Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Living with no excuses”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” Psalm 90:12 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Use your time wisely.”

 

Our time is precious. We only get a limited amount of it and once a moment is gone, we can never have it back. And so we need to be wise about what we do with our time. That’s the lesson of Psalm 90:12. That does not mean that we need to stay in perpetual motion, always doing things, always striving to accomplish something. Not at all. Sometimes the best use of our time is to do nothing at all. Sometimes we need a break.

 

But still, when it comes to how we use our time, wisdom is called for. Generally people fall victim to one of two tendencies which result in wasted time, or time that was not used well. The first tendency is to fritter away large blocks of your time doing nothing of any value. Hours upon hours of video games falls into this category. So does excessive television watching.

 

The other tendency many people get trapped in is what has been called “The tyranny of the urgent”. In his editorial contribution to the “Every Man’s Bible” Dr. David Jeremiah writes, “We must keep in check our own tendency to put the big things aside for the little ones. It’s what Charles Hummel called the “tyranny of the urgent” – putting the more important thing behind the more immediate thing. In any given moment we need to be aware of the wisest way to invest the moment we so briefly hold in our grasp.”

 

In a previous devotional I told you that President Teddy Roosevelt is one of my personal heroes. Through the books he himself wrote, and through the books that have been written about him, he has served as something of a mentor to me. Some observations from those close to him about how he used his time include, “He squeezed every ounce of living from his experience, day to day.” And, “TR safeguarded his time ruthlessly so as to have time for the most important things.” And also, “He believed that life was worthwhile; that the years and days were given to a man in trust, and that it was a crime to waste even an hour.”

 

2017 is almost over. 2018 will begin in just a couple of days. If you are fortunate enough to live through the entire year you will have 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, or 8736 hours. Will you use that time wisely? Do you have a plan that will help you to use it wisely? As I said, we do not have to be, nor should we be, in perpetual motion. It’s important to use our time productively but we also have to be smart and we need to have balance. Plan to be productive. Don’t make excuses. But don’t burn yourself out.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Living with no excuses”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:40 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Use what you have and make it work for you.”

 

Danny Martinez had a gravelly voice and he really couldn’t carry a tune. And yet he was one of the most popular song leaders in the California Southern Baptist Association in the 1990s. Truthfully, this man was never going to make a record or be heard on the radio, but he was the song leader for a church of more than 1000 people and he was always being invited to other churches to lead the music in revival meetings.

 

Danny’s secret, and the thing that made him so popular and successful as a song leader even though he really couldn’t sing, was his enthusiasm. Danny loved music, he loved singing, and he loved getting other people to sing too. He was a ball of fire on the stage and people willingly followed his lead. Danny didn’t have a voice but he did have plenty of enthusiasm. So he took what he had and he made it work for him.

 

In 1 Samuel 17:40 we read about the boy David facing the giant Goliath. David did not have size, strength, armor, a sword, or a shield. What he did have was five stones, a slingshot, and strong faith in God. He said to Goliath, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty.” (17:45). Then he killed the giant. David may not have had the skills and tools of a warrior, but he took what he did have and he made it work for him.

 

Noah Galloway was missing an arm and a leg from a roadside bomb in Iraq. His condition as a double amputee could have been an excuse for doing little or nothing with the rest of his life. But he had a burning desire within him to overcome his limitations and to accomplish things in life with only two limbs that many people with four limbs would never do. He took what he had (a burning desire to excel), and he made it work for him.

 

I know a man who is seventy-four years old and still wants to work. He’s out looking for a job right now. He knows he lacks youth, strength, and technological understanding. Instead he has experience, maturity, and wisdom. He’ll get a job. He will use what he has and he will make it work for him.

 

So what’s your limiting factor that’s holding you back from accomplishing the things you want to do in life? Rather than focusing on what you don’t have and using that as an excuse, I encourage you to focus on what you do have and then figure out ways to make that work for you. What you’re seeing as a limitation could become your biggest asset.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Living with no excuses”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “No rotten talk should come from your mouth, but only what is good for the building up of someone in need, in order to give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Speak life”

 

This might seem silly but even though I’m almost sixty-four, when I work-out I often listen to Christian rap music. I do. The strong beat and the intensity of the lyrics gets my blood pumping and motivates me to work-out harder. (I’m not going to tell you whether or not I also shuck and jive along with the music, you don’t need to know that, but since I work-out by myself in my garage I could do that if I wanted to and nobody would see me.)

 

My favorite Christian rap artist is Toby Mac. On one of his older albums he has a song called “Speak Life”. It’s all about the power of words. One line goes, “Though it’s crazy, amazing, we can turn a heart with the words we say. Mountains crumble with every syllable. Hope can live or die. So speak life, speak life … to the deadest darkest night. Speak life, speak life …Look into the eyes of the brokenhearted; watch them come alive as soon as you speak hope, you speak love, you speak life …”

 

This is a common theme in the Bible. Over and over again God warns us to watch our words and to choose them carefully. James reminds us that the tongue is like a little spark that can set an entire forest ablaze. James and Paul both teach that Christians are to not use profanity or even course speech. And Jesus warns that we will be held accountable for every word we speak.

 

So you would think that Christians would be especially mindful of their words and would be careful to “Speak life” instead of death. But sadly that’s often not the case. I hear Christians use profanity more often than you would think. It’s also not uncommon for a Christian to allow their words to be fueled by anger or emotion and they end up saying things that should not be said.

 

I’m also saddened and disappointed by the tone of the rhetoric Christians sometimes use when they’re engaged in political disagreements and especially in the culture wars. Much of the opinion and social commentary coming from “Christians” is absolutely scathing, overheated, mean-spirited, and even hateful. They then excuse themselves by explaining that they feel strongly about the issue and they have a right to say so. Well, yes they do have a right to say so. But you can make your point better, and have a better chance of being listened to, if you speak in a reasoned and moderate tone than if you’re overheated and mean.

 

All too often our words are unacceptable and unbiblical. But there’s no excuse for it. Our tongue is one of the first body parts that should surrendered to the control of the Holy Spirit. Don’t make excuses for your unacceptable speech. Make it a point to speak words of life, speak words that bless people.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Living with no excuses”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Pray hard, make your best decision, and get moving.”

 

In yesterday’s devotional I explained the importance of action. Just wishing things were different is a meaningless waste of time if you don’t actually do something about it. However one of the most common excuses Christians use for not taking action is “I don’t have clear direction from God.” Or, “I’m waiting for a word from the Lord.” By that they usually mean they’re waiting for God to remove all doubt and indecision by providing them with a crystal clear path forward.

 

But as it turns out, God doesn’t usually do that. Oh, sometimes He does. Sometimes He provides overwhelming clarity and clear direction, but usually not. Instead He has given us clear instruction regarding His general will, as explained in the Bible. We are to stay within those boundaries but beyond that, he wants us to figure it out for ourselves. He wants us to use our brains and our good spiritual judgment to make smart choices. That’s why He gave us brains and it’s why He has worked to help us develop good judgment – so we can use it.

 

Although it might not appear so at first, this is exactly what Proverbs 3:5-6 teaches. Bear with me a moment and you will see that.

 

As a parent you want to teach your child how to think things through for themselves and to make smart choices without always having everything spelled out for them in explicit detail. In your training of them you make sure they know, in advance, what your general expectations are and what the boundaries are, but beyond that you want them to learn how to think for themselves and to make good decisions. Additionally, as they do, you will continue to coach them and offer guidance along the way as necessary in order to keep them on the right track. But you don’t want to have to continually dictate every decision and every step for them.

 

God is no different with us. He gave you a brain, he developed your unique personality, He allowed you to determine your own interests in life, and He has guided your spiritual development. All of that is an important part of who you are as a unique individual. You’re not a robot with your every function pre-determined for you. God wants you to think, figure things out, made decisions, try stuff, learn from your mistakes, and then try more stuff. That’s how you learn and develop and grow.

 

But we’re not entirely on our own. Proverbs 3:5-6 is just one piece in a body of Biblical literature which assures us that if our heart is right, and if we are truly seeking to honor God in the choices we make and the actions we take, He will provide sufficient guidance to at least keep you in the ballpark.

 

As we approach the New Year and we’re each considering goals we will set and actions we will take, prayerfully lay it out before the Lord, ask Him to give you wisdom and insight, make the best decision you can, and then get moving. God gave you a mind, and He doesn’t mind if you use it.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Living with no excuses”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “A wise man will listen and increase his learning, and a discerning man will obtain guidance.” Proverbs 1:5 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Make a plan, choose an example, and get moving.”

 

One of my favorite Presidents was Teddy Roosevelt. I’ve read multiple biographies of his life and I love his story. He was a small, weak, sickly and sheltered child. Because of his weak physical condition he was quiet, withdrawn, and bookish. He loved to read stories about great men from history who were brave and strong, and who accomplished meaningful things in life. He wished he could be like that too.

 

One day some older bigger boys cornered him and made great fun out of picking on him. They bullied him without mercy and there was little that Teddy could do to defend himself. But that was a turning point for him. Teddy decided he wasn’t going to live like that anymore. So he started a training program to transform himself. For one thing, rather than just reading about the great men he admired, he decided to be like the great men he admired. Rather than just reading about and admiring their examples, he decided to take action and to copy their examples.

 

Action was what made all the difference in his life. When he stopped wishing and started doing, things started to change. If you’re familiar with the rest of his story then you know that through a rigorous regime of exercise and physical activity he went from being a sick and sheltered little boy into a strong, robust, courageous man who lived a life of adventure and who accomplished great things. The key was action. He didn’t just wish things were different but he took action to make things different. One of the ways he did it was by following the good examples of others who had already accomplished the things he wanted for himself.

 

I’m certainly no Teddy Roosevelt but I did learn two important lessons from his story that have helped to shape my own life. The first lesson I learned and copied from him was the importance and value of learning from others. Find people who have accomplished things that you admire and would like to accomplish as well, and learn from them. That’s one of the reasons I read so many biographies of great men and women, and it’s also why I’m so picky about my friends and associates. I read about and associate with people I admire and can learn from. That’s exactly what Solomon was teaching in Proverbs 1:5 – listen, learn, and copy.

 

The second important lesson I learned from Teddy Roosevelt’s example was about action. Wishing things were different is a meaningless waste of time if you don’t do something about it.

 

The New Year is just days away now. Have you set some goals for yourself for 2018? Do you have a plan of action to achieve those goals? Have you considered the examples of others who have gone before you and who have successfully achieved what you want to do? I encourage you to make a plan, choose an example to follow, and then get moving.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Living with no excuses”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death – even to death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Jesus made no excuses”

 

As I write this it is Christmas morning 2017 and I’m thinking about the incarnation of Jesus. On Christmas we celebrate the fact that Jesus, as the second person of the Trinity, voluntarily laid aside the honor and the glory that was rightfully His, left the splendor of heaven, and came to earth in the form of a helpless human baby.

 

He lived for thirty-three years upon this earth as a regular person in humble circumstances, and then He died upon a cross to pay the price for your sins and mine. The cradle in Bethlehem led to the cross on Calvary.

 

We must not miss the fact that Jesus didn’t have to do this. It was a voluntary act on His part. He did it out of love for us. At any time He could have chosen not to, and He could have justifiably come up with an infinite number of excuses for not doing it – number one being that the sins were not His and therefore He shouldn’t have to suffer for them.

 

This all brings us back to our theme for this month “Living with no excuses”. Jesus didn’t make excuses and so as His followers we shouldn’t either.

 

As we prepare to begin a new year will you recommit your life to the One who gave His life for you? In the Bible God has given us some pretty clear instructions about how He wants us to live, and it’s really not that complicated. In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus summed it up for us when He said:

 

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

 

Loving God with all your heart will involve prayer, Bible study, and worship. Loving your neighbor will involve acts of mercy, compassion, and ministry, as well as fellowship.” Will you commit yourself to taking your love for God and for others to a new level in 2018? Jesus made no excuses when it came to sacrificing for us, so we should make no excuses when it comes to living for Him.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Living with no excuses”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted. His majesty covers heaven and earth.” Psalm 148:13 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Treat God like He deserves to be treated.”

 

The author Stuart Briscoe once observed, “If we knew who God really is, we’d show him a little more respect.” Stuart’s point was that we have an inadequate understanding of God and that results in us treating Him without the honor He is rightly due.

 

We’re often much too casual in the way we think about God and in the way we approach Him. We’re also sometimes too casual in our worship of Him. The problem isn’t really that we don’t have enough knowledge about God – the Bible tells us everything we need to know about Him. Instead the problem is that we don’t really think deeply about who He is and what He is like. We don’t mediate on His attributes or truly appreciate all that He has done for us and how much He loves us. Our problem isn’t really in the head it’s in the heart.

 

As I write this it is two days before Christmas 2017. This year Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday. So we will hold our Christmas worship service Sunday morning and our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Sunday night. Christmas is a wonderful reminder of who God is, what He is like, how much He loves us, and all that He has done for us. It’s also at Christmas when our awareness of those truths is most likely to penetrate to the heart level. Our hearts are softer at Christmas than pretty much any other time of the year.

 

This year in our Christmas sermon at Oak Hill Baptist I’m going to challenge us to take our thinking about God and Christmas to a deeper level. Let’s go beyond the standard superficial focuses (even those that are Christian in nature), and go a little deeper into what it all means and what it teaches us.

 

If you’re anywhere near Cumberland County, Tennessee then we would like to invite you to join us as at Oak Hill Baptist Church as we celebrate the incarnation of Jesus. Our Christmas worship service will be at 10:00 and our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service begins at 5:00.

 

We often allow ourselves to become way too casual in our thinking about God and in our worship of Him. We find many excuses for doing so, but it’s never okay. Christmas is an excellent time to renew your heart’s passion for God and to appreciate Him anew for who He really is, and for what He is really like.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Living with no excuses”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men …” Colossians 3:23

 

Our thought for today: “Do your best.”

 

Just do your best. That will always be enough. God doesn’t expect us to be perfect but He does expect us to do our best. That’s what Paul was teaching in Colossians 3:23. To set-up that point, in that passage he gave us a laundry list of everyday life situations. He wrote about how wives are to get along with their husbands and husbands with their wives. He told children to obey their parents, and He instructed workers to work hard. Then he said “Whatever you do …” do it enthusiastically as if you were doing it for the Lord. In other words, do your best in all situations. Don’t make excuses for being sloppy or mediocre.

 

In my first career I spent almost twenty-one years in the Navy. After I retired from that, and as I was going to Seminary at night, I worked during the day for the Department of Defense in a civilian capacity. Unfortunately, in a government environment it’s not uncommon to sometimes encounter a worker who makes minimal effort and who produces poor results. The phrase such a person will often use is, “It’s good enough for government work.”

 

Such an attitude is never okay for Christians. As the people of God we’re called to a different and higher standard. Christians should always be the best workers in every workplace. Christians should be the most attentive students, the most dependable friends, the best relatives. We should strive to do our best at whatever we’re doing. Paul said “Whatever you do …” do it as if the Lord Himself is on the receiving end of your efforts.

 

Well if we’re doing it for Jesus then that changes things, doesn’t it? That report you’re preparing at work – you’re preparing it for Jesus to read. The sale you’re about to make – Jesus is your customer. The math problem the student is working to solve – you’re solving it for Jesus. You think you’re washing that laundry for you family but actually you’re doing it for Jesus. Those boxers might as well be His.

 

So don’t make excuses. Never settle for less than your best. We are the people of God. We are to be our best and we are to do our best in all situations.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Living with no excuses”

 

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.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Do them a favor and take away their excuses.”

 

There is strength in numbers and therefore a wise person cultivates a small group of close friends they know they can always count on. It’s a foolish person who thinks they can go it alone. We all need others to walk through life with us. A good marriage is of course the best relationship a person can have on this earth. A spouse who is a genuine partner in life is invaluable and does a lot to strengthen and enrich your life.

 

But good friendships are important too. A wise person also has accountability partners and although that person is often a spouse, close friends make good accountability partners too. In order for an accountability partner to be effective you must be transparent and honest with them. This has to be a person (s) who has permission to ask the hard questions of you and who then has the boldness to speak truth to you, even if you don’t want to hear it.

 

One of the key ways in which an accountability partner can be most helpful to us is to take away our excuses. Change is hard and it takes discipline to stick with it. When we’re trying to implement needed changes in our lives – be they changes about diet and exercise, or better money management practices, or improved spiritual disciplines, or whatever, our basic human nature will lead us to make excuses for why it’s okay to eat that cupcake, or to spend that money, or to sleep late instead of getting up early to have time with God. A good accountability partner will challenge us on such issues and take away our excuses. That’s a good thing (annoying maybe, but good).

 

As we get closer to beginning the New Year and you give more thought to the goals you will set and the plans you will make for 2018, do you have one or more accountability partners with whom you are sharing your goals and who have permission to hold you accountable to them? If not, I encourage you to find someone to fill that role for you.

 

Solomon was exactly right when he wrote “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their effort.” I encourage you to have at least one other person in your life who has the permission and the boldness to take away your excuses.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Living with no excuses”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life.” Hebrews 10:39 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “And then I got blown up.”

 

“And then I got blown up.” That’s the title for one of the chapters in Noah Galloway’s book “Living with no excuses”. Up to that point in the book he had been telling the story of his life as a healthy, whole, confident, and somewhat cocky young solider. But then he got blown up. Suddenly he was a bloody mess and missing two limbs. In an instant his life had changed forever.

 

Have you ever had a moment like that? You’re minding your own business, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and life is good. And then you got blown up. Maybe your “blown up” moment was a car accident, or a diagnosis of cancer, or the unexpected loss of a job. Maybe you received that dreaded phone call about a wayward child who was found dead. Maybe that crime you committed was finally discovered and now the police are at your door; or maybe that secret sin isn’t so secret anymore and you find yourself publically humiliated.

 

Have you ever had a “blown up” moment? If not, sooner or later you will. Maybe it won’t be a crime or a sin but at some point it will be the unexpected death of a loved one, or a serious accident, or something similar. Sooner or later we all get blown up by life.

 

And then the changes come. Getting blown up always brings changes. Inevitably you will go through the five classic stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance). That’s normal and is okay – as long as you get to that crucial stage five of acceptance because that’s the point at which you make the necessary adjustments and start to get on with life. So go ahead and have your grief – process it, work through it, but don’t linger there and don’t get stuck there.

 

Hebrews 10:39 is a great set-up verse. It “sets up” chapter 11 which is known as “The Faith Hall of Fame”. I encourage you to read chapter 11. It’s mostly about Christians who got blown up in life but handled it well. The verse says “But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life.” That then leads the reader to chapter 11 and the “Faith Hall of Fame”.

 

The lesson is that it is possible to endure great trials and tribulations and set-backs in life and to do so with courage, confidence, and strong faith. Jesus makes that possible. When you have those times when it feels as if you’ve gotten blown up by life don’t be one of those who draws back and is destroyed by the adversity. Have faith, lean into it, push through it, trust the Lord, and don’t make excuses.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim