Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Healthy Living”

Our Bible verse for today: “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise … because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Make wise food choices.”

I’ve told you once before about a science fiction movie I saw when I was a kid which continues to haunt me to this day. The name of the movie was “Soylent Green”. It was about a futuristic society where overpopulation and low food supplies were a worldwide problem. Therefore people were only allowed to live until the age of 60. On your 60^th birthday you were required to report to a “Transition Center”. In the Center you would be made very comfortable, you would be treated like a King or Queen, there would be pleasant sensory experiences, and you would be comfortably euthanized. Your life would be ended.

Another aspect of this society was that there were no longer any natural food sources. They had all been depleted many years earlier and therefore everyone survived on a substance provided by the government known as “Soylent Green”. Nobody knew what Soylent Green was or where it came from, only that it kept everyone alive. Long story short, it turned out that Soylent Green was made from the bodies of the people who were euthanized. (Now you know why that movie continues to haunt me!)

The story behind Soylent Green always causes me to wonder what’s in our food supply today. It’s not uncommon to read news reports about processed foods which were discovered to have been contaminated with things that were never meant to be consumed by human beings. But beyond that, much of the processed food available today is little more than a science experiment born in a test tube. Have you ever stopped to read the labels on some of this stuff? Out of 20 ingredients 19 of them have names you can’t even pronounce.

A primary focus of The Daniel Plan is to move us back in the direction of eating real food made by God rather than fake food made by man. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, fresh meats. The rule of thumb is “If it grows on a plant, eat it. If it’s made in a plant, leave it on the shelf.”

Paul’s lesson in Ephesians 5:15-16 that we should be wise can have a wide range of applications. In context, he was writing about spiritual wisdom. But it’s also true that we have to be wise about the food choices we make and what kinds of things we are putting into this body of ours, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

I encourage you give more thought to your food choices.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Healthy Living”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go up to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Going to church is good for you.”

 

Yes it’s true – going to church is good for you. Of course it’s good for your soul, corporate worship nurtures you spiritually. But going to church is also good for your mental, emotional, and physical well-being too.

 

Numerous studies have shown that those who have an active faith that is deep and passionate tend to be happier, they have fewer emotional and mental health issues, they tend to make better lifestyle choices, and on the average they live longer than those who don’t have that kind of faith.

 

In his research on healthy lifestyles, Dr. Walter Meade discovered a direct connection between loneliness and poor health. “Lack of a supportive community and close intimate relationships often leads to a pattern of poor lifestyle choices, negative thought patterns, and depression. However when you connect with a supportive group of like-minded people, you are better able to cope with struggles of all sorts and that then leads to a much healthier life overall.”

 

In the NLT Philippians 1:30 reads, “We are in this fight together.” Galatians 6:2 tells us, “Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”

 

The fact is that we are better together than we are alone, and going to church is good for you. If you don’t have a church home then we invite you to visit us at Oak Hill Baptist. Sunday school is at 9:00 and the worship service begins at 10:00.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Healthy Living”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “God will help you accomplish the plans He has for you.”

 

So, what goals has God led you to set for yourself that will lead you to be healthier and more balanced in all the important areas of life? Perhaps you have committed to be more diligent and faithful in certain spiritual disciplines. Maybe you are working on losing some weight and making exercise part of your daily routine. Your personal goals could have something to do with improving your financial habits or getting more sleep or, perhaps a career change.

 

Do you sometimes find yourself worrying that you might not be able to walk it out and actually accomplish your goals? If so, you’re not alone. We all have moments of doubt, especially if we’re relying on our own willpower to carry us through. But if your goals are God-given, then God has a vested interested in helping you to succeed, and you can be sure that He is personally involved in getting you to where He wants you to be.

 

Deuteronomy 31:8 is just one of the many Biblical promises which assure us of God’s watch-care and assistance. Joshua 1:9 is another: “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” And then of course, there is Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.”

 

God promises to be with you every step of the way as you do your part to bring about the changes He has ordained for your life. Don’t be afraid and don’t be discouraged. Just call on Him and trust Him. You do your part, and He will take care of the rest.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Healthy Living”

Our Bible verse for today: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “We need to stay focused on our God-given goals.”

A big part of achieving a healthy and balanced lifestyle is to have goals. However, we must be careful that they’re not just goals we’ve set for ourselves but goals that are given to us by God. In Colossians 3:2 Paul urges us to set our minds on what comes from above, from what is given to us from God.

Setting goals and then making a step-by-step plan to achieve them is crucial to accomplishing anything that is meaningful. However it is especially important when it comes to making changes in our lifestyle which need to be long-standing and deeply ingrained. Change is hard and it takes time. It’s easy to get discouraged and distracted. Goals and plans help us to stay on track.

If you’re having trouble creating good goals and realistic plans to accomplish them, then I have some resources I would like to recommend to you. The Daniel Plan book and website (www.danielplan.com) offer lots of helpful guidance and tips for setting goals and making plans to improve in the most important areas of your life. Also, if you go to the Oak Hill Baptist Church website at http://www.oakhillbaptist.net and click on the “listen” tab, you can listen to the sermon from January 18, 2015. That sermon was all about “The Characteristics of God-given Goals”.

The truth is that God has a wonderful plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). If you prayerfully seek His plan for you, He will reveal it to you (Jeremiah 29:13; James 1:5). Once He does reveal it to you, the next step is to turn His plan for your life into a set of goals to achieve. Then break the goals down into smaller steps to be achieved monthly, weekly, even daily.

Stay focused on your God-given goals and you will find the life that God wants for you.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Healthy Living”

Our Bible verse for today: “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “We need each other.”

We have a long-standing tradition at Oak Hill Baptist which has existed since before I got there (more than six years now). The first Sunday of every month is “Donut Sunday”. Beginning before Sunday school, and continuing throughout the morning, there are donuts and coffee available in the Fellowship Hall.

It’s a nice tradition and everyone enjoys it. However three weeks ago (the first Sunday in January and therefore “Donut Sunday”) we were also kicking off the Daniel Plan. And so yes, we kicked off this effort to get everyone healthier by offering them platters of gooey calorie-laden donuts.

I had so many things on my mind that weekend that I never connected the dots on that one, and neither did anyone else. It wasn’t until that morning when we were all standing there staring at the donuts and thinking about The Daniel Plan that it finally dawned on us how funny it was to be feeding everyone donuts on that day. We all got a good laugh out of it and agreed that we would have to make some changes to “Donut” Sunday.

However, it’s unlikely that I’ll remember. As the pastor I just have too many other things to think about than whether or not there are donuts being served. And so good ole Gary, always Mr. Johnny-on-the spot, stepped forward and volunteered to look after that detail for us.

That story illustrates the truth that when it comes to making important changes in our lives, two are better than one. We’ll be more successful if we do it together. The friendship or partnership element is a key part of the Daniel Plan, but it’s also true of life in general. We are always better, stronger, and more effective together than alone.

Do you have a partner or two who is committed to helping you achieve your goals?  Two are better than one and we really do need each other.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Healthy Living”

Our Bible verse for today: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Being thankful is good for you.”

“Here’s a little song I wrote, you might want to sing it note for note; don’t worry, be happy. In every life we have some trouble, when you worry you make it double; don’t worry, be happy …”

That of course, is the opening stanza to Bobby McFerrin’s great little song “Don’t worry, be happy”. (You were probably bobbing your head and singing along, right? Ooh ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh ….)

In church we sometimes sing a song that’s a slightly different take on that same theme, it’s called “Count your blessings” (name them one by one, count your blessings see what God has done …)

The point in both songs is that we’re to focus on the positive rather than on the negative. Yes life brings with it lots of problems and struggles, but it is also filled with lots of blessings and happiness. Way too often we tend to dwell on the bad and what’s wrong rather than giving thanks for what’s good and right. But dwelling on the negative is bad for us. It actually affects our health in a negative way.

As Rick Warren notes in his book, “The Daniel Plan”, “Every time you have a thought, your brain releases chemicals. Negative, angry, and hopeless thoughts produce negative chemicals that make your body and mind feel bad; by contrast, positive, happy, and hopeful thoughts produce a completely different set of chemicals that help you feel relaxed, happy, and in control of your impulses.”

He goes on, “Modern medical research reveals that when you consistently focus on your blessings and what you are grateful for each day, it has positive effects on your physical and mental health.”

I encourage you today to count your blessings; stay focused on the good and positive. You’ll feel a lot better if you do.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Healthy Living”

Our Bible verse for today: “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise – dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Keep your mind focused on what is good for you.”

One of the five key elements of “The Daniel Plan” approach to living a healthy and balanced life involves “focus”. We have to be thinking right in order to live right. The things we allow into our mind and the things we focus our mind on, determine how we think, speak, and act. To have a healthy life we must have a healthy mind.

That was Paul’s point in Philippians 4:8. What you think about matters – it matters a lot. Rick Warren urges his readers to “develop mastery over the quality of your thoughts.” He further warns, “Thoughts lie – they lie a lot. It is often your uninvestigated thoughts that drive depression, anxiety, fear, and overeating that derail progress toward better health.”

The good news is that to a very large degree we have the power to decide what is allowed into our head and what isn’t. Every day you make choices about what you will read, what you will listen to on the radio, what you will watch on television, what you will think about, and who you will engage in conversation with.

Additionally, you can train your mind to stay focused on thoughts that are helpful and beneficial. Concentrating on and visualizing the achievement of your God-given goals is a great way to focus your mind in a healthy direction. Memorizing, reciting, and meditating on key Bible verses is also a crucial part of maintaining a healthy thought life.

I urge all of us today to make an extra effort to keep our minds focused on things that are pure and true, lovely and commendable, things that are good for us and will help us to achieve our goals.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Healthy Living”

Our Bible verse for today: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “As hard as it may seem, with God we can make the changes we need to make.”

When it comes to incorporating new and healthier habits into our lives, changing our diet can be one of the most difficult changes for many of us. Personally, I love to eat. And unfortunately the food I love the most is no good for me. The awareness that there is a pint of chocolate-chip cookie dough ice cream in the freezer is enough to get me out of bed at two o’clock in the morning. Glazed donuts call me by name and mock my lack of willpower. I can’t eat just one piece of pizza – if I have one I have to have two, or four, or six, or the whole pie.

But I’m not alone. Compulsive addictive overeating is an epidemic in our society. One study cited in “The Daniel Plan” book reported:

“The National Institutes of Health spends $800 million a year trying to discover the cause of obesity. Could it be the 29 pounds of French fries, 23 pounds of pizza, 24 pounds of ice cream, 53 gallons of soda, 24 pounds of artificial sweeteners, 2.7 pounds of salt, 90,000 milligrams of caffeine consumed every year by the average American?”

When added-up like that it’s truly astonishing how much really bad food we stuff into our bodies. So it’s no wonder that so many of us are badly out of shape. And since the food that is bad for us tastes so good, and in many cases is literally addictive, cleaning-up the diet can be a big challenge.

But this is where God steps in. What seems impossible to us isn’t impossible at all when God is involved. If you’ve been following along with these daily devotionals, and/or the Sunday morning sermons and our group study of the Daniel Plan, then you know that God wants us to take good care of our bodies and doing so can be a spiritual discipline as well as an act of worship.

We need to dump the junk. We need to clean-up our diets and take better care of our bodies. God will help you to do that. Invite Him into your diet and exercise routine. Make taking care of yourself part of the way in which you practice your faith.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Healthy Living”

Our Bible verse for today: “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Serving others is one of the healthiest things we can do.”

Having the proper focus in life is one of the keys to living a life that is healthy and balanced. As we continue to work on areas in our own lives that need improvement, we must be careful not to become self-absorbed and focused exclusively on ourselves.

Let’s remember that the primary reason we are to take good care of our bodies is because Jesus wants to use our physical body as an instrument of ministry. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus. It is through the physical bodies of His followers that Jesus performs most of His ministry in the world today.

That being the case, even while our thoughts are focused on personal improvement, we must also be focused on serving the Lord by serving others. In Matthew 25:40 Jesus said, “I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for me.”

In their book “Hope Again: A 30-day plan for conquering depression.” Mark Sutton and Bruce Hennigan write about how one of the most effective strategies for dealing with depression is to take our eyes off of our own problems and focus instead on being a blessing to others. They write, “Invest your time and energy on something outside of yourself … Invest your time and energy in something that is bigger than yourself.”

That is a very effective strategy for dealing with depression but it is also the basic call for the follower of Christ – serve God by serving others. The primary reason we are to take good care of ourselves is so we can be of service to others in the name of Jesus.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Healthy Living”

Our Bible verse for today: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Physical fitness needs to be part of a healthy and balanced life.”

Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time in gyms. It’s not uncommon in a gym culture to see people who exalt the physical body and almost worship it. But as Paul expresses in 1Timothy 4:8, ultimately the physical training of the body is only of limited value. It’s training in godliness that really matters.

However please note that Paul did not say, and did not mean to imply, that physical training is of “no” value. His intent was simply to keep it in its proper place. If you’ve read all the Biblical letters written by Paul then you know that he was fond of sports metaphors and he evidently admired athletes.

Too many Christians neglect exercise. Some even attempt to use 1 Timothy 4:8 as their justification for doing so, but clearly that would be a corruption of Paul’s meaning. It also would not be consistent with what the rest of the Bible teaches. Moses took care of himself to the point that at 120 his eyesight was still good and he was still very healthy. (Deuteronomy 34:7). At eighty-five Caleb was still strong, vigorous and feisty! (Joshua 14:11)

Like food, exercise is better than medicine. Moderate exercise on a daily basis does wonders for our health. Our bodies are designed by God to be active. Many of the health problems people experience today are a result of sedentary lifestyles. All of the research shows that the more we physically move our body, the better it is for our overall health. Even something as simple as a brisk walk 30 minutes a day produces substantial health benefits.

The Daniel Plan website (www.danielplan.com) offers many helpful tips to help you discover simple and fun ways to make exercise a part of your daily routine. I encourage you to check it out.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim