Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Sanctification”   Our Bible verse for today: “He comforts us in our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”  2 Corinthians 1:4-6 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Give them some of your strength”   Throughout the years of my ministry, I have had the privilege of knowing Christians who were especially gifted at comforting others. They were men and women who were empathic at a deep level and they had a unique gift of being able to enter into someone else’s pain and suffering with them, sharing the burden and offering comfort.   I have great admiration for people who have the strength to carry other people’s burdens like that. They offer some of their own strength to help that person deal with that heavy load. In those cases, there is essentially a transfer of strength taking place. The comforting person is giving the hurting, struggling, grieving person an infusion of strength to help them carry on.   In almost every case like that, the gifted comforter is a person who has suffered greatly themselves. They are people who have overcome serious illness, suffered through the pain of the death of a loved one, endured the long-term agony of a wayward adult child, or something similar. Sometimes many times over. The Bible teaches in multiple passages that such suffering of our own, can and should make us stronger so that we can then be a source of strength for others as they endure similar things.   The process of progressive sanctification, and the transformation that comes from it, is the result of different and varied kinds of work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. But part of the process involves the Spirit using our times of trial and suffering to make us stronger. That new strength will certainly be of benefit to us when we endure trials of our own, but as Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 1:4-6, our strength can also be used as a source of strength and comfort for others who are suffering.   I encourage you to be willing to share your strength with others. Ask the Lord to make you aware of a suffering, struggling, hurting person today (they’re all around you), then find a way to be a source of comfort and strength for them.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Sanctification”   Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “A new, improved, and better you”   2 Corinthians 5:17 is one of the classic go-to verses we typically include when explaining God’s plan of salvation to an unbeliever. In the moment a person places their faith in Christ they are a new creation. Their sins are forgiven and wiped away; their spirit is reborn as a new creation in Christ; and in the eyes of the Father, the person is a brand-new creation. It is a wonderful promise filled with hope and joy, and it applies specifically and directly to salvation.   But it is also true that all believers in Christ have an opportunity to become a new and better person every day – different and improved from who you were yesterday. This is part of the adventure of living the Christian life. If you are a serious disciple of Jesus Christ, and if you have incorporated the basic spiritual disciplines of the Christian life into your daily routine, then you will be growing spiritually and the Holy Spirit will be in the constant process of molding you, shaping you, and transforming you into a new and improved person. You will be different and better from who you were ten years ago, and even from who you were just yesterday.   One of the most uplifting and encouraging passages in the Old Testament was recorded by the prophet Jeremiah in the book of Lamentations. In Lamentations 3:22-23 we read, “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!”   God has new blessings, new words of encouragement, and new spiritual insights waiting for you every day. As you experience them, you will come to know God better and you will grow a little more. And when that happens, you will have changed. You will have grown spiritually and you will be a little different and a little better than you were yesterday. You might not be an entirely new creation from who you were yesterday, but you will be a slightly new, improved, and better version of you.   The Christian life lived well is a great adventure of discovery, growing, and serving. God has more for you every day. Go to Him now. Present yourself before the Holy Spirit and let Him mold you and shape you. It will result in a new, improved, and better 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: “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 4:13-14 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “What’s holding you back?”   If my illustration this morning seems a little crude, please pardon me and make allowances for an old sailor. Many decades ago, when I was a young sailor serving my first enlistment in the U.S. Navy, I heard a somewhat colorful response to a situation that I found both convicting and motivating. It was a challenge that was sometimes said to those guys who were always talking about what they were going to do, but never actually doing it. It was, “Well, I don’t see an anchor tied to your rear-end. What’s holding you back?” (The actual language was a little more colorful. We were sailors, after all).   But the point is well-taken. What is holding you back from doing the thing you know you should do, and you need to do, but which so far, you’re just talking about?   In yesterday’s devotional I urged us all not to waste any of the years of our lives. Unfortunately, many of us do waste precious time by thinking about what we’re gong to do, talking about what we’re going to do, but then making excuses instead of actually doing it.   Once we begin procrastinating and making excuses it becomes a pattern that is increasingly hard to break free from. Sometimes we will feel guilty about it, and we regret the lost time and the wasted opportunities. But we can get mired in that regret as well, and that too can become like an anchor or, to shift metaphors, like quicksand sucking us down and holding us back.   The Apostle Paul allowed for none of that in his life. Instead, he shrugged off the past, cut the tether to the anchor, and kept moving forward. That’s the result that progressive sanctification should be having in our lives. It should be the thing that keeps us moving forward. This is why we intentionally do our part by engaging in the daily spiritual disciplines that place us in a position before the Holy Spirit whereby He can mold us, transform us, and keep us moving forward. If we are growing spiritually and therefore being transformed, we will not be standing still and making excuses.   If you are feeling stuck in the mud in life, or perhaps, feeling as if there is something acting as an anchor holding you back, the solution is to ramp up the practice of your faith. If you do your part, the Holy Spirit will break you free and move you forward in life.   What’s holding you back? The answer should be, “Nothing. Nothing is holding me back. I’m moving forward.”   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 I am being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:6-7 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Don’t waste any of the years of your life”   Bob Buford is in heaven now but during his lifetime he accomplished two important things. First, he made full use of all the seasons of his life. As a young man, he was a successful entrepreneur who worked hard, built businesses, invested wisely, and made a lot of money. Then, second, in middle-age he shifted gears and decided it was time to move from success to significance. He realized that a life that makes a real difference is about much more than just making money and having lots of possessions. Success gets you things, significance makes a difference for good in the lives of others.   So, Bob wrote a book about that which became an international best-seller. It was called “Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance.” He then spent decades leading seminars and mentoring people as they made the shift from success to significance. Finally, he followed that with another best-seller called “Finishing Well: The Adventure of Life Beyond Halftime.” That book was all about remaining significant in the last season of life, what is often referred to as “the retirement years.”   In “Finishing Well” Bob tells the story of a study that was conducted by Fuller Seminary which helps to illustrate the danger of living without passion and purpose. They looked at one hundred people in the Bible and how they finished life. The conclusion the study arrived at is that only one-third of those Biblical figures finished life well. Two-thirds of those people failed in some big way in the last season of life, and the primary reason for it was that they got lazy – lazy in life in general, and in the practice of their faith. They got lax about applying the truth of Scripture to their lives; then they stopped serving God and other people; and finally, they made excuses for their conduct.   A similar pattern can be seen in Christians all around us. They live without a clear purpose and without a passionate commitment to making a meaningful difference in the world. This tends to become even more of a problem in the retirement years. They become less productive; they have no real purpose in life anymore that gets them out of bed in the morning; and they become less passionate about the practice of their faith and participating in ministry activities.   This is sometimes referred to as the “retirement mode” and it is aimless and without focus. Studies show that people who retire without a new purpose they are passionate about and which gives them a sense of making a meaningful difference in the lives of others, die on average in less than seven years after retiring.   God calls His people to be significant in all the seasons of life. We are not to waste any of them. The Apostle Paul was a man who lived well – he made a difference in life and he finished well. Paul didn’t waste any of his years, and neither should we.   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: “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them; but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.” Deuteronomy 29:29 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “We are responsible for knowing what God has revealed”   There is much about God and the spiritual realm that we cannot know. Such knowledge is beyond our human capacity for understanding and will therefore remain secret to us until we are one day in heaven. But there is also much we can know. In the Bible God has revealed to us everything we need to know in order to live our best life.   We are not held accountable by God for the things we cannot know because they are beyond us; but we are held accountable for the things that we can and should know. As Moses explained to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 29:29, God expects us to know and live by all the truth He has revealed to us.   This is where your full involvement in the life of a good church comes into play. Solitary prayer and Bible study are important, but it’s not enough. The Christian life is to be lived in community. Except for short periods of solitary withdrawal for the purpose of communing with God, there are no examples in the New Testament of followers of Jesus isolating themselves from other believers and it having been a good thing. In both the Old and New Testaments, a healthy spiritual life for the people of God is always portrayed as taking place in community.   When we are gathered with fellow believers for Bible study and worship, God speaks to us through the instruction in Sunday school, through the music in worship, and through the words of the preacher in the sermon. Those are all ways the Holy Spirit makes us aware of and teaches us about the things that God has revealed to us and for which we are therefore responsible for knowing and obeying.   The exciting news is that God always has some new lesson, some new revelation prepared for you. Every time you walk through the doors of the church you have a new opportunity to discover, learn, and grow.   Today is Saturday, tomorrow is Sunday. Will you be attending the gathering of your church? If not, I wonder what you will miss. I wonder what new insight God had prepared to reveal to you, something you are responsible for and which He does expect you to know, but which you won’t be there to discover.   We are responsible for knowing what God has revealed. He does hold us accountable for what we can and therefore should know.     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: “We all, with unveiled faces, are looking in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “A little less like me; a little more like Jesus”   2 Corinthians 3:18 is one of the clearest and most helpful of all the verses that teach about progressive sanctification. It speaks of gazing upon and contemplating the glory of God, and as we do, we are progressively transformed more and more into the image we are contemplating.   This is one of the reasons God tells us in Psalm 46:10 to “Be still, and know that I am God.” What God was calling for in Psalm 46:10, and what Paul was teaching in 2 Corinthians 3:18, is that we need to spend time simply sitting before God, thinking deeply about who He is and what He is like. Consider His goodness, His grace, His mercy, and love. Think about how you have personally experienced those qualities of God manifested in your own life. Dwell on it; contemplate it deeply. Then consider the extent to which those attributes are becoming increasingly true of you.   A. W. Tozer once described it this way: “Only to sit and think of God, oh what a joy it is! To think the thought, to breath the Name; Earth has no higher bliss.”   Sitting quietly before God in contemplation and deep appreciation of who He is and what He is like transforms us, and is therefore for our own good. But it’s not only for our own good; it’s also for the good of those around us. Being transformed more and more into the image of Jesus will produce a sense of humility in us. It will sand down and smooth out the harsh edges of our personality and bring out mercy, grace, and love instead. Not only are we better off for it, but those around us are also impacted for good by the transformation God is bringing about in our lives.   With each little advance in transformation, as each of us as individuals become a little more like Jesus, the world is a slightly better place and everyone is better off. So, my goal for today is to be a little less like me, and a little more like 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. 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: “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.” 2 John 3 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Knowing about God is not the same as knowing God”   I once knew a man who was practically a walking encyclopedia of the Bible. I could cite verses I had memorized, but he could site entire passages and even entire chapters from memory. And, he always had an answer. Regardless of the issue, he could tell you something the Bible had to say about it.   However, the man was also reserved and somewhat unapproachable in his demeanor. He was often blunt, sharp, and unkind in the way he spoke to people. He was impatient with others and frequently came across as critical and judgmental. Yes, he was a walking encyclopedia of the Bible, but I saw little of Jesus in his manner. I often wondered if he was truly saved. I saw little of the grace, mercy, peace, and love that John wrote about in 2 John 3 above.   Knowing about God is not the same as knowing God. In yesterday’s devotional I wrote about Jesus being the way, the truth, and the life. I explained that He is the Truth in that He is the embodiment of truth, and by means of His Holy Spirit living in our heart and serving as teacher, counselor, and guide, He opens our eyes to truth. But simply knowing facts and having lots of information (even true and accurate information), is not the same as truly knowing Jesus. As James reminds us in James 2:19, “Even the demons believe – and they shudder.”   Regarding Scriptural truth and the impact it should have on us, author Alan Fadling observed, “Knowing the truth is having a heart, mind, soul, and body that are increasingly in harmony with kingdom reality.” When we truly “know” Jesus, we become changed people. As His disciples we progressively become more like Him in character and manner, and our lives display that. We don’t just talk like we’re saved – we live like we’re saved.   Knowing about God is not the same as knowing God. If you have the Holy Spirit of God living in your heart it should be evident to all – not just by the things you say, but by the way you live.   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: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Without Jesus we’ve got nothing”   Jesus’ words in John 14:6 constitute the most important definitive statement that has ever been made. There Jesus declared, directly and unequivocally, that faith in Him is the only way to salvation. Those words are so clear and so conclusive that they leave room for no other option. If those words of Jesus are true (and they are), that means that salvation is found in no other god of the world, no other faith system, and by no other means. It’s not a matter of being a good enough person, or performing enough religious rituals, or donating money to charity, or anything else. It is faith in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and nothing else.   But John 14:6 also pertains to more than just salvation As Pastor Chuck Swindoll explained, “Jesus is the Way. He is the Truth. He is the Life. Without the Way, there isn’t any going. Without the Truth, there isn’t any knowing. Without the Life, there isn’t any living.”   Without the Truth, there isn’t any going. That means that Jesus is the only way to heaven. We know that. It’s the common understanding of that verse. But then Chuck reminds us, “Without the Truth, there isn’t any knowing.” In other words, without the insight Jesus provides us through His Holy Spirit living in our hearts and serving as our teacher, counselor, and guide, we will never have a proper perspective on the issues of life or of eternity. Jesus embodies that truth and He reveals it to those who follow Him.   And then, “Without the Life, there isn’t any living.” It’s only through Jesus that we have real life – real life in eternity, but now in this world too. If you aren’t living with Jesus then you aren’t really living. For one thing, as Paul explained in Ephesians 2:1, prior to placing your faith in Christ and being born again you were a dead man (woman) walking: “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins …” You were walking through life with a dead spirit inside your physical body. Well, that explains a lot! That explains why people act the way they do. They’re walking around with a dead thing inside of them!   But Jesus changed all that for you. When you were born again your spirit came alive and so now, you really are living. And the fruit of that living spirit inside of you is: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23). Okay! Now you are living – and Jesus did that for you. Without the Life, there is no living.   Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without Him, we’ve got nothing.   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: “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Keep your eyes on Jesus and press on”   In yesterday’s devotional we learned that when we find ourselves faced with temptation, we are to focus on the grace and strength provided to us by God in that moment. Don’t concern yourself with the larger issue of defeating this pattern of sin in your life once and for all and forever. That is the long-term goal but it is also a steep hill to climb, and it can seem insurmountable. Instead, focus fully on having victory over it in this moment. Fix your eyes on Jesus, draw strength from Him, and move on.   Hebrews 12:1-2 expresses that same mindset in a slightly different way. In this case it was the same principle, just applied broadly to all of life. The writer urges us to resolve to fix our eyes on Jesus, lean into whatever the challenge is, and keep moving forward as we live a life that honors the Lord.   That’s a strategy the Apostle Paul employed in his own life. In Philippians 3:12-14 he wrote, “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. 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.”   Paul was not perfect. He still struggled with sin and with all the other challenges of life, as we all do. His strategy for dealing with it was to fix his eyes on Jesus, lean into the situation, push forward, and just keep moving on – always with his eyes focused on the Lord. Author Alan Fadling reminds us, “Legalism looks for sins to overcome (it focuses on the sin); grace-based living looks to Jesus, who has overcome sin.”   Through the process of progressive sanctification, we learn how to live fully in the grace of our Lord, by keeping our eyes firmly fixed on Him.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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

Hello everyone,   Today I am happy to announce the release of my latest book, “The End of Anxiety and Despair”. It is a short book, written in daily devotional format for easy reading.   Anxiety and despair are common human emotions. We all face them and we all have to deal with them. That’s just life and as Christians, we’re not immune to the challenge. But in the Bible God provides us with the guidance we need to effectively overcome anxiety and despair, and to live victoriously in Christ even while facing difficult or painful life experiences. I believe you will find this little book to be helpful.   Some years ago, my wife Linda and I decided we would no longer sell my books but would instead offer them as a gift to whoever would like a copy. If people are blessed and helped by this writing ministry, that is payment enough. Therefore, Linda and I have been absorbing the expense of publishing, reprinting, and postage, and we have been happy to do so as a gift to God’s people.   However, since this is now the fifth book, and since all of them are still in print and periodically being reprinted, and often mailed to people in distant locations, we decided it is time to accept donations. This book, as with the other four, is complimentary and I will be happy for you to have a copy of it. You can get one at Oak Hill Baptist Church, or I would be glad to mail one to you. Simply send me an email at pastorjimmohbc@gmail.com with your name and address.   If you would like to make a donation to help continue the reprinting and free distribution of these books, that would be appreciated and helpful (but not necessary). Please make checks out to Jim Mersereau. You can mail it to 13 Julien Court, Crossville, TN, 38558. Your donation will help to replenish the supply of whichever of the five books needs to be reprinted next.   I’m very grateful for all of the faithful readers of these books and daily devotional messages for all these years, and I look forward to sharing “The End of Anxiety and Despair” with you.   God bless, Pastor Jim