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.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Fresh wind, fresh fire”   Our Bible verse for today: “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, ‘The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Choose hope and joy”   I’m a morning person. I especially love the early morning, before the dawn. It’s quiet and peaceful and serene. Yesterday morning I had an encounter with the Lord during which He reminded me of an important truth that was helpful for me, and which I believe will be helpful for some of you as well. I was standing at the front door of our house as the dawn was breaking, holding one of our little dogs (she loves the early morning too), and looking outside. We were just standing there, gazing out into the peaceful early morning. It had rained the night before. The air was cool, the birds were singing, the neighborhood was still, and it was … peaceful … and calming.   As I stood there soaking it in, I started to think about how all the events in our nation of recent months had been weighing heavily on me. The pandemic; the economy; the politics; the racial tensions; concerns for sick family members; disagreements in the church regarding policies and procedures for the pandemic; my responsibility as a pastor to help our people through these tough times; and more; all on top of regular life. Then, as my sissy-dog and I stood there enjoying the early morning, I realized I was starting to give-in to that sense of heaviness again.   Just then, the Lord reminded me of Lamentations 3:22-24. “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, ‘The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.”   What a beautiful promise! Every day is new and there is hope and joy to be found in the Lord. We just have to choose to find it and focus on it. Then He reminded me of Romans 12:12, “Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.”   Real joy isn’t derived from and doesn’t depend on circumstances. Circumstances may influence your happiness in a particular moment and for a short time, but true joy comes from the Lord. It comes from the inside and works its way out, not from the outside working its way in.   My situation is not unique. We’ve all been dealing with the same things and we’re all worn out by them. But we can choose joy over despair. We can rejoice rather than brood. We can focus more on God and less on the issues and events of the day. In Romans 15:13 Paul wrote, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”   We do have a choice regarding what we will allow our minds to dwell on. I encourage you to focus on the truths of God. I encourage you to choose hope and joy.   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 has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Be filled with the things of God”   This morning I want to share with you a passage from my sermon from this past Sunday at Oak Hill Baptist Church. We’re studying the Gospel of Matthew on Sunday mornings and this past Sunday we were looking at Matthew 12:38-50 where Jesus teaches about the danger of an empty heart. You can listen to the full sermon at http://www.oakhillbaptist.net.    The main point of my sermon was that God created human beings with an awareness of eternity and with a natural longing to know Him and to be in right relationship with Him. That’s what Solomon was referring to in Ecclesiastes 3:11 when he wrote that God has placed eternity in our hearts. There’s an empty place in the human heart that can only be filled by God and the more we fill our heart with the things of God, the more contentment and fulfillment we will experience. This is what the Apostle Paul was trying to get across to us in Philippians 4:4-8:   First, in verses 4-7 he urges us: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”   Okay, that sounds great, so how do we get there? How do we get to the point where rejoicing in the Lord, and being aware of is constant nearness, and coming to the point where we are not worrisome but instead we pray about everything, and we live with a sense of thanksgiving, and we enjoy the peace of God, and we find that peace guarding our heart and our mind – how do we come to the point in life where those attributes describe our Christian experience? Well, now Paul brings us to verse 8:   “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy – dwell on these things.”   In other words, fill your mind and your heart with the things of God. That’s how the attributes listed in verses 4-7 become more and more a reality in the life of the Christian.   If you are seeking fresh wind in your sails and fresh fire in your soul, I would suggest you turn off the television news, log out of social media, put down the newspaper, and fill your mind and heart with the things of God instead.   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: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. Psalm 23:1-3 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “It will be true for you too.”   Yesterday I told you the story of a time in Billy Graham’s life when he was struggling spiritually. If you’re familiar with the story then you know it had been an exceptionally busy time in his life, for an extended period of time. Not only was he struggling with spiritual issues, but he was also physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. He needed renewal.   So, Billy did the thing he knew he needed to do – he carved out some time and he got alone with God. He placed himself in a position before God whereby God could speak to him and refresh his soul. That’s what David described for us in Psalm 23:1-3. There we get a picture of the Lord as shepherd, leading one of His sheep into a time of rest. The writer of Psalm 116 paints a similar picture for us:   “For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 116:8-9   In this case it seems as if the Psalmist had been in both physical danger as well as spiritual distress. If you read the Psalm in its entirety you will see that the writer sought the Lord, cried out to Him, spent the necessary time with Him, and ultimately found deliverance.   Both of those passages portray a person who found relief and renewal by shutting down and spending time with the Lord. And then, they came out of that time with fresh wind in their sails and fresh fire in their souls. It was true for King David, it was true for the unknown writer of Psalm 116, it was true for Billy Graham, and it will be true for you too.   During this difficult time in our life as a nation, we’ve all been under increased stress and we have all had to deal with many difficult situations. I encourage you to set aside some special time with the Lord to decompress and to be renewed.   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: “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you …” Jeremiah 29:13-14   Our thought for today: “Relive the moment”   Perhaps you’re familiar with the now legendary story of the turning-point moment a young Billy Graham had in his faith and in his ministry when he visited the Forest Home Christian Camp in the southern California mountains in the early 1940s.   Billy had just started his career as an evangelist. He was working for YWAM (Youth with A Mission), traveling around the country holding crusades for Christian youth groups. As such, he was the featured speaker for a weekend youth retreat at the Forest Home camp. But Billy was struggling with many questions about his faith, about God and the Bible, and about his future in ministry. One day while at the camp he went off into the woods by himself, put his opened Bible down on a tree stump, knelt down, and prayed for God to speak to him and answer some of his questions and doubts (or to at least give him some peace about it). It was in that moment that the truth of Jeremiah 29:13-14 became a reality in Billy’s life. God spoke to him.   God didn’t answer all his questions, but He did give Billy a reassuring sense of peace and assurance. Later, Billy wrote in his journal, “I sensed the presence and power of God as I had not sensed it in months. Not all my questions were answered, but … I knew a spiritual battle in my soul had been fought and won.” It was a pivotal moment for him and it’s one he relived hundreds of times throughout his life in moments when he was struggling and needed fresh wind in his sails and fresh fire in his soul.   For many years I lived in California not far from Forest Home and on several occasions, I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time alone at that very spot where Billy had his encounter with God. They’ve built a beautiful little chapel there and it’s a great place to go to do your own business with God. In fact, I’ve resolved some issues of my own in that spot and all these years later (more than 25), I still revisit those times in my mind.   Have you had pivotal moments with God like that in your own life? If so, I hope you wrote them down in a journal and I hope you relive them with God from time-to-time. More than just being pleasant memories, reliving such moments serves to remind you of God’s faithfulness in the past and they can serve to open a door for new, fresh encounters with Him in the present. Jeremiah 29:13-14 really is true, “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by 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: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Don’t let your life slip away”   I have a friend in law enforcement. He’s a young Christian man, early in his career as a law enforcement officer. He had a position with a police department that paid him well, but the hours were bad and his children worried about his safety. Deep in his heart he longed to be working with children, building into their lives, rather than chasing criminals. So when the opportunity arose, he left that job and accepted another position with a different law enforcement agency to serve as a School Resource Officer (a police officer stationed at an elementary and middle school). It’s a lower paying job but one he is likely to find much more rewarding and fulfilling. Not only will those children be safer because Officer Josh is there protecting them, but they will be encouraged and inspired by his solid character and strong Christian values.   I have another Christian friend who had a long and successful career as a medical doctor. Once he retired, he and his wife (a nurse) began going on three or four overseas short-term medical mission trips per year. In-between those trips they serve in their church, and at a local rescue mission in their town, and in other capacities that are helpful to people in need. Their retirement years are rich and full and very rewarding because they’re using them to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.   One of the most helpful things any of us can do to get some fresh wind in our sails and some fresh fire in our soul is to be involved in things that add real value to the lives of others. I realize that you may not be able to change jobs like my friend did, but are there activities you can begin to participate in that will be a blessing to others and add meaning to your own life as well? I’m sure there are. Regardless of your season in life, there are things you can be doing that will bless others and enrich your own life too.   Dr. David Jeremiah once wrote, “Too often a lifetime has passed and we’ve done little or nothing of eternal value.” I encourage you not to let that happen to you. Don’t let the years of your life slip away only to realize in the end that you didn’t do much that really mattered. Use your time in meaningful ways that serve and bless others. If you do, you’ll discover that by doing so, the quality of your own life improved 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: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3   Our thought for today: “God’s love frees you to be real.”    In Jeremiah 31:3 God was talking about His love for the nation of Israel, but the truth He taught applies to us too. He loves us with an everlasting love. The other day I came across a cute story told by Pastor Chuck Swindoll which he borrowed from an old children’s book; it teaches a lesson about the impact of this kind of love. It’s a little lengthy but I want to share it with you this morning because it’s a great illustration of how, and how much, God loves you:               “The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces. He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by-and-by break their mainsprings and pass away, and he knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else. For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.             “What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”             “Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become real.” “Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit. “Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”             “Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”             “It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”   One of the most freeing moments any of us will ever experience is when we finally realize that God loves us fully, completely, and with an everlasting love, exactly the way we are. It takes time. Usually we have to live with God and experience His love for us for an extended time before we really begin to appreciate how perfect and complete His love for us is. But once we finally get it, the realization is transformative. You suddenly understand that you don’t have to be like anyone else, you don’t have to lose weight, you don’t have to own more things, or achieve great things, or look like a movie star in order for God to fully and completely love you. You are perfect and precious to Him just as you are and the sooner you realize this, the happier you will be.   I encourage you to relax and be comfortable in your own skin. Spend some time savoring the long and close relationship you and God have had. Re-live the special moments you’ve shared over your long time together. Know that you are precious to Him. Such knowledge gives you the freedom to be real, to just be you.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

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