Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “The Great Adventure”   Our Bible verse for today: “He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” Matthew 22:37-40 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Love God, love people, and live life”   In recent days we have been considering the truth that living the adventure of the Christian life does not have to be complicated. It can be fairly simple. Not necessarily easy, but also not complicated. We have learned that for the most part, God just wants us to walk worthy, and to live quiet lives of doing good to others, and honoring Jesus in daily life. That’s what Jesus was explaining in Matthew 22:37-40 above.   Jesus was the great simplifier. He clarified, simplified, and demystified this business of living by faith. In the passage above, He taught that all the commandments and all the instructions from the various prophets could be distilled down into two matters of the heart: love God and love others. If your heart is right and if your guiding impulse in life is to love God and others, you will have checked every other Biblical box for living a righteous life that is pleasing to God.   Too often we tend to over-spiritualize things and make them unnecessarily complicated. That is certainly true when it comes to discovering and obeying God’s will for the details of life. Often, we’re looking for a detailed roadmap that directs every step, dictates every decision, and for God to tell us if we should have Cheerios or Corn Flakes for breakfast. But most of life doesn’t work like that.   I love the illustration from Dallas Willard about how when his children were young, he used to send them out to play in the fenced-in backyard. There were only two rules: behave yourselves and stay within the boundaries of the backyard. Beyond that, they were free to choose for themselves if they wanted to play in the sandbox, swing on the swings, play with the dog, sit in the shade and read a book, or almost anything else. Any of those choices were fine with the father. All he required of them was to obey a few simple rules and to stay within the boundaries. The children were then to exercise their own judgment and make their own choices based upon their personal preferences.    For the most part, that’s how God treats us. Sometimes He does give us very specific guidance regarding things He does or does not want us to do. But the rest of the time, there are many choices available to us pertaining to all sorts of things and for the most part, we are free to choose as we please. As long as we obey a few simple rules of the heart (love God and love others), and as long as we stay within the Biblical boundaries given to us by our Father in heaven, we are then free to use our judgment and make choices based upon our preferences.   I encourage you not to make life more complicated than it needs to be. Love God, love people, and live life.   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: “The Great Adventure”   Our Bible verse for today: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Matthew 6:33 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Keep the focus where it needs to be”   This morning let’s continue our thinking from the last couple of days pertaining to walking worthy, and living simply and well. Matthew 6:25-34 is part of the famous “Sermon on the Mount”. In this part of His sermon Jesus was teaching about how we often allow the cares of life to worry us, distract us, and to get us off track with respect to practicing our faith and focusing on God.   The specific example He was using pertained to the essentials of life such as food, clothes, and shelter. In this lesson He teaches us not to obsess about such things but to instead, stay focused on honoring God and then trusting the rest to Him. (We still have a responsibility to work and to provide for ourselves. We should not expect God to just magically provide for us. This simply means we are not to obsess about such things.)   This was my wife Linda’s favorite passage during all the years we served in church ministry. We always served in small churches and at a small missionary agency, and often for small salaries. Linda was convinced that as long as we stayed focused on serving God and His people, the Lord would take care of our other needs (and He always did!)   Although the illustration Jesus used to teach this lesson pertained to the essentials of life, the larger lesson pertains to all of life – seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will fall into place in God’s time and in God’s way. That’s a life-lesson. Make God and His kingdom your primary focus and don’t obsess about the rest of it. Again, that doesn’t absolve us from personal responsibility, it just means we keep our primary focus where it needs to be.   This is the kind of thinking that eventually led me to adopt Proverbs 3:5-6 as my primary life-verse. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”   This great adventure of living the Christian life focuses primarily on God and His kingdom. Everything else in life falls into place after that. Tomorrow we will consider one more example of how God makes this work in our lives.   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: “The Great Adventure”   Our Bible verse for today: “Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Live simply and live well”   In yesterday’s devotional I encouraged all of us to strive to “walk worthy” – to live in such a way that we honor the Lord in thought, word, and deed. I also wrote that we can do that just in the normal course of simply living life – at home, at work, in groups or clubs we belong to, and while enjoying our hobbies and recreational activities.   Sometimes we Christians tend to over-spiritualize our understanding of what a Christian life lived well looks like. We think that pastors, missionaries, Christian authors, and musicians – they are the ones who live lives of significance and which are pleasing to the Lord. But that’s a misunderstanding of what it is the Lord is looking for from us.   In Micah 6:8 (above) the prophet reminds us that what God is looking for is regular people who simply do good things as they live their life of faith. The Apostle Paul wrote about this as well 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 to work with your hands, as we commanded you, so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.”   I have written before about the helpful insight shared by Dr. Denis Prager regarding his own aspirations for his life. As a young man trying to discern his path in life (and long before he became known as “Dr. Prager,” he resolved that whatever he did in life he wanted to be sure it involved influencing people in good ways. Denis Prager went on to become an eminent Old Testament scholar, an expert in Biblical Hebrew, a college professor, and a bestselling author. He did indeed spend his life influencing people in good ways.   That’s a great goal for all of us. Regardless of whatever else you do in life, if you spend every day doing good things for others and influencing people in good ways, all in the name of and for the sake of Jesus Christ, you will have lived a good life.   It is a fine thing to live simply and to live well, just doing good and having a positive influence on people, all for the cause of Christ.   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: “The Great Adventure”   Our Bible verse for today: “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 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Walk worthy”   There are so many professions and activities Christians can engage in throughout the course of our lives as we are on this great adventure of living the Christian life. You can choose to be a butcher, baker, or candlestick maker. You can be an auto mechanic, a school teacher, a business owner, a medical doctor, or president of the United States. You can join the local chapter of Rotary Club, or the local PTA, or a chess club, or a bowling league, or any number of other groups or activities.   The point is that God has given us a whole world of opportunities and choices that are laid out before us and as long as it is legal and noble, it is a fine profession, group, or activity for you to be involved in. The big question in life is not so much “what” you do, but “how” you do it. This is what Paul meant when he wrote in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord not for people.”   That’s also what he meant in Colossians 1:9-10 (above) where he urged us as the people of God to “walk worthy.” Walk worthy of your calling as a child of God. Walk worthy as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Walk worthy of one who is charged to represent Jesus in this world, and to share the Good News about Him, and to lead others to faith in Him. Walk worthy.   Walk worthy is also the motto of our new Trail Life troop at Oak Hill Baptist Church. Trail Life is a Christian ministry that teaches boys how to live lives of honor and integrity based upon Biblical principles. It is designed to train boys to grow up into godly men. Trail Life uses discipleship principles that teach Biblical virtues and how to live by them in daily life. Although there are group meetings and classroom time, much of the learning occurs during outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, fishing, outdoor games, sitting around campfires, and other fun activities where boys are encouraged to be boys.   Our kickoff event is this Tuesday, September 17th, from 5:00 – 8:00. This is an open house and family night designed to introduce families to the program and to get the boys and dads signed up. It will begin at 5:00 with a family meal.   If you are close to Cumberland County, TN we invite you to come and enjoy the meal with us and learn more about Trail Life. If you are distant and unable to attend, please pray for us as we get our new troop started.   All Christians are called by God to walk worthy. Live a life that truly does honor the Lord and which blesses others in His name.   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, TN38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “The Great Adventure”   Our Bible verse for today: “Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” Ephesians 6:10-12 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “It really is a spiritual battle”   Have you ever read “The Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan? John Bunyan was a Puritan minister and writer who lived in the late 1600s. His little book is considered one of the greatest works of Christian fiction ever written and it continues to sell well today, almost 350 years after it was first published in 1678.   The full title is, “The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That Which is to Come.” It is a story about a young man named “Christian” who is an everyman kind of character and who therefore represents each of us. The plot centers around his journey from his hometown in “The City of Destruction (the world), to “The Celestial City” (heaven). Along the way he meets a guide named “Evangelist” who provides guidance for the journey. The story is then a sequence of obstacles and challenges that Christian must deal with (life) as he slowly but steadily makes his way to his real and ultimate home in the Celestial City.   The book is available in modern language, including for children, and it really is a “must read” for Christians. Bunyan’s objective in his story is to remind his readers about the importance of the truth Paul taught in Ephesians 6:10-20, that we are on a spiritual journey through this world; we have an adversary who we cannot see (the devil) but who is very real and who must be dealt with; and our strength for the journey is only found in the Lord, not in our own strength.   Many years ago, I wrote an essay explaining the significance of each piece of the spiritual armor Paul addresses in Ephesians 6:10-20 and which we must put on every day. If you would like a copy of that essay let me know and I will be happy to send it to you.   The truth is that we are on a spiritual journey through this physical world and it is the spiritual reality, not the physical one, which matters most. Life really is a spiritual battle and therefore to be victorious in life we must be spiritually strong.   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: “The Great Adventure”   Our Bible verse for today: “…you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “The ultimate objective”   The ultimate objective of living the Christian life is to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and to become more like Him. This is about spiritual maturity and it is the primary reason God has left you here on earth after He saved you, rather than immediately taking you to heaven. It was so you could spend the rest of your life engaging in daily spiritual disciplines and growing in your likeness to Jesus.   We are also to preach the Good News of the Gospel, serve others in the name of Jesus, and help to grow His kingdom here on earth. All of that is part of learning to be more like Him. But just like with every other thing we do for God, since He is all-powerful, He could do it Himself faster and better. He doesn’t need you or me to preach and teach. He could accomplish that through the mouth of a donkey if He wanted to. He involves us in all aspects of His work on earth for our own benefit so we can grow.   Once you have placed your faith in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, the objective for the entire rest of your life is to grow in the grace and knowledge or our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God’s people need to know who He is, what He is like, how He interacts with us, and what He expects from us. In the letter of 2 Peter, Peter then goes on to explain that as this spiritual growth is taking place, we will find ourselves better able to be strong in a very evil world that is against us. Peter’s primary objective in writing the letter was to strengthen and encourage believers who were living in difficult circumstances. Spiritual maturity was the thing that would help them the most.   One of the best summaries of the Bible’s teachings about God that I have ever come across is a wonderful little book written more than sixty years ago by the great pastor and author A. W. Tozer called, “The Knowledge of The Holy.” It is divided into twenty-three short chapters, each of which explains something important that we need to know about God. I recommend this little book to you highly. You will find it well worth your time.   The ultimate objective of your great adventure here on earth as you continue to live this Christian life, is to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   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: “The Great Adventure”   Our Bible verse for today: “Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Bigger, better, more important, and longer lasting”   This devotional message is coming to you on Thursday morning, September 12th, but I’m writing it on Wednesday morning, the day after the presidential debate. Last night, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris squared-off and had at each other. The consensus seems to be that Kamala Harris won this one. So, the Democrats are happy and the Republicans are not. In the previous debate Donald Trump did well and Joe Biden did not, and so the Republicans were happy but the Democrats weren’t.   Politics in America moves on a pendulum – back and forth, debate-to-debate, election-to-election. For a while the Democrats are in power and the Republicans are complaining, then the pendulum shifts and it’s the other way around. Does it really matter? Of course, it does. And as Christians we have a biblical responsibility to be good citizens, to be engaged with the issues, and to vote.   But political outcomes are not really the most important factor for Christians. There is a higher, bigger, better, more important, and longer lasting reality that governs our thinking and conduct. It is the kingdom of God. God is sovereign over the affairs of mankind. His kingdom will come, His will will be done, and in the end, Jesus wins. Earthly kingdoms rise and fall, worldly leaders come and go, the political pendulum swings back and forth, but God and His kingdom are constant and unchanging and will remain forever.   Sometimes Christians in the USA get a little too caught-up in their politics and not caught-up enough in the business of the kingdom of God. A little too enraptured with their candidate of choice, and not enraptured enough with their Savior and Lord.   Most Christian historians who study church life seem to agree that the most dynamic, strongest, healthiest, and most faithful segment of the Christian church on earth today is found in Communist China not in the USA. The Christians in China have little say in government affairs or in electing their leaders. Instead, they are highly focused on life in the kingdom of God and in advancing His kingdom on earth.   For almost 2000 years – across generations, cultures, geography, and political structures, Christians have thrived when their primary focus was on the kingdom of God, and they have struggled and suffered when they have become too focused on worldly affairs. In 1 Peter 5:8-9 Peter reminds us that our real struggle is against Satan. It is the same struggle our brothers and sisters around the world are engaged in regardless of the political system they live under.   We Christians in the USA have much to be grateful for. We are blessed to live in a democracy and we do have a responsibility to be politically aware. We must be active and engaged and we should vote for those who most nearly represent our values. But we also need to take a breath and keep it in perspective. As important as political outcomes are, the kingdom of God is more important. It is also more real, higher, bigger, better, more important, and longer lasting.   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: “The Great Adventure”   Our Bible verse for today: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Your righteous life will be a great testimony”   In recent devotionals we have been considering how important it is for God’s people to act like God’s people. We must put feet to our faith, walk the talk, and live what we profess to believe. That conduct is exactly what Peter was calling for in 1 Peter 2:9. As the people of God we have been chosen to live holy and righteous lives as we serve others in the name of Jesus and proclaim His praises to a hurting and suffering world.   This is critical. As the people of God, we are to be noticeably different. Because we have a Biblical worldview and the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives, our attitude should be different from the attitude of people around us. Our standards should be different. People should be able to hear the difference in our words, see the difference in our actions, and experience the difference through their interactions with us.   It has often been said that people are more interested in what we do than in what we say. That’s true. Our actions have a greater impact than our words. And if our actions are not consistent with our words, if we profess to believe one thing but then act in a contradictory way, that will seriously damage our credibility as the people of God.   Your righteous life can be and should be a great testimony to an unbelieving world. Your character, your integrity, and your acts of compassion should all serve to draw people’s attention to our great God. I love the way the New Living Translation renders 1 Peter 2:9, “You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God.”   “As a result, you can show others the goodness of God.” In other words, people should see Jesus in us. In Acts 4:13 Luke records the time Peter and John were dragged before the Jewish Sanhedrin and told to explain themselves and their actions. Luke writes of the reaction of the Jewish leaders to what they saw and heard from Peter and John, “… they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.”   May that be true of us too. By our words and actions may others know that we belong to Jesus. If that is true of you, then your righteous life will be a great testimony.   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: “The Great Adventure”   Our Bible verse for today: “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” James 2:17 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “God’s people should act like God’s people.”   For many years I have greatly admired and appreciated Pastor Chuck Swindoll’s preaching, teaching, and writing. I have learned much from him and on occasions I have freely quoted from him to enhance my own preaching, teaching, and writing. I once read of a seminary student who heard a great sermon preached by an eminent old preacher. After the sermon the young man asked the old preacher if he could use some of his points in a sermon of his own. The older man responded, “Son, if my bullets fit your gun, you go right ahead and shoot them.”   From time to time, I unapologetically shoot some of Chuck Swindoll’s bullets and I’m going to do so again this morning. This past year I’ve been using the Swindoll Study Bible in my personal morning devotional time. It’s filled with many great insights, and his introduction to the New Testament book of James is a good example of that. Chuck wrote:   “The book of James looks a bit like the Old Testament book of Proverbs dressed up in New Testament clothes. Its consistent focus on practical action in the life of faith is reminiscent of the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament in the way that it encourages God’s people to act like God’s people. The pages of James are filled with direct commands, and he makes no excuses for those who do not walk their talk. More than any other book in the New Testament, James places the spotlight on the necessity for believers to act in accordance with our faith.”   “It encourages God’s people to act like God’s people.” We live in a society today that is far from God and from Biblical standards. Sadly, that describes many Christians too. They are compromising Biblical values to more easily get along and fit in with an evil culture that is increasingly opposed to Christianity. Also, many Christians are caught-up in our culture of conspicuous consumption and are therefore becoming more selfish and less generous with their time and money. They are not acting like God’s people.   The adventure of living the Christian life must mean Christians acting like Christians – the people of God acting like the people of God. The book of James calls us to put feet to our faith and to live what we profess to believe. What our nation needs more than ever today is for God’s people to act like God’s people.   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: “The Great Adventure”   Our Bible verse for today: “This is what the Lord says: The people of Israel have sinned again and again and I will not let them go unpunished. They sell honorable people for silver and poor people for a pair of sandals. They trample helpless people in the dust and shove the oppressed out of the way.” Amos 2:6-7 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “Make sure it is real”   During the time of the Old Testament prophet Amos (around 760 BC), the people of Israel were living a life of religious hypocrisy. On the one hand, they went through the motions of going to the synagogue, saying their prayers, performing the rituals, and making their offerings. But on the other hand, they were selfish, they lived self-centered lives, they lied and cheated, and they ignored those in need. In 6:1 Amos wrote, “What sorrow awaits you who lounge in luxury in Jerusalem, and you who feel secure in Samaria.”   God did want them to be faithful in their church attendance, and to pray, sing, tithe, and everything else that was expected of them as a matter of practicing their faith. But then He also wanted them to go out into the world and live what they professed to believe. He didn’t want them to simply lounge in luxury and to feel a false sense of security. God wanted their faith to be more than just a religious show.   In the Swindoll Study Bible Pastor Chuck Swindoll offers a good summary of how we can apply the lessons of Amos to our own lives:   “Injustice permeates our world, yet we Christians often turn a blind eye to it in favor of doing “more important” work, like praying, preaching, and teaching. But the book of Amos reminds us that those works, while unquestioningly central to the Christian life, ring hollow when we don’t love and serve others. Do you ever find yourself falling into the trap of prioritizing prayer over service?”    Chuck goes on: “Instead of choosing between prayer and service, the book of Amos teaches us that both are essential. God has called Christians not only to be in relationship with Him but also to be in relationships with others. For those Christians whose tendency has been to focus more on the invisible God than on His visible creation, Amos pulls us back toward the center, where both the physical and the spiritual needs of people matter in God’s scheme of justice.”   Don’t become so heavenly-minded that you are no earthly good. God expects our spiritual relationship with Him to have a real and powerful impact on the physical lives of those around us. Stay spiritually focused, of course, but don’t be guilty of over-spiritualizing things to the point you are neglecting the very real physical needs all around you.   Make sure your faith is more than a religious show. Make sure it is real and that it makes a difference in your own life, but also in the lives of others.   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