Oak Hill Baptist Church

You are a work in progress

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep discipleship”

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: “You are a work in progress”

Recently I came across an interesting comparison and contrast between two of Jesus’ first disciples. The individuals involved were Judas and Peter. Early on, by all outward appearances, Judas was by far the more impressive of the two. Judas was successful in all the ways the world typically measures success. Since he was selected to manage the ministry funds, he must have been skilled at managing money. Therefore, he probably had a professional air about him and he probably came across as smooth, confident, and self-assured. A man to be admired!

Peter, on the other hand, was somewhat buffoonish. Big, awkward, frequently saying and doing things that were inappropriate and embarrassing. A man easily dismissed as being socially inept and perhaps even a little dimwitted.

But time, of course, revealed what was really true about the two men. Judas became a byword for betrayal, and Peter became a saint (a leader in the early church, a writer of Scripture, and one of the most beloved and revered figures in the New Testament.) What ultimately made the difference? Two things: discipleship and sanctification. Peter was a true follower of Jesus and a fully committed disciple. Judas was not. Peter went on to decades of faithful service and a place in glory, and Judas went to hell.

Discipleship leads to sanctification. Sanctification is a fifty-cent theological term that simply means being set apart by God and for God, and then being progressively transformed into the person God wants you to be. Peter was set apart by God and for God. He was also committed to deep discipleship and consequently, he experienced incredible transformation as the Holy Spirit changed him into the man God wanted him to be.

Sanctification does the same work in our lives. That’s what Paul was referring to in Philippians 1:6 (above). As a true disciple of Christ, as one committed to a lifetime of deep discipleship, the Holy Spirit is slowly but progressively transforming you into the man or woman God wants you to be. It is a lifelong process, and it won’t be complete until the moment you arrive in heaven – it will continue throughout your life. There’s an old saying that applies here. It goes, “I may not be who I should be, but thank God I’m no longer who I used to be.”

And all God’s people said, “Amen!”

I urge you not to get discouraged. You are a work in progress. Commit yourself to a lifetime of deep discipleship and then trust God to slowly transform you into the person He wants you to be.

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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Honor God and just live your life

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Honor God and just live your life”

I’m currently reading Eugene Peterson’s book, “Traveling Light: Galatians and the free life in Christ.” It’s a life application commentary on the book of Galatians and it is all about deep discipleship. It’s about learning to live free and live well in Christ.

In one part of the book Peterson examines the early life of Abraham to discover how he learned to live a life of faith and trust. The short answer is, “He just did it.” That’s all, he just did it. He made a decision to trust God and then he simply lived as if he did trust God. Writing about the scene in Genesis chapter twelve, where God called Abraham to leave his home in Haran and travel to a new land that Abraham knew nothing of, Peterson offers this observation:

“Can you find any arrows painted in the wilderness into which Abraham ventured? Did he have a rule-book that showed him step by step what he must do to please God? Did he have an AAA map which showed all the best hotels and oasis rest stops between Ur and Canaan? No, he lived by faith. He was living in response to God, obeying God, consulting God, being changed by God, being challenged by God, growing in relationship to God, listening to God, praising God, believing God.”

Peterson goes on: “Did Abraham have a twenty-year plan with carefully defined objectives as he launched his important career as father of the faithful? No, there were delays, interruptions, detours, failures. He didn’t do it all correctly – he didn’t live without doubt or sin or despair – but he did it. He followed and confessed and prayed and believed. God was alive for him. God was the center for him.

Abraham’s example is instructive for us. We don’t live life by following a detailed roadmap. Instead, we live by faith. And the deeper our faith is, the better we live. God has given us slightly more guidance than Abraham had (we have the Bible), but still, it’s not a detailed roadmap – it’s more like guardrails intended to keep us on the right path.

When it comes to living a life of deep discipleship, Solomon gives us some of the best advice found anywhere in the Bible. It comes in Proverbs 3:5-6 where we are told to trust in the Lord with all our heart, looking to Him, seeking to honor Him, staying within the guardrails set up by the Bible, and then trusting Him for the rest. Just put one foot in front of the other, make the best God-honoring decisions you can, and then just live your life.

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

It’s never too late for resurrection

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”” John 11:32 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “It’s never too late for resurrection”

In addition to writing a daily devotional message of my own, in my personal daily quiet time I also rely on devotional messages written by others. This year I’ve been using Alan Fadling’s “A Year of Slowing Down: Daily Devotionals for Unhurried Living.” It is exceptionally well-written and very rich.

This morning I want to share with you an insight I learned from one of Alan’s devotionals that coincides nicely with our theme for this month of deep discipleship. It comes from the scene in John 11 where Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, has died and his sisters, Mary and Martha are grieving. They had sent word to Jesus in advance that Lazarus was deathly ill and they asked Him to come quickly in order to heal him. But Jesus delayed and Lazarus died. By the time Jesus arrived Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. That’s what led to the comment from Mary which we just read in 11:32, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Here’s the insight Alan shared about this:

“Mary is not wrong. Jesus certainly could have prevented Lazarus’s death. He has that power. But there is a deeper truth Jesus wants Mary to experience. There is something about Jesus she doesn’t know. He wants her to learn that not only can he prevent death, he can also conquer death. He wants her to encounter him as the Resurrection and the Life. Resurrection is a greater miracle than death prevention.”

Alan goes on: “When we feel disappointed by what appears to be God’s failure to show up, is it possible his intent might be to do something far greater for us than we could imagine? Might we learn something in the thirteenth hour, after God has seemingly failed to act on our behalf, that is greater than what we would learn if God arrived just in time to save us? The reality of resurrection requires the reality of death first.”

The point I want to make this morning is that whatever your situation is, as bad as it might seem, even if the time of salvation seems past, it’s never too late for resurrection. Jesus can raise the dead, restore life to dry bones, and He can redeem your apparently dead and lost situation.

One of our goals in deep discipleship is to learn to continue trusting Jesus after all seems lost. I encourage you to trust Him today, because it’s never too late for resurrection.

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

Faithfulness grows out of discipleship

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in his upstairs room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Daniel 6:10 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Faithfulness grows out of discipleship”

Daniel was in a tough situation. At this point in his life, he had so distinguished himself by his sterling character and exceptional work ethic that he had been elevated to a high position in the king’s court. But he was surrounded by other high officials and administrators who were jealous of his standing with the king and who therefore conspired against Daniel, trying to orchestrate his downfall.

But they were frustrated in all their attempts. In 6:4 we read, “… But they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him.” Let me ask you, how hard would your enemies have to look to find fault in you? Daniel’s enemies looked hard but couldn’t find anything to charge him with.

However, Daniel was known to be faithful to God and to the practice of his faith. And everyone knew that the practice of Daniel’s faith ran counter to the practices of the culture they all lived in. And so, his enemies decided that in order to trap Daniel, they would trick the king into issuing an edict that would require Daniel to violate some aspect of his faith. In this case, the king issued a decree that for thirty days everyone in the kingdom was required – on pain of death – to worship only him, and not any of the other gods or goddesses. That, of course, would include Daniel and his worship of the One True God.

So, the edict was issued but Daniel ignored it, and as we read in 6:10 above, he proceeded to worship God exactly the way he had before. I’ll let you read the rest of the story for yourself (spoiler alert: it turned out well for Daniel), but the point I want to make here this morning is that the secret to Daniel’s success as a man of God in a hostile culture was his determination to always remain faithful to God no matter the circumstances or opposition.

More than 500 years later, the Apostles of Jesus stated it this way in Acts 5:29, “We must obey God rather than men.” Such resolve grows out of deep discipleship. It takes a spiritually mature man or woman of God to remain faithful in the face of intense opposition or even persecution.

The secret to Daniel’s success as a man of God was his faithfulness, and that faithfulness grew out of his deep discipleship practices. The same will be true for us.

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 deep is your discipleship?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “Then Daniel responded with tact and discretion …” Daniel 2:14 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “How deep does your discipleship go?”

We have just concluded a month of devotionally considering what it means to “be” the Church out there in this messy world of ours. It was all about action and attitude – what to do and how to do it. We thought widely and deeply about how we can most effectively serve others in the name of Christ and share the Good News of the Gospel with them as well.

This month we will build on what we learned last month and I hope to show that such effectiveness grows out of deep discipleship. Being effectively on-mission with Jesus in the society we live in today is going to require all of us to be much more than just casual Christians. Our relationship with God will have to be deep and strong. We will have to be firmly tethered to sound doctrine and living faithfully according to Biblical principles.

I think the Old Testament leader Daniel is an excellent example of exactly that. He lived in circumstances much worse than our own. He was a captive in a pagan culture that was marked by gross immorality, violence, and cruelty. Also, there was little grace and zero tolerance for faith practices that ran counter to the culture. And yet, Daniel was a man of uncompromising faith in God. He refused to give in to the pressure being applied to him and would not go along with the immoral and ungodly practices all around him. But beyond that, he responded to it all in a calm, confident, reasoned manner as he stood firmly on his convictions without losing his head. As verse 2:14 says, “Daniel responded with tact and discretion …”

God teaches us an important lesson through the story of Daniel and I believe it is summed up nicely by the introductory comments to the book of Daniel offered by the editors of the “Experiencing God Study Bible”:

“Daniel’s book seeks to convince believers that God is steadily working out his purposes even during the worst of times and that persecution of believers is a call to faithfulness, not to apostasy. Though times may be difficult now, God is in control, steadily working out his purposes and gradually bringing history to an end … Some of your greatest encounters with God can come during your most difficult moments in life.”

We will come back to Daniel’s story in the days and weeks to come as we seek to deepen and strengthen our own relationship with God. It’s true that we live in tough times. But it’s also true that God does some of His greatest work in the middle of our most difficult and trying circumstances. As the editors wrote, “Some of your greatest encounters with God can come during your most difficult moments in life.”

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

Action and Attitude

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Be the church”

Our Bible verse for today: “But those who trust in the Lord, will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Action and Attitude”

As we end this month of devotionally thinking about effectively being the church in this messy world of ours, if I had to sum up what we have learned in just a single phrase I think it would be “Action and Attitude.” Effectively being the church is a matter of how we act and the attitude with which we do it. It is what we do, but also how we do it; it is what we say, as well as how we say it.

Also, as has been noted in previous devotionals, I think our example of living well and living joyfully in the middle of all the trials and challenges of life should be inspirational to the observing world and can cause them to want the faith that we have.

I love inspirational stories. They make me want to be better than I am. I especially love being around inspirational people. Reading an inspirational story is good, but watching it being lived out in real life is better. That’s one of the reasons I’m grateful God allowed me to have twelve years of friendship with my friend Tom, whose funeral I told you about last week. Tom lived large and lived well despite great challenges and serious disabilities.

It’s also why I’m grateful for the example I see lived out in my own home day-after-day by my wife Linda. It has been more than sixteen years since she had the stroke that rendered her seriously disabled. But they have been sixteen years of resilience, achievement, and victory for her. Hard years, yes, but good years. Tom and Linda are the kind of Christians who inspire believers and unbelievers alike to want to be stronger, better, and more resilient. We all need to be more like that.

In his book “You Gotta Keep Dancin’” Tim Hansel (who lived with daily debilitating pain) writes about others who have inspired him. He calls such people the “verbs” and “exclamation points” of life. In other words, they’re all action and attitude – despite the challenges they face. They’re people who, rather than sitting around complaining, rather than being victims of their circumstances, instead find ways to live life to the fullest, with vigor and gusto. And they have chosen to live that way. They have chosen to be a victor rather than a victim. They embrace their situation as it is, and they do what they have to do in order to live the fullest life they can under the circumstances as they are. As Tim wrote, “What a test adversity is. It can either destroy or build up, depending on our chosen response.”

I thank the Lord for the inspirational examples He has put into our lives like Tom and Tim and Linda, Christians who show the rest of us how to do this right. They truly are the verbs and exclamation points of life – all action and attitude as they live life to the fullest. That’s what the observing world needs to see from all of us as we go out there on-mission with Jesus, just being the Church in a hurting and confused world.

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

Act but don’t overreact

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Be the church”

Our Bible verse for today: “You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these events are the beginning of labor pains.” Matthew 24:6-7 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Act but don’t overreact”

We live in unsettled times. We have just come through a worldwide pandemic; there is widespread political instability and social unrest in our nation; the economy is in the tank; and there is a rapid ideological drift to the left that’s taking us further and further away from Biblical principles. Our national dialogue is characterized by anger and bitterness, and the national mood is filled with fear, uncertainty, and pessimism. Into this setting the church must rise-up and be the church. We need strong and resilient Christians who can be involved in the problem without being part of the problem.

Matthew chapters twenty-four and twenty-five together constitute one long discourse in which Jesus tells the future. New Testament scholars have long debated the precise meanings and timings of many of the specific details contained in the discourse, but it is clear that Jesus was alerting His followers about trials and hardships they would face in future times. Some of it pertained to the coming destruction of the temple in Jerusalem (which did happen in A.D. 70). Some of it clearly refers to the times immediately before Jesus’ second coming. But much of it also seems to pertain to trials and tribulations the followers of Christ will have to be prepared to face over the hundreds and thousands of intervening years from the time Jesus said these things until His return.

The point for us today is found in verse six when He said, “See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet.” What He was saying there is the same thing we read in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus was telling us that we should not be surprised by or excessively alarmed about the unpleasant and difficult things that unfold in the world around us. As His followers we should remain calm and cool, reasoned and reasonable. That doesn’t mean that we can or should dismiss the importance of wars and famines, plagues and politics (or the plague of politics?). But we shouldn’t become overwrought about them either. We must recognize the situations for what they are, keep our heads about it, and then do what we can to be a positive force for good in the middle of it all.

Mature Christians who have confidence in Christ can be on-mission with Him in this messy world of ours without giving in to despair, fear, or anger. We act, but we don’t overreact.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

We can handle this

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Be the church”

Our Bible verse for today: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “We can handle this”

Yesterday I told you about a joint research project involving the American Bible Society and the Harvard University Human Flourishing Program which proved that Christians who read their Bibles regularly and who are active in church are happier, healthier, and they handle tough times better than those who don’t do those things. Today I want to explain why that is going to be increasingly important in the months and years to come.

When it comes to being effectively on-mission with Jesus in a post-Christian culture there is a very helpful book I recommend to you. It is “Politics after Christendom: Political Theology in a Fractured World.” It was written by Dr. David VanDruenen, Professor of Theology and Christian Ethics at Westminster Seminary in California. The premise of the book is that Christianity and Christian influence in the USA is suffering a similar fate as it did in Europe over the last three hundred years. At one time Christianity was the dominant social, cultural, and political influence in Europe, but not anymore. Today Christians in Europe live in largely secular societies that are either indifferent to Christian thought and values, or even in strong opposition to them. The same thing has been happening in the USA over the last fifty years.

In his book Dr. VanDruenen has both good and bad news for us. The bad news is that the favorable political and societal conditions that once existed in Europe and the USA for Christians were unique and not the norm, as depicted in the New Testament. Therefore, we should not expect such conditions to continue indefinitely for us. Dr. VanDruenen writes, “Therefore it is no surprise that the New Testament steers Christians away from staking very much upon government institutions. Christians may avail themselves of civil justice, pray for their civil authorities, and even exercise political office, but they should always keep the affairs of state in proper perspective. No affection Christians may feel toward their political communities can compare to their allegiance toward Christ’s heavenly kingdom.”

The bad news is that our society, like many before us, is slowly drifting further and further from God. But there’s good news too: “Christians do not need a new and special kind of political theology for life after Christendom. Rather, Scripture itself provides a political-theological vision perfectly suited for a post-Christendom world. The New Testament envisions Christians living in a world such as this and prepares them for it. Scripture equips Christians to understand and function within societies that will remain foreign and often hostile to them.”

The lesson? Just be the church. Don’t despair, don’t get frantic, all is not lost. Jesus is still on the throne, you are still saved, and Jesus will still be building His kingdom here on earth whether your political party wins the next election or not.

VanDruenen goes on to say that living well within such a world requires us to be actively engaged in the life of healthy church communities, and to remain aware of and resistant to the false, misleading, and deceitful influences of the society in which we find ourselves. But always with the goal of effectively witnessing for Christ, serving others in His name, and adding to the family of faith.

This is why it’s increasingly important for Christians to be faithfully involved in a strong church. I’m not suggesting that we should give-up on our country. Not at all. But I am saying we mustn’t be naïve about it either. We live in a fallen world, and it’s going to keep getting worse until Jesus returns. That being the case, as Christians, we need to stick together in order to be strong and resilient. As was noted in yesterday’s devotional, Christians who read their Bibles regularly and who are active in a good church tend to thrive regardless of the difficulties they face.

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

Jesus is the answer

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Be the church”

Our Bible verse for today: “He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Jesus is the answer”

Jesus is the answer. That is all. Have a nice day.

Okay, wait, there’s more. When it comes to us being the church out in the world, we need to remember that Jesus is the answer. What the world needs is Jesus. He is the answer to all the world’s problems and therefore our job as the church, is to simply give them Jesus. If we lead people to faith in Christ and teach them to be His disciples, that right there will go a long way towards dealing with every other problem including broken families, addiction, sexual immorality, and all the other social ills in our society. Winning elections will not solve our problems – Jesus will. Getting the right legislation passed will not solve our problems – Jesus will. Winning arguments on Facebook will not solve our problems – Jesus will.

I addressed this issue in the sermon at Oak Hill Baptist Church this past Sunday. If you missed it, I encourage you to go to our YouTube page and watch the worship service (the link is at the end of this devotional.) What the world really needs is Jesus, and it’s our job to tell them about Him.

I read a fascinating article a few years ago in Christianity Today magazine. The title was, “When COVID 19 Hurts, the Bible Brings Hope.” The subtitle was, “A new study shows scripture reading correlates with Harvard measures of human flourishing.”

The article was about how researchers from the American Bible Society teamed up with researchers from the Harvard University Human Flourishing Program to study what impact regular Bible reading and attending church had on Christians during a time of crisis and extended trials. What they discovered was something that some of the Harvard people may have found surprising, but which committed disciples of Christ have known for two thousand years – Bible reading and church-going make a person stronger, happier, healthier, and more resilient. The authors of the study wrote, “The evidence shows that Americans who actively engage with the Bible and in corporate worship score higher on every measure of human flourishing, including better mental and physical health and a deeper sense of character and virtue. They even have a greater sense of financial and material stability compared to those who don’t attend church or engage with the Bible.”

Additionally, Tyler VanderWeele, the Director of the Harvard program wrote, “The churches have an important and profound role in contributing to people’s well-being in general – and especially so during this time … People who attend church and read their Bibles tend to be happier, are less likely to commit suicide, and have a greater sense of purpose in their lives.”

In Matthew 4:4 we read of the time that Jesus spent forty days and forty nights in the desert fasting and preparing Himself spiritually to begin his ministry on earth. At the end of that time, He was exhausted and famished. That’s when Satan showed up – at the very time He was weakest and most vulnerable. And that’s when Satan launched his attack. Jesus’ response is revealing and instructive. He informed Satan that although He was struggling physically, spiritually He was strong because He had fed His spirit on the words of God. Jesus then recited scripture from memory, He worshiped, and He drew His strength from God.

What the world needs is Jesus. He is the answer to society’s ills. When a person has a relationship with Jesus, they will also have the Holy Spirit in their life who will help them to be spiritually strong, and then they will be better able to face every other issue in life. It is our job as the church to get out there tell the world about 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

Live a noble life

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Be the church”

Our Bible verse for today: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Live a noble life”

Yesterday I quoted the words of Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” I noted that the Psalmist had faith that he could turn to the Lord for help with whatever he was facing. And even if the Lord didn’t actually take away the difficult circumstances the writer was facing, He would enable the man to face his trials with strength and courage and to handle them in a noble and dignified manner.

I once had a friend and church member named Tom. As a relatively young man he had a major stroke which left him bedridden in a nursing home. They told him he would probably never be able to get out of that bed again. But he refused to accept that conclusion and immediately began working on his strength and mobility. Soon he was getting out of bed. They told him he would never be able to walk again. But he asked for a walker and some help, and soon he was slowly walking. They told him he would never be able to drive a car again. So, he taught himself how to drive. They told him he would never be able to work again. So, he went out and got a job.

Tom never gave-in to his disabilities nor did he give-up. He moved slowly, and he did use a walker, but that never stopped him. If the doors of the church were open, Tom drove himself to church (and he refused to park in the handicapped spots, “Leave those for someone who needs them” he would say). Instead, he parked on the other side of the parking lot and with his walker he slowly made his way across the parking lot and into the church. When I asked him why he did that he said, “Because the walk is good for me.” And whatever activity was going on at church, Tom found a way to be involved in it – from workdays, to mission projects, to mission trips. I’ve watched Tom slowly push his walker up and down the rows of pews, straightening the books and visitor’s cards in the pew backs. He has helped weed flower beds, pushing his walker with one hand and dragging a rake through a flower bed with the other. He has gone on mission trips.

Despite tremendous challenges and trials, Tom lived his life with strength and courage, with dignity and grace. His was a noble life. No whining and complaining. No excuses. And no victimhood. Tom was not a victim. Instead, he was an overcomer through Christ who enabled him to do all things. He just kept pushing forward, doing the best he could under the circumstances as they were. And why did he live that way? Because that’s what resilient Christians do. That’s how spiritually mature, determined Christians live.

I encourage you to resolve to live your life with courage and dignity and grace. Despite the challenges and trials you might be facing, you are not a victim. You are more than a conqueror through Christ who enables you to live victoriously in all circumstances. Resolve to live a noble life.

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