Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Take care of yourself”   Our Bible verse for today: “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “He is always with you”   Loneliness is a problem of epidemic proportions in America, and it is getting worse. Study after study reveals that across age groups, and despite living in a society that is highly connected in a digital manner, more and more people feel lonely and isolated. In terms of mental and emotional health, loneliness has significant negative impacts.   This morning, I want to continue our thinking from yesterday regarding the importance of reminding ourselves about how God feels about us. God doesn’t want you to feel lonely or alone. God loves you so much that there is never a time when He is not with you. That is the promise Jesus gave us in Hebrews 13:5. He will never abandon you. He will never leave you. There will never be a time when He is not with you. Therefore, you are never really alone – even if you think you are and even if you feel lonely. Jesus is always there.   But what if it doesn’t feel like He is there? What if you believe the truth of Hebrews 13:5 but you still feel lonely? Genuine heartfelt prayer should be our first go-to response to that. Talk to God and tell Him how lonely you feel. Ask Him to give you an increased awareness of His presence with you. Then go to the Bible. Do a search for all the verses and passages that assure us of God’s presence and comfort (you can even Google it and instantly have a list of over one hundred verses.) Spend some time slowly reading them and thinking about them.   But another important way God makes His presence known to us, and thereby provides relief from the sense of loneliness, is through other Christians. The Holy Spirit works in us and through us to manifest the presence of God to each other. In short, we are a blessing, comfort, and encouragement to each other. So, when you are struggling with a sense of loneliness, reach out to other Christians. Go to church. Attend fellowship events. Participate is group ministry activities. The more time you spend with other Christians who are committed disciples of Jesus, the more you will experience the presence of Jesus through them. Then, you will have both their company and a renewed awareness of the presence of Jesus as well.   Jesus is always with you, and He will make His presence known to you. Seek Him. He will be there for you.   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: “Take care of yourself”   Our Bible verse for today: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” Jeremiah 31:3 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “What are you telling yourself about yourself?”   This morning, I want to continue our thinking from yesterday regarding the fact that the most important conversation you have is the one you have with yourself about yourself. The storyline in your head, the one you repeat over-and-over again about yourself, becomes what you believe to be true about yourself. And for many of us, that’s not a pretty picture. We are our own harshest critics.   But the actual truth about you is not revealed by what you think about yourself, it is revealed by what God thinks of you. And the fact is, that God loves you. He really, really loves you. Even more than that, He likes you too.   Jeremiah 31:3 is an important verse of Scripture that was spoken originally to the people of Israel but it applies equally to us. You are deeply loved by God and it is essential to remember that. But is that the refrain playing in your head, “I am loved by God, I am loved by God, I am loved by God …”? Do you believe that you are so special in God’s eyes that His heart is warmed by the thought of you? Many people struggle with that truth.   Good self-care, self-care that enhances our emotional health, involves rehearsing over-and-over again the important positive affirmations of what God says is true about us. This is critically important because a poor self-image is very destructive.   Psalm 139:13-16 says that God lovingly knit you together in your mother’s womb. Romans 8:1 says that there is no condemnation for you because you are “in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that God sees you as a new creation. Ephesians 2:10 in the NLT says that you are God’s masterpiece.1 John 3:1 says that God loves you so much that He calls you His child.  Psalm 139:17 says that God’s thoughts about you are precious and beyond number. 1 Peter 2:9 says that you are part of His royal priesthood. John 14:1-3 says that Jesus is preparing a special place in heaven just for you. And that is just a small sampling of the verses and passages which assure you of what a special person you are to God.   So, which storyline about yourself are you going to believe, the distorted one you are telling yourself or the one God is telling you through the Bible? I encourage you to read all the positive things God has said about you in the Bible and make that the story you tell yourself 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

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Take care of yourself”   Our Bible verse for today: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Make sure the story is a positive one”   It has often been said that the most important conversation you have is the one you have with yourself. Personally, I believe that is true.   Author Katherine Wolf had a helpful insight about this in her book “Treasures in the Dark.” You may remember from the previous couple of devotionals in this series that Katherine was an up-and-coming Hollywood actress and a glamorous model until she had a brainstem stroke at the age of twenty-six. It wasn’t long before she realized that she had to redefine, in her own head, what it was she believed to be true about herself now. She realized that her self-talk – the storyline playing in her head, was vitally important. Here’s what she wrote about that:   “We’re all historians narrating the story of us to us, but the amazing thing is we have the option to redefine the hard parts of our stories. When we cling to the tragic details and most depressing plotlines of our lives, our brains expect tragedy and depression in the pages to come. But when we choose to narrate our stories with complex beauty, nuanced grace, and constant gratitude, our brains can begin to anticipate goodness ahead. Re-narrating doesn’t erase the bad stuff, but it does reveal our uniquely human capacity to find hope in every chapter.”   In Proverbs 4:23 Solomon cautions us to guard our hearts because it is the wellspring of life. In Biblical terms, the heart is not the muscle that pumps blood throughout your body. It is the center of your true person. It is where spirit, soul, and conscious thought all merge to form your inner person. A wellspring is the original and bountiful source of something. It is the source from which all else flows. Solomon says your heart is the wellspring of life and therefore you must diligently guard what is in that wellspring. Well, the storyline in your head feeds your heart and will therefore determine what you believe to be true about yourself.   Katherine Wolf was not suggesting that we disregard our difficulties or pretend they don’t exist. She could hardly do that with the harsh reality of her situation. But we can change how we think about our circumstances and therefore feed our wellspring, our heart, with a positive narrative.   We will think more about this tomorrow. For today, for the sake of your emotional health, work on changing the conversation you are having with yourself about yourself. Make sure the story is a positive one.   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: “Take care of yourself”   Our Bible verse for today: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.’ … For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9;10 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Different but still good”   This morning, I want to return us to our thought from yesterday regarding embracing what is instead of lamenting what isn’t. We learned from author Katherine Wolf’s personal example that many times our trials in life bring changes that are irreversible and which we must therefore accept and deal with. We also learned that out of the bad, God can and does bring new things that are good.   In Katherine’s case, after her stroke she was no longer a Hollywood actress and a glamorous fashion model. Those days were gone. But out of her new reality God gave her a new rich life of writing, speaking, teaching, and (wait for it), modeling. She has been featured on magazine covers and in picture spreads designed to inspire and encourage those struggling with disabling conditions.     In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 the Apostle Paul was referring to himself. He evidently had a series of physically disabling conditions that could have been viewed as limiting. It’s not clear what those were but Bible scholars believe it was poor eyesight and a speech impediment. And yet, Paul went on to be the greatest evangelist and church planter in the history of Christianity and he wrote almost two-thirds of the New Testament. God used Paul’s apparent weaknesses and turned them into strengths – just like he did for Katherine.   The fact is that nothing ever stays the same. Time passes, things change, and life goes on. Your life today is a little different than it was yesterday, and last week, last month, and last year. Your life tomorrow, and next week, next month, and next year will be different than it is today. Nothing ever really stays the same. But God is always the God who wrote the promise of Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you – this is the Lord’s declaration – plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”   This is an important understanding for your mental, emotional, and spiritual health. As time passes things will happen and circumstances will change, and oftentimes those changes will be challenging. That’s just life. Your life will be different, but it can still be good. God wants it to be 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: “Take care of yourself”   Our Bible verse for today: “Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Embrace what is, rather than lamenting what isn’t”   Recently a friend recommended a great little devotional book which I bought and am being blessed by. The title is “Treasures in the Dark: 90 reflections on finding bright hope in the hurting” by Katherine Wolf.   In her twenties, Katherine was a Hollywood actress and a model. She was beautiful, elegant, articulate, and confident. Then, at the age of only twenty-six, she suffered a brain stem stroke that came very close to taking her life. She lived, but only after spending months in a medically induced coma. Then, she endured years of rehabilitation and multiple surgeries. But despite the rehab and surgeries, Katherine remains severely disabled. Her face is twisted, her speech is impaired, she relies on a wheelchair for mobility, and she requires a lot of assistance for daily life tasks that the rest of us take for granted.   It shouldn’t surprise us that Katherine went through a period of depression and questioning God as she tried to come to terms with her knew reality. But God helped her to see that He had a new life for her that could be beautiful and productive despite her infirmities. A guiding life verse that emerged for her out of this trial is Isaiah 45:3, “And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness – secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.”   That’s what her devotional book is all about – finding those treasures from God that are there in the darkness of her trial. Katherine realized that if she handled her trial well, God could use her to inspire and encourage others. So, she and her husband developed a ministry designed to do exactly that. She has written books, spoken at conferences and workshops, and even started a family camp for those dealing with significant trials called “Hope Heals Camp”   Too often we allow our trials and losses to define us, and we waste years of our lives looking backwards and wishing things were as they used to be. But the truth is that the past is past and often cannot be retrieved. So, it is a waste of time and emotional energy to excessively focus on what used to be.   Whether our dark trial came to us because of a medical issue, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a financial setback, or any of life’s other many trials and tribulations, instead of lamenting what was, we must embrace what is, and then seek out God’s treasures in what seems to be the darkness of our present trial. Romans 8:28 is still true, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”   Achieving and maintaining good emotional health despite difficult trials requires us to embrace what is rather than what was, and focus on moving forward in life. We will think more about this in the days to come.   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: “Take care of yourself”   Our Bible verse for today: “I have had enough! Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers. Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree.” 1 Kings 19:4-5 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Feeling like Elijah (after he rested)”   If’ you’re familiar with the story of Elijah in 1 Kings chapters 18 and 19, then you know that in chapter 18 Elijah engaged in a great ministry battle with 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Literally, it was 450 against 1, and Elijah won. (Well, it was 450 against 1 + God, so Elijah did have a little help.) But just the same, it was a tremendous spiritual battle and a great victory for Elijah and for God.   But as the story unfolds from there, we find that Elijah was physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually drained and as a result, his follow-on ministry after that great victory was not so good. Read about it in 1 Kings 19. Long story short, Elijah melts down and runs away from everyone and everything and he ends up in a cave in the desert. An angel of the Lord then appeared to him and made him sleep and eat. Then, rested and refreshed, Elijah had a very special encounter with God which fired him up and prepared him to get on with his ministry. The entire episode proves once again that sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is to take a nap!   Fortunately, my story is a little less dramatic than Elijah’s. For one thing, I did not do battle with 450 prophets of Baal, nor did I have a spiritual victory of Biblical proportions – but I also didn’t melt down and run away to a cave in the desert. Instead, I just went away on a two-week family vacation. Now I am back and yes, I do feel a little like Elijah after-the-fact in that I am renewed and refreshed and ready to get back to work.   I hope you have allowed yourself some downtime recently, or you plan to do so soon. We all need to do that periodically. Sometimes we are reluctant to take that time because we have the mistaken belief that we will miss too much, or that the world will stop turning without our active participation. But the fact is (as I discovered), the world will go on just fine without us while we are resting, and we will actually be more effective carrying out our role in it once we are well-rested again.   Thank you for your patience over these last two weeks while there have been no daily devotional messages from me. For the rest of this month, we will continue exploring this subject of taking better care of ourselves.   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: “Take care of yourself”   Our Bible verse for today: “So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “I’m going to follow my own advice”   Recently a friend commented about how personal many of my daily devotionals are. What she meant is that I tend to be somewhat transparent in my writing of them and I often include examples from my personal life. I explained that for me writing is therapeutic and therefore I have always had the habit of writing about my thoughts, feelings, and experiences – usually in my private journal.   Originally, I wrote these daily devotionals for myself and God only. It wasn’t until thirteen years ago that I began sharing them with others via email reader groups, Facebook, and on the church website. But almost always, these devotionals pertain to things that I’m personally working through with God, and then I share those lessons with you hoping that you might find them helpful too.   For the month of June our theme has been “Take care of yourself.” It is a topic that’s important to me personally, for myself, but I also care very much about all of you and I want you to take good care of yourselves too. However, my advice carries much less weight if I don’t practice what I preach, and since an important part of taking good care of ourselves involves sometimes putting work aside and completely shutting down, I need to do that sometimes too.   Today I will begin two weeks of family vacation. And so, I will be turning off and shutting down in terms of ministry, and that will include these daily devotional messages. This will be the last one for a couple of weeks. The next daily devotional should appear in your inbox or Facebook newsfeed on Monday July 15th.   Rest and relaxation are an important part of maintaining a healthy balance in life. The great writer T.S. Eliot once observed that, “Time you enjoyed wasting is not wasted time.” In other words, if you come out of it rested, renewed, and refreshed, then it was time well-spent, not wasted time. I’m going to do that now, and I encourage you to make plans for your own rest soon as well. It will be time well-spent.   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: “Take care of yourself”   Our Bible verse for today: “On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.” Genesis 2:2 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Sabbath rest and Sabbath thinking”   I love the idea of “Sabbath rest” and “Sabbath thinking.” Sabbath rest is what God calls us to do on the sabbath – to worship and then to rest. It is a time of renewal and there should be one day out of our week set aside specifically for it. Worship can of course happen anywhere, at any time, and in many forms, but is most common when we gather in our churches on Sunday. Rest is when we cease from work and other strenuous activity for the sake of renewal and rejuvenation. Sabbath rest should be restorative and nurturing.   Sabbath thinking is applying the concept of sabbath rest to all of life, not just to one day out of the week. One of my favorite definitions of sabbath thinking reads like this: “Sabbath thinking includes intentionally rejecting that which drains you and embracing that which gives life.” Sabbath thinking leads us to reject people and things which drain us, and instead we fill our lives with the people and things that enrich and renew us.   Resting, being restful, and maintaining a rested and un-anxious mindset is something I’m trying to get better at. I’m a doer by nature. I go from early in the morning till late at night, day after day, and I often wear myself out. Being intentional about sabbath rest and sabbath thinking helps me maintain a better balance in life.   Sabbath Rest and sabbath thinking is a crucial part of staying healthy and balanced. I encourage you to incorporate both sabbath rest and sabbath thinking into the regular rhythm of your 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: “Take care of yourself”   Our Bible verse for today: “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts … Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where happiness is found … Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.” Psalm 119:1-2; 35; 50   Our thought for today: “A life centered around the Word of God”   I love Psalm 119. It is the longest chapter in the Bible and it is all about the Bible. The Psalm consists of 176 verses, all of which attest to the wonder, splendor, and beauty of God’s Word. Even more than that, the Psalmist stresses, over-and-over again, how essential it is for a wise person to center their life around the Word of God.   Many years ago, the ministry Campus Crusade for Christ published a popular evangelistic tract known as “The 4 Spiritual Laws”. To illustrate the difference between a life centered around God and one that is not, they showed two pictures of two thrones. In each case the throne represented the center of a person’s heart, and everything around the throne represented all the circumstances, issues, activities, and priorities, that make up that person’s life.   In one picture, self is on the throne and all around the throne is a chaotic and disordered blizzard of circumstances, issues, activities, and priorities. It’s a mess. In the other picture, Christ is on the throne in that person’s heart and everything else around the throne is in perfect alignment – orderly and properly organized, all pointed towards the throne. It is a beautiful illustration of a life that is in correct balance and alignment.   That is what a Biblical worldview achieves for us. When Jesus is on the throne of our heart, and we compare everything we are seeing and hearing in the world to the truth of God’s Word, and then making our decisions in accordance with the Bible, our lives will be balanced and properly aligned in the best possible way. This is what the Psalmist meant when he wrote in verse 105, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”   When the Word of God is your guide, it makes a difference in how you think, speak, and act. It makes a difference in your perspective, in your emotional condition, and in your spiritual health. You will be calmer, less stressed, more certain of your decisions, and you will have a better outlook on life in general. In short, your quality of life will be much better.   I encourage you to keep your life centered around the Word of God.   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: “Take care of yourself”   Our Bible verse for today: “In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content – whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:12-13 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Attitude is everything”   I recently read a great book with the title, “How the Best Did It: Leadership Lessons from Our Top Presidents” by Talmage Boston. The book explores the character traits and leadership strategies that made our eight greatest Presidents so successful. The great eight, as rated by presidential historians (listed chronologically not by ranking) are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan.   The one I want to comment on this morning is Franklin Roosevelt. Although FDR is considered to have had many outstanding traits that helped to make him a great president, the one that stands out the most is his amazing ability to push through personal adversity and his refusal to be defeated by it. Most of you probably know that during the entire thirteen years of his presidency FDR had polio and was very disabled by it. He wore heavy metal braces on both legs, he could not walk or stand without assistance, he spent most of his time in a wheelchair, and he lived with almost constant pain.   But despite that, his bright countenance, good humor, strong work ethic, and his unfailing optimism was legendary. Roosevelt never gave-up and he never gave-in. Boston writes, “FDR projected himself to the world as a robust, eternally optimistic, and cheerful man – always smiling, eyes sparkling, cigarette holder tilted upward – a man who gave every appearance of having the world by the tail.” Boston goes on, “… he stayed in a mode of beaming his contagious optimism while fearlessly taking on the challenge of turning the country around from the Great Depression and then leading it in World War II.” “What he had was a serene sense of himself that polio count not diminish.” In other words, FDR refused to let polio defeat him and he always kept a smile on his face.   The Apostle Paul conveys a similar courageous resolve in Philippians 4:11-13. Paul wrote those words as an old man, in prison, facing execution for his faith. The entire letter of Philippians is one of great joy and optimism, despite the author’s desperate personal circumstances.   When it comes to living our best life, attitude is everything. Circumstances will wax and wane, we will have good days and bad, hard times and easy times. But a solid faith in Jesus and an optimistic attitude can carry us through the worst of times.   Whatever it is you are facing today, I encourage you to face it with faith, courage, and optimism. A good attitude will carry you through and beyond even the worst of circumstances.   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