Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Friends and Associates”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” Acts 11: 25-26 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “We all need a Barnabas to help us grow.”

 

I first heard about the Paul / Barnabas / Timothy trio of vital relationships at a Promise Keepers conference in the early 1990s. The speaker said, “Every man needs three relationships in his life. He needs a Paul – an older man who is more spiritually mature and who will build into his life. He needs a Barnabas – a man who is on an equal footing with him spiritually, and who will speak to him directly and boldly as the situation requires. And he needs a Timothy – a younger man into whose life he will build.”

 

As I listened to that teaching I was struck by the wisdom of it and I resolved to develop those relationships in my own life. To this day I remain convinced that such relationships are important for living a healthy Christian life. Man or woman, we all need those three vital relationships – we each need a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy.

 

Do you have people like that in your life? Such relationships seldom happen by chance. We have to be intentional about seeking, maintaining, and nurturing them. It takes effort. I encourage you to make it a matter of prayer. Ask God to help you bring those three key people into your life – especially a Barnabas.

 

Most of us probably already have a Paul figure – someone older and more mature in the faith, a person we look up to and are willing to learn from. And we probably have a Timothy or two as well – younger Christians who we seem to connect with and into whose lives we are building. But Barnabas is a tougher relationship. This is the person who loves us but is not overly impressed by us. This is the person who will speak straight truth to us, and who will say the things that need to be said even if we don’t want to hear them.

 

The truth is that most of us tend to resist having a Barnabas in our life because we don’t want to hear the kind of things they might say to us. Therefore he or she is the one person we need most.

 

If you’re a committed and growing Christian then chances are you already have a Paul and a Timothy. But I’m willing to bet you don’t have a Barnabas. I encourage you to ask God to bring you one. And then, once that person is in your life, listen to them. (More on this subject of listening to your Barnabas tomorrow).

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Friends and Associates”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “A wise man will listen and increase his learning, and a discerning man will obtain guidance … The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Proverbs 1:5; 7 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “We should help each other to be lifelong learners.”

 

“Leaders are learners.” I’ve had that precept drummed into my brain from my earliest days in the military. Even at the lowest ranks of the military there is a heavy emphasis on study, training, learning, and growing. And the more you advance up the ladder of leadership, the more you are expected to continue learning and growing. Why? Because leaders are learners. In order to be an effective leader you must never stop learning. We were taught that the greatest leaders of all-time aggressively pursued knowledge their entire lives.

 

To my surprise that same refrain was repeated over and over again in seminary. Learning and growing was not to stop on the day you received your diploma. Learning for a Pastor needs to be a lifelong pursuit.

 

The same premise holds true for all of us, regardless of what leadership positions we do or do not hold. As children of God we are to be lifelong learners. That’s what Solomon was writing about in Proverbs 1:5-7. A wise man or woman will strive to constantly learn and grow. Listen, discern, obtain guidance, and grow – it should be a lifelong pursuit.

 

In that same passage Solomon teaches that, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” In other words, it is right thinking about God that launches us on the lifelong quest of obtaining the knowledge that matters the most – knowledge of God Himself, His ways, and the way in which He wants us to live. That kind of learning begins only once your heart is right with God.

 

We can and should help each other with this. Our churches must be places of learning about God. That may sound obvious but nowadays much of what is preached and taught in churches across the land is watered down half-truths, or feel good pop psychology, or the name-it-and-claim-it health and wealth gospel. As church members we must insist that only straight unaltered Biblical truth be taught in our churches.

 

We can also help each other in this pursuit of Biblical knowledge by enthusiastically talking to each other about what we’ve been learning recently. We can tell others about the current sermon series being preached in our church and invite them to join us for it. We can invite others to learn with us in Bible studies groups or by joining us in an annual Bible reading program. We can tell parents about the children’s and youth groups at our church and encourage them to bring their children.

 

 

Lifelong learning about the Lord and His ways, is a crucial part of the living the Christian life. We should help one another to be lifelong learners.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Friends and Associates”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor; for we are God’s fellow workers.” 1 Corinthians 3:8-9 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Join with others working for a meaningful cause.”

 

Carl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and the father of modern-day analytical psychology. In the early-to-mid 1900s he did ground-breaking research which became the foundation for the science of modern psychology.

 

One of the most interesting discoveries to come out of Jung’s research was that a third of his patients suffered from no definable neurosis other than the senselessness and emptiness of their lives. He went on to state that in his opinion “meaninglessness” was the most prevalent psychological problem of the modern era. The poet Henry David Thoreau once described it as people living lives of “quiet desperation.”

 

When people don’t have a clear purpose in life which they are enthusiastic and passionate about they either shuffle through life dejected and depressed; or they fill the void with addictive substances like drugs, alcohol, and food; or they fill it with compulsive obsessions like spectator sports and video games.

 

People need purpose.

 

There is one particular group of people among whom we almost never see that lack of purpose or sense of quiet desperation. They are Christians who are actively and enthusiastically engaged in Christ’s kingdom-building work. Among them we generally witness a zest for life, a sense of enthusiasm and purpose, and an eagerness to be about their Father’s business here in this world.

 

Those are my kind of people! They’re the people I want to be around and be a part of. We certainly see that in our church, Oak Hill Baptist. This is an “Acts 1:8” church that is actively and intentionally on-mission with Jesus in our world. The people of the church are committed to taking care of each other, and we are committed to all of our many ongoing ministry projects that keep us, as a group, busily about our Father’s business outside the walls of the church building.

 

When you’re at the group gatherings of the church you can’t help but be caught-up in the joy and the enthusiasm of it all. It’s infectious.

 

It’s true – people need purpose. If you become part of a group of people who have a clear and meaningful purpose, you’ll quickly discover that you do too. There’s no room for empty, meaningless, quiet desperation in a setting like that.

 

As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:8-9, “We are God’s fellow workers.” That means that together we are actively engaged in His kingdom-building work here on earth. Nothing could be more meaningful than that!

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Friends and Associates”

 

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

 

Our thought for today: “Truly content friends have a calming influence on us.”

 

Dallas Willard was a professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California. He was especially known for his writings on Christian spiritual formation. Dallas was one of the greatest Christian thinkers and writers of our day and his work has had a profound influence on many Christian leaders over the last fifty years.

 

One of Dallas’ most firmly held personal beliefs, and one that is often repeated and quoted by others is, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry and anxiety from your life.”

 

Dallas modeled that in his own life. Despite his success, fame, and fortune, Dallas and his wife lived their entire adult lives in the same very small and very modest two bedroom home, furnished with inexpensive but cared-for furniture. They intentionally lived a simple and unhurried life, keeping their focus on the things that truly mattered in life.

 

Dallas was a friend and mentor to Richard Foster, who wrote the classic Christian work “Celebration of Discipline”. Richard spent a lot of time with Dallas and was greatly influenced by him. Richard wrote of his friend, “He was simple, quiet, peaceful, and serene. He had a stilled and quieted soul.”

 

Richard also said that spending time with Dallas always had a calming effect on him. Being with Dallas helped Richard to relax as the cares, worries, and anxieties of life seemed to melt away.

 

Have you ever known people like that, people who seem to radiate a deep sense of contentment and a quietness of soul? Just being with them makes you more peaceful and serene.  I’ve had the good fortune to have known several people like that.

 

In the first church I was the pastor of (Bancroft Baptist), there was Dick DeGrow. Dick was a retired pastor in his 70s who served as a Deacon, Sunday school teacher, and the church custodian. He was kind and gentle and never seemed to be in a hurry. I, on the other hand, was a newly retired Naval Officer trying to figure out how to be a Pastor. I was hard-charging and bull-headed, believing I was single-handedly storming the gates of hell with a water pistol. Good ole Dick would just smile and gently ask me to sit and talk for awhile. I always did and it always did me a lot of good.

 

I encourage you to find your own Dallas Willard or Dick DeGrow. Better yet, why not set a goal to become one? It happens by being with people like that and just soaking it in – allowing their peace and contentment, which just seems to radiate out of them, to wash over you and to have a calming influence on you.

 

Truly content friends can have a calming influence on us.

 

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Friends and Associates”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Wise friends will rescue you from the Temptress – that smooth-talking Seductress … So join the company of good men and women, keep your feet on the tried and true paths.” Proverbs 2:10; 20 (The Message)

 

Our thought for today: “Good friends will hold us accountable.”

 

I’ve never been an alcoholic or drug addict, but I’ve known many people who were. Over the years of my ministry as a Pastor I’ve spent a lot of time ministering to men and women struggling with substance abuse issues. I’ve visited them in jail, worked with their families to overcome the damage, and I’ve helped many of them get into recovery programs.

 

All of the best recovery programs are based upon the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step model. A key part of the success of that model is the requirement that every participant in the program have a sponsor or accountability partner who will hold them accountable for their actions, and who will be there for them to help them through the times of struggle and temptation.

 

This is something that AA does well – much better than the church. Accountability is Biblical and it’s something that all Christians should be doing for each other. But we don’t. We’re actually pretty bad at this. When it comes to confronting wrong behavior and holding each other accountable for our actions, most of us are timid and remain silent when we should bold and we should speak up. That’s a shame and we’re all the worse for it.

 

In Proverbs 2:10; 20 Solomon addressed this issue and he noted how fortunate and blessed the person is who has an accountability partner to speak truth into their life. Such people help us to see when we’re going astray and they guide us back onto paths of righteousness and good choices. We need this. All of us do.

 

Years ago I had a friend who was a younger man and he struggled greatly with pornography. He recognized it for the problem it was and he had a genuine desire to overcome it, but he also knew it had a powerful hold on him and so he needed help.  To his credit he sought me out, confessed the sin, and asked for my help in defeating it. We agreed that we would meet once every week for lunch and the first question I would ask him is whether or not he had viewed any pornography. His commitment was that he would always answer that question honestly. I was also available to him 24/7 on the phone if he was facing a moment of weakness.

 

He did have moments of weakness and there were times when he gave in to it, but overall the accountability he had with me went a long way towards helping him break free from that pattern of sinful behavior.

Do you have people in your life you have given permission to hold you accountable? People who love you and who have the boldness to speak directly and honestly into your life? You should. In fact if you don’t, you are suffering for it. None of us can or will be the man or woman God wants us to be if we don’t have people holding us accountable in the most important areas of our lives.

 

I encourage you to make sure you have at least one friend like that. Make yourself accountable to someone.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Friends and Associates”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “We become like those we associate with.”

 

It’s just a basic truth of human nature that over time we become like those we associate with. If you hang around with bank robbers, soon you will probably be robbing banks as well. If your friends are all drug users, it won’t be long before you’re an addict. If everyone in your circle of influence uses bad language, profanity will become a regular part of your vocabulary too.

 

It works the other way as well. If you start spending time with people who are health conscious, people who have a regular exercise routine and who watch what they eat and who talk about it a lot, you will probably be drawn into that world of physical activity and good nutrition too. Likewise, if your circle of friends and associates are all Christians who love the Lord, speak about Him frequently, and are actively involved in the life of a good church, that will probably describe your life also.

 

We become like those we associate with.

 

As I write this it is December 1^st. In thirty-one days we will turn the page into a new year. This is typically the time of year when people begin thinking about making needed changes in their lives and establishing new routines, dropping bad habits and adopting better ones. For many of those people their resolutions won’t last. They’ll begin on January 1^st with enthusiasm and eagerness but for many of them, that enthusiasm will soon wane and the needed changes won’t materialize.

 

This is where friends and associates become so important. Remember, we become like those we associate with. So if there are changes you need to make in your own life, find people who already have the kind of life you want and begin spending time with them.

 

As I think back over my own life I realize how blessed I’ve been by the people God has placed around me. Not all of them. Some of them have been more of a challenge than a blessing. But consistently through the years God has brought people into my life that I admired and looked up to and wanted to be more like. Most of what’s good about me is something I first saw in someone else and I then decided I wanted that quality in my life too. Good Friends and associates have that effect on us.

 

All this month we will explore what the Bible has to teach about the importance of friends and associates. I think you might be surprised at what a dominant theme this is in Scripture. I look forward to learning and growing and becoming better with you.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Trusting God”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:3-4 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “God has proven Himself trustworthy throughout the ages.”

 

The great French philosopher Blaise Pascal once wrote, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of man which can only be filled by God.” This is what Solomon meant when he wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He (God) has also set eternity in the hearts of men.”

 

As part of our basic human nature we have an innate understanding and awareness that there is more to creation then just the physical world, and there is more to life than just our years on earth. Belief in God and in the supernatural has existed as long as human beings have. Every culture that has ever existed in the history of the world has always maintained a belief in the supernatural, and they have always had gods which they worshipped.

 

This is especially true when it comes to belief in and understanding of the One True God. Mankind’s awareness of God dates all the way back to the Garden of Eden. The origins of the Old Testament go back more than 3500 years. The New Testament is almost 2000 years old. It’s impossible to calculate how many millions and millions of people over all those thousands of years have had faith in, and trusted in, the One True God. Today there are more Christians on planet earth than at anytime in history and the kingdom of God continues to grow.

 

Also, many of the most influential and intelligent people in history have had a strong faith in the One True God. Kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, philosophers and poets, historians and professors, some of the greatest minds that have ever lived have considered the evidence for God and have concluded He is real and He is trustworthy. The case for God is very strong.

 

And so, as the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 145:3-4, God’s praises have been sung down through the ages; and the stories of His mighty works, of His power, of His faithfulness, and of His trustworthiness, have been passed along from generation to generation – each experiencing Him for themselves in new and fresh ways in their own lives.

 

And the story continues. In our day God continues to be faithful and trustworthy. Therefore He is worthy of your praise and worship. Trust Him today. Trust Him fully. Then tell others about Him.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Trusting God”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. The living, the living – they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness. The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the Lord.” Isaiah 38:18-20 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “God’s not done with you yet.”

 

Have you ever wondered why God didn’t bring you straight to heaven the moment He saved you? It’s because He has a purpose for your life. There are things He wants to do in you and through you all the days He has you here on earth.

 

His purposes for your life are many and include things like giving you the opportunity to grow and mature in your faith; using you to serve others in His name and thereby advance His agenda here on earth; and sharing the Good News of the Gospel with others.

 

But another reason He left you here is so you can join with other believers in worship, and so that the worship of Him will ring out all around this planet. Isaiah was referring to this great truth in Isaiah 38:18-20. Once we’re dead we will certainly participate in the worship which takes place in heaven, but our voice on earth will have been silenced. As long as we are alive here, we can join our voices with the multitudes of others who are also singing out His praises.

 

In my opinion one of the greatest songs ever written and recorded about this was by The Newboys and was titled “He Reigns”. The song paints a picture of believers around the world signing out praises to God in worship. Here’s the first verse and chorus:

 

“It’s the song of the redeemed, Rising from the African plain.
It’s the song of the forgiven, Drowning out the Amazon rain.
The song of Asian believers, Filled with God’s holy fire.
It’s every tribe, every tongue, every nation, A love song born of a grateful choir.

 

It’s all God’s children singing Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns. It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns, He reigns”

 

Since you are still living and breathing you can trust that God still has a purpose and a plan for your life. There are multiple facets to His purpose and plan for you but one of them is, without question, for you to join with other believers here on earth to sing His praises. I encourage you to do exactly that. If you don’t have a home church to go to then I invite you to join us at Oak Hill Baptist in Crossville. The service begins at 10:00.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Trusting God”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “The one who lives righteously and speaks rightly, who refuses gain from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears from listening to murderous plots and shuts his eyes to avoid endorsing evil – he will dwell on the heights; his refuge will be the rocky fortress, his food provided, his water assured.” Isaiah 33:15-16 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Do the right thing and then trust God for the outcome.”

 

Doing the right thing can be difficult. Sometimes it can also be costly, or even dangerous. That being the case, people commonly shrink from doing the right thing. They will often look for the easy way out, seeking the path of least resistance.

 

Sometimes they will pretend they don’t see the situation that needs to be addressed or they will simply ignore it, hoping it goes away or that someone else will deal with it. But God expects His people to be bold and to courageously deal with situations as they are, not as we wish they were.

 

In Isaiah chapters thirty-two and thirty-three the prophet was making this very argument to the people of Israel – and he did it by contrasting the behavior of those who pretend to be righteous but whose behavior doesn’t really bear it out, and those who truly are righteous and whose actions show that to be true. Here’s another excerpt from that dialogue:

 

“For a fool speaks foolishness and his mind plots iniquity. He lives in a godless way and speaks falsely about the Lord. He leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink. The scoundrel’s weapons are destructive; he hatches plots to destroy the needy with lies, even when the poor says what is right. But a noble person plans noble things; he stands up for noble causes.” Isaiah 32:6-8

 

“He stands up for noble causes.” Remember, Isaiah was writing to God’s people and he was comparing and contrasting the attitudes and actions of groups of people within the community of faith. Some of them were engaged in blatantly sinful conduct. Others were tip-toeing along the line between right and wrong – living in the grey areas between ethical and unethical behavior. Some were silently observing it all and saying nothing. Now go ahead and re-read Isaiah 33:15-16 above:

 

The point the prophet was making in all of this was that as the people of God we are to do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may. We are to say the things that need to be said and take the actions that need to be taken, and then trust Him for the outcome. In 33:15-16 he made it clear that God will take care of those who are faithful to Him and who do the right thing even when doing so isn’t easy.

 

 

I encourage you to have the courage and boldness to say the things that need to be said, and do the things that need to be done; then trust God for the outcome.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Trusting God”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “I will send down showers of blessings in their season – showers of blessing.” Ezekiel 34:26 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Thank God for His blessings, and trust Him for more.”

 

As I write this it is early Thanksgiving morning 2015. This is the sixty-second time I’ve had the privilege to celebrate Thanksgiving in my lifetime – and I certainly do have much to be thankful for.

 

As I sat here this morning quietly thinking back over my life and remembering all the many ways the Lord has provided, delivered, and blessed me – over and over again, year after year – for some reason my thoughts drifted back to the twenty-one years my family and I lived in Southern California. Those were good years and we enjoyed them. But one thing about Southern California is that it seldom rains. So when it does rain, it’s something of an event and everyone takes note and celebrates it.

 

Our church in those days was Hilltop Baptist Church in Chula Vista, CA. On those rare Sundays when it rained, we could count on our Pastor’s wife, Louise Teel, to joyful lead us in singing that great old Hymn “There Shall Be Showers of Blessing”:

 

“There shall be showers of blessing; This is the promise of love; There shall be seasons refreshing, Sent from the Savior above.

 

Showers of blessing, Showers of blessing we need: Mercy drops round us are falling, but for the showers we need.

 

There shall be showers of blessing, precious receiving again; over the hills and the valleys, sound of abundance of rain.

 

Showers of blessing, Showers of blessing we need: Mercy drops round us are falling, but for the showers we need.”

 

There’s more but you get the idea. When we sang that song we were celebrating the rain, but even more so, the abundant blessings of all types that God had consistently showered upon us all. The song reminded us of how much we had to be thankful for, besides just the rain.

 

I hope today you and your family will take time to consider the showers of blessings God has rained down on you. Be thankful – and know that you can trust that His blessings will continue.

 

My family and I wish you and yours a blessed and happy Thanksgiving.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim