Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Take care of yourself”   Our Bible verse for today: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42:1-2 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “You probably need it and don’t even know it”   Usually when we think about “taking care of ourselves” our thoughts turn to diet, exercise, and getting enough sleep (and those physical aspects of good self-care are vitally important). But as we have been learning, taking proper care of ourselves mentally, emotionally, and spiritually is vitally important too. We are body, soul, and spirit, and it’s all connected.   One of the most important and helpful things we can do to take proper care of ourselves mentally, emotionally, and spiritually is to regularly create circumstances when we are relieved of all the pressure of life and there are no responsibilities or expectations. The object is to simply rest and relax. Taking the pressure off like that is an essential element in good health.   For many years I have worked primarily from my office here at home. I did that so I could both work and take care of my wife Linda at the same time. Being close to her all day made it possible for me to stay aware of her needs and to be there when she needed me. However, not only was I paying attention to her, but she was also paying attention to me. She was always very protective of me and she paid attention to how long I was working, and under how much pressure. She would usually realize I needed a break even before I realized it, and she wouldn’t hesitate to tell me so. I was always a better pastor after stepping away from the work for a while and Linda was often the one who urged me to give it a break. Sometimes those close to us are more aware of our condition than we are.   Likewise, Linda was the one who planned our vacations, and she always chose locations where she knew I would be most likely to turn off the phone, put the laptop away, and truly relax – with no responsibilities and no expectations.   In Psalm 42:1-2 the psalmist paints a picture of a person who is soul-weary and in desperate need of not just a break, but for a time of relief being refreshed by God. Very often, that describes each one of us and many times we don’t even know it (or we do know it but we push it aside and just keep going anyway.)   It’s essential for our mental, emotional, and spiritual health that we periodically unplug and relax – removing ourselves from all responsibilities and expectations, and simply allowing the Holy Spirit to minister to our weary soul. When is the last time you gave yourself that kind of a break? You might need it and not even know 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: “Take care of yourself”   Our Bible verse for today: “He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.’ For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.” Mark 6:31-32 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Protect yourself from burnout”   I love the scene in J.R.R. Tolkien’s series “The Lord of the Rings,” where Frodo and his companions are on a long trip through dangerous territory and they are exhausted. Finally, they come upon the kingdom of the elves and a friendly elf king offers them a safe-haven in which they can rest, relax, and renew until they were ready to continue their journey. They enjoyed many long days of rest and many enjoyable evenings of good food and good fellowship. Here’s how Tolkien described the scene:   “The future, for good or ill, was not forgotten, but ceased to have power over the present. Health and hope grew strong in them, and they were content with each day as it came, taking pleasure in every meal, and in every word and song.”   Jesus and His disciples had a similar experience in Mark 6:31-32. In that case, they had been extremely busy with many ministry activities. Still, the people came – all day, every day. Not only was that continuous effort on their parts physically exhausting, but in time it would also become mentally, emotionally, and spiritually draining as well. They needed to rest. They needed time away from all the hustle, bustle, and pressure. So, Jesus called for a time-out. He had them stop all the activity and withdraw to a quiet place so they could relax, renew, and refresh.   When it comes to taking proper care of our ourselves, sometimes we need a time-out. Sometimes we need a break from all the demands and all the pressure. Constant busyness is not only physically exhausting, it is mentally, emotionally, and spiritually draining as well.   We need to give ourselves regular breaks so we can recharge. Sometimes we will be able to get away for an extended period, but even short escapes can be helpful and renewing. Protect yourself from burnout. Give yourself a break. And if you already are burned out, please, take a break now. Remember the lesson of the hobbits, “Health and hope grew strong in them …”   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: “Then Jesus left the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days …” Luke 4:1-2 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Renewed, refreshed, and ready”   When it comes to creating the right conditions to facilitate emotional, mental, and spiritual nurture, I cannot overemphasize the importance of quiet time and getting alone with God. This is such a critical factor, and it is so needed, that we will spend several days exploring the subject.   In Luke chapter four Jesus needed a time of preparation for the ministry God had for Him. So, the Spirit of God led Him out into the wilderness for a time alone. It was during that time that He prayed, fasted, dealt with Satan, and was strengthened in His spirit. At the end of that time, we read in verse 14, “Then Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit …” He was renewed, refreshed, and ready.   Many of you are familiar with story of how, just as Billy Graham’s ministry was getting started, he had doubts and concerns and he was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. So, he withdrew to the wilderness. In his case it was to a Christian camp called “Forrest Home” in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles. There, alone with God deep in the woods, Billy found the clarity and the assurance he needed to go forward with the ministry assignment God had for him. Like Jesus coming out of the wilderness, Billy returned renewed, refreshed, and ready.   I was fortunate enough to have had a similar experience, at Forest Home, in the exact spot where Billy Graham met with God decades earlier. As a new pastor I too had questions and concerns, and I too was struggling with my call from God. I was living and ministering in Southern California at the time, not far from Forest Home. So, I went there on a personal retreat and discovered that there is now a beautiful little chapel in the woods located at the exact spot where Billy Graham had his encounter with the Lord all those years earlier. I was able to sit alone, in that chapel, as the Lord and I worked through my issues. And yes, I too returned renewed, refreshed, and ready.   Quiet time alone with God is a critical factor in creating the space and conditions for mental, emotional, and spiritual nurture to occur. So much so, that we will continue our thinking about it tomorrow. For now, I encourage you to spend some time alone with God this morning. Doing so will quiet your mind and soothe your soul.   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: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “There’s a reason they call it “quiet” time.”   We live in a noisy world. Very noisy. In fact, there is seldom a time when we are not being exposed to some kind of manmade noise (okay, it could be woman-made noise too but you get my point). We are surrounded by noise. Even when you think you are sitting quietly, if you listen closely, you will probably detect the sound of humming lightbulbs, or the air conditioning kicking on, or the sounds of traffic in the distance.   But usually, the noise is more obvious. And louder. In many homes the television is on for hours every day. Or we have music playing. Or people are talking. Or all the above. In short, there’s too much noise, too many people, and too many activities, and all of it combines to steal our peace.   One of the most important elements when it comes to creating the atmosphere for mental, emotional, and spiritual nurture is to have true quiet time. It’s a time when not only are you quiet, but you also take steps to quiet the surrounding environment too. You turn off the television and the music; you put the smart phone in a draw in another room; you get away from people and other distractions. A few years ago, there was a popular Christian movie called “The War Room.” The main character was an elderly lady who created a prayer room in her home. It was a small space devoid of all outside noise and distractions where she could go to sit quietly before the Lord and just pray. Previous generations of Christians referred to such a space as “a prayer closet.” (I know someone who does use an actual closet in their home for that purpose).   Personally, my favorite quiet place is out in the woods on a hiking trail. I hike a lot, and usually by myself. I do so because I enjoy the time alone with the Lord in the deep woods and usually, I can get so far out into the woods that the only sounds are those of nature.   In Psalm 46:10 God is calling us to settle down and to settle in for some quiet time with Him. In the previous verses in that Psalm the writer described a chaotic world with all sorts of noise, distractions, and serious concerns. It was within that context that the Lord said in verse 10, “Be still, and know that I am God.”   There’s a good reason we call it “quiet time”. It’s because it’s supposed to be quiet. I encourage you to get alone with the Lord today in a quiet environment and simply enjoy some relaxing, nurturing time with Him. It will be good for your soul.   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 the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Create the right conditions”   In our study of taking good care of ourselves we are now shifting our focus to mental, emotional, and spiritual health. We have an idea of some of the things we can do to take good care of ourselves physically, but how about mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? What does it mean and what does it take to nurture your soul and spirit and how do we do it?   To nurture something is to care of it and to create the conditions that promote growth and development. The word also suggests a sense of tender love as the thing is watched over and nudged along in the right direction. Parents nurture their children as they care of them. They create the right conditions to promote good growth and development, and they nudge them along in the right direction – all with a sense of tender love sustained over years and years. Gardeners do the same with their flowers, and that’s how we are to nurture ourselves mentally, emotionally, and spiritually – with tender love and care.   Doing so begins with first creating and maintaining the right conditions for such nurture to take place. There are certain conditions which help to promote good mental, emotional, and spiritual health, and there can also be conditions that work against it. We must be intentional about promoting the right conditions and avoiding the bad ones. We also must be intentional about avoiding, or at least limiting and controlling, the things that drain us. Instead, we should embrace those things which give life and fill us.   In Galatians 5:22-23 the Apostle Paul paints a verbal picture of what our goal is. The fruit of the Spirit describes the character traits and attributes the Holy Spirit is in the process of developing in us. Think of those attributes as flowers growing in the garden of your heart. The better the soil and the more nurture it is given, the bigger, brighter, and healthier those flowers will be. But for that to happen, the right conditions must exist. The Holy Spirit will do the work and produce the growth, but it is up to us to create the right conditions for that to happen. In the days to come we will think more about how to create the right conditions for nurture and growth to take place. For today, I encourage you to take some time sitting quietly and thinking about where you are mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. How healthy are you in those areas? How healthy would you like to be?   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: “May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.” Philippians 1:2 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “We all need a shot of spiritual joy”   Recently at Oak Hill Baptist Church we have begun a Wednesday evening Bible study of the book of Philippians. Philippians is known as “The Epistle (letter) of Joy.” It is filled with positive observations and lots of encouragement. It is by far the most upbeat and joy-inspiring of all the Apostle Paul’s letters in the Bible.   Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul to a church that he deeply loved. The Philippian Christians were special to Paul. Acts chapter 16 records how the Holy Spirit had led Paul to cross the Mediterranean Sea and to arrive in Philippi just in time to meet Lydia and some others on the banks of the river. Paul led Lydia to faith in Jesus, making her the first convert ever in all of Europe, and then others soon followed. This led to the founding of the very first Christian church in Europe.   Over the following decades, Paul stayed in touch with that church. He visited them on at least two additional occasions, and they in turn prayed for Paul, corresponded with him, supported him financially, and hosted Paul’s friends and ministry partners. The church in Philippi was healthy and robust, and they were special to Paul. Now, as Paul is an old man, incarcerated in Rome and certainly near the end of his life, he wrote this powerful letter of joy and encouragement to his dearly loved church family. For many reasons, Philippi was a tough place to be a Christian and Paul wanted to lift them up and encourage them. His wonderful little letter must certainly have accomplished that.   The world we live in today can be tough too. Beyond that, we all have our own difficult issues to contend with in our individual lives as well. Life can be hard and we can all use a shot in the arm of spirit-inspired joy. If you are close to Cumberland County, TN, I encourage you to consider joining us on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 as we dive deep into this letter of joy.   Another lesson we learn from this is that a good and healthy church is a blessing from God. The church in Philippi certainly was that for Paul, and that holds true for any good and healthy church, it is a blessing and an encouragement to those who attend.   I’m writing this on a Saturday morning. Tomorrow is Sunday. I encourage you to be present at the gathering of your church tomorrow. And if you don’t have one, then please join us, in-person or online. We can all use a good shot in the arm of spiritual joy.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Take care of yourself”   Our Bible verse for today: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “We need a holistic approach to staying healthy”   This morning, I have chosen to bring our attention back to the verse of Scripture we referred to in the beginning of our study about taking good care of ourselves, 1 Thessalonians 5:23. I do so because it so clearly highlights the truth that we must have a holistic approach to taking care of ourselves.   I hesitated to use that term “holistic” because in our day it is closely associated with things from the New Age movement, and therefore Christians tend to shun anything labeled as “holistic.” This is similar to how the Gay and Lesbian community has highjacked the rainbow symbol. It’s unfortunate because just as the rainbow is a symbol of something beautiful from God, the concept of “holism” is critical to our understanding of how to take full and proper care of our whole person.   To say that something is holistic is simply to say that the parts of the whole are interconnected and can only be fully understood in reference to the whole. We find holistic understanding being used when medical professionals consider the whole person, rather than just the presenting symptoms of an illness. They realize that what they’re seeing in terms of physical symptoms could very well have emotional and/or spiritual causes. The Greek philosopher Aristotle once observed that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” That is certainly true with respect to the human person.   You are a whole person – body, soul, and spirit. You are physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual, and you must take proper care of all three of your parts. Since we have already spent some time thinking about the physical person, in the days to come we will turn our attention to mental/emotional, and spiritual health.   To be at our best we must have a holistic approach to health. We must take good care of our whole self.     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: “Dear friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and are in good health, just as your whole life is going well.” 3 John 2 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Please don’t neglect this”   We don’t know who the Apostle John wrote the letter of 3 John to. The recipient was a “Dear friend” and John obviously wished the person well. He prayed the person would prosper in all ways – with good health and that their whole life was going well. That’s a nice prayer to pray for a friend and this morning, I pray that for you.   Good health is an important element for a life that is going well, and it’s why I have begun our study of taking care of ourselves by addressing physical health first. While it’s true that the real you and the real me is a spirit that will live forever in eternity, it’s also true that the physical body is the vessel God has provided for our spirit to reside in during the years we are on earth. The spirit is certainly the more important part of us, but it is the body that seems the most real to us. Therefore, it is the physical body that we can most easily relate to and which we most readily identify as being who we are.   It is also the condition of the physical body that will have the most direct impact on how we feel. Of course, spiritual and emotional health are huge factors too, but physical health plays the biggest role in how we feel. This is yet another reason for us to do all we can, to stay as healthy as we can, for as long as we can. And as we have learned, there are things we can and should be doing to help make sure that is the case.   A healthy diet and daily exercise are critical elements for good physical health. We should also be getting an annual physical, complete with full bloodwork. It’s also important to get all the recommended screenings we need such as a mammogram, colonoscopy, annual prostate exam, and to get them on time. In our age of medical science, most things can be treated if they are caught early enough.   Sickness and disease are simply a fact of life in this broken world we live in. It’s also true that our physical bodies are only designed to last so long and therefore, as we age, they will break down and eventually stop working altogether. But still, we have a responsibility to do what we can to take proper care of this temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). If we don’t take care of the body, we will experience health problems we would not have otherwise had. We will also be less effective as an instrument of ministry available for use by the Holy Spirit.   Please do not neglect this. You are loved and needed. Please take care of 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. You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group. 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 discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.” 1 Corinthians 9:27 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “Moderation is the answer”   There is a curious and perplexing dichotomy that exists in our society regarding physical health. On the one hand, we are compulsively fixated on the idea of maintaining good health and youthful looks. Americans spend billions of dollars each year on a wide variety of diet plans, diet pills, weight loss programs, gym memberships, tummy tucks, face lifts, liposuction, surgical procedures, and more.   But despite that, we are a nation of unhealthy people. According to the Center for Disease Control, 74% of Americans meet the criteria of being overweight, and 43% are considered obese. Approximately 10% of the adult population has type-two diabetes (which is lifestyle related), and that number is steadily increasing (among children as well). Many of the physical, emotional, and spiritual ailments Americans suffer from can be traced to back to bad lifestyle choices.   Part of the problem is that our society has been progressively conditioned for conspicuous consumption of all sorts. The science of advertising relies heavily on psychological manipulation and it is very effective. Additionally, we now know that food manufacturers manipulate the chemical content of processed foods to make them addictive (similar to how cigarette manufacturers manipulate the nicotine content in cigarettes to make them more addictive).   But there are ways to combat this. Diet programs, gym memberships, and surgical procedures can all be helpful. But the simplest and most effective means of maintaining good physical health is discipline and moderation. Teach yourself to eat moderate amounts of reasonably healthy food and get some exercise every day. Exotic and complex diet schemes are seldom helpful in the long term and are often unhealthy themselves because they are not nutritionally balanced. And extreme exercise programs can be difficult to maintain.   Moderation is the best answer. It’s the kind of discipline Paul was alluding to in 1 Corinthians 9:27 (above). Maintain portion control and consume mostly healthy foods (an occasional sweet treat is okay). Then get some exercise every day. Over time that will get your weight back to where it should be and it will improve your physical health dramatically. Good physical health is two-thirds diet and one-third exercise.   So, eat well and exercise. Your physical health will improve and that will have a positive impact on your emotional and spiritual health as well.     God bless, Pastor Jim    (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Take care of yourself”   Our Bible verse for today: “In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill … Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, remember how I have walked before you faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases you.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.” 2 Kings 20:1;2   Our thought for today: “Stay as healthy as you can as long as you can”   I once read a story about a wealthy man whose health was rapidly failing. He was only in his early sixties but he had multiple lifestyle related health problems. He had spent his life as a hard-charging businessman. His focus had been on growing his businesses and making lots of money. He worked long hours under great pressure and he neglected his health, as well as his most important relationships, including his family and God.   Consequently, he had been divorced twice, he had broken and distant relationships with his adult children, and he had no relationship with God. Also, the older he got the more health problems he faced, until they became cascading. Now here he was still a relatively young man, very wealthy, but in rapidly failing health, alone, and desolate. At one point he cried out to his doctor, “I would gladly trade all my wealth for restored health and more years of life.” But his great wealth couldn’t reverse the damage he had done to himself.   King Hezekiah’s story turned out a little better than that. As the king he was wealthy and privileged beyond the wildest dreams of the average person. But still, when his health failed all his wealth, accomplishments, and privileges counted for little. What he wanted was more years of life but his wealth and earthly power couldn’t buy it for him. Fortunately for him, God healed him and granted him fifteen additional years.   When it comes to taking good care of ourselves physically, sometimes people shrug and say, “What’s the point? I’m going to die anyway.” Well, yes, that’s true, eventually we will all die anyway. But our goal should be to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible throughout every stage of life. Life is best when we are healthy enough to enjoy it.   As we age, our bodies begin to break down and fail. That’s just life. But at every stage of life there are things we can do to be as healthy as we can be at that age, and under the circumstances as they are. Tomorrow we will consider a simple and common-sense approach to staying as healthy as you can for as long as you can.   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