Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Live like it’s true”   Our Bible verse for today: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.” 1 Timothy 1:15 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “We all need a Healer and a Savior”   I’m sure you have heard the old saying that church isn’t a country club for saints but a hospital for sinners. It’s a bit trite but it’s also very true. Even the Apostle Paul saw himself as a sinner saved by grace, and nothing more. That’s what that entire passage in 1 Timothy 1:12-17 is about. This was Paul’s admission of guilt before God. But more than just being “true confessions” on Paul’s part, that passage is in the Bible for our benefit. If the great Apostle Paul felt convicted about his own sinfulness, to the point of writing about it (here and in other places as well), then how much more should each of us remain contrite and humble?   Author Alan Fadling noted, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He didn’t come to affirm the (self-) righteous. He didn’t come to applaud the good guys. He didn’t come to hand out prizes to the most upright. He came because we were broken, wounded, and alone. We were sinners. We needed a Healer and a Savior.”   That’s us. All of us. Broken, wounded, alone, in need of a Healer and a Savior. And not just one time. Not just for the moment of salvation and then we are good-to-go for life. We need Jesus every minute of every day. We need forgiveness and healing on an ongoing basis.   What does this have to do with our theme of “live like it’s true”? Well, how about if we all live like it’s true that we are sinners saved by grace and in constant need of forgiveness and healing? How about if we come into our Sunday morning gatherings in contrition and with a healthy dose of humility? How about when unbelievers come to the church, they discover that it really does look, sound, and feel like a hospital where wounded and hurting people are being made well, rather than like a religious country club filled with self-righteous modern-day Pharisees?   The truth is that we are all flawed, fallible, broken, and hurting. Every single one of us. We all need to be healed. So, come to the hospital; come to the altar; come to Jesus.   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: “I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Proclaim the goodness of God”   The goodness of God is a theological truth, but more than that, it is an eternal fact. God is good. Goodness is His very nature. Beyond that, the goodness of God is evident all around us. Even in this broken sin-filled world, the goodness of God is evident all around us. That’s what King David was proclaiming in Psalm 27:13-14, “I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living …” “Wait for it,” he says. “Wait, be strong, be courageous, look, and you too will see it.”   I think the Church today gets a bad rap in our society. We’re often thought of by the non-believing world as people who are constantly complaining about the way things are and being critical of others who see things differently from us – always ready to speak out about all the things we’re against. Is that affair assessment? Is that us? Well … maybe sometimes. Maybe too often. Maybe we as a community of believers are little too eager to complain and criticize.   Granted, there are a lot of things to take issue with these days, and those things do need to be addressed. But is that all we have to say? Is everything bad? Is it all negative? Is there anything good for us to be vocal about? How about the goodness of God? How about the beautiful sunset, and the singing birds, and the laughing baby, and chocolate-chip cookie-dough ice cream? How about the love and support we receive from our church family, and the assurance of salvation, and the joy of knowing your loved ones know Jesus too? And how about chocolate-chip cookie-dough ice cream?   Like David said, if you look you will see the goodness of God in the land of the living. It is all around you. So, why don’t we talk more about that and less about all the bad? Why don’t we let the unbelieving world hear a little more praising from us and a little less complaining? Sure, there is a lot we can complain about – but there’s even more to praise about! And people need to hear it. Over in Psalm 34:8 David also wrote, “Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!” Yes, the Lord is good! Try Him. You will see it too. And then tell everyone about it.   I encourage all of us to be intentional today about turning down the negative a little and turning up the good. The goodness of God is all around us. Let’s praise Him for it – loud and proud. If the goodness of God is true, then let’s live like it’s true. Proclaim the goodness 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: “Live like it’s true”   Our Bible verse for today: “Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Shared strength”   I know I have referred several times in these devotional messages lately to the recent deaths of my wife and son. It’s because first of all, the grief associated with those deaths is real and raw and recent. But also, being able to talk and write about grief is therapeutic. Grief counselors unanimously urge grievers to find sympathetic listeners to whom they can talk to about their grief, and to also write about it. So, I thank for patiently indulging me.   With respect to our topic today of church members coming alongside the walking-wounded, lifting them up, and sharing their own strength with the struggling person, I want to give a shoutout to my church family.     My experience with the unexpected deaths of Linda and Rick, only three weeks apart and only three months ago, is a perfect example of the church rising-up and rallying to care for one of their own. It is precisely because my brothers and sisters have been there for me, sharing their strength and helping me to carry the burden, that I have been able to deal with this without dissolving into a total blubbering mess. There have been cards, letters, emails, text messages, phone calls, prayers, meals, gifts, invitations to social events, financial gifts, help with household chores, and so much more.   But also, with respect to our theme from yesterday regarding taking care of each other inside the church so we can then turn our attention to outside ministry, it is precisely because of all the help I have received from my church family that I have been able to quickly return to my ministry activities of preaching, teaching, writing, hospital visits, home visits, performing weddings – and even conducting funerals for other families. And when I wasn’t up to doing some of those things, others stepped-up to cover for me.   Were there people outside the church in our community who also needed help during this time? Probably. But there was someone inside the church who needed it too (in this case it was me) and so that’s where the saints directed their attention and energy first. It’s like that lyric from the singer TobyMac that I quoted yesterday, “Come on everyone, we’ve got a man down!” And the church responded.   When caregiving within a church family is genuine and sincere – when it is a dynamic reality of church life – the church lives like it’s real. At Oak Hill Baptist Church it is real. It has been shared strength at its best, and it is still happening. This road through and out of grief is a long one. It doesn’t happen quickly and therefore the burden-carrying and the strength-sharing is still ongoing and it will be for a while. But this is church life at its best.     Well done, Oak Hill Baptist. Thank 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: “Live like it’s true”   Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.” Galatians 6:10 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Take care of each other first”   I often caution those who are the primary caregivers for loved ones that they must take care of themselves too or they won’t be able to take care of the other one. I learned this from firsthand experience caring for my wife Linda during her years of disability. The older and sicker she got, the more attention and care she needed and the more labor-intensive the caregiving became for me. It’s so easy for the caregiver to exhaust themselves if they aren’t careful. If that happens, they become increasingly less effective at caring for the other. Caregivers must take care of themselves so they can then take care of others.   The same applies when it comes to the Christian community caring for and meeting the needs of others in society. Before we take care of those outside the church, we need to take care of those inside the church. That way the church will be strong, united, and prepared to venture out and care for others. This is what Paul was explaining in Galatians 6:10. By all means, let’s work together for the good of all, but especially, primarily, and first, for those who belong to the household of faith.   We see the truth of this being lived out in the early chapters of the book of Acts. The early church was known throughout the community for taking care of each other. They shared resources, they cared for the sick among them, they fed the hungry, they cared for the orphans and widows. That kind of caregiving was a primary characteristic of their fellowship. Then they ventured out and did more of the same for those out in society. But first, they cared for each other.   The Christian singer Toby Mac once sang about this in one of his songs. I don’t remember the exact context or the exact lyric of the song but it was about Christians coming together to care for the hurting among themselves first. He sang, “Come on everyone, we’ve got a man down!” And the church responded.   By all means, let’s take care of others outside the church. But take care of those inside the church first.   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: “Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “We must be strong for each other”   In yesterday’s devotional I referred again to the ministry of Nik Ripkin and the books he wrote about strong and faithful Christians who live in societies where it is difficult and even dangerous to be a Christian. The stories Nik tells in those books are inspiring and humbling.   As Nik interviewed those heroes of the faith and learned their stories, he came to understand how they were able to be strong, faithful, courageous, and bold in such difficult circumstances. One element that continued to surface in almost every story was the importance of Christian fellowship. Those Christians needed each other. They helped and supported one another and they drew strength from each other. They were living examples of Solomon’s point in Proverbs 27:17 – they helped each other to stay sharp and strong.   In 1969 the Rock group “The Hollies” recorded a song that went on to become a much-loved anthem about how much people need each other. The name of the song was “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.” The first verse and chorus go like this:’   “The road is long, with many a winding turn, that leads us to who knows where, who knows where. But I’m strong, strong enough to carry him. He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother. So on we go, his welfare is of my concern. No burden is he to bear; we’ll get there. He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.”   That’s not a Christian song – but it could be, and maybe it should be. We need to be strong together. We need to be strong for ourselves, for our families, for our fellow Christians, and for our nation. The tougher and more unbiblical things get in our society, the more essential it will be for Christians to be part of a strong Christian community. We all need others who will help us to be strong. You be strong for me today and I’ll be strong for you tomorrow (and the world needs to see that this is true of us – “Those Christians take care of each other!”)    This is so important and so needed that we will think more about it tomorrow.   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: “And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness …” Acts 4:29 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “We will have to be bold.”   Dr. D.A. Carson once wrote, “Of all the great ironies in the modern mind, the intolerance of tolerance must be one of the greatest.” What he meant was that the concept of “tolerance” has become enshrined in the modern liberal mind as one of the highest virtues. But at the same time, those liberal advocates of “tolerance” are often some of the most intolerant towards anyone who disagrees with them. (Try having a conversation about Biblical sexual ethics with a radical advocate of the Gay and Lesbian agenda and see how far their tolerance of opposing views goes.) In 2012 Dr. Carson wrote a best-selling book on the subject. The title was “The Intolerance of Tolerance.” It’s a great read and I recommend it highly.   I refer to “the intolerance of tolerance” just to make the point that we as Christians live in a society that is increasingly intolerant of those who promote and live a Biblical worldview. And things are getting worse not better. I believe we have reached the point in our nation’s history when Christians will face increased opposition and perhaps even persecution as we attempt to live according to our faith and to share the faith with others. Will we be up to the challenge?   In the previous set of devotional messages on the theme of “sanctification,” I referred several times to the writings of author Nik Ripkin, Over the course of several decades, Nik conducted an in-depth study of Christians living in the most oppressive societies in the world. He interviewed them, lived among them, and wrote about them. His objective was to discover how the strongest, most faithful Christians lived their faith in the most difficult and oppressive of environments. Nik’s books “The Insanity of God,” “The Insanity of Obedience,” and “The Insanity of Sacrifice,” are quite literally textbooks or “how to” manuals for all Christians everywhere.   Good discipleship that grows strong Christians has always been important and needed in every society, and that will certainly be true for Christians in the USA in the years to come. If we are going to be faithful and effective, we will have to be mature in our faith so we can then be courageous and bold despite the difficult circumstances we may find ourselves facing.   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: “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “The mystery revealed”   Do you faithfully attend and fully participate in the gatherings of your church? If so, why? What’s your motivation for going? Is it simply a matter of habit, or a sense of religious duty? Or, have you found your times of corporate worship and fellowship to be spiritually rich and nurturing to your soul? Do you experience God in the gatherings of the people of God?   The two most important reasons for corporate worship are to worship God and to grow spiritually. If we attend with anticipation and expectation that we will meet God in worship and that we will grow spiritually, we will discover that every worship service is a time of encounter, learning, and growing.   In Colossians 1:27 Paul writes of a mystery that had been hidden but now (in his day) had been made known to God’s people. What is that mystery? “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” he says. By means of the Holy Spirit in your heart, Jesus is not just with you but in you. He lives His life in you and through you (John 15:5). What does that mean for us and what impact does that have on us? That too is part of the mystery that is progressively revealed as we mature and grow. As we mature spiritually, we come to understand more and more what it means to live with Jesus and for Jesus, and what it means for Him to live in and through us.   What does that have to do with church attendance? Just that some of our greatest encounters with God occur in corporate worship, and some of the greatest revelation and teaching comes to us through the public proclamation of God’s Word. If we are absent from the gatherings, we are missing out on something God wanted to reveal to us.   With respect to our theme for this month of living like we really believe that our faith is true, our time of corporate worship is a key element in learning to live that way. The intense personal encounter with God in worship, the learning that occurs through the preaching and teaching, and the examples set for us by our Christian brothers and sisters, all combine to teach, strengthen, and encourage us.   God wants to reveal to you more of the mystery of “Christ in you.” I encourage you to go to church with a spirit of eagerness and in anticipation of the revelation awaiting 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: “Live like it’s true”   Our Bible verse for today: “But I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Do we live like we believe it?”   Dallas Willard is one of my spiritual heroes. He is in heaven now but during his lifetime he had a big impact on the Christian community. Dallas was an esteemed professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California, but he was especially known for his research and writing on Christian spiritual formation.   He wrote many important and helpful books about spiritual formation and about developing a deeper Christian life. In my opinion three of his best were “The Divine Conspiracy,” “The Spirit of the Disciplines,” and “Hearing God: Developing a conversational relationship with God.” Dallas was also a popular conference speaker and he served as a mentor to numerous other Christian leaders.   As he lay dying, Dallas was visited by one of those younger men he was a mentor to – pastor and author John Ortberg. At one point in the visit John asked him, “Dallas, are you at peace? Are you confident of your salvation?” To which Dallas replied with a grin and good humor, “You know, John, I really do believe this stuff I’ve been teaching and preaching all these years.”   What a great answer. And it creates a good question for us. Do we really believe what we profess to believe? And if so, does it show? Do we live like we believe it? Dallas did. His entire life was one big testimony to the certainty he had regarding Biblical truth, and the reality of heaven, and the fact that he was going there. He had no doubts at all, and it showed in everything he said and did.   Dallas Willard lived and worked in what is a largely pagan culture in the Los Angeles area, maintaining a high-profile Christian presence on a very liberal college campus. Everybody knew who he was and everybody knew what he believed. But Dallas Willard really believed. He practiced his faith openly, boldly, with confidence, and with no excuses or apologies. He was kind and gentle, but also confident and unmovable.   May the same be true of us. Let us be so certain of our faith that we are calm and confident, kind and polite as we interact with the unsaved world – but also bold and unmovable. Let it be clear to everyone that we have no doubts at all. It should be obvious that we really do believe this faith we profess – and that we live like we really believe 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: “Sanctification”   Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Live like it’s true”   We have now spent two full months thinking about the important doctrine of sanctification. We have learned that sanctification means to set something aside as holy for God. And we have also learned that sanctification is a process that unfolds in three stages. It begins in the moment of salvation. In that moment your sins are forgiven and you are set aside for God as something holy – so holy that you are now someone who will spend eternity with Him in heaven.   Then, over the course of your lifetime, between salvation and the moment you arrive in heaven, the Holy Spirit is at work in your life to mold you and shape you into the person God wants you to be. That’s progressive sanctification. Although your spirit was sanctified and set aside as holy for God in the moment of salvation, you were still a spiritual baby who needed to grow and mature. Also, although your spiritual self was sanctified and made holy, your mortal body was still a sinful mess. Through the lifelong process of progressive sanctification, the Holy Spirit is changing you spiritually and He is also changing the way you use your mortal body (see Romans 12:1-2 above.) Then, in the moment you arrive in heaven, you experience final sanctification. You will in that moment be the person you are going to be for all eternity.   Most of our study over these two months has centered around the middle stage, progressive sanctification, because that’s the stage of the process we live our lives in. For the coming month we will continue our thinking about that, but from a slightly different angle. Our theme will be “Live like it’s true.” Our focus will be on living what we profess to believe, and making sure that our spiritual maturity is evident in how we think, speak, and act.   Our strong faith must be more than just an internal reality that gives us a warm fuzzy sense of eternal security because we know our sins are forgiven and we have the promise of heaven. More than that, the practice of our faith should be making a meaningful difference and having a positive impact in this broken and bleeding world that we live in.   Let’s live like it’s really true. If we have been made holy for God and if we are becoming progressively more spiritually mature, then our thoughts, words, and actions should reflect that. Let’s make sure the world sees that in us. Let’s live like it’s really true.   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: “Sanctification”   Our Bible verse for today: “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. 1 John 2:14 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Thank God for spiritual mothers and fathers”   By the time John wrote the letter of 1 John, he was probably in his late 80s. He was certainly the last of the Twelve Apostles still alive. In his letters of 2 and 3 John, he identifies himself as “The Elder”. That’s how the people would have affectionately thought of him.   The letter of 1 John was intended to be a word of gentle pastoral guidance from a much-loved elder statesman of the church. In chapter 2, verses 12-14, John addresses different groups, by age category, and each for a different reason. Verse 14 is directed to “fathers.” That’s actually a reference to the spiritually mature older people in the church, both men and women. John says he is writing to them because they are spiritually mature, and the implication is that he is depending on them to reinforce the guidance he is giving in this letter and to model it for everyone else.   Another way of thinking about such people is as spiritual mothers and fathers. These are the older saints in the church who for decades have committed themselves to being serious disciples of Christ, and as a result, they have achieved a high level of spiritual maturity. Our churches are filled with these dear saints and we should praise God for them. We should also honor them and learn from them.   In two previous daily devotionals I playfully referred to God’s crazy people. I called them an odd cast of characters. We also thought about how much fun such an environment can be, while at the same time being caring and nurturing.   Our spiritual mothers and fathers are part of that. Many times, they’re the biggest characters. I remember my good friend Leon (he’s in heaven now.) Leon was a great servant with a big heart and he was a very wise man. But he was also a practical joker and a lot of fun to be around. I remember Jane (also in heaven now.) Jane was one of the greatest saints I have ever had the privilege to know. But not only was she wise in the ways of the Lord, she also always had a twinkle in her eye, a smile on her face, and laughter in her voice.   Thank God for spiritual mothers and fathers! They add so much to the depth, the richness, the joy, and the fun of our churches. I encourage you to contact some of them in your church today and let them know how much you love and appreciate 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