Our theme for this month: “Changing the tone of the conversation”

Our Bible verse for today: “Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God … For it (government) is God’s servant for good.” Romans 13:1; 3b (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Be part of the solution.”

This morning I want to continue our discussion from yesterday regarding the part each of us should play in helping to improve the tone of the national conversation. As was noted yesterday, as Christians we should be the adults in the room. We should be the ones helping to cool things down rather than fanning the flames of dissension. We should be involved in the national dialogue, and we should be actively engaging with our elected officials, but our involvement should be a help not a hindrance.

Paul wrote in Romans 13:1-3 that government is good. Human government was instituted by God in the early chapters of Genesis. It was designed to bring order and stability to human affairs after the introduction of sin into the world. Sin is a destabilizing factor in human affairs. Good government is intended by God to act as a restraining element against the worst aspects of human nature. And, as we have seen throughout the course of human history, when government is effective there is peace and stability and order, but when government is ineffective, a society in chaos always results.

When elected officials are part of the problem rather than part of the solution, when they cause instability and chaos rather than peace and good order, and when they are shouting at and attacking each other rather than cooperating for the common good, then those elected officials are the problem rather than the solution.

We, the followers of Jesus, have to be careful we too don’t get carried away in the angry rhetoric and mean-spirited shouting matches. As has been noted in previous devotional messages in this series, we should be the adults in the room, the peacemakers. We should act as the thermostats who adjust the temperature and cool things down.

Anger, incivility, and disorder are all a result of the sin that infects the human condition. Good government is intended by God to counteract those sinful tendencies not add to them. Since in this respect our government is doing such a poor job at the moment, as Christians we must be God’s agents in the middle of the angry mob, helping to calm things down rather than stirring them up. I encourage you to be part of the solution today.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church

3036 Genesis Road

Crossville, Tn 38571

Our theme for this month: “Changing the tone of the converstation”

Our Bible verse for today: ““For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age.” Titus 2:11-12

Our thought for today: “Just be the church”

This morning, as we continue considering our theme of changing the tone of the conversation in our society, I want to share with you one final excerpt from my new book “Getting Along without Going Along: Biblical sexual ethics in an age of controversy and conflict”.

In his book “Love into the Light” author and Pastor Peter Hubbard draws on the lessons of Paul’s letter to Titus. Hubbard uses this example to provide Christians in our day a roadmap for dealing with the cultural shift in sexual ethics which is occurring in our society, but to do so in a way that is respectful and therefore effective.

Hubbard explains that Titus was appointed by Paul to be the pastor of the fledging new church on the island of Crete. It was a difficult task because the culture there was extremely immoral and the people were not receptive to Biblical standards of conduct. So Paul gave Titus a simple three-step process to follow:

1. Appoint elders in every town. “This is the reason I left you in Crete … to appoint elders in every town.” (1:5-16)

2. Apply sound doctrine to every situation. “But you must say things that are consistent with sound teaching.” (2:2-15)

3. Be courteous in every situation. “… be kind, always showing gentleness to all people.” (3:1-11)

Paul’s instruction to Titus helps us to understand how we are to conduct ourselves in our culture. First, as the Church, we must be a strong and confident presence in our community. Second, we are to stand firm on the clear teaching of Scripture, refusing to give-in to pressure or to compromise sound doctrine. And third, our manner is to be kind, respectful, and gentle. Ours is to be a winsome witness that draws people in rather than pushing them away.

In short, we are to simply be the church. Evangelism, along with a compelling demeanor, is the answer. The battle is not ours, it’s the Lord’s. We are to simply persevere and be faithful – He will take care of the outcome. Also, history is on our side. Cultural shifts have come and cultural shifts have gone but through it all the kingdom of God has endured and continued to grow. The same will be true in our day. We just need to be faithful, bold, courageous, and kind. Just be the church.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church

3036 Genesis Road

Crossville, Tn 38571

Our theme for this month: “Changing the tone of the conversation”

Our Bible verse for today: “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Consider your own sin”

In my soon-to-be-released new book “Getting Along without Going Along”, I point out that one of the reasons Christians sometimes allow the tone of their speech to get harsh and disrespectful is that we focus too much on the other person’s sins and not enough on our own sin. A good example is in how we often think and talk about homosexuality.

The Bible is clear in its teaching about homosexual behavior – God prohibits it. However, although we often treat homosexuality as if it is in some special category of sin, God does not. In the passages which specifically mention homosexual behavior, the Bible refers to it right along with a host of other sins. In Leviticus Moses lists it right along with a wide variety of other types of sexual sin. Paul lists it along with idolatry, adultery, greed, murder, envy, stealing, drunkenness, disrespecting parents, profanity and more.

I’m not minimizing the seriousness of homosexuality. My goal is to simply address it Biblically, and that means fairly and accurately. We must be careful to approach the issue exactly the way God does, in the same context He does. Remember, although homosexuality might not be your sin, yours is listed right along with it.

If there was a meeting of the “Sinners Club” you and I would both be charter members. There would be a seat reserved for you right between the greedy businessman and the homosexual. Seated in front of you would be a lesbian couple and next to them would be the unrepentant glutton. You and I would fit right in and we would discover that to God all sin is offensive. We are all sinners in need of grace and transformation.

The reason the sin of homosexuality gets so much attention from Christians today is because it’s one of the only sins which has a highly organized, well-funded, very motivated advocacy group promoting it as a good thing and lobbying for its acceptance. Because it is clearly identified in the Bible as being sin, and because the advocacy groups are working so hard to force our society to recognize and accept it as right and good, we as Christians have to be equally motivated to stand for and promote the Biblical truth about it. However, that does not change the fact that you and I are also guilty of our own sins. Jesus illustrated this beautifully in the passage from Matthew 7:3-5 which I cited above, and which comes from the Sermon on the Mount.

Yes we do have to advocate for truth. But we must do so with a great deal of humility as we remember that we too are sinners saved by grace.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church

3036 Genesis Road

Crossville, Tn 38571

Our theme for this month: “Changing the tone of the conversation”

Our Bible verse for today: “(Be) ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do this with gentleness and respect.”

1 Peter 3:15-16 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “This is the way of Jesus”

I have chosen 1 Peter 3:15-16 as our verse for today (even though I have already used it once this month), for two reasons. First, it’s an important verse with respect to changing the tone of the conversation in our national dialogue. But second, it’s the verse upon which I have based my upcoming new book “Getting Along without Going Along”, and this morning I want to share an excerpt from that book with you.

We live in an increasingly polarized society filled with people who passionately disagree on important cultural issues. The rhetoric with which the opposing positions are advocated and defended is often hot and caustic. How can we as Christians be faithful to Peter’s directive to faithfully contend for Biblical truth, but do so in a reasoned and respectful manner? How do we avoid getting caught-up in the pulpit-pounding, finger-pointing, overheated and often exaggerated rhetoric flying in both directions?

A few years ago I attended a conference sponsored by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. The theme of the conference was “The Gospel, Homosexuality, and the Future of Marriage.” There were more than two thousand church leaders in attendance from forty-eight states and five countries.

As you might expect, the subject that dominated a large part of the conversation was the issue of what is commonly referred to as “The Gay and Lesbian Agenda.” There was much discussion about the changing cultural landscape in our society with respect to sexual ethics, as well as the impact those changes are having on our society in general, and on religious liberty in particular.

What impressed me most about the conference was the tone set by the leaders and attendees. There were no fire-breathing, pulpit-pounding, hell-fire and brimstone sermons. There were no angry denunciations and finger-pointing accusations, and there were no hysterical chicken-little types running around crying about the sky falling. Instead the atmosphere was calm, respectful, and even upbeat. The conversation was kind, reasoned, and intellectual. That was especially significant considering that people on all sides of the issue had been invited to attend and participate. There were conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, straights and gays. The Gay and Lesbian community had been invited to send representatives to participate, and they did.

Everyone from all camps and from all sides treated each other with respect and kindness. As a result, it was a pleasant and productive conference.

Offering a Biblical response, kindly and respectfully, is what Peter was referring to in 1 Peter 3:15-16. We as followers of Jesus must know what we believe and why we believe it. We must be willing – even eager – to speak-up for Biblical values, but we are to do so in a reasoned and respectful way.

This is the way of Jesus. In the Gospels the only time we see Jesus angry or using strong and even harsh language was when He was dealing with religious hypocrites. With all others His speech and His manner were kind and compassionate – often bold and direct, but kind and compassionate. This is the tone we also must strive for as we interact with others in our society about divisive and potentially emotional, hot-button social issues.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church

3036 Genesis Road

Crossville, Tn 38571

Our theme for this month: “Changing the tone of the conversation”

Our Bible verse for today: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.” Psalm 33:12 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Our nation needs God, and we must help them see it.”

First and foremost, Psalm 33:12 is about the nation of Israel. But the state of blessedness which comes from an entire nation worshiping and obeying God is true for any nation. If the country blesses God, God will bless the country.

More and more these days our nation is turning away from God not towards Him. And the more we turn from Him, the more we ignore Him and the more we drift from His standards of morality and justice, the less we will experience His blessings.

It’s up to us, God’s people, to help the nation understand and appreciate how much we need God. We do that by being bold and unapologetic witnesses for Him, and we must do so in both word and deed. We have to advocate for Biblical truth in the public arena, and we must also demonstrate the love of Jesus through our actions. That demonstration of love will usually come via acts of kindness, mercy, and compassion. There’s an old adage that goes, “They don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.” There’s a lot of truth there.

The key to getting people to listen to us, and to accept our message, is kindness in both word and deed. Nobody is going to be persuaded to consider alternative views, and nobody is going to be won to Christ, by means of angry rhetoric or aloof disregard for pain and suffering. We get people’s attention by showing them that we care and by speaking to them in an intelligent and respectful manner.

On this 4^th of July, the day we celebrate our independence and our rich history, I encourage you to pray about how you can be a positive influence for the cause of Christ in our nation. If enough Christians are engaged in the affairs of our nation, but are doing so with kindness, respect, and compassion, it will go a long way towards helping people to see that our country needs God.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church

3036 Genesis Road

Crossville, Tn 38571