Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”   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: “People helping people who help people”   I’m in a reflective mood this week. On Saturday Aimee and I will celebrate our second wedding. We were married in a small private ceremony on June 29th but this Saturday, October 18th, we will have our big barn wedding with family, friends, neighbors, and church family. It’s going to be so much fun! We envision something akin to an Amish event where the entire community of faith comes together in a beautiful country setting to celebrate some significant life event for one of our own. Everybody working together to make it happen, each family brings something to share for the community meal, and it’s a fun and joyous time for everyone. We’re intentionally planning it to be light-hearted, fun, and in some ways, even funny.   But I said I was reflective. I can’t help but recall the events that led up to this time. Before there was a wedding, before there was Aimee and dating and courting, there was the darkest period of my life. My wife, son, and daughter had all died in a relatively short time. I was living alone for the first time in my adult life. I had to work through a long and difficult period of extended grieving. It was very hard. (Aimee had a similar road to walk after her husband Tim died unexpectedly just six months before I lost Linda.)   But my church family was there in big, meaningful, and important ways for me. I was overwhelmed with all the expressions of concern, love, support, and kindness. Once, when I was trying to express my thanks and appreciation to someone, the person made a comment that has stuck with me. He said, “Pastor, you have been doing this same thing for so many other people for almost thirty years as a pastor. We’re just doing for you what you have done for so many others.”   That comment stuck with me and I realized that what was being described was a basic truism of church life – people helping people who help people. What goes around comes around. What you do for others, others will one day do for you. This is Church Life 101. Believers taking care of believers. Brothers and sisters in Christ watching out for and taking care of one another. This is God applying His power in our lives in ways and at times when it is desperately needed, and doing it through His people as they take care of each other.   That’s true during the dark times, but its also true during the good times. That big barn wedding that’s coming up in just three days? We couldn’t do it without the help of the church. It’s amazing how many in our church family have come forward and asked to be allowed to help with planning, and with food, and with setting up and cleaning up, and with a dozen other tasks and details.   How do people navigate life without a good and loving church family? I don’t know. I do know they’re missing something very special. In the church, people help people. That’s just a given in good and healthy church life. You do for them, and they go out of their way to do for you too. It’s evidence of God’s power being manifested in and through the lives of His 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 © 2025 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: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “The power of God to calm us”   According to one study, the Bible is the most read book in online reader apps, and Philippians 4:4-7 is the most read passage. Obviously, there is something deeply soothing and reassuring found in reading the Bible, and especially in the passage from Philippians 4:4-7.   One thing we learn from our reading of the Bible is that God is sovereign over all the events of our lives. He has absolute power and total control over everything – including the events of your life and especially over the stormy events in your life. And, as Max Lucado points out in his excellent little book, “Tame Your Thoughts,” God will often use His power to calm your storms. He did it for Moses and the Israelites as they were fleeing from the armies of Pharoah and they needed the Red Sea to be parted so they could escape. He did it for Daniel in the lion’s den. Jesus did it a couple of times when the disciples were caught in a storm at sea and they were in danger of sinking and drowning. Sometimes God calms the storm.   At other times He calms the person in the storm. Sometimes the storm will still rage but He will give the person the strength and courage to deal with it with confidence and dignity. That’s what Paul was describing in Philippians 4:4-7 (which he wrote while in prison and probably expecting to be executed soon.) Choose to rejoice in the Lord; let your graciousness, your confidence, and your dignity be seen by everyone; remember that the Lord is near; rather than worrying about your circumstances, commit them to the Lord in prayer; then experience the peace of God in the middle of the storm.   Faith, trust, and prayer – that’s the key. That’s where your peace will come from. Your God is sovereign over all things; your God has the power to calm the storms in your life; or, even if the storm continues to rage, He has the power to calm you.   So, go to Him. Trust Him. Turn your storm over to Him. If you will do that, then as Isaiah taught more than 2500 years ago in Isaiah 26:3, and which Paul essentially retaught in Philippians 4:4-7, “God will keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is 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 © 2025 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: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “But solid food is for the mature – for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Deep insight is for the spiritually mature”   For most of my adult life I have tried to maintain a regular exercise routine that has included strength training. It has also included lots of cardio, as well as exercises to enhance flexibility and endurance, but resistance training to promote and maintain strength has been a key element too.   The objective of strength training is to first establish a good foundation of strong healthy muscle, and then to build upon it to make those muscles stronger-and-stronger. As that happens, you will be able to lift more weight. The object is to build up your muscles as your strength increases.   Spiritual growth is like that too. That’s what the writer of the letter to the Hebrews was referring to in Hebrews 5:11-14. In that passage, he admonished some of his readers because in his opinion they had been lazy (his words). They had not been engaging in regular and consistent spiritual disciplines so that they would be spiritually healthy and growing ever stronger. Instead, they had done little in that regard and as a result, they were spiritually unhealthy.   Conversely, in verse 14, he referred to those who had done the hard work of regular spiritual workouts. As a result of their discipline and hard work in this area, they were strong and healthy and growing stronger and healthier every day. Therefore, they were able to consume what he referred to as “solid food,” by which he meant deeper spiritual truth. That solid spiritual food was to their spirit like a good steak would be for their physical body.   The editors of the Experiencing God Study Bible explained it this way: “Deep spiritual truths are reserved for the spiritually mature. Though the immature my hear the truths, they will not grasp them.”   God reserves His best and deepest spiritual insight for those who are ready to receive it. It’s for those who have done the work to be spiritually strong so they can then be made even stronger. God will strengthen you further when you are ready to be strengthened, but not before.   Deep spiritual insight, and the resulting spiritual growth, is reserved for those who are ready to receive it.   God bless, Pastor Jim     (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2025 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: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “You are what you think”   I have long loved the writing of Max Lucado. Through his clear, simple writing style I have learned much about God and about living the Christian life. I think I have probably read just about everything Max has written over the last thirty years, and I probably have most of those books in my library. Currently, I’m reading his latest book, “Tame Your Thoughts: Three tools to renew your mind and transform your life.”  I’m only three chapters into it but I’ve already concluded that it is a great book.   Here’s a snippet from chapter one: “We are what we think… We are the sum of our thoughts. Positive thoughts generate positive actions. Negative thoughts activate negative behavior. Behind every angry outburst is an angry belief. Behind every kind gesture is a kind notion. Behind every jealous comment is a … well, you get the idea.”   In Romans 12:2 the Apostle Paul contrasts two kinds of people: one who is conformed, and one who is transformed. One has a mind that has been conformed to the thinking of the world (and therefore the person acts in worldly ways.) The other has a mind that has been transformed by the Holy Spirit and who therefore acts in godly ways.   In some respects, your brain is like a lump of Play-Doh. Remember Play-Doh from your childhood? It was a clay-like substance that was gooey and malleable. You could push it into a plastic mold of a tree, or a house, or a person, and the Play-Doh would take that form. Neuroscientists tell us our that brain is similar to a lump of Play-Doh in that it can be shaped and formed. The question is, “Who is doing the shaping and what form is the brain taking?”   God has the power to transform you by molding and shaping your thought patterns. But your thoughts are driven by the information you take in. Paul’s point in Romans 12:2 is that the burden is on you to put good information into your brain. The Holy Spirit will then take that good information and mold your brain (transform it) to think in ways that honor God. When your thoughts have changed your behaviors will change too and you will have been transformed in ways that are good and which are pleasing to God (Romans 12:2).   It really is true, “you are what you think.”   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 © 2025 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: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching. Your message is to be sound beyond reproach…” Titus 2:7-8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “The power of God to shape your demeanor”   Your demeanor is how you act, how you present yourself. It’s your outward behavior and includes things like how you talk (what you say and how you say it); how you act; and your confidence level. A person with a good demeanor conducts him or herself in a proper manner that is admirable and respected by others. A person with a poor demeanor conducts themselves poorly and does not garner much admiration or respect from others.   In Titus 2:7-8 Paul was counseling his young protégé to conduct himself well, with integrity and dignity. He was to give careful thought to what he said and how he said it, and he was to be sure he presented himself to others in a manner that was both admirable and which brought honor to the cause of Christ. In short, Titus was to have a good demeanor.   This is certainly something for us to consider as we venture out into the world today. What manner of person do others see when they encounter and consider you? But also, how about on Sunday when you gather with your church family? Specifically, what will the younger people at church think as they observe your conduct and listen to your words?   I’m so grateful for the wise and spiritually mature people I have had the good fortune to be around over my years as a Christian – older men and women of strong Christian character who conducted themselves with integrity, dignity, and quiet confidence. That’s a demeanor worth emulating!   It’s interesting that Paul instructed Titus to “make” yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity. In other words, he was to be intentional about it and he was to make the effort to be like that. Certainly, he needed the Holy Spirit to develop those qualities in him so they would then work their way out naturally, but there was also effort required on his part.   I encourage you to give careful thought to how you present yourself to others. The power of God is available to shape your demeanor in a positive way.   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 © 2025 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: “God’s strength in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” Philippians 2:2 (NASB)   Our thought for today: “We are stronger together”   I’m sure you have at times played the game “tug-of-war.” Probably at picnics or large family gatherings. Two teams are formed, a long thick rope is laid out, the teams lineup on their respective ends of the rope, and then on the signal from the judge, each team begins to pull hard on the rope, attempting to drag the other team forward and across the line in the middle thereby winning the tug-of-war.   It’s the team that works the hardest together, the one which most successfully combines their strength to achieve a common goal, that wins the game. The object is to get the other team off balance and uncoordinated, and then overpower them. If the teams are relatively evenly matched in terms of size and weight, the team that works together best will win the contest.   Working together in church is like that too. When Christians unite to achieve a common purpose and they work together in a coordinated effort, a lot can be achieved – much more than when we attempt to go it alone. Our strength is multiplied exponentially when we combine it and work together. We are stronger together and we are weaker alone.   It was Paul’s intention in Philippians 2:2 to encourage Christians to work together to achieve a common purpose. United in mind, maintaining a strong sense of love for one another, drawing strength from the Spirit, focused and intent on achieving something good. That’s what Paul was calling for.   When the Holy Spirit is working through a group of people who are united in purpose like that, the combined power of their united effort will achieve much more than will a bunch of individuals working alone. The power of God is manifested in unity.   Make no mistake, life is like that tug-of-war game. The forces of evil are real and they are often united in their opposition to the cause of Christ. If we are going to win (in each individual contest) we must be united too, working together, combining our strength for the common goal of achieving good things for the cause of Christ.   We are weaker alone and we are stronger together.   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 © 2025 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: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “I discovered Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your ancestors like the first fruit of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, consecrated themselves to Shame, and became abhorrent, like the thing they loved.” Hosea 9:10 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “You become like what you love”   The Old Testament book of Hosea is a sad story that is hard to read. The main character (Hosea) was a good man, a godly man. The woman in the story (Gomer) was a woman of ill repute with a wandering eye inclined to adultery and prostitution. God instructed Hosea the prophet to marry Gomer the prostitute as an object lesson to the nation. Just as Gomer would cheat on Hosea and bring dishonor and shame into their lives, so too Israel was cheating on God and bringing dishonor and shame into their own lives.   It was tough stuff for poor Hosea. Gomer left him, slept with other men, ended up getting trafficked as a prostitute, and had to be rescued from that life by Hosea, who was then instructed by God to bring her back into his home and to continue loving her.   The main point of the story is that God still loves His wayward people, and He will rescue us out of the messes we have made and take us back. But please don’t miss what happened to Gomer (and to the nation of Israel), in the middle of all that. The end of verse 10 tells us, they “became abhorrent, like the thing they loved.” In Gomer’s case she rejected a stable life with a good man; she longed in her heart for other men and for a different kind of life; and she ended up being used by many, enslaved, and living a life of poverty and abuse. She became like the thing she loved – the thing she longed for and lusted after.   So too with the entire nation. They turned their hearts away from the One True God who loved them and who treated them well, and instead they loved, longed for, and lusted after the gods of the surrounding cultures. They were horrible gods who had male and female prostitutes in their temples; they were gods who were never satisfied; they were gods who required child sacrifices. And soon the people became like their gods. They became grossly immoral, cold, brutal, heartless, chasing after every lust and desire. They were ugly people who were just like their ugly gods. They became like the thing they loved.   Us too. We become like whatever it is we give our heart too. If your heart lusts after sex and drugs and parties, your life will probably look a lot like Gomer’s. If you are consumed with greed and a longing for more money, more possessions, more status, then your life will be a constant struggle to do more, to acquire more, and you will never truly be satisfied.   You get the picture. I encourage you to consider who and what you truly love – who and what your heart is longing for. That will show you the kind of person you are in the process of becoming. Be careful what you give your heart to, because we become like that which we love.   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 © 2025 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: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “How good is your balance?”   I once knew a man who lived his life like a juggler in a carnival. He could keep an amazing number of balls in the air all at the same time. For a while. Until he couldn’t. Eventually, he would drop one, and as soon as he did, he lost his rhythm and all the others would crash to the ground as well.   At other times, rather than juggle many balls (tasks and issues), he would focus heavily on one issue to the exclusion of the others. That then would result in one area of his life (such as his career, or his hobby, or physical fitness) getting an inordinate amount of his time and attention, while other areas, such as his faith life or his family, suffered neglect.   That guy was often a knucklehead about how he approached life. And, wait for it … that guy was me. It was me. I lived like that. I would try to do entirely too much for too long for too many people, and soon life would come crashing down and I would end up in the fetal position sucking my thumb for a while. Or, I would become a bit fanatical in my focus on one thing, and the rest of my life would suffer neglect.   The bad news is that I still get like that sometimes. The good news is that it doesn’t happen very often anymore. Eventually I learned the lesson Solomon so eloquently taught almost three thousand years ago in Ecclesiastes chapter three that there is an appropriate time for everything in life, and that we need to maintain a good balance.   To be healthy in all of life we need to have good balance. In other words, we need to be reasonable about how much we can do so that we don’t overload ourselves, and we need to be sure that each thing gets the right amount of attention at the right time based upon a good set of appropriate priorities. If we don’t do that, we will end up weaker not stronger. Doing too much for too long doesn’t make us a Superman or Superwoman, it makes us weak. That’s because excessive busyness is like kryptonite – it drains away our strength.   So too an excessive focus on one thing at the expense of other things – it makes us weaker overall, even if we do momentarily appear strong in that one area that’s getting too much attention.   God wants us to have proper balance in our lives based upon a good set of appropriate priorities. That’s when we will truly 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 © 2025 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: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “We need a firm foundation and stability”   In the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 7:24-25, Jesus calls us to build our life on the firm foundation of faith in Him. The parable reminds us that life is filled with storms, some of them big. The wind will blow, the waters will rise, you will feel battered, and if your life is not standing on a firm foundation, you will be wrecked. But if the structure of your life is solid, and if it is standing on the firm foundation of faith in Christ, you will weather the storms just fine.   As He so often did in His parables, Jesus was simply taking a pre-existing Biblical principle and reteaching it with a contemporary illustration. Psalm 18:2 is one of those Old Testament passages that teaches this same important truth: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation.” Likewise in Isaiah 26:4, “Trust in the Lord forever, because in the Lord, the Lord himself, is an everlasting rock!”   In the chaos of life, we need stability. We need a stable personal life, a stable family life, and a stable church life – all of which must be built upon the firm foundation of faith in Christ. If, in your personal life, you are a serious and dedicated disciple of Jesus; if you have the spiritual disciplines of daily prayer, bible study, and fellowship with other Christians; then your personal life will be built on a firm foundation and you will be strong. Likewise with your family life and your church life. If faith in Christ and a sincere desire to honor Him is the starting place for you and for your family and for your church, and if the Word of God is your guide, you will have a strong foundation and yours will be a stable life.   The world is a dangerous place. Life can be chaotic and stormy. We need strength and stability from God to handle it well and to remain standing tall and strong when others around us are falling apart and being swept away. You need the firm foundation and stability that only God can provide.   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 © 2025 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: “God’s power in you and for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “We all need a place of refuge”   I have to admit, I have never been a very good neighbor. Oh, it’s not that I’m a bad neighbor. I’m not. I am friendly (up to a point); I do pay attention to my neighbors; and I am always willing to help them when they have a need. I mow my yard and mind my own business and I’m not very noisy. But I’m also not one of those neighbors who spends a lot of time hanging out at the backyard fence gabbing with my neighbor next door and getting together to play cards.   Instead, my home is my refuge from the world. It’s my quiet place. It’s the place I retreat into when I need to refresh, renew, and recharge (which is often). Aimee says there’s a “Zen-like” quality to my homelife. If so, it’s not an accident and it doesn’t happen magically. I have been intentional about cultivating and maintaining home as a refuge because I need that. As a pastor I spend a lot of time interacting with the world, dealing with problems, and working through difficult situations (just like you do). So, when I’m home I want to unplug, relax, and just spend time with God and with my family.   Our world is chaotic on a good day. In fact, life itself is chaotic on a good day. So, we all need a refuge we can retreat to for rest and renewal. That’s how God builds our strength back up so we’re then ready to go back out and reenter the fray.   For me, home is that primary refuge, but church on Sunday is another. Gathering with my brothers and sisters in my church family, shutting out the cares and concerns of life and focusing instead on worship, discipleship, fellowship, and encouragement, is a soothing balm to my battered soul. There’s a spiritual dynamic created when Spirit-filled believers are together, each bringing their own deep and rich relationship with the Lord and adding it to the group mix. It’s a powerful thing.   The more demanding and uncertain life is the more we need times and places that immerse us in a deep sense of stability and peace. I encourage you to have those times and places and to give yourself the freedom to withdraw into them regularly and consistently so God can renew your strength.   We all need those places of refuge from the storms of life. I hope your home and your church are those places for 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 © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571