| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Be smart, be strategic” Our Bible verse for today: “How happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk according to the Lord’s instruction! Happy are those who keep his decrees and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. You have commanded that your precepts be diligently kept.” Psalm 119:1-4 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Biblical principles are the guardrails of life” I once read a story about a pastor who led a young man to Christ and then told him to go read Psalm 119. When an old deacon in the church heard about it, he went to the pastor in confusion and asked, “Why in the world did you tell him to read Psalm 119? Why didn’t you send him to the Gospel of John?” It was a good question. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, 176 verses, and it’s not typically where we send a new believer in order to acquaint them with the basics of the Christian faith. But in the case of this young man, the pastor was right on. He was a thoughtful, inquisitive, student-type of person who loved to read and who valued learning. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, but it’s also all about the Bible. It is 176 verses about the beauty of God’s Word and the importance of knowing it well. For instance, in verses 9-11 we read, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping your word. I have sought you with all my heart; don’t let me wander from your commands. I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.” Yesterday we considered the sad life story of King Solomon, as recorded by him in the book of Ecclesiastes. There we learned that Solomon did not do what the writer of Psalm 119 was urging, he did not treasure God’s word in his heart, and he did not use the principles of God’s word as guardrails to keep him on track in life. And as a result, much of Solomon’s adult life was messy, sinful, and wasted. When it comes to being smart and strategic with respect to how we structure our lives, we have to begin with knowing the Word of God and then living by it. Biblical principles are the guardrails that keep us on track in life. They keep us from falling off the cliffs that border the path of righteous living that God has mapped out for us. It is the good and safe path through life that keeps us in the center of God’s will. Biblical principles are learned by means of practices like daily personal Bible study, participation in small group Bible studies (like Sunday school), regular faithful attendance in worship services (including paying close attention to the sermon), and reading good Christian books. Biblical principles are the guardrails of the Christian life. I encourage you to have those guardrails in place, and then stay within them. God bless, Pastor Jim |
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Oak Hill Baptist Church 
Good morning! You’re up early.
Wishing a fulfilling day in Christ.
Jim
Sent from my iPad
Thanks Jim!