Oak Hill Baptist Church

God isn’t done with you yet

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Christian community”

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: “God isn’t done with you yet”

Do you ever feel as if you’re coming up short in life, as if you don’t measure up, or maybe you have a goal or aspiration that seems unattainable? We all feel that way sometimes but when we do, we need to remember that God isn’t finished with us yet. I don’t know if you will attain your goal or aspiration, but I do know that God has a great plan for your life and that as long as you are still breathing, He isn’t done with you yet.

One of the important elements of good Christian community is that we support and encourage each other along the way, and we remind each other that God isn’t done with any of us yet. That’s what Paul was reminding us of in Philippians 1:6 and it’s what the poet Kevin Nowak means in his poem “Longshot.” The world beats us down and makes us feel small. But God and other Christians lift us up and give us hope.

I am the longshot, and I am given no shot.
Always reminded of the things I am not.

I am the longshot, constantly diminished.
Told I cannot do it, told I am finished.

I am the longshot, who they look at as small,
Thinking I am destined to try and to fall.

I am the longshot, who is considered not strong,
But they do not know me. They have it all wrong.

I am the longshot, who is going to rise,
Who is going to shock, who is going to surprise.

Because I am the longshot, with hope that is unending,
I never stop climbing, never stop ascending.

I am the longshot, who believes victory is mine.
Pursuing the big result, pursing the finish line.

I am the longshot, who has a real shot.
Who will go much further, than anyone thought.

Along with the Apostle Paul and the poet Kevin Nowak, I want to encourage you to keep your eyes on Jesus, lean into your tasks in life, and just keep pushing forward. Nothing is over unless you give up, and God isn’t done with you yet!

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(Join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:00. Join us in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you are a shut-in, join us online at http://www.YouTube.com/oakhillbaptistcrossville)

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Someone needs you. Be there for them.

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Christian community”

Our Bible verse for today: “Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:5 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Somebody needs you. Be there for them.”

Over the course of the previous month, as we have been devotionally considering the importance and value of Christian community, many of you have responded with positive feedback about one or more of the devotionals. Some of you have commented on the theme in general.

The subject of Christian community has obviously resonated with many of our readers and has evidently addressed an issue that many of us care deeply about. Therefore, we will continue our thinking about it into the new month.

I think there are many reasons the subject of Christian community is so near and dear to the hearts of so many of us. For one thing, we live in a very troubled world and, if done right, our church life is a time of renewal and nurture. Our gatherings with our brothers and sisters are a time of refuge from the storms of life. Also, it’s just good for the soul to be immersed in a warm, safe, comfortable environment of love and acceptance, surrounded by people who truly care about us and who lift us up and encourage us. Good Christian community is a vital part of our spiritual health and growth.

There’s another reason our Christian communities are so important to us and the writer of Psalm 42 hints at it. When he wrote this Psalm, the writer was troubled to the point of being depressed, and he knew that what he needed was time with God. He needed to be helped and healed by God.

Well, God does His best work in our lives through the ministry of other Christians. He uses other Christians to minister to us. Therefore, during those times when we are struggling and even depressed, we need to be with our church family so God can use them to bless us.

Today is Saturday, tomorrow is Sunday. When your church family gathers tomorrow there will be those who are hurting and struggling and who will need extra care and attention. I encourage you to be aware of them. Pay attention to people and be there for them. Give others the gift of your presence and let God use you to minister to them. Tomorrow at church there will be someone who needs you. Will you be there for them?

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(Join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:00. Join us in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you are a shut-in, join us online at http://www.YouTube.com/oakhillbaptistcrossville)

Embrace that which gives life

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Christian community”

Our Bible verse for today: “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy – dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Embrace that which gives life”

This morning I want to continue our discussion from yesterday regarding grace and ungrace, and what kind of Christian community we are going to be. In that devotional I encouraged us to choose grace over ungrace and to be intentional about it. That lesson applies to the influences we allow into our lives as well.

Philippians 4:8 is a wonderful passage that encourages us to intentionally fill our lives with good positive influences that nurture our soul and promote spiritual growth. It reminds me of a life lesson I heard long ago and which I try make it a point to practice: “Reject that which drains you; embrace that which gives life.”

We typically apply the lesson of Philippians 4:8 to our personal lives – and that certainly is a good application of it. But the lesson also applies in the larger context to the Christian communities we choose to involve ourselves in. By “Christian communities” I’m referring first and foremost to our churches, but also to small-group Bible studies, fellowship events, and any other gatherings of professing Christians. Many of them are good and helpful, but some are not.

I encourage you to avoid toxic communities. You don’t need that in your life. Our society is negative enough to begin with, you don’t need toxic negativity in your gatherings with other Christians too. If your church or other gatherings of Christians is a negative experience, by all means, try to turn that around if you can – but don’t wait too long, don’t spend too much time immersed in the muck and mire of a negative experience. Doing so will hurt you.

Philippians 4:8 should apply to both your private life of discipleship and to your gatherings in Christian community. I encourage you to reject that which drains you and embrace that which gives life.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(Join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:00. Join us in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you are a shut-in, join us online at http://www.YouTube.com/oakhillbaptistcrossville)

What kind of Christian community are we?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Christian community”

Our Bible verse for today: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “What kind of Christian community are we?”

One of my favorite Bible studies is “What’s So Amazing About Grace?” by Philip Yancey. It’s certainly on my “Top Five” list. In it, Yancey leads us through a thoughtful and insightful study of what grace is, and what it looks like in actual practice. And although he provides many touching and positive examples of grace in action, for contrast he also includes examples of what he terms “ungrace” – acts that are the antithesis of grace. And usually those acts of ungrace are carried out by self-righteous, misguided, and sometimes even mean-spirited professing Christians.

I recently read the story of Paula Ilari, a young woman who found herself pregnant because of a brutal gang rape. After much prayer, Paula decided to carry the baby to term and to keep the child rather than giving him up for adoption. She believed that was the God-honoring choice, and she expected her church family to support her.

Sadly, at that time she was attending a church that was very liberal. When Paula confided in a trusted friend and staff member at her church that she was pregnant by rape, she was shocked that the woman insisted she get an abortion. When Paula declined, the friend/staff member withdrew her friendship and even enlisted other women in the church to try to convince her that she had to get an abortion. They said there was no way she could or should give birth to that baby. One person (Christian?) even referred to the child in Paula’s womb as “the spawn of Satan.” At one point a group of women invited Paula to what was promoted as a “baby shower,” only to discover it was a group intervention designed to try one last time to convince her to get an abortion.

There’s a lot more ugliness in that story, but I think you have a sense of what Paula went through. Fortunately, she eventually left that church, kept her baby, married a good Christian man who loves both her and her child, and she is now part of a good, encouraging, grace-filled church family.

The situation with Paula is extreme, and it was carried out by ungracious Christians with a very liberal worldview. But I could easily cite numerous other examples of ungrace carried out by both liberal and conservative Christians across the theological spectrum.

My question for us today is, “What kind of Christian community are we?” Does grace or ungrace better describe you and your church? Jesus was gracious and graceful. He was kind and compassionate. He was truthful and direct with people as needed, but the only time we read of Him being harsh was when he was dealing with religious hypocrites, never with lost, hurting, or traumatized people. Jesus was gracious and therefore, as His disciples, we Christians should be gracious too.

What kind of Christian community are we? I say, let’s be known for grace.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(Join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:00. Join us in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or a shut-in, join us online at www.YouTube.com/oakhillbaptistcrossville)

Maybe the problem is internal not external

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Christian community”

Our Bible verse for today: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Maybe the problem is internal not external”

Recently a friend gave me a little book of poems by the poet Kevin Nowak. I was not previously familiar with Kevin’s poetry, but I’ve discovered that I like it. I appreciate the simplicity and the clarity, as well as the thought-provoking imagery. One of his poems has the title “Clears” and it reminds me of what King David wrote in Psalm 51:10. In that Psalm David was introspective as he invited God to search his heart and to reveal to him any sin that needed to be dealt with. Here’s Kevin Nowak’s poem on that same theme:

It is easy to cast blame, on forces that are external,
But sometimes the root problem ends up being internal.

To get my life to go better and to improve,
There are some key things I will need to remove.

But I cannot do it myself, when my life is sputtering,
So I turn to Him, for help with the decluttering.

For those times when emotional drain appears,
I call to Him for help. God clears.

God clears my fears, so new paths can be explored.
God clears my doubt, and my confidence is restored.

God clears my reluctance, and sets my mind straight.
God clears my failure, and gives me a clean slate.

God clears the mental strain, that comes each day.
He helps me to progress, and get on my way.

For those times when emotional drain appears,
I call to Him for help. God clears.

In both poems, Psalm 51 by David and “Clears” by Kevin Nowak, the focus is on the individual getting right with God. As Nowak noted in his opening lines, too often we seek to cast the blame on external forces (events or other people), when in reality the bigger problem lies deep within our own heart.

Rather than seeking to blame other people or external events, we should first consider the condition our own heart. Our Christian communities would be so much better if we would all start right there – with ourselves. Very often, the real problem is internal not external.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(Please join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:00. Join us in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or a shut-in, join us online at www.YouTube.come/oakhillbaptistcrossville)

Live life large

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Christian community”

Our Bible verse for today: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

Our thought for today: “Live life large”

Late this past Sunday evening my friend Jim died. He had a form of cancer that was discovered late, was very aggressive, and it spread fast – and there wasn’t much medical science was able to do for him.

One day, just a couple of weeks ago, Jim and I sat and talked for a long time. We talked about faith issues (his was very strong), but he also reminisced about his life. Jim was a man who lived life large. He was very smart and highly educated, a scientist with a degree in geology. He worked for a time in the oil industry, then shifted his attention to water projects, and he even served as a city manager. His interests in life were wide and varied and his accomplishments many. He was a private pilot, a skilled woodworker, and an avid golfer. He and his brother John built and drove racecars (I’ve seen the pictures. Very cool.) Jim was also an accomplished sailor from childhood. He and Cindi even spent two years living on a sailboat and sailing around the Pacific Ocean.

There was more, much more. I haven’t mentioned all the volunteer work Jim did developing and supervising water projects in remote places around the world for Rotary International, or his service in the churches he was a member of (especially as the leader of mission committees and mission projects.)

As I listened to Jim’s stories and looked at the pictures, it occurred to me that here was a man who embraced life with gusto and who lived it fully. As we talked that day, knowing he was dying, and as he reflected back on his life, he was sad that he wasn’t getting more years (he was 71), but he was also grateful for the life he had and for the eternity that was waiting for him. Jim was especially grateful for the people the Lord had filled his life with. His wife, his daughters and grandchildren, his siblings, and his church family, all helped to make his life the amazing and enjoyable journey it had been. Like Paul, Jim was able to look back on it all and say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

I’m glad I knew Jim. He was a good church member, a great encourager of his pastor, and a friend. I want to encourage you this morning to resolve to live life large. Embrace every day with eagerness and enthusiasm. Life is fragile and there’s a thin line between life and death. The end can come quickly for any of us. Live while you can; don’t waste any of it. That’s the way my friend Jim approached life, and in the end, he was glad that he had.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(Join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:00. Join us in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or a shut-in, join us online at http://www.YouTube.com/oakhillbaptistcrossville)

Maybe you’re doing it wrong

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Christian community”

Our Bible verse for today: “We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Maybe you’re doing it wrong”

In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 the Apostle Paul reminds us of two important truths. The first is that life is hard. That’s just a fact, and it’s true for everyone, Christian and non-Christian. Just because you have come to faith in Christ doesn’t mean that life will suddenly be filled with nothing but lollipops and gumdrops. No, life is hard whether you are a Christian or not.

The second truth we find in those verses is that even though life is hard, Jesus enables us to handle it – and to handle it well. That’s what Paul meant when he wrote that we are afflicted but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.

But what if life is hard and you are not handling it well? What if you do feel crushed, in despair, abandoned, and destroyed? What went wrong? Why are you not handling it better? This is something we all experience from time-to-time and I have found in my own life that there are usually are two primary causes for it.

One reason I sometimes feel overwhelmed, maybe even to the point of despair, is because I have taken on myself more of a burden than the Lord ever intended for me to bear. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He meant that He would never put more of a burden on us than we can reasonably bear. So, if I am feeling overwhelmed to the point of being crushed, it might be because I have taken on more than Jesus intends for me to be carrying. I did that to myself, and I need to ask Him to show me the issues or tasks I need to lay aside instead of trying to carry.

The other reason I sometimes feel overwhelmed and crushed is because I’m not relying on my brothers and sisters for help. Either I’m not asking for help, or I’m not accepting the help other people are offering. In Galatians 6:2 Paul teaches that an important part of Christian community is that we can and should help each other carry our heavy burdens in life. Helping to bear one another’s burdens is an important part of life in Christian community – but we have to ask for help, and we have to accept it when it is offered.

Do you feel overwhelmed or crushed by life today? Well, maybe you’re doing it wrong. Maybe you have taken on more than Jesus intends for you to be dealing with and you need to lay something aside, or maybe you need to ask for help and then accept the help when it is offered. The issues you’re dealing with may still seem difficult and hard, but probably no longer crushing to the point of despair.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(Please join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:00. Join us in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you are a shut-in, join us online at http://www.YouTube.com/oakhillbaptistcrossville)

Let go and be lifted-up

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Christian community”

Our Bible verse for today: “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” Psalm 25:1 (NRSV)

Our thought for today: “Let go and be lifted-up”

In addition to writing a daily devotional message each morning, I also read some written by others. A devotional book I’m currently using in my personal quiet time is “A Year of Slowing Down: Daily Devotionals for Unhurried Living” by Alan Fadling. I’m finding it refreshing and helpful. Yesterday Alan offered this interesting insight about what King David wrote in Psalm 25:1 (above):

“The imagery of being lifted up here seems to be about buoyancy. Water lifts up a floating object like a piece of wood or a boat. A boat doesn’t expend immense effort to float. Floating is what happens when a boat is set in the water. It is carried without a great attempt at floating. I lift up my soul when I let God’s Spirit hold me and make me buoyant. I can cooperate with this lifting up, but I cannot control it.”

What Alan is referring to is surrender. He means we have to offer our soul to God and let it go. Then the Holy Spirit will lift us up into an encounter with God and it will have been through no effort of our own. We will be floating and rising higher like a boat on a rising tide.

As I write this it is Saturday morning. Tomorrow is Sunday when my church family will gather for worship. I’m visualizing myself in the midst of worship with my brothers and sisters. The spiritual dynamic is strong. We’re all lost in the music; offering our souls to God in an act of worship; surrendering; letting go as the Holy Spirit lifts us up higher and higher into an encounter with God.

This is one of the benefits of Christian community. It’s why we gather to worship together. We can, of course, worship alone, anywhere anytime. But when a group of Christians are gathered like that, the spiritual dynamic is strong and we can easily get caught up in the rising tide of a worship service that lifts us higher and higher into an encounter with God.

I encourage you to attend the worship service in your church tomorrow. Offer your soul to God in worship – then just let go and be lifted-up.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(Join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:00. Join us in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you are a shut-in, join us online at http://www.YouTube.com/oakhillbaptistcrossville)

May you prosper in every way

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Christian community”

Our Bible verse for today: “Dear friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and are in good health, just as your whole life is going well.” 3 John 2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “May you prosper in every way”

As human beings we are God’s highest form of creation and we are very complex. Our being consists of body, mind, and spirit, and all three are inextricably connected. Each impacts the other. If your physical body is suffering that will impact you mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Likewise, if you are suffering mentally, emotionally, or spiritually, that will have a negative effect on you physically. In order to be fully healthy and truly thriving we must be healthy in body, mind, and spirit.

That is what John was praying for his friend Gaius. John prayed that Gaius would prosper “in every way.” And, evidently, John had heard that Gaius was in fact doing well in his whole life, and he was pleased to hear that. How pleased are you to hear that your brothers and sisters are doing well in all areas of life, and how much do you want that for them? Do you pray that for them? Do you even try to help them achieve it? An important part of Christian community is that we want the best for each other and we are willing to take steps and create conditions to help each other be whole – to be well in all areas of life.

Of course, church life must focus first and most on our spiritual well-being. If your church isn’t helping you to be spiritually healthy then you need to change churches. But how about physically, mentally, emotionally, and maybe even financially? Does your church promote good physical, mental, emotional, and financial health? Do the members help and encourage one another to be healthy in those ways too?

Being spiritually healthy will go a long way towards promoting good mental and emotional health if the teaching and preaching clearly shows how Biblical principles can be applied to mental and emotional issues. But likewise, spiritual nurture should also include sound teaching about good stewardship of our finances and of our bodies. The Bible does teach that our body and our money are gifts from God that are to be properly cared for and used for His glory.

Good Christian community promotes, encourages, and practices the health of the whole person – body, mind, and spirit. So, let’s help each other to be healthy and whole in all of life.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(Join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:00. Join us in person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you are a shut-in, join us online at www.YouTube.com/oakhillbaptistcrossville)

Be Barnabas

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Christian community”

Our Bible verse for today: “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus by birth, the one the apostles called Barnabas (which is translated Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” Acts 4:36-37 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Be Barnabas”

Barnabas is one of my favorite people from the New Testament. He was such a positive, uplifting, encouraging presence to other Christians that the apostles actually nicknamed him “The Son of Encouragement”. What a great reputation to have!

I’ve written before of how, back in the 1990s, my wife and I owned a book company called “The Barnabas Book Company”. Our motto was, “Encouraging books that will change your life.” I think I also mentioned that I was a terrible businessman. I was so eager for people to read our books that I gave away more than I sold. Obviously, that was not a sound business practice. I got a little carried away trying to be like Barnabas in terms of being generous as an effort to encourage others.

But what a great thing it would be if our Christian community today included more people like Barnabas. How much healthier our churches would be if more of our members were sons and daughters of encouragement. What if we were all less concerned with finding fault and nitpicking at others, and more concerned with lifting-up our brothers and sisters and offering words of encouragement and blessing rather than criticism or complaint?

I once heard a church referred to as “A house of joy.” I love it! Does that describe your church? And if not, what are you doing to change things so that it is a house of joy? And not just in church. What if Christians were known out in the world as being sons and daughters of encouragement? What if our reputation was as people who speak words of encouragement and blessing and who routinely bring sunshine and hope into dark and dreary situations?

I want to encourage all of us to be more intentional about blessing and encouraging rather than criticizing and complaining. Be a son or daughter of encouragement. Be Barnabas.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(Join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:00. Join us in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you are a shut-in, join us online at http://www.YouTube.com/oakhillbaptistcrossville)