Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You made it! Now what?”   Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t set foot on the path of the wicked; don’t proceed in the way of the evil ones. Avoid it; don’t travel on it. Turn away from it and pass it by.” Proverbs 4:14-15 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Avoid even the appearance of impropriety”   As we continue to think about the fact that God brought us through 2025 and we now have an entire new year of opportunities before us. As we consider how we can make good choices that lead us to good outcomes, we come to the excellent advice given by King Solomon over three thousand years ago in Proverbs 4:14-15. Please read it again.   Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “It is best to avoid the beginnings of evil.” That’s exactly what Solomon meant in Proverbs 4:14-15. Don’t even start down that path! Even if you think you can get away with it, even if you think nobody will ever know, don’t even start down that path.   I once heard a security expert in a television interview make this statement, “Nowadays every person should assume they are always being watched.” What he meant was that there is surveillance everywhere – even in places we would never expect it to be. We are “alone” and “unobserved” much less frequently than we think we are, and therefore we need to give extra thought to the things we do and say when we believe we are alone and unobserved.   But that’s really nothing new. Our actions have always been under constant observation by God. In Luke 12:2-3 Jesus said, “There is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered, nothing hidden that won’t be made known. Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in an ear in private rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.” The author of the letter to the Hebrews reminded us that we are “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.”   That being the case it should be our desire to always conduct ourselves in such a way that it would not cause us to be embarrassed before people or before God. Now granted, that’s a high bar. None of us is perfect and none of us would be comfortable living under a microscope of constant observation. Being that squeaky clean is virtually impossible. But it’s a good goal to strive for. The desire to be that good is a good attitude to have.   Billy Graham established a personal standard for himself and for his closest associates that in both their public and private lives they needed to strive to “avoid even the appearance of impropriety.” Now again, none of us is perfect (least of all me) (and least of all you), but we should have high standards that we strive to meet – and avoiding even the appearance of anything inappropriate is a pretty good goal to have.     That’s true for all of us. We should strive to conduct ourselves in such a way – in public and in private, that we avoid even the appearance of impropriety.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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 © 2026 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: “You made it! Now what?   Our Bible verse for today: “But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head – Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 4:15 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Never stop learning and growing”   Do you remember Navy Admiral James Stockdale? He was the highest-ranking prisoner of war held by the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. He spent eight years in captivity, four of them in solitary confinement, two of them in leg shackles. He was tortured fifteen times, and he was permanently disabled because of it.   Despite his years of captivity in horrifying conditions, and despite the repeated brutal torture, Admiral Stockdale never gave in to his captors. He also assumed command over the other POWs and served as an inspiration to them. After being released at the end of the war Admiral Stockdale was awarded the Congressional Medal Honor. He also continued his career in the Navy – ultimately being promoted to Three Star Admiral before retiring.   I met Admiral Stockdale in 1996. My old friend Sam Tangredi was assigned to be the Commanding Officer of a ship in San Diego. Sam asked me to attend the change-of-command ceremony as his guest. The guest speaker that day was Admiral Stockdale. Sam’s family had been friends with the Stockdale family as Sam was growing up and so Sam had known Admiral Stockdale for many years. At the reception afterwards, Sam introduced me to the Admiral. I got to shake the great man’s hand and spend a few minutes speaking with him.   Admiral Stockdale wrote in one of his books about four attributes that he had observed in the life of virtually every successful person he had ever known – attributes which in his experience are essential elements in any life lived well. When I read what he wrote, I immediately realized that the Apostle Paul teaches these same lessons in his writings:   1. “A successful person is committed to continual self-improvement in all areas of life. Such a person never stops learning and is always striving to improve.” Admiral Stockdale considered this commitment to continual growth and personal improvement the most important element in a successful life.  (Ephesians 4:15). 2. “A successful person is known for his or her integrity. This is a man or woman who has learned to be honest, trustworthy, and dependable, and they diligently practice those virtues even when doing so isn’t easy.” (2 Timothy 1:13) 3. “A successful person never gives up, especially in the face of adversity, setbacks, and failure”. (Galatians 6:9) 4. “A successful person is willing to be seen as a leader, and they set a good example for others”. (2 Timothy 2:2)  I’ve said it before and I want to repeat it again this morning, “Attitude is everything”. How we think about life, and how we approach it, determines almost everything else about us. But developing a good attitude and the virtues that comprise it is a continual process of learning and growing, of developing and transforming. I encourage you to never stop growing. Make it your goal in life to learn new things every day and to keep improving in all the ways that really matter.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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 © 2026 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: “You made it! Now what?”   Our Bible verse for today: “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Be a person of steel and velvet”   All this month we are considering ways in which we can improve and grow in 2026. 2025 is over. 2026 is a new year filled with new opportunities for growth and change. In recent days we’ve been thinking about cultivating character traits such as boldness, courage, determination, perseverance, and faithfulness. Yesterday I pointed out that since all those attitudes have a strong element of assertiveness to them, it’s important that the whole package be clothed in grace. Today I want to continue that discussion.   Probably my favorite illustration of the kind of person who exemplifies this balance of assertiveness and gentleness comes from a book written by Dr. Aubrey Andelin many years ago entitled, “Man of Steel and Velvet”. Such a person has an inner core of steel (we’re talking about strong convictions and moral stature that is rock solid and unshakeable), but it’s wrapped in an outer covering of velvet. This is a person who is unmovable in terms of integrity, honesty, and firm moral conviction, but at the same time is kind, gentle, compassionate, and merciful.   In the book Dr. Andelin used Abraham Lincoln as his model of such a man – and I believe that to have been a good choice, but I can think of many others who meet that standard as well. Joshua would be one of those. From everything we read about him in the Bible he was a man or rock-solid integrity, firm convictions, strong faith, great courage, and admirable boldness. But he was also fair, kind, and easily approachable. He had an inner core of steel, but it was wrapped in an outer covering of velvet.   When God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9), I believe He was talking about more than just physical strength and courage. I think that command also applies to moral strength and courage. First, it does involve strength of character and the courage to stand up for what you believe to be right and to weather the storms of adversity for the sake of righteousness and justice. I believe Joshua was that man. This was the inner core of steel.   But then we see the other side of his personality, the outer covering of velvet, when at the end of his life he challenged the nation of Israel to consider the example he had set in his own family. In Joshua 24:15 he challenged the people with the statement, “As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”   That right there gives us a glimpse of the other side of Joshua. He was a man of great faith, a man who prayed and who led his family in the ways of the Lord. It shows us a man who obviously loved his wife, children, and grandchildren and was therefore the husband, father, and grandfather they needed him to be.   The concept of steel and velvet applies to all people – men and women alike. It’s an overall approach to life that we can all aspire to and work to cultivate. I encourage you to be strong and courageous but also be kind and merciful – an inner core of steel wrapped in an outer covering of velvet.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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 © 2026 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: “You made! Now what?”   Our Bible verse for today: “You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:1 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Be Gracious”   All this month we are exploring ideas and suggestions that can help us to live a fuller, better, more productive life in 2026 than we did in 2025. We should always be striving for growth and improvement. We should never just be putting in time in life, meandering through our days without focus and purpose. You made it to the end of 2025 and now God has granted you a new year filled with untold opportunities. What will you do with it?   Already this month we’ve given some thought to the advice the Apostle Paul gave to his young protégé Timothy in the letters first and second Timothy. You may remember that Timothy was a young man who had been trained by Paul to be an evangelist, church planter, church fixer, and a pastor. It was hard work and Timothy often found himself discouraged and sometimes doubtful. The letters Paul wrote were filled with advice and encouragement about how to survive and thrive in difficult circumstances – and so much of it had to do with maintaining a good attitude and not giving up.   We’ve learned from the advice Paul gave to Timothy that some of the character traits that comprise a good attitude include boldness, courage, perseverance, and faithfulness. We saw these same attributes modeled for us in yesterday’s devotional when we considered the example of Caleb who, at the ripe old age of eighty-five, was still fired up and ready for whatever life brought next. Today we’ll consider the attribute of graciousness.   In 2 Timothy 2:1 Paul urged Timothy to be strong in grace. He was referring to the grace that is found in a personal relationship with Christ Jesus. Not only do we experience grace from Christ, but we are also to be dispensers of the grace of Christ. A gracious spirit should be a prominent aspect of our Christian character.   To be gracious means to be characterized by kindness, warmth, courtesy, tact, mercy, and compassion. This becomes especially important if you are also in the process of cultivating the other character traits we’ve considered such as boldness, courage, and even the feistiness of old Caleb. Those character traits are all important and needed, but if they’re not clothed in grace then such a person can easily become arrogant, obnoxious, rude, and even hurtful. It’s good to be bold and courageous and even feisty – if it’s wrapped up in kindness, warmth, courtesy, tact, mercy, and compassion.   Billy Graham was bold, but he was also very gracious. Mother Teresa was bold, but she was also gracious. President Ronald Reagan was bold, but he was gracious. This needs to describe us too.   We’re going to explore this idea a little further tomorrow as we discuss the concept of “Steel and Velvet”. In the meantime, please be gracious.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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 © 2026 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: “You made it! Now what?   Our Bible verse for today: “Here I am today, 85 years old. I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks is now as it was then.” Joshua 14:11 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Be like Caleb”   Caleb is one of my Old Testament heroes and the guy I want to be like. He was the lifelong buddy of Joshua and as a young man he was one of the twelve spies Moses sent out in Numbers Chapter thirteen to scope-out the Promised Land. But unlike the ten girly-men who came back whimpering and whining about giants and fortified cities and big hairy scary potential problems, Caleb, along with Joshua, came back fired-up and ready to charge forward in the name of the Lord.   If you read the passage in Joshua chapter fourteen you will find that after the other ten told their sad story of doom and gloom, Caleb stood up and attempted to quiet and calm the now disturbed Jews. In Numbers 13:30 we read, “Then Caleb quieted the people in the presence of Moses and said, ‘We must go up and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it!”   But you know the rest of the story. The people didn’t listen to Caleb, and they did not trust the Lord. So, they ended up wandering in the wilderness for forty years and most of them didn’t survive to enter the Promised Land.   But Caleb did. Not only did he survive the forty years of wandering in the desert – he thrived. Now, here in Joshua 14:11, we find him a vigorous and spunky eighty-five-years old. He was in the process of receiving his inheritance in the Promised Land and he was still ready to kick butt and take names.   I want to be Caleb! I want to be eighty-five and still kayaking, hiking, riding motorcycles, and going to the gym. I want to stay healthy, and strong, and vigorous right up until the end. At eighty-five Caleb was probably still taking the rambunctious young guys out behind the woodshed for a talking-to and a little corrective therapy. I want to be like that.   But staying strong, healthy, and vigorous doesn’t happen by accident. It requires the right attitude. It requires positive thinking, daily discipline, vision for the future, and living a life that God can and will bless. And it requires never giving up. Caleb didn’t give up. He hung in there. He walked through forty years of tough times. He obviously never lost his faith in God or in himself. And he must have been very determined to persevere. That needs to be true of us too.   Regardless of your age it’s important to take good care of yourself. It’s true that as we age our physical abilities decline and therefore our activities must be adjusted. But it’s also true that far too many people use advancing age as an excuse, and they end up doing far less than they are capable of. Many of them end up just sitting around waiting to die. I urge you not to do that. Live life – really live it – to the fullest. Have a goal for 2026 to be in the best shape you can be in at this stage of life. Do the things necessary to stay as healthy as you can for as long as you can.   Caleb embraced every day of life with vigor, determination, and enthusiasm. He made the most of every day the Lord granted him.   Be like Caleb.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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 © 2026 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: “You made it! Now what?   Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.” Proverbs 9:8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Don’t stay wrong”   So, 2025 is over. You made it through it. 2026 is a whole new year filled with opportunities for growth and achievement. What will you do with it? If you aren’t intentional and focused, you will just wander through the days of the year without purpose and probably not achieving much that matters.   In this month of daily devotional messages, I’m encouraging all of us to consider ways in which we can change and be better; ways in which we can grow and improve. But often we’re blind to our own faults. Too often we can’t see about ourselves that which is obvious to others. In such cases are you open to being corrected?   It’s a good question. Are you spiritually mature enough to admit when you are wrong and to accept correction? Many people aren’t. It takes a good measure of humility. Spiritually immature people often let their pride get in the way and they refuse to admit they are wrong and they resent words of correction.   The fact is that nobody is infallible. We are all wrong sometimes. The question isn’t if you will be wrong about some things sometimes, the question is are you a big enough person to admit you were wrong and to be grateful that someone cared enough to talk to you about it?   In Proverbs 9:8 King Solomon observed that a small-minded and spiritually immature person will resent the implication that they are wrong and they will be angry at you for attempting to correct them. But a wise person will immediately recognize their error, admit it, and be grateful to you for caring and for having the courage to talk to them about it.   There is no shame in being wrong. But there is shame in staying wrong. And the longer you stay wrong the more damage your error is likely to cause. Arguments drag on when they could have been resolved; relationships remain broken when they could have been healed; jobs are lost, ministries are harmed, resentment and bitterness take root; and all because stubborn people don’t have the spiritual maturity and strength of character to admit they are wrong. Additionally, bad habits and destructive behaviors that need to be corrected are often not.     One of the greatest things that can happen to any of us is to grow in spiritual maturity to the point that we are able to admit when we are wrong and to gracefully accept correction. Perhaps one of your goals for 2026 should be to ask God to help you become more open to allowing others to speak truth into your life.   There is no shame in being wrong. But there is shame in staying wrong.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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 © 2026 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: “You made it! Now what?”   Our Bible verse for today: ““Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any praise – dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (HCSB)   Our thought for today: “Don’t stop talking to yourself”   Thank you for your patience over these last ten days while I have been on a mission trip to Moldova. And thank you for your faithful prayers for our team. It was a very successful mission trip. If you would like to hear about it, I will be preaching about the trip and showing some pictures next Sunday at Oak Hill Baptist Church. Join us in-person or online at www.youtube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville.     This month we are still thankfully rejoicing that we made it to 2026, and we are considering the question, now that we have made it, what are we going to do with it? As I taught in my New Years sermon (available on our YouTube channel), time is a gift from God, and we only have so much of it. We must be good stewards of the time He has granted us, and we must be intentional about using it well. The devotionals this month consist of suggestions about how we can make the most of the time and opportunities the Lord will give us this year, and today I want to discuss the very important subject of self-talk and the impact it has on how we think and act.   Do you talk to yourself? Of course you do. We all do. Some of the best conversations I have are the ones I have with myself. So, the question isn’t if you talk to yourself, but rather what do you talk to yourself about? In our minds we often have a tape playing of thoughts and ideas – many of which play over-and-over again in your head. They end up penetrating deeply into your subconscious mind thereby becoming key factors in determining who you are and what kind of personality you have. A negative soundtrack will produce negative results, and a positive one will produce positive results.   Self-talk is one of the most important determining factors regarding our sense of self-worth. It also goes a long way in determining what your attitude about life in general will be. That being the case, self-talk can help us or it can hurt us; it can build us up and help us to be happy and successful, or it can tear us down, keeping us depressed and discouraged.   One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received in this regard was “Talk to yourself like a coach.” What does that mean? Consider the relationship between an athlete in training and his or her coach. The coach is constantly talking to the athlete – guiding, correcting, encouraging, exhorting, but always in a way that’s designed to help the athlete to keep getting better. We need to talk to ourselves like that. We need to make the voice in our head the coach we need who will help us stay positive and uplifted, moving in the right direction. We do that by following Paul’s advice in Philippians 4:8. We fill our mind with good, positive, uplifting, and encouraging thoughts and then we play that tape over-and-over again.   How we talk to ourselves is simply a matter of habit. And like any other habit, a bad one can be stopped, and a good one can be learned. It just takes time, effort, and disciplined practice. That’s true whether you’re training yourself to run a marathon, bench press 300 pounds, chew with your mouth closed, or stop leaving the toilet seat up. Through effort and practice you can change. Bad habits can be broken, and they can be replaced by new good habits – and that includes how we talk to ourselves.   So, don’t stop talking to yourself, just change what you’re saying.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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 © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good evening everyone,   I am sending this daily devotional to you on Tuesday evening for Wednesday morning because I must leave very early Wednesday morning on a mission trip to Moldova. I will tell you more about it below.   Our theme for this month: “You made it! Now what?”   Our Bible verse for today: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23   Our thought for today: “Be Faithful (please pray for us)”   When we think about the character trait of faithfulness probably the first thing most of us think of is our determination to be faithful to God. We resolve to believe in Him and to trust in Him no matter what. For those of us who are married the concept of faithfulness also reminds us of our commitment to remain faithful to our spouse.   But the practice of faithfulness should extend to all of life. It should be a character trait we want to develop and nurture. Therefore, as we continue to consider how we are going to live in 2026, let’s think about the important virtue of faithfulness.   When we are a faithful person, we will be faithful to God and to our spouse, but also to others and to ourselves. We will be a man or woman of our word. We will say what we mean, mean what we say, and then do what we promise we will do. Therefore, other people can count on us to be dependable. Beyond that, we can count on ourselves to be dependable. Not only can others count on you, but you can count on you.   Faithfulness is such an important character trait that Paul includes it as part of the “Fruit of the Spirit” which God develops in the life of a committed follower of Jesus Christ. The more spiritually mature a person is, the more faithful that person will be – in all areas of life.   I have intentionally addressed this issue of faithfulness today because it’s directly connected to the issue addressed in the devotional from yesterday regarding the bad practice of excuse-making and procrastination. Faithful people don’t make excuses and procrastinate. They just get things done. They make a commitment (to God or to others or to themselves), and then they just start walking it out until the commitment is fulfilled.   Recently I have been presented with the opportunity to travel and serve with a group of exceptionally faithful and dedicated men. Each January since the war in Ukraine started, these six men have gone to the refugee camps along the Ukrainian border to bring relief supplies, medical care, and the gospel to displaced refuges. At great personal expense of time, effort, and money, and while incurring some risk, this small group of men have been faithful in their dedication to serve the innocent refugees of this unjust war. This year they have invited me to go with them.   This morning, I will fly to Washington D.C. to meet up with the rest of the group. We will then fly together to Eastern Europe, and on to Moldova. We will then be driven to the region where many refugees have congregated, and we will spend a week providing humanitarian relief and spiritual nurture.   I am personally challenged by the faithfulness my brothers have shown for this task year after year, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to join them this year. Therefore, this will be the last daily devotional message you will receive from me until I am back in the USA on Monday January 19th. Until then, I ask you to pray for our team. Please pray for safe travel, no missed flights, and no lost luggage. Please also pray for our safety and for the effectiveness of our ministry. Finally, please also pray for the innocent victims of this war and that the war will end soon and the people will be able to return to their homes.   Thank you in advance for your faithful prayers for our mission. I encourage all of us to resolve to make faithfulness a key component of our walk with Jesus throughout the coming year.   God bless, Pastor Jim     (If you like what you are 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 © 2026 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: “You made it! Now what?   Our Bible verse for today: ““Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Just do it”     As we continue to think about bringing a better attitude with us into this New Year, I’m reminded of the words of Yoda who famously told Luke Skywalker, “There is no try, there is only do.” The emphasis is on the doing. Talking about doing something isn’t good enough. Even “trying” is only okay if that’s just the starting point. What matters is to keep trying until you do it. Years ago, the clothing and shoe company Nike had a slogan “Just do it!”  That’s good advice.   Many of us talk a good game. We have the best of intentions, and we fully intend to accomplish the thing someday – just not today. Unfortunately, if we’re in the habit of making excuses and procrastinating, then there will always be an excuse and “someday” will never come. And so, we need to “Just do it!”   One of the best strategies for just doing it is called “segmenting”. Segmenting is when we break down a goal or objective into smaller, easily managed pieces. Then we simply focus on accomplishing the smaller and easier part that we have before us right now, rather than focusing on the end objective. I once read a great illustration of segmenting in the book “Resilience” by Eric Greitens. He used the example of a deeply depressed person trying to get out of bed:   “A person with severe depression might find it overwhelming to get out of bed in the morning. So, don’t do it. You don’t have to. You don’t have to get out of bed if it’s overwhelming. But you do have to ask yourself, Can I move my toes? Yes. Then do it. Can I move my fingers? Yes. Then do it. Can I open my eyes? Yes. Can I take a deep breath? Yes. Can I put one leg over the side of the bed? Yes. Can I put another leg over the side of the bed? Can I put some weight on my heels? You’re out of bed.”   Segmenting works! Whether you’re simply trying to get out of bed, lose 50 pounds, or earn a college degree, break it down into smaller easily managed parts and then go forward one easy step at a time. Do enough of that and before long you will find yourself out of bed, or 50 pounds lighter, or crossing the stage to receive your diploma. Simple tasks offer fewer excuses. The more complicated you make something the more excuses you can create for not doing it. So, make it simple and then just do that – one easy step at a time.   So, don’t procrastinate. Don’t make excuses. Do something! Like Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:13 – ready your mind for action. Decide that you are going to do something and then do it. Excuses and procrastination are killers. They hold us back from ever achieving our dreams or making meaningful progress in life. The truth is that there is always something you can do to make your situation a little bit better than it is. So, just do it.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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 © 2026 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: “You made it! Now what?   Our Bible verse for today: “On a snowy day, he chased a lion into a pit and killed it.” 2 Samuel 23:20 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “Chase the lion”   This morning, I want to build on the devotional thought we have been developing over the last several days about starting this new year with the right attitude. Yesterday we considered the importance of approaching all of life with a spirit of boldness, confidence, and courage. That reminded me of a book written by Mark Batterson entitled, “Chase the Lion”.   The book is based on the passage from 2 Samuel 23:20 where we read about the man Benaiah, who was one of King David’s mighty men. Benaiah was known primarily for the fact that he chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day and then killed it. The way the story reads however, is that he didn’t just do battle with a lion and kill it, but instead he chased after the lion, drove it into a pit, then jumped into the pit after it, fought it, and then killed it. It was a very impressive act of bravery and skill.   Mark’s book is all about leading a life of boldness and courage. The lessons in it are inspired by the example of Benaiah. Let me share a quote from the book that will help you to gain a glimpse of the kind of lessons we can learn from Benaiah’s example. In the introduction Mark writes:   “Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-sized passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Stop pointing out problems. Become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past. Start creating the future. Face your fears. Fight for your dreams!” It’s a great little book and I recommend it to you.   As we learned in yesterday’s devotional message based on Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 1:7, we are not to approach any situation in life with a spirit of fear or timidity. Instead, we are to embrace the spirit of courage and boldness provided to us by God. That then must be our mindset as we go forward to engage the issues of life.   Far too often we let fear and doubt hold us back. We run away from challenges instead of towards them; we sacrifice our dreams – and even our destiny, on the altar of fear and doubt; we make excuses and we procrastinate. That simply should not be. That’s not the life God has called us to.   I encourage you to be bold rather than timid, courageous rather than fearful. Chase that lion rather than running away from it. It’s a well-proven truth that our problems and challenges become smaller when we do something about them.     God bless, Pastor Jim     (If you like what you are 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 © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571