Our theme for this month: “You Gotta Keep Dancing”

Our Bible verse for today: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28” (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Keep it in perspective”

Not all things are good. No, some things are bad, sometimes very bad. So as we read a verse like Romans 8:28 we need to look carefully at what it does say, and also at what it does not say. It does not say that all things are good. It does say that in some manner God works all things out for the ultimate good of those who love him and who are called according to his purpose. That’s different.

Earlier in life I had a friend by the name of Bob. He was a talented and promising young athlete who seemed to have a bright future. But then he suffered an injury on the football field which left him as a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. From that point forward Bob would need someone to dress him, prepare his food, empty his human waste bag, and with almost every other basic daily task. It was a devastating and life-changing accident.

But Bob was a strong Christian and he knew that God was with him in the middle of those awful circumstances. God did not cause the accident, but He was at work behind the scenes bringing good things out of it. So Bob determined that rather than focusing on how bad things were, he would instead look for evidence of God at work in the middle of those bad circumstances.

Over time he learned how to operate a motorized wheelchair, and he learned how to drive a specially equipped van. He eventually went to college and earned a Masters degree in family counseling, and then he spent the rest of his life counseling families and helping to restore relationships. He also wrote songs, sang in the choir at church, and taught Sunday school. His life ended up being a great inspiration to others who were faced with serious challenges. Through it all Bob gave the glory to God and he just kept going.

I don’t know what your big challenge in life is, but I do know that if you are a Christian then God is at work behind the scenes to bring good things out of your bad situation. A big part of my friend Bob’s success, and the victory he had over his circumstances, was his perspective that God was at work in the middle of it all. So Bob looked right past his circumstances and found God at work. You can do that too in the middle of your own difficult situations today.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “You Gotta Keep Dancing”

Our Bible verse for today: “The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him, and the Lord made everything that he did successful.” Genesis 39:22-23 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Don’t give-in to self-pity”

One of my heroes is General Colin Powell. He was a four-star Army General. He rose to the highest ranks of both military and civilian leadership in our nation serving in various capacities in the administrations of four U.S. Presidents, including as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and as Secretary of State.

General Powell had an extensive set of principles he developed which guided his own life, and which he looked for in others whom he was considering for various leadership positions. He called them “Powell’s Principles”. He had one regarding self-pity. It reads, “I am capable of self-pity, but not for long.” That principle is an acknowledgement of the truth that self-pity is a natural human emotion and we are all susceptible to it. The question is not whether or not we will sometimes feel sorry for ourselves; the question is how long will we allow ourselves to wallow in self-pity? The person who wallows in self-pity will live a defeated life. The person who shrugs it off and just keeps going will excel regardless of the unfortunate circumstances they are faced with.

That was the case with Joseph in the book of Genesis. Hated by his brothers; sold into slavery in Egypt; falsely accused of sexual assault and thrown into prison for years; Joseph had plenty of reasons to feel sorry for himself. But even though the Bible used fifteen entire chapters to tell Joseph’s story, there isn’t even a hint of self-pity in it. Not once. I believe that was a big part of the success Joseph experienced and why God was able to bless him so much. Joseph refused to give-in to self-pity. That doesn’t mean he never experienced even a twinge of it. It just means he refused to live there. He refused to wallow in it.

I want to share with you a few inspiring statements about resisting self-pity from Tim Hansel’s book “You Gotta Keep Dancin”:

“The choice for all of us is not if we will accept pain, but how.”
“If you can’t change your circumstances, change the way you respond to them.”
“What a test of character adversity is. It can either destroy or build up, depending on our chosen response.”

I encourage you to resist the temptation to wallow in self-pity. Shake it off and deal with your circumstances in a positive way that blesses others and honors God.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

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Our theme for this month: “You Gotta Keep Dancing”

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: “God will enable you to keep dancing.”

I’m so grateful to God for all the good examples He has shown me of determined people who refused to give-up. These are people I have actually known, people who had to deal with great adversity but who were determined to live life and to keep dancing. They turned to God, they leaned on Him, they drew their strength and courage and hope from Him, and then they just lived lives to the fullest extent possible under the prevailing circumstances.

There’s a man in our church who, thirty years ago had a massive stroke which left him bedridden. He had to be fed and changed and bathed. Although the doctors expected some level of recovery, they told him he would never walk again. But he refused to accept that diagnosis. He called to God for help and then he asked for a walker. He forced himself out of bed and he learned to walk. Then they told him he would never be able to drive a vehicle again. So he got his car keys, got some help, and learned to drive again. Then they told him he would never be able to work again. So he grabbed his walker and his car keys, drove to some businesses, and found himself a job. That was thirty years ago and he is still walking, driving, and working. Oh, and he is in church virtually every time the doors are open. I’m grateful to know the man and to call him my friend.

I know another man who has a heart condition that will require open heart surgery. The situation is serious. Is he concerned about it? Sure he is. Is he taking the appropriate doctor-suggested precautions to guard his health until he can get the surgery? Yes. Has he given in to fear, refusing to do anything, and living in a protective bubble until then? No. No he isn’t. He has trusted the situation to the Lord, he is taking reasonable precautions, and he is living his life. He goes to work, he serves in his ministry assignments in church, he leads people on outdoor adventures (kayaking trips and motorcycle rides), and he continues to live his life as best he can under the conditions as they are.

I don’t know what your situation is but I do know that if you want to keep dancing the Lord will help you to keep dancing. You don’t have to give-in, give-up, or shut-down. Commit your circumstances and your life to the Lord, resolve to do your best to honor Him in the middle of it all, and then dance.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “You Gotta Keep Dancing”

Our Bible verse for today: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “What If?”

“What if?” What if I loose my job? What if I don’t have enough money to pay my bills? What if my spouse gets sick? What if I get sick? What if the wrong candidate gets elected? What if …?

If we aren’t careful we can live our life based on the “what ifs”. What if this and what if that and what if all sorts of things. The problem with the “what ifs” is that we don’t know the answer to the question. Beyond that, most of the “what if” scenarios will never happen. I read a study one time which revealed that something like 80% of the things we worry about never happen. Another 10% do happen but turn out good rather than bad. Only about 10% of the things we worry about actually happen and turn out to be bad, but even then the result is seldom as bad as we thought it would be. And yet, “What if …”

Fear and doubt and worry about the future are common and natural. We all do it, especially when we’re struggling through difficult circumstances and the outcome is uncertain. Our thoughts and feelings about such things are deceptive and lead us to all sorts of wild conclusions. The answer in such situations is to focus and rely on the promises of God as given to us in the Bible. We need to read, memorize, and focus on what God has told us about Himself, and the promises He has made to us.

In his book “The Hand of God: Finding His Care in All Circumstances”, Alistair Begg writes, “… the reality and truth of who God is and the promises He has made are more significant that the doubts and misgivings that so frequently arise in the life of a believer. The antidote to this kind of self-condemnation and fear and mistrust is a solid, experiential grasp of what the Bible has to say.”

Bible study, memorizing Bible promises, listening to Christian music, being in church and surrounding yourself with supportive brothers and sisters, are all ways in which we focus on God and His promises rather than on our feelings, fears, and doubts.

The great Protestant reformer Martin Luther had a cute little poem he wrote to remind himself of this. In contemporary language it goes:

For feelings come and feelings go, and feelings are deceiving.
My peace is in the Word of God, nothing else is worth believing.
Though all my heart should feel condemned for want of some sweet token,
There is One greater than my heart whose Word cannot be broken.

I encourage you to trust God and not your feelings. Fight the “What ifs” by immersing your mind and heart in the character and promises of God. Isaiah 41:10 (above) would be a good one to start with.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “You gotta keep dancing”

Our Bible verse for today: “Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.” Romans 12:12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Resolve to live well.”

Yesterday I introduced you to the story of Tim Hansel. After the rock-climbing accident that left him permanently disabled and in chronic pain for the rest of his life Tim had a decision to make. He had to decide how he was going to deal with his affliction and what kind of life he was going to lead from that point forward. He could live the rest of his life feeling sorry for himself and complaining; he could rely on massive amounts of drugs to kill the pain and dull his senses; or he could resolve to push through it as best he could and live life to the fullest under the prevailing circumstances. Tim chose life.

It wasn’t easy. In fact, it was hard. Very hard. Tim said he couldn’t remember a day when he woke up and felt good. The moment he opened his eyes the struggle began for that day.

He said one thing that helped tremendously was the examples of other people who were dealing with, or had dealt with, similar or even worse circumstances. The courageous examples of other people inspired him to deal with his own situation with courage and dignity and grace. He thought of those people as “everyday heroes who have chosen not to be victims but gallant fighters in spite of incredible odds.”

He also resolved that he would not allow his affliction and resulting challenges to define him. He would not make it the center of his life. Sometimes when people are dealing with difficult life issues it becomes all they think about, all they talk about. Tim decided not to do that. But he also decided he wouldn’t hide from it either. Sometimes people try to pretend the situation doesn’t exist (when it obviously does), and it becomes a forbidden topic of conversation. Here’s the balance Tim arrived at:

“There is a delicate balance between being honest and being overly dramatic. I want to admit struggle without giving way to despair. And I want the ultimate message to be positive without sounding pious or tinny.”

In other words, if there was a reason to talk about his constant physical pain, or if someone asked about it, he talked about it openly and honestly. But he didn’t make a big dramatic deal of it either. It simply was. That’s all. It’s just what the situation was, nothing more and nothing less.

The lesson for us from Tim’s example is that he accepted his situation and he resolved to deal with it well. He woke up each day and prayed for strength to handle the challenges with grace and dignity. He then leaned into it, pushed through it, and just lived life. That’s a pretty inspiring example for the rest of us.

May you have the courage and grace to live well today despite whatever challenges you may have to deal with.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Laugh Again”

Our Bible verse for today: “And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Philippians 4:19-20 (CSB)

As we conclude our month-long study about learning to laugh again I want to revisit a few of the key themes we’ve considered.

In Philippians 4:19-20 the Apostle Paul made a pretty bold statement, a promise really, about the provision of God in our lives. Please note that he wrote about God providing for “all” of your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. That’s a pretty all-inclusive statement. It’s a reminder of that great passage from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:25-34 where Jesus taught us about the sovereignty of God and the provisions of God. Your Father in heaven is aware of your every need, He has the power to provide for you, and He is committed to doing exactly that. The lesson? A Christian has every reason in the world to be one big “hallelujah” from head to toe!

Another lesson we learned is that laughter is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22), but a heavy spirit dries up the bones. A heavy spirit makes you sour and grumpy. Laughter lightens things up and makes you feel better. Happy people are healthy people. Even if your body is sick, your spirit is healthy. Laughter is good medicine.

Many of our devotional messages were about the importance of being intentional about being happy (Psalm 118:24). You can’t always choose your circumstances but you can always choose your attitude about your circumstances. I encourage you to go back and review some of the strategies we discussed for being intentionally joyful in your outlook and attitude.

We have also considered the brevity of life (Psalm 39:4-5) and the value of time (2 Corinthians 7:2). Life is too short and our time is too valuable to waste it in trivial pursuits or with a negative attitude. Life is also too short to live small or to whine about getting old. By the way, a great question once asked by Pastor Chuck Swindoll is “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?” In other words, you’re as young as you feel. Laughter and a happy light-hearted spirit keep you feeling young.

Finally this month I’m reminded of how much joy I personally receive from my little sissy dogs that I told you about in a previous devotional. But not everyone has that kind of a positive experience with their pets. I remember a sad pet story told by a man who claimed to have had a very sad life – the comedian Rodney Dangerfield. His childhood experiences with his dog were not happy. His dog’s favorite bone was Rodney’s arm. The dog was also evidently an Egyptian breed because he left little pyramids everywhere he went. And perhaps worst of all, Rodney’s parents had to tie a pork chop around his neck just to get the dog to play with him!

That’s sad! My prayer for you is that you have more to laugh about in your life than poor Rodney had in his.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Laugh Again”

Our Bible verse for today: “Lord, make me aware of my end and the number of my days so that I will know how short-lived I am. In fact, you have made my days just inches long, and my life span is as nothing to you. Yes, every human being stands as only a vapor.” Psalm 39:4-5 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Life is short, so enjoy it.”

Today is my sixty-fifth birthday. I don’t tell you that because I’m looking for “Happy Birthday” wishes (you can reach me on Facebook, text message, email, or phone); nor am I looking for presents (my shirt size is large; I love ice cream, golfing, hiking, and kayaking; and books are always a nice gift); and I absolutely am not looking for anyone to treat me to a birthday meal (I’ll be at the Cracker Barrel in Crossville this morning at 8:30 for the monthly Oak Hill Baptist Church men’s breakfast).

No, I don’t tell you it’s my birthday for any of those reasons (did I mention I like books?), I tell you it’s my birthday simply as a convenient and relevant bridge into a discussion about the brevity of life. As King David noted in Psalm 39, life is short. Even if we live to be 70, 80, 90 years old, our life is but a dot on the time-line of eternity. It is a vapor, a wisp of smoke that is here for a moment and then vanishes.

Life is too short and too precious to be wasted on trivial things or to be spent moping around in bitterness and resentment. As we’ve been learning all this month, life should be embraced and enjoyed, fully and with gusto. Also, we have to be careful we don’t take our problems and difficulties too seriously. Will the things you’re worried about today matter much this time next week, next month, next year, or a decade from now? Probably not. So why let them get you down now? Life is too short to live small, or to be negative and pessimistic. Embrace life and enjoy it.

Also, learn to laugh about old age issues. It annoys me when I hear people complain about getting old. Many people never live long enough to get old! If you’re 60, 70, 80, or 90 years old you have been given a privilege that many people never get. Appreciate it and enjoy it!

Just the other day I heard a guy laughing about his old age issues and making fun of himself because of them. He said that the older he gets the more his body becomes like an old junk car. He said that now-a-days every time he sneezes it causes his radiator to leak and his exhaust backfires!

I can relate brother. Mine too. But so what? Let’s just laugh about it and enjoy another day of life that the Lord has granted us.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim (Sixty-five but still kicking butt and taking names! Lol)

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