Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “He said, ‘Don’t be afraid, you who are treasured by God. Peace to you; be very strong!’ As he spoke to me, I was strengthened.” Daniel 10:19 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Maybe your world is not falling apart”   The contemporary Christian recording artists “Casting Crowns” once sang a song with the line, “Maybe your world isn’t falling apart; maybe its falling into place.” That line is a powerful reminder that when we are in the middle of what seems to be a tragic or impossible set of circumstances, it can seem as if our world is falling apart. But God is always at work behind the scenes orchestrating events as needed to achieve His purposes. Sometimes the situation may have been created by God to advance His plan for you, but other times its simply life happening. Then God goes to work to use those circumstances for some good purpose for you.   In the Old Testament book of Daniel, we read about Daniel and his three young friends being taken captive by an invading army and relocated to Babylon to serve as slaves in the court of the King. That was a tragic event for them. But it turned out that God was simply relocating them to be involved in some magnificent adventures that would alter their own lives, and which would then be recorded in the Bible for all time to serve as an example and inspiration for readers down through the ages.   When they were taken captive and separated from their homes and from their families, it probably felt like their world was falling apart. But God was actually repositioning them so their lives could be of maximum usefulness for the Kingdom of God. As a result, they ended up holding places of great influence in the government. They also experienced God’s power at work in their lives as they were delivered from death in a fiery furnace, and from the jaws of hungry lions in the lion’s den. Daniel also experienced visions from God regarding prophecies pertaining to important future events; and he was given the power to interpret dreams for the king.   Had they not faced those trials they would probably never have had those experiences, nor would they have come to know God in such a deep and powerful way. It turned out that they were better off for having gone through those trials. Had any of it been avoided, they would have missed out on the best God had for them.   Whatever it is you find yourself in the middle of today, I encourage you to remember that God is at work behind the scenes using His mighty power on your behalf and just maybe, your world is not falling apart, but is really falling into place.   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

Copyright © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.” Romans 1:12 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “This is why we go to church”   In Matthew 22:35-39 Jesus reminded us of the two greatest commandments of all: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”   Everything else God wants of us is contained within those two commandments. If you love God with all your heart you will obey Him and live in a way that honors and pleases Him. And if you love your neighbor like yourself you will be a blessing to others and you will not sin against them. Everything it takes to live a God-honoring life is wrapped-up in those two commandments.   But those two commandments also provide us with the two primary reasons we go to church. The first is all about God. We gather so we can worship Him with others and so we can learn more about His will and His ways. Doing that will deepen our love for Him and it will better enable us to live in a way that honors Him.   And being gathered like that with our brothers and sisters provides us with the opportunity to express love and encouragement for each other. That folds right into the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. It’s hard to express that kind of love for each other when we’re not together. That’s what Paul was referring to in Romans 1:12 (above). He had love for the Roman Christians, and they had love for him, and they could tell each other about it through letters (or in our case through phone calls, text messages, and emails), but that’s not the same, or as good, or as effective as doing it in-person.   Being present in church, gathered with your brothers and sisters in Christ, creates a powerful spiritual dynamic that deepens your love for God and for others. This is why we go to church, and I encourage you to be there. If you’re not, you will miss out on what will probably be the most powerful spiritual experience available to you all week. There will be great worship, there will be learning, there will be love and encouragement, and it will be a powerful spiritual experience. Don’t miss it!   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

Copyright © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visons and dreams of every kind.” Daniel 1:17 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “God’s power in the worst of times”   So, there was Daniel and his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Four young Hebrew men who had been taken captive by the army of Nebuchadnezzar. They were brought to Babylon and made to be slaves. Their situation was desperate and dangerous. They were going to have to do exactly what they were told, conform to every rule and regulation and meet every expectation, and do it all to the satisfaction of their captors, or they would be punished, beaten, and perhaps even executed.   To their credit, they decided that if they were going to be slaves then they would be the best slaves they could be. They would obey, conform, and do a good job – so long as doing so didn’t conflict with the standards of conduct set for them by the One True God to whom they belonged. And as we read in Daniel 1:17, God honored their faithfulness and bestowed His favor upon them. He empowered them with skills and abilities that enabled them to excel, even in the middle of such a bad situation. That’s why God chose to include their story in the Bible as an example for us.   As the editors of the Experiencing God Study Bible noted in their introduction to the book of Daniel, “Daniel’s book seeks to convince believers that God is steadily working out his purposes even during the worst of times and that persecution of believers is a call to faithfulness, not to apostasy. Though times may be difficult now, God is in control, steadily working out his purposes and gradually bringing history to an end… Some of your greatest encounters with God can come during your most difficult moments in life. God is at work, even when your enemies appear to be defeating you.”   God honors integrity and righteousness by giving us protection and power. He empowered Daniel and his friends to not only stand tall and to be faithful in the middle of extremely difficult circumstances, but He went a step beyond that and He enabled them to not just endure but to excel. He can and will do that for you too.   God’s power is available to help you survive and thrive even in the worst of times.   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

Copyright © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank.” Daniel 1:8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “The power to be faithful”   Daniel lived under circumstances that most of us will never experience. His country had been defeated by an invading army; the leaders were all either killed or imprisoned; most of the people, including Daniel, were taken off into captivity in Babylon and made to be slaves; and Daniel then spent the rest of his life as a slave in a foreign country.   Worse, he was expected to conform to the cultural norms of the society he was now in, many of which were evil or in direct opposition to the moral standards of the One True God whom Daniel worshiped and obeyed. But, as we read in Daniel 1:8 (above), Daniel refused to defile himself by conforming to unbiblical cultural expectations – even if his refusal would get him in trouble with the authorities. This is the standard that would one day be established by Peter and John in Acts 5:29 when they said, “We must obey God rather than men.”   If you read the twelve chapters of Daniel’s story you will find that the results were a mixed bag for him. Sometimes he got along okay, sometimes he was even held in high esteem by the authorities for a short while, and at other times he was dangerously out of favor. But Daniel never waivered from his commitment to honor the Lord with his conduct.   How did he do it? Daniel was a powerful man of God who was determined to honor God. God in turn honored Daniel’s resolve by giving him the power he needed to stand tall no matter what he faced. Daniel was living proof of the promise God made almost 900 years earlier to Joshua in Joshua 1:9, “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord our God is with you wherever you go.” And again, through Isaiah almost 200 years before Daniel’s time, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)   There’s a lot we can learn from Daniel’s example about God’s power in us and for us, and we will come back to it tomorrow. For today, please remember that no matter what difficulty you are faced with, God is there with you and He will empower you to stand tall for Him and to honor Him by how you handle your challenges.   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

Copyright © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17 (ESV) Our thought for today: “Power under control”   I love the definition of the phrase “power under control”: “Power under control means having significant strength, authority, or capability but choosing to direct and restrain it responsibly and with great self-discipline, rather than using it to dominate, intimidate, or cause harm. It is the essence of meekness, where power is not a sign of weakness but a testament to a disciplined will, similar to a tamed wild horse possessing immense strength that is now directed by a master.”   Hello! That should describe Christians. We have the power of God within us which provides significant strength and authority, but it must be restrained and used in a responsible self-disciplined manner, rather than using it to bully, dominate, intimidate, or cause harm.   The murder of Charlie Kirk was a tragic incident that is dominating the news right now, and which serves as a great example of the point I’m making. Charlie was a Christian who had the power of God within him to accomplish an important task, but it was power under control that was used in a responsible way to accomplish God’s intended purpose. That was what made him so effective. As James described in James 3:17 (above), Charlie’s wisdom came from above, his motives were pure, he was peaceable, gentle, open to reason, merciful, and he produced good fruit. Charlie was calm, confident, balanced, and reasonable, rather than emotional, unbalanced, and unreasonable.   Contrast that with the angry and mean-spirited voices coming from some who profess to be Christian but who are acting anything but Christlike. Some of them are calling for retaliation and retribution. Their speech is over-heated, filled with anger, distain, and even hate. That’s not power under control it is power out of control. It is possible to try to usurp the power of God for your own purposes by claiming the name of Jesus, and seeking the support of the Christian community, but then acting in a very un-Christlike manner. Also, there’s a big difference between passionate enthusiasm and over-zealous fanaticism. There are few things more harmful to the cause of Christ than an angry religious fanatic.   As Christians the power of God is available to us to accomplish His plan in His way. Charlie Kirk was an excellent example of that and I encourage the rest of us to learn from his example and then to conduct ourselves in a similar manner. It is power under control.   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

Copyright © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “For you yourselves know how you should imitate us: We were not idle among you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:7 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “God’s power in every season of life”   The Apostle Paul wrote his letter, 2 Thessalonians, in the later years of his life. It had been a hard life. He had experienced many years of very difficult ministry. He had been shipwrecked, persecuted, beaten, imprisoned, starved, chased out of towns by violent mobs, and much more. It had been tough. He had been through a lot. But there he was, older and certainly worn out, but still at it. Still active, still preaching and teaching and writing, still setting a good example for everyone to see.   That reminds me of my old friend Dick DeGrow. I met him when I became the pastor of Bancroft Baptist Church in Spring Valley, CA in the mid-1990s. At that time Dick was already in his 70s. He was a retired pastor and he had some health issues, but he served in our church as a deacon, Sunday school teacher, and as the church custodian.   That’s right, church custodian. Retired pastor, deacon, teacher, and custodian. He didn’t need to be the custodian. He didn’t need the money and he wasn’t exactly a spring chicken. I asked him one time why he did it. He smiled a warm smile and in his soft voice he paraphrased Psalm 84:10 by saying, “Pastor, I would rather clean toilets in the house of the Lord than to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.” Then he smiled again and said, “You have a good day now.” And he shuffled off to clean the toilets and take out the trash.   What the Apostle Paul and Dick DeGrow both modeled for us is the truth that God’s power is available to us for continuing acts of ministry throughout all the seasons of life. The nature of the ministry activities may change over time, but being actively involved in serving God and His people is supposed to be something we all continue doing right up until the time the Lord lifts us out of this life and brings us home to heaven. Even if your final days are spent bedridden and physical ministry is no longer an option for you, you can still pray for yourself and for others; you can still worship the Lord in your mind and heart even if you can’t attend services; you can still accept visitors and be a source of encouragement to them; you can choose to be a pleasant encounter and a blessing to the healthcare providers caring for you. The point is, almost always there is still something we can do for the Lord and for others in every season of life.   No matter your season of life, God’s power is available for you, in you, and through you to accomplish meaningful things for the Kingdom. What are you doing for Him and for others 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

Copyright © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “Do not be children in your thinking, be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.” 1 Corinthians 14:20 (ESV)   Our thought for today: “How much have you grown and matured?”   I read something recently that challenged me to thoughtfully consider where I’m at spiritually these days, especially with in terms of growth and maturity. So, I took some time for introspection – a couple of days to prayerfully review my journals from the past year, as well as my annual goals and objectives from the last five years. In the process I considered questions like, “Did I achieve my goals and objectives?” What challenges have I experienced in the process?” “In what ways did I experience God at work in the middle of those circumstances?” “What did I learn from that and did I grow and mature as a result of it?” And, “Where am I today in terms of spiritual maturity and in my relationship with God?”   I suppose, in some respects, that kind of self-analysis is similar to the growth charts parents keep to track the physical growth of a child. You’ve seen the pictures of a child standing up against the wall and there are marks with dates indicating how tall the child was at a given time in the past and where the child is today. There are powers at work within the body of that child causing growth and maturing to happen over time.   Likewise, there’s a power at work within the Christian that is causing spiritual growth and maturity. It’s the power of God’s Holy Spirit at work within you and that growth can be tracked too. There are indicators. How Christlike have you become over the years in your thinking, attitudes, and conduct? To what degree do you experience and demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit in your life (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.) Can others see Jesus in you?   As a Pastor, there’s no greater joy for me than to see evidence of that growth in the lives of people in our congregation. That is the evidence of the power of God at work within them.   So, where are you at? How much have you grown? I encourage you to do some thoughtful, introspective, self-analysis. (But also, don’t be too hard on yourself. There’s a lot of truth in the old saying, “I know I’m not yet who I should be, but thank God I’m no longer who I used to be.”)   How much have you grown and matured? That is the evidence of God’s power at work in you.   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

Copyright © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you. I thirst for you; my body faints for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water. So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory.” Psalm 63:1-2 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “You need this”   Today is Saturday, tomorrow is Sunday. You need to be in church tomorrow. I mean it. You need to be there. Your soul needs it. All throughout the week the world has been sucking your soul dry. Hopefully you have a good pattern of daily spiritual disciplines that help to keep renewing your soul, but you also need the spiritual nurture that comes from being in the sanctuary, with God’s people, engaging in corporate worship.   That’s what David was writing about in Psalm 63:1-2. His soul had been sucked dry by the world. It felt desolate and in need of refreshing. So, he went to the sanctuary to experience God’s glory and to be renewed. There are some spiritual experiences that can only happen in a spiritually-charged group setting. The spiritual dynamic in such times is powerful and your soul needs it. That’s why the writer of the letter to the Hebrews told us in Hebrews 10:24 that we are not to skip the regular gatherings of our church families. We need to be there.   Life is a battle – an ongoing spiritual battle. But we cannot live in a state of constant war. If we try to, it will exhaust us. But that’s exactly what Satan wants. He wants to keep you engaged with him so he can bury you in battle after battle, overwhelming you, sucking your soul dry. That’s why so many passages in both the Old and New Testaments urge us, even command us, to withdraw and renew. You need a refuge from the storms of life, from the battles. Daily time with God is one of those sources of refuge, but so is a great time of corporate worship.   God wants to be powerful in you and through you, but you have to do your part to create the conditions for that to be so. Corporate worship is one of those places where God will do a deep work in your soul. It is one of those shelters from the storms of life, a break from the battles, that God will use to renew and refresh you. You need this if you are going to be powerful in the rest of life.   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

Copyright © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “God’s got ya”   The other morning, I read something in my pastor’s devotional book that reminded me of a scary but thrilling adventure I had decades ago. It was on my 50th birthday. I decided to celebrate by going skydiving. Although I had never been skydiving before, I did not want to do a tandem jump, being attached to an instructor. Instead, I wanted to do what they call “an assisted freefall.” In that scenario, I would not be attached to anyone. However, two instructors would jump with me and would fall right next to me. If I freaked out and didn’t pull the cord for my parachute, one of them would reach over and try to pull it for me.   So, there I was, falling through the sky at 120 mph from 17,000 feet. The ground seemed to be rushing up at me very fast and I wondered if perhaps I was going to die. But I did remember to pull the cord, the parachute did deploy, and I gently floated to the ground for a soft and safe landing.   God’s power in our lives can be a lot like that parachute. Sometimes life can feel like you’re falling out of the sky at 120 mph and the ground is coming up fast. But then God grabs you, arrests your fall, and gently guides you safely down to a soft landing. Here’s how the writer of my devotional for that day described it:   “It takes a serious level of unswerving resolve to jump out of a plane and then trust a piece of cloth to deliver a safe landing. Commitment to God and his purposes should look like that to us. We are fully in his hands, and we trust him to land us securely. Let’s grit our teeth and dive deeply into what God has planned for us!”   Do you feel as if you are freefalling through life? Well, God’s got ya. His power is enough to hold you up and deliver you safely to a soft landing, just like that parachute.   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

Copyright © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-28 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Choose love over hate”   In Luke 6:27-28 Jesus told us to do something that is very hard – especially in a society like ours that is filled with so much anger and hate. Our natural tendency when we are ridiculed, attacked, or treated unfairly is to punch back; match their angry rhetoric with angry rhetoric of our own; respond to their mistreatment of us by mistreating them back. But is that effective? Is it Biblical?   In Luke 6:27-28 Jesus told us to respond to their anger with demonstrations of His love. In Romans 12:14;17 the Apostle Paul wrote, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse … Do not repay anyone evil for evil.” In 1 Peter 3:9 we read, “… not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing …” And in Proverbs 25:21-22 Solomon wrote, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”   Those are just a handful of Scriptures that speak to the issue. There are many more but the Lord’s point is clear, we are not to respond to them by being like them. We are to respond to them by being like Jesus.   That does not mean that you are to be a doormat or a verbal punching bag. Of course, you can take the actions necessary to protect yourself and your family; and you can cut abusive people out of your life and refuse to have anything more to do with them; and you can respond to the lies being told with the truth. It’s not that we can’t respond, it’s a matter of how we respond.   As author John Eldredge observed, “Hatred has become the new “spirit of the age;” the mounting tensions in this country are symptoms of a much deeper reality.” That deeper reality is the spiritual warfare Paul described in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” People aren’t the real enemy, Satan is. Satan is the deeper reality, and we defeat the hatred of Satan with the love of Jesus.   The power of God’s love to defeat Satan’s hatred is very real, but we will have to choose love over hate.   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

Copyright © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571