Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: ‘The Bible is alive.”

 

What attitude do you have about reading the Bible? Some people just read for mileage. They set a goal of how many chapters they will read each day and then they just plow through it. Other people pick and choose certain passages and stories, and then they skip anything that might be boring or too hard or too convicting. Some people don’t read the Bible much at all.

 

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews tells us that the written word of God is alive and active and that our reading of it should profoundly affect us. Is that how it seems to you, alive and active, profoundly impacting you?

 

In his book, “Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God”, Dallas Willard offers a helpful insight about how to read the Bible. First, Dallas reminds his readers that the people in the Bible were just people – no different really from you and me. And, if you or I had been them, if we had been where they were and experienced what they did, we probably would have reacted much the same way they did. Here’s how he explained it:

 

“… if we are to really understand the Bible record, we must enter into our study of it on the assumption that the experiences recorded there are basically of the same type as ours would have been if we had been there. Those who lived through those experiences felt very much as we would have if we had been in their place.”

 

Bingo! There’s the key to the Bible coming alive for you. Enter into the story as if it is your story. You be them. Put yourself in their place and do it with the understanding that this person on the pages of the Bible was a person very much like you. Therefore they would have experienced this situation much the same as you would have if you had been them.

 

Now live the story. See yourself in Peter’s place that night in the courtyard as Jesus was on trial. It’s dark, you’re cold, you’re scared, and you’re worried about your friend Jesus. Suddenly the people around you are questioning you, accusing you, and your fear escalates. They might arrest you. They might beat you. They might crucify you. They want to know if you are one of Jesus’ followers. Quick, what will you say? In his fear and confusion and uncertainty Peter denied that he even knew Jesus. Isn’t it possible that under those same circumstances you would have denied Him too?

 

Is that how you read your Bible? What attitude do you bring with you when you sit down to read it? I encourage you to slow down and intentionally enter into the story you are reading. Be there. Be part of it. Make it your story. And then experience the Bible as you never have before.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “The length of our days is seventy years – or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” Psalm 90:10 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Enjoy your life today.”

 

I read a statement recently which caused me to stop and think about how quickly life passes. It was this: “There are people who do not live their present life; it is as if they were preparing themselves, with all their zeal, to live some other life, but not this one. And while they do this, time goes by and is lost.”

 

It’s true. Many of us spend countless hours daydreaming about the life we hope to have in the future, and we forget to simply enjoy the life we have now. While it is important to have a vision for the future, and setting goals and making plans is essential, we cannot become so fixated on what we hope to have in the future that we fail to appreciate what we do have now. Many of us are so preoccupied with thoughts of the life we want to have that we forget to live the life we do have.

 

In Psalm 90:10 Moses was reflecting on the brevity of life. In his analogy he referred to an average lifespan of 70 or 80 years. A few get more than that but many get less – sometimes much less. We all know this. We know we’re not even promised tomorrow, or tonight for that matter. All we know for certain is that we have this moment – and perhaps the next, and maybe the one after that.

 

The fact is that you’re going to die. Maybe not today but someday, and chances are it will come sooner than you think. Even if you live 70, 80, or 90 years, you will inevitably find yourself sitting there wondering where the years went and how is it that they passed by so quickly.

 

So yes, plan for tomorrow, and for next week and next year and next decade. The law of averages says you will probably have 70 or 80 years of life. But don’t lose sight of the fact that it could all end much sooner than that. This moment is all you know for sure that you have. So live it well. Enjoy it fully. Make the most of it. Plan for tomorrow, but enjoy the life you have today.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Be a thermostat”

 

Do you know the difference between a thermometer and a thermostat? A thermometer simply reflects the temperature of whatever it is immersed it, a thermostat controls the temperature.

 

People can be like thermometers and thermostats. A person who is like a thermometer simply reflects back whatever it is they are experiencing. If they enter a room where there is anger, soon the thermometer will be angry too. If there is sadness, soon the thermometer is sad. If there is frustration, eagerness, resentment, you name it – whatever the surrounding environment is the thermometer quickly reflects it.

 

On the other hand a person who is a thermostat controls and changes things. If a thermostat enters a room and discovers anger they take steps to cool things down and introduce a sense of peace and calm. If they find sadness the thermostat offers comfort. If there is fear they offer courage; anxiety – peace; doubts – assurance. And if there is joy and celebration, the thermostat adds to it and ramps it up.

 

Where does the ability to be a thermostat kind of person come from? For the Christian it comes from the Holy Spirit living in your heart and working in your life. Such attributes are what Paul refers to as “The fruit of the Spirit”. As a Christian grows in Christ-likeness the fruit of the Spirit becomes more and more a part of that person’s personality.

 

These are the attributes which progressively become part of who that person is and what they are like. Your attitude becomes one of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That then is what you bring with you wherever you go. As a walking, talking, mobile temple of God’s Holy Spirit you bring the fruit of the Spirit with you and you can introduce those attributes into any situation you’re involved in.

 

Over time the fruit of the Spirit should come to define a believer’s personality as that person matures in their Christian faith. That being the case, the more you do the things that place you in a position before God whereby He can mold you and shape you, the more the fruit will be evident in your life. I’m referring to the basic disciplines of the Christian life and they include things like prayer, Bible study, worship, acts of service to others, and regular participation in the life of a good church family, just to name a few.

 

You can be a thermostat. When the fruit of the Spirit defines who you are as a person, you can be an agent of change in whatever situation you find yourself. A good place to nurture the soil of the soul so that fruit grows in your life is in church on Sunday mornings. We’d love to have you with us at Oak Hill Baptist. I hope to see you there.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore I urge you to imitate me.” 1 Corinthians 4:16 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Your attitude impacts and influences other people.”

 

Doesn’t it sound as if Paul was being a bit arrogant when he wrote to the Corinthian Christians, “I urge you to imitate me.”? I suppose it could read as arrogant if you didn’t know Paul. Paul understood the importance of mentorship and he also knew that his example would have an influence (positive or negative) on those who observed his conduct and who looked up to him.

 

And so, Paul made it a point to conduct himself well. He first learned from and imitated the example of Jesus, and then he made it a point to model that example for others. So when Paul urged other Christians to learn from him, he was by extension urging them to learn from Jesus through him.

 

I’ve heard it said and I know it’s true that “Sometimes the life of the teacher is more than half the lesson.” What that means is that even more important than the words the teacher speaks is the way in which the teacher lives his or her life. What you actually see the person do is much more important than what he or she says.

 

That brings us back to our theme for this month. Your attitude matters. People notice. How you handle stressful situations; how you speak to people; how generous you are, or how generous you are not; how kind, compassionate, and patient you are with others. All of it is noticed and all of it has an impact on them.

 

The fact is that there are people who look up to you and who therefore learn from you. Even if it’s not intentional on your part, there are people who see you as an example. So, what attitude are they observing in you? How do you conduct yourself – especially when your guard is down and you’re not really thinking about it?

 

Attitude is a funny thing. It can be intentionally and consciously controlled if we think about it and if we put effort into it but more importantly, attitude is fundamental and foundational. It often functions at the subconscious level and is a deeply ingrained part of our personality. That being the case, the molding and shaping of our attitude has to take place at a deep level.

 

Tomorrow we’re going to continue this discussion by considering thermometers and thermostats – what they are, what they do, and what it means to us with respect to our attitudes. Until then, I encourage you to give careful thought to what your attitude is and what example you are setting for others with your attitude. People are watching. They do notice.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “God will help you overcome your fear.”

 

Courage isn’t the absence of fear. Courage is the determination to do what needs to be done in spite of your fear. It’s the resolve to push past your fear, to overcome it, and to do what you need to do – even though on the inside you might be terrified and shaking like a leaf.

 

Former Secretary of State, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Four Star General Colin Powell once produced a list of principles that guided his life. He called them “Powell’s Principles”. One of those principles involved courage. It reads, “Never let them see you sweat.” In other words, regardless of what you’re thinking or feeling on the inside, resolve to push past your thoughts and feelings of fear and do what you need to do anyway. Don’t let your fear stop you; don’t even let it show.

 

Everyone struggles with doubts and fears. Everyone. But for the Christian you have the Holy Spirit of God to walk with you through every fearful situation. Isaiah 41:10 is just one of many passages which assure us of that.

 

One of the most common refrains in the Bible is “Fear not”. Why should we “fear not”? In Isaiah 41:10 God tells us, “For I am with you.” In what way does God’s presence help us to deal with our fear? He says it’s because, “I will strengthen you and help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.”

 

Whether your fear stems from a sickness, the loss of a job, a wayward child, doubts about the future, or a thug with a gun, let your attitude about it be that you will turn to God for the help you need in dealing with your fear.

 

Courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s the ability to push past your fears and do what needs to be done anyway. God will help you do that.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “What kind of attitude do you want to have?”

 

All this month we’ve been exploring the theme of attitude from multiple perspectives. I’ve mentioned repeatedly that a good attitude is a key element to any life lived well. A positive attitude that is optimistic, and which maintains an eager expectation of good things to come is essential if you’re going to be happy, productive, and successful. How we think really does matter.

 

But what kind of an attitude do you want to have? I mean specifically. Many people have a vague, fuzzy, poorly defined notion of the kind of person they would like to be, but I’m talking about a clear picture in your mind of exactly how you would like to think and act.

 

“Visualization” is a mental discipline that has been proven to dramatically increase a person’s chances of achieving the thing they are striving for. Olympic athletes use visualization as a crucial part of their training. In their mind’s eye they see themselves hitting that world record long jump mark. They rehearse that scene in their mind over and over and over again, and they hold it there.

 

I read a story once about a prisoner of war in Vietnam. This man had always enjoyed playing golf, it was his favorite hobby, and he was fairly good at it. He usually scored in the low 80s, occasionally breaking into the high 70s. During his long and lonely six years of captivity he spent much of his time daydreaming about golf. In his mind’s eye he visualized himself playing endless rounds. He saw every shot throughout all 18 holes and always, he saw himself playing great golf and making amazing shots.

 

Finally, after six years as a prisoner of war, he was released. The week after he got home he went out on the golf course for the first time in over six years. He had not had an actual golf club in his hand in all those years. But in his mind he had played hundreds of rounds of great golf. On that day, after more than six years without touching a golf club, that man played the best round of golf he had ever played in his life. He scored in the low 70s and didn’t three-putt a single green.

 

What kind of attitude do you want to have? Create a clear mental image of yourself with exactly the attitude you want and then hold that image before you, think about it, dwell on it, see yourself walking through your days interacting with people, dealing with situations, with exactly the kind of attitude you want yourself to have.

 

It is possible. In Ephesians 4:22-24 the Apostle Paul reminds us that in Christ, part of your new self is a new attitude. In other words, part of your spiritual growth involves leaving behind the old patterns of thinking, along with the old attitudes, and developing new patterns of thinking and new attitudes.

 

Not only is it possible, it’s expected and it’s the normal growth pattern for any maturing Christian. Visualize yourself with that attitude, think about it, dwell on it, pray for it, and before long it will become a reality in your life.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.” Ephesians 6:13 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Take a stand for what is right, even if doing so isn’t easy.”

 

Marcus Porcius Cato was a Roman philosopher and politician who lived almost 100 years before the time of Christ. Known to history simply as “Cato” he was the most influential man of his day, even more so than the ruler of the Roman Empire at that time, Julius Caesar. The reason Cato was held is such high regard was because of his rock solid integrity. In a political atmosphere that was corrupt in the extreme, where bribery, treachery, sexual scandal, betrayals, and the like were the daily norm and commonly accepted, Cato’s was the one vote that could not be bought – and everybody knew it. Cato could always be counted on to take a stand for righteousness and then he would not be moved.

 

Cato’s example of honesty and integrity was so inspiring that it has endured throughout history. All of the Founding Fathers of our nation were inspired by the example of Cato. Benjamin Franklin quoted him frequently in his writings. George Washington was known as “The American Cato”. It was a title he accepted and bore with pride. Washington said there was no leadership example that inspired and influenced him more than that of Cato.

 

Cato was not a Christian, but we do see the same principle of integrity and courage called for by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians chapter six. As Christians we will be faced with daily temptations to engage in all sorts of unacceptable conduct. But we are expected to be prepared for it and we must resolve to take a stand against it. By means of prayer, Bible study, and meditation on Biblical principles, we must be prepared to take our stand, and to do so in spite of the difficulties that might present for us.

 

Once I witnessed the exact opposite. A spiritually immature Christian, who was unfortunately in a position of influence in an organization, was acting in a petty and selfish way. That person made some demands and issued ultimatums which, if granted, would result in harm to another Christian. The decision-makers on that leadership team (also professing Christians) decided it would be easier to simply give-in to this person’s demands and allow the other person to suffer harm, rather than to take a stand against the unreasonable demands. It was weakness on the part of those leaders. It was something Cato, George Washington, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul would never have done.

 

Honesty, courage, and integrity are crucial elements in the character of a righteous person. The willingness to take a stand and to do the right thing (even when doing the right thing is difficult and might result in hardship for us), is the mark of a great man or woman. I encourage you to resolve to be that man or woman. Put on the full armor of God everyday, and then take your stand for what is right.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” 1 Corinthians 6:7 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Sometimes it really doesn’t matter.”

 

Recently I heard some women good-naturedly talking about one of their husbands having a “man cold”. He had a touch of the flu and was pretty miserable. The general consensus among the women was that a man having a cold is the rough equivalent of a woman giving birth – or at least that’s how the man acts when he’s sick.

 

That’s funny, and probably true to some extent. Some pain and discomfort is fairly minor compared to other pain and discomfort and therefore we shouldn’t treat it as a more serious matter than it really is.

 

The other day I read a statement that proclaimed, “Not all pain matters”. In one respect the author meant that minor bumps, bruises, and discomforts need to be shrugged off. But in another respect he meant it in the context of offenses. When people commit offenses against us, most of the time the offenses do have the potential to cause some level of pain. But even then, most of the offenses are really just annoyances and fall into the same category as the “man cold” and should therefore be treated the same way.

 

This is what Paul was writing about in 1 Corinthians 6:7. In context, the passage was about believers bringing lawsuits against one another in civil court proceedings. Paul’s point was that the Body of Christ ought to be able to police itself. We should be able to come together as a group of spiritually mature believers and help each other to iron out the differences between us, rather than slugging it out in civil court in front of the non-Christian world.

 

And, if for some reason you and the one you are in conflict with are not able to resolve the issue within the church setting, then Paul’s advice is to just suck it up and allow yourself to have been wronged, rather than making a big deal out of it by taking another believer to a civilian court. (There could be special exceptions to this but that is a general Biblical principle).

 

In a larger context this same principle applies to all of life in general. Most offenses really are not that big a deal and don’t warrant being made into a big deal. Not all pain matters. Most of those things are just annoyances not real problems, and therefore they should be shrugged off rather than pursed. Why not just allow yourself to have been wronged and turn your attention instead to things that really do matter?

 

A spiritually mature person learns to distinguish between little deals and big deals and is content to keep the little deals little. Most of the things we find “offensive” don’t really matter much at all.

 

So don’t make something that is essentially the equivalent of a “man cold” seem like childbirth. Shrug it off and focus instead on the things that really do matter.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Build on your strengths.”

 

Our human nature often causes us to focus on what we don’t have rather than on what we do have. That’s true whether we’re talking about money and possessions, or skills and talents, or health and looks. For instance, despite the money and possessions we do have, we can’t help but notice that others have more money and better things, and so we want what they have. Or, despite the fact that I can preach and teach and write, it’s still true that I can’t sing or dance or play the piano, but I would like to. And on it goes. We tend to want what we don’t have rather than what we do have.

 

In 1 Corinthians 12:7 the Apostle Paul was writing about the great truth that the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in each of our lives in special and unique ways. He creates within each of us certain spiritual gifts, along with skills, talents, and abilities. Those things are our strengths. Therefore those are the things we’re going to be best at and so those are the things we need to focus on first. God doesn’t necessarily need me to sing and dance and play the piano. Others are skilled at those things. But He does want me to preach and teach and write.

 

Rather than lamenting that we don’t have the skills, talents, or abilities that someone else has, we need to focus on what we do have and then build on that. That’s a positive and realistic attitude that will keep us focused, effective, and growing.

 

Of course there is a time and place to focus on developing new skills and talents, and there are areas of weakness in our lives that do need attention, but our focus needs to be primarily on what is right and good about us, and we need to be sure we are leveraging those things and utilizing them to their maximum potential.

 

That’s our attitude at Oak Hill Baptist Church. We’re a small church. But we see our small size as a strength not as a weakness. Because we are small we can be more personable. Because we are small that means each person gets more attention. Because we are small we are much more of a family than would be true in a big church. Those things are assets that we take advantage of and build on. We’re determined to be the best small church we can be.

 

Identifying your strengths and leveraging them for maximum benefit should be the starting place. Then from that firm foundation you can focus on developing new skills or fixing problem areas, but begin from a position of strength.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Attitude”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they had won over the crowds and stoned Paul, they dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. After the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.” Acts 14:19-20 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Just get back up and keep on going.”

 

In 1923, at the Polo Grounds Arena in New York, in a boxing match for the heavyweight championship of the world, the heavyweight prizefighter from Spain, Luis Angel Firpo, also known as “the Wild Bull of the Pampas” threw a crushing left cross that caught the champ, Jack Dempsey, square on the chin. The punch hit Dempsey so hard that it knocked him backwards through the ropes and clear out of the ring. Dempsey ended up crashing on top of the newspaper reporters sitting on the side of the ring, and then he was sprawled on the floor. The back of his head had hit the metal edge of a report’s typewriter, opening a large gash from which he was bleeding profusely.

 

It was the most vicious knockdown Dempsey had ever experienced in his long boxing career. It was one of the most dramatic that anyone had ever seen in any professional boxing match. But Jack Dempsey won that fight. He got up off the floor, climbed back into the ring, and though wobbly, he managed to protect himself through the rest of that round. During the short break between rounds he gathered himself, steeled his resolve, and at the ringing of the bell to start the second round he came charging out of his corner, unleashed a flurry of tremendous punches, and in 57 seconds Firpo was unconscious on the canvas. The fight was over and Dempsey was the world champion.

 

The Apostle Paul experienced something like that in Acts 14:19-20. His enemies beat him so badly they thought they had killed him. They dragged his inert body outside the village and tossed it in a ditch. But Paul regained consciousness, mustered the strength to get up and went right back into that same town. Not only was he not dead, but after that incident he went on to have the most successful and fruitful years of his ministry.

 

Nothing is over until you give up. If you don’t quit then you’re not done. Sometimes life will hit you with a vicious left cross. Sometimes you will take it on the chin and end up on the floor. But you don’t have to stay there. You can get up. And if you do, then you’re not done – and it’s entirely possible that the best and most successful years of your life are still in front of you.

 

Although I’ve never experienced anything as dramatic as the scenes with Jack Dempsey or the Apostle Paul, I did have my own knockdown, dragged out, totally confused and somewhat frightening time in life. I was fifty-four, my wife had suffered a catastrophic heath issue the year before, I was faced with a major career change in late mid-life, and I had no idea what to do or what the future might hold.

 

As I look back on that time now, I never could have guessed what a wonderful future God was leading me into. As it turned out the best years of my ministry were still in front of me, I just didn’t know it at the time. There was still a wonderful church to become the Pastor of, there were books to write, mission teams to lead, a jail ministry waiting to begin, new friendships, great vacations, challenging adventures, and much more. But at the time I wasn’t sure if I could even get back up off the floor.

 

If you would care to read about some of the lessons I learned through that time you can go to my website at www.JimMersereauBooks.com and download the free articles, “I’m a Survivor Too”, and “From Cusco to Crossville – Changing Careers at Fifty-Four”.

 

When life has knocked you down the thing to do is just get back up and keep on going. It’s entirely possible that the best years of your life are still in front of you. Nothing is over until you give up. If you don’t quit, then you’re not done.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim