Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A new year, a fresh start”   Our Bible verse for today: “Pay careful attention, then, to how you live – not as unwise people but as wise – making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Ephesians 5:15-17 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Don’t waste your time”   This morning, as we continue considering how we will spend our time in 2025, I want us to think again about my favorite quote regarding the wise use of our time. It comes from Benjamin Franklin and in modern English it reads, “Do you value your life? Then value your time because time is the stuff life is made of.”   As I noted in yesterday’s devotional, your life is made up of the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, and decades that the Lord grants to you. Your life consists of your time and therefore you must be wise and careful about how you use your time because that is how you are using your life. Also, time is irretrievable. Once the second, minute, hour, or day has passed, you can never have it back. Therefore, when you give some of your time to a person or activity, you have given that person or activity a little piece of your life – a piece you can never have back.   That being the case, I urge you to be thoughtful and careful about who or what you give your time to because you are indeed giving that person or activity a little piece of your life. So, be sure that person or activity is worthy of receiving such a precious gift and don’t allow that little piece of your life to be wasted.   This is important because there are plenty of activities that are simply a waste of time. That means they are also a waste of your life. Cut such things out of your life. And there are people who will gladly waste your time. Don’t allow them to do it! Your time is precious because your time is your life. Make sure the activity or person is worthy of receiving it and don’t let them waste it.   I urge you: Don’t you waste your time, and don’t let others waste your time either. Give careful, prayerful thought to who and what you will devote your time to in 2025. In the days and weeks to come we will think about constructive and helpful ways to do that.   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 new year, a fresh start”   Our Bible verse for today: “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our heart.” Psalm 90:12 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Don’t just meander through life”   “Meander” means to drift, roam, shuffle along, usually without a clear plan or purpose. It is sometimes referred to as drifting with the tide or being carried along by the currents. When applied to a person it means the person lives life without purpose or direction. They just meander through life.   Those of you who know me, or who have followed my preaching, teaching, or writing for any length of time, you know that I have a favorite quote that I refer to often regarding the value of time and how we use it. It comes from Benjamin Franklin and in modern English it reads: “Do you value your life? Then value your time, because time is the stuff life is made of.”   Your life is made up of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, and decades. And the thing about time is that once it has passed, you can never have it back. So, if your life is made up of the time the Lord has granted you, and if it is indeed fleeting and irretrievable, then we should be careful and intentional about how we use our time. That was Ben Franklin’s point.   That is also the point being taught by Moses, the writer of Psalm 90. In verse 12 he teaches two important truths. The first is that we are to number our days carefully. In other words, we are to appreciate the value of every day of life the Lord allows us to have. The second truth contained in that verse is that we will be wise if we do give careful thought to how we use our time. In other words, squandering your time is foolish.   Sadly, many people do squander their time. They just meander through the days of their lives without much thought or planning. They just do life. That kind of careless and ambivalent approach to life is unbiblical and therefore sinful. The Bible teaches that life is precious and we are to treat it as such. And that doesn’t just mean protecting life but also living it well and in meaningful ways.   As we set the stage for devotionally thinking about a new year and a fresh start, the mindset with which we approach it will be critical. Therefore, we will devote several days to reorienting our thinking about the value of our time (our life), and how we will use it in 2025.   Let’s not meander through our days just doing life and squandering our time. Instead, let’s be intentional and purposeful as we make the most of 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: “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 4:13-14 (CSB) Our thought for today: “It’s time for a fresh start” So, how was 2024 as a year for you? Hopefully you experienced many blessings along with great joy, and you had many meaningful accomplishments. But if you are like most of us (and you are), then the year also included its share of pain and sorrow, failures and regrets as well. Knowing what you know now, if you could go back and live the year again would you change some things and hopefully create some different outcomes? Of course you would. We all would. The bad news is that we can’t. There is no going back, there is only moving forward. (Well, okay, there is also the option of remaining where you are but that would be the equivalent of being stuck in the mud or mired in quicksand – and nobody wants to live like that.) In terms of approaching life with a positive, forward-looking attitude that will help us to be successful, there is no going back, only forward.   That’s the issue Paul was addressing in Philippians 4:13-14. There was plenty in his past that he regretted and that he would change if he could. But he couldn’t. The past was past and he couldn’t have it back. What he did have was the present moment and the hope of tomorrow. Therefore, he resolved to shake off the past, live fully in the present, and move forward into the future. January 1st is only a day on the calendar but still, it has great symbolic meaning and it has the potential to motivate us in positive ways. It is the beginning of a new year and it is a great time to get a fresh start. So, for the rest of this month and then on through January, we will think about how we can move forward into 2025 with intentionality and purpose – setting clear goals, making good plans, and then sticking with it. I hope you are looking forward with eagerness and anticipation to getting a fresh start in 2025. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re 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: “Living with joy” Our Bible verse for today: “And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (CSB) Our thought for today: “The joy of trusting Jesus” I love the way Paul chose to conclude this letter of joy. He does it by speaking words of assurance and encouragement and he does so within the context of his important closing lesson about giving, receiving, and being content. Paul writes, “my” God will meet all “your” needs according to “His” riches, in glory in Christ Jesus. This was personal for Paul. This was “his” God he was writing about. Paul had learned through many years of personal experience that his God was the God of all provisions. His God is the God who watches over His children and who is committed to taking care of them and providing for them. Paul had learned this in his own life over many years. “My God will meet all your needs.” In other words, “He will do the same for you that He has done for me.” Paul had spent his life sacrificially serving the people of God without regard for himself. In return God had consistently met all of Paul’s needs – sometimes in abundance and sometimes not, but always his real needs were met. So here Paul was telling the Philippians that God would provide for them in the same way that God had provided for him and so, they did not need to worry. “My God will meet all of your needs (and many of your desires as well), just as He has done for me.” And He will do it out of His great riches, out of His abundance. This is the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. This is the God who created the sun and the moon and the stars. This is the God who can influence anyone, anywhere, at any time to accomplish whatever He wants done. God owns it all, He is rich, and He is well able to take care of His children. So, Paul assures them and us that God will provide, as appropriate, and He will do it out of His riches. And He will do it for the glory of Christ Jesus. You see, when God comes through for us in this way it’s a great testimony to Him. It proves once again that He is indeed a great and loving and compassionate God and that the best life anyone will ever have is the one that is lived in close relationship with Him. Gods got this – whatever “this” is in your life at this moment. You can stop worrying and simply trust Him. This is the joy of trusting in Jesus. I hope you have found this extended focus on living with joy helpful, and that you have a renewed sense of joy in Christ that you are carrying with you as you continue this great adventure of living the Christian life. Tomorrow we will begin a new series that will help to prepare us for a fresh start in a new year. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re 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: “Living with joy” Our Bible verse for today: “But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you provided – a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” Philippians 4:18 (CSB) Our thought for today: “The joy of receiving” Do you like to receive gifts? I like to receive gifts. We all like to receive gifts. But which do you enjoy more, giving a gift or receiving one? And which is easier for you, to be the giver or the receiver? Many years ago, when I was first starting out in ministry at Hilltop Baptist Church in Chula, Vista, CA., people in the congregation would sometimes give me little gifts of various types, and it always made me uncomfortable. Mostly it was a pride thing on my part but I had great difficulty receiving the gifts. I wanted to be the giver of gifts not the recipient of them. Finally, one day the pastor’s wife came up and in her gentle grandmotherly way, and with a warm smile on her face, she put her hand on my shoulder and said, “Jim, there is the grace of giving and there is also the grace of receiving. You are a wonderful giver Jim, but you’re a lousy receiver. You have to learn to let people bless you.” And she was right. There is the grace of giving, but there is also the grace of receiving. That’s what Paul was demonstrating in Philippians 4:18 – the grace of receiving. Whether he felt he needed the gift or not, he simply and graciously received it – and with great thanksgiving. We must learn to do that too. The other lesson Paul reinforces here is the one we thought about in the previous devotional – the benefit and blessings to the giver of gifts. Paul knew that it was good for them, and it was to their benefit, to be the givers of gifts. That’s true, but in order for there to be givers, there must also be receivers. So as an act of ministry to them, Paul graciously became the receiver so they could reap the benefits of being givers. There is great joy to be found in the giving of gifts, but for there to be a giver there must also be a receiver, and receiving should be done with graciousness and joy. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re 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: “Living with joy” Our Bible verse for today: “Still, you did well by partnering with me in my hardships.” Philippians 4:14 (CSB) Our thought for today: “The joy of giving” This morning, I want to continue our thinking from yesterday regarding the joy we get when we help others in need, but now I want us to think more generally about the joy of giving. As I write this, we are in the Christmas season. It’s the season of giving, and we all know what a pleasurable thing it is to watch someone open a gift you prepared for them with much thought and love. That’s an example of the joy we receive from the act of giving. God wants us to be generous people who give freely and joyfully. It’s the right thing to do and it’s the Biblical thing to do. Why is it the right thing and the Biblical thing to give freely and joyfully to others? For many reasons. As we have already discussed, in verse 14 Paul applies that question to the issue of the Philippians having acted on his behalf in his time of need. From beginning to end, the Bible is packed full of God’s instructions to His people to use their provisions to be a blessing to others in need. The Philippians did that for Paul. Also, as I noted in yesterday’s devotional message, another reason it’s so important for God’s people to give generously to those in need is because this is the way God usually meets the needs of people – He does it through human channels. He could rain down blessings miraculously like manna from heaven, but usually he uses His people as conduits for His blessings to flow to others. James 1:27; James 2:14-17; Matthew 25:35-36; 40 all speak to this. Another reason it’s so important for God’s people to be generous givers is that it is through this kind of generous giving that God builds His kingdom. Isaiah 58:10; 1 Timothy 6:17-18 teach that God uses our generous acts of kindness, compassion, and provisions to meet physical needs, which then gains a willing audience who will listen to the Good News of the Gospel. But also, and more to our point here about the joy of giving, there are many blessings to be reaped by the giver of the gifts – one of which is joy for yourself. The fact is that there is joy in giving. Whether it’s generous giving to a person in need, or the simple giving of gifts to friends and loved ones at Christmastime, there is real joy for you in being the giver of gifts on God’s behalf. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re 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: “Living with joy” Our Bible verse for today: “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because once again you renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me but lacked the opportunity to show it.” Philippians 4:10 (CSB) Our thought for today: “The joy of helping others” The first time I got to participate in international mission work was in 1992 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At that time, I was a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy and was serving as the Chief Engineer on the USS Fort McHenry. As our ship was returning from a six-month deployment in the Indian Ocean and as we were headed back into the southern Pacific Ocean, we stopped in Malaysia for a few days of R&R. When we arrived, the Chaplain arranged for a group of us to go into the jungle to perform an act of service for a village where a storm had just destroyed the school building. The debris needed to be cleared away so new construction could start and they needed help with that. So, a group of us traveled inland, went to the village, and spent a long and hot day doing very heavy work in a very hot jungle with spider monkeys in the trees all around us making a lot of noise, getting in the way, and being a bit of nuisance. As we worked side-by-side with the people of the village I was struck by how appreciative they were of our help and service. Towards the end of the day some of the young men from the village climbed to the top of tall palm trees and cut down fresh coconuts for us. They then stabbed a hole in the crown of the coconut and showed us how to drink the milk out of it. It was very good. That was my first exposure to international mission work and I was hooked. I loved being able to be the bearer of gifts, provisions, and service on behalf of God and in the name of Jesus. I loved the feeling of accomplishment and the privilege of serving as a conduit through whom the blessings of God could flow to other people. And I especially loved the joy it brought to other people to receive that help. In the years since then I have planned and led numerous similar mission trips and I hope there are many more in the future. I tell you that story about mission trips just to emphasize the joy associated with provisions from God. Receiving what we need is a source of great joy for the ones who receive it. And having the privilege of being the conduit through which those provisions flow to others is also a source of joy for the giver. The primary way in which God meets our needs is through human channels. Whether it is an employer offering you a job, or a friend helping you during a time of need, or a mission team bringing resources to a remote location, God usually sends His help to us through other people. There is great joy to be found in helping others. I encourage you to look for opportunities to do that today. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re 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: “Living with joy” Our Bible verse for today: “I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 (CSB) Our thought for today: “The joy of relying on Christ” Philippians 4:13 teaches an important truth about how to live the Christian life with confidence and joy. What Paul teaches here is that from personal experience he had learned that he could live well – with peace and joy and regardless of his external circumstances, when he relied on Christ. This was true for multiple reasons. The first reason is that life is always better with Jesus than without Jesus. That’s true regardless of the circumstances of that life. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said, “Come to me and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. Jesus invites us to come to Him and walk through life with Him. He promises to provide all the direction we will need. He will also help us carry our burdens. This is what Paul was referring to when he wrote “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Second, a life lived in close relationship with Jesus is a life filled with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) We have already learned in previous devotionals that Paul’s joy, peace, and contentment came from the inside and worked its way out. It was the fruit of the Spirit in his heart that produced those virtues in his life. And third, as Jesus explained in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:25-33, if you honor God with your life God will honor you and He will care for you (Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.) Applying that truth to what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:10-13 we realize that God is Sovereign and He knew exactly where Paul was at all times, He knew what Paul’s circumstances were, and He knew what Paul’s needs were. That’s true for us too. So as Paul dealt with difficult circumstances in life he just kept his eyes on Jesus and relied on Him. He did not allow himself to become too distracted by or concerned with the daily things of life and as a result, he experienced great joy. May the same be true for you and for me. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re 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: “Living with joy”   Our Bible verse for today: “I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself.” Philippians 4:11   Our thought for today: “We must learn to be content”   So, let me return to our concluding thought from yesterday’s devotional, “Are you a content person? If you are, then you are probably a joyful person too because there is joy found in the virtue of being content.”   However, please note that in verse 11 Paul said he “learned” to be this way. In other words, he trained himself in how to be joyful and content regardless of external circumstances and regardless of whether he had a little or a lot. He ‘learned” how to do this. Contentment is a learned frame of mind.   Do you remember the lesson from G.K. Chesterton? You can either constantly strive for more, more, more, or you can train yourself to desire less. Fortunately, in the last few decades here in the USA, especially in the Christian community, there has been a move away from conspicuous consumption and this never-ending quest to acquire more, and towards a life of simplicity instead.   In the Christian world it started many years ago when Richard Foster wrote his great little book “Freedom of Simplicity.” That book is all about simplicity as a spiritual discipline. Many people appreciated this practical approach and began to make changes in their lives. Then there was Bob Buford’s great books “Halftime” and “Finishing Well.” Both of those books pertain to making major shifts in focus. The first one is for those who are still in their working years and who are willing to consider a change of profession that will improve the quality of their life. The second is for those in their senior years who want to make the last season of life count in meaningful ways.    This is all about “less” being “more.” It is about making adjustments that improve the quality of your life in the areas that matter the most. That then leads to being more content.     Today we see this move towards simplicity and a desire for contentment across our society, as people from all walks of life are leaving the high-pressure world of workaholic jobs and finding employment that is more enjoyable and less time consuming. People are downsizing their homes, even moving into what are called “tiny homes.”   More and more people are gravitating towards the kind of life Paul wrote about in 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12, “But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you many behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.” Many are also learning the truth of what he taught in 1 Timothy 6:6, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”   There is great joy in learning to be content. But it is a learning process. It was for the Apostle Paul and it will be even more so for those of us who live in this society today. But the reward is well worth it. There is freedom and a great deal of peace, not to mention joy, found in a life that is simple, less stressful, and debt free. Therefore, Paul urges us to learn to be content.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you’re 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: “Living with joy”   Our Bible verse for today: “I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know both how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content – whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need.” Philippians 4:11-12 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “There is joy in being content”   The lack of contentment is a major problem in the United States of America. We live in a consumer-oriented culture on steroids. We are conditioned to constantly consume at a high rate. Our society is awash in advertisements, all of them designed to make us unhappy with what we have and to convince us that we must have their product or service in order to be happy. But no matter how much you purchase and how much you consume – the message never changes, you still need something else, you must have something more. And so, we are never truly content.   That explains why it is that although we already live in the wealthiest nation in the world, with the highest standard of living that any middle-class people have ever enjoyed, most Americans are not content. Most of us believe we need to have more than we have. That also explains why it is that so many Americans live paycheck to paycheck, spending virtually every dollar they earn, and then they go deeply into debt to acquire even more than they already have (and more than they have the money for).   I want to paraphrase the great Christian writer from the late 1800’s G.K. Chesterton. He observed that there are two ways people go about trying to have enough. One way is to constantly strive to acquire more and more. The other is to learn to desire less.   More is never enough and it never brings you to the point of true contentment. There will always be something new, something bigger, something better, that you could have and which you end up wanting. But if you train yourself to simply be content with less, soon the cravings for more start to subside. You are far more likely to become content when you desire less than when you’re always striving for more, more, more.   That’s the point Paul was making in these two verses. Now please note that Paul did not say there is anything wrong with having money or a nice home or plenty of food. In fact, the way he described it here was that there were seasons of his life when he did have all those things. And then there were seasons of life when he was on the other end of the spectrum and he didn’t have much at all. All Paul was doing here was describing different seasons of life – the cycles that most of us go through as well.     His point was that his joy and contentment didn’t depend of which season of life he was in at any given moment. As he has been describing throughout this letter of joy, his sense of joy, peace, and contentment was inside of him and radiated out. Because he had the Holy Spirit of God in his heart and because the fruit of the Spirit was growing in his life, he was joyful and content on the inside, regardless of external circumstances.   How about you? Are you a content person? If you are, I’ll wager that you are also a joyful person. That’s because there is joy to be found in the virtue of being content.   God bless, Pastor Jim     (If you like what you’re 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