Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A season of celebration”   Our Bible verse for today: “I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Remember and celebrate your mountaintop experiences”   Some years ago I wrote a book with the title, “Bringing it Home: A post-trip devotional guide for international and short-term mission teams”. It’s a fourteen-day devotional guide which is intended to help those who have gone on short-term missions to process the experience and then hold onto the lessons, incorporating them into life back home.   The premise of the book is that short-term mission trips are often thought of as a mountaintop experience because they’re so special. On a short-term mission we’re far removed from the distractions and complications of everyday life. God has our full attention as we focus on doing His work in a different and often remote location. As a result, this is a time when people often experience lifechanging moments. They receive spiritual insights, or an answer to a problem they were struggling with, or perhaps a calling from God in terms of career or ministry.   The object of the book was to help the short-term missionary bring that experience back home, hold onto it, and incorporate it into their lives. A primary way of doing that is to record the experience in a spiritual journal and then go back periodically to review and celebrate it. You can also acquire a memento or souvenir associated with the occasion and keep it in a spot where you will see it often and remember your special time. That’s true not just for experiences on short-term mission trips but anytime we have a special encounter with God. That event, whether it be big or small, needs to be recorded, re-visited, and periodically celebrated.   We need to remember those important God-given times in our lives if they’re going to make a long-term difference. One application of the truth Paul expressed in Philippians 1:6 is that at the time of your mountaintop experience God initiated a change in you, a moment of growth which He intends to carry forward in your life. But for that to happen you will need to hang onto it and remember it.   From time-to-time we all have those personal mountaintop experiences with God. I encourage you to not let them slip away. Celebrate them at the time but remember and celebrate them in the future as well.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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: “A season of celebration:   Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts to the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.’” Leviticus 23:1-2 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Celebration can be an act of worship”   From start to finish, from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is packed full of examples of God’s people feasting and celebrating as a way of practicing their faith. Feasts, festivals, and celebrations are designed by God to call to our remembrance special occasions or significant events that are markers in the history of His people.   That was the case in Leviticus chapter twenty-three when God instructed Moses to outline for the people seven major “sacred assemblies” that would be a regular part of their annual calendar. It began with the requirement for a weekly Sabbath gathering. It then included the Passover, the Feast of First Fruits, The Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Each of these sacred assemblies had their own special purpose and were to be observed at their appointed times, and each would bring God’s people into a special time of worship as they remembered and celebrated that occasion.   The Old Testament Jews had nine major and ten minor times of celebration which were included as a regularly scheduled part of their worship throughout the year. That tradition has carried-over into the New Testament as well, and for us it also begins with a weekly gathering for worship. Easter Sunday is the most significant time of remembrance and celebration in the Christian calendar year, but every Sunday is also a celebration of the resurrection. Every Sunday is essentially a mini-Easter Sunday.   The Lord’s Supper is another such time of remembrance and celebration that is regularly included in Christian worship. Additionally, many churches including my own, celebrate Christmas Eve with a Christmas Eve Candlelight service to help us recall and celebrate the birth of Christ. Beyond that, depending on your tradition and denomination, there are multiple other times of feasting, celebrating, and remembrance included as acts of worship.   Not only is celebrating good for us in a general sense, but it’s also an important part of the practice of our faith. I encourage you to participate in that weekly celebration known as the worship service but also be sure you don’t miss those other special times of celebration too.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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: “A season of celebration”

Our Bible verse for today: “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:22-24 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Celebration is a big part of life”

Human beings are naturally inclined to find things to celebrate. It’s just part of our nature. We like to be happy; we like to feel good; and we love it when things turn out well for us. So, we are predisposed to find reasons to celebrate. And that’s a good thing. As we’ve already learned, celebrating is good for us. It helps us to better appreciate life, it helps to relieve stress, it draws people closer together in a festive way, and it leads us to be grateful to God.

Also, celebrations are already more a part of your life than you realize. We already celebrate a slew of major holidays including New Years, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, July 4^th, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Then there are all sorts of minor holidays like Columbus Day, Susan B. Anthony Day, Confederate Heroes Day, Ground Hog Day, and so many more. Did you know that every single day of the year has multiple designations as being the national day of something? “National Pickle Day”; “National Donut Day”, ‘National Eat Your Beans Day”; “National Cow Appreciation Day”. There are more than a thousand national days of something.

Then add in all the personal celebrations like family birthdays, graduation ceremonies, job promotions, and a hundred other occasions which call for a celebration big or small. In Luke 15:22-24 we read about a father who put on a big feast to celebrate the fact that his wayward son had come home.

The fact is that we humans like to celebrate. It’s an ingrained part of our nature and it’s good for us. Tomorrow we will consider the fact that God has established a long series of religious celebrations as a regular part of life for His people. But for today, I encourage you to find a reason, big or small, to celebrate. It shouldn’t be hard. You’re already preprogramed to celebrate anyway. God created you that way.

God bless,

Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are 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

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A season of celebration”   Our Bible verse for today: “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Celebrate while you can”   This morning, I want to continue our thinking from yesterday about living in the moment and celebrating the good things and the little victories that make up each day.   I once read a story about a man whose wife died suddenly and unexpectedly. Weeks after the funeral he was sorting through her things and he came across a fancy box that was still in the store bag. He opened it to find an attractive and expensive piece of clothing his wife had purchased. She had been saving it to wear for him on a special occasion. Sadly, that special occasion never arrived and the special outfit was never worn. With that realization, a wave of sadness, loss, and regret washed over him. He thought to himself, “Why do we delay doing the special things? Why don’t we do them while we still have the chance?”   Aimee and I had a similar encounter a few days ago. We were visiting an older couple who are in their 80s. The wife is currently in a rehab center recovering from a broken hip. She is trying to regain enough strength and mobility to go home but at her age, recovery and rehabilitation is a real struggle. At one point in the conversation the husband said to Aimee, “Take advantage of your healthy years while you have them. Do the things you want to do; do them now while you can.”   Far too many of us are waiting for some distant tomorrow before we do this or that; or before we celebrate some special occasion; or before we go to some special place. But tomorrow may never come. Don’t keep putting off special things for another time if you could do them now.   I don’t mean to suggest that we should impulsively do everything today and never put anything off for another time. We celebrate birthdays on the person’s birthday. We plan vacations in advance and then we wait until the appropriate date arrives. We retire when we’re eligible to retire but until then we work. Also, learning the discipline of delayed gratification is a good thing. So, some things should be put off until the appropriate time.   However, it really is true that, “Yesterday is but a memory and tomorrow is but a hope; today is all we really have”. The Psalmist said, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Let us celebrate now; do the special thing now; take advantage of the gift of today.   Yes, the Lord made all our yesterdays and if there are going to be any tomorrows for us, He will be the Creator and Lord of those days too. But today is what we have right now. So, let’s be glad; let’s rejoice; and let’s enjoy it. Celebrate while you can.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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: “A season of celebration”   Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t boast about tomorrow, for you don’t know what a day might bring.” Proverbs 27:1 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Live in the moment. Celebrate now.”   When Aimee and I realized the Lord had brought us together to spend the rest of our lives together, we also realized that we needed to decide how we were going to deal with the memories of our deceased spouses, Tim and Linda, who are both now in heaven. Sometimes, for some couples, the subject of former spouses is a sensitive subject that is avoided.   We decided that would not be the case for us. Tim was a great guy and together he and Aimee built a good life. Linda was my life partner for forty-seven years. We had a great life together too. So, Aimee and I decided we would fully embrace the memories and celebrate the lives we had with Tim and Linda. Tim and Linda are part of our family. We have family pictures of them on the walls in our home. We have memorabilia from their lives displayed in various locations too. We talk about them, we tell their stories, and we celebrate their lives.   That mindset led us to develop an overall philosophy for our life together which is, “We will cherish the memories of the past; fully embrace the present; and move forward into the future.”   Fully embracing the present means living in the moment. That’s a concept I have long strived to practice in my life, and it is an important element of celebration. Living in the moment is a life principle that helps us stay focused on and appreciate what’s before us right now, rather than lamenting a past that is gone or worrying about the unknowns of an uncertain future. Instead, we focus on what is here now. Once you look for it you will see that there is a lot to celebrate and to be thankful for in the present.   This is the truth Solomon was teaching in Proverbs 27:1. Live in the moment. More than 1000 years later, the New Testament writer James expanded on that thought when he wrote: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring – what your life will be! For you are like a vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.” James 4:13-14   There’s plenty to celebrate right now – and we should. Cherish the past and have hope for the future, but live in the moment. I encourage you to celebrate now, while you can.     God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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: “A season of celebration”   Our Bible verse for today: “There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven … a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:1;4 (CSB   Our thought for today: “A season of celebration”   Hello everyone. I’m back. I thought I had been taking a break from writing these daily devotional messages to engage in a period of quiet reflection and deep introspection, but Aimee tells me I was just sitting there with my chin on my chest gazing at my navel and that it was time to get back to work. So, here I am.   The season of Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years is my favorite six weeks of the year. It’s a festive time of giving thanks, celebrating, and expressing hope for the future. I love the family gatherings, the giving of gifts, the increased sense of togetherness we all share, and the anticipation of the coming year. There’s usually lots of laughter and joy and fun. We need seasons like this. Celebrating is good for us.   The dictionary says that to celebrate is “To observe a day or event with ceremonies of respect, festivity, or rejoicing.” When explaining the concept of celebrating from a Biblical perspective, the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology tells us that celebrating is at the core of life for the people of God. Celebration is depicted in the Bible numerous times in multiple ways including festivals, weddings, religious ceremonies, the Lord’s Supper, in celebratory poetry such as in the Psalms, and much more. Clearly God intended for times of celebration to be a regular part of life for His people, which is why Solomon reminds us in Ecclesiastes chapter three that there are special times established specifically for celebrating. We need to be reminded of that.   Life is hard during the worst years, and challenging even in the best of times. Ups and downs, peaks and valleys, good times and bad – we just have to lean into it, push through it, and keep going. That being the case, a season of celebration is a great way to end one year and lead us into the next. We all need a few weeks of laughing, feasting, and gift-giving. We need a period characterized by love, joy, praise, and hope. We need to do some celebrating. Granted, there are practical realities that must be accounted for and adjusted to as well, life is still life, but we can and should find ways to celebrate.   All this month we will explore the Bible to discover the many forms celebration can take in the lives of God’s people. We will of course spend time considering Christmas and New Years as special occasions for celebration and festivities, but we will also discuss the importance of many other times and occasions for celebrations.   Life can be hard. Times of celebration serve not only to give proper attention to special occasions and events, but they also help to alleviate tension and release stress. Celebrating also reminds us to lighten up a little and enjoy life more. Let’s do that.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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, I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Aimee and I sure did with our family.  Over the fourteen years that I have been writing these daily devotional messages, from time-to-time the Lord has alerted me to the fact that it was time to take a short break from writing and focus instead on taking in rather than giving out. The creative writing process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Especially if you are attempting to do it every day, six days a week, for years on-end, as I have. Sometimes the focus needs to shift to personal filling and renewal.  This is one of those times. For probably a month or more I have sensed the Lord telling me it is time to take a short sabbatical from writing and to devote the extra time to personal renewal. At this time I don’t know how long that will be. I sense that the break will be relatively short, perhaps just a couple of weeks. The Lord will make it clear to me when it is time to start again. I do know that I love the ministry of writing for the Lord, and that’s especially true of writing these daily devotionals. So I don’t expect the break to last very long.  Thank you for your understanding and patience in this matter.  God bless,  Pastor Jim

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: “The power of words”   Our Bible verse for today: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven; a time to be silent and a time to speak.” Ecclesiastes 3:1;7 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Anger and bitterness or thanksgiving and joy?     I saw a sign in town the other day which read: “Thanksgiving: Fueling family dysfunction since 1863.” That’s funny but sad. And, sadly, it is also true. Many families can’t even get together for a few hours of holiday celebration without it bringing out the worst in some of them.   It’s an unfortunate reality that family life can be messy, and it’s not uncommon for there to be feuds in a family that go unresolved for long periods of time, sometimes for years. But you would think that adults would be mature enough and emotionally healthy enough to put aside hard feelings and to be civil with each other for just a couple of short hours at family holiday gatherings. If not for their own sake, then out of consideration for the rest of the family.   Sometimes family members refuse to even attend a family holiday celebration if another family member is going to be there. That is so, so sad, and almost always unnecessary. It should be especially unnecessary if those who are quarreling are professing Christians. Two Christians, both with the Holy Spirit living in their hearts, can’t be together in the same room for a couple of hours and be cordial to each other? That just should not be.   In Galatians 5:22-23 the Apostle Paul tells us that the fruit of the Spirit in the heart of the believer produces “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Shouldn’t that be what we expect to see from nature Christians – especially in difficult situations?   As Solomon taught in Ecclesiastes 3:1;7 there is a time to speak and a time to hold your tongue. In other words, there is a time to engage in those difficult conversations and try to work out the differences, and there is also a time to simply hold your tongue. Family holiday gatherings are one of those times to hold your tongue.   It is my prayer that your family holiday gatherings this year will be filled with all the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that the Holy Spirit expects from us.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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: “The power of words”   Our Bible verse for today: “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” Proverbs 22:1 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Enhance their reputation”   In yesterday’s devotional I called your attention to Paul’s kind words about his friend and ministry partner Tychius (Colossians 4:7-8). I told you I believe that in addition to writing those words about Tychicus, he probably also said those or similar words directly to Tychius (and probably on more than one occasion). I believe that because Paul was a great encourager of others. He frequently commended them and built them up.   The focus of that devotional message was all about saying nice things directly to the person. Today I want us to think about saying nice things about a person to others. That is primarily what Paul was doing with respect to Tychicus, and it’s what Solomon was referring to in Proverbs 22:1. In that verse Solomon was writing about reputation – what other people believe to be true about you, and he reminds us of how valuable a good reputation is.   But where does a good reputation come from? How do we acquire one and how do we keep it? It comes first from how we conduct ourselves. If you are a man or woman of good character, a person of honesty and integrity, someone who can be counted to keep your word and to fulfill your promises; if you are a kind and compassionate person who serves others with grace and mercy, those things will gradually become known about you and that will be your reputation with others.   But the thing about a reputation is that it gets talked about. Good or bad, people talk to each other about what they believe to be true about someone else. That being the case, what others say about you matters because it will go a long way towards determining what your reputation is with them.   Sometimes dishonest people say malicious things that are not true. That is concerning – but not overly so. You don’t have to worry too much about that because in the long run, it’s your conduct that will tell the true story and everyone will know it to be so by simply observing you, and they will comment on it to others.   Our conduct establishes our reputation. It is then enhanced when people talk about it among themselves. We can help to bolster someone’s reputation by doing the thing that Paul often did – singing the praises of someone who deserves to be commended.   Whose reputation can you bolster today by pointing out their positive attributes to others? I encourage you to do it. There is power in those words.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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: “The power of words”   Our Bible verse for today: “Tychicus, our dearly loved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are and so that he may encourage your hearts.” Colossians 4:7-8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Don’t wait until the funeral. Tell them now.”   I once knew a fellow minister who had performed over 500 funerals in his long ministry career. He was a decades-long fixture in his small town, well-known by everyone, including the directors of the funeral homes. Not only did he perform funerals for the members of his own congregation, but he was frequently called upon by the funeral homes to assist families who had no pastor of their own.   I too have performed many funerals over more than thirty years as a pastor. They are all sad occasions, but many of them are approached as celebrations of a life well-lived and a celebration that the departed loved one is now in heaven. Those are much easier.   There is one thing I love about funerals and memorial services – the tributes that are paid to the departed loved one and the memories that are shared. Typically, there are framed pictures from all seasons of life; significant mementos from the person’s life are displayed; and there is often a visual video picture show. Combine that with the stories that are told, and we often learn much about the dead person that we never knew about them while they were still here with us.   But part of the problem with all the nice things that are said at a funeral is that the dead person doesn’t get to hear them. They’re dead. And often the things we say about someone at their funeral are things we did not say directly to them when they were alive. How sad. What difference might it have made in the person’s life if all those nice things had been said about them and to them while there were still here in this world to hear them?   In Colossians 4:7-8 the Apostle Paul was singing the praises of his friend and partner Tychicus. Paul proclaimed Tychicus to be a dearly beloved brother, a faithful minister, a fellow servant, and an encourager of others. I’m thinking Paul not only said those things about Tychicus but he also said them to Tychicus. This was something Paul did often. He commended and praised the people around him. I don’t think Paul left any doubt in the minds of his friends and loved ones what he thought about them – because he told them what he thought about them.   I encourage you to tell people the nice things you think about them. Don’t save it for their funeral. They’ll be dead then and they won’t hear you. Tell them now.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are 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, TM 38571