Oak Hill Baptist Church

Bang the pots and pans later

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Rest, relax, renew”

Our Bible verse for today: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Bang the pots and pans later”

Jesus was in the house! He was sitting right there in the living room talking with Mary and waiting for supper (or so Martha thought). As Mary relaxed and enjoyed being with Jesus, Martha hustled around the kitchen, banging pots and pans and pushing hard to prepare a meal for them all. The harder she worked the more anxious she got – and the more irritated with Mary she became. Martha was busting her buns in the kitchen while Mary was sitting on her buns in the living room! Grrr!

Soon she had had enough. Into the living room she stomps ready to give Mary a piece of her mind (and wondering why Jesus didn’t tell that lazy sister of hers to get in the kitchen and help her). But instead of correcting Mary, Jesus corrects Martha. It turns out that Jesus was more interested in company than food, and what he really wanted Martha to do was to sit down, rest, relax, and just enjoy being with Him.

Unfortunately, I tend to be more like Martha than Mary. I spend a lot of time banging pots and pans when I should be enjoying time with Jesus. I have a list of things to do, places to go, people to see, things to accomplish. Day after day, chore after chore, it never seems to end. Grrr! Sometimes I long for retirement so I can enjoy long luxurious days of peace and quiet – resting and relaxing! (All my retired friends are laughing right now. Most of them tell me that somehow, they ended up being busier in retirement than they were when they were working).

No, it’s not a matter of being retired or not – it’s a matter of having right priorities. It’s a matter of putting first things first. Jesus didn’t tell Martha that it was wrong to work hard to prepare a nice meal – He only said that she was doing it at the wrong time. There would be time later for cooking and cleaning, but in that moment, she needed to rest, relax, and enjoy.

Sabbath-rest is an attitude. As Mark Buchanan explains in his book “The Rest of God,” Sabbath-keeping isn’t just a day, it’s an orientation, it’s a way of thinking that governs life and establishes our priorities. We’re all pretty good at doing things – we fill up our days with work and chores and endless activities, but seldom do we make enough time for rest and renewal. What we need is a change of attitude. We need to reorient our thinking.

I encourage you (and me) to slow down and relax. Bang the pots and pans later. For now, it’s time to sit 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)

Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group.

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

We need Sabbath worship and Sabbath rest

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Rest, relax, renew”

Our Bible verse for today: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “We need both Sabbath worship and Sabbath rest”

The clearest and best distinction I have ever seen between Sabbath-worship and Sabbath-rest comes from my friend Bud Lenz. Almost twenty-five years ago Bud, his wife Laura, and their nine biological children started the El Arca Children’s Home in the Andes Mountains, and now in the Amazon Jungle, of Peru. Today the El Arca compound consists of 110 acres on the edge of the Amazon Rainforest near the Bolivian border. Bud and his family provide a safe and loving Christian home for orphaned, abandoned, and abused Peruvian children.

Life in the Jungle is hard. The days begin early, well before the sun comes up. Everyone has chores to do from feeding the animals, to cleaning the buildings, to preparing and serving breakfast. Then it’s off to school for the younger children and off to work on the land for the older teens and adults. In the evening there are more chores, family time, and an early bedtime.

Saturday is the day for Sabbath-rest. Everyone sleeps late and then has a light breakfast. The day then consists of lots of personal time for prayer, reading, wandering on Jungle trails, or maybe sitting by the river. There’s plenty of time for lounging in the family room, playing games, listening to music, or any other relaxing activity you care to engage in. It’s a deeply restful, relaxing, and enjoyable time spent with the Lord and with your brothers and sisters. This is Sabbath-rest. It is renewing, rejuvenating, relaxing, and enjoyable. There’s no schedule; there are no expectations; just rest.

Sunday is the day for Sabbath-worship in the family room. This is the day to gather for worship, sing songs, study God’s Word together, share testimonies, and perhaps share the Lord’s Supper. It’s not that they don’t sing songs, share testimonies, study the Bible, and engage in acts of worship (both individual and corporate) on other days of the week, but Sunday morning is the designated time for group Sabbath-worship. Together Saturday and Sunday provide a full weekly experience of Sabbath-keeping. You get Sabbath-rest, and you get Sabbath-worship.

I always enjoy Sabbath-keeping at El Arca and I’m getting better at implementing this structure here at home. Sunday is my time for Sabbath-worship, and Monday is my time for Sabbath-rest.

How about you? Are you fully experiencing Sabbath-keeping? I’ll bet you’re pretty faithful at Sabbath-worship, but how about Sabbath-rest? In your case your worship and resting may need to occur on the same day, but I encourage you to make sure you don’t neglect the resting part of the Sabbath.

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)

Celebrate America; pray for America

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Rest, relax, renew”

Our Bible verse for today: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.” Psalm 33:12 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Celebrate America; pray for America”

Psalm 33:12 is about the nation of Israel. They are the nation that God chose for His inheritance. He chose the Jews to be His special called out people. As we read in Genesis 17:7 God said to Abraham, “You will be my people and I will be your God.” So, first and foremost, Psalm 32:12 is specifically about them.

But in a general sense it is also true of any nation whose chooses to follow and obey God, they will be blessed – and that has certainly been true of us in the USA. At our founding, Biblical principles were intentionally woven into the fabric of our governing doctrines and documents, and the principles of what is known as the Judeo/Christian Ethic have underpinned and guided our shared national life. The many substantial ways in which America has been blessed by God over the centuries can be traced directly back to our Biblical heritage and our individual and communal commitment to it.

However, if you study the history of the nation of Israel you will find that there were many times in their history when they drifted far from God and His ways, and they paid a terrible price for it. They progressively lost the blessings of God as He gave them over to their sinful ways. I believe today we see something similar happening in our land. As a society we are drifting progressively further and further from our Biblical heritage. How can God not begin to withdraw His blessings?

As you celebrate the Fourth of July today, I do hope it will be a time for you to rest, relax, and renew with family and friends. Please also take time to thank God for our blessings and to celebrate this wonderful nation of ours. America truly is great among the nations of the world and we have much to celebrate. But also take some time to pray for America. We are a nation that is struggling and many of our people are drifting further and further from God and His ways.

Tomorrow, I will bring you that example I promised yesterday about the best balance I’ve ever witnessed between Sabbath-worship and Sabbath rest. But today I want to close with a quote that is often attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville and which was quoted by President Dwight D. Eisenhour in his farewell speech to the nation before leaving office:

“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers—and it was not there … in her fertile fields and boundless forests—and it was not there … in her rich mines and her vast world commerce—and it was not there … in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution—and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

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 be a slave

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Rest, relax, renew”

Our Bible verse for today: “Be careful to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy as the Lord your God has commanded you. You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. Do not do any work – you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your ox or donkey, any of your livestock, or the resident alien who lives within your gates, so that your male and female slaves may rest as you do.” Deuteronomy 5:12-14 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Don’t be a slave”

This morning we will continue thinking about the concept of “Sabbath rest” as being a time each week that is set aside for both worship and rest, but also as a practice that is more than just something we do on Sundays. Sabbath rest can and should be a mindset and a pattern of living that is incorporated into the rhythm of our lives and which is practiced frequently.

In Deuteronomy 5:12-14 Moses was reminding the people of God’s instruction, originally given in the fourth of the Ten Commandments, to observe the Sabbath and to keep it holy. If you flip back in your Bible to that fourth commandment, found in Exodus 20:9-11, you will find that God linked the commandment to observe the Sabbath to the example He set for us in Genesis 2:2 where He stopped His work and rested.

Sabbath is taught directly or referred to at least 172 times in the Bible. If God begins by setting the example for us and then mentions it 172 more times, that’s probably a clue that we need to pay attention to it.

The concept of Sabbath-keeping is divided into two distinct parts. There is Sabbath-worship and there is Sabbath-rest. Most of us are better at Sabbath-worship than we are at Sabbath-rest. We usually faithfully participate in corporate worship services with our church family – so apparently, we get that part of Sabbath, but the resting part is a bigger problem. Many of us don’t really participate in very much Sabbath-rest.

Why is this so important? Moses answered that for the Israelites in Deuteronomy 5:15: “Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”

In other words, “You are no longer slaves so stop acting as if you are.” They were not to be slaves to the Egyptians, nor were they to be slaves to their jobs, their chores, or to their endless activities.

That goes for us too. Don’t be a slave to your job or to your chores or to your activities. Sabbath-rest helps us to push back against and to resist the endless pressure to do, do, do. God intends for our Sabbath-keeping to consist of both Sabbath-worship and Sabbath-rest. Tomorrow I will share with you the very best example I have ever witnessed or participated in of Sabbath-keeping done right.

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 you to rest

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: Rest, refresh, renew”

Our Bible verse for today: “On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.” Genesis 2:2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “God wants you to rest”

For a large part of July, I will be on vacation. I’ve been eagerly looking forward to this for months. I’m going to take the first week of July to prepare myself psychologically to go on vacation; then I’ll spend the first week of vacation trying to convince my mind and body that I really am on vacation; and then I’ll spend two weeks actually resting, refreshing, and renewing.

That, of course, means no work. But I also do not want to stop sending daily devotional messages each day either. So, if you will graciously indulge me, I’m going to revisit some devotional messages from previous years regarding resting, refreshing, and renewing. I’ll touch them up a little bit, but some of what we talk about this month might sound familiar to some of you longtime readers.

The truth is that God wants us to rest. It’s something I’m trying to get better at. I’m a doer by nature. I go from early in the morning till late at night, day after day, and I sometimes wear myself out. So, as I think about my upcoming vacation, I find that I’m looking forward to the rest and relaxation very much. I intend to try to make it a true time of “Sabbath Rest.”

Sabbath rest is a concept that is widely misunderstood and often misapplied. “Sabbath” is commonly understood as being a day set aside for worship and gathering with our faith communities. That would be the seventh day (Saturday) for observant Jews and the first day (Sunday) for most Christians. Gathering with our faith communities for worship is an important part of Sabbath – but it is only part of it.

The other part of Sabbath is “rest” (thus the term “Sabbath rest”). Sabbath resting is when we cease from work and other strenuous activity for the sake of renewal and rejuvenation, but it doesn’t just happen on Sunday afternoons. Sabbath rest can be, and sometimes needs to be, for an extended period of time, such as a vacation.

Good rest should be restorative and nurturing. In Sabbath rest we cease from the strenuous activity of work, we lay aside our chores and other stressful activities, and in many varied ways we renew and restore physically and spiritually. That renewal can take many forms. It could include extended times of prayer, Bible study, reading Christian books, quiet meditation, etc. But it might also mean sleeping late (sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is to take a nap!) It could also include time with family and friends, long walks on the beach, or various kinds of play and recreation.

In Genesis chapters 1 and 2 we read that God worked, and then He rested. Did God rest because He was tired? No. He’s God. He doesn’t get tired. God worked and then He rested as an example for us. He was teaching us an important lesson. We need to rest and relax.

Sabbath Rest is a crucial part of staying healthy and balanced. There are lots of ways to be spiritually renewed and refreshed, and we are going to consider many of them throughout the month. I look forward to spending this month exploring with you some of the many ways we can accomplish that.

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)

My prayer for you

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Lifelong Learning”

Our Bible verse for today: “Grace to you and peace from our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 1:2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “My prayer for you”

About twelve years ago I wrote a book with the title “Walking with Paul: A journey through the lessons of Ephesians.” I love Paul’s letter to the Ephesians because it was motivated by his strong desire for the spiritual growth of his readers. His intent was to encourage them to be lifelong learners and faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. The letter is filled with insights that reveal deep spiritual truths, and it addresses issues critical to living the Christian life well. (If you would like to have a copy of my book let me know and I will be happy to send you one.)

I especially love Paul’s salutation in verse 1:2, “Grace to you and peace from our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” What a sweet word of blessing prayed for his readers as they begin reading his letter. In fact, it sets the tone for the rest of the letter, which is peppered with short prayers for his readers, words of blessing, words of thanks, and other kind thoughts. Paul clearly loved and valued those he was writing to, and he considered it a privilege and a joy to be serving as a teacher and a guide for them on their journey through life.

Perhaps the passage in the letter that best expresses Paul’s desire for his readers is found in 1:17-19, “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. Paul desired that for them so much that he prayed a similar prayer for them just two chapters later in 3:14-19.

Isn’t that what lifelong learning is all about – the growth and maturity that Paul described in that prayer? Yes, that is it. That was Paul’s prayer for them, and it is my prayer for you as well. As we conclude this month of devotionally thinking about lifelong learning, I pray that God has used it to enlighten and help, and that perhaps all of us are a little further along the path of spiritual growth and maturity.

However, as we come to the end of this subject, I’m also looking at all the notes I have accumulated through my research throughout the month which I haven’t used yet. That tells me that there is still more to be said on this subject, so I believe I will keep those notes and perhaps we will come back to this subject again, maybe in August. For July I have another plan (which I will tell you about tomorrow.)

Along with Paul, I pray grace and peace for you and that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened as you continue your journey of lifelong learning.

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 do this together

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Lifelong learning”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Let’s do this together”

As we learned yesterday when we looked at the truths from Ephesians 2:10, God has created each of us as unique individuals – as His workmanship or masterpiece. Then he placed each of us in the time and place we are at, to do the good works He has planned for us to do from the very beginning.

Now in Ephesians 4:1-3 Paul describes for us the kind of people we should be – people who live in a manner worthy of the calling we have received from God; people who have a spirit of humility and gentleness; people who are patient and gracious with others; people who show love and who strive for unity and peace. (Please note that such a Christian is still strong and bold, still advocating for Biblical principles, but with a winsome Christlike demeanor. It’s sad to see how many Christians in our day who act like loud, angry, bitter, crusading cultural warriors, when the overwhelming weight of New Testament teaching on the subject is precisely what Paul described above. Jesus, Paul, Peter, and John all taught similar lessons in many other passages.)

When we apply this lesson to the subject of lifelong learning, we discover that lifelong learning of Biblical truth, and the transformation of our personality that the Holy Spirit brings about as a result of that learning, progressively changes us more and more into the kind of person Paul described above.

Then, if we are all engaged in that transformative lifelong learning, and if all our personalities are becoming more Christlike, what a sweet and attractive fellowship that would be. What if you have an entire congregation of people who are strong in the truth, as well as humble, gentle, kind, gracious, committed to unity and peace, demonstrating love, and living faithfully to the calling they have received? That sounds great to me! I vote that we do it.

Lifelong learning about the will and ways of God, and the transformation it brings about in individuals and entire congregations, is a beautiful thing. Let’s do it. 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)

You were made for this

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Lifelong learning”

Our Bible verse for today: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “You were made for this”

I like the way the New Living Translation (NLT) renders Ephesians 2:10. Rather than using the word “workmanship” it uses “masterpiece” – you are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for you to do.

God created you to be the unique individual you are. Then He chose for you to be born and to live in this generation, instead of at any other time in history. And He chose for you to be in your country, in your state, and in your community, instead of anywhere else. If you are living your life in the center of God’s will then God has you where He wants you to be, and the reason is so you can do the good works in that place that He has planned for you to do. This is important. It reminds me of what Mordecai said to Esther in Esther 4:14, “… perhaps you have come to your royal position for a time such as this.”

All of us have issues in life that are hard to deal with, and we all have people in our lives who depend on us to varying degrees. That by itself can make life challenging. But on top of that, our world today is a mess. It has been turned upside down. Boys are girls, girls are boys, wrong is right, bad is good, dark is light, and evil is celebrated. It seems that our society has followed Alice down the rabbit hole and the Mad Hatter is in charge. And there you are – in the middle of it all. Trying to make sense of it. Trying to be strong. Trying to keep yourself and your family from getting sucked into all the craziness, and trying to honor God by how you live.

All this month we have been considering the value and importance of lifelong Biblical learning. We have talked about how such learning makes us wise in the ways of God and gives us the strength we need to be strong when being strong isn’t easy. Well, this is why we need it. Living effectively for Christ in the middle of all this, promoting Biblical values, and doing so in a Christlike manner can be hard.

But don’t fear and don’t despair. As Paul teaches in Ephesians 2:10, God has prepared you for it. You can be strong and courageous, you can boldly advocate for Biblical values, and you can do it in a Christlike manner. The Holy Spirit will help you to do it.

It’s no mistake that God has you where you are, in that place and at this time. He has a purpose for you being there. The truth is, you were made for this.

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)

You are making a difference

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Lifelong learning”

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t you remember that when I was still with you I used to tell you about this? And you know what currently restrains him, so that he will be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one now restraining will do so until he is out of the way, and then the lawless one will be revealed.” 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Yes, you are making a difference”

This morning we will continue considering our question from yesterday regarding how our lifelong learning and our efforts to live faithfully for Christ in the midst of a lost and evil culture, really are making a difference.

In 2 Thessalonians chapter two the Apostle Paul was writing about the coming of the antichrist and about the influence the spirit of the antichrist is already having in the world. In verses 6 and 7 he noted that the influence of the antichrist is already present in the world but is currently being restrained, and that as Christians we understand who it is that is restraining him. It’s the Holy Spirit, and in Paul’s thinking we Christians should already be well aware of this. We should also be aware of the way in which God uses us in this matter of restraining the spirit of the antichrist in our world.

One way to understand this is to refer to some of the lessons Jesus taught. John 14:17 is just one of the passages that promise that the Holy Spirit will live in us: “He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.” In John 15:1-8 Jesus taught the parable of the vine and the branches. There He said that just as the grapevine lives its life out through the branches and produces its fruit through the branches, so too He will live His life through us and He will produce His fruit through our lives. And then in Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus taught us to go out into the world and let His light shine out through our lives.

Now returning to Paul’s teaching about the influence of the antichrist in the world today, it is the Holy Spirit, at work in the world through the lives of Christians, who is holding the antichrist in check and limiting the degree and severity of his influence. That’s you! As you walk through your days encountering people and situations, you will sometimes have the opportunity to witness for Christ and to perhaps win some people to faith in Jesus. But beyond that, as you live for God and boldly stand for Biblical values in your home, in your neighborhood, in your workplace, and in your community, you will be part of the force that holds the spirit of the antichrist in check. As bad as things seem out there right now, they would be considerably worse if the spirit of the antichrist was not being resisted by the faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

Yes, you are making a difference. Just live your life; honor God; model and promote a Biblical worldview; and know that your presence makes a difference.

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 we really making a difference?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Lifelong learning”

Our Bible verse for today: “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.” Ephesians 6:10-11 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Are we really making a difference?”

In yesterday’s devotional we looked at the example of Ezra and the faithful remnant of God’s people in that day. They were faced with a hostile culture and overwhelming odds against them. But they were determined to be resilient, courageous, and steadfast in their faithfulness to God. Let me repeat a passage from that devotional:

But there is hope. The truth is that God always has a faithful remnant and there is always hope – it was true for the Israelites in Ezra’s day and it is true for us in our nation today. In churches all across this land God has blessed His people with many modern-day Ezra’s who are committed to faithfully teaching God’s Word to God’s people. And all across this land there are multiple millions of Christians gathered in local churches every week worshiping, learning, growing, and renewing their commitments to living faithfully for the Lord in the midst of a lost and hostile culture.

In view of the increasing hostility and resistance Christians face today, and considering that the morals and values of our culture are declining at a rapid rate, it can cause us to wonder if we are really making any difference at all. Does our faithfulness really make a difference, or is our society a lost cause?

I’m reminded of the old story about the boy and the starfish. A young boy was walking along the beach after a storm and there were literally hundreds and hundreds of starfish that had washed up on the shore and which were lying in the sand slowly dying. The boy was anguished about that and began picking them up, one-by-one, and tossing them back into the sea. A man observing this smiled, walked up to the boy and said, “Son, there are many hundreds of starfish on this beach and you can’t save them all. What you’re attempting to do won’t make any difference.” The boy thought about that for a moment, looked at the starfish he had in his hand and said, “Well, it will make a difference for this one.” and he threw it back into the ocean.

Your job as a faithful Christian is not to save the world. It is to make a difference in one life at a time. Maybe you can’t make a big difference all by yourself for everyone. But you can make a difference for the one the Lord has put in front of you right now. We make a difference one person at a time. And yes, that does matter. With respect to lifelong learning what we learn from Paul in Ephesians 6:10-11 (above), is that by being a committed lifelong learner and doing the things that lifelong learners do, we stay strong in the Lord and we are able to continue with the task of making a difference in one life at a time.

This is an important understanding so we will continue thinking about it in the days to come.

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)