Oak Hill Baptist Church

God wants more for you than that

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “Think carefully about your ways: You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough to be satisfied. You drink but never have enough to be happy. You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm. The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it.” Haggai 1:5-6 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “God wants more for you than that”

Haggai was an Old Testament prophet who lived about 500 years before the time of Jesus. God sent him to preach and teach among the Jews who had been released from captivity in Babylon and who were now in the process of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem.

In the days of Haggai, the Jews had been back in Jerusalem for several decades and things were going relatively well. They had settled into life, built their own homes, cultivated the land, and they were establishing a nice life for themselves. But still, for the most part they were an unhappy and unsatisfied people. As we just read in 1:5-6, it seemed that no matter how much they acquired and how well they were doing materially, it was never enough and they were never truly satisfied.

The problem was that they were putting most of their time, attention, and effort into building a comfortable lifestyle, and they were paying little serious attention to God. In verse seven God told them “Think carefully about your ways …” Then the rest of this short book is about the people responding to God, changing their ways, and turning their attention back to God.

With respect to this passage, the editors of the Experiencing God Study Bible note that God wants more for us than just earning a living, raising a family, and acquiring stuff. He wants us to prosper spiritually not just materially. The people in Haggai’s day were getting what they were striving for in terms of worldly achievements and possessions, but they still weren’t really happy.

That’s true for many of us as well. We tend to settle for a life that is much less than what God wants us to have. C.S. Lewis put it this way, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased “

Don’t be so easily pleased. God wants more for you than the life you have.

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

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God wants this more than you do

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “God wants this even more than you do”

Right now, on Sunday evenings at Oak Hill Baptist Church, we have a large group studying the Bible study “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God.” In it, Henry Blackaby reminds us that one of the greatest truths in Scripture is that God wants to be heard and understood by His people.

That is God’s desire. He wants a deep and close relationship with you; He created you; He sent His Son to die for you; He sent the Holy Spirit to live in your heart; He gave us the gift of the Bible to communicate His will and His ways to us; and now, He is present and available to each of us. God has done His part. He took the initiative. Now, as James says in James 4:8, if you will draw near to Him, He will draw near to you. Just take a step into His embrace. He wants this even more than you do, but He won’t force it. You do have to come to Him.

What happens if you do? Wonderful things. God opens your mind and your heart, revealing to you deep truths as He draws you deeper and deeper into they mysteries of life in the kingdom of God. In Jeremiah 29:12-14 we read, “You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you – this is the Lord’s declaration …”

Just a few chapters later, still speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, God renews the call in Jeremiah 33:3: “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.” This is part of the adventure of the Christian life. There is always more. No matter how much you have grown spiritually, there will always be new dimensions of the person of God to be explored and experienced. This is why in Psalm 33:8 David can declare with confidence, “Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!”

Once you begin to experience God like that, He becomes addictive. You want more and more of Him. But the greater truth is that He wants more and more of you. God won’t be satisfied until He has you whole heart and your full attention. Your desire to know and experience Him doesn’t compare to His desire to have all of you.

God wants this more than you do. I encourage you to spend time with Him right now..

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

How you settled for too little?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “To those who have received a faith equal to ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:1 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Have you settled for too little?”

I love the way Peter began his letter that we know as “2 Peter.” He addresses it to those he believes have received a faith that is equal to the faith he received. He was referring to everybody who would read the letter and who had placed their faith in Christ. They have the same faith that Peter had. They believe in the same Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they have the same Holy Spirit living in their hearts, and they have the same Father in heaven. In that respect it is the same faith that Peter claimed.

However, is it “equal” to Peter’s as we typically understand equal? We could each reasonably ask ourselves, “Is my faith on the same level and to the same degree as Peter’s faith was?” In that sense, and in that respect, I would have to say “No, my faith is not equal to Peter’s.” I am not of the same spiritual stature as Peter was when he wrote 2 Peter. Likewise, I’m not on the same level or of the same stature as many of the great saints of the faith, those from times past and many of those who are alive today. But could I be? Could you be? Maybe? One day?

Yes, I’m certain it is possible. Too often we put the faith of others on a pedestal and conclude that they have achieved a degree of spiritual growth that we could never attain. But that simply isn’t true. We all believe in the same Lord and Savior, we all have the same Father in heaven, we all have the same Holy Spirit living in our hearts, and we all read the same Bible. We are all “equal” in that respect, but also, we all have a limitless capacity for spiritual growth. None of us will ever arrive, or be complete, or be done with spiritual growth until the day we arrive in heaven. So yes, you can grow and grow and grow and one day you too can potentially have a faith that rivals that of Peter’s.

The question isn’t can we but will we. From the day of Pentecost forward, Peter spent his entire life fully committed to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. His life was all about serving the Lord, serving others in His name, sharing the Good News of the Gospel, and growing in faith. As a result, Peter grew exponentially in spiritual stature. The same is true for the great saints of the faith who you know, and whose faith you admire. Over the course of many years, they have faithfully lived out their faith and as a result, they have grown in spiritual stature.

For many of us the problem is that we have inadvertently settled for less than what the Lord wants us to have. We haven’t been as faithful or as diligent as we could have been in living what we profess to believe and consequently, we are not where we want to be or could have been spiritually.

I encourage all of us to recommit ourselves to the faithful practice of our faith. Daily prayer, Bible study, worship, service to others in the name of Jesus, and fellowship with other Christians are some of the basic practices of the faith that place us in a position before God whereby the Holy Spirit can bring about the spiritual growth God wants us to have.

Please, don’t settle for less than what God wants you to have.

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

Are you living in denial?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fatted calf for him.” Luke 15:29-30 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Are you living in denial?”

The elder son in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son chose to focus on the negative rather than on the positive. Rather than focusing on and celebrating the fact that his little brother had returned home, repented of his sin, and was being restored to the family, he focused instead on the boy’s sins.

I’m sure the older brother was thinking that he was justified in focusing on the negative and that to do otherwise would be a denial of reality. But aren’t there two realities in this scene? While it is true that the younger son committed terrible sins, it’s also true that he repented and has now come home. Aren’t both of those things true? And if it would be a denial of reality to not focus on the negative truth, wouldn’t it equally be a denial of reality to not focus on the positive?

In his wonderful little book, “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” Henri Nouwen tells us about a friend of his who is a world traveler, mostly to impoverished nations. When he returns from his trips Henri is always expecting him to tell stories about the terrible poverty he witnessed, and of the extreme suffering of the people he encountered. But he never does. Instead, he always talks about the faithfulness of the Christians he met, and about the great works of God in people’s lives, and about funny situations he experienced. His stories are filled with hope and joy and fun.

Henri’s friend doesn’t deny the reality of the poverty and suffering he witnessed, he just chooses not to dwell on it. During his trip he did encounter those situations, and he did do what he could to address those issues, but he also experienced many good things too. And it was those good things that he chose to focus mostly on. That isn’t minimizing the bad, it’s just highlighting the good. Both realities exist, he just chooses to give more attention to one rather than the other. He isn’t ignoring or denying the negative, but neither will he ignore or deny the positive.

Deep discipleship helps us to remember that God is good, all the time, and He is always present and at work even in the worst of situations. And since that is true, there is always something to celebrate and to praise Him for. Certainly, pay attention to and do something about negative situations that need to be dealt with. But please don’t ignore the good either. Don’t give so much attention to the bad that you effectively live in denial of the good.

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

Does the narrow gate lead to a narrow life?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Does the narrow gate lead to a narrow life?”

Matthew 7:13-14 is about salvation and it applies to evangelism. The world offers many paths through life, none of which lead us to God in heaven. There is only one path, the one offered by Jesus, that leads to eternal life. Matthew 7:13-14 is essentially John 14:6 stated differently, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Unfortunately, many unbelievers and many Christians too, conclude that the narrow gate leads to a narrow life – that the life lived following Jesus is pinched, restricted, cramped, and devoid of fun and joy. And, truth be told, some Christians do seem to live that way. Theirs is a life filled with rules, regulations, restrictions. They are essentially, in my opinion, modern-day Pharisees.

But is that the life the narrow path of Jesus leads us to? Or, does the narrow path actually bring us into a broad world of wonder, joy, fulfillment, and adventure as we explore the mystery, the splendor, the magnificence and grandeur of life in the kingdom of God? Didn’t Jesus say in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance”? And doesn’t Paul tell us in Galatians 5:22-23 that life lived in the fullness of the Holy Spirit will consist of “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control”?

Yes, the path leading to eternal life is narrow. There is only one way and many never pass through that gate. But right on the other side of that gate there is a world and a life that is good beyond description. It is life in all its fullness.

A follower of Christ living a life of deep discipleship should understand and experience this great truth. Further, we should be living it. Any Christian living what appears to be a pinched, restricted, narrow little life has somehow missed the truth of life in the kingdom of God. I agree with Saint Augustine that a Christian should be one big hallelujah from head to toe! That’s what this world needs to see in us. And if they do, more of them will want the life we have discovered for ourselves right on the other side of that narrow gate.

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

Like a doctor sees a sick person

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Matthew 9:10-11 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Like a doctor sees a sick person”

This morning I want to continue our thinking from yesterday regarding learning to interact with people more from the heart and not just from the head.

In Matthew 9:9-12, Jesus was having a meal in the home of Matthew the tax collector (the same Matthew who would later become a disciple and go on to write the Gospel of Matthew.) Matthew invited many of his friends – who included fellow tax collectors and a wide variety of assorted sinners, probably prostitutes, thieves, and maybe corrupt politicians.

Seeing this, the Pharisees were indignant and demanded to know why Jesus (this religious leader) was consorting with low-life sinners such as these. Jesus responded in verses 12-13 by saying, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus looked upon those who were broken, hurting, and spiritually unwell as a doctor looks upon a sick patient. He saw them as someone in need of care. Do we? Do we see the lost in our world as people in need of attention and care, or do we see them as our opponents, maybe even our enemies? Jesus didn’t ridicule them, shout them down, shut them out, or even shut them up. Instead, he entered into their world, interacted with them, showed them love and concern, and used that as a bridge to minister to their souls.

How do we see social outcasts such as the homeless, or those who are intentionally and perhaps flagrantly making choices in life that are diametrically opposed to Biblical principles? Jesus looked at them the way a doctor would look at a sick person – as someone in need of attention, care, and compassionate ministry. As His disciples shouldn’t we see them that way too?

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

Listen to your heart, not just your head

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding …” Proverbs 2:1-2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Listen to your heart not just your head”

“Direct your heart to understanding …” What does Solomon mean? I think I discovered a clue to what he was getting at while rereading Henri Nouwen’s excellent little book, “The Return of the Prodigal Son.” The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of my favorite parables, and Henri’s book is my favorite study of the parable. The book is based equally on the parable, and on Rembrandt’s famous painting entitled “The Return of the Prodigal,” and on Henri’s own life experience.

Herni Nouwen was an unconventional Catholic priest. He never served as a parish priest but was instead a psychologist, theologian, writer, and activist. He was active in the civil rights movement, in social justice issues, and in ministering to the poorest of the poor in Central and South America. He also spent more than twenty years as a professor at both Yale and Harvard Universities. On a personal level, Henri was deeply impacted by Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son, along with Rembrandt’s painting of it, and at various times in his life he saw himself as both the prodigal and as the elder son.

But in his last season of life something amazing happened. Henri felt called by God to leave his prestigious position at Harvard University and to spend his last years living as a house father in a community of developmentally disabled adults – some of whom were so severely disabled they needed to have their adult diapers changed on a regular basis. That was Henri’s new job. But it was during this season of life that he finally realized that God was transforming him more and more into the father-figure in the parable. Henri was learning how to be a kind, gracious, humble, and forgiving man whose primary concern was to serve and bless others. It was deep discipleship at its best.

One thing this highly educated, sophisticated, published author learned from those developmentally disabled adults was how to interact with others using his heart instead of his head. Henri said that most of those people were incapable of understanding theology and nuanced discussions about important doctrines, but they did understand love. And it was then that Henri realized what made Jesus so special to people from all walks of life – He connected with people’s hearts rather than just with their heads. He loved them first and taught them second.

I believe we all need to learn to interact more from the heart rather than just from the head. Jesus connected with people’s hearts first – and we should too.

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

Let’s go deeper together

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “The people here (the Bereans) were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scripture daily to see if these things were so.” Acts 17:11 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Let’s go deep together”

The Apostle Paul had a miserable time in Thessalonica. Many of the people there were hardhearted contrarians who resisted the message of the gospel and opposed Paul’s ministry efforts – even to the point of violence. Finally, it became necessary for Paul to leave. From there he went to the town of Berea and found a very different situation. The Bereans were receptive and eager. They listened closely to everything Paul preached and taught, and then afterwards they searched the Scriptures for themselves to verify what Paul had said and to go deeper with God. The implication seems to be that they did it together, perhaps in Bible study groups.

Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s Word serves as a lamp that illuminates our path through life: “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.” The more we study the Word of God, the brighter the lamp shines and the more illuminated the path forward becomes.

In the previous devotional in this series, I noted the importance of having a good guide who will help us to go deeper with God. That’s what Paul was doing for the Bereans. I also noted that oftentimes God will bring that good guide to us in the form of an author of a helpful Bible study. Then, like the Bereans, we can use the study (individually and in groups) to go deeper with God.

This past Sunday evening at Oak Hill Baptist Church a group of forty-one of us embarked on a three-month journey together to study Henry Blackaby’s excellent Bible study “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God.” If you ever come across one of those lists of “The 100 most important Christian books written in the last 100 years”, you will probably find “Experiencing God” high up on the list.

Another excellent study that is on virtually everyone’s list is Richard Fosters “Celebration of Discipline.” This book is considered a modern classic in Christian literature. In a straight-forward and practical way it explores the basic disciplines of practicing the Christian faith.

Three others that I personally have found to be very enlightening and helpful are “The Mind of Christ” by T.W. Hunt; “Disciplines of a Godly Man” by R. Kent Hughes; and “Strong Men in Tough Times” by Edwin Lewis Cole.

The Christian life is an adventure, it is a journey that we make together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need fellow travelers to walk with us, and we need good guides to guide us along the way – especially if we want to go deeper with God. A good Bible study is a great tool to help us do that. Let’s go deeper with God, and let’s do it 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

We need a guide to take us deep with God

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “We need a guide to take us deep with God”

Over the course of his ministry years the Apostle Paul played many important roles including evangelist, exorcist, preacher, teacher, church-planter, and pastor. He was also a mentor to many. That’s what he was referring to in 1 Corinthians 11:1 when he urged his readers to follow his example. I like the way the Amplified Bible translates that verse, “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” Paul spent his life studying the ways of Jesus, doing his best to live as Jesus lived, and then he urged others to follow his example just as he followed Christ’s example.

When it comes to learning how to live the Christian life well, especially when it comes to going beyond the basics and going deep with God in deep discipleship, we usually need a guide. We need someone older, more mature, and more experienced in the ways of God to guide us and to show us the way. That was an important role that Paul played in many lives – especially in his later years.

While it is very helpful to have an in-person mentor we can actually meet with, someone we can spend time with, observe, and emulate, often such mentoring and guiding comes to us in written form as well, rather than in-person. That is, after all, what Paul was doing in 1 Corinthians 11:1. He was guiding and mentoring by means of a letter. This is also why I titled my second book “Walking with Paul: A Journey Through the Lessons of Ephesians.” The cover art depicts Paul walking with a young man down a path, with his arm around the young man’s shoulder, head turned in his direction, and obviously imparting words of wisdom as they walked along together.

As was noted in a previous devotional in this series, the Christian life is an adventure. It is a journey through this world towards our real home in heaven. Along the way we need good guides to walk with us – coaching us, teaching us, and helping us to make the journey well. The optimum situation is to have an in-person mentor. But as was noted, many times that guiding takes place through other mediums, such as good Bible studies.

Tomorrow I will recommend a few good Bible studies which provide this kind of excellent guidance for the journey to a deeper place with 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

Deep calls to deep

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your billows have swept over me. The Lord will send his faithful love by day; his song will be with me in the night – a prayer to the God of my life.” Psalm 42:7-2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Deep calls to deep”

God is deep and He calls to the deep places in our heart. In their great book “The Sacred Romance: Drawing Closer to the Heart of God,” Brent Curtis and John Eldredge describe God as “The Great Romancer.” They explain that God loves us deeply, passionately, and He is always romancing us, calling out to us, drawing us to Himself.

We know this. We sense it deep within us. Curtis and Eldredge observed, “You were made for something more. You know it.” This calling and drawing from God touches us at the deepest place in our heart. This is what Solomon was referring to when he wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has put eternity in their hearts.” There is a place in the human heart that can only be filled by God. Intuitively we know this. Down deep we just know there must be a God and we want to know Him; we want to be in a good relationship with Him; and we want to spend eternity with Him. That’s simply the way God has designed the human heart and that is why every culture that has ever existed in the history of the world has always had a belief in the supernatural.

The superscript in my Bible, which appears above Psalm 42 (sort of like a title for the Psalm,) reads, “Longing for God”. That’s what the entire Psalm is about. The writer was longing for God. In verses 1-2 the writer describes thirsting for God like a deer thirsts for a cool drink of water from a cold mountain stream. In verses 3-6 he writes of how in the middle of trials and struggles he seeks God even more. Then in verse 7-8 and 11 he writes of finding God and getting relief and comfort as a result. As it turned out (as verses 7-8 suggested,) all the while, while he thought he was seeking God, God was actually calling to him, drawing him, romancing him.

Whenever we respond to this deep calling from God we are on the road to deep discipleship. The more time and effort we put into our response to God, the deeper we will go and the more we will experience Him. Prayer, Bible study, quiet reflection, worship, service, fellowship with other Christians, are all ways of going deeper with God. The more of those disciplines we practice, the deeper we go with God.

Tomorrow, I will tell you about another 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