Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”   Our Bible verse for today: “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer …” Philippians 1:3-4 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Remember them well”   I love the way Paul opens this letter of joy that he writes to his friends in the church in Philippi. This is Paul, wearing his pastor hat, expressing his heart for people he cared about very much. So, as he begins this epistle of joy, this letter that is all about joy in Christ, he’s being very transparent and revealing his heart for his people. This right here – the way he felt about these people, what he thought about them and how he prayed for them, was a cause of great joy for Paul. (I can relate. I feel this way about the people of Oak Hill Baptist.)   Paul was thankful that God had put the Philippians in his life. He says that he thanks God for every remembrance of them. He was grateful that God kept bringing them to his mind and every time he thought of them, it brought him joy. Paul was clearly grateful that God had made them a part of his life.   I think this is a crucial attitude for us to maintain as we think about people. We should be thankful for them and we should pray for them. Too often we forget about people altogether (out of sight out of mind), or we focus on the negative instead of the positive. Sadly, sometimes our thoughts about people lean towards what we don’t like about them, or how they annoy us, or ways in which they have failed or don’t measure up. That’s a guaranteed joy-stealer. Thoughts like that will not only cause us to think poorly of them, but thinking like that will also produce an overall sour disposition in us. The Philippians weren’t perfect, but they were good and Paul chose to think well of them.     If we chose to think in positive ways about people; if we remember all that is good and right about them; if we give thanks to God for them in prayer; and if we do it a lot; not only will that change our thinking about them, but it will go a long way towards improving our overall attitude in general. We will be someone whose thoughts are positive and gracious.      So, as he begins this letter about joy in Christ, one of the things that gave Paul great joy, and which created in him a sense of thanksgiving, is the fact that God had made the Philippian Christians a part of his life.   I encourage to look for the good in people and to then pray for them. Negativity is a guaranteed joy-stealer. Positivity is a source of joy. So, remember them well.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”   Our Bible verse for today: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:2 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Discovering joy in the middle of it all”   We cannot consider the theme of living with joy without doing a deep dive into the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Philippians is known as “the epistle of joy.” Epistle is an old-fashioned word for “letter” and so Philippians can also be described as Paul’s letter of joy. Of all the books in the New Testament, Philippians is my second favorite. The Gospel of John is my favorite but Philippians is a close second. This letter of joy is just so joyful!   We can tell what Paul has in store for us just from verse two of chapter one. He wants us to experience God’s grace and peace in increased measure despite our circumstances (Paul wrote this letter as a sick old man sitting in a Roman prison and probably close to death.) The primary lesson Paul will teach us in Philippians is that God brings grace and peace in the middle of trials and struggles.   That’s the great truth for life as a Christian. There are plenty of times when the sun is shining and the birds are singing – we are safe, secure, happy, and the future looks good. During times like that we get to experience joy and peace. But life isn’t always like that. There are also lots of times when we struggle through difficult circumstances and painful situations. But joy can also be discovered, experienced, and appreciated during times of sorrow and struggle too.   For instance, at a funeral we have great sorrow because our loved one is gone, but we can also have joy in knowing that the person is in heaven. During a time of sickness, even while lying in a hospital bed, we can be struggling with the pain, discomfort, and uncertainty of the sickness, but we can also have an overwhelming awareness of God’s presence there with us. We can experience the joy of close fellowship with Him as we’re going through that. During a time of unexpected unemployment, as we’re trying to make ends meet and we’re wondering how we’re going to pay the rent, we can also learn the truth that God is the God of all provision and we can experience joy as He comes through for us time and time again.   True joy runs deep and flows from the confident assurance that we are never out of God’s loving embrace or His sovereign control. Regardless of your current situation in life you can find true joy in Christ. That’s the message of Philippians. It’s about discovering joy in the middle of it all.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”   Our Bible verse for today: “Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “The joy of the Lord makes us strong”   Nehemiah was a civil servant and a leader among the people. At the time of Nehemiah chapter eight, he was in the destroyed city of Jerusalem attempting to lead a small group of Jews who had returned to rebuild the temple, the city, and the walls around the city. Ezra the priest was there assisting him. All of it was good, but none of it was returning the temple or the city to the splendor of the days of Solomon.   In chapter eight Nehemiah and Ezra had the people gathered for a day of worship and study from the Law of God, and for feasting and celebration. But as the people surveyed the rubble that still existed in much of the city, and they considered the rebuilt temple that was so much less than the Temple in Solomon’s day, and as they listened to the reading of the Law of God and they realized how disobedient the entire nation had been, they grieved. So, in 8:10 Nehemiah told them to knock that off, to be thankful for what the Lord had blessed them with, and to give thanks, celebrate, and draw strength from the joy of the Lord.   There’s a lesson in that for us. The joy of the Lord is based on the internal condition of our heart and not on the external circumstances we find ourselves in. It doesn’t come from outside circumstances and work its way in (that’s happiness, which is temporary and fleeting). Instead, it comes from the Holy Spirit living in our heart. That joy then works its way up and flows out of us to impact our circumstances. Let me say it again: the joy of the Lord doesn’t come from the outside and work its way in, it comes from the inside and works its way out. It’s an inside job not an outside one.   Please don’t allow your circumstances to have the final say on the condition of your heart. Don’t allow them to beat you down, destroy you, or to be the determining factor regarding how you think and how much you enjoy life.   The joy of the Lord in our heart makes us strong so we can deal effectively with the circumstances of 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: “Living with joy”   Our Bible verse for today: “A joyful heart is good medicine” Proverbs 17:22 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “It’s good for you and it’s good for others”   Medical studies consistently demonstrate that being happy is good for you. Generally, the happier you are the healthier you will be. Over-and-over again, one study after another confirms that happiness lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease, it lowers your blood pressure, and it enables better sleep. On average, happy people also tend to take better care of themselves too by means of better diets, exercising more, and maintaining a better body weight.   Being joyful is even better. There’s a difference between just being happy and being joyful. Happiness is more of a fleeting and temporary feeling that is emotional in nature and is usually based upon external circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, comes from deep within the heart and is longer lasting. Joy is characterized by a sense of contentment and satisfaction with life and it flows out of a heart owned by a person who is at peace with God, themselves, and others. I guess we could say that joy is happiness on steroids, and remember, joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit who lives within you.   So, if happiness is good for you joy is even better. True joy really is good medicine. And better still, not only is your joy good medicine for you, it’s also good medicine for those who encounter you. Remember the story of my friend from yesterday’s devotional. He had a deep sense of joy that characterized his life. It welled-up from inside his heart and then flowed out of him; impacting everyone who encountered him. Not only did his joy make his own life much better, but it made the lives of others around him better too.   Pastor Chuck Swindoll once wrote, “One person in a strategic spot who is walking with God can do a world of good.” That’s true. If you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ then you have His Holy Spirit living in your heart. One of the character traits He is working to develop in you, and then bring out of you, is joy. If the joy of the Lord is a dynamic reality in your own life, not only will it be good medicine for you, it will be good medicine for all those who encounter you.   So, there you have it: the joy of the Lord in your life is good for you and it’s good for those who encounter you. So, be joyful today, and then share some of that joy with 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

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”   Our Bible verse for today: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “A source of joy for others”   I once had the good fortune to work with a man who was perpetually joyful. He simply had an optimistic outlook and an upbeat, positive spirit. He was easygoing and mild-mannered. He laughed easily and often, and he liked people. He also was not bothered much by things and therefore he rarely got upset. He was just a very pleasant person to have around. He lifted everyone’s spirits and consequently he had a good influence in the workplace.   In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 the Apostle Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit lives in the heart of every person who has placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ. Paul even says that your body is now a temple of the Holy Spirit. It’s the place where the Spirit resides. That being the case, your body is a walking, talking, mobile temple of the Holy Spirit. You take the Spirit with you wherever you go and therefore you can potentially introduce a new spiritual dynamic into every situation you enter into.   In Galatians 5:22-23 Paul listed for us what he termed “the fruit of the Spirit.” These are character traits of Jesus that the Holy Spirit is working to develop in us and to then bring out of us. They are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Please note that the second fruit of the Spirit that He is developing in you, and which He then wants to bring out from you, is joy.   If the fruit of the Spirit is healthy within you then it will be rising-up and flowing out of you. Like my old friend who I mentioned above, when you arrive on the scene and thereby enter into any situation, you introduce a new spiritual dynamic into that situation because the fruit of the Spirit is flowing out of you – and that will include joy.   You have it within you to be a source of joy for others. Because of the Spirit within you, you can introduce the joy of the Lord into any situation you are involved in today. I encourage you to do exactly that.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”   Our Bible verse for today: “Grey hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.” Proverbs 16:31 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Growing old is a gift”   Before we go any further in our study of living with joy I want to address a pet peeve of mine. Please stop complaining about getting old. Many people never get the privilege. Instead, they die young. If you’re growing older it means God has blessed you with more days of life than many others get. Rejoice and be glad! Thank Him for it and then live that day as the gift that it is.   Yes, it’s true that as we age our bodies begin to wear down. We can do less, we hurt more, and maybe we don’t look as good as we did when we were younger – but so what? If that’s the price of growing old instead of dying young it’s a small price to pay. Take care of yourself, remain as healthy as you can for as long as you can, and learn to age with dignity and grace.   The Bible celebrates old age. Proverbs 16:31 is just one of many verses that speaks well of those in old age and which encourages us to view the aging process in a positive way. There should be joy in aging and your attitude and perspective will determine if that joy is there or not. Being “old” has less to do with your chronological age than with your perspective about it. If you think you are old then you are. If you think you aren’t, then you’re not. I know fifty-year-olds who act like they’re seventy-five and I know seventy-five-year-olds who live like they’re fifty.   I love being around older folks who are aging with dignity and grace. I have a widower friend who remarried at the age of 90 and then took his new bride on a Caribbean cruise and then on a trip to Israel. He also still goes to the gym three days a week. He is lively and fun and enjoying every day of life that the good Lord grants to him. He is determined to live until he dies (to live fully and joyful until he dies.)   Please stop belly-aching about getting old. Suck-it-up, live as fully as you can under the circumstances as they are, and thank God for every day you have on this earth.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Living with Joy”   Our Bible verse for today: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “A double-shot of joy”   Chuck Swindoll is one of my favorite preachers and Bible teachers. Not only is his preaching and teaching deep, insightful, and very applicable to the issues of everyday life, but his illustrations are usually colorful and fun.   Perhaps the illustration from Chuck that had the most impact on me personally is one that comes out of his personal life. In addition to being a great preacher, teacher, and spiritual guide, Chuck is a lot of fun. He has a gregarious personality, he loves to laugh, and he gets great joy out of living. He once wrote a book about Paul’s letter to the Philippians (the letter of joy). The title of Chuck’s book was “Laugh Again: Experience Outrageous Joy.” I love that book! (Both of them – Paul’s book of the Bible “Philippians” and Chuck’s book about Paul’s book). On the back cover of Chuck’s book there’s a picture of him and his wife Cynthia sitting on Chuck’s Harley Davidson motorcycle. They’re both dressed in black leather with big smiles on their faces. The personalized license plate reads “The Sermonator!”   We live in an angry and contentious world today. There are wars around the globe; more humanitarian crisis’ than we can count; political upheaval in many countries; serious cultural differences that are dividing societies, friends, and families; and in our own country, we’re in the middle of a mean-spirited political season. There’s not a lot of good news out there right now and that could lead us all to become negative and even a little depressed.   I suspect you’re like me in that you could use a good shot of joy. In fact, how about a double-shot? The good news is that there is joy to be found in the Lord. In the early part of John chapter 15 Jesus was revealing elements of the relationship God wants us to have with Him. In verse 11 Jesus was clear that from that relationship God wants us to experience great joy.   All this month we will explore the idea of finding our joy in God and then living with joy. Perhaps you don’t own a Harley Davidson motorcycle, a complete set of black leathers, and a personalized license plate with a tongue-in-check reference to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character “The Terminator.” But I do hope you, and I, and all of us will learn to live with more of a light-hearted spirit and with a great sense of joy.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “The Great Adventure”   Our Bible verse for today: “Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “It won’t always be easy, but it can still be good”   In his very good and helpful book, “Life After Loss: A practical guide to renewing your life after experiencing major loss,” professional grief counselor Bob Deits’ primary audience are those who have lost a spouse to death, especially in later life after many years of marriage. But he also notes that sooner or later everyone will be faced with major loss of some kind at some point in life:   “There is no question about avoiding loss associated with later life – we can’t. But we can choose the attitude we will take toward those losses and the manner in which we will respond to them. Choosing to be a victim means being passive and feeling helpless to do anything about the loss. Choosing to be a survivor means being assertive and realistic without giving up hope. Survivors take responsibility for their own future. They face challenges head on … Survivors ask, “How can I get the most out of life, regardless of circumstances?”   That’s an essential attitude for all of us, regardless of age and regardless of what we are currently experiencing. Will you be a victim or a victor? Will you resolve to get the most out of life regardless of the circumstances you are faced with? Jesus wants us to be victors and the Holy Spirit will help us to do it.   Perseverance is a major theme in the New Testament. This adventure of living the Christian life is often hard – there’s no getting around that. Difficulties, sickness, death, and all the normal problems and challenges of life come to Christians and non-Christians alike. The difference should be found in how we Christians handle those challenges.   Throughout this study about the great adventure of living the Christian life we have learned that the Bible teaches us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus; rely on the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us; remember that God is sovereign over all the circumstances of life; and then press on. Live with confidence, determination, and courage. Persist and persevere. Don’t give up. And remember, “Trying times produce great men and great women.” Trying times produce great Christians who, together with Jesus, live victoriously while dealing with difficult and often painful circumstances.   Life won’t always be easy, but it can still be good. As we conclude this study of “The Great Adventure” I encourage us all to enjoy the adventure and resolve to live life fully.   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: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Together, you and the Holy Spirit can do it”   “Blessed are the pure in heart.” Isn’t that what we all really desire, to have a heart that is pure and which sees God? Jesus says that such a person is truly blessed and I would agree. I want that and I’ll bet you do too.   Let’s return to our discussion from yesterday regarding exposing the lies Satan has been telling us about ourselves. We need to replace those lies with truth from God, thereby creating new neural pathways that guide our thinking to better outcomes. Yesterday we learned a strategy for doing that. Identify the lie, replace it with God’s truth, repeat that truth to yourself over-and-over again, and eventually the truth becomes your new default thinking. And over time, your heart becomes more and more pure. That then will have a positive impact every other area of life.   Replacing lies with truth and creating new neural pathways was exactly what Paul was describing in Philippians 4:8-9 when he wrote, “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. Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”   When Craig Groeschel offered his personal strategy for developing those new neural pathways (as we learned yesterday), he was simply building on the lesson Paul taught in Philippians 4:8-9. Craig’s method is just another way of doing what Paul was teaching.   It’s the Holy Spirit who produces the actual change in our mind and heart. He is the one who reveals the lies of Satan to us and who replaces those lies with God’s truth. It’s the work of the Holy Spirit that creates those new neural pathways that guide our thinking to good outcomes. But he doesn’t do it magically and He doesn’t do it without any involvement on our part. There is work that we need to do too. It’s up to us to first think this through, pray this through, and ask God to help us identify the lies that have hindered us and held us back for so long. Then it’s up to us to seek the corresponding truths of God that show those lies to be the lies that they are. And then it is up to us to memorize, dwell on, and repeat the truth to ourselves multiple times each day until that truth becomes our new default thinking.   That’s the goal and together, you and the Holy Spirit can do it.   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: “When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Expose the lie; embrace the truth”   Satan is a liar and he is the father of lies. Worse, not only does Satan tell lies, but he tells lies about us and then he gets us to believe those lies. Then he works to embed those lies so deeply into our minds that they become deeply held beliefs we have about ourselves. Those lies then direct our thinking, even at the subconscious level.   In his book, “Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life” Pastor Craig Groeschel relies on both Biblical truth and neurological science to prove this point. The science of the brain has advanced to the point that scientists can now demonstrate that our most deeply embedded beliefs create neural pathways in our brain, almost like a trench or a rut. Those pathways lead our thoughts in the same direction every time, resulting in the same actions repeated over-and-over again. Those neural responses become automatic and take place at the subconscious level.   When Satan has convinced us of a lie about ourselves and then reinforced that lie repeatedly, a neural pathway develops in our brain. Belief in that lie becomes embedded and our response to it becomes automatic, even subconscious. Craig offers an example of this from his own life. As a child he was taught to believe that he was never good enough and that he never would be good enough. That lie was reinforced so often that it created a neural pathway that influenced Craig’s thinking about himself in a thousand ways, without him even realizing it. As a result, he became a strong “Type A” personality driven to workaholism and a constant effort to prove to the world that he really was good enough. That obsession then took over his life; it damaged relationships and drove him to exhaustion.   Whatever the lie you believe about yourself, the solution is to first uncover it and acknowledge the control it has over you. Then you identify God’s truth about you that answers that lie, and then you must do the hard work of creating a new neural pathway based in truth. Here’s what that would look like in Craig’s example:   Lie: I’m not good enough. Truth: “Fear not (Craig), for I have redeemed you. I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1 Declaration: I belong to my Father in heaven. I am His. He has redeemed me and called me to Himself. I am good enough and therefore I don’t have to impress anyone.”   Then you repeat that statement to yourself over-and-over again, multiple times each day (the lie, the truth, and the declaration – multiple times each day.) Over time, the true statement about yourself will replace the lie in your thinking. Soon, a new neural pathway will be created which begins to automatically govern your thinking and drive your actions.   As you can probably see already, such a change would have a dramatic impact on your daily life and on the overall course of your life. We will consider another example tomorrow but for today, ask God to help you identify a deeply embedded lie you believe about yourself that really does need to be exposed and removed from your thinking. Expose that lie for what it is and then begin to embrace God’s truth about yourself.   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