Good partners are a source of joy

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”

Our Bible verse for today: “Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I too may be encouraged by news about you. For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interests …” Philippians 2:19-20 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Good partners are a source of joy”

As you know, recently I was able to go on a mission trip to eastern Kentucky with a small team from our church. We met-up with a team from Mt. Airy, Maryland who we had worked with before and together, we did community service projects in support of the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP).

One of the things I love about the experience of our two groups working together with CAP is that spiritually it is always a mountaintop experience. CAP itself is an exceptional ministry that does an outstanding job of creating a service context for people like us to come and serve the people of Appalachia in the name of Jesus. Our two groups were made up of twenty-four high-achievers who love Jesus, love people, and who are passionate about serving others and each other. It was a spiritually dynamic environment and it is something we all want to experience more of. We will do it again in the future.

Good partnerships are like that. They are a source of encouragement, inspiration, and joy. And that’s what the Apostle Paul writes about in this section of his letter to the Philippians. He begins in verses 19-20 by telling the Philippians that he is going to send his ministry partner Timothy to them to bring them news about him and to find out how they are doing. He states that Timothy is “like-minded” in his care and concern for them. In other words, Timothy loved the Philippians just as Paul did and therefore through this act of service on Timothy’s part, he would be a source of encouragement and joy to both them and to Paul, and I’m sure that in the process, Timothy himself would be blessed too.

Everyone needs good partners. Nobody can do it all themselves. I’m grateful for my friend Steve Tate and his efforts to plan, organize, and lead teams to places like Martin, Kentucky, and then to invite us to join them. I’m also grateful for the leadership and staff at CAP for maintaining a strong base of operations in the heart of Appalachia and then providing the context for teams like ours to come in and serve. The mountaintop experience wouldn’t happen without them.

Who are the ministry partners in your world that you are grateful for? I encourage you to tell them so today.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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