Oak Hill Baptist Church

Devotional for Monday November 19th

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish for us the work of our hands – establish the work of our hands!” Psalm 90:17 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Work is good and it is a gift from God.”

In his wonderful little book, “The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath” author Mark Buchanan discusses the value of work. It might seem strange that in a book about Sabbath (resting) Mark writes extensively and persuasively about work. He does, and for a good reason. You can’t really appreciate the value and beauty of a good rest if you haven’t first worked hard. We’ll consider the relationship between overcoming and resting tomorrow but for today, let’s think about work.

Working hard and doing a good job so you can pay your own way in life is God’s idea. He wants us to provide for ourselves and to make a meaningful contribution to the overall good of society. God Himself is a hard worker (Creator, Sustainer), and right at the beginning of human history he established the importance of work by assigning Adam to care for the Garden of Eden.

In the Bible work is portrayed as a good and honorable thing that God’s people are to engage in and do well. Working hard and well is a subject King Solomon addresses multiple times in the Proverbs. The Apostle Paul wrote that we are to live simple lives working with our hands and, if a capable person who can work chooses not to, that person should be allowed to go hungry (the point being that when they get hungry enough they’ll go get a job so they can earn some money and provide for themselves).

Any honest labor done well is a thing of dignity deserving of honor and respect. In his chapter on work, Buchanan quotes the great Protestant Reformer Martin Luther: “The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays – not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors. The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.”

Overcomers aren’t lazy and they don’t expect something for nothing. Instead they thank God for the gift of work, and then they do the very best job they can. Christians should always be the best workers a company or organization has. In Colossians 3:23 Paul instructs us, “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people.”

I encourage you today to thank God for your job, and then do it very, very well.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Oak Hill Baptist Church

3036 Genesis Road

Crossville, Tn 38571

Devotional for Saturday and Sunday November 17-18

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of Good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God – my God – will be with you.” 1 Chronicles 28:20 (NKJV)

Our thought for today: “Your strength comes from the Lord.”

Repeatedly in the Bible believers are directed to look to the Lord for their strength and power. When Joshua was being assigned the near-impossible task of following in the footsteps of Moses and leading the nation of Israel into the Promised Land God said to him, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

King David said almost the identical words to his son Solomon when Solomon was being commissioned to take David’s place as the king of Israel (see 1 Chronicles 28:20 above).

When Paul was trying to encourage his young protégé Timothy as he struggled to provide pastoral leadership to the difficult church in the city of Ephesus he wrote, “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:1

Psalm 121:1-2 reminds us, “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Over and over again the Bible provides vivid pictures of people who felt inadequate and weak coming to the Lord for help, strength, assurance, and hope.

Receiving the strength from God that we need in order to keep going, so we can overcome our challenges, often comes to us in prayer and Bible study. But another key conduit God uses to channel His words of encouragement and inspiration to us is through other Christians. As we learned in yesterday’s devotional, we learn from and are inspired by the examples and words of others. The place that happens most often is in church.

I encourage you to gather with your church family this Sunday. If you are not already an active member of a good church family then I encourage you to begin looking for one. Pray about it and ask God to direct you to the right church. If you’re in Cumberland County, Tennessee then I invite you to visit us at Oak Hill Baptist Church. Sunday school is at 9:00, the worship service begins at 10:00, and the evening service is at 6:00. I hope to see you there.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Oak Hill Baptist Church

3036 Genesis Road

Crossville, Tn 38571

Devotional for Friday November 16th

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Overcomers encourage one another”

Throughout my adult life I’ve had the good fortune to spend lots of time with people who were overcomers, people who refused to let problems or obstacles stop them. During my military career, when I was the Chief Engineer on the USS Fort McHenry, I had a Chief Petty Officer Engineman who worked for me by the name of Ben Gibbs. He was my go-to guy. When something in the engineering plant was broken and nobody else could figure it out, I would call Chief Gibbs. He would go down there to the engine room, study the problem, and in short order he would have us fixed and back in operation. Ben knew that every problem can be dealt with in some manner, and so he just kept at it until he fixed it.

I have a missionary friend by the name of Bud Lenz. He has been a missionary in Peru for over twenty years. Bud has an amazing ability to face difficult situations, figure out what needs to be done, and then just lean into it, push through it, and resolve it. Whether we’re talking about dealing with corrupt government officials, learning how to be a midwife so he could assist his wife in the birth of their nine children, overhauling an engine, clearing 110 acres in the Amazon Jungle and building an entire ranch site from the ground up, or consoling a distraught orphaned child, Bud has learned to face his problems, figure them out, deal with them, and move on.

I know a woman who has had recurring bouts of cancer, each one worse than the previous one. In each case she has dealt with her illness in a straight-forward, matter-of-fact, and unemotional way. She listened to the doctors, decided on the best treatment plan, did her part to remain as healthy as she could, and then she lived her life to the fullest extent possible under the circumstances as they were. She did not allow herself to sink into self-pity and denial; she refused to use her illnesses as an excuse; and she just dealt with it.

This morning I could write many pages of examples of people like, all of whom have modeled overcoming for me. Their examples have encouraged me to strive to be an overcomer too.

In Hebrews 10:24 the writer tells us that encouraging one another in that manner is an important part of Christian fellowship. First of all, we should model tenacity, perseverance, and overcoming for each other. Second, we should be the cheerleaders and encouragers for those who are in the process of overcoming something.

Whatever it is you are dealing with in your life right now, with God and with Christian friends you can face it and you can deal with it.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church

3036 Genesis Road

Crossville, Tn 38571

Devotional for Thursday November 15th

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Overcomers don’t quit.”

In the film “Captain Philips” actor Tom Hanks portrayed real-life captain Richard Phillips, the American captain of the ship Maersk Alabama. It was the first American cargo ship to be hijacked by pirates in over 200 years. Captain Phillips was taken hostage by the hijackers – he offered himself up in order to save his crew.

Throughout the ordeal Captain Philips conducted himself with outstanding bravery and he never lost hope. Finally he was rescued by a team of Navy Seals who overpowered and killed the hijackers. When asked how he survived and repeatedly outwitted his captors Captain Philips replied, “You can always do something. Keep moving forward. Keep trying stuff. Nothing is over until you choose to give-up.” That right there is the key to the overcomer’s success: “Keep moving forward. Keep trying stuff. Nothing is over until you choose to give-up.”

In his book “Overcomer” David Jeremiah tells a similar story of Olympic speed skater Denny Morrison. Morrison competed at a world-class level, winning multiple Olympic medals from 2006 through 2014. He also had his sights set on competing in the 2018 Games in South Korea too, but in 2015 he was in a terrible motorcycle accident and barely survived. He had multiple serious injuries, including one that left him with a titanium rod in his leg.

Despite his injuries Morrison was still determined to compete in the 2018 Olympics, so he set about the near-impossible task of not just rehabilitation, but of recapturing his Olympic-level athletic ability. However the next year, in the middle of his rehab and training, he had a stroke that left him with significant weakness on the left side of his body. Undeterred, as quickly as possible he launched back into his training. Long story short, Morrison did compete in the 2018 Olympics. He didn’t win a medal but he did earn the admiration and respect of all his fellow athletes. His grit and determination were remarkable. Here’s what he had to say about that:

“When things stand in the way between you and what you want to achieve, it’s that grit factor that gets you where you want to go. Goals don’t come easy for anyone, no matter the line of work. But I think if you make a gritty attempt and push forward, you’ll surprise yourself and everyone else with how far you can go.”

This is what the Apostle Paul was teaching us in Galatians 6:9 and it’s the lesson for us here today: Don’t quit. Keep trying. Nothing is over until you choose to give-up.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Oak Hill Baptist Church

3036 Genesis Road

Crossville, Tn 38571

Devotional for Wednesday November 14th

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear.” 2 Timothy 4:2-3 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Overcomers stand their ground.”

In his book “Overcomer”, Dr. David Jeremiah observes, “What a difference it would make if we faced our challenges like David did. If we said, “Lord, for Your honor and glory, I’m going to do the right thing. I’m going to honor You and face my battles in the power of Your name.”

Yes, what a difference it would make if Christians had the courage and conviction to stand their ground and do the right thing. This is important because more and more today professing Christians do not have the courage and conviction to do that. Far too many Christians are compromising Biblical principles in the face of cultural pressures, because it is always easier to go along so we can get along than it is to stand firm in the face of criticism and pressure. But overcomers don’t do that. Overcomers have the courage to stand for what they know to be right even if it isn’t easy to do so.

This is what Paul was teaching his young protégé Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2-3. We are called to speak words of Biblical truth to an increasingly ungodly culture. We must be ready to do so in season and out of season (in other words, whether it’s going to be easy or hard). We are to do so with patience and courage, for the time is here when people don’t want to hear the truth. Instead they seek out teachers, preachers, philosophers, and cultural talking-heads who will tell them the things they want to hear.

Overcomers have courage and conviction. Overcomers take the time to prepare themselves to speak to the issues of the day and then, they take their stand for the truth – boldly, confidently, and without apology. We speak the truth kindly and in love, but we speak the truth.

My latest book, “Getting Along Without Going Along: Biblical Sexual Ethics in an Age of Controversy and Conflict” was written to help Christians to be prepared to speak to the sexual issues of our day and to do so from a Biblical perspective. If you don’t have a copy you can get one at www.JimMersereauBooks.com.

Overcomers stand their ground. Be prepared; be confident; stand your ground.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Oak Hill Baptist Church

3036 Genesis Road

Crossville, Tn 38571

Devotional for Tuesday November 13th

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we direct their whole bodies. And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things.” James 3:3-5 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Talk to yourself like a coach.”

In his excellent book, “Toughness Training for Life” James Lohr explains the importance of “self-talk” to our overall success in life. He describes the technique tennis great Jimmy Conners developed of talking to himself like a coach. In the middle of the toughest tennis matches Conners had a running dialogue with himself, often out loud, where he talked to himself, yelled at himself, described what he had done right and what he had done wrong, he prodded himself, coached himself, and urged himself on to his best performance. Picture high school basketball coach Will Foster running up and down courtside calling out to his players, shouting instructions, correcting them, motivating them to their best performance – that’s a picture of the self-talk of Jimmy Conners. He talked to himself like a coach and it was one of the keys to his great success as a tennis player.

The most important conversations you have are the ones you have with yourself. You form your self-image by the things you tell yourself about yourself. Your motivation, your hopes, your expectations, and your ultimate success or failure in any endeavor, depends very much on the things you say to yourself.

In James 3:3-5 the Apostle was describing the incredible power of the tongue. Words are powerful. The things we say can build people up or they can tear people down. They can encourage and motivate people to greatness, or they can discourage and hinder their success in life. That’s true about the words we speak to others, and it’s even truer of the words we speak to ourselves.

What you tell yourself about yourself determines what you believe to be true about yourself. That will then determine virtually everything else about you. Few things are more important to living a happy, healthy, and successful life than your self-image – and self-talk goes a long way towards forming your self-image. So learn to talk to yourself like a coach.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Devotional for Monday November 12th

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “When the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:48 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Run towards your problems.”

Those of you who have been reading these daily devotional messages for a while know that I sometimes refer to a list of leadership principles known as “Powell’s Principles”. They come from General Colin Powell, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State under President George W. Bush.

General Powell is a man I admire very much and from whom I have learned a lot. Although I have never met him, I have followed his career, I have read much of what he has written, and I have heard of how he conducts himself in tough situations. Over the course of his career he developed a list of leadership principles which guided his own conduct, and which he looked for in others. He called them “Powell’s Principles”.

Like many great military leaders, General Powell was a tough, no-nonsense man who would carefully evaluate his options, make a decision, and then go forward boldly to implement his decision. He did not procrastinate, he did not shy away from difficult situations, and he was not timid. He evaluated, decided, and acted. Here are a few of his principles which apply to our theme of being an overcomer:

“I am uncomfortable with meetings that don’t arrive at conclusions.” This is part of his refusal to needlessly procrastinate. Do your best to gather accurate information, make the best decision you can based upon the information you have, and then do something.

“Being in charge means making decisions, no matter how unpleasant.” Pity the person who can’t make a decision. If you’re in-charge (of a country, a military unit, an organization, a family, or of yourself) you have to be able to make decisions.

“Look, listen, and then strike hard and fast with all the power you need.” Again, evaluate, decide, and then act decisively and with the intent of getting the thing done in the quickest and most efficient manner.

The point in all of this is, “don’t run away from your problems.” Don’t be timid and don’t procrastinate. In 1 Samuel 17:48 we see that the boy David, when faced with the problem of doing battle with the giant Goliath, he ran towards his problem not away from it. We need to do the same. Deal with the situation. Run toward your problem not away from it.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Saturday and Sunday November 10-11

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Overcomers rely on others to help them.”

The 2001 HBO series “Band of Brothers” was a war drama based upon the real military unit “Easy Company, 2 Battalion, 506^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, of the 101^st Airborne Division.” The series begins with the story of how these men came together as a unit in basic training. It then follows them through advanced parachute training and then into battle in Europe during World War II.

The point of the story was to illustrate the way the soldiers bonded as a unit and came to depend on each other for their very lives. They relied on and trusted each other so much that they were closer to each other than they were to their biological relatives. They were a true “band of brothers.”

Those kinds of bonds are actually common in military units. We also see this in Christianity in general, and in church life in particular – and for the same reasons. As Christians we share a spiritual bond. We are brothers and sisters in Christ, adopted into the family of God. We share a bond that is deeper and longer lasting (eternal) than even our biological ties to blood relatives.

And we need this. We need those close Christian relationships. We need brothers and sisters who love us, who we trust without question, and who will walk with us through the deepest, darkest, most difficult times of life. This is one of the crucial keys to being an overcomer. Nobody can do this alone. You are not some kind of spiritual Rambo, surviving alone in the wilderness by eating things that would make a Billy Goat puke. You and I need others who will walk with us and help us to face our problems, carrying our burdens with us, and helping us to overcome our challenges.

In the Christian life there are few things more valuable than close Christian friendships. Membership in a good church family is where those friendships are made. If you don’t have those kinds of friendships, and if you don’t have a good church family helping you through life, then you need to visit us at Oak Hill Baptist Church. There you will find a church family that takes care of each other, and you will make the kind of friends who will be a true band of brothers for you. Sunday school is at 9:00, the worship service starts at 10:00. I hope to see you there.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church

3036 Genesis Road

Crossville, Tn 38571

Devotional for Friday November 9th

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Matthew 6:33 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Serving others helps us overcome our own problems.”

I have always loved the passage in Matthew 6:25-34. It’s often referred to as the “Do not worry” passage and it comes from the Sermon on the Mount. It’s my wife Linda’s favorite passage from the New Testament.

In this passage Jesus talks about daily life issues that we must deal with including the need for food, shelter, and clothes. These are common basic necessities of life, and Jesus cited them simply as examples of the kinds of things we typically worry about. Much of our time, attention, and energy is spent dealing with the challenges of life. Often we put so much of our focus on those things that we neglect other areas of life, especially our relationship with God and the needs of other people. We become so consumed with thoughts of ourselves and our own issues, that there’s not much room left for anything else.

Jesus’ lesson for us in this passage is that our Father in heaven is fully aware of the challenges we are facing in life, and He is committed to caring for us and providing for us. For our parts we are to focus on serving Him and serving others in His name.

Now please don’t misunderstand that. This does not mean that we no longer have a responsibility for helping to solve our own problems. As was noted in yesterday’s devotional, ours is to be an active faith. We have a responsibility to be actively involved in overcoming our own challenges.

But the point of Jesus’ lesson here is that we are not to become so consumed with our own issues that we neglect God and others. Exactly the opposite is true. The more we focus on the Lord and on others, the less consumed we will be with thoughts about our own problems, and therefore the less anxiety and worry we will experience.

When faced with difficult situations or big challenges try taking your eyes off of yourself for a while and focus instead on helping and blessing others. Even secular psychologists tell us that one of the best things a depressed person can do to help break out of their depressed mood is to get out of the house and go do something to help someone else.

Serving others actually helps us to deal with and overcome our own problems.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Oak Hill Baptist Church

3036 Genesis Road

Crossville, Tn 38571

Devotional for Thursday November 8th

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James 2:18 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Overcoming requires an active faith.”

In yesterday’s devotional message we considered the example of the boy David fighting and defeating the giant Goliath. The key to David’s victory was his faith in God, and we learned that that same kind of faith will be required of us if we are to overcome the challenges we face in life.

However, please note that it wasn’t just plain faith that David had, it was active faith. David didn’t just pray about the situation and then sit back waiting for God to wave a magic wand and reduce Goliath to a sobbing quivering wimp. No, David acted on his faith. David gave the situation to God, but then he went forward and fought Goliath. He had faith that God would help him, but he also did his part to deal with the challenge he was facing.

Returning to our example from a few days ago regarding how Joni Earackson Tada dealt with the accident that left her a quadriplegic for life, she didn’t just pray about it and stop. She prayed about it, and then she did the hard work of learning how to paint holding a brush in her teeth, write books using voice response software, speak to crowds of thousands at Christian conferences, and all the rest that she has accomplished in her life. She had faith, but it was faith that included action on her part.

Michael Morton, the man I wrote about the other day who was wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and who spent twenty-five years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he didn’t just place his faith in Christ and then turn the entire situation of his false imprisonment over to Jesus. He did that, but then he also did the hard work of actively cultivating his relationship with the Lord. He led Bible studies in prison, he witnessed to other prisoners, he wrote encouraging letters to those on the outside, and he did the hard work of learning how to forgive those who wrongly convicted him so that he would not live with bitterness and resentment in his heart. He had faith, but it was active faith.

This is an important lesson for you and me. Our faith in God has to be an active faith that results in positive steps on our part to effectively deal with our own situations. God will do His part, but we also have to do our part. Whatever it is you are facing, trust God to help you, but be sure to do your part too.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Oak Hill Baptist Church

3036 Genesis Road

Crossville, Tn 38571