It’s time for a fresh start

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

The joy of trusting Jesus

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

The joy of receiving

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

The joy of giving

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

The joy of helping others

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

The joy of relying on Jesus

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

We must learn to be content

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

There is joy in being content

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

The joy of being cared for

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”

Our Bible verse for today: Philippians 4:10

Our thought for today: “The joy of being cared for”

Doesn’t it feel good to know you are cared for? Not just cared about, but cared for. Over the course of a couple of decades, the church in Philippi had repeatedly shown care for Paul. They loved him, prayed for him, supported his ministry financially, and even sent people to check on him to be sure he was okay.

But apparently at one point, for one reason or another, the Philippians were not able to help Paul. That’s what verse 10 seems to indicate. But then, they were able to help him again and in verse 10 Paul writes of how much joy he received from their thoughtfulness and kindness towards him.

I think we can all appreciate how Paul felt. We have all experienced the warm fuzzy feeling that washes over you when you realize that someone has been especially thoughtful and kind to you. It makes you feel good and it brings you joy. That’s what Paul was describing here. Their thoughtfulness, kindness, and generosity, was a source of joy and encouragement to him.

You have the power to make other people feel good like that too. You can bring joy into someone else’s life by showing concern for them and by going out of your way to be kind to them. Sometimes it might be you caring for others, and other times it is others caring for you. Doesn’t it feel good to be cared for like that – to know that other people love you, they care about you, and they’ll be there for you?

Once, while I was on a mission trip in the Amazon Jungle and my wife Linda was home alone, she fell and hurt herself and couldn’t get up. She called one of the ladies in our church who in turn called 911 and then rushed to our house. At the same time, she called me and through what must have been divine intervention, my cell connected to the call even though I was in the Amazon Jungle.

Our friend kept me on the line when she got to our house and I listened as the paramedics had to break out a window in our back door to get into the house, find Linda, and transport her to the hospital. Two other church members, both nurses at the hospital, met her in the Emergency Room and stayed with her. In the meantime, two men went to our house and fixed the door. Then in the days to come, other church members cared for Linda and continued to check on her.

Through it all, I was more than 3000 miles away in a remote part of the world and there wasn’t a thing I could do to help my wife. But it was okay because my church family had my back. They were watching out for my wife and taking care of her for me, and that gave me a great sense of comfort and peace.

That’s the kind of thing the Apostle Paul was describing here. There is comfort, peace, and joy in knowing that you are cared about and cared for. And that is something we can all do for each other.

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)
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Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Right thinking leads to right actions

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”

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

Our thought for today: “Right thinking leads to right actions”

Malcom Forbes was a famous businessman and successful investor in this country all throughout the 1900s. He was one of the dominant figures in the high finance world of Wall Street.

Forbes was renowned for his uncanny ability to pick winning investments. Somehow, he just knew which companies were likely to do well and which would probably struggle and fail. He was often asked what his secret was. He never hesitated to share it and the answer never varied. He said, “I bet on the jockey, never on the horse. I don’t need to know what industry the company is in, or what its financials are. All I need to know is what kind of person the CEO is. I bet on the jockey, never on the horse.”

I remember my father using that same phrase when it came to placing bets on horse races. My dad loved to go to the racetrack and sometimes I would go with him. He only placed small bets but his philosophy for betting on horse races was the same as Malcom Forbes’ philosophy for investing in companies, he bet on the jockey never on the horse. My father knew who the jockeys were. He knew what their experience level was, what their records were, and how skilled they were. He knew that a winning jockey had a great work ethic and studied the craft of horse racing. A good jockey could ride an average horse and still win.

What both my father and Malcom Forbes were doing was focusing on the character of the individual rather than on the nature of the job. They knew that if the individual was a man or woman of solid character then they would have a good work ethic, they would be reliable and dependable, and you could count on them to always produce the very best they were capable of.  Such a person is likely to be a winner even if other factors are less than favorable. Character is that important.

Professional sports teams know this too. When they are deciding whether to offer a particular player a high dollar contract, they don’t just look at the player’s skills and talents, they also look closely at character issues. If a player is a person of solid character and with a good attitude, you can work with them and develop their skills. If a player has a bad attitude and a weak character, he is going to be trouble for you regardless of how talented he is.

Character is the issue the Apostle Paul addresses in Philippians 4:8-9 as he continues his teaching about learning how to live with joy. The primary lesson we are to take from these two verses is that character is largely determined by how we think, and how we think determines how we act. Right thinking leads to right acting, which leads to a life lived well, which results in joy. We will explore this more fully tomorrow.

We have reached the end of the month now, but we have not reached the end of Paul’s letter of joy. So, we will need to borrow a few days from the new month to complete our study of this theme. Then we will move on to a new theme.

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)
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Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571