Oak Hill Baptist Church

Do the right thing because it is the right thing

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Character and integrity”

Our Bible verse for today: “And he said, ‘I will be with you; that shall be your sign that it was I who sent you. And when you have freed the people from Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” Exodus 3:12 (New Jerusalem Publication Society Bible)

Our thought for today: “Do it because it’s the right thing to do”

Recently, in my personal quiet time, I’ve been reading through Dr. Dennis Prager’s commentary on Exodus from his series of commentaries called “The Rational Bible”. In chapter three Moses has his encounter with God at the burning bush. There God informs him that he is to return to the land of Egypt (the very place he fled from in fear for his life), and he is to serve as God’s instrument to bring about the deliverance of the nation of Israel from slavery.

Needless to say, Moses was skeptical. More, he was convinced that he was not the man for the job. And, he probably had no desire to leave his nice, quiet, safe, and comfortable life in the desert. So, he argued with God and questioned Him repeatedly, looking for a way out of this. But in verse 12 God told Moses that if he was obedient and if he did this thing, when it was over he would find himself worshipping God and giving Him thanks for their successful deliverance.

Obeying God and doing the right thing is an act of faith. It requires us to go forward in obedience and to trust God for the outcome. We do the right thing because it is the right thing to do, and we trust God for the rest. And, like Moses, it’s only when we look back at the event afterwards that we can see how God ultimately worked it out.

Dr. Prager observed, “Perhaps this is one meaning of the biblical verse that we can only see God from the back (Exodus 33:23) – only after an event happens can we see God’s hand in it.”

Men and women of character and integrity do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do. They trust God for the outcome, understanding that it will only be after they have gone forward in faith and obedience that they will be able to look back and see how God used that righteous act and worked things out according to His will.

I encourage you to resolve to do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do, and then just trust the outcome to God.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

You are responsible for your happiness

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Character and integrity”

Our Bible verse for today: “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.” Psalm 144:15 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Your happiness is your responsibility”

One of my favorite books regarding personal responsibility is “The Traveler’s Gift” by Andy Andrews. It’s a fictional story about a man named David Ponder who is at the lowest point of his life. Everything has gone wrong. His life is a trainwreck and he can see no way out of his mess.

In a dream God takes David on a trip through time. In each era of history David encounters an historical figure who teaches him a vital lesson regarding the personal responsibility each person has to make their own life successful. Out of those encounters David formulates a list of seven decisions that determine personal success. It’s an inspiring story and the lessons it teaches will be helpful for any person.

Decision number five on that list was learned from David’s encounter with the young Jewish girl Anne Frank. It was during World War II and Anne and her family were in an extended period of hiding from the Nazis. But despite her perilous situation, Anne left behind a diary which has become famous for its wise insights and its irrepressible joy and happiness. The lesson about personal responsibility that David learned from that encounter is that despite our circumstances, each of us is responsible for our attitude and our happiness. The way he phrased it on his list of seven resolutions is, “Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.”

As we learned in yesterday’s devotional, an upbeat and joyful disposition is a matter of choice. We can choose to embrace every day as a gift from God, and we can choose to rejoice and be glad in it. I will go so far as to say that your happiness is your responsibility.

Godly men and women of character and integrity understand that rejoicing in the Lord and being grateful for our blessings is an essential attitude that must be chosen and cultivated. If we wait for life to give us happiness, we will be waiting a long time and we will spend most of our time dissatisfied and unhappy.

I encourage you to choose to be happy. You are personally responsible for your attitude and for your own happiness. Embrace it. Choose joy. Do it for yourself, and do it for those who have to live with you.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

It’s Monday. Rejoice and be glad!

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Character and integrity”

Our Bible verse for today: “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “It’s Monday. Rejoice and be glad!”

Welcome to Monday! Are you happy? Are you glad? Are you singing with the Psalmist, “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it”? Or, are you a Monday hater?

Monday often gets a bad rap because for most people it’s the beginning of the work week, and many of them hate their jobs. I once had a retiree say to me, “Retirement consists of six Saturdays and a Sunday, but I still hate Monday.” He had spent his entire working life hating Mondays and now in retirement he couldn’t break the habit.

I contend that men and women who are spiritually mature and who have developed godly character and integrity have learned to appreciate every day, every moment, and every breath of life as a gift from God – and they find reasons to rejoice in it. Being upbeat, positive, and enthusiastic about life is a trait shared by the spiritually mature. In my opinion being habitually negative (the glass-half-empty person), indicates a lack of spiritual growth. And not only does it make you miserable, but your negative attitude has a bad impact on the people who have to live with you, work with you, or encounter you in the world.

Do you know Eeyore? Eeyore is the donkey from the Winnie the Poo stories. He is Donnie Downer. He is an expert at finding a negative to go with every positive. If you say it’s a beautiful day, he will tell you there’s a chance for rain. If you say life is good, he’ll tell you that something bad is bound to happen. People like Eeyore tend to be so focused on themselves and their perceived woes and problems that they miss many of the opportunities for joy in life – and they rain on everyone else’s parade in the process.

My friends, don’t be Eeyore. God has filled each day with many reasons to rejoice and to be glad. And since rejoicing and being glad is an attitude based on a decision, you can therefore control it. The Psalmist proclaimed this to be so when he wrote “I will” rejoice and be glad in it. He had made up his mind to rejoice and be glad, and then he proceeded to do it. It was an attitude born out of a decision.

Men and women of character and integrity tend to be positive and upbeat because it’s Biblical to view life that way. We’ll think more about this tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy this beautiful Monday!

God bless,
Pastor Jim

We become like those we associate with

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Character and integrity”

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

Our thought for today: “We become like those we associate with”

I would like to take Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 15:33 and turn it around from a negative to a positive. If it’s true that bad company corrupts good character, then it’s also true that good company can reform bad character. Or, good company can take my flawed character and help me to become a better man than I am.

It’s a basic truism of human nature that overtime we become like those we associate with. That’s what Paul was referring to. So, if you hang around with people who curse like drunken sailors, pretty soon profanity will probably be coming out of your mouth too. If you spend your evenings in a drug house with drug addicts who are shooting up heroin, before long you’ll have a needle in your arm too.

But on the positive side, if your friends are all soccer moms driving mini-vans and working the concession stands, chances are you’ll be doing those things too. And if your companions are mostly Christians who love Jesus and who are active in church, there’s a pretty good chance that will be true of you as well.

Men and women of godly character and integrity get and stay that way by associating with others who value and practice those character traits as well. This is what Solomon was referring to in Proverbs 27:17 when he wrote, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” And this is why it’s so important not to skip the gatherings of your church family. As the writer of the letter to the Hebrews tells us, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing …” Hebrews 10:24-25

As was noted in yesterday’s devotional, this Sunday at Oak Hill Baptist Church we will celebrate our annual Homecoming Day. It will be a time of celebrating the church family God has formed at Oak Hill, and it will be a time of encouragement and strengthening each other. We invite you to join us (see yesterday’s devotional for the details).

It’s true that we become like those we associate with. I can’t think of any group of people I would like to be more like than the members of Oak Hill Baptist and so, I very much look forward to being with them. I hope you plan to be with a group like that as well.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

We need a band of brothers and sisters

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Character and integrity”

Our Bible verse for today: “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “We need a band of brothers and sisters”

The term “A band of brothers” has been around a long time and has been used in many contexts. It has been the subject of books, movies, plays, and stories. It has been used in fiction, myth, legend, and real life. The term refers to a group of people who are dedicated and loyal to each other, despite the difficulties and dangers they face. It is most often used with respect to military combat units, but it applies just as well to groups of all kinds.

A church family can be considered to be a band of brothers and sisters. A good church family is essential to living the Christian life well, and godly men and women of character and integrity know this to be true. This world is not our home – we’re simply passing through on our way to our real home in heaven, but the journey is long and difficult and often dangerous. So, God has given us brothers and sisters to make the journey with us. We are to do this together. Our church family is a band of brothers and sisters and we do look out for each other, we care for each other, and, when necessary, we carry each other.

This is the concept Solomon was using in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (above). Companions are essential. Pity the fool who tries to live this life alone. We need others who have our back and who will be there to lift us up when we fall, comfort us when we’re down, and help us when we are weak.

This Sunday (September 18^th) at Oak Hill Baptist Church we will celebrate our annual Homecoming Day. Summer is over, vacations are done, school has started, and the new church year has begun. Now it’s time to gather the church family, round up those who have strayed, invite friends, and enjoy a special day celebrating the band of brothers and sisters which God has formed in this church. There will be special music from the Perryman Sisters; a Homecoming message from Reverend Kirk Casey, the Director of Missions for the Cumberland Plateau Baptist Association; and there will be a catered lunch, along with fun and games afterwards.

It all starts at 9:00 with Sunday school, followed at 10:00 with the Homecoming celebration. Lunch will be served around 11:30. If you are anywhere near Cumberland County, Tennessee please join us. Or, if not, then join us live online on the Oak Hill Baptist Church Facebook page, or on the church website at oakhillbaptist.net.

Christian companionship is an essential element for living the Christian life well. Men and women of character and integrity know this. We need a good band of brothers and sisters.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Leverage what God has given you

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Character and integrity”

Our Bible verse for today: “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.” Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Leverage what the Lord has given you”

Many years ago, when I was serving as a pastor in another part of the country, I had a friend who was a successful businessman in our town. Richard had started out as a young man working for someone else. But when he was ready, he launched his own business, and he did very well.

It was a small business but successful, and as a result Richard was well off financially. He was a strong Christian who donated generously to many Christian causes. At one point he asked me to bring the pastors in our town together each month for a free lunch at a nice restaurant. There was to be no agenda and no presentations of any sort. The pastors would not be asked to do anything, go anywhere, or support anything. It was simply a time for food and fellowship. And when it was over, Richard quietly and anonymously paid the bill. Everyone month. Hundreds of dollars.

I had another friend in the same town who was the superintendent of county schools. Jim was a strong Christian and a member of our church. He had started out as a school teacher. He then continued going to graduate school at night, eventually earning his doctorate degree. While he was doing that, he continued to earn promotions within the school system. Eventually our county had a strong Christian man leading the schools, and we were all blessed because of it.

I know of another man who started out as a low-level worker in a manufacturing facility. It was a difficult work environment where the workers were treated poorly. But my friend just focused on working hard and doing his job well. As the years passed, he gained one promotion after another until finally, he was the supervisor in his section of the factory. He then used his position to change the organizational climate into one where the workers were respected and treated fairly.

In each of those cases, the individuals were strong Christians who worked hard and well. They achieved as much success as they could, and they then used their positions to be a blessing to others and to honor the Lord.

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 is just one of the many passages in both the Old and New Testaments which attest to the fact that God Himself empowers us to be successful in life. Over and over again we read of how God gives people skills, abilities, talents, and spiritual gifts which we are then to use to be successful.

I encourage you to discover your skills, talents, and abilities. Develop them. Leverage them. Then bless others and honor God through the success you have achieved. This is character and integrity making a meaningful difference in the real world.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Do it well and for the glory of God

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Character and integrity”

Our Bible verse for today: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Do it well and for the glory of God”

The other day I came across the story of Henry John Heinz. He was the founder of the H.J. Heinz company (most famous for Heinz catsup and steak sauce but today producing more than 1300 products).

Henry Heinz was a successful businessman but he was also a committed Christian. Not only was he active in his own church, but he was a leader in the Christian community and he was a very generous donor to all sorts of Christian causes. In fact, he used the riches he earned from his businesses to help finance Christian work around the country and around the world. That concept is known as “Business as Ministry”. His business was his platform for ministry. Success in business enabled him to do far more for the cause of Christ than he would have been able to do if he had not had that success in the business world.

The example of Henry Heinz is not unique in the history of Christianity. Through the ages many successful businessmen and businesswomen (large and small) have used their business success as a platform for ministry. But that concept doesn’t just apply to the business world. Instead, it applies to all of life. Sometimes Christians get the wrong idea that we’re not supposed to strive for success in worldly pursuits, that it’s somehow unspiritual to want to succeed in business, or in the corporate world, or in any other field. The desire to be successful is thought to be bad, or at least less than spiritual.

Nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, the opposite is often true. The more success you have in your chosen field, the larger a platform for ministry you can have as a result. A Christian worker on an assembly line in a factory can have a positive impact on his or her fellow workers. But the Christian supervisor in that factory can potentially have an even larger impact on even more people, and the Christian plant manager can potentially have even more still.

The same truth applies to any other endeavor we engage in. It’s good to work hard for high achievement as long as your motives are right. Success in any area of life can be used as a platform for ministry. One of the marks of a man or woman of character and integrity is that they do what Paul wrote about in Colossians 3:23 – they do their best to excel in whatever they’re involved in, because doing so brings honor and glory to God. We’ll think more about this tomorrow.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

You can be both steel and velvet

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Character and integrity”

Our Bible verse for today: “As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “You can be both steel and velvet”

I guess I’ve always been something of a hero worshipper. Since I was a child there have always been those who I have looked up to, admired, and wanted to be more like. It’s not that I actually “worshiped” them. It’s just that I saw character traits in them that made them special in my mind and created within me a desire to be more like that myself.

They were often notable figures from history like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan; or athletes like Eric Liddell, Tony Gywnn, and Payton Manning; or celebrity figures like John Wayne; or Christian leaders like Henry Blackaby, Eugene Peterson, Oren Teel, and Dick DeGrow. There have also been Biblical figures who I especially identify with and would like to more like including Joshua, Caleb, Jesus, Paul, and Barnabas.

One thing all of those men have in common is that they embodied the concept of being both steel and velvet. Steel represents the inner core of the man. That inner core is comprised of a strong character and solid integrity. It is formed by an unshakable commitment to moral and ethical behavior, and it consists of character traits like strength, courage, resilience, perseverance, loyalty, truthfulness, trustworthiness, and dependability. The inner man is rock-solid and unmovable.

But the outer man is clothed in velvet. The outer man is kind, considerate, and compassionate. He is quick to grant mercy and grace. He loves his Lord, his family, his friends, and his church, and he isn’t ashamed to show it. He has an inner core of steel but it is wrapped in an outer core of velvet. I think Joshua was like that (see Joshua 24:15 above). This concept was well-developed and fully explained in the classic men’s book “Man of Steel and Velvet” by Aubrey Andelin.

Yesterday we considered the importance of being kind to people. Too often in our day kindness is viewed as weakness. That’s especially true in the public brawls that pass for political and social discourse these days. But not for the man or woman of steel and velvet. Such a person has the confidence, courage, and wisdom to stand their ground, but without being mean-spirited, harsh, and unkind. I have great admiration for people like that and I aspire to be more like that myself. I hope you do as well.

God bless,

Pastor Jim

Be kind

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Character and integrity”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Be kind”

The other day I was sitting in a doctor’s office waiting my turn to be seen and I noticed a mural on one of the walls. It was made up of lots of handwritten comments, observations, and suggestions about kindness. Each one was from some notable figure such as a celebrity or writer or political leader. I found it interesting and inspiring. One of the sayings that captured my attention was “Sometimes a miracle comes in the form of a good person with a kind heart.”

Amen! Yes. Answers to prayers and accompanying miracles (both large and small), come to us from God but through His people. You are often the answer to someone else’s prayer. You can be the conduit through which a blessing from God flows to someone else.

The truth is that everyone is struggling with something. Everyone has something going on in their life they wish was not there and which is causing them anxiety, despair, or maybe even grief. Every person you meet today will be struggling with something. Even if they’re keeping it private, it’s there. I believe it was C.S. Lewis who once wrote, “There is always one thing more going on in every person’s life of which you know nothing.” That’s very true. So, be kind.

In Colossians 3:12 (above) the Apostle Paul used the illustration of clothing to describe the godly virtues that should form the basis of the Christian’s conduct – compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience. Paul urges us to clothe ourselves with such things. In other words, just as someone looks at you and sees the shirt, pants, or dress you are wearing, so too they should see the compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience with which you treat others.

Men and women of character and integrity are not modern-day Pharisees compulsively keeping a long list of religious rules and regulations. Instead, they are known for being like Jesus in their demeanor and in their conduct. What does that look like in actual practice in everyday life? We’ve considered part of the answer today, it means being kind to people. We’ll explore this a little deeper tomorrow.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Your reputation matters

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Character and integrity”

Our Bible verse for today: “A good name is better than fine perfume.” Ecclesiastes 7:1 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Your reputation matters”

A person’s reputation is what others have come to believe to be true about them. It is the belief or opinion that the person has particular habits, characteristics, and patterns of conduct that reveal who they are and what they are like.

Ideally, if the observers are fair in their estimation of us, then our reputation that is formed in their minds has developed over an extended period of time and is the sum total of the words they have heard us say and the conduct they have observed in us (as opposed to basing their conclusion about us on single events or unfortunate misspoken words. There is a larger picture of us that goes far beyond momentary lapses, and that larger picture should be what matters most). But with that said, first impressions matter too, and individual events can create powerful impressions that last.

Now, for the most part, we shouldn’t allow ourselves to become overly preoccupied worrying what people think of us. But it’s still true that how we’re seen and what people believe to be true about us does matter. As Christians we represent Jesus to other people. That’s one reason so many passages in the Bible call us to live as holy people who honor God – it’s because people should be able to see Jesus in us. That’s also why we should strive to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Reputation matters, and you represent Christ.

Men and women of character and integrity remember that their words and actions matter and that they are revealing. What other people believe to be true of us will be based largely on what they’ve heard us say and what they’ve seen us do. Since we Christians are representatives of Christ, we need to conduct ourselves in a way that truly does honor Him and which is consistent with the Biblical principles we profess to believe. An unbelieving world needs to see that to be true of us.

God bless,
Pastor Jim