Oak Hill Baptist Church

It’s okay to play

Good morning everyone,

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

Our Bible verse for today: “The streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in them.” Zechariah 8:5 (CSB)

Our thought for today: It’s okay to play”

As part of my vacation reading, I’m currently rereading a novel I originally read a few years ago called “The Circle” by Ted Dekker. It’s actually a series of fiction novels similar to “The Chronicles of Narnia” by C.S. Lewis. However, it’s also similar to the “This Present Darkness” series by Frank Peretti because the story unfolds in two dimensions simultaneously. One dimension is the world as we know it and the other is similar to that of Lewis’s Narnia – and events in each world are directly tied to and influence events in the other world.

In Dekker’s Narnia-type world God is known as “Elyon”, and one of the things Elyon loves to do is to come out and play with His people (similar to how God walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve). In the story, when Elyon calls His people to come out and play all sorts of wonderful and amazing things happen. For instance, for the length of their playtime the people discover that they can fly like birds. Elyon also makes waterfalls flow upside down, He turns the grass purple, He makes the water taste like cherry cool-aid, and much more. So of course, the people eagerly look forward to the times when Elyon calls them out to play.

Now, is the notion of God playing like that nothing more than a creative part of a silly fantasy story? I don’t think so. I think there’s some truth to it. I think God has a great sense of humor and I think He loves to play. It was God’s idea for a puppy to chase its tail. God was the one who created a baby’s smile and the cute little giggle that goes with it. Ice cream is a gift straight from heaven. God is playful and fun-loving and I also think He loves for us to play. The Bible refers to feasts and feasting, to dancing and celebrating, more than 150 times.

In his book, “The Christian at Play” author Robert Johnston makes the case that “The person at play is expressing his or her God-given nature.” In other words, God created us with a playful nature like His own and He intends for us to express it as a means of enjoyment and leisure.

Sometimes we adult Christians get too serious for our own good. We equate holiness with seriousness and we become a bunch of dull old fuddy-duddies. We need to lighten-up. It would do most of good to spend an hour sitting in a mud puddle splashing and playing with a three-year -old.

God created you with the ability to enjoy life and to have fun. It’s okay to play, so let’s have some fun.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

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

It’s more than just physical

Good morning everyone,

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

Our Bible verse for today: “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his. Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.” Hebrews 4:8-11 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “It’s not just physical”

In Hebrews 4:8-11 the writer used the term “Sabbath rest.” Although the practice of Sabbath is taught directly or referred to more than 170 times in the Bible, and although resting as part of Sabbath is clearly taught, this is the only place in the Bible where the term “Sabbath rest” is used.

In this passage the writer reminds his readers of how it was that Joshua had led the nation of Israel into the Promised Land as they conquered their enemies, and they then had rest from their travels and from their battles. But it wasn’t enough. There was another deeper kind of rest which they needed. Being settled in permanent homes was nice; having time off from their labors was needed; and it was certainly a relief to finally be free from the constant conflict with their enemies; but God had something more in mind for their time of resting. There needed to be a spiritual dimension to it. In addition to being a time for physical rest, Sabbath-rest is a time of spiritual nurture and renewal.

There is a deep and direct connection inside of you between the physical and the spiritual. The physical and the spiritual impact each other. As we learned from our friend, the Old Testament prophet Elijah in a previous devotional message, if you are physically exhausted and emotionally drained you will also be spiritually weak and vulnerable. Likewise, if you are spiritually dry, that will have a direct impact on every other part of your life. Therefore, you need to take care of yourself physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and especially spiritually as well. “Sabbath rest,” as opposed to just “rest,” is rest with a spiritual objective.

In the days to come we will consider some ways that we can achieve both physical rest and spiritual nurture at the same time – and I’m not talking about weeks of seclusion in a monastery chanting ancient hymns with cloistered monks. You may be surprised to learn how much fun Sabbath-rest can be. There are many ways to relax, have fun, and to get spiritually recharged all at the same time. Resting, relaxing, and renewing is more than just physical. What actions will you take today to be renewed spiritually?

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)

Come apart and rest, or you might just come apart

Good morning everyone,

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

Our Bible verse for today: “I have had enough! Lord, take my life, for I’m no better than my fathers. Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree.” 1 Kings 19:4-5 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Come apart and rest, or you might just come apart”

Elijah was a mighty man of God who was often used by God in great ways. In 1 Kings 18:20-46 he confronted and defeated 450 prophets of Baal in a single spectacular contest on Mount Carmel. But then in 1 Kings 19:1 we find him running away in fear from the evil Queen Jezebel, and in verses 4-5 he just gives-up entirely and tells God that he wants to die.

What happened to Elijah? How did he go so quickly from being a bold, confident, mighty man of God confronting and defeating an army of pagan priests, to this whimpering and somewhat pathetic man who was ready to quit? Simple, he was spent. He was wiped-out. His emotional gas tank was empty. He was physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. He needed time to rest and renew.

You may remember in a previous devotional in this series I made the statement that sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is to take a nap. Such was the case with Elijah in this scene. The saying, “You need to come apart and rest, or you might just come apart,” is very true and it applies to all of us.

Many of us push too hard for too long. We make excuses for not taking a break. We talk about all the work to be done, all the chores that must be completed, the people who depend on us, and on and on … But the fact is that if you don’t take a break, sooner or later you will end up like Elijah, out of gas and giving-up. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of other people.

Also, sometimes we allow other people or certain situations to suck the life out of us. Sometimes we become co-dependent on those people or situations. In other words, they become so much a part of our life that even though they’re killing us, we can’t seem to break ourselves loose from them, not even for a short while.

If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to continue taking care of the people and situations that need your care and attention. You have got to come apart and rest – or eventually you will simply come apart.

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is to take a nap.

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)

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)

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)