Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope”   Our Bible verse for today: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “This is how God does it”   In yesterday’s devotional we thought about how it is that God is a “force multiplier” in our lives. In other words, when we invite God into our situations and ask for His help, His involvement in our situations changes everything. From that point forward we’re no longer dealing with it in our own wisdom and in our own power, but instead the wisdom and power of God has been added to ours and that creates possibilities that didn’t exist before. That then renews our hope that things are going to be okay.   The Bible passage we thought about which teaches that great truth was Isaiah 40:30-31 which reads, “Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.” Mature Christians know this to be true from personal experience. When we bring God into our situations, He renews our strength and gives us hope. It can then seem as if we are now soaring through or above our problems, as if we had wings like an eagle.   But why is that true? Functionally, how does God do that for us? Isaiah answers that in the very next chapter of his book, in Isaiah 41:10, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” That’s the answer. The tangible sense of God’s presence drives out fear. That happens because God is there. He is with us right there in the middle of the situation and He is also giving us strength we didn’t have before. He is also helping us in ways we don’t even understand and might not be aware of, like holding us up when we might otherwise fall.   This is where our renewed hope comes from. This is how it is gained. We stop trying to deal with things in our own understanding and in our own power and we rely on God instead – and we do so with intentionality and in a very targeted and specific way. We pray about it with passion; we mediate on Bible verses that speak directly to our situation; we get good counsel from trusted friends and spiritual leaders; and we also take action and do what we can to deal with the situation. But through it all, our focus is on God. He is our strength. He is our helper. It is His strength that is holding us up.   As we learned yesterday, when we’re dealing with difficult issues in life if we turn to God and rely on Him, it becomes possible for us to soar as if we had wings like an eagle – and now we know how God does that for us.   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: “Renewed hope”   Our Bible verse for today: “Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “God is a force multiplier”   In my opinion, Colin Powell was a great American, and a one of the greatest military leaders of his generation. He rose to the rank of four-star General in the Army, served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (the senior military leader in the country), and he was the Secretary of State under President George W. Bush. He was widely admired and respected across the political spectrum and internationally.   General Powell had a list of leadership principles he developed, lived by, and taught. He called them “Powell’s Principles.” One of those principles stated that “Optimism is a force multiplier.” “Force multiplier” is a military term that refers to elements that can be brought to bear upon a situation that strengthen your force and enhance the likelihood of victory. They are often intangibles like good morale, a sense of loyalty, trust in leadership, good planning, and other factors that help to enhance the effectiveness of your primary assets like personnel and weapons.   According to Powell, based on decades of successful leadership, optimism is one of those force multipliers. Optimistic soldiers who expect good outcomes fight better than do pessimistic soldiers. Optimism is a force multiplier. That’s true in the Army when applied to soldiers, it’s true in life in general, and it certainly applies to Christians. An optimistic attitude makes a huge difference in how we approach life.   In Isaiah 40:30-31 Isaiah wrote about another force multiplier for the people of God – it is God Himself. That may seem like a no-brainer, like something that is so obvious it doesn’t need to be stated. But it does need to be stated because so many Christians do not immediately turn to God for help. Instead, we often approach life and our problems in our own wisdom and in our own power. We may give God a cursory thought, we might mutter a quick prayer under our breath and then go right on dealing with it ourselves, but how often do we stop, drop, and really pray about it?   When you turn to God, rely on Him, and draw your strength from Him, it improves your attitude and gives you hope you didn’t have before. Now you are soaring instead of struggling, optimistic instead of pessimistic, and much more likely to experience good outcomes instead of bad.   God is a force multiplier. Turn to Him; give your situation to Him; don’t try to do this on your own.   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: “Renewed hope”   Our Bible verse for today: “How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth! For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne.” Psalm 47:2 7-8 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “It matters how you start”   Not only do I write a daily devotional message each day, but I also use daily devotionals written by others in my own quiet time. In addition to early-morning prayer and Bible study, I also always have a daily devotional book written by someone else that I am in the process of working through.   Recently, some friends gave me a copy of a wonderful devotional book that I had previously been unaware of – “Face to Face” by Kenneth Boa. These devotionals are structured to guide your entire quiet time with the Lord. It begins with Scripture and suggested thoughts to guide you through a brief time of adoration. Then the same for confession, renewal, petition, intercession, affirmation, thanksgiving, and a closing prayer.   If you ever feel spiritually dry, or perhaps as if you are stuck in a rut and your prayers seem routine and uninspired and your devotional time feels weak, this devotional book can serve as an excellent tool to freshen up and renew your time with the Lord.   I recommend this to you because I believe early-morning quiet time with the Lord is an essential element in living victoriously throughout the day. It really does matter how you start your day because that sets the tone for the entire day. Billy Graham once said, “If I don’t start my day with Jesus, I meet Satan around every corner all day long.”   When it comes to living with a sense of renewed hope, how you start each day matters very much. Start your day spiritually refreshed and with a renewed sense of hope, and there’s a good chance you will carry that with you into your day.   Renewed hope makes you stronger and more likely to live victoriously. It matters how you start your day.   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: “Renewed hope”   Our Bible verse for today: “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, “The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will put my hope in him.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Let’s live with renewed hope”   I love Spring. What a wonderful season it is. After months of cold and dreary weather with barren trees, dormant lawns, and empty flowerbeds, the temperatures are rising, the shine is shining, flowers are in bloom, trees are budding, and the birds are singing. Spring brings with it the anticipation of time on the lake, hikes on lush mountain trails, motorcycle rides, picnics, golf, and lot’s of other outdoor activities. It’s also time to plan those summer vacations!   Spring is filled with signs of new life and renewed hope. It creates a sense of good things to come.   The transition from winter to spring – from a period that is often dark and dreary into a time that is filled with hope and new life, is also a picture of life in general. Life consists of ups and downs, times on the mountaintop and times in the valley. There are seasons that are dark, dreary and difficult, but then we come out of that into something new and better. That’s just the rhythm of life.   Lamentations 3:22-23 is a great reminder of that truth. The prophet Jeremiah wrote those words during a dark time in the history of the nation of Israel. The city of Jerusalem had been conquered by an invading army and largely destroyed. Many of the people had been taken off to captivity in a foreign land. It could certainly appear to any observer of those events that all was lost and there was no hope. But Jeremiah knew better. Not only did Jeremiah understand the cycles of life, but he also understood the ways of God. He knew that with God there is always the hope of renewal, the promise of better days ahead.   God’s people need to approach life with a sense of hope and promise. How sweet it is when the darkness begins to recede and hope is renewed! And sooner or later, the darkness does recede, and hope is renewed. We all need remember that no darkness or difficulty lasts forever and with God there is always a new dawn, a new day, and good things to come.   We will spend the month of April, this first month of Spring, thinking about renewed hope.   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: “Live like it’s true”   Our Bible verse for today: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Go and tell the world”   Happy Easter! He is risen! That’s what Christians will declare to one another on Easter morning, and those are the most profound, most important words that were ever spoken. Jesus died upon a cross to pay the penalty for our sins; He spent three days in the grave; He defeated death and arose from the grave; He then spent forty days on earth in His resurrection body appearing to numerous people; and then He arose back into heaven.   Acts 1:8 is one version of The Great Commission. These were Jesus’ parting words to His followers just before He ascended back up to heaven. He said it again in slightly different words in Matthew 28:18-20: “Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”   So, Jesus did His part. He died, He rose again, He ascended back to heaven, and He sent the Holy Spirit to earth in His place to empower us to carry on His work. Do you believe that? If so, then you now have the responsibility of living like it is true. That’s what the Great Commission requires of us. We are to “go” and tell the world, and then we are to make disciples. We are to win them to faith in Christ and teach them how to live in this world as His faithful followers.   As we conclude this month of devotionally thinking about how we can live as if our faith is real and true, we need to always hold before us the final words our Lord spoke to us. First and foremost, this is why He left us here on earth rather than simply taking us straight to heaven to be with Him the moment we placed our faith in Him. We are to be on-mission with Him in this world resisting the spread of evil, sharing the Good News, winning people to faith in Christ, and helping each other to become spiritually mature (make disciples).   So, we have our marching orders. Now let’s go do it.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Live like it’s true”

Our Bible verse for today: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “It was “good” for us”

Today is “good” Friday. It’s the day we remember that Jesus was crucified and died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins. He was arrested, falsely accused, convicted at a sham trial, brutally beaten, and then executed by the most cruel and barbaric method known in that day. So, what was “good” about that? We certainly cannot say it was good for Jesus.

But it was good for us. It was our great good fortune that Jesus would do that for us. If He had not, we would be lost in our sins and condemned to an eternity in hell. That Friday almost two thousand years ago on a hill called Calvary was not good for Jesus, but it sure was good for us.

When applied to our theme of living like our faith is real and true, the truth of Good Friday should directly impact how we live every day. What better news could there be than Jesus paid the penalty for our sins? Well, actually, there is even better news. Not only did Jesus die for us, but He also defeated death and arose from the grave for us. If Friday was good, Sunday was even better.

Putting the two together – the death and the resurrection – we as Christians have something to be eternally joyful about. And we have a mission to now live. It’s up to us, the followers of this crucified and then risen Savior, to spend our lives sharing this Good News about Him.

We will think more about that mission tomorrow and that is how we will conclude our theme for this month, “Live like it’s true.” But for today, I encourage you to explain to everyone you encounter why it is that “good” Friday really is 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

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Live like it’s true”   Our Bible verse for today: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “It will be okay”   Romans 8:28 is one of the most reassuring promises in the Bible. There we learn that God works in the middle of situations to bring good things out of them for those who are His. The verse does not say that all things are good – because obviously many things are not good. Many things are bad and shouldn’t happen. This is a broken world filled with sin and disease and evil. There is much that happens that is contrary to the will of God and it is bad.   But God is sovereign over all the situations of our lives and although bad things do happen to Christians and non-Christians alike, God works in the middle of bad situations to bring some good out of it for those who belong to Him.   As Christians we know this to be true. We know it Biblically and we know it experientially. We know it because the promise is written in the Bible and we trust that it is true, but we also know it because we have personally experienced it to be true, and we have also seen it played out in the lives of other Christians.   That being the case, during those times in life when we are faced with trials and hard times – when we or a loved one is sick, or has died, or one of the other many issues of life has happened to us, we trust that God is with us and that He is at work behind the scenes to get us through it. We know that ultimately it will be okay.   Part of learning to live like our faith is real and true is to trust God, even during the worst of times. Not only does that give us strength to deal with the trial, but it is also a powerful testimony to all those who observe us walking through this valley. God will use your strong faith to get the attention of others and He will also bring glory to Himself through His work in the middle of your time of pain and sorrow.   Every person reading this today has something going on in his or her life that you wish was not there. My word to you today is, “It will be okay.” God is sovereign over your situation. He is there, He is with you, and He is quietly at work behind the scenes working for your 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: “Living like it’s true”   Our Bible verse for today: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1   Our thought for today: “God encounters”   This morning, I want to continue our thinking from yesterday regarding the richness of each day and how it is that God has packed a thousand years of beauty and blessings into each day. In that devotional I encouraged all of us to slow down, live in the moment, and truly savor the abundance and beauty of God’s wonderful creation that we are immersed in all day every day.   In 1856 the English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning published her poem “Aurora Lee”. The most famous line from that poem pertained to the splendor and beauty of God’s incredible creation and how it is that most of us are oblivious to it much of the time:   “Earth is crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees takes off his shoes – The rest sit around and pluck blackberries.”   She’s right. Our days are filled with the evidence of God and with God encounters. But we allow ourselves to become so busy and so distracted that we miss much of it. As I noted yesterday, much of the time most of us just skim the surface of life. We’re either so busy and moving so fast that we don’t take the time to slow down and smell the roses, or we’re so fixated on our smart phones and other digital distractions that we miss the numerous God encounters that are around us all throughout our days.   Are you experiencing God in your daily life – and do you live like it? Are you noticing the evidence of God all around you and then pointing Him out to others?    We truly do live in an amazing world – crammed full of God. Let’s not miss Him.   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: “Live like it’s true”   Our Bible verse for today: “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” 2 Peter 3:8 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “The richness of a day”   I’ve always found Peter’s observation in 2 Peter 3:8 to be a fascinating insight into the nature of God and the limitations of man. Time doesn’t pertain to God. God is outside of time. God created the construct of time as a structure within which the course of human affairs would unfold. But God is bigger than time and He is outside of it.   Picture a piece of pure white posterboard that extends infinitely in all directions, and let’s say that is God. In the middle of that posterboard there is a small black line. The beginning of the line represents the beginning of time as we know it. The end of the line represents the end of time. The entire line is contained deep within the person of God but God Himself is over, above, and around the line of time. He exists outside of it and He sees all of it in a single glance.   So as God views time, from His perspective a thousand years is like a day and a day is like a thousand years. There’s no significant difference to Him. He sees it all at the same time. A day and a thousand years mean a lot to us, but to God it’s all just a brief blip in eternity.   What does that have to do with our devotional topic of living like our faith is real and true? Author Alan Fadling notes, “With God, a single day is so full of life that it could take us a thousand years to unpack it. A single day is dense with meaning to God. There is more to kingdom life available to us in one day than we can imagine.”    Each day is deep, full, and rich beyond our comprehension. God’s creation is so complex and so packed full of activity, opportunity, and richness, that we could lose ourselves for a thousand years in an effort to explore it all, experience it all, and understand it all.   God has packed each day with a thousand years-worth of beauty and blessing. This is why we need to slow down, savor life, and live in the moment. Most of the time most of us just skim the surface of life and we miss much of the richness, beauty, and blessing that is packed into each day for us by God.   I encourage all of us to take the time to truly savor and appreciate the depth and richness of this day the Lord has given us.   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: “Live like it’s true”   Our Bible verse for today: “Here I am today, eighty-five 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 14:10-11 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Age is an attitude”   I live in a retirement community that offers an interesting window into the different ways people approach the issue of aging (and the attitude with which they think of old age.) On the one side are those who age badly. It’s not that they have health challenges. In old age we all have health issues of some sort. But those who age badly handle the challenges badly. And they complain a lot.     But then there is another group who are the exact opposite. Many of them are in relatively good health and therefore they walk, bike, swim, workout in the gym, play tennis and pickleball, kayak and canoe, and much more. But even those in this group who are less physically able, they still do all they can by being involved in clubs, volunteer organizations, social activities, and church. This is the group who lives life large and with a good attitude, and they are determined to live fully until they die.   I know many seniors who live life large. And I also know younger people who don’t. I know eighty-year-olds who are bright and peppy and happy. And I know fifty-year-olds who seldom leave the couch and always want to tell you about their latest aches, pains, and medicines. Who is really older – an active seventy-year-old or a sedate fifty-year-old?   I have also noticed a direct correlation between the vitality of a person’s faith and the enthusiasm with which they approach life. People with strong faith tend to have a zest for living – even if they are dealing with physical limitations. People with weak faith are often beaten down by the challenges they face in life, and their lives reflect that.   Being old has less to do with age than it does with attitude. If you think of yourself as old, then you are. If you think of yourself as young, then you probably act like it. Regardless of your chronological age, I urge you not to limit yourself because you think of yourself as old and then act like it. Resolve to really live until you die.   Age is an attitude.   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