Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “I discovered Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your ancestors like the first fruit of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, consecrated themselves to Shame, and became abhorrent, like the thing they loved.” Hosea 9:10 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “You become like what you love”   The Old Testament book of Hosea is a sad story that is hard to read. The main character (Hosea) was a good man, a godly man. The woman in the story (Gomer) was a woman of ill repute with a wandering eye inclined to adultery and prostitution. God instructed Hosea the prophet to marry Gomer the prostitute as an object lesson to the nation. Just as Gomer would cheat on Hosea and bring dishonor and shame into their lives, so too Israel was cheating on God and bringing dishonor and shame into their own lives.   It was tough stuff for poor Hosea. Gomer left him, slept with other men, ended up getting trafficked as a prostitute, and had to be rescued from that life by Hosea, who was then instructed by God to bring her back into his home and to continue loving her.   The main point of the story is that God still loves His wayward people, and He will rescue us out of the messes we have made and take us back. But please don’t miss what happened to Gomer (and to the nation of Israel), in the middle of all that. The end of verse 10 tells us, they “became abhorrent, like the thing they loved.” In Gomer’s case she rejected a stable life with a good man; she longed in her heart for other men and for a different kind of life; and she ended up being used by many, enslaved, and living a life of poverty and abuse. She became like the thing she loved – the thing she longed for and lusted after.   So too with the entire nation. They turned their hearts away from the One True God who loved them and who treated them well, and instead they loved, longed for, and lusted after the gods of the surrounding cultures. They were horrible gods who had male and female prostitutes in their temples; they were gods who were never satisfied; they were gods who required child sacrifices. And soon the people became like their gods. They became grossly immoral, cold, brutal, heartless, chasing after every lust and desire. They were ugly people who were just like their ugly gods. They became like the thing they loved.   Us too. We become like whatever it is we give our heart too. If your heart lusts after sex and drugs and parties, your life will probably look a lot like Gomer’s. If you are consumed with greed and a longing for more money, more possessions, more status, then your life will be a constant struggle to do more, to acquire more, and you will never truly be satisfied.   You get the picture. I encourage you to consider who and what you truly love – who and what your heart is longing for. That will show you the kind of person you are in the process of becoming. Be careful what you give your heart to, because we become like that which we love.   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: “There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “How good is your balance?”   I once knew a man who lived his life like a juggler in a carnival. He could keep an amazing number of balls in the air all at the same time. For a while. Until he couldn’t. Eventually, he would drop one, and as soon as he did, he lost his rhythm and all the others would crash to the ground as well.   At other times, rather than juggle many balls (tasks and issues), he would focus heavily on one issue to the exclusion of the others. That then would result in one area of his life (such as his career, or his hobby, or physical fitness) getting an inordinate amount of his time and attention, while other areas, such as his faith life or his family, suffered neglect.   That guy was often a knucklehead about how he approached life. And, wait for it … that guy was me. It was me. I lived like that. I would try to do entirely too much for too long for too many people, and soon life would come crashing down and I would end up in the fetal position sucking my thumb for a while. Or, I would become a bit fanatical in my focus on one thing, and the rest of my life would suffer neglect.   The bad news is that I still get like that sometimes. The good news is that it doesn’t happen very often anymore. Eventually I learned the lesson Solomon so eloquently taught almost three thousand years ago in Ecclesiastes chapter three that there is an appropriate time for everything in life, and that we need to maintain a good balance.   To be healthy in all of life we need to have good balance. In other words, we need to be reasonable about how much we can do so that we don’t overload ourselves, and we need to be sure that each thing gets the right amount of attention at the right time based upon a good set of appropriate priorities. If we don’t do that, we will end up weaker not stronger. Doing too much for too long doesn’t make us a Superman or Superwoman, it makes us weak. That’s because excessive busyness is like kryptonite – it drains away our strength.   So too an excessive focus on one thing at the expense of other things – it makes us weaker overall, even if we do momentarily appear strong in that one area that’s getting too much attention.   God wants us to have proper balance in our lives based upon a good set of appropriate priorities. That’s when we will truly be strong.   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: “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “We need a firm foundation and stability”   In the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 7:24-25, Jesus calls us to build our life on the firm foundation of faith in Him. The parable reminds us that life is filled with storms, some of them big. The wind will blow, the waters will rise, you will feel battered, and if your life is not standing on a firm foundation, you will be wrecked. But if the structure of your life is solid, and if it is standing on the firm foundation of faith in Christ, you will weather the storms just fine.   As He so often did in His parables, Jesus was simply taking a pre-existing Biblical principle and reteaching it with a contemporary illustration. Psalm 18:2 is one of those Old Testament passages that teaches this same important truth: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation.” Likewise in Isaiah 26:4, “Trust in the Lord forever, because in the Lord, the Lord himself, is an everlasting rock!”   In the chaos of life, we need stability. We need a stable personal life, a stable family life, and a stable church life – all of which must be built upon the firm foundation of faith in Christ. If, in your personal life, you are a serious and dedicated disciple of Jesus; if you have the spiritual disciplines of daily prayer, bible study, and fellowship with other Christians; then your personal life will be built on a firm foundation and you will be strong. Likewise with your family life and your church life. If faith in Christ and a sincere desire to honor Him is the starting place for you and for your family and for your church, and if the Word of God is your guide, you will have a strong foundation and yours will be a stable life.   The world is a dangerous place. Life can be chaotic and stormy. We need strength and stability from God to handle it well and to remain standing tall and strong when others around us are falling apart and being swept away. You need the firm foundation and stability that only God can provide.   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: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “We all need a place of refuge”   I have to admit, I have never been a very good neighbor. Oh, it’s not that I’m a bad neighbor. I’m not. I am friendly (up to a point); I do pay attention to my neighbors; and I am always willing to help them when they have a need. I mow my yard and mind my own business and I’m not very noisy. But I’m also not one of those neighbors who spends a lot of time hanging out at the backyard fence gabbing with my neighbor next door and getting together to play cards.   Instead, my home is my refuge from the world. It’s my quiet place. It’s the place I retreat into when I need to refresh, renew, and recharge (which is often). Aimee says there’s a “Zen-like” quality to my homelife. If so, it’s not an accident and it doesn’t happen magically. I have been intentional about cultivating and maintaining home as a refuge because I need that. As a pastor I spend a lot of time interacting with the world, dealing with problems, and working through difficult situations (just like you do). So, when I’m home I want to unplug, relax, and just spend time with God and with my family.   Our world is chaotic on a good day. In fact, life itself is chaotic on a good day. So, we all need a refuge we can retreat to for rest and renewal. That’s how God builds our strength back up so we’re then ready to go back out and reenter the fray.   For me, home is that primary refuge, but church on Sunday is another. Gathering with my brothers and sisters in my church family, shutting out the cares and concerns of life and focusing instead on worship, discipleship, fellowship, and encouragement, is a soothing balm to my battered soul. There’s a spiritual dynamic created when Spirit-filled believers are together, each bringing their own deep and rich relationship with the Lord and adding it to the group mix. It’s a powerful thing.   The more demanding and uncertain life is the more we need times and places that immerse us in a deep sense of stability and peace. I encourage you to have those times and places and to give yourself the freedom to withdraw into them regularly and consistently so God can renew your strength.   We all need those places of refuge from the storms of life. I hope your home and your church are those places for 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: “When it is in your power, don’t withhold good from the one to whom it belongs.” Proverbs 3:27 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Do all the good you can”   John Wesley was one of the most important Christian thinkers, theologians, and leaders in 18th century Europe. He was the principal leader of a reform and revival movement within the Church of England that ultimately led to the formation of the Methodist church as a denomination.   One of Wesley’s foundational precepts for living the Christian life was to do compassionate acts of service for those in need. The precept came to be known as “Wesley’s Rule” and it went like this: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.” That precept became a foundational principle in Methodist theology and practice. It emphasizes proactive and extensive service and kindness to others.   Wesley’s precept is just a practical application of a Biblical principle that we find in numerous passages of Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments. God’s people are to be a blessing to others everywhere they go. We are to be sensitive and aware of the trials and struggles people are dealing with (especially the weak, vulnerable, elderly, and poor), and we are to do something about it. That is precisely what Solomon was teaching in Proverbs 3:27 (which is just one example from an extensive body of Biblical literature that teaches this lesson.)   In yesterday’s devotional we considered the truth that the Holy Spirit is at work in the world restraining the evil of Satan. He is doing it through the simple acts of service performed by Christians, day-in and day-out, in millions of ways in places all around the world every day. All those simple acts of blessing and service help to restrain and push back against the evil that is so pervasive in the world.   John Wesley’s precept for living is a pretty good guide for all of us. Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, for all the people you can, for as long as you can. If you will do that, your little corner of the world will be a better place 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: “Don’t you remember that when I was still with you I used to tell you about this? And you know what currently restrains him, so that he will be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one now restraining will do so until he is out of the way, and then the lawless one will be revealed.” 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “God’s power at work through you”   In 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 the Apostle Paul was writing about the spirit of the antichrist at work in the world. He was not referring to the actual antichrist, who will appear in the world at the beginning of the seven-year tribulation as described in the book of Revelation. Instead, Paul was writing about the spirit of the antichrist, the spirit of evil, that is at work in the world perpetrating evil deeds and doing Satan’s work for him.   Paul said in that passage that the mystery of this lawlessness is already at work in the world, but something is currently restraining that evil. In other words, as bad as the evil sometimes seems, it could and would be much worse if that restraining influence was not there. And someday, according to Paul in this passage, that restraining influence will be removed. Then, literally, all hell will break out on earth.   The restraining influence on evil in the world today is the power of the Holy Spirit at work in and through the lives of the followers of Jesus Christ. When the rapture occurs, the believers alive at that time will be removed from the earth and therefore the power of the Holy Spirit to restrain that evil will be removed with them. But until then, the restraint that opposes and pushes back against the evil in the world continues by means of the Holy Spirit working through us.   This is important. It explains the crucial role that you play in the world today. Not necessarily by casting out demons or performing miracles and leading large evangelistic crusades, but more commonly, by simply living a righteous and holy life right there in your little corner of the world. God has you right where He wants you so you can model Biblical principles in your daily life, bless others in the name of Jesus, oppose evil where you see it, and help to further His kingdom-building work right there where you are.   This is the role the followers of Christ play in the world today. It’s God’s power at work in the world through you. As bad as things seem in the world today, they would be much worse without the presence of the followers of Jesus using the power of Jesus to confront and restrain evil.   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: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.” Matthew 4:19-20 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Choose Him and His Kingdom”   The disciples had a choice, they could continue being fishers of fish or they could follow Jesus and He would teach them how to be fishers of men. They could continue doing what they had been doing, on their own and in their own power, or they could come alongside Jesus, help Him with His work, doing it in His way, and He would give them His power. They had to choose.   And so do we. How you live your life and what your focus is, is your choice. Jesus calls you to follow Him. If you do, He will teach you to do the things He wants you to do (Matthew 4:19-20), and He will empower you to do it (Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”) God’s work, done God’s way, will include God’s power.   Yesterday, as we ended the month of September and an entire month of considering the impact of God’s power in us and for us, we thought about the challenge given to us by the writer of the letter to the Hebrews in 12:1-2, to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we persevere on our journey through this world. Today, as we continue that study into the month of October, we begin with Jesus’ invitation to “Come and follow me.”   What both of those passages illustrate is the potential impact the power of God can have on your life when you choose to focus on Him and to follow Him as your Lord as well as your Savior. It will change your life. The disciples were never the same again and neither will you be.   If you choose Him and His ways, His kingdom instead of your kingdom, the power of God will be manifested in you and through you to accomplish the will of God in your little corner of the world. I encourage you to choose Him and His kingdom.   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: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Maintain your focus”   The great Christian writer C.S. Lewis once observed, “If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”   What Lewis was referring to is casual Christianity. He was writing about superficial faith that makes little difference in the lives of those who profess it. It’s like the singer Jimmy Buffet once sang, “There’s a fine line between Saturday night and Sunday morning!” What Lewis and Buffet both meant is that there are a lot of professing Christians who sing like angels on Sunday morning but who then live like the devil the rest of the week. Their faith has no power to influence their lives in a positive way.   The reason that happens is because those professing Christians are not serious disciples of Jesus. They may have professed faith in Him as Savior, but they are not following Him as Lord. By contrast, the writer of the letter to the Hebrews, in 12:1-2, urged us to throw off the distractions and practices that hinder us and hold us back, and to instead fix our eyes on Jesus and keep following Him closely.   This is where our power for holy living comes from. This is what C.S. Lewis was referring to when he wrote that those Christians who have had the greatest impact on this world are the ones who were most focused on the next world. In other words, they were serious disciples. And by “greatest impact” Lewis was not just referring to the impact made by high-profile people like Billy Graham, or famous missionaries. He was also referring to average every-day Christians like you and me. Husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers who live simple but serious lives of faith and who therefore make a positive impact on those around them.   Utilizing the power of God for maximum impact in our daily lives is simply a matter of fixing your eyes on Jesus and then letting your faith in Him determine your thoughts, words, and deeds.   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: “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