Our theme for this month: “Wisdom”

Our Bible verse for today: “For who has known the Lord’s mind that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “To have Biblical wisdom is to have the mind of Christ.”

Paul said that we have the mind of Christ. What an intriguing thought. And what could he mean by that? Does he really mean to suggest that we as the followers of Christ somehow attain the ability to think the thoughts of Jesus, and even to see things from His perspective? Actually, that’s exactly what he means.

In 1994 Professor T.W. Hunt from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary published a Bible study entitled “The Mind of Christ”. His premise was that God created us to be like Jesus. Through the process of sanctification, and as a result of practicing lifelong discipleship, we are progressively transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ. As that happens we become more and more proficient at thinking like Jesus thinks – to the point of actually thinking His thoughts. Hunt writes, “This course is about learning to think the thoughts of Christ – to have the mind of Christ!”

Learning to think like Jesus thinks, to actually have the mind of Christ, was a primary theme in the writing and teaching of the Apostle Paul.  In Romans 12:2 he exhorted us to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Through Bible study, prayer, and submission to the work of the Holy Spirit, our mind is renewed and changed – transformed from what it used to be like to now thinking the very thoughts of Jesus. In Philippians 2:5 he wrote, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

How do we become wise in the ways of God? How do we acquire and live by Biblical wisdom? By our own efforts? No. It happens by complete and continuous submission to Christ on a daily basis. We study the Bible, we pray, we actively and intentionally ask the Holy Spirit to transform us, to conform us, to help think like Jesus and to see the world and people the way that He sees them.

Biblical wisdom involves actually thinking the thoughts of Jesus, having the mind of Christ. It’s not only possible, for the Christian it’s essential. If you don’t already do so then I encourage you to develop the habit of placing yourself in a position before God everyday whereby He can transform your thinking and develop in you the mind of Christ.

God Bless,

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom”

Our Bible verse for today: “As you know, like a father with his own children, we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Relationships must have priority over lessons.”

The Apostle Paul was an outstanding teacher, a passionate evangelist, and an exceptionally hard worker for the Lord. He was also very wise in the way he dealt with the people he cared about the most. Paul established a pattern in his ministry that put the priority on building relationships with people first, and becoming their teacher after that.

Paul’s first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica is a good example. He was concerned about them and he recognized an urgent need to teach them important truths about living the Christian faith. But rather than jumping right into the vital lessons, he spends almost the entire first half of the letter writing about personal matters and of his strong feelings for them. In verse 11 of chapter two he even compared his feelings for them to the feelings a father has for his own children. It wasn’t until he had expended considerable thought and ink into nurturing his relationship with them, that he turned his attention to teaching. Paul was demonstrating the great truth that relationships matter. His love and affection for the people came first, and there would be time for lessons later.

I remember the time when I had just accepted the call to become the Pastor of my first church. I was uncertain and a bit apprehensive about whether or not I could be the Pastor the people needed. My own Pastor – a very wise man – put his hand on my shoulder and said: “Just love the people Jim. They will put up with a lot and they will forgive a lot if they just know that you love them.” He went on to say (somewhat comically) “Jim the people will put up with poor preaching; they’ll tolerate weak administration; they’ll even ignore your bad ties; if they just know that you love them.” 

Biblical wisdom leads us to value people over things. People need to know how very much we care for them before they’re going to be willing to listen to what we have to say to them. We must treat people in such as way that it becomes clear to them that their value to us is based on more than just good behavior on their part, or having the right answers to theological questions, or how much time and money they contribute to the church. They must know that we love them just because of who they are. That is Biblical wisdom in action.

God Bless,

Our Bible verse for today: “The one who walks with the wise will become wise.” Proverbs 13:20 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “We can learn to be wise by associating with wise people.”

Over the years I have had the good fortune of having been close to some exceptionally wise people. When I say they were “wise” I mean they were wise in the ways of the Lord. These were men and women – Pastors, church leaders, members of my church family, and friends – who were wise in the ways of the Lord and whose influence on me was profound. I believe I became a better man as a result of spending time with them.

It continues to be true today too. I am blessed to be able to serve as the Pastor of a church filled with wise and mature men and women of God. Their faith is strong; the way they live their lives honors the Lord; and their example encourages me to strive to be a better man than I otherwise might be. My mamma was right when she told me to choose my friends carefully because over time we become like those we associate with. Walk with the wise and you become wise.

One of the primary benefits of being an active and deeply involved member of a church family filled with wise and mature Christians is the influence they have on us. Since over time we become like those we associate with, being with people like that can only have a good and positive impact on our own growth. That’s why it’s so important to faithfully attend the gatherings of your church family. When you’re there you are essentially “walking with the wise”. You are spending time with and associating with those you want to become like. And as you do that, they will rub off on you, you will progressively begin to acquire the wisdom and other personality traits you see and admire in them.

I encourage you to gather with your church family this Sunday. If you don’t have a good church family to gather with, then come join us at Oak Hill Baptist. I believe you’ll be glad you did.

God Bless,

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom”

Our Bible verse for today: “For learning what wisdom and discipline are; for understanding insightful sayings.” Proverbs 1:2 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “God gave us the Bible so we can be wise in His ways.”

The purpose of Proverbs, and indeed of the entire Bible, is stated in a straightforward way right there in the second verse of the first chapter of Proverbs, “So we can learn wisdom.” God wants us to be more than just knowledgeable He wants us to be wise, but to be wise in ways that really matter.

Biblical wisdom is not some mystical thing that can only be attained by an enlightened few. This isn’t Buddhism. And we’re also not raising-up a small cadre of Hindu Yogi’s. The wisdom of the Bible is straightforward, practical, and easily understood by anyone who will take the time and put forth the effort to study it. We are to take it to heart and then live by it.

From that standpoint the wisdom of the Bible has a lot in common with what we might call “street smarts”. Biblical wisdom is a realistic understanding of how life actually works in the real world, and it’s an acknowledgement that God has told us in the Bible how to live life well. This is wisdom which helps us to survive and thrive in the rough and tumble environment of daily living in a tough neighborhood (this world).

Biblical wisdom is practical in that it deals heavily in day-to-day real life issues such as morality, ethics, justice, and maturity, just to name a few. The Biblically wise person recognizes and avoids evil, and they actively promote good as part of the mission of Christ on earth.

How do we acquire such wisdom? First and foremost by personal study of the Bible. Secondly, we acquire it by means of regular and active participation in the life of a good Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church. We need to place ourselves under the instruction of good and reliable Bible teachers; we need to pay attention to the sermons – taking notes, and applying the points to our lives; we need to be involved in small group Bible studies – participating in the discussions and learning from the insights of others; and we need to regularly seek out Biblical counsel from leaders and mentors.

It’s true that one of the reasons God gave us the Bible is so we can be wise in His ways, wise in the ways that really matter. Biblical wisdom is attainable by anyone who will seek it.

God Bless,

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom”

Our Bible verse for today: “Wisdom is supreme – so get wisdom.” Proverbs 4:7 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Biblical wisdom is the key to successful living.”

Some of the most useful wisdom comes out of the painful experience of observing what happens to us when we are not wise. That’s a truth I’ve learned in my own life. I can’t count the number of times I’ve done some bonehead thing and lived to regret it. The thing is, I almost always knew better than to do that bonehead thing to begin with. I had the knowledge I needed in order to make a better choice, I just didn’t have the common sense to act on what I knew.

Wisdom and knowledge are different. Knowledge is little more than the accumulation of information. Wisdom is the ability to make good decisions based upon what you know. If you have lots of knowledge it simply means that you know a lot facts about a lot of subjects, but your life could easily still be a train wreck. Wisdom means you have common sense and sound judgment and therefore consistently make choices that are right and true and of lasting value. Also, when you are wise you can be a source of good counsel for others as well. 

Throughout the month of May we’re going to explore the subject of Biblical wisdom. We will pay particular attention to the wisdom from Proverbs. Written by Solomon, the book of Proverbs is part of the wisdom literature of the Bible and is a rich source of Godly wisdom for us. The Proverbs are intended to equip the people of God so we can mature in wisdom and understanding as we grow closer to God. The wisdom of Proverbs helps us to learn proper discernment, it enhances our devotional life, and it spurs good discipleship. And although we will draw heavily on the wisdom given to us in the book of Proverbs, we will explore other passages and books of the Bible as well.

Godly wisdom is all about making good choices that are consistent with Biblical principles and which lead to us live lives that honor Him. Choices have consequences, and as the people of God we cannot make good godly decisions, based upon Biblical principles, apart from a solid education in Biblical wisdom. Biblical wisdom is the key to successful living.

God Bless,

Our theme for this month: “Mistakes”

Our Bible verse for today: “Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.” Matthew 22:29 (NLT)

Our thought for today: “Knowing and applying the Word of God to our lives is the best way to guard against mistakes.”

The Pharisees were the Bible scholars of their day. They were the ones who were supposed to be the experts when it came to knowing, teaching, and applying the Word of God to everyday life. But Jesus informed them that their knowledge was actually pretty weak and therefore their application of Biblical truths was faulty.

The problem of the Pharisees back then was the same problem many Christians have today – they don’t really know the Word of God accurately and therefore they are not applying to their lives correctly. If you know the story of the Pharisees then you know that over time they progressively “massaged” the Old Testament Scriptures and worked them into a form that was a little more conducive to how they wanted to live. They twisted Scripture, misapplied it, created lots of exceptions to it in order accommodate their whims and desires, and then they created a lot of additional rules and regulations that went far beyond what God had actually said. Eventually they ended up with a highly legalistic, manmade religious system that was far from what God Himself had given them in the form of the Old Testament. And as a result, their righteousness was a sham.

While it’s true that we will never be perfect in this lifetime, and therefore we will always make mistakes, the best and most righteous life any of us will ever have is the one that is lived in accordance with Biblical principles. But in order for us to live that way we must first know the Bible and its principles so we can then apply them to our lives. And here’s the thing – we must know the scriptures accurately. We must allow the Bible to say what it actually says – not more and not less. The mistake the Pharisees made is that they ignored some scripture and Biblical principles altogether; twisted others to make them mean something other than what God intended; and then made up a bunch more to suit themselves. We must avoid that mistake.

Allowing the Bible to simply say what it says and then living by its principles – no more and no less – is the key to godly living. Knowing and applying the Word of God to our lives is the best way to avoid mistakes.

God Bless,

Our theme for this month: “Mistakes”

Our Bible verse for today: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Since God has forgiven you, you should forgive yourself.”

1 John 1:9 is probably one of the greatest verses in the Bible. Every Christian needs to have this one committed to memory. If we confess our sins, God forgives us of our sins. There’s no more to it than that. God doesn’t hold a grudge. God doesn’t nurse bitterness and resentment against those who have sinned against Him but who have since asked for forgiveness. We confess, God forgives, and that’s the end of it.

So if God is so willing to forgive us, why are we so unwilling to forgive ourselves? This is a big problem for many of us. We allow a sense of guilt over past mistakes to linger in the back of our mind as it quietly and subtly poisons our thinking and colors our personality. There’s a sense of despair and regret that never entirely goes away.

But God doesn’t want us to live like that. He doesn’t want us to spend our lives shackled to past mistakes, never experiencing the joy of complete forgiveness and the freedom to move forward. Yes we should be sorry for our mistakes. And yes we should learn from them and resolve to avoid those mistakes in the future. And yes we do need to seek forgiveness – from God and from others, but then we need to let it go and move on.

The past is past and it cannot be changed. Living in the past, and allowing ourselves to be haunted by our past mistakes, is a sure recipe for doom and gloom, despair and depression. If you have confessed your sins then God has forgiven you for your sins. Now it’s time to let it go and get on with life. Since God has forgiven you, you need to forgive yourself.

God Bless,

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Mistakes”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.” Proverbs 12:15 (NLT) “Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.” Proverbs 19:2 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “Impatience often leads to poor decisions.”

 

I have grouped Proverbs 12:15 and 19:2 together in this devotional because together they help to emphasize a mistake that many Christians make. I’ve known many Christians who had the bad habit of making hasty decisions, without consulting with others, and then baptizing their decisions as “being from God.” In other words they quickly decided for themselves what they wanted to do in a particular situation, and then rationalized in their own minds that the choice they made must have come from God. Although they would seldom phrase it this way it’s as if they’re thinking, “This is what I want to do, so it must be what God wants me to do too.” They seem to think that their personal desires and whims can be trusted as always being from God and always consistent with God’s will.

 

Impatience in decision-making often leads to serious mistakes being made. When we act in a hurry, without first checking our facts, without consulting others, without checking the Bible for guidance, and without waiting on God, we frequently end up with a mess on our hands. Worse still, when we make choices that are obviously selfish, willful, and inconsistent with Biblical standards, but then try to convince ourselves and others that “God is leading me in this direction”, we fool nobody (certainly not God), and we set ourselves up for serious mistakes.

 

Including God in our decision-making is sometimes quick and easy. If you’re thinking about choking your knucklehead co-worker, you know how God feels about that (Thou shall not murder). If you’re attracted to your neighbor’s wife … well again, it’s a no-brainer, you know what God has to say about that. But many times things are not so clear and so our decision-making cannot be quick and easy. Including God in our choices often requires time, thought, prayer, counsel with others, searching the Scripture, and then more time.

 

Impatience in decision-making often leads to serious mistakes so take the time to include God and others.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Mistakes”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him.” Colossians 1:19

 

Our thought for today: “It is a mistake to misunderstand who Jesus is.”

 

This Sunday at Oak Hill Baptist we will begin a new sermon series on the Gospel of Luke. As we do with every book of the Bible that we study, we will begin in chapter one, verse one, and we will study every major theme in the book. So whatever the next major theme is, that will be the subject for this week’s sermon.

 

I like the Gospel of Luke for many reasons but one of them is that Luke was not a Jew – he was a Gentile, a Greek. Because he was a non-Jew he was able to observe, understand, and then explain the life, times, and ministry of Jesus from a non-Jewish perspective. That’s very helpful to me because I am not a first century Jew living in Biblical Palestine and therefore it’s sometimes difficult for me to accurately understand things from that perspective. Luke is very helpful by simply and clearly explaining great Biblical truths about Jesus in a way that this Gentile can easily understand.

 

A mistake that many of us make is that we allow ourselves to end up with a distorted and inaccurate understanding of who Jesus is and what He is like. Philip Nation, a member of the LifeWay Research Group and a writer for the “Mission of God” study Bible, explained it like this: “It is vital to remember that Jesus is not whom we often make Him out to be. Though He taught, He is more than a great teacher. Though He performed miracles, he was not just a magical figure. Though He lived perfectly, He was not just an ethics professor.”

 

In Colossians chapter one the Apostle Paul tells us that the Jesus we worship and follow is actually the visible image of the invisible God (verse 15); Paul explains that of the members of the Trinity, it was actually Jesus Himself who did the creating (verse 16); it is Jesus who holds all of creation together (verse 17); and all the fullness of God the Father actually dwells within Jesus (verse 19).

 

The Jesus described by Paul is a good bit different from the smiling shepherd holding the little lambs who we commonly present to our children in Sunday school. He’s also a good bit more, and a good bit different, than “Jesus my good buddy, my friend.” as we so often tend to think of Him. Well yes, He our friend, but He is also the Almighty Lord of the universe, the Creator of heaven and earth, God Himself in a human body.

 

Luke is especially good at helping us Gentiles to better understand the real Jesus. A thorough study of his Gospel will help us to avoid the mistake of misunderstanding who Jesus really is.

 

My goal for this study, as a pastor and preacher, is for all of us to grow and mature as a result of digging deeply into the wonderful truths Luke teaches. The Apostle Paul expressed it well in his prayer for the Colossian Christians, “We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:9-10 (HCSB)

 

That’s also my prayer for you. I invite you to join us for our study of the Gospel of Luke.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

Our theme for this month: “Mistakes”

Our Bible verse for today: “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say: The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good to wait quietly for deliverance from the Lord.” Lamentations 3:22-26 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “It is a mistake to give up hope.”

Life can sometimes land us in strange places. Many times we find ourselves wondering, “How did I get here, how did this happen?” Sometimes our regrettable situations are a result of our own mistakes and poor decisions. At other times we find ourselves the innocent victim of someone else’s unjust actions. And sometimes it’s just life. Sometimes our trials and struggles come upon us simply because this is a broken world filled with sickness and death and natural disasters and economic recessions.

The temptation during such times is to lose hope – especially if the difficulties drag on for an extended period of time. But losing hope is always a mistake; that’s especially true for the child of God. Death and destruction, divorce and despair, unemployment and hard times, are never the end of the story. God always has a plan and it is always good. Even in the midst of trials and sufferings God is at work to bring about some good thing for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

When Jeremiah wrote Lamentations the city of Jerusalem had been destroyed, the people had been taken off into captivity, the brutal army of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar was in total control, and the future looked bleak. But that was not the end of the story. The truth was that God’s mission, and God’s people, would rise again.

The same is true for us. Regardless of how bleak the current circumstances may look, regardless of how big the challenges are or how high the hurdles seem, the truth is that God isn’t done. His mission and His people will rise again. At the present time the “when” and “how” of it all may have to remain questions for tomorrow; your approach for the moment may be to simply be faithful, to trust in the Lord, and to just keep putting one foot in front of the other as you continue to walk through it. That’s ok because God will give us the grace we need for today. And then He’ll do it again tomorrow, and the day after that and the day after that.

Eventually the entire story will have unfolded and we will be able to view it all from hindsight. And when we do, we will discover that Jeremiah was correct, “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end.”

It is always a mistake to give up hope.

God Bless,