| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Christian community” Our Bible verse for today: “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts.” Ecclesiastes 4:9 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Let’s fish instead of fight” In yesterday’s devotional I told you a little about our worship service at Oak Hill Baptist this past Sunday. I mentioned that it was a mountaintop spiritual experience that helped prepare us to enter back into the valley of everyday life. But something else happened during that gathering of our church family that is worthy of mention as well. After the service we held a mission committee meeting to plan our mission projects for the spring and summer. There will be a night of service at our local rescue mission; various activities to help at a local Christian camp for disadvantaged children; a mission trip to deliver relief supplies to our partner church in the coal-mining region of eastern Kentucky; and our teens will go on a week-long mission trip of their own. Additionally, we will host a missionary family from southeast Asia; we will also have a week-long Vacation Bible School; and we will have a church picnic and community outreach event at the local State Park. We are an Acts 1:8 church and mission projects are the heartbeat of our church life. This is also an important element in keeping our church healthy. There’s an old adage regarding church life that says “When fishermen don’t fish, they fight.” It’s a reference to the old days of fishing villages. When the fishermen weren’t out on their boats fishing (as they were supposed to be), many of them were hanging out in the bars instead and drinking heavily. Before long one fisherman would conclude that another fisherman was looking at him crossways and soon a fight would start. Then the friends of each fisherman would jump in to defend their friend and soon there would be a full-fledged brawl. Church life can be like that. When church members (called by Jesus to be fishers of lost people) don’t fish, they sit around in their Sunday school rooms and fellowship halls looking at each other. Soon enough, someone looks at someone else crossways and before you know it, you have the church equivalent of a barroom brawl. You know the story. Church fights are legendary, and almost always they’re started by bored Christians focusing on silly things that don’t really matter much. The key to avoiding fights is to fish. In church that means being actively on-mission with Jesus outside the walls of the church. Ecclesiastes 4:9 is true. We’re at our best when we work together in constructive ways to further the cause of Christ. So, let’s fish instead of fight. God bless, Pastor Jim (Join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:00. Join us in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you are a shut-in, join us online at http://www.YouTube.com/oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
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