 2 mission trips to Mexico and 3 to the Dominican Republic. These amazing experiences have shaped me in many ways. One of those ways that has made a lasting and daily impact on me is how I have grown to love Latin people, Latin culture, and the Spanish language. One of my bucket list goals I am currently working on is to be fluent in Español. I’ve got a long way to go, but I am determined.

In my short time here with Singing Oaks I have loved the various experiences I have had with our Spanish speaking family! The Anniversary Celebration we had 2 Sundays ago was a tremendous blessing. I loved hearing the story of how Andres and his family came to Singing Oaks and the way God’s hand has been on this wonderful ministry!

Tornadoes, Shooting Sprees, Crazy Dictators, and Other Flaming Arrows

By Brandon Bell, Campus Missionary | May 5, 2017

Ephesians 6:16 “in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

The news is always crazy, but this week it has seemed more than usual. It hit home for me when large portions and outlying areas of my hometown of Canton were destroyed by EF3 tornadoes. It also seems that every time I have seen the news recently there has been another random shooter rampage, or a knife wielding person stabbing students at random, terrorist attacks, and to top it all off that psycho in North Korea is getting more and more adamant about war with the U.S.A.

One of the things tornadoes, active shooters, terrorists, and crazy dictators all have in common is their unpredictable and uncontrollable randomness. With all the “intelligence” we have about our enemies and about severe weather, these things mentioned above still take us by total surprise.

Unity

By Brandon Bell, Campus Missionary | April 3, 2017

I was born an Auburn Tiger fan. My dad graduated from Auburn, so it was inherited. The Auburn – Alabama rivalry is the biggest and most intense rivalry in all of college sports. However, in the spring of 2011 those differences and strong dislikes were laid aside in the spirit of something much more important. In April of 2011 the state of Alabama was ravaged by one of the most deadly tornado outbreaks in U.S. history. The city of Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama was nearly destroyed by a mile-wide F5 tornado, leaving many dead, including some University of Alabama students.

Showing up unannounced in the aftermath was about 70 Auburn football players (Not wearing Auburn blue & orange by the way) ready to help with cleanup anyway they could. An outpouring of help from the Auburn faculty, fans and alumni quickly followed, and suddenly these 2 intensely polarized groups were 1, just Americans. These rivals were unified Americans who had a common goal of rebuilding lives and rebuilding their state.

Your Concept of Time

By Brandon Bell, Campus Missionary | February 10, 2017

There are many things that differentiate followers of Christ from unbelievers. (morality, faith, concept of truth, origin of life, purpose of life, & other world views)

Many of these differences can boil down to one concept in particular, and that is our concept of time.

1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”