Oak Hill Baptist Church

We should be observably unique

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Steadfast and Immovable”

Our Bible verse for today: “Les us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.” Galatians 6:9-10

Our thought for today: “We should be observably unique in the world”

This morning I want to continue our thought from yesterday regarding letting our conduct speak for itself. We want the unbelieving world to observe and experience the love and compassion of Christ through the ways we conduct ourselves in this hurting and chaotic world we live in.

In his essay “Five characteristics that made the early church unique”, pastor and author Tim Keller notes, “In the first three centuries, Christians were persecuted more than any other religious group. Because they refused to honor other gods or worship the emperor, they were seen as too exclusive, too narrow, and a threat to the social order.” Well, that certainly describes Christians in our day too. We find ourselves increasingly out of step with the culture around us.” Keller went on:

“So why, if Christians were seen as offensive and were excluded from circles of influence and business and often put to death, did anyone become a Christian?… One main reason … was that the Christian church was a unique “social project.” They were a contrast community, a counterculture that was both offensive and yet also attractive to many.”

Those early Christians lived in a world that was even more hostile to their faith than ours is today. And yet, the Christian faith spread like wildfire. Why? What was it that got them past all those cultural hurdles and opened the door for the Holy Spirit to capture people’s hearts and lead them to faith in Christ? Two things: (1) The Christians were steadfast and immovable in their faith. They knew what they believed and why they believed it, and they weren’t afraid to say so.

And, (2) They were known for their kindness, compassion, and willingness to serve the neediest around them in the name of Jesus. The Roman world was cold, hard, brutal, and often heartless. The poor were allowed to starve. The sick simply died. Unwanted babies were tossed into ditches and abandoned. While so many in that culture turned a blind eye to the pain, heartache, and suffering all around them, the Christians waded right into the middle of the suffering and did something about it. It was what Keller meant when he wrote, “They were a contrast community, a counterculture that was both offensive and yet also attractive to many.”

Those early Christians were unique in their day; they were steadfast and immovable in their determination to honor Christ and to bless others. We should be as well. It was their very uniqueness that was the key to their success. How we conduct ourselves in this hurting world should be observably different in a way that’s hard for people to resist.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Let your conduct speak for itself

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Steadfast and immovable”

Our Bible verse for today: “Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.” 1 Peter 3:12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Let your conduct speak for itself”

I’m sure you’ve been following the horrific events taking place in Ukraine. Russia has not only invaded the country, but they’re using a scorched-earth approach and literally wiping out entire cities and towns. It’s awful – downright evil. The Ukrainians certainly need our prayers.

But they also need our help. Not just with weapons so they can defend themselves, but also with massive amounts of humanitarian relief supplies, and relief workers. I have two friends who have been serving inside Ukraine with the Samaritan’s Purse medical disaster relief team. I know another young missionary pastor in northern Romania who has been making continuous runs into the refugee camps on both sides of the border to deliver relief supplies. I have several other friends who are, as I write this, in the air somewhere over Europe on their way to spend ten days with that young missionary pastor to serve the Ukrainian refugees with him.

I have another friend who is currently leading a medical mission to a remote region in Liberia; and another who just came back from a medical mission to Mexico; and another who is forming a medical team to go to Ukraine later this month. Yesterday two members of our church made a twelve-hour round trip in a U-Haul truck to deliver food and clothes to our ministry partners in a little church in a little town in the coal-mining region of eastern Kentucky. And we, as a church, also have a full calendar of mission activities and humanitarian relief efforts planned for now through the end of the summer in a variety of locations.

What do all of those efforts have in common, and what do they have to do with our theme for this month about being steadfast and immovable? What they have in common is what Peter was writing about in 1 Peter 3:12 (above), that as followers of Christ we need to let our good works among the unbelievers of the world speak for us. The unbelieving world should look upon the activities of Christians and marvel at our willingness to serve and sacrifice in order to bless suffering people in the name of Jesus. And what it has to do with our theme is simply that the best way to boldly advocate for the cause of Christ in the world today is to let the world actually experience the love and compassion of Christ through us. And to do it, even in the worst of circumstances.

Perhaps you can’t go to Ukraine, or Liberia, or the Amazon Jungle, or even northern Kentucky, but maybe you can go to the rescue mission in your town, or to your neighbor next door. As the followers of Christ in a broken, bleeding, and confused world that is bordering on chaos, we need to be the rocks in the middle of it all – steady, grounded, undistracted, reliable, steadfast and immovable.

I encourage you to make sure your conduct speaks for itself. Let them see Jesus in you.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Be steadfast and immovable

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Steadfast and immovable”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Be steadfast and immovable”

Originally, I was going to make the theme for this month either perseverance or consistency. I couldn’t decide which to go with, but I suppose it was really a matter of “six of one or a half-dozen of the other”. Perseverance and consistency are pretty similar concepts and the devotionals would have been close to the same.

But then I read Paul’s words of encouragement in 1 Corinthians 15:58 and I knew I had my theme for the month, “steadfast and immovable”. I like that. That’s what we as followers of Christ need right now in the middle of the chaos of this world – to be steadfast and immovable. And in order to be steadfast and immovable, we will have to persevere and be consistent as well. So, we’ll cover that this month too.

To give us a better feel for what it means to be steadfast and immovable, let’s delve into Rodale’s Synonym Finder. Synonyms for steadfast include, “steady, intent, undistracted, constant, dedicated, reliable, grounded, uncompromising, unyielding, tenacious, and resolute”. Some synonyms for immovable are, “stable, set, secure, anchored, settled, staunch, unflinching, unwavering, and determined”.

That needs to describe us. As we live in this increasingly crazy and unstable world, we, the followers of Christ, need to be steady and stable and grounded and tenacious and resolute and all of those other adjectives listed above. We need to know what we believe, why we believe it, and we need to be bold and courageous as we advocate for the cause of Christ on earth.

Throughout the month of April, we will consider what it looks like, and how we can be, steadfast and immovable. Paul’s words were written originally to Christians living in a different age, in a different part of the world, and under different circumstances. And yet, their challenges were not so different from ours. Paul’s call to be steadfast and immovable applies to all Christians in all places at all times, including us.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Invest your life in people

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The influence of a mentor”

Our Bible verse for today: “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Invest your life in people”

I love the thought Paul expressed in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (above) regarding his feelings for the Christians in the church of Thessalonica. He loved them so much that he shared his life with them. It reminds me of a favorite saying of mine from Benjamin Franklin regarding the value of time and how we choose to spend it. In contemporary language Franklin’s quote reads:

“Do you value your life? Then value your time, because time is the stuff life is made of.”

“Time is the stuff life is made of.” That’s true, and since it is true, when you give someone some of your time, you have given them a little piece of your life – and it’s a piece you can never have back. Once the time is gone, it’s gone, and that means that that little piece of your life is now gone too. When you give someone some of your time you have given them a little piece of your life, and that’s a precious gift.

Mentors invest their time (and therefore pieces of their life), into the lives of others. That’s a beautiful and special thing, so let’s be sure we don’t take it for granted. Appreciate and value what your mentor does for you. The investment of their time, and their efforts to build into your life, is an expression of their love for you.

But also, on the flip side, being a mentor is a rewarding and fulfilling experience. Few things are more satisfying than to make a meaningful difference in someone else’s life – it blesses the one doing the mentoring. This is one of the reasons that older people who serve as mentors tend to flourish in their old age when so many others struggle and wither. Mentoring creates a sense of purpose. Helping someone else to live well is a reason in itself to go on living.

One of the greatest things we can do with our own life is to invest in someone else’s life and help them to live well too. I encourage you to have a mentor and to be a mentor.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

The influence of good writing

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The influence of a mentor”

Our Bible verse for today: “For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures.” Romans 15:4 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “The influence of good writing”

We began this month of devotionals about the influence of a mentor by considering the teaching of Professor Howard Hendricks, that each of us should have in our life a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy. We should have an older person who is wise in the faith and who will serve as a mentor for us. We should have at least one person who is on a par with us – someone who loves us but is not overly impressed by us, and who will give us straight talk when we need it. And we should have at least one Timothy – a younger person into who’s life we are building.

However, as we age, having a Paul can become an increasingly difficult thing. The older you get the harder it can become to find someone older than you who will serve as your mentor. Since you yourself are, well, you’re old, that means the potential pool of Paul figures are all dying off and going to heaven. So, while there will still probably be some Barnabas figures around, and lots of Timothys, your choice of Pauls continues to diminish with time.

This is where a mentor in writing can be so helpful. Regardless of our age or level of spiritual maturity, we can learn a lot from authors whom we’ve never even met. An author can serve as a mentor of sorts, even though you cannot physically be with them. I can’t begin to calculate how much my life has been shaped by the writing of some of my favorite contemporary Christian authors like Henry Blackaby, Eugene Peterson, John Eldridge, Dallas Willard, Billy Graham, Philip Yancy, Brennan Manning, Henry Nouwen, Richard Foster, and Chuck Swindoll. Then there are those from previous generations such as Saint Augustine, C.S. Lewis, and A.W. Tozer.

In all of those cases I’ve so identified with those writers that I’ve read virtually everything they’ve written, and consequently, the Lord used them to guide me in my spiritual growth. So, in effect, they have been mentors for me too.

The best mentors are the ones we can actually be with. But there are other ways to learn from, draw on the wisdom of, and be shaped by the guidance of others. A mentor in writing can be one of those ways. The Lord has blessed us with many great Christian writers down through the ages. I’ve listed just a handful of them above. There are many hundreds more. I encourage you to explore their writings and allow yourself to be influenced by them.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

We learn from bad examples too

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The influence of a mentor”

Our Bible verse for today: “In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz of Judah began to reign … Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after him.” 2 Kings 18:1;8 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “We learn from bad examples too”

Sometimes bad examples become something of a generational curse in families. We see it over and over again. Grandma lived on welfare, mother lived on welfare, now the adult grandchildren live on welfare. Or, the father was a violent criminal who spent years in prison, then his son was a violent criminal who is currently in prison, and now the son’s son is a gang member terrorizing the neighborhood and surely headed for prison himself.

We see the same kinds of patterns or cycles played out in families with respect to drug abuse, alcoholism, domestic violence, and much more. It’s a cycle, a generational curse that gets passed along from generation to generation until finally, somebody breaks the chain. Someone finally decides that life is going to be different for him or her, and they make an intentional decision to break the chain.

Hezekiah was one of the greatest and godliest kings of ancient Judah but interestingly, he was raised by one of the worst and least godly kings, his father Ahaz. The example set for Hezekiah by his father was one of paganism, debauchery, and even human sacrifice. But when Hezekiah became an adult and ascended to the throne, he determined to be the exact opposite of his father. As a result, Hezekiah became a shining example of godly leadership.

Throughout this month of devotionals regarding the influence of a mentor, we have considered many lessons we can learn from the good example of a good mentor. But it’s also true that we can learn from bad examples, just like Hezekiah did. We can observe someone else’s bad conduct, note the negative impacts they experience from that bad conduct, and make a decision that our own life will be different.

I encourage you to spend some time today considering the people in your life who have in the past, or who are now, setting bad examples. Pray for those people, and then resolve that you won’t be like them.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Less is more

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The influence of a mentor”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:38-39 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Sometimes less is more”

The phrase “Less is more” has been around for a long time. It means that sometimes simple and less is better than more and complicated. The phrase was coined in 1947 by the minimalist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, whose building designs were simple and basic, with clean lines and uncomplicated structure.

“Less is more” is a concept that can be applied to many areas of life. For instance, as a military officer I was trained to evaluate situations, make decisions, and take action. As a result, I was uncomfortable leaving issues or situations unresolved. But when I retired from the Navy and entered the world of pastoral ministry, I discovered that a different approach is sometimes wiser and better. I noticed that my pastor and mentor, Oren Teel, would often not make a decision and he would sometimes not take action. Instead, unless the situation was such that immediate action was required, he would sometimes put a decision off and take a “wait-and-see” approach about it.

He once explained to me, “I’ve discovered that many times God is already at work in a situation, bringing it to the conclusion or resolution that He wants – and that usually takes time. Therefore, the best thing for me to do is to just stay out of God’s way. I’ve found that if I will just stay out of the way and wait, God will often work the situation out for Himself.” Over more than twenty-five years since then, I’ve often found that to be true too.

That’s the advice the Pharisee Gamaliel was giving to his fellow Pharisees in Acts 5:38-39. In that case, he was referring to the activity of the disciples of Jesus and he was cautioning the pharisees that rather than precipitously acting and maybe getting in the way of God, in this case they needed to be patient and let the situation unfold for awhile to see how it worked out. And he was right. It was good advice.

The concept of “less is more” is also becoming increasingly popular with the minimalist movement in our day, which includes tiny homes, small cars, and getting rid of things that aren’t really needed. A few years ago, my wife and I went through a period of downsizing and simplifying like that. It turned out to be a blessing for us and it improved the overall quality of our lives.

The concept of “less is more” was something my mentor, Oren Teel, modeled for me with respect to leadership and problem-solving in ministry. It also applies to the accumulation of possessions, cluttered schedules, and many other areas of life. Perhaps the idea of “less is more” would be helpful in some area of your life too.

I encourage you to spend some time this morning considering if perhaps some areas of your own life are too busy, too cluttered, or maybe too complicated, and would benefit from some clearing out and simplifying. Sometimes less really is more.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Is your soul tired?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The influence of a mentor”

Our Bible verse for today: “He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” Mark 6:31 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Is your soul tired?”

The book, “The Simple Care of a Hopeful Heart: Mentoring Yourself in Difficult Times” is all about taking care of yourself. It’s written specifically for those who tend to push too hard, especially while taking care of others, and in the process, they neglect taking care of themselves.

In it, author and counselor Robert Wicks tells the story of a fellow counselor who came to him for professional advice about a difficult case she was dealing with. When she sat down in Robert’s office, he immediately saw in her face and mannerisms that she was exhausted and stressed. So, he said to her, “Before we get into the case you wanted to discuss, how are you doing? You look drained.” In return, she got teary-eyed and said in a quiet voice, “I think my soul is tired.” To that, Robert smiled and wisely responded, “Well, we can’t have that, can we?” He then led her to put aside her concern about the case and to talk about herself for a while instead. He helped her to consider some ways she could care for herself before she returned to caring for others.

The fact is that we can’t take care of others if we don’t first take care of ourselves. Or at least, we won’t be able to do it for very long. For instance, those who are caregivers for sick loved ones often allow themselves to get so preoccupied with caring for their loved one that they forget to take care of themselves. Then, the more worn out the caregiver gets, the less effective their care for their loved one will be. Likewise, those, like Robert Wicks’ co-worker, who are in the helping professions, can easily get burned out if they’re not careful. A good mentor will recognize this and help you to take steps to deal with it.

In Mark 6:31 (above), we read about a time when Jesus and His closest disciples had been involved in a prolonged time of intense ministry and they needed a break. So, Jesus called a time-out and took them all off for a short retreat. It was exactly what was needed.

Let me ask you, is your soul tired? Are you taking care of yourself? If you aren’t hearing it from anyone else then please hear it from me, “give yourself a break”. Maybe this weekend is the perfect time to get some rest and to recharge your soul.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Mentors are only helpful if you learn from them

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The influence of a mentor”

Our Bible verse for today: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’, and don’t do the things that I say?” Luke 6:46 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Mentors are only helpful if you learn from them”

In Luke 6:46 Jesus asked a group of followers why they called Him their Lord but then didn’t actually accept and practice much of what He taught them. Words are cheap. Actions matter. Calling Him ‘Lord’ but then not doing what He said was rather meaningless and certainly not helpful to them. The same applies to what we learn from a mentor. Calling the person a mentor and seeking their advice is an important first step. But the relationship is only helpful in actual practice if you do the things your mentor has suggested.

Yesterday we considered the case of Saul and his mentor Samuel. What if Saul had done the things that Samuel said? Would his life have turned out different and better? Yes, I’m sure it would have. What if Lot had learned from Abraham? He probably would not have been living in a place like Sodom and maybe his wife wouldn’t have ended up as a pillar of salt. What if Judas had truly followed Jesus? What if I had been more attentive to some of the wise advice I’ve received from my mentors over the years? And you can ask the same question of yourself.

The Bible is filled with examples of mentees who didn’t follow the advice and teaching of their mentors, and who paid a terrible price for it. I have a friend who has spent decades working with the homeless population. He runs a rescue mission which also offers transition services designed to help the homeless person get back on their feet with a job and housing. My friend has been doing this for a long, long time and he knows what he’s doing. He is able to lead a person step-by-step through the process of professing faith in Christ, becoming a disciple, learning new life-skills, getting off of drugs or alcohol, improving personal hygiene, applying for a job, getting an apartment, learning basic financial skills, and then walking it out over the long-term.

He knows what he’s doing. Those who accept his good counsel and guidance, and actually do the things he teaches them to do, end up with a fresh start in life. And, there are success stories. Many of them. But sadly, there are also many examples of those who disregarded my friend’s advice, tried to do it their own way, and are back on the streets today.

Mentors are only helpful if you learn from them and actually do what they say. I encourage you to spend some time today thanking God for your mentor(s) and then, consider how often and how well you actually follow their advice.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Advice is only helpful if you take it

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The influence of a mentor”

Our Bible verse for today: “Then Samuel said: Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Advice is only helpful if you take it”

One of my favorite mentor/mentee stories comes from the movie “The Karate Kid”. Ralph Macchio played a teenage boy, Daniel LaRusso, and Pat Morita played the elderly karate expert Mr. Miyagi. In the movie, Daniel was being tormented by a group of bullies who kept beating him up. My. Miyagi took Daniel under his wing and not only taught him how to defend himself by using karate, but also how to be a cool and calm young man of character and integrity.

However, Daniel was impatient and over-eager, and therefore needed to learn the discipline of patience as he slowly developed his new skills. One of the great lines from the movie came from Mr. Miyagi when, with a long look and a bit of a sigh he would say to Daniel, “Patience, Grasshopper, patience.” Well, Daniel did learn patience, as well as many other skills from Mr. Miyagi – because he listened to him and took his advice.

As was noted in yesterday’s devotional, not all advice is good advice and therefore we do need to be thoughtful and careful about who’s advice we accept. But if you have entered into a mentoring relationship with someone, then your default mode should be to accept their advice. Sadly, sometimes we don’t. Such was the case with King Saul. He was being mentored by the prophet and teacher Samuel. But Saul was headstrong and impatient and he sometimes disregarded important lessons from Samuel. Ultimately that led to Saul’s downfall. That’s what we’re reading about in 1 Samuel 15:22 (above).

Samuel isn’t the only example of this in the Bible. Tomorrow we’ll consider some others. For today, I encourage all of us to prayerfully consider who our mentors are, and how seriously we take their advice. Advice is only helpful if you take it.

God bless,
Pastor Jim