Keep the good in and the bad out

Posted byoakhillcrossvillePosted inUncategorized
Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Selfcare”

Our Bible verse for today: “Do not be misled: bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

Our thought for this month: “Keep the good in and the bad out”

As we continue our thinking about the importance of establishing good boundaries as an element of good selfcare, we need to remind ourselves that we must be intentional about this. Folks, it’s a big bad world out there filled with lots of big bad influences. We and our children are surrounded by them and immersed in them all day long. Therefore, we must be intentional about keeping the good in and the bad out.

But doing so isn’t easy. Unfortunately, the world has the advantage. Bad influences far outweigh good influences in our society. Worse, the bad influences are subtle, ubiquitous, and insidious. To a large degree they are so common that we have become numb to it all and therefore the bad influences even work on us at the subconscious level without our awareness.

The good news is that just a little bit of light chases away a whole lot of darkness. Enter a completely dark room and the darkness can seem overwhelming. But turn on even a small flashlight and the darkness quickly recedes and suddenly you can see a lot. The same holds true in the spiritual realm. Even a little spiritual light chases away a whole lot of spiritual darkness. This is why daily quiet time with the Lord in prayer and Bible study is so important. It’s also why regular church attendance matters so much. And it’s why maintaining close and frequent fellowship with other Christians can be such an effective way of combatting the evil in the world. A little light chases away a lot of darkness.

This past week at Oak Hill Baptist Church we held Vacation Bible School. It was wonderful and the children had a blast. But more important than having fun, they learned a lot about God. They learned about His magnificent creation and they learned the importance of having faith in Jesus. Seeds of faith were planted in their young hearts that will bear fruit for the rest of their lives and which will help them to be strong and faithful in a culture that makes being strong and faithful to God very difficult.

On Sunday we will conclude our Bible school in the morning service with a VBS sermon and special music and dancing from the children. It will be followed by an ice cream social immediately after the service. Please join us for Sunday school at 9:00 and the VBS grand finale at 10:00 (and be sure to stay for the ice cream!)

Children need the guidance, good example, and support of adults to establish and maintain good boundaries that will help them to keep the good in and the bad out. Please come and support them this Sunday.

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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Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

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