Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “The Great Adventure”   Our Bible verse for today: “When it is in your power, don’t withhold good from the one to whom it belongs. Don’t say to your neighbor, ‘Go away! Come back later. I’ll give it to you tomorrow’ – when it is there with you.” Proverbs 3:27-28 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Committed to doing good”   Author and Bible scholar Denis Prager once wrote that as a young man thoughtfully trying to find his way in life, he resolved that he wanted to spend his life influencing people for good. Regardless of whatever profession he chose, he wanted his life to be characterized and marked by a continuous effort to influence people for good.   That’s a pretty good goal. And it certainly is Biblical. Doing good and having a positive influence on others is a Biblical principle that God teaches over-and-over again in many different ways through the pens of many different writers in both the Old and New Testaments. In Proverbs 3:27-28 (above) Solomon wrote that if you encounter someone in need and you have the ability to help them, then help them. Do it and do it right away.   In Luke 10:25-37 Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man had been robbed, beaten, and left naked and bleeding in the road. A priest and a Levite (both religious professionals) came upon the man, crossed to the other side of the road, and left him lying there. But then a simple Samaritan man came upon him and took the action necessary to help the man. Jesus commended the actions of the Good Samaritan and told us to go and do likewise.   Galatians 6:9-10 says, “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.”   And in Hebrews 13:16 we find, “Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.”   Regardless of anything else you do with your life, if you are committed to going through life doing good and having a good influence on people, that will be a very worthy purpose. It will provide you with all the daily short-term focus you need to honor God and to bless people by the way you live.   I encouraged you to be committed to doing good.   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: “Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. Without leader, administrator, or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest. How long will you stay in bed, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit.” Proverbs 6:6-11 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Your life will be what you make of it”   Evidently Solomon admired ants. Or at least, he admired their work ethic. Ants are diligent and purposeful. They take personal responsibility for their tasks, they go where they’re supposed to go, and they do what they’re supposed to do. Consequently, they accomplish a lot. Unlike some people. That was Solomon’s point.   Let’s return to our thinking from the last couple of days regarding the responsibility each of us has to establish goals for our lives, to make plans, and to get busy. Author Carol Kent once observed that, “Without purpose, a person begins to die a slow death.” In other words, the person without purpose and focus just shuffles through life, wasting day-after-day, moving closer and closer to the end of their life, and doing so without purpose, direction, or accomplishing anything of lasting value.   She was referring to her own experience during a particularly dark and tragic time in her own life. She was numb with grief and despair and had allowed herself to fall into a pattern of just mechanically getting through each day. That pattern then took root and was slowly becoming the new normal in her life.   Finally, she understood that she had to shake that off, set some goals, make some plans, and start moving forward in life with purpose and accomplishing meaningful things. The situation that had caused her so much grief was over and done, the results were irreversible, and all she could do from that point was move forward in life. She realized that her life was going to be whatever she made of it.   That’s true for you and me as well. Without purpose and direction, we will just be shuffling through the days of our lives without focus and probably not accomplishing much of any significance. Regardless of your circumstances or the season of life, you need a clear purpose. You need goals and plans that involve you in meaningful activities that make a difference. The Christian life is an adventure and it should be exciting and meaningful, but that will require intentionality on your part.   Your life will be what you make of 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: “But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you whenever I travel to Spain. For I hope to see you when I pass through and be assisted by you for my journey there, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.” Romans 15:23-24 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Your plans and His”   This morning, I want us to continue thinking about our subject from yesterday about the importance of having goals and plans. It’s essential for us to have goals and plans. Otherwise, we will just be wandering through the days of our lives without direction or purpose. But with that said, we must also stay attentive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and be willing to adjust our plans as necessary to stay in the center of God’s will.   A couple of weeks ago, on Sunday August 25th at Oak Hill Baptist Church, I preached a sermon from Romans 15:22-33 about this very thing. The example was how the Apostle Paul both made his own plans for his ministry activities, but then also adjusted as necessary depending on how the Spirit was leading day-by-day and moment-by-moment. I want to summarize that lesson here this morning but if you would be interested in hearing the full teaching on the passage, visit the Oak Hill Baptist Church YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville. Then click on the sermon for August 25th.   In Romans 15:20-21 Paul noted that his long-term mission, given to him by God, was to be a pioneering evangelist and church-planter. “My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation, but, as it is written, Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”   So, understanding his long-term assignment, Paul’s plan for those years was to travel to wherever the Holy Spirit led him. However, in verse 22 we find that during those same years Paul also had a strong desire to go to Rome, but the Spirit kept diverting him, “That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you.” That then leads us to verse 23 (above) where we discover that Paul had finally completed the long-term assignment given to him by God and he was now going to get to go to Rome after all.   The lesson for us to draw from Paul’s example is that we are to prayerfully make plans of our own and we are to boldly and confidently walk forward into the future fulfilling those plans. But at the same time, we are to stay sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and we are to adjust our plans as necessary so we remain in sync with God’s plans for us.   In the days to come we will explore this more fully and learn how to both make our own plans and follow His at the same time.   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 given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Purpose and focus”   The other day I was sitting in a pastor’s office in a church in another town. In addition to being the pastor of a church in that town, he also serves as the chaplain in the county jail. One of the young men in my church has been a prisoner in that jail for a couple of years but now, he is being prepared for release. The other pastor brought my guy out of the jail and to the church that day to do some work at the church, and then he invited me to come to the church to spend some time with the young man.   The three of us met in the pastor’s office for a couple of hours. Together, the other pastor and I attempted to guide the young man in his thinking regarding his upcoming release and his plans going forward. The man has been a professing Christian for all the years I have known him (12) and long before that. But he has never really lived what he professes to believe. As a result, over those twelve years he has been in three county jails and four prisons. But over these last couple of years my friend seems to have made a sincere recommitment to Christ. He is a different man now than I have ever known him to be.   At one point in our conversation the other pastor brought up the subject of purpose and focus. He explained to the man that it is essential for him to have a big-picture, long-term, overriding goal for his life. Then he also must have mid-term goals that lead to the accomplishment of that long-term goal, and then short-term goals that provide specific step-by-step guidance for each day.   That pastor is right. It’s essential for us as Christians to have a purpose, a plan, and focus. The long-term goal for us as Christians is expressed nicely in Matthew 6:33 – it’s to honor God with our lives. Short-term, mid-term, long-term, it should all add up to a life that honors the Lord. The short-term and mid-term specifics will vary greatly from person-to-person depending on dozens of variables such as where we want to live, what kind of work we want to do, what hobbies and activities we enjoy, etc. But all of it should add up to a life that honors the Lord.   For the month of September, we’re going to continue thinking about this great adventure of the Christian life and how important it is to understand our purpose and to stay focused on 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: “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.” Joel 2:25 (NKJV)   Our thought for today: “A hospital for sinners”   In yesterday’s devotional I wrote about the fact that at some time and in some way each of us was a wayward sinner in need of grace, kindness, forgiveness, and a second chance. At many times and in many ways each of us has often needed to be reconciled and restored to God and to others. And, there have been many occasions when each of us has been on the other side of that coin and we have been the ones who needed to extend grace, kindness, forgiveness and a second chance to someone else.   In the Old Testament book of Joel, God was speaking to the people of Israel about their apostasy and the suffering they were bringing on themselves because of it. But then He spoke of a day when they would finally come to their senses and they would come back to the Lord. Then they would be forgiven, reconciled, and restored. In 2:25 God even said that He would help them to regain much of what they had lost because of their years of living in sin.   It’s a great promise and it’s one that I often refer to when I’m working with men in jails, prisons, and rehab centers who have lost much as a result of years of substance abuse. Come back to God and you will find grace, kindness, forgiveness, reconciliation, and a second chance. You will even find that He will help you to begin rebuilding the life you destroyed.   At different times and in different ways we’re all a mess. Not one of us has “arrived.” We’re all a work in progress and we are all in the process of getting better. I’m sure you have heard the old cliché that the church isn’t a country club for saints, it’s a hospital for sinners. That is a cliché but it’s a true one. Church is the place where everyone should be able to come to get well. And more than another sermon about our need to get well (from the preacher or from other Christians), what we really need is a safe place to cry, repent, reconcile, and be restored. Church should be that place.   The local church is a gift from God and the purpose of it is to be that safe place, that shelter from the storms of life where we can go to get well. On this adventure that is the Christian life, it is essential for you as a Christian to be fully involved in the life of a good church.   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: “I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison. Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us.” Philemon 1:10-11 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “Grace, kindness, forgiveness, and second chances”   I love the little letter of Philemon, found near the end of the New Testament. It was written by the Apostle Paul while he was being held as a prisoner in Rome. The recipient, Philemon, was evidently a wealthy landowner or businessman who Paul had led to faith in Christ and discipled. Philemon had a slave by the name of Onesimus who had run away and perhaps even stolen money or something of value from Philemon.   At some point, Onesimus ended up in Rome, encountered Paul, came to faith in Christ, and became a trusted assistant to Paul. Paul then convinced Onesimus that he had to return to his master, Philemon, face the consequences of his actions, and attempt to make things right. The purpose of Paul’s letter was to inform Philemon that Onesimus was now more than just a returning runaway slave, he was a brother in Christ and should be treated accordingly. Paul urged Philemon to deal with Onesimus with grace, kindness, forgiveness, and to give him a second chance.   One of the most heartwarming situations we encounter on this adventure of living the Christian life are the stories of redemption and reconciliation we see all throughout Christianity. Every one of us was at one time a wayward sinner who needed to be forgiven by God and by others. Beyond that, even after salvation, we have all strayed and sinned (against God and others) and therefore we have all needed second, third, and fourth chances.   I love stories about a truly transformed person who has turned his or her life around and who becomes a showcase for the difference Jesus makes in a life. And I also love the other side of the story – the actions of people like Paul and Philemon who extend second chances and who welcome back the runaway slave (or the wayward sinner).   The adventure of living the Christian life is all about second chances. It is a story that is filled with grace, kindness, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Whose forgiveness do you need to seek? And to whom should you be extending 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: “Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.” Romans 12:12 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “How will you choose to deal with it?”   This morning, I want to return us to our thought from yesterday regarding choosing joy. There’s an old saying that is sometimes attributed to Buddha, but which is certainly a Biblical principle too, that “pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.” It means that in this life we will all have painful moments – many times and in many ways, that’s just life. We can’t always choose whether or not we will be hurt, but we can choose how we respond to it. You can give into it and wallow in misery, or you can rise above it and live well in spite of it.   In his book, “The Spartan Way: Eat Better; Train Better; Think Better; Be Better” life coach and personal trainer Joe DeSena wrote, “Life is tough; therefore, you have to be tougher. You cultivate toughness by facing challenges and dealing with them, not by turning away.”   In other words, we must be intentional about facing the difficult times in life and doing what we can to overcome them. That’s what Paul was writing about in Romans 12:12. He was calling for intentionality. You choose to rejoice and to have hope. You choose to be patient as you deal with affliction. You choose to be persistent in prayer. Developing a hopeful, optimistic, and even joyful approach to life is a learned behavior. It is intentionally cultivated by doing it.   How do we do it? By establishing discipline in our life. We do it by developing a pattern of thinking and living that keeps us immersed in positive uplifting influences and which also keeps us active in meaningful ministry activities. Paul addresses the importance of meaningful ministry in the very next verse, “Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality.” Those two thoughts are connected. Verse 12 leads to verse 13. One way to rejoice in hope, and to be patient in affliction and persistent in prayer, is to take your eyes off yourself and serve others.   The way to achieve what Paul described in Romans 12:12 is to do things like pray, read your Bible, faithfully attend church services, listen to uplifting Christian music, surround yourself with encouraging Christian friends, read good Christian books, and take your eyes off yourself and instead serve others in need. Those are intentional actions we decide to engage in and we do so habitually.   The attitude you have while on this great adventure of living the Christian life is your choice. Whether you wallow in misery and despair or move forward in victory and with hope is up to you. Pain is inevitable, it’s just part of life. But how much you suffer from it is largely up to you. It will depend on how you choose to deal with 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: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines; though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls, yet I will celebrate in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! The Lord my Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!” Habakkuk 3:17-19 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Look for the good”   Henri Nouwen was a Dutch Catholic priest who lived in the mid-late 1900s (he died in 1996). Henri was an out-of-the-box priest and sometimes, something of a renegade. For a while he served as a missionary priest among the poorest of the poor in South America. On the other end of the spectrum, he also spent years as a professor of religion at Harvard and he is the author of many very good books about living the Christian life. Henri also spent the last years of his life living and working among developmentally disabled adults.   In his many books Henri revealed that he struggled with doubts about himself, with insecurities, loneliness, sometimes doubts about his faith, and more. He also struggled with depression. However, he was also at the same time an upbeat person who was always finding ways to help and encourage others. Of that seemingly inconsistent struggle between high and low, depressed but upbeat, he once wrote, “In the midst of the sorrows is consolation, in the midst of the darkness is light, in the midst of the despair is hope, in the midst of Babylon is a glimpse of Jerusalem, and in the midst of the army of demons is the consoling angel.”   The adventure of living the Christian life is not a straight and level journey. Instead, it consists of highs and lows, majestic mountaintops bathed in sunlight, and deep dark valleys that are threatening and difficult. Henri’s point was that even in the deepest and darkest valleys of life there is evidence of God’s presence and comfort, and there is the opportunity for joy even in the sadness and despair.   The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk certainly discovered that to be true. Times were tough for him and his fellow Jews. The people were unfaithful to God, the powerful army of Babylon was poised to invade, the Jews were on the edge of disaster, and they knew it. But in 3:17-19 Habakkuk declared that he was going to continue looking to God and trusting Him no matter what – and regardless if others did or not. Habakkuk was determined to find joy and goodness in the sadness and evil.    No matter what you are going through at this point in your life, God is with you and He is faithful. There is good to be found in the bad, there is light in the darkness, and there can be joy in the sorrow. I encourage you to look for 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: “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one now restraining will do so until he is out of the way, and then the lawless one will be revealed.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “You are making a difference”   In recent devotionals I have encouraged you to resolve to simply do the next right thing, and then to keep doing that moment-by-moment, situation-by-situation, day-by-day, and don’t stop doing so. Don’t get discouraged and don’t give up. Your persistence and perseverance are more important and makes more of a difference than you might realize.   In chapter two of 2 Thessalonians the Apostle Paul was writing about the antichrist and the spirit of the antichrist in the world. The antichrist will be an actual person who makes his appearance on the world stage in the end times. But the spirit of the antichrist is the spirit of evil at work in the world. In 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 Paul explains that the spirit of the antichrist is here and is at work in the world, but there is also restraint being applied to that evil spirit. However, at some point in the future the restraint will be removed and then the actual antichrist (the lawless one) will appear.   What Paul is describing in this passage is the truth that the Holy Spirit is now restraining the evil of Satan in the world, and He is doing it through the work and ministry of the followers of Jesus Christ. You have the Holy Spirit living in your heart. He is working in you and through you. As you bless people in the name of Jesus, as you share the Good News of the Gospel with them, as you live by Biblical principles and set a good godly example, the evil of Satan is restrained, pushed back, held back, and often defeated.   The day will come (at the time of the rapture) when the saints of God will be removed from this world and the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit will stop. At that time all hell will literally break loose in the world. But until then, Satan is being opposed and held in check and you and I are the instruments of ministry the Holy Spirit is using to accomplish that.   You are making a meaningful difference right there in your little corner of the world simply by being you and by being faithful. As much as it might seem as if evil is prevailing, that is much less the case than it would be if you were not right there where God has you and where the Holy Spirit is using you.   Just continue being you. Continue doing the next right thing. Live by Biblical principles, bless people, and share the Good News of the Gospel. You are making more of a difference than you realize. Keep at it and don’t give up.    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 not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Do good and don’t give up”   This morning, I want to share with you another great quote from Congressman Dan Crenshaw’s book, “Fortitude”: “One thing that makes for greatness is determination – a willingness to persist in the same direction over the long haul and to stay with it, whatever the cost. Success in life plays out long-term.”   That statement certainly applies to living the Christian life well. Those who grow strong and remain faithful are those who persist in doing the right thing for Jesus, day-in and day-out, regardless of obstacles, opposition, discouragement, or disappointment. This is important because we live in a tough world and the forces of evil are opposed to the spread of the kingdom of God on earth. They opposed Jesus and they oppose His followers too.   The answer for us, every day and in every situation, is to be faithful. Do what you know to be good and right, and keep doing it. That was Paul’s message to his readers in Galatians 6:9 – do good things for the kingdom, don’t let anything stop you. In due season it will make a difference if you refuse to give up.   Pastor and author Eugene Peterson once referred to such an attitude as “A long obedience in the same direction.” What he meant is that our approach to the Christian life must be one of determined persistence. That refers to the basic practices of discipleship like daily quiet time, Bible study, church attendance, etc., we do those things over-and-over again, day after day because it is the right thing to do and we need it. But that attitude also pertains to hanging in there and just doing the right thing, living the right way, day-in and day-out. Don’t stop, don’t get discouraged, don’t give in, and don’t give up.   This too is part of living the great adventure of the Christian life. It’s a life of persistence and perseverance. It is a lifestyle that doesn’t stop and doesn’t give up.   I encourage you to reaffirm your resolve to do good for the cause of Christ. Don’t give in and don’t give up.   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