Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A fresh start in a new year”   Our Bible verse for today: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “What’s holding you back?”   Before I became a pastor I had a career in the U.S. Navy. Early in my career (long before I became a Christian), there was a common saying that was popular among us young sailors and which we would challenge each other with. If a man was holding back and making excuses for not doing something he was supposed to do or which he needed to do, we would sarcastically ask him, “Well, what’s holding you back? I don’t see an anchor tied to your rear-end!” (Okay, we were sailors, and we were young, and we were not Christians, so the language we really used was a bit cruder and more colorful but I think you get the picture.)   The point is that we often make excuses and we talk ourselves out of doing the things we need to do when we should just be moving forward.   Philippians 4:13 is an important passage that teaches an important principle. Paul’s focus was forward-looking. He was aware of his past and he didn’t forget the painful lessons he had learned from past failures. But he didn’t make excuses and he didn’t allow past failures to hold him back from moving forward with God’s plan for his life and from becoming a better man today than he was yesterday.   Perhaps you have tried to lose weight before – many times, and you either failed or you quickly gained it back. So, you doubt you will be successful this time. Or maybe the same is true of better financial management practices. Or … maybe lots of things. The point is that we often allow our past failures and our excuses to hold us back from moving forward into a better future.   But Paul didn’t. The past and all its sorrows, regrets, and failures, was past. He wasn’t going to allow the past to steal his future. There’s a lot of wisdom in the old saying, “Try, try, and try again.” And how about this one: “Nothing is over until you give up!” And then there’s the great Biblical truth shared by Paul in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at that proper time if we don’t give up.”   So, what’s holding you back?   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A fresh start in a new year”   Our Bible verse for today: “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Do you have a Biblical worldview?”   A worldview is the lens through which a person views and understands the world around them. It is a philosophical framework that helps us to make sense of what we are seeing and hearing in the world, and to then evaluate those things, classifying them as good or bad, right or wrong.   There are many worldviews. There are liberal worldviews and conservative worldviews. There is a Hindu worldview, a Muslim worldview, a Jewish worldview, and a Christian worldview (not to mention numerous other worldviews not based in religion). To a large degree, worldviews are shaped by culture, education, family tradition, and peer pressure. Ultimately, a person’s worldview shapes their life.   Christians must have and maintain a Biblical worldview. In other words, we consider all we see, hear, and experience in the world and we lay it alongside the Word of God. We then determine the rightness or wrongness, the goodness or the badness of anything based upon how it compares to what God has said in the Bible. We should not try to make the Bible say more than it does, nor should be make it say less than it does. On every issue, we let the Bible speak for itself and then we draw our conclusions about the issue based on what the Bible says.   Some years ago, I wrote a book designed to help Christians develop and maintain a Biblical worldview with respect to sexual ethics. The title of the book is “Getting Along without Going Along.” It first examines what the Bible does and does not say about the subject of sexual ethics. Then it provides a section of “Good answers to hard questions” (such as: “If homosexuality is a sin, then why didn’t Jesus say anything about it?) The book also addresses the issue of how Christians can boldly and confidently advocate for a Biblical worldview regarding sexual ethics without getting ugly about it (Getting Along without Going Along). If you would like a copy of that book let me know and I would be happy to send you one.   As you are considering your New Years resolutions, I urge you to include some that involve strengthening your Biblical worldview. Study your Bible every day. Pay close attention to sermons and take notes. Be involved in a small group Bible study. Read good Christian books.   Your worldview matters more than you might realize, and the culture will be happy to form that worldview for you if you let them. I urge you to be diligent in your development of a solid Biblical worldview and then to carefully guard it.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A fresh start in a new year”   Our Bible verse for today: “He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of possessions.” Luke 12:15 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “What is your true net worth?”   I recently read a story about two men in a conversation about another man who had recently died. One man asked the other, “What was he worth?” A third man, overhearing the conversation interjected and said, “I sure hope he was worth more than just the money he had.”   That’s an important and helpful insight. How do we measure the worth of a life? What are the metrics we typically use? Money, fame, popularity, college degrees, business success, big houses, fancy cars, physical appearance, trophy wives (and husbands), athletic ability, and so on. The things the world uses as measures of our success all fit into the category of worldly treasures. But those are superficial and temporary. What really matters in life?   It’s the question Jesus posed in Luke 12:15 and the parable that followed. In that parable, Jesus told the story of a rich man who gloried in his abundant possessions – but then his life ended suddenly. All his worldly wealth was left behind and he found himself standing before God for judgment. In that moment, his worldly wealth and all his great achievements amounted to nothing. The metric God was interested in was the condition of the man’s soul.   It’s a common theme in the Bible. When assessing the substance of a person’s life the Bible doesn’t focus on worldly wealth and achievements but on the condition of a person’s heart. In 1 Timothy 6:17-18 Paul teaches us to be rich in the things of God. In 1 Peter 1:3-4 Peter writes, “Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of jewelry, but rather the inner things of the heart, the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great value in God’s sight.” (Peter used a woman as his example but the lesson applies to men and women alike.)   As you consider New Years resolutions you will make in order to bring about some needed changes in your life in 2025, the lesson to glean from this devotional message is that your true net worth is not measure by what you have in terms of wealth, possessions, or achievements, but by who you are as a person.   I encourage you to make resolutions that will help you grow as a person. Your true net worth isn’t measured by what you have but by who you are.     God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A fresh start in a new year”   Our Bible verse for today: “My soul praises the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Luke 1:46 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “May your soul be revived this Christmas”   Today is Christmas Eve. I love Christmas Eve, maybe even more than Christmas day. There’s just something about Christmas Eve that exudes warmth, love, and anticipation.   At our church we have a Christmas Eve candlelight service at 5:00. The families of the church gather in the sanctuary that is beautifully decorated and softly lit with candles burning. It is dark and cold outside but warm and snug inside. We sing songs about the birth of the Christ child, there is a short Christmas message, then we sing “Silent Night” as we each hold up our burning candles. Then all the families go off to their homes to enjoy a meal together and an evening of family activities.   In our family Christmas Eve was always special. After coming home from church, we would light a fire in the fireplace, we had a meal together, and then we would each open a single gift. We would save all the other gifts for Christmas morning. Both Christmas Eve and Christmas day are special times in the life of a Christian.   The celebration of Christmas, if properly observed, can serve to lift-up and revive our souls. In Luke 1:46 (above), shortly after Mary received the news from the angel that she was to give birth to the Savior, she sang a beautiful song of praise to God. That song is part of the Christmas story and it should describe the impact that Christmas has on us as well.   If you would like to listen to a Christmas sermon about celebrating Christmas at a deeper level and in a manner that will truly revive your soul, I encourage you to go to the Oak Hill Baptist Church YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville. And select the sermon for December 22, 2024.   My family and I wish you and yours a holy and blessed Christmas celebration.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A fresh start in a new year”   Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.” Galatians 6:10 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Do you want a life filled with joy?   Do you want a life of joy? Then live a life of love and purpose and service. The most joyful people are the ones who are the most loving and they are the best servants. People like that live with purpose and intentionality as they move through their days blessing people in the name of Jesus and making life better for everyone around them.   In this series I have already shared with you the fact that I’m a big fan of positive affirmations. Compulsively so. I have dozens of them written down and tucked away in all sorts of places where I’m sure to come upon them frequently – in my Bible, as book marks in the books I’m reading, in the console in my truck, in my top dresser drawer, on my desk, and in many other places. Here’s one I came across years ago, which I wrote down and which has continued to inspire and motivate me, “As I go through life, do I leave blessings in my wake: do I leave a trail of gladness behind? Let it be said that, “He went about doing good and blessing people.”   All throughout the Bible the people of God are called upon to live lives of purpose as we go through our days blessing and serving people in the name of Jesus. Doing so is one of the primary purposes of your life as a follower of Christ. If He had wanted to, Jesus could have reached down, yanked you up, and brought you straight to heaven in the moment He saved you. But He didn’t do that. Instead, He chose to leave you here on earth for some extended period of weeks, months, years, or maybe decades. He did that so you can go through your days serving and blessing others in His name and helping to advance His kingdom-building purposes here on earth.   As you prayerfully consider the New Years resolutions you are making to guide you through 2025, I encourage you to consider the ways in which you will serve others. Be intentional and specific about it. Not only will you be serving the Lord and blessings others, but the quality of your own life will improve substantially as well. It really is true that the most joyful, fulfilling, and rewarding life you will live is that one that is centered around love and service and purpose.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A fresh start in a new year”   Our Bible verse for today: “These commands I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them … Talk about them … Write them …” Deuteronomy 6:6;7;9 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Write it down”   The Bible is filled with commands, directives, instructions, inspirational thoughts, and positive affirmations, all designed to encourage us and guide us as we seek to live our best lives. And over-and-over again we are told to write them down. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 is just one of the many examples in Scripture where God instructs His people to write down what He has revealed to them and to review it frequently.   Why does God instruct us to write these things down and to then frequently review them? Because if we don’t, we will forget them and we will quickly get off track. It’s so easy to get caught-up in life. We become weighed down with the cares of life and we lose perspective. Then we can lose hope and to get off track. That’s why it’s so important to make the extra effort to stay focused on the things God has revealed to us and which He has instructed us to do.   Yesterday we considered how it is that our subconscious mind works to deliver to us the outcomes our conscious mind is expecting and is focused on. Therefore, it’s important and helpful to discipline our conscious mind to stay focused on the outcomes we really do want. That’s why we write down our resolutions and then review them multiple times every day. It’s also why we form a mental image in our mind of what our life will look like once that outcome is a reality for us. Then we play that movie in our head over-and-over again.   As you continue to prayerfully consider the changes God would like you to make in your life in 2025, be sure to write them down. Decide on the objective, create a plan to achieve it, write it down, then review it multiple times every day. If you do that, you will be much more likely to stay on track and to actually achieve it.   So please, write it down.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A fresh start in a new year”   Our Bible verse for today: “For I know the plans I have for you” – this is the Lord’s declaration – “plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “What outcome are you expecting?”   A basic law of human nature is that we tend to get what we expect. Another way of putting it is that we attract to ourselves the outcomes we expect. That doesn’t hold true 100% of the time of course, but generally, it is true. The subconscious mind works to try to achieve for us the things our conscious mind focuses on. So, when you brood over an expected outcome your subconscious mind is at work trying to create that outcome for you.   Maybe you can see how that could be to our advantage or disadvantage depending on what outcome the conscious mind is anticipating and therefore thinking about. Back in the 1950s Dr. Norman Vincent Peale wrote a best-selling book which has since become a classic. The title is “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Norman Vincent Peale was a pastor and his book is Biblically based, filled with lots of Scriptural support for his points. The basic premise of the book is what we are thinking about this morning – we attract to ourselves the outcomes we expect. Therefore, it is vitally important what outcome we are expecting and thinking about.   That book had a powerful influence on me and I have reread it numerous times over the decades since I first discovered it. One practice I adopted after reading that book is writing out positive affirmations. I have lots of encouraging passages of Scripture and other positive affirmations written down on index cards and kept in my Bibles, on my desk, in my truck, in my gym at home, in my office at the church, and in multiple other locations. I review them frequently and I keep them in my mind.   Why do I do that? Because those positive affirmations represent the outcomes I want to experience. So, I keep them in my conscious mind; I pray about them; I mediate on them; I form a mental picture in my mind of what it will be like once that positive outcome is a reality in my life.   I think you can see how this strategy can and should be applied to our New Years resolutions. Write them down. Review them often. Form a picture in your mind of what your life will be like once that outcome becomes reality for you.   Let me end this morning where we started by asking you to prayerfully consider, “What outcomes are you expecting?”   God bless, Pastor Jim     (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A fresh start in a new year”   Our Bible verse for today: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “What moves your heart and feeds your soul?”   This morning, I want to continue our thinking from yesterday regarding making some changes in your life in 2025 that will make you feel better physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I’m talking about changes that will lift you up and revive your soul, giving you a new zest for life and a feeling of deep satisfaction.   I love Paul’s jubilant exclamation in Philippians 4:4 urging us to rejoice in the Lord always. He’s describing a heart that is full, lifted-up, revived, and joyful. Don’t you want to experience that more in your own life? Of course you do. We all do. To begin with, that rejoicing stems from a heart that keeps looking to Jesus in all circumstances, as Paul will teach in the rest of that chapter. But it’s also true that joy like that stems from us making smart choices and doing the right things to be living our best life.   One of my personal go-to positive affirmations, one that I refer to often and try to abide by is, “Reject that which drains you; embrace that which gives life.” Towards that end, I try to intentionally fill my life with things that feed my soul and lift my spirits.   Applying that thinking to the subject of making New Years resolutions, let me take us back to my opening question to you, “What moves your heart and feeds your soul?” What things quicken your pulse and create in you an eager sense of anticipation as you think about doing those things? (Of course, I’m referring to good things, healthy practices that feed your soul). I want to suggest to you that doing more of those things would be an excellent objective for a New Years resolution.   When it comes to improving the overall quality of your life there could be some things that tend to drain you and which you should therefore do less of, but there are other things that move your heart and feed your soul, which you should do more of.   I encourage you to spend some time this morning quietly sitting before the Lord and thinking deeply about the kinds of things that move your heart and feed your soul and how you can experience more of that in 2025.   God bless, Pastor Jim    (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A fresh start in a new year”   Our Bible verse for today: “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people.” Colossians 3:23 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Success feels good”   It just feels good to be successful, to do something well. When we achieve a goal and accomplish something that we can be proud of, we feel good about ourselves. This is one of the benefits of making New Years resolutions (and sticking with them). You identified an area in your life that needed to be improved or corrected, you created a plan to do something about it, and then you made progress in that area. That just feels good.   I know a person who made a resolution to finally quit smoking after having smoked for most of her adult life – and she did it! Not only is she rightly proud of herself, but she feels better. She is breathing easier and she has the satisfaction of knowing that she is taking better care of herself. That just feels good.   I know someone else who resolved to eat better, exercise, and lose weight. He did it and it has made a significant difference in his life. He looks better, feels better, and he can once again do some physical activities that he used to be able to do but then couldn’t when he was out of shape. Does he feel good about the changes in his life? You bet he does!   I know a married couple who resolved to take their relationship with Jesus to a higher level, and to do it together. They were already solid Christians, individually and as a couple, but they resolved to pray together more, to study together, and to be even more active and faithful in church life. The change in them has been noticeable. As I said, they were already rock-solid but now their commitment to the cause of Christ, to the church, and to each other has been elevated to a new and higher level. They feel good about that because they are experiencing the benefits of the change.   As pastor and author Chuck Swindoll once observed, “There is sheer joy to be found in living life well.”   As you prayerfully consider the New Years resolutions you will make and the changes they will bring about in your life, I encourage you to imagine how good it will feel when you begin to experience those positive changes.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A fresh start in a new year”   Our Bible verse for today: “When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any. Then it says, “I’ll go back to my house that I came from.” Returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, the person’s last condition is worse than the first.” Matthew 12:43-45 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Remove the bad; replace it with good”   For many years, I have been working with men in jails, prisons, and rehab centers who have struggled with substance abuse and all the damage such a lifestyle results in. Typically, those men desperately want to break free from that world, settle down, and live a healthy, productive, and normal life.   The first step for them is always to come to faith in Christ. That’s the most important decision they can make and it’s the one that will make the most difference. Then they must resolve to follow Him in close discipleship. Once that process is in place, we then begin to address issues such as restoring broken relationships, developing good work habits, becoming financially responsible, and many other lifestyle issues that are part of a normal, healthy, productive life.   Getting the drugs and the dependency out of the man’s life is crucial. But that then must be quickly replaced by better habits. If the bad thing is removed but isn’t replaced with something good, there will be a vacuum, an empty space just waiting to be filled. And as they say, “Nature abhors a vacuum.” And so does Satan. Leave that space in your life empty for just a short time and nature or Satan or both will quickly move to fill it for you. That’s the lesson Jesus was teaching in Matthew 12:43-45.   When it comes to making New Years resolutions, we must be thinking about removing bad habits from our life and replacing them with good. If you are going to stop eating bad food you will need to replace it with good food. If you going to stop sleeping late every morning you will spend that time instead on something better, such as time in prayer and Bible study.   I’m sure you see the point. Improving your life is about removing the bad and then replacing it with something good. I encourage you to prayerfully consider what things, what habits or activities, should be removed from your life and what better things you will then replace that with. Just like Santa, make a list and then check it twice.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571