Oak Hill Baptist Church

Living as a non-anxious person in an anxious world

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.” John 14:27 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Living as a non-anxious person”

I was reading an article the other day in the latest edition of “Christianity Today” magazine, and I came across a great line that I liked so much, I wrote it down and resolved to use it myself one day soon. If fact, not only do I want to write about it, but I want this to be true of me. The author of the article was making the case that Jesus enables us to live as “non-anxious people in an anxious world.”

What an accurate description of the world we live in today! It is anxious. People are anxious. They are worried and stressed out about politics, the economy, social unrest, cultural divisions, international threats, their jobs, their families, their weight, the score of the last Titans football game, and a thousand other things. People go through life anxious and stressed.

But then there are those people who have learned to not be anxious and stressed. I’m talking about those special people who seem to be able to deal with the ebb and flow of life in a calm, unflustered manner. They do take things seriously, but not too seriously. They are engaged, but not obsessed. They recognize problems, without allowing themselves to be overwhelmed by the problems. Such a person also has a steady and calming influence on others in the middle of sometimes chaotic and even threatening circumstances.

Jesus was like that. Jesus was alert, aware, empathic, and engaged. But at the same time, He was calm, reasoned, unflustered, and completely in control. He was a non-anxious presence surrounded by very anxious people.

I want that to be me. I want that to be you. I want that to be all of us. Our world today needs Christians who are able to approach these chaotic and uncertain times with calm confidence and with the absolute certainty that God is sovereign over the events going on around us, and that He is at work in the middle of all this accomplishing His Kingdom-building purposes. Then we need to realize that you and I are His instruments for accomplishing that. God does most of His work in this world through His people. That means that the work He is doing in the middle of all the chaos is being accomplished through His people on-mission with Him in this world.

How do we become non-anxious people living in the middle of a very anxious world? Deep discipleship. Jesus was that way and He wants to transform us to be that way too. Tomorrow we will think about one of the primary ways in which the Holy Spirit brings about this transformation in the lives of those who are engaged in deep discipleship.

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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Take personal responsibility

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “For each person will have to carry his own load.” Galatians 6:5 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Take personal responsibility”

In my opinion, one of the glaring weaknesses in America today is a lack of personal responsibility. This weakness manifests itself in a multitude of ways, from apathy and indifference, to shirking our duties, to relying on others to do what we should be doing for ourselves, to a widespread sense of entitlement, and much more.

But perhaps the most common example of evading personal responsibility is in the area of excuse-making and blaming others. Christians do this too. Far too many Christians excuse their own shortcomings and failures and seek instead to shift the blame for their actions to other people and to circumstances. They claim that it is the other person’s fault that they lost their temper; or it was the other person’s actions that forced them to make the choice they made; or the other person this, and the other person that; these circumstances; that reason; et cetera, et cetera, “But it’s not my fault.”

I have mentioned before that one of my favorite inspirational books is “The Traveler’s Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success” by Andy Andrews. It’s all about assuming full personal responsibility for our own lives. The main character is a young man named David Ponder who is taken by God, in a dream, on a trip through time. At each stop in history, he encounters a historical figure who teaches him an important life-lesson.

At one stop David encounters President Harry Truman. What Truman teaches David is that “The buck stops here. I am personally responsible for my own life.” The ultimate shape of anyone’s life is largely determined by the choices they make. Therefore, the responsibility for your circumstances is yours. You are where you are in life largely because of the choices you have made.

David’s discussion with Harry Truman helped him realize that if he was going to succeed in life, he had to take full responsibility for his actions. The same is true for all of us. We have to own our past; accept responsibility for the present; and make good choices that will move us into the future.

Please don’t blame others. It’s your life; it’s your responsibility. We are each responsible for ourselves and for our choices. And the best, most helpful decision any of us can make, is to stay close to Jesus in deep discipleship. No other action we take will have a more profound positive impact on us and on those around us. As we have already learned in this series, your own life will be better and you will also be a blessing to everyone around you when you are walking closely with 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

No halfhearted measures from halfhearted Christians

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “When you present a blind animal for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present a lame animal, is it not wrong? Bring it to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor?” Malachi 1:8 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “No halfhearted measures from halfhearted Christians”

In their introduction to the Old Testament book of Malachi, the editors of the Experiencing God Study Bible wrote, “Malachi, the priest and prophet, summoned the people from religious indifference and carelessness to a new respect, honor, and love for God expressed in obedience, a commitment to live by God’s standards, and an understanding that God still loved them.”

Malachi 1:8, which we read above, is an excellent illustration of how the average person in that day was practicing their faith – it was a careless and halfhearted effort at best. They were just going through the religious motions. They were going to the temple, lighting the candles, burning the incense, saying some prayers, and giving some tithes and offerings, but it was all with a bored sigh and a yawn. Malachi’s task was to wake them up, draw them out of their indifference, and bring them back to God in a committed and serious relationship.

I think large numbers of the Christian community in our nation today could also be described as careless, indifferent, and halfhearted in the practice of their faith. They go through the religious motions of faith, but not in a serious way. It certainly could not be described as “deep discipleship.”

However, I believe we live in morally perilous days and therefore it is essential for Christians to be securely tethered to sound doctrine and Biblical principles. Otherwise, they will be swept up in the cultural tide and carried along to wherever the culture takes them – believing and accepting whatever the culture tells them to believe and accept.

That being the case, I have decided to continue our study of deep discipleship through the month of October. More than anything, the Church needs strong Christians who know what they believe and why they believe it, and who are bold and courageous in their stand for Biblical values – Christians who are secure and confident in a deep and passionate relationship with Jesus Christ. Even if others around us are not like that, you and I need to be.

I look forward to continuing this journey with you as we go deep with Jesus. God doesn’t want halfhearted measures from halfhearted Christians. He’s looking for serious discipleship from serious disciples.

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

Don’t make life harder than it should be

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Don’t make life harder than it should be”

Does your way of living sometimes feel burdensome? Do you find yourself sighing a lot and feeling like you have to lean into your days, push through them, and endure them? Do you really think that’s the life Jesus wants for you?

In his wonderful devotional book “A Year of Slowing Down: Daily Devotionals for Unhurried Living,” Alan Fadling notes, “There are ways of living that are hard on people. Workaholism and addictive ways diminish us rather than increasing our joy. There are ways of practicing religion that makes people’s lives harder. The Pharisees had a way of making the Jewish law burdensome rather than life-giving.”

For many Christians, the practice of their faith seems to be an afterthought at best and makes little real difference in the quality of their lives. For others it is so legalistic and restrictive that it becomes like a heavy old coat they wear everywhere they go. Those folks are essentially modern-day Pharisees.

But that is not the life Jesus wants us to have and therefore it’s not the life He leads us to. In John 10:10 He declared, “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” In John 14:27 He promised us, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.” And in John 15:11 He said, “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”

Life with Jesus brings freedom and vitality and joy. That’s what He meant to convey in Matthew 11:28-30 where He invites us to take His yoke upon us and to walk with Him through life – side-by-side, Him and us, walking through life together. In that passage He paints a picture of a team of oxen walking through a field yoked together. The bigger lead ox carries most of the load and provides all the direction. The younger follower ox walks alongside sharing the load and following the direction of the lead ox. In this parable Jesus was saying, “Let Me be your lead ox. Stay yoked to Me and we will do this together. I will carry most of the load and I will provide all the direction. You just stay with Me and we will do this together.”

Don’t make life harder on yourself than it needs to be. Come alongside Jesus. Stay close to Him. You will find that His yoke is easy and the burden suddenly becomes much lighter.

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

When you flourish, everyone benefits

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice.” Proverbs 29:2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “When you flourish everyone benefits”

Would other people benefit if God blessed you? I’ll bet they would. One characteristic of serious disciples of Jesus is that they share the blessings. When God blesses them, they bless others. When righteous people succeed in life their success overflows and impacts everyone around them in a positive way. Righteous leaders lead their people well; righteous employers treat their employees well; righteous neighbors are good neighbors who help one another; righteous parents raise children who grow up in God-honoring homes; and churches filled with righteous people are a blessing to their community.

Like Solomon tells us in Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice” – and well they should because when the righteous flourish everyone benefits. We could probably consider a thousand examples of how that’s true in a physical sense regarding everything from housing the homeless, to feeding the hungry, to visiting the sick, to caring for the widow and orphan, and so much more. But the greater blessings that righteous people share are spiritual blessings.

A flourishing godly person will be living in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. They will be experiencing the fruit of the Spirit in their own lives, and then that fruit will be rising-up and flowing out of them: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). What a joy and what a blessing to be around someone who is just overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit! When you’re with a person like that you get enveloped by love and joy, peace and patience, kindness and goodness, faithfulness and gentleness, and their self-control has a calming influence on you. Their spiritual flourishing greatly enriches your life simply because you had the good fortune to be around that person for a while.

There are many other spiritual virtues I could cite as examples of ways that a righteous person blesses others including purity of thought and speech, Biblical wisdom applied to complex and difficult issues, generosity, the plan of salvation, and so much more, but you get the idea. Your deep discipleship results in manifold blessings for you, and it blesses everyone around you as well. When you flourish, everyone benefits.

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

Just go deeper

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; he cares for those who take refuge in him.” Nahum 1:7

Our thought for today: “Just go deeper”

It bothers me to hear Christians in our day sound and act as if the sky is falling. Usually, it’s in response to social and political issues, sometimes economics, other times opposition to Biblical principles. There can be lots of reasons for it but the rhetoric is often exaggerated, overheated, and even apocalyptic. That shouldn’t be. I don’t believe such talk is helpful nor does it do justice to the cause of Christ on earth.

As Christians we should be engaged in our society, active in social and political causes, and vocal in advocating for Biblical principles. But we must do so with calmness, confidence, and reasoned rhetoric. As was noted yesterday, as bad as things might seem, God is sovereign, He is present, He is working, and ultimately, He wins – which means that ultimately, we win too.

In recent days we have been considering lessons learned from some of the Old Testament prophets as they dealt with the difficult situations that existed in their days. Yesterday we considered Habakkuk, today it will be Nahum. Nahum was a contemporary of Habakkuk. They lived and ministered in the same place, around the same time, and to the same people. And like with Habakkuk, God gave Nahum a message meant to warn the enemies of God and to reassure the people of God.

As the editors of the Experiencing God Study Bible noted, “Nahum called people to hope in God and to hear his vision for the future. He reassured an oppressed people that their God remained in sovereign control of history and would show grace and justice to his people.”

That same God has the same message for us today. He is still on the throne and He is still in control of events here on earth. Do you believe that? Was God in control of events back then? Is He still in control today? Do you speak and act as if He is?

In Nahum 1:7, Nahum urged the faithful people of God to simply go deeper with God in their discipleship – to draw even closer to Him and to trust Him as they navigated difficult times. That’s the answer for us today as well. In the midst of a crazy and mixed-up society that seems to be on a fast track to destruction, we are to trust God. He is in sovereign control of history and as we continue to see events unfold all around us, our God will show grace, mercy, and justice to His people.

Just go deep with Him and trust 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

Is God even listening?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bibe verse for today: “How long, Lord, must I call for help and you do not listen?” Habakkuk 1:2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Is God even listening?”

Have you ever had the sensation that your prayers rise about ten feet above your head, hit the ceiling and bounce right back down, without ever getting close to God in heaven? Yeah, me too. The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk certainly felt that way.

Habakkuk lived and ministered about 600 years before the time of Jesus in the land of Judah. The majority of Habakkuk’s ministry took place shortly after good king Josiah had been killed in battle. Josiah was then followed in quick succession by three sons and a grandson, all of whom were inept and proved themselves to be bad kings. Also, the land of Judah was being threatened on all sides by encroaching enemies.

Verse 1:2 clues us in to the fact that Habakkuk had been calling out in prayer to God for help but God seemed silent and perhaps even absent. Habakkuk essentially said, “God, are you even listening to me?”

The rest of the short book records God’s response to that cry and Habakkuk’s response to God’s response. In 1:5 God said to him, “Look at the nations and observe – be utterly astounded! For I am doing something in your days that you will not believe when you hear about it.” In response to that, in 2:1, Habakkuk said to himself, “I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what he will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint.” In 2:4 the Lord reminded him, “But the righteous one will live by faith.” Then God showed him a vision of the not-to-distant future when the enemies of God’s people would be defeated. Then in chapter three Habakkuk rejoiced and worshiped God.

God was listening after all. He was present and He was at work behind the scenes the whole time bringing about events that would further His own plan. The same is true in our nation today, and in our individual lives. God is present, He is listening, and He is working, even if it might not seem that way. Just like in the days of Habakkuk, perhaps God is preparing to do something truly amazing in your life, in your family, in your church, or in your nation. As bad as things may sometimes look, God is still sovereign, the sky is not falling, all is not lost, and ultimately God wins. Also, Romans 8:28 is still true: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

Is God even listening? Yes, my friend, He is. He is present, He is listening, and He is working.

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

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

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