Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Selfcare”   Our Bible verse for today: “Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you..” Psalm 116:7 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “This will make everything else better”   Soul-care is selfcare. Taking proper care of your soul is the most important way in which you can take care of yourself, and doing so will make everything else better. Let me explain.   First, what is the soul? That has been debated by theologians for thousands. Sometimes “soul” is used interchangeably with “spirit” but in the Bible there is a distinction. Although there is no single verse or passage that definitively defines the distinction between soul and spirit, the body of Biblical literature about the two seems to suggest this:   The soul and spirit are both part of the person’s non-physical being but they are different. The spirit is the breath of life breathed into your mortal body by God and which will exist with Him in heaven for eternity. It is the animating force within the body and it connects a person to God. The soul is non-physical as well but it is an integral part of the body in that it is the seat of thoughts, feelings, emotions, and the unconscious mind. In that way, the soul interacts with the physical body and it also serves as the interface between the physical body and the spirt – thereby establishing a connection between the whole person and God.   When you take care of your soul you are taking care of your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and even your unconscious mind, and doing so also benefits the body and spirit. So, soul-care is selfcare and your whole person is better and healthier when you take care of your soul.   In Psalm 116 the Psalmist records that because his relationship with the Lord was strong and good, his soul was at rest. You can read that as a warm fuzzy feeling deep inside. He was at peace. He was happy. He felt safe and secure. His soul was at rest and life was good.   Doing the things necessary to take proper care of your soul will make all the rest of life better. Regardless of any other circumstances you are dealing with, if your soul is at rest everything else about your life will be better than it would be if your soul was not at rest.   This is important and so we will come back to it tomorrow. For now, I encourage you to spend some extra time with the Lord this morning thinking about your soul and your need for good soul-care. Ask God to help your soul to be at rest. It will make everything else better.   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: “Selfcare”   Our Bible verse for today: “One man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and realized he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to get well?” John 5:5-6 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Do you really want to get well?   It was an odd question for Jesus to ask this man, “Do you want to get well?” They were in Jerusalem at a pool called Bethesda. Periodically the waters of the pool would begin churning and it was believed by the people that an angel was stirring the waters and at that time, the waters held magical healing powers. The first one to enter the waters while the angel was stirring would be healed. Therefore, many sick and lame people crowded around the pool every day waiting for the waters to stir and then there would be a mad dash to see who could enter the waters first.   This man was one of those. He was there because he had been disabled for thirty-eight years and he was obviously hoping for healing. So, why would Jesus ask such a question? It was because the man might not really want to be healed. On one level he did want healing or he would not have been there. But if the healing did come, it would bring many dramatic changes. Up to this point, nothing much was expected of or required of the man because he wasn’t able to do much for himself. So, everything was done for him. But if he was healed he would incur the responsibilities of a healthy person. He would have to get a job; he would have to provide for himself and for his family; he could no longer rely on everyone to have pity on him and to do things for him. Jesus was asking, “Are you really ready for the change? Are you ready to incur the responsibility that comes with being well? Do you really want to get well?”   The question is for us too. In the case of this disabled man at the pool that day with Jesus, the question pertained to physical healing. For many of us it pertains to mental, emotional, or spiritual healing. As was noted in the two previous devotionals, sometimes we cling to our old emotional wounds and come to treat them like old friends, even like a little lap puppy that we pet and stroke and keep close to us. The person becomes comfortable in their victimhood and relies on it as an excuse for not living a full, rich, productive life.   The first step to getting well is to truly want to get well. Really. Truly. Want it. And then be willing to embrace all that the healing will bring with it. Tomorrow we will consider the next step in the process of letting it go and moving on with life. For today, spend some time allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you about this thing you have been holding on to. Ask Him to bring you to the point of really being ready to let it go.   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 today: “Selfcare”   Our Bible verse for today: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Let yourself be healed”   A person I was once counseling said to me, “I think I have probably spent most of my adult life trying to get over my childhood.” It wasn’t the first time I had heard that remark. I have heard other people say it as well. I have also read it in books and articles, and I have heard the truth of it talked about by college professors teaching courses in psychology and counseling. I know it by personal experience as well. Parts of my childhood were traumatic and therefore formative in a negative way.   But isn’t that true for all of us? We have all been emotionally wounded and scarred in some way and we all carry those old wounds with us. As we discussed in yesterday’s devotional, life is cumulative and the events of life are formative. All of it has played a role in making us into the person we are today. It’s important for us to know that and to understand how the events of our past have formed us into who we are today.   That kind of reflection and self-awareness is needed and helpful – if we use it in a positive way. We are to learn from our past, adjust to it as necessary, and use it as a bridge to the future. But we are not to live in the past. However, that is precisely what has happened to those who spend years and decades wrestling with events from the past and who, in many cases, have never healed from those wounds and who have never moved on from them.   I have known and do know many people who cling to old wounds and never really let them heal. In some cases, the old wounds have become old friends. The person has revisited it so much, ruminated on it, relived it, and clung to it to the point that they don’t allow themselves to heal from it. In some cases, they treat the old wound almost like a lap puppy that they hold close and cling to and stroke. It is such a familiar part of them that they won’t let go of it. Often they then use the old unhealed wound as an excuse for inappropriate, harmful, or unhelpful behavior.   Jesus wants to heal us from the wounds we continue to carry, but we must let Him heal us. We must be willing to let it go. We need to come to the point where we decide, “I have given this thing more than enough attention and emotional energy, and the wound is as healed as it is ever going to get. Now it’s time to get tough, put on my big girl panties (or big boy pants), suck it up, lock this memory up in a mental drawer, and get on with life. No more excuses!” You must be willing to let yourself be healed.   I encourage you to spend some time with the Lord and ask Him to show you if you are clinging to unhealed wounds that He is ready to heal for you but which you need to fully surrender to Him. Tomorrow we will think about one of the best ways to accomplish this.     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: “Selfcare”   Our Bible verse for today: “If you are wise, you are wise for your own benefit; if you mock, you alone will bear the consequences.” Proverbs 9:12 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Life is cumulative”   This morning, I came across a great pearl of wisdom from none other than Mr. Rogers. Yes, that Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers of “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood,” the long-running children’s program. Fred Rogers was an intelligent, talented, and impressive man. He had a graduate degree in Childhood Development from the University of Pittsburg; he was an ordained Presbyterian minister; he was a concert pianist, a songwriter, a singer, and a puppeteer; and he was the creator, screenwriter, and actor for one of the most successful children’s programs of all time.   He was also a very wise and insightful man. He once wrote a little devotional book entitled, “The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember.” The book is for adults not children. Here’s the quote I referred to: “All life events are formative. All contribute to what we become, year by year, as we go on growing. As my friend the poet Kenneth Koch once said, “You aren’t just the age you are. You are all the ages you ever have been!””   “You aren’t just the age you are. You are all the ages you have ever been.” In other words, life is cumulative. It builds on itself and it all adds up. Life is also formative. Who you are today is a result of who you have been all the previous days of your life. Every lesson, every experience, every life event, every memory, all of it contributes to who you have been, to who you are today, and to who you will be in the future. It all builds on itself and it all combines to make you who you are. The good, the bad, and the ugly – all of it – it all matters.   This is why self-awareness is so important. We must understand our past to understand our present. Past events in your life were formative and led you to who you are today. Much of that will have been good, some of it will have been bad, but it all matters. To truly understand who you are today and why you are the way you are today, you must have an understanding of your past and the role all of that has played in bringing you to where you are today.   With respect to good selfcare, we need to take the time and do the work to understand our past. We are not to live in our past, but we do need to understand it, learn from it, and then build on it in constructive ways. This is important, so we will think more about it tomorrow. For now, I encourage you to spend some quiet time with the Lord reflecting on your past. Ask Him to help you see how it all has added up to make you the person you are.   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: “Selfcare”   Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread of fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.” Exodus 35:35 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “God designed us to be creative”   I believe God created humans to be creative. God Himself is creative and He designed us to be creative too. Therefore, being creative is part of living a rich and full life for us.     My wife, Linda, was a very creative individual. Her field was arts and crafts – especially for children. She was still creating children’s crafts just three days before she left us and went to heaven. God then blessed me with Aimee. Not only is Aimee a beautiful person and a great wife, but she is also very talented and creative. She plays the piano and she sings; she spent years in the world of theater and has appeared in many stage productions; she is also an artist who draws and paints beautiful pictures and as such, she is doing the cover art and interior illustrations for my next book (which is almost ready to be sent to the publisher.)   I have a friend who is a retired pastor. He is a talented woodworker and he is spending his retirement years creating beautiful works of art out of carved wood. Then there is Shawn and Amanda. I affectionately refer to them as our ministers of fun at games at Oak Hill Baptist Church. They plan and lead Christmas parties, valentine banquets, classic car shows, Hawaiian luaus, movie nights, Vacation Bible School, and much more. It’s amazing to me how creative they are with respect to games, contests, prizes, decorations, and publicity. Their creativity in this area is great fun for the rest of us and serves to strengthen the fellowship in our church.   For most of my life I have thought that I am not creative. I can’t sing, dance, or play the tuba. The best I can manage for art is stick figures and kindergarten pictures. In terms of building skills like carpentry, design, fabrication, even plumbing, I don’t fix things I break them. Then I pay others to fix what I broke. I’m not even creative in terms of gardening. My specialty is plastic flowers – everything else dies a fast and ugly death.   But one day I came across this statement written by pastor and author Eugene Peterson and it changed my entire perspective regarding whether God created me to be creative too: “I am a pastor and I am a writer. Those are not separate vocations competing for my time and attention, they are both part of a unified calling. I am a pastor and I am a writer – it is a single coherent identity. My artistic medium is words, written and prayed and preached.”   “My artistic medium is words, written and prayed and preached.” Suddenly I understood: God equips all of us in some special way to be creative for Him and to bless others. And we need to do it. God is creative and He created us to be creative too and therefore we each need to find our own creative outlet in order to be living our best life.   In terms of selfcare, you will discover that being creative is therapeutic. It is relaxing, renewing, and fulfilling. There are many ways to be creative and I encourage you to find and develop a creative outlet of your own. God designed us to be creative.   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: “Selfcare”   Our Bible verse for today: “Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Do more of this”   In Nehemiah 8:10, when Ezra and Nehemiah told the people “Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength,” they were not telling them that they shouldn’t experience normal heartache and regret over things that should cause heartache and regret. Instead, they were cautioning them not to allow themselves to sink down into despair and get mired in it.   The implication in this verse is that they were to be intentional about shifting their focus onto the things they had to be grateful for and which the Lord had given them to be joyful about. If they would do that, they would feel renewed and restored in spirit; they would experience a resurgence of strength and vitality; they would discover that the joy given to them by the Lord is indeed their source of strength.   It’s true. Think about it. Isn’t it true that when your heart is overflowing with joy that is when you feel most alive? Isn’t life at its best when you are filled with joy? Of course it is. And that’s what God wants for you. In John 15:11 Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” In John 17:13, on the night before He was to be crucified, as one of His last acts on earth, Jesus prayed for us and He said to the Father, “Now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed in them.”   Joy is a gift from God. It is beautiful and powerful and Jesus wants you to have a lot of it because when you are joyful you are fully alive, and at your best, and you are strong in the Lord.   I have written before about one of my guiding life principles which I think about, pray about, and even meditate on almost on daily: “Reject that which drains you; embrace that which gives life.” That precept guides my thinking and my choices. I still have to deal with unpleasant people and unpleasant situations, but I’m intentional about minimizing negative influences and maximizing the people and things that fill me with joy.   Church is one of those things. Sunday is the best day of the week because that’s when my church family is gathered for worship and fellowship. It’s a day of spiritual nurture, healing, encouragement, singing, feasting, laughing, and fun. Tomorrow, August 17th, after Sunday school and worship, we’re even having a Hawaiian Luau complete with food, music, games, and lots of fun. Join us at 9:00 for Sunday school, 10:00 for worship, and 11:00 for the Luau.   The joy of the Lord is your strength and you, like the rest of us, need more of it. Do more of this: be intentional about embracing the joy God wants you to have.   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.

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Selfcare”   Our Bible verse for today: “The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners … to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair.” Isaiah 61:1;3 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “What if He really will do it?”   In chapter four of the Gospel of Luke we read of the time Jesus entered the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth. Being a popular Rabbi, He was offered the opportunity to read a passage of Scripture from the prophet Isaiah, and to say something to the people. He chose the passage above from Isaiah chapter 61 and after reading it He declared it to have been written about Him.   It was true. Jesus came to bring good news to those in need; to heal the brokenhearted and despondent; to give freedom to those in spiritual bondage; and to offer the people a life characterized by inner beauty, a joyful spirit, and victory over the daily grind of life. It was to be a life characterized by what the Apostle Paul would one day label as “the fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”   In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus expressed the truth of Isaiah 61:1-3 in the form of a compelling invitation: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden in light.”   If I can paraphrase what Jesus just told us and put it into contemporary language: “I will restore the devastation in your life and replace it with beauty. I will bring joy into the middle of your deep sorrow. I will help you gain freedom over the addictions and behaviors that have kept you enslaved and which have been ruining your life. In Me you will find true freedom and true fullness of life.”   What if it is true? What if Jesus can and really will do that for you? What are you missing because you stubbornly continue to direct your own life, carry your own burdens, and insist on doing things your way instead of His way? What if Jesus really can and will heal your heart and restore your life but you’re missing it because you won’t submit and surrender to Him?   The promise is true and Jesus will do what He said. But the next more is yours. What if He really will do it?   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Selfcare”   Our Bible verse for today: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 5:10 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Do you need to be restored?”   I read a statement the other day from author John Eldredge which reminded me again of how desperately we need to have our soul cleansed and restored on an ongoing basis. In his book “Restoration Year” Eldredge wrote, “Few understand the link between holiness and the life longed for. I can’t say it enough, dear friend: you were created for life, love, beauty, joy, laughter, friendship, adventure. These are the very things God wants for you. But you cannot find that life, let alone sustain it, until you’re restored.”   In Psalm 51 we’re reading about the time King David had been confronted by the prophet Nathan regarding the adultery David had committed with Bathsheba. To his credit, David was convicted and he repented in tears. In verse 2 he prayed, “Wash away my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin”. In verse 10 we read of him pleading with God to cleanse him of sin and restore him to a right relationship based in holiness. And God did.   What God did for David he is willing and eager to do for us too. Not just when we have sinned in big ways but always, ongoing, even for small offenses. We want and need ongoing cleansing and restoration. In 1 John 1:9 we are assured that, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” In Psalm 103:11-12 we read, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”   Then, once we have sought and received the Lord’s forgiveness and we have been restored, we must then go forth with the resolve to live in that holiness and to honor Him with our conduct. 1 Peter 1:15-16 says, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Then in 2 Peter 1:5-8, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”   Returning to Eldredge’s point, there is a link between holiness and the life we long for. The closer you are to the Lord, the more time you spend in the center of His will, the better you life will be. We all need forgiveness and restoration. I encourage you to go to Him now.   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: “Selfcare”   Our Bible verse for today: “I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:16-19 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Don’t settle for less than this”   God wants you to have a good life. He makes that plain in the Bible from start to finish. As I noted in yesterday’s devotional, that doesn’t mean your life will be a never-ending story of rainbows and unicorns, lollipops and gumdrops, puppy dogs and butterflies. You will have your share of trials and tribulations, and there will be pain and heartache. But even though that is true, life with Jesus will always be better than life without Jesus. And again, as noted yesterday, if you are a maturing disciple of Jesus, then the Holy Spirit will be filling your life with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and that will be true regardless of your current and momentary external circumstances.   In Ephesians 3:16-20 Paul prayed a beautiful prayer for his readers. In verse 16-19 he prayed for their strength, power, faith, love, knowledge, and for their awareness of Christ’s presence with them. He also prayed for them to embrace the fullness of God in their lives. Then in verse 20 he included a very revealing insight. He wrote, “Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us …” According to Paul, God is able to do far more in our lives than we can even ask for or think of. He has the power to do it and He wants to do it.   The truth is that God wants you to have a good life and He is willing to work in your life to help you have the life He wants for you. You just need to cooperate with Him. The best life you will ever have is the one that is lived right in the center of His will for you. The problem is that many of us are pursuing our plan for us rather than God’s plan for us. Truth be told, we want our will to be done rather than God’s will to be done.   I want you to know this morning that God has a great plan for you that will result in the best life you can have. I urge you to never settle for anything less than God’s best 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: “Selfcare”   Our Bible verse for today: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12 (ESV)   Our thought for today: “Rejoice and live well”   As people of faith, we should live with joy and optimism. Our sins have been forgiven and we have the promise of eternity in heaven. The future could hardly look better than that!  But there’s more. Not only is Jesus our Savior, but He is also our Lord. As His disciples not only will we spend eternity with Him in heaven, but we are to live for Him now on earth – and we don’t have to do it in our own power or with our own wisdom. The Holy Spirit of God lives in the hearts of the people of God to enable us and empower us to live in ways that honor God.   And it gets even better than that. As He lives in our hearts and takes control of our lives the Spirit develops His fruit in our hearts. The Apostle Paul referred to it in Galatians 5:22-23 as “the fruit of the Spirit”: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Those are attributes of Jesus that increasingly come to define us as well. You experience that fruit for yourself internally deep in your heart, but you also demonstrate those attributes in your actions as you interact with the world around you.   As a follower of Christ, as you move through the world you are experiencing within you love and joy, peace and patience, kindness and goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – but you are also spreading all of that to those around you. Think about what that means for your life. You are joyful and peaceful on the inside, and you are sharing joy and peace on the outside.   That doesn’t mean that life will be all rainbows and unicorns, lollipops and gumdrops. But it does mean that the Spirit within you is more powerful than the circumstances around you and your life is characterized by the stronger force of the Holy Spirit within you.   This is a good attitude and a healthy outlook coupled with the power of the Holy Spirit living in us and emanating out of us, and it makes for a great life. In terms of good selfcare, there is nothing more important than cultivating and nurturing a deep relationship with the living God. Rejoice in Him and live well.   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