Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Sanctification”   Our Bible verse for today: “But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Holy people make a holy land”   Dr. Denis Prager is an eminent Old Testament scholar – one of the best in our day. In his excellent commentary on the book of Exodus Dr. Prager points out that never once does the Bible refer to the land of Israel as “The Holy Land.” All references are to “The Promised Land.” It’s the people who are called to be holy, and it is the people who will make the land holy – or not.   By “land” the Bible is usually not referring to soil, rocks, and trees, but to the nation of people who inhabit the land. In most Biblical uses of the word, “land” means “nation.” The implication is that holy people will make for a holy land, and unholy people will constitute an unholy land.   So, that begs the question, “Is our land a holy land or an unholy land today?” And if it is not holy, we then need to ask, “Who is at fault?” Who is it that God has called to be holy? Is it the unsaved sinners God expects holy behavior from, or is it the people of God?   You know the answer – and so do I. It’s us. We are the ones who are to be holy, and we are the ones who are then responsible for making the land (the nation) a holy land. It starts with the people of God and it can then extend out into the neighborhoods, towns, cities, states, and the nation. How can the nation be holy if God’s people aren’t?   So, are we? Are we, God’s people, living the lives of holy people? Maybe. Maybe some of us and maybe sometimes. But maybe not often enough and maybe not holy enough. For instance, I sometimes hear Christians indignantly declare “We need to put prayer back into schools!” But do you know how many churches don’t even have regular weekly prayer meetings? And of those that do, do you know how poorly attended those prayers meetings are? We need to put prayer back in schools?? I think we need to put it back in churches first.   You get my point. Are we, God’s people, living holy lives of our own – in our personal lives, in our homes, and in our churches? If we are going to have a holy land, we (God’s people) will have to fist be holy people.   As individuals and as a body of believers we must recommit ourselves to holy living. Our communities and our nation will never become a holy land if we ourselves are not first a holy people.   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: “But one thing I do: 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: “Wherever you go, there you are”   Our devotionals this week have largely focused on the state of our society. We have considered how difficult things are now, and how difficult they are likely to get in the future for Christians as we continue to serve, minister, and share the Good News of the gospel in a culture that is increasingly uninterested in and even hostile to our faith.   This morning, I want to call our attention to Paul’s encouraging attitude as expressed in his letter to the Philippians. In 3:13-14 he wrote about perseverance despite circumstances. In 4:10-14 he wrote about how he had learned to be content in all circumstances – even in intense hardship, and that he knew the Holy Spirit would strengthen him in Christ to face whatever had to be faced. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Because Philippians 4:13 was true of Paul, he had the endurance and determination to persevere no matter what he faced. His attitude was that he would lean into it, push forward, and just keep on keeping on, and he could do that because Jesus strengthened him to do so.   But please don’t miss the fact that Paul “learned” how to be that way. He said so in Philippians 4:11 where he wrote, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself.” Over decades of faithful discipleship and the subsequent spiritual growth that came with it, Paul had learned and grown into a spiritually mature saint who was strong and confident in the Lord. So, as he sat there in his incarceration, an old and sick man near the end of his life, he brought that spiritual maturity with him into that situation. That explains why he was able to write the things he wrote in Philippians.   God is using your current circumstances and your current discipleship practices to prepare you for what you will face tomorrow. You are learning and growing. Your discipleship practices, your faithful service, your trust in the Lord now, is molding and shaping you into the man or woman God wants you to be, and all of that is preparing you for whatever the future may bring.   There’s an old saying that reminds us, “Wherever you go, there you are.” In other words, you bring yourself with you wherever you go. Whoever and whatever you are, that is what you have brought with you into this new situation.    This is why good discipleship practices are so important. Discipleship practices are the tools the Lord uses to mold and shape you. Therefore, the more serious you are as a disciple, the more spiritual growth you will experience and the more prepared you will be to face whatever it is the future holds for you.   Wherever you go, there you are. You bring yourself with you wherever you go. The person you are becoming today will be the person you bring with you into tomorrow. So, who are you becoming today, and is that the kind of person you want to be when you arrive in 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: “Sanctification”   Our Bible verse for today: “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Create a circle of light”   This morning, I want to build upon what we have been thinking about in the last several devotionals. On Monday and Tuesday I wrote about the sad state of affairs in our nation with respect to morals, ethics, and Biblical standards. I noted that as a nation we have been on a long slippery slope and that things are getting worse not better. In yesterday’s devotional we thought about the fact that love at its best is a verb – an action word. And we learned that originally Valentine’s Day was intended to spur Christians to engage in acts service that share the love of Jesus with hurting and needy people.   All of that reminded me of a story Nik Ripkin told in his book “The Insanity of God.” Nik was telling about how desperate the humanitarian crisis was in Somalia in those days, and how dark and oppressive the spiritual situation was. It was a difficult and dangerous environment for the Christian missionaries and their national partners, and it got to the point where they were physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. Also, they were all doubting the effectiveness of their efforts. It seemed to them that they were not gaining any ground in terms of meeting the physical or spiritual needs of the people.   Nik said that after much time spent in prayer trying to understand their situation, he came to the realization that their job in that dark and desperate place was to create what he called “little circles of light in this vast void of darkness.” Each of them was to go out and shine the light of Jesus through their acts of humanitarian assistance, enveloping those they encounter in their little circle of light.   Our situation here in the USA is certainly not that dark or desperate, but Nik’s strategy is still a good one for us too. As we consider the sad state of our society today, and the prospect of things getting progressively worse, it can seem as if ours is a lost cause. That being the case, it can seem unlikely that any of us as individuals would be able to make much of a difference. That could be discouraging. But we need to remember that God isn’t calling us as individuals to solve the big problems ourselves. He’s only calling us to create little circles of light everywhere we go, impacting the person in front of us at that moment, enveloping them in our little circle of light.   By yourself, you can’t solve the big problems. But you can make a difference in one life at a time. You can make a difference in the life of that person standing in front of you right now. So, don’t get discouraged. Just do your best to make a difference in one life at a time. Create your own little circle of light and draw people into it. Let your light shine for 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: “Sanctification”   Our Bible verse for today: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “It’s about more than a box of chocolates.”   It is often said that love is a verb. It is an action word. If you love someone it will show in your actions. It’s easy to say you love someone, but it takes intentionality and effort to prove it by what you do for them. For instance, God didn’t just say He loves us, He proved it by sending Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins. Love is a verb, an action word. One of the marks of a spiritually mature Christian, one who has progressed far in the process of progressive sanctification, is that they are known for their demonstrations of love for others.   Today is Valentine’s Day. Nowadays it’s all about celebrating romantic love. Cards will be sent, gifts will be given, and sweethearts will express their love for each other. There will be candlelight dinners, pink Teddy Bears holding red hearts, boxes of chocolates, and much more. But what about those who don’t have a valentine partner? Is Valentine’s Day – this celebration of love, not for them too?   It could be, and it should be, and it will be, if our understanding of the day is correct. Valentine’s Day was named after “Saint Valentine,” a Catholic priest who lived in Rome in the early 200’s. He was known for his sacrificial demonstrations of God’s love, especially to the poor and to those who were suffering and struggling. He was kind and compassionate, and he was committed to providing humanitarian relief to those in need.   Valentine’s Day was originally established in his honor and its purpose was to encourage Christians to engage in similar acts of Godly love and compassion. It wasn’t until the 1400s that the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer associated Valentine’s Day with romantic love.   What if we Christians reclaimed Valentine’s Day and used it for its original purpose – as a great outpouring of God’s love for the world? How much more meaningful and encompassing would the day then be? How much more of an impact for good would it then have? In John 21:15-19 Jesus famously asked Peter three times “Peter, do you love me?” And three times Jesus told him to prove it by caring for people – “Feed my sheep” Jesus told him.   Love is a verb. It is an action word. And Valentines Day is about more than a card, a box of chocolates, and teddy bears. Who will you show the Lord’s love to today? I encourage you to celebrate Valentine’s Day by sharing the love of Jesus with someone. (By the way, Jesus loves you, and so do I. Happy Valentine’s 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: “Sanctification”   Our Bible verse for today: “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “We will need to be strong”   We have had a good run here in the USA in terms of religious freedom. There has been no real persecution of Christians because ours has been a society that honored and appreciated Biblical values. We’ve had a good run. It has lasted a long time – hundreds of years. But that good run appears to be coming to an end. In the last fifty years the tide has turned, our nation has drifted far from our Biblical roots, and at this point there doesn’t seem to be any turning back. We are on a long slippery slope and there’s an old saying that warns, “The longer you stay on a slippery slope the faster you go and the further you fall.” That does seem to be the case for us now.   But as was noted in yesterday’s devotional, that shouldn’t surprise us. Historically, God’s people have always had to deal with opposition and persecution. Down through the ages most of God’s people have lived in societies that were not Biblically based and which have therefore been opposed to God and His ways (and by extension, opposed to His people). What we have experienced here in the USA over the course of the last few hundred years is unique in the history of Christianity and therefore, it has always been unlikely to last. But please don’t misunderstand me, I’m not giving up on America, there can still be revival and spiritual awakening, but we should also be preparing ourselves for something worse.   In his book “The Insanity of God” author Nik Ripkin writes of how he once conducted an extensive study of the persecuted church. His goal was to learn how Christians survive and thrive in hostile cultures with oppressive governments. So, he traveled to places that were like that and he interviewed many Christians who had, and were, living in such conditions. One old pastor who had lived, served, and suffered in the Soviet Union explained to Nik that opposition and persecution were just a fact of life for Christians, and they therefore didn’t make a big deal out of it. They just accepted it as a fact of being a Christian in this world, and they then got on with faithfully serving the Lord each day under the conditions as they were. The old pastor said, “Nik, just as the sun rises in the east each morning, so too we know that opposition and persecution will come.” That attitude served to strengthen them and to increase their faithfulness.   This is why good discipleship is so essential. As Christians in the USA today our focus has to be on growing deep and strong in the Lord and helping others to do so as well. Going forward, the remnant of God’s faithful people in this nation will have to be strong and courageous as we continue to faithfully do our part to build the kingdom of God in a broken, bleeding, and unreceptive society.   We will need to be strong.   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, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Jesus will make us strong”   It’s really rather amazing how many verses and passages there are in the Bible that pertain to the opposition and outright persecution the people of God have faced throughout the course of Biblical history. There are hundreds. Additionally, beyond Scripture, the history of God’s people down through the ages has been one of opposition and persecution. In fact, seldom in history have there been extended periods when groups of God’s people have not faced opposition and persecution, and during those times when they haven’t, it has often been because the people were compromising with the culture and government. They were going along in order to get along.   The gospel puts us in opposition to the trends of culture. Jesus said it would happen. “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.” (John 15:18-20)   In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 the Apostle Paul seems to be glorying in persecution. He wrote that it gave him pleasure when he faced insults, persecutions, and difficulties. Why would he feel that way? Probably because he concluded that it validated his ministry. Jesus said that if we were doing our jobs as His disciples, spreading the good news and building the kingdom, we would encounter opposition. And, there it was.   Paul went so far as to say that when he faced opposition and persecution, and realized that he could not deal with it in his own strength, he discovered a strength beyond himself and that experience served to make him strong. He was strong in Christ. That’s what he meant when, years later as an old man sitting in a prison facing death, he could write in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”   This is an important lesson for us Christians today in the USA. Things have changed in our nation for Christians, and they are going from bad to worse. We need to get ready for what’s probably coming next. There will be increasing opposition and persecution.   The transformation the Holy Spirit brings about in us as we grow in spiritual maturity serves to make us strong when we need to be. He teaches us how to draw our strength from Christ as Paul did. We need this and so, we will think more about this 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: “Sanctification”   Our Bible verse for today: “If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.” John 14:3 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “A place for you and you for a place”    Recently I came across one of the best descriptions I have ever read of the process of progressive sanctification and I want to share it with you this morning. It comes from Pastor Chuck Swindoll and is included in the editorial notes on John 14:3 in The Swindoll Study Bible:   “During the interval of time between the Lord’s departure from earth and His return, He is involved in two projects. One: to prepare a place for His children. Two: to prepare His children for a place. He is engaged right now in preparing heaven for His own. That’s what’s happening away from our sight. But on this earth, He is also engaged in preparing us for the life we will live in eternity with Him.”   Jesus is preparing heaven for you, and He is preparing you for heaven. The day will come when your place in heaven will be ready for you, and you will be ready for your place in heaven. This causes me to believe that one of the reasons God is keeping me here on earth rather than bringing me to heaven is because He’s not done with me yet. Nor is He done with you. I suspect another reason is because He has more work for each of us to do here on earth. But in the meantime, He is also molding and shaping each of us, sanding down the rough edges of our personalities; He is growing us spiritually, and bringing each of us to the point where we are ready to join Him in heaven.   But I can’t help wondering why it’s taking so long. In my vanity I would like to believe that He is turning me into something really special (spiritually) and so it’s taking a long time; and also, that my place in heaven will be correspondingly awesome, so that’s taking some time too. (I suspect the truth is probably that I’m like hard wood that requires a lot of sanding in order to make much change at all and it’s just taking God a long time to do much of anything with me.)   In any case, I think Pastor Chuck is right – Jesus is preparing heaven for us, and He is preparing us for heaven.   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: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: he will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him …” Psalm 37:5-7 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Don’t rush it. Don’t get ahead of God”   Have you heard it said that God is never in a hurry? It’s true. I’m often in a hurry, but God never is. Not only does God have all the time in the world, He has eternity, and His timing is always perfect. But me? I’m usually in a hurry. I’ve got places to go, things to do, people to see. I need this thing taken care of now, now, now, so I can move on to the next thing (Loose ends and unresolved issues make me uncomfortable.)   So, what happens when we get impatient, rush ahead of God rather than waiting, and attempt to do things in our own time instead of in His? You know the answer – we make a mess of things.   King Saul learned that lesson in 1 Samuel 13:9 when he got impatient waiting for the Lord’s priest (Samuel) to make the offering to the Lord in proper fashion and instead did it himself. It cost him his kingship. King David learned this lesson as well. In 2 Samuel 6:1-10 he got in a hurry, failed to check and comply with the instructions God had given for the proper transportation of the Ark, did it his own way, and ended up with disastrous results.   I have learned this lesson on numerous occasions too. There have been too many occasions when I should have waited on God but instead, after deciding God was taking too long, or He had forgotten the issue, or He just didn’t understand the urgency, I, like Saul and David (and you?), have gone off on my own – getting it done, but making a mess of things in the process. We get ourselves in trouble when we fail to wait on the Lord and do the thing in His timing instead of in our own. God is always on time, even if it doesn’t seem like it to us.   If you are waiting patiently for the resolution to some situation and God doesn’t seem to be responding fast enough, I encourage you to be patient and don’t rush it. The worst thing we can do in such situations is to get ahead 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. 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: “Sanctification”   Our Bible verse for today: “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “The things that really matter”   Since I will soon turn seventy, I have at this point in life lived through most of the seasons of life. Hopefully I still have many years in front of me, but if we make it through all the other seasons, then the senior years are the final season of life on earth for all of us. Additionally, as a pastor for close to thirty years, I have observed and worked closely with people in all seasons of life, and I have watched them progress through the different seasons.   One trend that seems to be common to almost all of us is that we spend the young adult and middle years of life accumulating possessions, and then we spend the final season of life getting rid of them. Invariably, as people age, they also downsize. They clear out the clutter in the attics and basements, they go through closets and get rid of clothes they haven’t worn in years, they empty out storage units and sheds, they even sell large homes and move into smaller ones.   Why? Why the tendency to downsize and get rid of possessions we spent decades accumulating? One of the reasons is often that the person finally realizes the truth of Jesus’ words in Luke 12:15 that life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. In fact, possessions often get in the way. Too many possessions can actually diminish the quality of life rather than improving it. When you own things, you have to put time and money into taking care of them. Those things cost money to purchase to begin with, then they take up space to store, and then they often steal our time that would be better spent in other ways.   There’s a lot to be said for a less-cluttered and simpler life that focuses more on health, relationships, and spiritual growth. Those are the things that really matter and which make for a full, rich, happy life. As we grow in spiritual maturity, we come to realize that Galatians 5:22-23 is the true measure of how successful our life has been: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”   Is your life filled with too many of the wrong things? Perhaps you need to do a little downsizing so you can focus more on the things that really matter.   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: “Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “Dispensers of God’s grace”   Many years ago, I was in a workshop at a conference that was being led by pastor and author John Maxwell. John is well-known for his books on Christian leadership and how to apply Biblical principles of leadership in the secular workplace.   However, in this particular workshop the focus was on pastors and leadership in the church and John was speaking as a pastor to other pastors. At one point the conversation turned to the truth of Ephesians 4:11-12 and how important it is for leaders to be intentional about training and developing the people of the church to perform the necessary acts of ministry. It’s not the job of the pastor to do all the work that needs to be done in the church. It is the job of the pastor to train and equip the people to do all the work that needs to be done in the church. John Maxwell is a funny guy and he never misses an opportunity to cut-up, so in reference to Ephesians 4:11-12, and with tongue firmly placed in cheek, John declared, “I love it! My job is to get everyone else to do the work!”   But it is true and it is critical. As we have discussed in the previous two daily devotionals, an important part of our spiritual growth is to discover and develop our spiritual gifts, our skills, and our abilities, and to then apply them in acts of ministry performed for the benefit of others. God’s mercy, grace, comfort, and love flows to those who need it through the acts of His people.   We are dispensers of God’s grace. It’s through us that God answers the prayers and meets the needs of others. It is through us that God ministers to others. And although that certainly is for their benefit, it is also for ours. As we learn how to be dispensers of God’s grace, we ourselves experience spiritual growth. It’s through this process of serving others that God grows us. As author Alan Fadling observed, “God’s focus is on developing people more than getting jobs done.” God could accomplish the acts of ministry without us if He wanted to. But doing it through us is part of our growth and development.   An important part of church life involves discovering and developing our ministry abilities so that each of us can then be dispensers of God’s grace to others.   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