Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Resilience”   Our Bible verse for today: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “We will need to be strong and resilient.”   Yesterday I told you about a joint research project involving the American Bible Society and the Harvard University Human Flourishing Program which proved that Christians who read their Bibles regularly and who are active in church are happier, healthier, and they handle tough times better than those who don’t do those things. Today I want to explain why that is going to be increasingly important in the months and years to come.   I’m currently reading a book called “Politics after Christendom: Political Theology in a Fractured World.” It was written by Dr. David VanDruenen, Professor of Theology and Christian Ethics at Westminster Seminary in California. The premise of the book is that Christianity and Christian influence in the USA is suffering a similar fate as it did in Europe over the last three hundred years, only at a much faster pace. At one time Christianity was the dominant social, cultural, and political influence in Europe, but not anymore. Today Christians in Europe live in largely secular societies that are either indifferent to Christian thought and values, or even in strong opposition to them. The same thing has been happening in the USA over the last fifty years, but again, at a much faster pace than in Europe.   In his book Dr. VanDruenen has both good and bad news for us. The bad news is that the favorable political and societal conditions that once existed in Europe and the USA for Christians were unique and not the norm as depicted in the New Testament. Therefore, we should not expect such conditions to continue indefinitely. Dr. VanDruenen writes, “Therefore it is no surprise that the New Testament steers Christians away from staking very much upon government institutions. Christians may avail themselves of civil justice, pray for their civil authorities, and even exercise political office, but they should always keep the affairs of state in proper perspective. No affection Christians may feel toward their political communities can compare to their allegiance toward Christ’s heavenly kingdom.”   But there’s good news too: “Christians do not need a new and special kind of political theology for life after Christendom. Rather, Scripture itself provides a political-theological vision perfectly suited for a post-Christendom world. The New Testament envisions Christians living in a world such as this and prepares them for it. Scripture equips Christians to understand and function within societies that will remain foreign and often hostile to them.”   He goes on to say that living well within such a world requires us to be actively engaged in the life of healthy church communities, and to remain aware of and resistant to the false, misleading, and deceitful influences of the society in which we find ourselves.   This is why it’s increasingly important for Christians to be faithfully involved in a strong church. I’m not suggesting that we should give-up on our country. Not at all. But I am saying we mustn’t be naïve about it either. We live in a fallen world, and it’s going to keep getting worse until Jesus returns. That being the case, as Christians, we need to stick together in order to be strong and resilient. As was noted in yesterday’s devotional, Christians who read their Bibles regularly and who are active in a good church tend to thrive regardless of the difficulties they face.    God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2021 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Resilience”   Our Bible verse for today: “He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Bible study and worship make you strong and resilient”   I read a fascinating article the other day in the latest edition of Christianity Today magazine. The title was, “When COVID 19 Hurts, the Bible Brings Hope.” The subtitle was, “A new study shows scripture reading correlates with Harvard measures of human flourishing”.   The article was about how researchers from the American Bible Society teamed up with researchers from the Harvard University Human Flourishing Program to study what impact regular Bible reading and attending church had on Christians during a time of crisis and extended trials (specifically, the COVID 19 pandemic). What they discovered was something that some of the Harvard people may have found surprising, but which committed disciples of Christ have known for two thousand years – Bible reading and church-going make a person stronger, happier, healthier, and more resilient. The authors of the study wrote, “The evidence shows that Americans who actively engage with the Bible and in corporate worship score higher on every measure of human flourishing, including better mental and physical health and a deeper sense of character and virtue. They even have a greater sense of financial and material stability compared to those who don’t attend church or engage with the Bible.”   Additionally, Tyler VanderWeele, the Director of the Harvard program wrote, “The churches have an important and profound role in contributing to people’s well-being in general – and especially so during this time … People who attend church and read their Bibles tend to be happier, are less likely to commit suicide, and have a greater sense of purpose in their lives.”   In Matthew 4:4 we read of the time that Jesus spent forty days and forty nights in the desert fasting and preparing Himself spiritually to begin his ministry on earth. At the end of that time, He was exhausted and famished. That’s when Satan showed up – at the very time He was weakest and most vulnerable. And that’s when Satan launched his attack. Jesus’ response is revealing and instructive. He informed Satan that although He was struggling physically, spiritually He was strong because He had fed His spirit on the words of God. Jesus recited scripture from memory, He worshiped, and He drew His strength from God.   We need God at all times but especially during times like these. We need to keep ourselves immersed in the Bible and we need to participate in group worship. Doing so helps to make us strong. It makes us resilient.   I encourage you to be faithful in your study of God’s Word, and I encourage you to participate in group worship. We at Oak Hill Baptist Church will be gathering for Sunday School this Sunday at 9:00 and for worship at 10:00. The worship service will also be live-streamed on the church Facebook page. I invite you to join us. Bible study and worship help to make us strong and resilient.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2021 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Resilience”   Our Bible verse for today: “We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Don’t sugarcoat it”   The Apostle Paul was always brutally honest about the things he was facing in life. He didn’t stick his head in the sand and hide from his issues or situations; he didn’t pretend they didn’t exist; and he didn’t run away from them. He acknowledged situations for what they were and then he found ways to deal with them.   In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 he acknowledged that he faced terrible afflictions, but he didn’t allow them to crush him. He was sometimes confused and perplexed, but he didn’t despair over it. When he was being persecuted, he turned to God for help. And sometimes he was even struck down – knocked down, but it didn’t destroy him. Why? Because in a straightforward matter-of-fact way he acknowledged the situation for what it was, he committed it to prayer, then he got busy dealing with it. He didn’t hide from it and he didn’t sugarcoat it, he just dealt with it.   Yesterday I told you about my friend Tom. He’s like that too. No whining, no complaining, no hiding from it or sugarcoating it. It is what it is, now let’s deal with it.    It’s important to have a clear focus about the reality of the situations we’re dealing with. It does us no good to pretend it’s something other than what it is. It is true that we do have to be careful that we don’t become consumed or overwhelmed by the details of the circumstances, and we don’t want to wallow in it and develop a sense of helplessness, hopelessness, or a victim mentality, but we do have to be brutally honest about what we’re facing.   Once we’ve done that, we must change and improve those things we can change, and we must accept those we cannot. Then we find ways to work with what we have. That’s what Tom did with respect to his stroke. He couldn’t change the fact that he had a stroke, and some of the disabilities were going to be lifelong and forever limiting. But once he came to terms with that, his attitude was, “Okay, it is what it is. Now, let’s work with what we’ve got.”   The idea of being completely honest with yourself about what you’re facing, changing and improving what you can, and then accepting what you cannot change, is more than just the stuff of a famous poem. It’s an important life-principle that has to be learned and mastered if we’re going to thrive in life. We’re all limited in different ways. We all have stuff that is problematic and which isn’t going to go away. I encourage you not to sugarcoat it. Acknowledge it, engage it, and deal with it.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2021 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Resilience”   Our Bible verse for today: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Live a noble life.”   Yesterday I quoted the words of Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eye to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” I noted that the Psalmist had faith that he could turn to the Lord for help with whatever he was facing. I also noted that even if the Lord didn’t actually take away the difficult circumstances the writer was facing, He would enable the man to face his trials with strength and courage and to handle them in a noble and dignified manner.   I have a friend named Tom. As a relatively young man he had a major stroke which left him bedridden in a nursing home. They told him he would probably never be able to get out of that bed again. He refused to accept that conclusion and immediately began working on his strength and mobility. Soon he was getting out of bed. They told him he would never be able to walk again. But he asked for a walker and some help, and soon he was slowly walking. They told him he would never be able to drive a car again. So, he taught himself how to drive again. They told him he would never be able to work again. So, he went out and got a job.   That was decades ago and Tom has never given-in to his disabilities nor has he given-up. He moves slowly, and he does use a walker, but that has never stopped him. If the doors of the church are open, Tom drives himself there – and he refuses to park in the handicapped spots (“Leave those for someone who needs them”). Instead, he parks on the other side of the parking lot and with his walker he slowly makes his way across the parking lot and into the church (“Because it’s good for me”). And whatever activity is going on at church, Tom finds a way to be involved in it – from workdays, to mission projects, to mission trips. I’ve watched Tom slowly push his walker up and down the rows of pews helping to straighten the books and visitor’s cards in the pew backs. He has helped weed flower beds, pushing his walker with one hand and dragging a rake through a flower bed with the other. He has gone on mission trips.   Despite tremendous challenges and trials, Tom has lived his life with strength and courage, with dignity and grace. His has been a noble life. No whining and complaining. No excuses. Just pushing forward and doing the best he can under the circumstances as they are. And why has he lived that way? Because that’s what resilient Christians do. That’s how resilient Christians live.   I encourage you to resolve to live your life with courage and dignity and grace. Despite your challenges and trials, resolve to live a noble life.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2021 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Resilience”   Our Bible verse for today: “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”  Psalm 121:1 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Reject learned helplessness and the easy path of victimhood.”   Pastor John Ortberg tells of a research project conducted at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1960s. Lab animals were put in a box and given small shocks. At first, they moved and jumped and tried to get away from the source of the shock, but to no avail. No matter what they did or where they moved to, the shocks still came. Soon they learned to stop trying and to just accept the shocks. Then they were moved to another box where they could avoid the shocks by simply moving a few steps in another direction. But they didn’t even try. Instead, they continued to accept the shocks even though they didn’t have to. It was learned helplessness. They had a sense of helplessness that they had learned through their previous circumstances and even though the circumstances had changed, they still believed they were helpless to do anything to improve their situation.   People get like that too. They learn to believe they are helpless. Then they convince themselves that they are victims. And then they stop trying. This results in low emotional intelligence (the opposite of what we were discussing in yesterday’s devotional). It also results in a sad life lived well below the potential of the individual. This is not a thriving individual who is living life well.     Resilient Christians reject learned helplessness. They reject the easy path of victimhood. The way they do that was discussed in an earlier devotional in this series regarding the importance of maintaining a positive attitude. That lesson taught us that although we don’t always have control over what happens to us, but we do always have control over how we respond to what happens to us.   For instance, you can refuse to give-in or to give-up. It really is true that nothing is over until you give-up. Therefore, as long as you refuse to give-up, you can still find ways to make your situation better. This is the attitude the Psalmist was expressing in Psalm 121:1. He knew that there was always help and hope waiting for him if he would turn in faith and expectation to the Lord. Maybe his circumstances would get better, but even if they didn’t, the Lord would give him the strength and courage to deal with his circumstances in a dignified and noble manner. There is no giving-in or giving-up, no learned helplessness or victimhood, in the words of Psalm 121:1.   I encourage you to reject learned helplessness and the easy path of victimhood. Do not give-in or give-up. With the Lord there is always help and there is always hope!   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2021 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Resilience”   Our Bible verse for today: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:6 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Develop your emotional intelligence”   “Emotional intelligence” is a concept developed by psychologist Daniel Goleman and published in his ground-breaking 1995 book by the same title.   It’s been common knowledge for much of human history that people with high IQs often do not do well in life. They’re very smart in terms of knowledge, quick thinking, and the ability to grasp complex concepts and to solve difficult problems, but often those same people seem to have little common sense, they sometimes have poor communication and relational skills, and therefore they struggle in life – sometimes tragically so. In his research Goleman discovered why that it. It’s the difference between intellectual intelligence and emotional intelligence.   Goleman discovered that humans effectively have two minds – the rational mind and the emotional mind. The rational mind gathers and processes information and solves problems. The emotional mind governs feelings, moods, instincts, judgment, and decision-making. Emotional intelligence includes many of the factors that combine to create the Biblically resilient individual we’ve been thinking about this month – the person with self-awareness, self-discipline, empathy, optimism, hope, compassion, trust, and faith. It’s the wisdom and knowledge of Proverbs 2:6.   Emotional intelligence is a different way of being smart and it’s actually the more important of the two. People with high intellectual intelligence often flounder in life and consequently end up unhappy. People with high emotional intelligence may have modest IQs by comparison, but yet seem to do surprisingly well in life.   Would it surprise you to learn that God is more interested in your emotional intelligence than He is in your intellectual intelligence? Can you see the correlation between emotional intelligence and Biblical virtues?   Resilient Christians have a high level of emotional intelligence and as a result they tend to thrive in life. And here’s the good news: emotional intelligence can be learned and developed. That’s exactly what we’re doing all this month through these daily devotionals and I’m eager to continue exploring this subject with you. Tomorrow we’ll consider another interesting concept known as “learned helplessness”. Learned helplessness is common problem and is a product of low emotional intelligence – but there is help and hope for it. We’ll think more about that tomorrow.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2021 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Resilience”   Our Bible verse for today: “Then Caleb quieted the people in the presence of Moses and said, “Let’s go up now and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it!” Numbers 13:30 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Hope gives us confidence”   This morning I want to return to our thought from yesterday regarding hope and the fact that hope is more than just optimism because it is rooted in something deeper. Optimism involves having a positive outlook and living with the expectation of good things to come. “Hope”, as used in the Bible, is one step beyond optimism because it is rooted in faith and trust in God.   Caleb and Joshua had that kind of hope. That’s what we read about in Numbers chapter thirteen. Twelve spies had been sent out by Moses to survey the Promised Land and to bring back a report. What they discovered was exactly what God had promised – it was a beautiful land filled with promise and great potential. It was everything God said it would be, and more. But there was a problem. The people living in the land were big and strong and well-armed. Ten of the spies returned afraid and unwilling to go forward. They said, “We seemed like grasshoppers compared to them!”   Caleb and Joshua saw the same thing, but from a different perspective. While the ten saw the challenge and they panicked, Caleb and Joshua saw the promise and they rejoiced. The ten were focused on the size of their enemies, Caleb and Joshua were focused on the size of their God. The ten had fear, Caleb and Joshua had hope – hope in the Biblical sense of strong faith and full trust in God. Theirs was the eager expectation of good things to come. It was optimism plus God.   Hope gives us confidence as we look to the future. Strong faith and full trust in God help us to see the promise rather than the problems. Resilient people live with hope and therefore resilient people live with confidence.   As you gather with your church family for worship tomorrow, I encourage you to do so with a great sense of hope – celebrating your faith and trust in Almighty God. We live in tough times right now and there are some challenges in front of us, but God is bigger than our challenges. So, we can face the future with confidence and with the eager expectation of good things to come.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2021 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Resilience”   Our Bible verse for today: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.” Ephesians 1:18-19 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Keep your fork because the best is yet to come.”   I once read a story about a woman who was buried with a fork in her hand. It’s true. As her friends came to view her body laid out in the casket they were surprised and confused to see a fork in her hand.   Later, in the sermon, the preacher explained that the fork was there at her request. You see, this fine lady had been a good Southern Baptist her entire life and she was a member of the First Baptist Church of the Covered Dish. They were famous for their potlucks and if you’ve even been to a Southern Baptist potluck, then you know that the best part is the dessert table. So, once the dishes are cleared away after the main course you “keep your fork” because “the best is yet to come”. For this woman the symbol of the fork was a reminder that even in death, “the best is yet to come” because she had the promise of heaven waiting for her. She lived with that hope and she then died with that hope – and she had fun with it in the process!   Resilient Christians learn to live with hope – with the expectation that the best is yet to come. That’s their attitude about eternity in heaven, but it’s also their attitude about all of life. Resilient Christians have great faith in the sovereignty, love, and goodness of God. They know that God is watching over them, guiding them, and fulfilling His good and perfect plan for them. Therefore, they live with hope and with the eager expectation of good things to come. That’s what Paul was saying in Ephesians 1:18-19. His prayer for his readers was that they would learn to live with hope.   In his book “If You Want to Walk on Water You’ve Got to Get Out of The Boat” pastor John Ortberg writes, “Hope is the fuel that the human heart runs on … Hope includes all the psychological advantages of optimism, but it is rooted in something deeper.” He was writing about spiritual living. People who have learned to live with hope focus on more than just the issues of the moment. They have learned that with God there is always a higher purpose and there is always something more and better waiting for them. So, they have hope (optimism, but at a deeper level).   I encourage you to train yourself in the habit of being hopeful. Learn to live beyond optimism. God is good, all the time, and your future is bright.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2021 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Resilience”   Our Bible verse for today: “But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness. For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:7-8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Train your habits”   This morning I want to return to our discussion from yesterday regarding the habit of excellence and the important role it plays in the resilient life. I said that excellence is a learned habit. That’s true, but it’s true of all habits. Habits, be they good or bad, are learned behaviors. That means that they can also be unlearned and replaced with new and better habits.   In his book “Resilience” former Navy SEAL and former Governor Eric Greitens, writing about the importance of habits in a letter to a friend, shared a helpful insight about the nature of habits and the impact they have on a life. He wrote: “Your life has a natural point of aim. It flies in the direction of your habits. To change the direction of your life, you have to reset your habits … You have enormous potential to create yourself … When a habit has become so ingrained that actions begin to flow from you without conscious thought or effort, then you have changed your character … If we are intentional about what we repeatedly do, we can practice who we want to become. And through practice, we can become who we want to be.”   I don’t think Greitens was intending to be Biblical when he shared that advice with his friend but he was none-the-less. That was the exact point Paul was making to his young protégé Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7-8 – we can train our habits in order to become the person we can and should be. Our life will fly in the direction of our habits. Train yourself for godliness by practicing godly habits, and overtime you will transform into a godly person. Train yourself in habits that are consistent with a resilient life, and over time you will become more resilient.   Training yourself to be optimistic instead of pessimistic is one of the habits that will lead to a more resilient life. Practicing excellence in the small things so that you will also be excellent in the big things, is also a resilient trait. Tomorrow we will think about the role hope plays in developing and maintaining a life that is resilient (thriving).   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2021 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Resilience”   Our Bible verse for today: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Be excellent”   When I went to Navy bootcamp in 1971 I was a kid of seventeen with little self-discipline. So imagine my shock when I discovered that I had to make my bunk with precision – with perfectly squared corners and sheets pulled so tight that a quarter would bounce off of them. There was also an exact spot on the floor that I had to stand at attention on, and my toes couldn’t be off by even a fraction of an inch. The tee shirts and boxers in my locker had to be folded to exact specifications (the drill instructor would actually pull out a ruler and measure the dimensions of the folded boxers to verify that I had done it exactly right).   At the time it all seemed thoroughly ridiculous to me and I thought it was an absurd waste of time. Later I realized that they weren’t really teaching me how to properly fold underwear. Instead, they were teaching me how to pay attention to detail and to strive for excellence, even in the small things. Because, in order to achieve excellence in the big things you must first have the habit of being excellent in the small things. Excellence is not an exception reserved only for big and important matters, it’s a prevailing attitude that characterizes how a person approaches life. A person who strives for excellence in the small things will also achieve excellence in the big things. Excellence is a habit, it’s a way of life, and it can be learned.   Remember our definition of resilience – it’s more than simple perseverance, it’s more than just sticking with something and getting through it. A resilient person thrives as they persevere; a resilient person learns and grows and becomes better as they continue to achieve; a resilient person is optimistic, approaching their tasks with enthusiasm and eagerness; a resilient person isn’t content with being mediocre or average. The pursuit of excellence is part of the resilient life, and it’s a habit that can be learned.   I encourage you to strive for excellence in all that you do. That doesn’t mean you need to be a perfectionist. But it does mean that you shouldn’t be willing to settle for less than your best. That’s what Paul was teaching in Colossians 3:23 – whatever you do, do it with all your heart because you’re doing it for the Lord, and He deserves your best. We’ll think more tomorrow about how to develop habits that lead to excellence.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2021 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.