Our theme for this month: “A life well spent”

Our Bible verse for today: “Grey hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.” Proverbs 16:31 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Growing old is a good thing.”

The other day I was having a Facebook chat with a couple of old friends whom I haven’t seen in more than forty years. We grew-up in the same town but we haven’t seen each other since our early twenties. However, we have been Facebook friends for probably six or seven years.

On this occasion they wanted to wish my wife Linda a happy birthday. One of them then mentioned that she was having some ear problems and had lost some of her hearing. Another mentioned that she was experiencing some back and leg pain and was having therapy for it. I said that the older I get the more aches and pains I have, but still, I’m grateful for the privilege of growing old because so many people die young. We then mentioned some of our friends we had grown-up with who died in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s but here we were, in our 60s and still kicking it – but complaining! We all agreed that the aches and pains were worth it and we were glad to be alive.

That conversation was about the aches and pains associated with growing old. Last night I was thinking about old age again, but this time in a different way and for a different reason. In my reading I came across a statement written by Dallas Willard regarding Christians who age well. He wrote, “As people age the beauty of their souls can shine through.” Yes! I’ve known many older Christians like that. As they aged not only did they become more mellow and relaxed, but they became increasingly spiritually mature.

If we live this Christian life well then the fruit of the Spirit as described by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23 (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control), will become more and more a part of our nature. As we mature spiritually, those virtues will shine forth out of us.

In Proverbs 16:31 Solomon referred to grey hair (which is associated with old age), as being a crown of splendor which is attained by that person as a result of having lived a righteous and virtuous life. That’s a word picture, a metaphor. The crown of splendor attained through righteous living is the beauty that Dallas Willard was referring to. It is the wonderful, beautiful, well-developed, and spiritually mature soul which was formed over a lifetime of faithful living, and which is now shining out of that older person.

Growing old at all is a good thing. Many people don’t get the privilege of living a long life. But growing old well is a beautiful thing. People who walk closely with Jesus all the days of their lives grow old well, and the beauty of their soul shines through. That’s proof of a life well spent.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “A life well spent”

Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the person who seeks him. It is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.” Lamentations 3:25-26 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Don’t be a quitter.”

I’ve always been a big fan of John Wayne. The Duke was a tough guy, but in the best sense of the term. He was a champion for justice, a defender of the helpless, and a nightmare for the bad guys. And he never gave-up. He persevered and saw things through. I saw a picture of him the other day with a caption that read “I don’t much like quitters, son.” The point was that giving-up just isn’t something that winners do.

If your life is going to be one that is well spent you will have to learn to persevere through tough times. Life is filled with difficulties and challenges. Many times those difficulties will last for a long time. The people I admire most are those who hang in there and push through times of adversity – someone who doesn’t give-up when the going gets a little tough, a person who has learned to persevere with dignity.

This morning I want to share with you two quotes which have been inspiring for me and which I’ve held onto for years. The first comes from our 30^th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge. He once wrote:

“Nothing can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

The second is from author Andy Andrews in his book “The Traveler’s Gift” and it is the seventh of the seven major decisions he lists as being key to a life lived well:

“I will persist and persevere without exception. I hold fast to my dreams and visions. I stay the course. I do not quit. Fatigue is often a precursor to victory. I will not be one of those who gave up just before the victory would have come … trying times produce great men. I will persist and persevere without exception.”

The ability to persevere through tough times is a trait shared in common among those whose lives are well spent. It’s what Jeremiah was referring to in Lamentations 3:25-26. Deliverance from the Lord comes to those who wait patiently for God to come through for them and who don’t give-up.

Don’t be a quitter. Hang in there and don’t give-up. Wait patiently for the Lord and He will deliver you.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “A life well spent”

Our Bible verse for today: “So my people come to you in crowds, sit in front of you, and hear your words, but they don’t obey them. Their mouths go on passionately, but their hearts pursue dishonest profit. Yes, to them you are like a singer of passionate songs who has a beautiful voice and plays skillfully on an instrument. They hear your words, but they don’t obey them.” Ezekiel 33:31-33 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Live what you profess to believe.”

If ever there was a prophet of doom and gloom, Ezekiel was that guy. Ezekiel ministered in the southern Kingdom of Judah from 593-571 B.C. This was before, during, and after the fall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonian army. Ezekiel preached to the people, warned the people, pleaded with the people, and even threatened the people, but all to no avail. They just wouldn’t listen. One commentator described these people as being exceedingly sinful and thoroughly hopeless.

What’s interesting about this though is that the people were very religious. They came to the church services, they gathered around Ezekiel, they sat under his preaching, they listened to all he had to say, they even passionately mouthed pious religious platitudes in response, but it meant nothing. It was all a religious show. Their hearts were actually far from God. They left those worship services unaffected and unchanged, and they obeyed nothing they had been commanded to do (or to stop doing). They were religious phonies and they ended up paying a big price for it.

Their story is not just an old one, it’s a modern story too and it pertains to many people in our churches today. As the singer Jimmy Buffet once said, “There’s a fine line between Saturday night and Sunday morning!” Many people in our churches come to the services, sing the songs, listen to the sermons, nod their heads in agreement, and even mouth superficial Christian clichés, but then they live like the devil Monday through Saturday.

A life well spent is a life where the individual actually lives what he or she professes to believe. There shouldn’t be a fine line between Saturday night and Sunday morning. There should be no line at all. Your church face should be your everyday face. The person you are in the pew on Sunday should be the same person you are at work on Monday.

I encourage you to actually live what it is you profess to believe.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “A life well spent”

Our Bible verse for today: “Jesus said, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” John 20:29 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Believe even if you can’t see”

We’re all familiar with the story of “doubting Thomas”. Thomas was one of the original 12 apostles. But he wasn’t present at the time the resurrected Jesus appeared to the other apostles and so, Thomas refused to believe that Jesus was alive. A week later, Jesus appeared to them again and this time Thomas was there. Once Thomas saw Jesus for himself he did believe, but his belief was based on sight, not on faith.

This is a primary problem for many people. We have trouble believing in things we can’t see and so many people have trouble believing in God. We can’t see Him and so we often having trouble believing He is real. But He is there none-the-less, and He does reassure us of His presence in many ways.

Author Gary Moon tells the story of how one day he and his wife watched a woman playing in a parking lot with her blind dog. The dog was completely blind and therefore could not see his master. To compensate for the dog’s inability to see, the woman ran backwards across the gravel parking lot dragging her feet and making a scraping noise for the dog to hear. The dog followed the noises made by the woman’s feet and joyfully, playfully, sprinted after his master. As she continued to back up she kept calling out to the dog, “I’m right here, I see you, keep coming”, and the dog responded by continuing to follow the clues the master provided.

Gary said that as he watched this playful exchange between the woman and her blind dog he sensed God speaking to him saying, “Gary, you are like that dog and I am the owner. You can’t see Me, but I am real and I am here. And even though you can’t see Me, I can see you. I’m here. I’ve got you. Just follow My voice and stay close to Me.”

To live the Christian life well we have to believe even when we can’t see. God is real and He is here. He can see you even if you can’t see Him. And, even though you can’t see Him, He will make noise, He will provide clues, He will call out to you so you can be sure of His presence and so you can stay close to Him. Just pay attention, listen and follow.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “A life well spent”

Our Bible verse for today: “I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” Acts 13:22 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Be a person after God’s own heart.”

David was a man after God’s own heart. That’s what God was looking for. 1 Samuel 13:14 tells us “the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart …” Acts 13:22 tells us that He found that man in David, and that’s what made David so special. It’s also why God was able to accomplish such great things through David’s life. David was a man after God’s own heart and that resulted in a life well spent. But how do we, like David, become men and women after God’s own heart?

Dallas Willard is a spiritual mentor of mine. I have never met him (he’s in heaven now), so the influence he has had on me has come through his books. I’ve read everything he has written and I’ve also read his biography. One of the most important books Dallas wrote was called, “Renovation of the Heart”. Dallas was deeply disturbed that so much of modern Christian thought is laced with pop psychology, especially the “self-help” kind. This has resulted in modern Christian thought being primarily “me” centered, and consequently very superficial. Christian pop psychology is all about making a person feel good and it is focused on superficial “felt needs”. So Dallas wrote Renovation of the Heart in response to Christian-based pop psychology.

He started by pointing out that the word psyche actually means “soul” and therefore, in its purest and truest form, psychology should actually be soul-ology. Psychology should be all about making the soul well. Secular psychology focuses on thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Soul-ology begins with the soul (heart) and then once it is healthy, the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors follow.

Psychology is a real and helpful science. It is the study of the human person and it helps us to understand how the human person thinks and acts – and why. But in his book Dallas reminds us that it is the soul that is the essence of who the person is and that Jesus is the greatest psychologist who ever lived. Since He created human beings He understands us pretty well, and He therefore is the One who has the answers to life’s problems. With tongue in cheek, and keeping with the theme of psychology, Dallas refers to Jesus as “Dr. Jesus”. He then informs us that the Doctor is in and He is accepting new patients.

Psychology is helpful, but Christian psychology takes us to the heart of the issue (which is of course, the heart – that’s where we need to get to and that’s what needs to change). Becoming a man or woman after God’s own heart begins by surrendering your heart to Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit will go to work renovating your heart. If you spend your life seeking Him and following Him, you will soon find yourself being changed by Him.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “A life well spent”

Our Bible verse for today: “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” Philippians 4:11 (NASB)

Our thought for today: “Have a positive influence on people”

When I think about someone who is spending their life well I think about the impact that person has on others. Is your impact good or bad, positive or negative? Are other people better off as a result of being around you?

I love the image Paul paints of himself in Philippians 4:11. Over a lifetime of growing in Christ, learning through experience, and persevering through trials, he had learned to be content in whatever his circumstances where. I get the image of a calm and serene man who smiles a lot. He is warm and inviting, genuinely interested in the person sitting in front of him, and someone who has a positive influence on those around him.

I don’t mean to say that Paul was always like that, he wasn’t, but by this point in his life he had learned to be that way. What a great way to be –  a calm and gentle older man, wise in his ways, warm and approachable, building into the lives of others, and being a blessing to those around him.

What kind of an influence do you have on people? Are they better off for having been around you? Perhaps you have heard the old analogy of people being either like a thermometer or a thermostat. A thermometer simply reflects back whatever the temperature is. A person who is like a thermometer reflects back whatever the situation around them is. If there is anger, then the thermometer is angry too. If there is sadness, the thermometer is sad. If there is joy, then the thermometer can be happy. A thermometer person is influenced by the people and events around them, rather than being the one doing the influencing.

But a thermostat controls things. A thermostat sets the temperature and controls the environment. If you are a person who is like a thermostat then you are a change agent. If you walk into a situation where there is anger, you introduce peace. If there is sadness, you share joy. If there is despair, you offer hope. But a word of caution is appropriate here too. Not only can a thermostat change things for good, but they can also change things for bad. Think of the hyperactive drama queen who can easily take a peaceful environment and turn it into chaos.

So, is your influence on others good or bad, positive or negative? Are people better off because they have been around you? If you are a thermostat person (in a good way), then people will be better off because they have been with you, and yours will be a life well spent.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “A life well spent”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians 4:18 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Be an encourager”

The Bible calls us to be encouragers of one another. Two primary ways to encourage someone is to thank them for what they do, and to affirm them for who they are. But there’s a big difference between the two. When we thank someone we’re expressing gratitude for something they have done. It means we are appreciative. Most of us were raised to be polite and to say “thank you”. Thanking someone is not only an expression of gratitude, but it’s also a form of encouragement in that it makes the other person feel good for what they have done, and that then motivates them to do it again.

But affirming someone for who they are is different. When you affirm someone for who they are you are actually confirming for them what you believe to be true about them. Affirmation inspires and motivates a person, and it bolsters the person’s self-image. Affirmation is a form of encouragement too, but it is a higher form. Appreciation thanks them for what they have done. Affirmation commends them for who they are. Both forms of encouragement are important, and both are needed, but affirmation is more important and more helpful.

Encouragement can be a form of ministry. Making it a point to thank and affirm people is a good way of lifting someone’s spirits and encouraging them to even greater heights of conduct and character.  People who are encouragers find reasons to thank and affirm people. It’s a way of blessing them. By doing so, the encouragers build into that person’s life in such a way that it moves them forward in their development and growth as a person and as a follower of Christ.

The Bible repeatedly calls us to be encouragers of one another. One of my favorite New Testament heroes is Barnabas, the “son of encouragement”. (We could use more sons and daughters of encouragement.) In 1 Thessalonians 4:18 the Apostle Paul urged his readers to encourage one another with Biblical truth. In Hebrews 10:24-25 the writer reminds us that one of the reasons we are to regularly gather with our church family is so that we can encourage others, and so others can encourage us.

Why not add encouragement to your list of ministry activities? Be intentional about it. Make it a point to find reasons to thank people for what they do, and to affirm them for who they are. In my opinion if you are a habitual, intentional, encourager, then yours is a life well spent.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “A life well spent”

Our Bible verse for today: “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Acts 20:28 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Just do your part”

This past Friday I had the privilege of preaching the funeral for my friend Dick Foster. As is true of all of us, Dick lived a life of contradictions. He was strong in some ways and weak in others. He excelled in some areas of his life and he struggled in other ways. He had his share of rough edges to his character, but he could also be a very kind and helpful person.

Dick will be remembered in many ways and for many things, but the thing that many of us will remember most about him will be his love for Oak Hill Baptist Church (and his fierce determination to protect and care for the church). Dick served as the Chairman of the Deacons for decades, including during some tough years when there were difficult problems and storms of controversy. At those times Dick led the church through the storms. It was during those times that his strong, tough, no-nonsense personality was exactly what was needed.

The point I wish to make with this story is that Dick invested a major part of his life into caring for the church, some of it in tough times when the church was in peril. In this way in particular, Dick’s life was well spent. God used his faithful service to help make sure there would still be an Oak Hill Baptist Church here today for you and for me.

That’s a story I’ve seen again and again, in church after church, over the course of my ministry years – faithful servants of God, diligently and with great love, caring for God’s church. Often their actual ministry activities are low-profile and therefore don’t get a lot of attention, but their service is vital and extremely important none-the-less.

In Psalm 84:10 the Psalmist wrote, “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” I once heard a church custodian paraphrase and personalize that verse when he said to me, “Pastor, I would rather clean toilets in the house of the Lord than to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.”

You don’t have to be a Christian rock star, or a world-famous evangelist, or even a pastor or a deacon, in order to perform important service for the sake of the Kingdom. If you simply embrace the ministry activities the Lord has called you to and equipped you for, and then you faithfully spend your years humbly serving in, and caring for, the church God has placed you in, yours will have been a life well spent.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is: