Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Live like it’s true”   Our Bible verse for today: “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity.” Titus 2:7 (ESV)   Our thought for today: “Dedicated to influencing others for good”   My friend Jim Goodrich is in heaven now and I miss him. Not only was he a good friend, but he was a good church member. He was faithful and always willing to help. One of the many things Jim did for me was introducing me to the Torah Commentaries written by Dr. Dennis Prager. These are the best practical application commentaries on the first five books of the Old Testament that I have ever come across. Dr. Prager titled the series, “The Rational Bible.”  As each volume was published, Jim gave me a copy as a gift.   Dennis Prager is a Jew not a Christian, but he is one of the most respected Old Testament scholars in the world today. Although his works are studied by Jewish students around the world, approximately 50% of those who study Dr. Prager’s works are non-Jews, like me. Over more than forty years he has taught millions of students through seminary courses, videos, conferences, books, and a daily radio show. The reason his teaching is so popular is because it is so practical. He clearly shows how the Old Testament applies to the issues of modern life.   The other day I was reading the introduction to his commentary on the book of Deuteronomy. Dennis was explaining his own background and how it was that he came to be a Biblical scholar, teacher, writer, and popular speaker. He shared an insight regarding his own early motivation that resonated with me to the point that I wrote it down and made it my own. Dennis wrote, “At the age of sixteen, I wrote in my diary that I wanted to devote my life “to influencing people to the good.” That mission has animated my life. In a nutshell, I love goodness, and I hate evil.”   I love that. His personal mission became, “My life is dedicated to influencing people for good.” What a noble aspiration for all of us! And that is precisely what Paul was counseling Titus to do in Titus 2:7, “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity.”  Dennis Prager does that on an international scale through his work as a scholar, teacher, speaker, and writer. But truthfully, this is something all of us can do. We can all strive to live a life (in word and deed) which influences others for good.   Let me ask you this morning, “What is your life dedicated to?” Deep down in your heart, what is it that motivates and drives you? A simple desire “to influence others for good” would be an admirable goal for any life.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Live like it’s real”   Our Bible verse for today: “Conduct yourself with wisdom in your interactions with outsiders (non-believers), make the most of each opportunity (treating it as something precious). Colossians 4:5 (Amplified Bible)   Our thought for today: “Make the most of your opportunities”   We’ve all heard the exhortation to “make the most of your opportunities.” Typically, that is said with respect to some kind of advancement in life such as going to college if you have the chance, or applying for a better position at work that just opened-up, or taking advantage of a smart investment opportunity you just became aware of – and there is wisdom in that approach to life. Success is achieved by those who go for it, not by those who don’t.   But that’s not the context within which the Apostle Paul was using the phrase in Colossians 4:5. In this case he was speaking specifically of Christians interacting with unbelievers and taking advantage of the opportunities the Holy Spirit creates for us to share the Good News of the Gospel with them. He says that doing so will require wisdom. In other words, not only will we need to be spiritually sensitive enough to recognize the opportunity, but we will need to be wise enough to know the best way to approach the situation.   He then says that such opportunities are precious. If they are precious then it means they are valuable, and perhaps somewhat rare. The opportunity is valuable because the issue at hand is that person’s eternal salvation. It is potentially rare because when it comes to an unbeliever being open to discussing spiritual things, there are windows of opportunity. These are windows of time when circumstances have created an opening in that person’s mind and heart – an opening that might only last for a short time. We must be spiritually sensitive enough to recognize such moments, then wise enough to boldly and decisively move into the moment in the right way.   That sounds like hard work, doesn’t it? It sounds like this could be hard and perhaps the potential for failure is high. Yup. It is hard, it is work, and you might not be successful. But … try anyway. Remember, it is a precious moment – valuable and potentially rare. If the Holy Spirit has successfully orchestrated circumstances in that person’s life to create this opening, and He has placed you there to take advantage of that opportunity, then don’t be timid about it and don’t waste the chance to reach the person for Christ.   This is part of living like our faith is real. We pay attention to people; we learn to recognize spiritual openings; and then we take advantage of the opportunities the Holy Spirit presents to us.   I encourage all of us to pay attention to people today and to take advantage of the opportunities the Holy Spirit gives us to tell them about 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: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:2-3   Our thought for today: “Live with a “things above” perspective”   Do you sometimes get tunnel vision? I do. We all do. It’s so easy to get caught-up in the issues of life. When that happens, our vision narrows and moves everything else in life to the periphery and into the shadows. The situation or issue we’re focused on then takes on outsized proportions in our perspective and it can seem to us to be the most important thing in the world at that moment, when in fact, it isn’t. But we have tunnel vision and therefore our perspective is skewed.   We can get tunnel vision for many reasons and about many things. A relationship problem in our home can become all-consuming and we find ourselves unable to think about anything else. Financial problems can have a similar effect on us. Some people become obsessed with and consumed by their job to the exclusion of everything else – including family. Many people today have tunnel vision with respect to politics. They are so obsessed with political issues and candidates and campaigns that they convince themselves the fate of the world hangs on the next election (it doesn’t.)   While all those things may be important and deserving of extra attention from us, if we obsess about them and get tunnel vision because of them, it will negatively impact every other area of life. This is especially problematic for Christians because when we get trapped in tunnel vision regarding the things of this life, we lose sight of the things of God. The things of the world take on outsized proportions and move the things of God to the edges and into the shadows of life.   In Colossians 3:2-3 the Apostle Paul calls us to live with what one commentator called a “things above” perspective. In other words, take a step back from the issues and situations of life, take a breath, and view the situation from 30,000 feet – from a Biblical perspective. Remember, God is sovereign over all the situations we face in life. He is aware of what’s going on, He has control over what is going on, and He has answers for what is going on.   We are never seeing any situation clearly until we are seeing it from God’s perspective, not from our own. We can avoid getting trapped in tunnel vision. We can learn to live as if our faith is true and makes a real difference in how we handle the issues of life. We can learn to live with a “things above” perspective.   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: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:6 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “What will you say today?”   Let’s continue our thinking from yesterday regarding Paul’s teaching from Colossians 3:12: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” I love the illustration we considered about the young Christian man working as a waiter in the dining room of that upscale restaurant and having to deal with some rude and unkind customers. The young man was all the things Paul called for in Colossians 3:12 – he was clothed in the attributes of his faith and that is what people saw in him. That would include his words.   How we speak is part of the way in which we present ourselves to the world. The words they hear coming from our mouth reveals what is true of us. And not just what we say, but also, and perhaps especially, how we say it. In Luke 6:45 Jesus reminds us, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” In other words, sooner or later whatever is in your heart will work its way up and come out of your mouth. That will especially be true in unguarded moments or in tense situations like that dining room scene with the young waiter who was being unkindly treated by some of the customers.   In Colossians 4:6 Paul instructs us to control our words as a matter of how we practice our faith. Our words are to be full of grace. They should be humble, gentle, and kind. But also, our words are to be seasoned with salt. The salt he refers to is the truth of God’s Word. The words we speak must be true and right, but also full of grace. It is possible to speak truthfully and kindly at the same time. We can be uncompromising while at the same time being calm, reasoned, and polite.   Yesterday, in conjunction with the truth of Colossians 3:12, I asked us all to consider, “What are you wearing today?” Today, as we consider the truth of Colossians 4:6, I ask, “What will you say today?”   Speak words of truth, but make sure they are words of truth that are clothed in grace.   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 God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “What are you wearing today?”   A popular Christian author was scheduled to speak at a prestigious Christian college. No expense was spared by the college to make the man feel valued and respected. He and his wife were provided with business-class airfare and accommodations at an upscale hotel in the city.   The next morning, when the man and his wife went down to the dining room for breakfast, they couldn’t help but notice how elegant it was and how well-dressed all the customers were. Just by their clothes you could tell that these people were wealthy. That reminded the man of the old saying, “The clothes make the man.”   But do they? Do the clothes make the man? As he observed the patrons, he noted that many of them were aloof and snooty. Worse, more than a few were a bit abrupt and rude with the waiter. However, the young man who was doing the serving – dressed only in a simple uniform, was bright, friendly, courteous, and kind. And to the author and his wife, it seemed that the young man’s demeanor was more than just a polished professional role required of him by the management. Instead, it seemed genuine.   Sure enough, when the server attended to the man and his wife and they were able to engage him in conversation, it turned out that the young man was a student at the Christian college and he was genuinely a nice young man. Our speaker quickly decided he liked the young man in his simple uniform a lot better than the snooty and rude wealthy people in their pretty dresses and expensive suits.   Colossians 3:12 is just one of many New Testament passages that urge the followers of Christ to clothe themselves with virtues like compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. May I ask you, “What are you wearing today?”   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 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