Oak Hill Baptist Church

Celebrate Freedom

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Fully Alive”

Our Bible verse for today: “For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve on another through love.” Galatians 5:13 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Celebrate freedom”

I believe in “American Exceptionalism”. American exceptionalism is the understanding that the United States is inherently different from and better than other nations. The concept of American exceptionalism originated at the time of the American Revolution when our Founders intentionally set out to establish a nation that was different and better than any nation that had ever existed. Our credo would be “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as being unalienable rights granted to us by God, and the undergirding principles which would guide the governance of our nation would be those found in the Bible.

Our founding as a nation was unique, and it has resulted in a nation that has indeed proven to be the greatest nation in the world. We have also proven to be a great blessing to the rest of the world. Americans as individuals and as a nation are brave, strong, generous, and willing to use the strength and prosperity of our own nation for the benefit of others.

As I write this, we are preparing to celebrate the Fourth of July here in the USA. And, since the Fourth falls on a Sunday this year, I am also preparing to preach a special Fourth of July sermon at our church (Oak Hill Baptist), which will be about what has come to be known as “The Judeo-Christian Ethic”. The Judeo-Christian Ethic has guided our nation for 245 years. It is largely responsible for the freedom and prosperity we enjoy and which the rest of the world would like to have. Historically as a nation we have honored God, and in return God has blessed us. As Christians it is our responsibility to help our nation remain aware of, and be faithful to, our Judeo-Christian Ethic. Otherwise, we will lose God’s blessing.

There’s much that needs to be said about our Christian heritage and the role that the Judeo-Christian ethic has played in our national life. I invite you to join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church tomorrow. Join us in-person if you can, or online at 10:00 for a Facebook live-stream. The entire service will also be available for your viewing afterwards at www.oakhillbaptist.net and on the Oak Hill Baptist Church Facebook page.

Join us tomorrow as we celebrate this great country that God has blessed us with.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Faith and service is a learned lifestyle

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Fully Alive”

Our Bible verse for today: “Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us.” Philippians 3:17 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Faith and service is a learned lifestyle”

A lifestyle of faith and service is something we learn, usually from the example of others. Yesterday I introduced you to Tim Shriver’s great book “Fully Alive”. It’s all about faith and service. Tim learned his lessons about faith and service first and foremost from the example of his parents, and also from other adults in the extended Kennedy family clan (especially from his grandmother Rose Kennedy). Faith and service were essential and foundational elements in the life of the entire family. Tim’s parents started every day by going to Catholic mass. Every day. First thing in the morning, before they went to work or anywhere else, they went to an early morning church service. Every day. That’s impressive faith.

In terms of service, Tim’s father, Sargent Shriver, was the founder of the Peace Corps and he also created, led, and supported numerous other philanthropic and service organizations over the course of his life. Tim’s mother Eunice Kennedy Shriver was the founder of the Special Olympics. It started in the 1960s with Eunice bringing busloads of special needs children to the Shriver family compound in Maryland every day throughout the summer. She called it Camp Shriver and it was intended to give the kids a summer camp experience commensurate with their physical and intellectual abilities. Tim grew up with that from the time he was three years old. Today he is the National Director of the Special Olympics. He learned about faith and service from his parents, from his grandparents, and from his aunts and uncles. They lived it out in front of him and modeled it for him.

We also learn a lifestyle of faith and service from other people we associate with. The fact is that over time we become like those we associate with and therefore we need to choose our friends and associates carefully. At Oak Hill Baptist Church, as a congregation we teach, preach, and practice faith and service. It’s simply who we are as a people. Therefore, over time it has become the case that the majority of the congregation are people of deep faith who are committed to serving others in the name of Jesus. We become like those we associate with.

We also learn a lifestyle of faith and service from the books we read, which is one of the reasons I’ve shared a little with you about Tim book “Fully Alive”. Much of the story takes place within the context of Special Olympics and people with physical and intellectual disabilities. I can tell you from personal experience that people with physical and intellectual limitations are often great examples of faith, service, courage, and perseverance.

Faith and service is a learned lifestyle, which means that not only can we learn it and practice it ourselves, but we can teach it and model it for others. I encourage all of us to do both.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Be fully alive

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Fully Alive”

Our Bible verse for today: “I have come so that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Be fully alive”

I want to tell you right up front (and without apology) that I have stolen the title for this month’s theme. It comes from a book with that same title which I’ve just finished reading – “Fully Alive” by Tim Shriver. Some of you may recognize Tim’s name. He’s part of the Kennedy family clan. His mother was Eunice Shriver. Along with her famous brothers John, Bobby, and Teddy, she was one of the nine Kennedy kids who made up that large family. Tim’s sister Maria was married to Arnold Schwarzeneggar, and so she was the former First Lady of California.

Being from a long line of passionate Democrats, Tim’s political and social positions are different from mine. But that doesn’t matter because the book wasn’t really about those things. The book was something of an autobiography in that it follows the course of Tim’s life from his early years as a child, all through the school years, and into middle-age. But the primary focus of the story pertains to Tim’s personal development in two crucial areas of life, both of which combine to determine how “fully alive” a person is. The first area is spiritual development. Tim is a Christian and so he writes about his personal journey from childhood faith into a deep discipleship relationship with Jesus Christ as an adult.

The second area of the book’s focus pertains to a life of service. Tim argues (and I agree) that a person isn’t fully alive until that person is living a life of service to others. Faith and service were fundamental elements in the life of the family he grew up in, which is why they produced so many public servants including a President, Senators, Congressmen, and leaders of philanthropic organizations. The family creed was “You have been given much; you must serve others in exchange.” In other words, “The more you have, the more you are expected to give.” That, of course, was taught by Jesus in Luke 12:48 and is a key element of Christianity.

I enjoyed the book, and I’ll quote some helpful passages from it throughout the month. I’m also in full agreement with the author’s conclusion that we’re not fully alive until we are fully alive in Christ, and living a life of service to others. We will spend the rest of this month exploring both of those truths.

We all want to be fully alive – in the best sense of the phrase, so let’s think about how that can happen.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Today is the tomorrow you were looking forward to yesterday

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “For I know the plans I have for you – this is the Lord’s declaration – plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Today is the tomorrow you were looking forward to yesterday.”

Not long ago a friend posted an insightful and thought-provoking statement on her Facebook page. She said, “I am currently right in the middle of what I used to look forward to.” As I considered that statement several things occurred to me. First, whatever it was she was experiencing in her life when she wrote that, it was something she had been looking forward to and now it was in happening. But beyond that, she was aware of and appreciative of the fact that it was happening. Evidently, she wasn’t taking it for granted.

Many people spend their lives looking forward to something but once it happens, rather than savoring it, their thoughts quickly turn instead to the next thing they’re looking forward to. The adolescent longs to be a teenager because he thinks being a teenager will be cool. But then the rebellious teenager longs to be a high school graduate so he can break free from the authority of his parents. The high school graduate longs to be a college graduate so he can be done with school and have a career. The young parent looks forward to middle-age when the kids are grown and there is extra money for travel and fun. The middle-aged person is planning for retirement. The retired person is longing for the next visit from the adult kids and grandkids. And on and on it goes.

Much of our thinking and emotional energy gets focused on what’s next rather than on what’s now, and as a result, we often miss the best moments in life. Or at least we don’t fully appreciate and enjoy them.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 is a classic passage which speaks about the fact that God has a purpose and a plan for your life. All throughout your life He is leading you and guiding you along a path He has selected for you. He doesn’t necessarily dictate every step you take and every choice you make, but He does have a purpose and a plan for you. As you travel through life, He brings you progressively to one day after another, one event after another as your life unfolds. What a shame if rather than appreciating and enjoying where the Lord has you at the moment, you are instead constantly looking forward to what might lie around the next bend in the road. Psalm 118:24 reminds us that, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Yes, this is the day; this is the moment. Enjoy it. Savor it. Then, when you get to the next day, the next moment, enjoy and savor it as well.

Chances are you are currently right in the middle of what you used to look forward to. Today is the tomorrow you were looking forward to yesterday. Enjoy it! Savor the time.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Stop grumbling and be grateful

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.” Philippians 4:4-5 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Stop grumbling and be grateful”

This past Sunday, after the service ended and as people were leaving, one of our members stopped to comment on something I said in the sermon. The topic was “Loving God and Loving People” and it was based on Matthew 22:34-40 where we read about the two great commandments given to us by Jesus. My point was that rather than Christianity being a complicated religious system of dos and don’ts (similar to Old Testament Judaism), Jesus simplified it and reduced it down to a matter of the heart, “Love God and love people”. Once you have those two things right, everything else will take care of itself. (You can watch that sermon on our website at www.oakhillbaptist.net)

The comment my friend at church made was that he agreed with my point about the practice of the Christian faith being a simple matter of the heart, and he added that in his own life he has found it helpful to focus on being grateful. He constantly reminds himself of all that he has to be grateful for, and that helps him to be positive rather than negative. That then has a positive impact on every other area of his life as well, including his interactions with other people.

That’s what the Apostle Paul was teaching in Philippians 4:4-5 when he instructed us to “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Interestingly, when Paul wrote that he was an old sick man sitting in a Roman dungeon facing probable execution. Yet in the midst of such terrible circumstances, he wrote what is certainly the most joyful and upbeat book in the entire Bible (Philippians), and he encouraged us to find our joy in the Lord in the middle of our difficult circumstances too.

Then in verse 5 Paul touched on what my friend from last Sunday referred to, “Let your graciousness be known to everyone.” You see, when your heart is right it will be evident in your demeanor and that then will impact every other part of your life, including your interactions with other people. Gratitude makes you gracious.

What does all of that have to do with our theme of savoring your time? Everything! You cannot savor and enjoy and make the most of your time if you’re grousing and grumbling and being miserable. The condition of your heart will be evident in your demeanor, and it will color and impact every other part of your life.

So, stop grumbling and be grateful. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, Rejoice in the Lord!” And, “Let your graciousness be evident to everyone”.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

This is why we call it “quiet” time

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper …” 1 Kings 19:11-12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “This is why we call it “quiet” time.”

We do not live in a quiet world; we live in a noisy world. Very noisy. There’s seldom a time when we’re not exposed to some kind of manmade noise. Think about it. Even when you have turned off the television and the radio; even when there are no other people around you talking; even if you can get away from the sounds of traffic in the distance; there’s still manmade noise. Can you hear the air conditioner humming in the background? Is the lightbulb in the room buzzing? Can you hear the gentle hum of your computer hard drive? It’s difficult to achieve real silence. Many people don’t even want to. Some people are afraid of true silence because then they have to listen to all the noise in their head.

But silence is an essential part of entering into deep communion with God. Seldom does God shout to be heard. Instead, His voice is usually soft and subtle.

That’s what Elijah discovered in 1 Kings 19:11-12 (above). Elijah was having a bad day. He was physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted after an extended time of intense ministry. He was in the desert in a cave when God confronted him regarding the pity-party he was indulging in. As something of a dramatic set-up for His coming appearance, God sent a tornado-force wind to blow. Then there as a ground-shaking earthquake. That was following by roaring flames of fire. But God wasn’t in any of that. Instead, after the dramatics were over and God had Elijah’s attention, He spoke to Him in a soft, subtle, gentle voice which Elijah would have to pay close and careful attention to if he wanted to hear it. This is what is sometimes referred to as “The still, small voice of God”.

This is how God typically speaks to us too. Seldom does He speak to us with a booming voice out of the whirlwind, the earthquake, or the fire. Those things can be helpful in getting our attention and causing us to settle down and listen, but when God speaks, it’s usually out of the quiet.

And … that’s why we call it “quiet” time. If you want to hear the voice of God you will have to settle down, shut down, stop the noise, and just be quiet before Him.

We call it “quiet time” because we need to be quiet if we want to hear from God. I encourage you to be quiet and listen to Him this morning.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Picture this being true of you

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “(For my determined purpose is) that I may know Him – that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding (the wonders of His person) more strongly and more clearly. And that I may in that same way come to know the power out-flowing from His resurrection (the power it exerts over believers); and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed (in spirit into His likeness even) in His death.” Philippians 3:10 (Amplified Bible)

Our thought for today: “Picture this being true of you”

What we’ve just read in Philippians 3:10 (above) was the Apostle Paul’s personal mission statement for his life. This is what he was all about. It’s what got him out of bed in the morning, and it’s what kept him going through the day. This was his inspiration, his motivation, and his determination.

I like the way Pastor Chuck Swindoll dissected this verse in his book “Intimacy with God”. He encourages us to take that passage, get alone in a quiet place, and slowly turn the key words and phrases over in our mind: “That I may know Him … progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him … perceiving … recognizing … understanding … continually being transformed …”

That’s what Paul wanted in his own life and it’s also what we should want in ours. Nothing should be more important for the Christian than to know Christ, progressively becoming more intimately acquainted with Him, being more spiritually perceptive, recognizing and understanding the ways of God, and continually being transformed more and more into His image.

But that takes time – set aside and protected time – time that belongs only to you and God. It takes effort – applied effort – in deep-dive Bible study, in prayer, sitting quietly and patiently before God, and it takes time spent in worship (both personal and corporate).

But we’ll only do that, we’ll only commit the time and make the effort, if that kind of relationship with God is important enough to us. And that brings us back to Paul’s mission statement in Philippians 3:10, and to Chuck Swindoll’s dissection of it. If you do what Chuck suggested, get alone in a quiet place, slowly turn the key words and phrases over in your mind, make it a matter of prayer as you ask God to create this desire in your heart – if you do that, then Paul’s desire for his life will start to become your desire for your life.

This is important. For the child of God there should be nothing more important than to know God in this way. I encourage you to try the exercise Pastor Chuck suggested. Spend some quiet time with Philippians 3:10. Think deeply about it. Picture it being true of you.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Make the most of your time by serving others

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Make the most of your time by serving others”

John Bridgeland is a man who served as the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under President George W. Bush. John was also one of the co-founders in 2019 of an organization known as UNITE. The focus of UNITE is to bring Americans from across the political, social, economic, and racial spectrums together to cooperate for common causes. The object is to focus more on the things we have in common rather than on the things that divide us, and to work together for the common good on a vast array of issues and projects.

The effort involves politicians, celebrities, business people, ministers, authors, and people from all walks of life, and the object is to simply find ways within our own communities that we can all work together to make things better. They’re not asking anyone to put aside any of their dearly held beliefs about any issue. Instead, it’s all about finding ways that we can help each other achieve things that are of benefit to us all. The quote from John Bridgeland that caught my attention was “Service transforms us. When you serve a great cause, as we see the nurses and doctors and health-care workers doing today (during the pandemic), you lose yourself and find a greater purpose.”

If that’s true for our society in general (and I’m convinced that it is), then it’s even truer for the Christian community in particular. The great cause that we all share is the cause of Christ on earth. We are to be working together to serve others in the name of Jesus and to share the Good News of the Gospel with as many people as possible. Regardless of any differences we may have on other issues, as Christians we all share that common goal of advancing the kingdom of God on earth. We need to focus more on that and less on any other thing that could distract us, derail us, or divide us.

Service to others is at the core of the Christian mission. It’s what we’re supposed to be all about. Jesus was a servant and He calls us to be servants too. As Christians we make the most of our time, and we do the most good for our society, when we work together for the greater good of advancing the cause of Christ on earth.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Protect your relationships

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Protect your relationships”

Today Linda and I are celebrating our forty-third wedding anniversary. We’ve been together as a couple for forty-five years. I praise God for the gift of those years and I pray there will be many more.

On the one hand, I’m amazed that it has been that long. Forty-five years is almost half a century! On the other hand, I’m not surprised our marriage has lasted. We’re committed to it, and we always have been. Our vows to each other and to God meant something.

But that’s not to say it’s always been easy, because sometimes it hasn’t been. We’ve had our share of disagreements, arguments, and fights. We also raised a handicapped child (the stress of which often drives a wedge between spouses). There have been major illnesses; changes of careers; cross-country moves; financial struggles; boomerang kids (adult kids who move back home after they’ve been launched and sent off into the world); and all sorts of other things which can, if allowed to, will drive couples apart.

Part of the secret to our longevity is that we meant our vows. We decided right from the start that we were in this for life and divorce would never be an option. But another strategy that has worked well for us is a determination to stay focused on the positive rather than the negative. We deal with troublesome issues as necessary, but we deal with them as quickly as possible and then we leave them behind. Then, to the greatest extent possible, we focus on and savor the good times, the special moments.

One way we do that is by displaying family pictures. Lots of them. They’re everywhere in all the rooms of our home, and in my office, and in Linda’s office, and on our phones – everywhere you look there are pictures. I know that sounds excessive, but it works for us. We’re constantly reminded of special people and special times. We think and talk often about all the memories and all the special moments created over forty-five years as a couple and as a family. Doing so has carried us through many rough patches in life.

In 1 Peter 4:9 the apostle reminds us to do what it takes to maintain constant love for each other. In other words, remind yourself of the love that your relationships are built on. Savor the memories, and the special moments, and the special people, and protect those relationships.

Maybe displaying lots of family pictures isn’t your thing. That’s okay, discover what your thing is and do that instead. Do whatever it takes to savor the special times with special people. Doing so helps to protect the relationships so they will last.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

It will carry-over and carry you through

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls, yet I will celebrate in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! The Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!” Habakkuk 3:17-19 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “It will carry-over and carry you through”

Yesterday in my personal study time I was reading from the Old Testament book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk was a mysterious guy. We know virtually nothing about him. We don’t know where he came from or what his background was. All we know is that he was a prophet in the land of Judah during and after the time of good King Josiah in 609 B.C. After Josiah died things got bad. It was a time of trouble and turmoil in Judah. Habakkuk’s assignment from God was to inform the Jews that they’d better buckle their seat belts because as bad as things were, they were going to get worse, and it was all because of their unfaithfulness to the Lord as a nation.

In the three short chapters of the book, Habakkuk had a message for the unfaithful ones – they were about to experience the consequences of their bad choices. But he also had a message for the faithful ones. He urged them to trust God and to live by faith. In 2:4 he wrote, “But the righteous one will live by his faith.” And then he concluded the prophecy with a declaration of his own faith that we read in 3:17-19 (above) – no matter how bad things got, he would continue to trust in the Lord and to live by faith.

Where did Habakkuk’s strong faith come from? Since he was called by God to be a prophet, I think we can deduce that Habakkuk was a faithful man of God who had the long practice of going deep with God (as we’ve been thinking about in previous devotional messages). Habakkuk was already strong in the Lord and that strength, which was developed in better times (during the reign of good King Josiah), now carried over into the bad times and helped to carry him through. And likewise, where did the other faithful ones referred to in 2:4 get the strength of their faith that Habakkuk expected would carry them through the tough times? I think the answer must be the same.

And for us? Yes, it’s the same answer. It’s those who are faithful and who have the habit of going deep with God in the good times, who are strong and ready to walk faithfully with Him through the tough times.

I encourage you to savor your time with God today. Go deep with Him. Meet Him in the deep places and draw strength from Him, and do it every day. If you do, the strength and peace and confidence that the Lord develops in you with then carry-over and carry you through the tough times.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim