Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You are loved”   Our Bible verse for today: “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “God rescues you.”   One of the hardest things any parent ever has to do is to watch their grown child go off on some dangerous adventure. I know this from personal experience. I once had to stand and watch one of my own sons walk to an airplane that was going to carry him into a war zone in Afghanistan. I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach thinking about what he was going to face once he got there and what the potential outcome could be.   In Romans 5:8 the Apostle Paul was commenting on the great truth John revealed to us in John 3:16 when he wrote, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 5:8 and John 3:16 describe a rescue mission. God the Father sent His only Son from the comfort and safety of heaven to earth to rescue us from our sins. It was a dangerous mission that would require great suffering and sacrifice on the part of the Son. Knowing what Jesus faced, it grieved the Father to do it and yet, it had to be done. Paul’s point was that this proves God’s overwhelming, unconditional, and never-ending love for us. He loves us so much that He was determined to rescue us at all costs. But then, it didn’t stop there. He continues to look out for us and to be our shelter in the storms of life.     This morning, along with reading this devotional, I want to ask you to Google the song “Rescue” by Christian singer Lauren Daigle. Take just 3 ½ minutes to listen to it. As you’re listening, please read the lyrics along with it and think deeply about the profound truth being revealed in the song. Hear the voice of the Father speaking to you personally through the words. It will be Lauren singing, but hear the voice of the Father through it. Here are the words:   You are not hidden There’s never been a moment You were forgotten You are not hopeless Though you have been broken Your innocence stolen I hear you whisper underneath your breath I hear your SOS, your SOS I will send out an army to find you In the middle of the darkest night It’s true, I will rescue you There is no distance That cannot be covered Over and over You’re not defenseless I’ll be your shelter I’ll be your armor I hear you whisper underneath your breath I hear your SOS, your SOS I will send out an army to find you In the middle of the darkest night It’s true, I will rescue you I will never stop marching to reach you In the middle of the hardest fight It’s true, I will rescue you I hear the whisper underneath your breath I hear you whisper, you have nothing left I will send out an army to find you In the middle of the darkest night It’s true, I will rescue you I will never stop marching to reach you In the middle of the hardest fight It’s true, I will rescue you Oh, I will rescue you Source: LyricFind Songwriters: Jason Ingram / Paul Mabury / Lauren Daigle Rescue lyrics © Essential Music Publishing   That’s how much He loves you.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You are loved”   Our Bible verse for today: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you.” Jeremiah 31:3 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Experience the love of God”   I once received an email from a young man with whom I have something of a mentoring relationship. He contacts me from time-to-time to discuss various issues. In this case, he was disturbed and feeling a little guilty by the realization that it seemed to him that he loved his girlfriend more than he loves God. He was certain it was wrong to feel that way and he didn’t know what to do about it. It’s not that he didn’t love God too, he did, it just seemed to him that his love for his girlfriend was so much more real.   I assured him that I understood. His girlfriend is pretty and warm and soft and cuddly – and God is none of those things. His girlfriend is physical, but God is spiritual. Therefore, it’s a lot easier to actually sense and experience the love of a girlfriend than it is the love of God. (As I was writing this our little eight-pound Maltipoo puppy came up, nuzzled my leg, and waited for me to pick her up. She too is soft and warm and cuddly, and she just wanted to be held. As she laid in my arms and rested her head on my chest, she looked up at me with goo-goo eyes and wagged her tail. I really felt the love).   Can you relate? Does the love of your mate, your children, or your pet seem more real to you than the love of God? Intellectually we know (we have the knowledge) that God loves us, and by faith we believe it to be true. But experientially – well, that’s something else again. Experiencing the love of God is much more subtle and nuanced than experiencing the love of a person or a pet. And yet, the love of God is real none-the-less – much more real than the love of a mate, a child, or a pet.   In my opinion, Jeremiah 31:3 is one of the great verses of the Old Testament. It is a powerful and profound promise that God loves us more than we can possibly understand. That’s also the message of the entire Bible.   All this month we’re going to consider the great truth of God’s love. Hopefully, by the time we’re done, we will all have not just a better understanding of His love for us, but also a greater experience of it. I look forward to exploring the reality of God’s love with you.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire”   Our Bible verse for today: “He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.’” Mark 6:31 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “It’s time to unplug for a while”   I will be forever grateful for having had the opportunity to be a part of so many overseas mission trips over these last twenty-five years. Every one of them was special and unique in its own way but without question, the most adventurous and exotic were those missions into the restricted zone of the Amazon Jungle in Peru. “The Manu Reserve” is 3.5 million acres (the size of Massachusetts) of pristine Rainforest. It is almost entirely detached from civilization as we know it, and in many respects, it’s the stuff of National Geographic magazine.   As you leave the river town of Puerto Maldenado and head north, your cell phone coverage, internet, and all basic forms of communication begin to get weaker and weaker. The further north you go, the less there is. Finally, as we enter the Manu Reserve itself, there is no more. Then for approximately six days, as you go deeply into the heart of the Rainforest, you are completely out of touch with the outside world. No communication at all.   In some respects that experience of being completely out of touch is a bit disconcerting. It’s something we aren’t used to. But on the other hand, it’s strangely freeing. No telephone calls, no text messages, no email or social media of any sort. It’s just you and God and nature and your teammates.   At the end of the mission, as you’re heading south and coming back out, you begin to slowly reestablish communication. It’s sketchy at first but gets stronger the further south you go. Over the course of a few days you soon have full coverage again. When that happens, I’m always amazed to discover how little I missed while I was unplugged and out of touch. It doesn’t take long to catch up on the voicemails and emails. A quick scan of Facebook assures me that all the same nonsensical drama is still there. The 24/7 news cycle is still churning it out, but there’s really nothing new going on there either. The food fight in Washington D.C. is still raging; the stock market went up, and then down, and then up again; and the Padres are still in last place in the National League West. The church building didn’t burn down, nobody’s hair caught on fire, and Jesus didn’t come back.   In one respect I guess my feelings are always a little hurt when I realize that the world didn’t stop because of my absence.  Most people didn’t even know I was gone. But at the same time, it was a refreshing experience and one that I was grateful for. Unplugging like that can be a wonderfully renewing thing.   And with that said … I need to tell you that this will be the last daily devotional message until Tuesday September 1st. I’ll be going on an extended vacation and I’m going to pretty much unplug for the entire month of August. I look forward to coming back in September refreshed, renewed, and ready to explore a new theme with you. In the meantime, I encourage you to take a break too. Unplug for a while; get some rest; find some fresh wind for your sails and some fresh fire in your soul.   I’ll see you in September. (What a great title for a song! See you in September. Go ahead and Google it.)   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire”   Our Bible verse for today: “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Do good and bless others”   As we draw near to the end of our month-long pursuit of fresh wind in our sails and fresh fire in our souls, I want to return to a subject I’ve been repeatedly emphasizing over the four months that our nation has been in the grip of the pandemic, the economic collapse, and the social unrest. It is the subject of doing good and blessing others. One of the best things a person can do to help him or herself through this, is to take their eyes off of themselves and focus instead on being a blessing to others. Few things will lift us up and be as big an encouragement to ourselves than the knowledge that we were able to make life a little better for someone else.   Recently I read an account told by an old man who had served as a soldier in post-World War Two in London. Throughout the war England had been bombed without mercy by the Nazis. There had also been a naval blockade, and obstructions to land routes, that both served to inhibit trade and make resources scarce all throughout the war. Now that the war was over, the city of London was heavily damaged. There was rubble everywhere, the economy was depressed, people were homeless and hungry, and despair was heavy and pervasive.   The solider told of how one day he was driving his jeep down a rubble-strewn London street when he saw a dirty young boy in rags staring into the window of a bakery. Captured by the sight, the solider stopped his jeep to get a closer look. On the other side of the window the baker was taking fresh pastries out of the oven. The boy was fixated on the sight of the pastries and his mouth was watering so much that saliva was dripping down his chin. The soldier’s heart just broke at the sight and he asked the boy, “Son, would you like to have some of those pastries?” Wide-eyed and startled the boy said, “Oh, yes sir, I really would.” With that the soldier went into the bakery, purchased a bag of the fresh pastries, and handed them to the boy. The boy was stunned, and as the soldier turned to walk away the boy tugged on the edge of his jacket and asked him, “Mister … are you God?”   He wasn’t, but He was following God’s example. The soldier drove away from that encounter humbled by the knowledge that such a small act on his part could be so meaningful to someone else.   We are never more like God than when we intentionally bless others. And also, we will never experience a greater sense of having been blessed ourselves than when we have had the privilege of blessing someone else in Jesus’ name. I encourage all of us to take our eyes off of ourselves and intentionally look for opportunities to bless others. It will be good for them, but it will be good for you too.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire”   Our Bible verse for today: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Be the peacemaker”   The other day I was speaking with a member of our church who has lived in our town for a long time and who knows a lot of people who attend other churches. Recently she has been checking with some of them to see how their churches are doing during these difficult times we live in. She told me she was surprised and alarmed to hear of how many churches are struggling with a wide variety of issues arising as a result of the pandemic. Of course, attendance is way down in all the churches. But beyond that, many churches are experiencing internal strife resulting from disagreements about best practices for handling the situation. My friend said to me, “Not only is Satan using all of this to divide our country, he is using it to divide our churches.”   And she is right. I’m hearing that too. On the one hand, we live in difficult times. The situations we face are dangerous and confusing. Nobody has all the answers. We’re all figuring this out as best we can as we continue to push through it. There are some practices and guidelines that simply have to be implemented in all churches based upon the best advice from the most reliable sources. There are also Biblical principles which govern our conduct in situations like this and which must be adhered to. There are health and safety concerns that have to be considered. And then there are legal liability issues as well (legally we have to do “due diligence” in our efforts to handle this correctly and we have to be able to prove it).   But once those parts of it have been addressed and implemented, we need to give each other as much room and grace in dealing with the rest of this as we can. Church is the place where we can escape the storms of life for a while. It’s a place of sanctuary and respite for all of us. So, we do the things we have to do in order to take care of each other during these challenging times, and then we go over and above in our efforts to make our time together as much of an encouraging and uplifting experience as we can.   None of us will agree on everything. Therefore, there will be difficult conversations that will have to take place. We should all be grateful for mature Christians who are willing to step into the middle of difficult situations to be calm voices of reason. I encourage all of us to be the peacemakers. Satan is already dividing our land; don’t let him divide our churches too.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Fresh wind, Fresh Fire”   Our Bible verse for today: “And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be … and pray to the Lord for it: for in its peace you will have peace.” Jeremiah 29:7 (NKJV)   Our thought for today: “Be the blessing”   Have you seen the music video “The New York Blessing”? If not, I encourage you to pause here and Google it. It’s less than five minutes long and trust me, you will be glad you took the time to watch it. I ended my sermon with it this past Sunday at Oak Hill Baptist Church and everyone was in agreement that it was a powerful, uplifting, and convicting experience.   The video is a joint effort of 100 New York area churches. They came together to sing words of blessing and peace, joy and encouragement, over their city as the people of their community continue to struggle with all the hardships emanating from the pandemic, the economic collapse, and the racial tensions all going on right now. People are hurting – they’re scared, they’re desperate, and many are angry. These 100 churches decided to rise up together to be a voice of peace and unity, reminding people that God is present and powerful and working right there in the middle of all the heartache and chaos. And, He wants to bless them. God wants people to find comfort and strength in Him. That’s what the video is about. I encourage you to watch it.   But the message isn’t just for New York City. It’s for all people in all places – in every city and town and neighborhood across our land. And that act of ministry – being the messengers of peace and reconciliation, spreading words of hope and joy – that’s not just a message for those 100 churches to share in their community. Theirs is an example the rest of us need to follow as we seek to minister to our own communities. We don’t necessarily have to get together with other churches to produce a music video, but we do have to be the messengers of peace, speaking words of hope and encouragement on behalf of our Lord to people who need to be blessed.   As you watch the video one thing that will stand out to you is that the singers and musicians are red, yellow, black, and white. They are Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and Jewish Christians. They come from mainline churches, evangelical churches, and non-denominational churches. This was the people of God coming together in the name of God to draw people to God.   If you’re looking for a little fresh wind in your sails and some fresh fire in your soul, I encourage you to watch the video. Then go out into your community and do the same – bless people in the name of Jesus.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Fresh wind, fresh fire”   Our Bible verse for today: “Then children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, ‘Leave the children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ After placing his hands on them, he went on from there.” Matthew 19:13-15 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Are you too serious?”   Many years ago, I used to work with a Christian man who was a real joy to be around. He was always upbeat and positive. He laughed easily and often, and he appeared for all the world to be carefree. Of course, he wasn’t completely carefree. He had problems and challenges in life just like the rest of us. For one thing, the environment we worked in was fast-paced and stressful and sometimes a little toxic. Also, the man’s wife had health problems which occupied a good deal of his time and attention outside of work. He also had a son who as a young adult was struggling with life issues. So, the man had his share of challenges and concerns in life but still, he had a bright and sunny disposition and he was a joy to be around.   Jesus was like that. Despite what was going on around Him he didn’t get into panics, nor did He give the appearance of being especially weighed down by events. Instead, He seemed to take things in stride. Matthew 19:13-15 is a case-in-point. At that phase in His earthly ministry Jesus was nearing the end. Events were accelerating, conflicts with the Pharisees were becoming more frequent, pressure was mounting, and everything was coming to a head. He was getting closer and closer to Jerusalem and to the cross, and He knew it. But here we see Him in this scene relaxed, unperturbed, and sitting with the little children.   Oswald Chambers once wrote, “The Christianity of Jesus Christ refuses to be careworn.” In other words, the more we learn to be like Jesus the less we will allow the cares of life to weigh us down and to have a negative impact on our disposition. That doesn’t mean that we ignore the things that are going on around us or that we dismiss them as being unimportant. Jesus was very aware, and He was very engaged. But He kept it all in perspective. He lived above the fray and He didn’t let any of it bother Him too much.   Here we find one of the keys to approaching life like my friend did, and like Jesus did – take a step back from it all and refuse to let it weigh you down or to steal your joy. You can be aware and engaged without being despondent and negative.   Many of us today are a little too serious for our own good. We’ve had to deal with too many tough issues all at once, and it has gone on for too long. I encourage you to consider if perhaps you have become just a little too serious, a little too preoccupied with events. We would all probably benefit from a little time sitting in a mud puddle with a toddler making mud pies. If Jesus could relax a little and take it all in stride, we probably should too.     God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Fresh wind, fresh fire”   Our Bible verse for today: “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13   Our thought for today: “Police lives matter”   There is probably no group of professionals who are more stressed and maligned during these difficult days in which we live than are law enforcement professionals. (Healthcare professionals are stressed also, but for different reasons). Many of our law enforcement professionals need some fresh wind in their sails. In other words, they need to be encouraged; they need to know they are appreciated; and they need our support.   This morning’s devotional is an adaptation of a short essay I wrote last year entitled “Blue Lives Matter”, and which appeared in my last book “Your Life Matters”. Currently in our society the slogan we see and hear everywhere is, “Black Lives Matter”. That is certainly a true statement. Black lives do matter. Unfortunately, sometimes the slogan “Black Lives Matters” is met with the response “All Lives Matter”. Again, a 100% true statement. But one that is often not well received.   I understand why responding with “All Lives Matters” could be problematic. If I were to say to you, “Breast cancer is an awful disease and we need to find a cure for it”, and you responded, “All cancer is awful and we need to find a cure for all of it”, you would be making a true statement, but it would be an inappropriate response to what I said. All cancer is bad, but this particular conversation is about breast cancer, and perhaps the reason I said it is because someone I love has it.   Likewise, if I were to say to you, “The wildfire in the Smoky Mountains is a terrible tragedy”, and you responded “Most wildfires are a terrible tragedy”, again that would be a true statement, but it wouldn’t be a very kind or compassionate response to what I said. It’s true that most wildfires are tragic, but this conversation is about the wildfire in the Smoky Mountains which destroyed the home of a friend of mine. So, saying “Black Lives Matter” doesn’t mean that other lives don’t matter, it only means that this particular conversation is about black lives.   But that logic works both ways. For instance, the title of my book “Your Life Matters” in no way takes away from or diminishes the truth that black lives matter. It simply means that in this particular instance the life that matters and which is being referred to, is that of the reader of my book. Likewise, the title of this devotional “Police Lives Matter”, in no way takes away from the truth that black lives matter. It only means that this particular conversation is about police lives. Black lives matter; police lives matter; all lives matter; and we can have individual conversations about each of them in turn.   If you are a law enforcement professional, I want you to know that the overwhelming majority of the American people support you. We appreciate what you do for us – and we most certainly do not want police departments defunded. If anything, you deserve a big fat raise, a longer vacation, better equipment, and all the advanced training you need in order to be able to continue doing the job we all depend on you to do.     For all my readers, I encourage you to go out of your way to thank and encourage a law enforcement professional. If you see them in a restaurant, consider paying for their meal; or just offer them a word of thanks and tell them you’re praying for their safety; or send a “thank you” card to the police station; or in some other way express your support and appreciation.     Police lives matter. They matter very much. We love you and we appreciate you. Thank you for all you do.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Fresh wind, fresh fire”   Our Bible verse for today: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Being on-mission with Jesus gives us fresh wind and fresh fire.”   There’s much I love about being the Pastor of Oak Hill Baptist Church, but without question one of the things I love most is the full-on commitment this church has to being on-mission with Jesus. The church takes Acts 1:8 seriously. We are eagerly and joyfully on-mission with the Lord, out in the world – in our Jerusalem (Cumberland County), in our Judea (Tennessee), in our Samaria (Kentucky), and to the ends of the earth (Peru, Haiti, Liberia, and Southeast Asia).   We have ministry partners in all of those areas and there’s never a time in our church life when we’re not in the process of preparing for at least one or two upcoming mission projects. The Acts 1:8 model of ministry is the heartbeat of our church life.   Today two other men from the church and myself will be delivering a load of new backpacks, school supplies, and clothes to our partners in the coal-mining region of eastern Kentucky. The people of Oak Hill Baptist have spent the last two months raising money, purchasing school supplies, gathering clothes and shoes, and preparing everything for this mission trip. The purpose is to assist our partner church in that area as they minister to the neediest families in their community. Personally, I’ve always found it energizing to be used by God to be the conduit through which His resources flow to people in need. Today we get to do it again.   In Acts 1:8 Jesus told us that we would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, and it would be for the purpose of being on-mission with Him out in the world. Would you like some fresh wind in your sails and some fresh fire in your soul? Well visualize if you will, being lifted up and carried along by the power of the Holy Spirit! How much more wind and fire are you looking for? There’s nothing in life more exhilarating, energizing, or renewing as going off into the world on a new adventure with Jesus.   Being on-mission with Jesus will put fresh wind in your sails and fresh fire in your soul. I encourage you to get involved in mission projects and help to make a difference in this world for the cause of Christ.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Fresh wind, fresh fire”   Our Bible verse for today: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Let’s be willing to sacrifice in order to help others.”   The other night I spoke with a relative in another state whom I hadn’t spoken with in a little while. He and his wife are in their senior years, they both have health problems, and they live on a small fixed income. The wife has only recently been released from the hospital and is recovering at home. The husband is her primary caregiver.   As we spoke, I was surprised to learn how desperate their situation had become financially. They were just barely getting by in terms of food and supplies. Also, their one vehicle had broken down and they couldn’t afford to get it fixed. But there’s a neighborhood group in that section of their community which was formed during the pandemic, with the goal of watching out for each other, pooling resources, and providing assistance to those in need. This group heard about my relative’s situation and responded. Someone arranged for a mobile auto mechanic to repair their car right there in the parking lot. Others began showing up at their door with food and supplies and offers of assistance. My relatives were overwhelmed with the care and compassion shown to them in their time of need.   What a great example of people taking care of people! And what a great example of something good (care and compassion) coming out of something bad (the pandemic). I love the unselfish attitude displayed by the neighbors, and their willingness to sacrifice a little for the sake of the needy and vulnerable.   In a similar vein, the other day I had lunch with a friend. We were talking about some actions we have had to take recently at church in an effort to make the environment as safe as it can be, especially for the most vulnerable among us. With respect to one of those actions he said, “I don’t particularly like doing this thing, and I’m not sure how helpful it actually is, but that doesn’t matter. If there’s even a slight chance that just one member of my church family might benefit even a little from me doing this simple thing, then that’s all the reason I need to do it.”   In Philippians 2:3-4 the Apostle Paul urged us to look out for others and to be willing to put the needs of others above our own needs or desires. Doing so is a blessing to them, and it benefits us as well. Sacrificing for the sake of others, putting their interests above our own, puts us in a servant frame of mind and it makes us more like Jesus.   Would you like some fresh wind in your sails and some fresh fire in your soul? I encourage you go above and beyond and to do something special and sacrificial for someone in need.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.