Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A season of celebration”   Our Bible verse for today: “Do not fear; for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Celebrate your purpose in life”   Human beings need a clear purpose in life in order to thrive. It has been said that lack of clear purpose is as harmful and destructive as lack of adequate sleep. We can survive without it, but we can’t thrive without it. The greater sense of clear purpose a person has in his or her life, the richer, fuller, and more satisfying that life will be. I know of Pastors who are still preaching and teaching in their 80s and even 90s. Taking care of God’s people is what they do, it’s what gets them out of bed in the morning and it’s what keeps them going in life.   I once read an account from a humanitarian aid worker in a Bosnian refugee camp about the refugees whose lives had been shattered. They had lost everything they owned – they had no home, no money, no resources, and no prospects for the future. Most of the refugees were depressed and just shuffled through their days with no sense of purpose and with no hope. He said the refugees who seemed to handle it best were the parents and grandparents who had young children to care for. They knew they had to wake up every day and be strong for someone else. It gave them a focus and a sense of purpose.   The issue of purpose and meaning is relatively simple for Christians. Although God may call us to many different endeavors and responsibilities through the course of the different seasons of life, our most basic purpose in life is to know God well, honor Him with how we live, and bless others through acts of service in His name. For many of us we even get to enter a season of life (usually the last season) when the responsibility of jobs, children, and many other things are no longer present, and instead we get to devote ourselves to times of prayer, Bible study, worship, fellowship, and service. Your purpose is clear and you have lots of time for it.   The words of Isaiah 43:1 were spoken to the nation of Israel. God called them by name and redeemed them. They were His and their purpose was to honor Him with their lives. But that’s true of us too. God has called you to Himself – you are His. And although you may have other purposes in your life too, your primary purpose is to know God, honor Him, and spend your life helping to build His kingdom on earth.   I encourage you to spend some time this morning thinking and praying about that clear and primary purpose of your life and the different ways in which you are fulfilling it.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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: “A season of celebration”   Our Bible verse for today: “For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.” Proverbs 9:11 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Celebrate the life not just the number”   One of the most common forms of celebration is a birthday celebration. We celebrate them in our church all the time. One might be for a boy who turns ten and could include a party in the church gymnasium with all the treats kids love, along with a NERF battle complete with NERF guns and swords. Another might be for a man turning fifty. For him family and friends might provide a cake which we all share in the Fellowship Hall after the service.  Both birthdays are special and both are celebrated. (Tomorrow is my wife’s birthday and we have something special planned for her. But don’t tell her, it’s surprise.)   Birthdays are important forms of celebration for several reasons. First, just the simple fact that the person was given another year of life is special. Many people don’t get the privilege of living a long life. Some who were here for their birthday last year are no longer with us today. A birthday party is a celebration of the gift of a life that continues.   Also, when we celebrate a person’s birthday, we aren’t celebrating a number but a life. We’re expressing joy and gratitude for this person. We’re celebrating the fact that this person was brought into the world to begin with and is still here with us today. Birthdays celebrate the gift of life and the uniqueness of this person’s individual life. Every person is special. Every person is a unique and much-loved creation of God. And every person is a reason to celebrate. (Speaking of unique, I once knew a man whose last name was “Christmas” and he was born on Christmas day).   The next time you get to participate in a birthday celebration I encourage you to really think about the person and the life you are helping to celebrate. We’re celebrating a life not just a number.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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: “A season of celebration”   Our Bible verse for today: “I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Remember and celebrate your mountaintop experiences”   Some years ago I wrote a book with the title, “Bringing it Home: A post-trip devotional guide for international and short-term mission teams”. It’s a fourteen-day devotional guide which is intended to help those who have gone on short-term missions to process the experience and then hold onto the lessons, incorporating them into life back home.   The premise of the book is that short-term mission trips are often thought of as a mountaintop experience because they’re so special. On a short-term mission we’re far removed from the distractions and complications of everyday life. God has our full attention as we focus on doing His work in a different and often remote location. As a result, this is a time when people often experience lifechanging moments. They receive spiritual insights, or an answer to a problem they were struggling with, or perhaps a calling from God in terms of career or ministry.   The object of the book was to help the short-term missionary bring that experience back home, hold onto it, and incorporate it into their lives. A primary way of doing that is to record the experience in a spiritual journal and then go back periodically to review and celebrate it. You can also acquire a memento or souvenir associated with the occasion and keep it in a spot where you will see it often and remember your special time. That’s true not just for experiences on short-term mission trips but anytime we have a special encounter with God. That event, whether it be big or small, needs to be recorded, re-visited, and periodically celebrated.   We need to remember those important God-given times in our lives if they’re going to make a long-term difference. One application of the truth Paul expressed in Philippians 1:6 is that at the time of your mountaintop experience God initiated a change in you, a moment of growth which He intends to carry forward in your life. But for that to happen you will need to hang onto it and remember it.   From time-to-time we all have those personal mountaintop experiences with God. I encourage you to not let them slip away. Celebrate them at the time but remember and celebrate them in the future as well.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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: “A season of celebration:   Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts to the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.’” Leviticus 23:1-2 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Celebration can be an act of worship”   From start to finish, from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is packed full of examples of God’s people feasting and celebrating as a way of practicing their faith. Feasts, festivals, and celebrations are designed by God to call to our remembrance special occasions or significant events that are markers in the history of His people.   That was the case in Leviticus chapter twenty-three when God instructed Moses to outline for the people seven major “sacred assemblies” that would be a regular part of their annual calendar. It began with the requirement for a weekly Sabbath gathering. It then included the Passover, the Feast of First Fruits, The Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Each of these sacred assemblies had their own special purpose and were to be observed at their appointed times, and each would bring God’s people into a special time of worship as they remembered and celebrated that occasion.   The Old Testament Jews had nine major and ten minor times of celebration which were included as a regularly scheduled part of their worship throughout the year. That tradition has carried-over into the New Testament as well, and for us it also begins with a weekly gathering for worship. Easter Sunday is the most significant time of remembrance and celebration in the Christian calendar year, but every Sunday is also a celebration of the resurrection. Every Sunday is essentially a mini-Easter Sunday.   The Lord’s Supper is another such time of remembrance and celebration that is regularly included in Christian worship. Additionally, many churches including my own, celebrate Christmas Eve with a Christmas Eve Candlelight service to help us recall and celebrate the birth of Christ. Beyond that, depending on your tradition and denomination, there are multiple other times of feasting, celebrating, and remembrance included as acts of worship.   Not only is celebrating good for us in a general sense, but it’s also an important part of the practice of our faith. I encourage you to participate in that weekly celebration known as the worship service but also be sure you don’t miss those other special times of celebration too.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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: “A season of celebration”

Our Bible verse for today: “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:22-24 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Celebration is a big part of life”

Human beings are naturally inclined to find things to celebrate. It’s just part of our nature. We like to be happy; we like to feel good; and we love it when things turn out well for us. So, we are predisposed to find reasons to celebrate. And that’s a good thing. As we’ve already learned, celebrating is good for us. It helps us to better appreciate life, it helps to relieve stress, it draws people closer together in a festive way, and it leads us to be grateful to God.

Also, celebrations are already more a part of your life than you realize. We already celebrate a slew of major holidays including New Years, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, July 4^th, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Then there are all sorts of minor holidays like Columbus Day, Susan B. Anthony Day, Confederate Heroes Day, Ground Hog Day, and so many more. Did you know that every single day of the year has multiple designations as being the national day of something? “National Pickle Day”; “National Donut Day”, ‘National Eat Your Beans Day”; “National Cow Appreciation Day”. There are more than a thousand national days of something.

Then add in all the personal celebrations like family birthdays, graduation ceremonies, job promotions, and a hundred other occasions which call for a celebration big or small. In Luke 15:22-24 we read about a father who put on a big feast to celebrate the fact that his wayward son had come home.

The fact is that we humans like to celebrate. It’s an ingrained part of our nature and it’s good for us. Tomorrow we will consider the fact that God has established a long series of religious celebrations as a regular part of life for His people. But for today, I encourage you to find a reason, big or small, to celebrate. It shouldn’t be hard. You’re already preprogramed to celebrate anyway. God created you that way.

God bless,

Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are 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

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A season of celebration”   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: “Celebrate while you can”   This morning, I want to continue our thinking from yesterday about living in the moment and celebrating the good things and the little victories that make up each day.   I once read a story about a man whose wife died suddenly and unexpectedly. Weeks after the funeral he was sorting through her things and he came across a fancy box that was still in the store bag. He opened it to find an attractive and expensive piece of clothing his wife had purchased. She had been saving it to wear for him on a special occasion. Sadly, that special occasion never arrived and the special outfit was never worn. With that realization, a wave of sadness, loss, and regret washed over him. He thought to himself, “Why do we delay doing the special things? Why don’t we do them while we still have the chance?”   Aimee and I had a similar encounter a few days ago. We were visiting an older couple who are in their 80s. The wife is currently in a rehab center recovering from a broken hip. She is trying to regain enough strength and mobility to go home but at her age, recovery and rehabilitation is a real struggle. At one point in the conversation the husband said to Aimee, “Take advantage of your healthy years while you have them. Do the things you want to do; do them now while you can.”   Far too many of us are waiting for some distant tomorrow before we do this or that; or before we celebrate some special occasion; or before we go to some special place. But tomorrow may never come. Don’t keep putting off special things for another time if you could do them now.   I don’t mean to suggest that we should impulsively do everything today and never put anything off for another time. We celebrate birthdays on the person’s birthday. We plan vacations in advance and then we wait until the appropriate date arrives. We retire when we’re eligible to retire but until then we work. Also, learning the discipline of delayed gratification is a good thing. So, some things should be put off until the appropriate time.   However, it really is true that, “Yesterday is but a memory and tomorrow is but a hope; today is all we really have”. The Psalmist said, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Let us celebrate now; do the special thing now; take advantage of the gift of today.   Yes, the Lord made all our yesterdays and if there are going to be any tomorrows for us, He will be the Creator and Lord of those days too. But today is what we have right now. So, let’s be glad; let’s rejoice; and let’s enjoy it. Celebrate while you can.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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: “A season of celebration”   Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t boast about tomorrow, for you don’t know what a day might bring.” Proverbs 27:1 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Live in the moment. Celebrate now.”   When Aimee and I realized the Lord had brought us together to spend the rest of our lives together, we also realized that we needed to decide how we were going to deal with the memories of our deceased spouses, Tim and Linda, who are both now in heaven. Sometimes, for some couples, the subject of former spouses is a sensitive subject that is avoided.   We decided that would not be the case for us. Tim was a great guy and together he and Aimee built a good life. Linda was my life partner for forty-seven years. We had a great life together too. So, Aimee and I decided we would fully embrace the memories and celebrate the lives we had with Tim and Linda. Tim and Linda are part of our family. We have family pictures of them on the walls in our home. We have memorabilia from their lives displayed in various locations too. We talk about them, we tell their stories, and we celebrate their lives.   That mindset led us to develop an overall philosophy for our life together which is, “We will cherish the memories of the past; fully embrace the present; and move forward into the future.”   Fully embracing the present means living in the moment. That’s a concept I have long strived to practice in my life, and it is an important element of celebration. Living in the moment is a life principle that helps us stay focused on and appreciate what’s before us right now, rather than lamenting a past that is gone or worrying about the unknowns of an uncertain future. Instead, we focus on what is here now. Once you look for it you will see that there is a lot to celebrate and to be thankful for in the present.   This is the truth Solomon was teaching in Proverbs 27:1. Live in the moment. More than 1000 years later, the New Testament writer James expanded on that thought when he wrote: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring – what your life will be! For you are like a vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.” James 4:13-14   There’s plenty to celebrate right now – and we should. Cherish the past and have hope for the future, but live in the moment. I encourage you to celebrate now, while you can.     God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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: “A season of celebration”   Our Bible verse for today: “There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven … a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:1;4 (CSB   Our thought for today: “A season of celebration”   Hello everyone. I’m back. I thought I had been taking a break from writing these daily devotional messages to engage in a period of quiet reflection and deep introspection, but Aimee tells me I was just sitting there with my chin on my chest gazing at my navel and that it was time to get back to work. So, here I am.   The season of Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years is my favorite six weeks of the year. It’s a festive time of giving thanks, celebrating, and expressing hope for the future. I love the family gatherings, the giving of gifts, the increased sense of togetherness we all share, and the anticipation of the coming year. There’s usually lots of laughter and joy and fun. We need seasons like this. Celebrating is good for us.   The dictionary says that to celebrate is “To observe a day or event with ceremonies of respect, festivity, or rejoicing.” When explaining the concept of celebrating from a Biblical perspective, the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology tells us that celebrating is at the core of life for the people of God. Celebration is depicted in the Bible numerous times in multiple ways including festivals, weddings, religious ceremonies, the Lord’s Supper, in celebratory poetry such as in the Psalms, and much more. Clearly God intended for times of celebration to be a regular part of life for His people, which is why Solomon reminds us in Ecclesiastes chapter three that there are special times established specifically for celebrating. We need to be reminded of that.   Life is hard during the worst years, and challenging even in the best of times. Ups and downs, peaks and valleys, good times and bad – we just have to lean into it, push through it, and keep going. That being the case, a season of celebration is a great way to end one year and lead us into the next. We all need a few weeks of laughing, feasting, and gift-giving. We need a period characterized by love, joy, praise, and hope. We need to do some celebrating. Granted, there are practical realities that must be accounted for and adjusted to as well, life is still life, but we can and should find ways to celebrate.   All this month we will explore the Bible to discover the many forms celebration can take in the lives of God’s people. We will of course spend time considering Christmas and New Years as special occasions for celebration and festivities, but we will also discuss the importance of many other times and occasions for celebrations.   Life can be hard. Times of celebration serve not only to give proper attention to special occasions and events, but they also help to alleviate tension and release stress. Celebrating also reminds us to lighten up a little and enjoy life more. Let’s do that.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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, I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Aimee and I sure did with our family.  Over the fourteen years that I have been writing these daily devotional messages, from time-to-time the Lord has alerted me to the fact that it was time to take a short break from writing and focus instead on taking in rather than giving out. The creative writing process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Especially if you are attempting to do it every day, six days a week, for years on-end, as I have. Sometimes the focus needs to shift to personal filling and renewal.  This is one of those times. For probably a month or more I have sensed the Lord telling me it is time to take a short sabbatical from writing and to devote the extra time to personal renewal. At this time I don’t know how long that will be. I sense that the break will be relatively short, perhaps just a couple of weeks. The Lord will make it clear to me when it is time to start again. I do know that I love the ministry of writing for the Lord, and that’s especially true of writing these daily devotionals. So I don’t expect the break to last very long.  Thank you for your understanding and patience in this matter.  God bless,  Pastor Jim

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: “The power of words”   Our Bible verse for today: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven; a time to be silent and a time to speak.” Ecclesiastes 3:1;7 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Anger and bitterness or thanksgiving and joy?     I saw a sign in town the other day which read: “Thanksgiving: Fueling family dysfunction since 1863.” That’s funny but sad. And, sadly, it is also true. Many families can’t even get together for a few hours of holiday celebration without it bringing out the worst in some of them.   It’s an unfortunate reality that family life can be messy, and it’s not uncommon for there to be feuds in a family that go unresolved for long periods of time, sometimes for years. But you would think that adults would be mature enough and emotionally healthy enough to put aside hard feelings and to be civil with each other for just a couple of short hours at family holiday gatherings. If not for their own sake, then out of consideration for the rest of the family.   Sometimes family members refuse to even attend a family holiday celebration if another family member is going to be there. That is so, so sad, and almost always unnecessary. It should be especially unnecessary if those who are quarreling are professing Christians. Two Christians, both with the Holy Spirit living in their hearts, can’t be together in the same room for a couple of hours and be cordial to each other? That just should not be.   In Galatians 5:22-23 the Apostle Paul tells us that the fruit of the Spirit in the heart of the believer produces “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Shouldn’t that be what we expect to see from nature Christians – especially in difficult situations?   As Solomon taught in Ecclesiastes 3:1;7 there is a time to speak and a time to hold your tongue. In other words, there is a time to engage in those difficult conversations and try to work out the differences, and there is also a time to simply hold your tongue. Family holiday gatherings are one of those times to hold your tongue.   It is my prayer that your family holiday gatherings this year will be filled with all the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that the Holy Spirit expects from us.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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