Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Just do the right thing and trust God.”

As we conclude our study about “overcoming” I want to end by considering the words of two Old Testament prophets. First is the statement from the prophet Micah from Micah 6:8 above. Micah ministered during the time when the Jews were divided into two nations, Israel in the north and Judah in the south.

For most of those years Judah experienced great prosperity – but mostly only for the rulers and the business class. The farmers and regular workers lived in poverty and they were exploited by the upper classes. Consequently there was great injustice – socially, economically, and in the legal system. Also, the nation had drifted far from God. So Micah wrote the words of Micah 6:8 to remind the Jews of what it was God required of them – to act justly, to live faithfully, and to honor God with their conduct. He also warned of coming disaster if they did not correct their ways.

Fast-forward about 150 years to the time of the prophet Habakkuk. Judah had not heeded Micah’s words of correction and now they were experiencing the consequences. The nation was in steady economic and military decline; there was also drought and famine. They were in a free-fall to the depths of despair and there was great suffering.

It was in that setting that Habakkuk wrote one of the greatest and most encouraging statements about faith in God and perseverance in hard times. In Habakkuk 3:17-19 we read: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls, yet I will celebrate in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! The Lord my Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!”

The lesson is that first and foremost we must honor God and bless others by how we conduct ourselves. To live otherwise is to invite disaster. And then, regardless of any other factor – regardless of circumstances or hardships, we must trust God. As bad as things were, Habakkuk still had great confidence in God, and so should we.

Whatever your current circumstances are, and whatever the reason for them, I encourage you to resolve to do the right thing – honor God by the way that you live and trust Him for the future.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, since we also have such a large crowd of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Keep your eyes on Jesus and keep going.”

For most of my adult life I was a jogger. Back when my knees could still take it, three or four times a week I would jog four miles as part of my regular workout routine. Occasionally I would compete in longer races too. The longest race I ever attempted was a half-marathon (13.1 miles). The race was called “The Hospital Hill Run” because it ended at a hospital that sat on top of a very steep hill. (I think it was some sick humor that caused the race planners to plan a long climb up a steep hill right at the end of a 13 mile run – and it brought you to the front door of a hospital!)

However one good thing the planners did is that they arranged for crowds of enthusiastic onlookers to line both sides of the street all the way up the long hill, which ended at the finish line. So as we exhausted runners struggled up this steep incline at the end of this long and difficult race, we could see the finish line at the top of the hill, and the crowds along the street were cheering us on and shouting words of encouragement. That really did help. I didn’t want to give-in to the burning in my legs, or the pounding in my chest, or the mild sense of nausea in my gut, in front of that loud cheering crowd. So I kept my eyes firmly fixed on that finish line, I drank-in the encouragement from the cheering throng, and I just pushed through it until I finished.

That’s the picture the writer of the letter to the Hebrews paints for us in Hebrews 12:1-2. He pictures us in a race (a long one). Much of it is hard. If we’re going to run the race well we will have to be resolved to push through the obstacles and just keep going. We will have to suck-it-up and gut-it-out. There’s a crowd of onlookers cheering us on, and Jesus is standing at the finish line waiting for us. (You can’t hear the crowd with your physical ears, and you can’t see Jesus at the finish line with your physical eyes, but if your spiritual antenna is up and your spiritual senses are fine-tuned, you know they’re there and you are encouraged by them.)

This is one of the keys to overcoming in life. Instead of focusing on the obstacles you’re facing, focus instead on Jesus who is standing at the finish line and waving you on. Soak-in the spiritual encouragement that’s all around you, and don’t give up.

Just fix your eyes on Jesus and keep going.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “How happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk according to the Lord’s instruction! Happy are those who keep his decrees and seek him with all their heart.” Psalm 119:1-2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Read your Bible everyday.”

When we think of magic we commonly think of some mysterious force that produces inexplicable results. We don’t really understand how it works but we sure are amazed by it. In one sense the Bible is like that.

The Apostle Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:21 that the men who wrote the words of the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Paul says that too in 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God.” So, there’s spiritual power in the printed words of the Bible. These are the inspired words of God speaking to your mind and heart. There’s a force in them far beyond the power of the words themselves. This is how God uses the words of the Bible to have such a powerful and transforming impact on us. The words come alive in our mind and heart giving them significance and power far beyond what they would otherwise have.

That’s what the writer of Psalm 119 was referring too all throughout the Psalm. In verse 105 he wrote, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119 is essentially 176 verses proclaiming the wonder and the glory and the power of the Bible.

This is why it’s so important for Christians to read their Bible everyday. Prayer is important but reading the Bible is more important. Henry Blackaby once said, “If I have to choose between praying or reading the Bible I will always choose reading the Bible, because it’s more important for me to hear from God than it is for God to hear from me.” Billy Graham once said, “If I don’t start my day with God, I meet Satan around every corner all day long.”

At Oak Hill Baptist Church a group of us are going to read the Bible cover-to-cover in 2019. We are all going to use “The One Year Bible”. It’s the Bible divided into 365 daily readings. Each day’s reading consists of a couple of chapters from the Old Testament, a chapter from the New Testament, a passage from the Psalms and a passage from the Proverbs. At the end of the year you will have read the entire Bible. We will each do our own daily reading and then we will come together as a group on Sunday evenings at 6:00 to discuss what we read the previous week. We will also share insights and answer questions. We would love to have you join us.

There’s an old saying in Christian circles that goes, “A Bible that’s falling apart is usually owned by someone who isn’t.” That’s very true. Regular daily reading of the Word of God goes a long, long way towards keeping us settled and calm, clear-headed and wise, peaceful and joyful.

It’s almost like magic.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” John 6:20 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Jesus will get you through the storm.”

I’ve always loved the scene in John 6:16-20: Jesus and His disciples had been conducting a series of ministry events around the Sea of Galilee. On this day, Jesus performed His famous miracle that we have come to know as “the feeding of the five thousand.” There were 5000 men, plus the women and children (perhaps 10,000 – 15,000 people in all). After a long day of teaching the crowd was hungry but there was no food except five small loaves of bread and two small fish. You know the story: Jesus multiplied what food there was and miraculously fed everyone, with plenty of leftovers.

Mark tells the same story in his Gospel, and combining both accounts we find that after the miraculous feeding, in the evening, Jesus makes His disciples get in a boat to cross the sea, headed to the city of Capernaum. But He doesn’t go with them. Instead, as they’re headed out to sea Jesus goes up on a high mountain to pray. As the night unfolds we find the disciples encountering a huge storm in the middle of the sea. It was so bad that those experienced fishermen were in danger of sinking.

Interestingly, according to Mark’s rendering of the event, we find that Jesus, up on the mountain praying, could see the entire scene out on the lake as it was developing. However, for several hours He just stood there and watched His disciples struggle in the storm. But then, when the time was right, He went to them in the middle of the storm. He walked on water, met His followers in the middle of the storm, entered into the storm with them, and then He calmed the storm for them.

From this we learn three important lessons about how Jesus helps us during the storms that we encounter in life. First, Jesus prepares us for the storms of life. Please note that Jesus had spent 2 ½ years training and preparing these men before He sent them out into that storm. He does that with us too. He prepares us for the things He knows are coming.

Second, Jesus comes to us in the middle of the storms of life. He usually doesn’t prevent the storms from coming – storms are just part of life. But He will come to us in the middle of those storms. Sometimes He will let us struggle through it on our own for a little while, because the struggle is part of our training. Figuring things out and pushing through them makes us strong. Therefore Jesus isn’t going to make things too easy for us. But at the right time and in the right way He will make His presence known to us.

Third, Jesus calms the storms of life. When the time is right He will bring the storm to an end.

I love the words Jesus spoke to His followers as they struggled in the middle of their storm, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” He was there with them and therefore they did not need to fear. The same is true for you and me. He is aware and He is there, so don’t be afraid.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “You are making more of a difference than you realize.”

The term “opus” is usually used in music to identify a large body of work by a single artist. “Magnum opus” refers to the totality of a person’s work and achievements. It is often used to refer to artistic work, but it can also be used to describe achievements in any field, and indeed the sum total of a person’s life in general. In that vein, when it’s all said and done, the sum total of your life can be thought of as your “magnum opus”.

In his book, “The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath”, Mark Buchanan reminds us of the story told in the movie “Mr. Holland’s Opus”. Mr. Holland, played by actor Richard Dryfuss, is a music teacher with dreams of being a great composer and of writing a musical score to be performed by a full orchestra. But in the meantime he has to pay the bills. So he takes a job as a High School music teacher during the day and he works on composing his masterpiece, his opus, at night.

As the years unfold he gets married, buys a home, and has children. Slowly the years turn into decades and one day Mr. Holland realizes he is old, he is being forced into retirement, and although he has made great progress on his “opus”, his master work, it was never published or performed.

On his last day on the job, after he has cleaned out his office and he is trudging down the hall towards the door, shoulders slumped, wondering where his life went, he hears a commotion in the auditorium. Curious, he opens the door to look in and finds the place packed with people, all waiting for him. He is stunned to see old friends, long lost relatives, close family members, fellow teachers both current and past, and, on the stage, four decades of music students with their instruments. With tears in his eyes he listens as the orchestra made, up of his students, plays his opus.

In that moment Mr. Holland realized that his true masterpiece was not the music he had composed but the lives he had touched. His “magnum opus” was the people he had blessed and whose lives he had helped to shape over four decades of faithful service.

There’s a lot we can learn from Mr. Holland’s story. The truth is that you are having a positive impact on more people than you realize, in more ways than you realize. Someday, when it’s all said and done and your life is drawing to a close, you will discover that your magnum opus consists of the people who have been blessed and inspired by you.

So hang in there. Keep going. God has you right where He wants you and even if you don’t realize it, He is using you to bless and inspire others. The little things you do in your everyday life matter. Just do your best and know that you are making a difference just by being you.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “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.” Philippians 4:6-7 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Pace yourself”

Years ago there was a popular country and western song by the group “Alabama”. The title was “I’m in a hurry and I don’t know why”. One of the verses went like this:

“I’m in a hurry to get things done; oh I rush and rush until life’s no fun.
All I really gotta do is live and die, but I’m in a hurry and I don’t know why.”

I’m preaching to the choir here. I know this describes many of you, but it describes me too. Sometimes I’m a slave to my “to-do” list. I rush and rush until life’s no fun. I mean sure, I get things checked off of my list, but how much do I miss in the process? How many encounters with God? How many special moments with other people? How much of real life – quality life, was missed because I was so busy getting things done? Jesus was never in a hurry. I challenge you to find one time in the gospels where Jesus was rushing around. Never. Didn’t happen. He was busy, yes, but calm and in control.

One of my contemporary heroes of the faith is the late Dallas Willard. He was a professor of philosophy at USC but more importantly, he was a Christian author who wrote many profound and deeply insightful books. It was said of Dallas, “There was an unhurried air about him, leisurely even. The kind of relaxed leisureliness that flows from a person who knows what he’s about, who knows where he’s going and what he’s doing. No need to hurry if you’re confident in who you are.”

In his book “The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath” Mark Buchanan writes about the importance of keeping things in perspective and learning to live in the moment. “Only those who number their days aright gain wise hearts. Only they become God’s sages: those calm, unhurried people who live in each moment fully, savoring simple things, celebrating small epiphanies, unafraid of life’s inevitable surprises and reverses, adaptive to change and yet not chasing after it.” We need to slow down enough to fully appreciate the people and things before us now, in this moment.

To be an overcomer in life you have to pace yourself, otherwise you won’t last. You will be a light that shined brightly, but only briefly, before you burned out. I encourage you (and me) to pace yourself.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Overcomers understand the value of rest.”

So far this month in our discussion about “overcoming”, I’ve written primarily about doing stuff. We’ve considered numerous inspiring examples of people who have persevered through tough times and who simply refused to give-up or quit. Yesterday I wrote about the importance of hard work and how it is that Christians should be the best, most hardworking, and most dependable employees in the workplace.

So obviously being an overcomer has a lot to do with your determination to work hard, stick with it, lean into problems, and just push through your challenges. But being an overcomer also requires you to know when to stop and rest for a while.

Recently a friend of mine recommended I read a book that she had just finished reading. It is, “The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath” by Mark Buchanan. Mark’s premise in the book is first of all that Sabbath is a day that we set aside for worship and rest. It’s a time when we stop all the tasks and toil that consumes the rest of life, and we focus on resting and renewing. Mark explains that you cannot and will not be your best if you don’t allow for sufficient time to rest, renew, and restore.

That’s true, but Mark also teaches that Sabbath-keeping is more than just a day, it’s an attitude. Sabbath practices need to be incorporated into all of life, not just in a single 24 hour period each week. “Setting apart an entire day, one out of seven, for feasting and resting and worship and play is a gift and not a burden, and neglecting the gift too long will make your soul, like soil never left fallow, hard and dry and spent … But when I say Sabbath, I also mean an attitude. It is a perspective, an orientation. I mean a Sabbath heart, not just a Sabbath day. A Sabbath heart is restful even in the midst of unrest and upheaval. It is attentive to the presence of God and others even in the welter of much coming and going, rising and falling.”

Like many of us who write inspirational and instructional literature to help others live the Christian life well, Mark is better at writing about it than he is at living it. He admits in the introduction that he wrote the book first of all for himself because he is by nature a driven overcomer who works too much and doesn’t rest enough. This is also why my friend recommended the book for me. (It turns out I already had it on my bookshelf because I read it back in 2006. But since she knows me well, and she felt moved to recommend it to me now in 2018, apparently I needed to re-read it.)

Being an overcomer means working hard, sticking with it, and not giving up. But it also means that you know how to take proper care of yourself so you don’t burn out. We will talk more about this tomorrow.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is: