Oak Hill Baptist Church

Practice the ministry of presence

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Christian community”

Our Bible verse for today: “See how he loved him!” John 11:36

Our thought for today: “Practice the ministry of presence”

Yesterday we held a celebration of the life of my friend Jim. It was held in the beautiful home that he and Cindi designed and built. It was casual and informal as people drifted in and out throughout the afternoon sharing food, drinks, love, and laughter, telling each other our favorite “Jim stories,” and just being with the family. Jim was a good man who accomplished a lot in his life and he left behind a family that loved him very much. He also had many friends and a church family that will miss him.

The people who came to the celebration were practicing an important element of Christian community – the ministry of presence. It was about honoring Jim and his life, yes, but even more than that it was about offering comfort and support to the family. It is often and rightly said that funerals are for the living not for the dead. The person who has passed away is already in eternity and nothing that is said or done at a funeral, memorial service, or celebration of life will effect that person at all. The event is for those who are left behind and who must now get on with life without their loved one.

Jesus practiced the ministry of presence. We see it in the scene in John 11:36. There we read of the death of Jesus’ good friend Lazarus. Jesus was there to comfort the family. Granted, in this case He would also raise Lazarus from the dead afterwards, but He was also there for the family and to share in their grief.

Simply being present for people is an essential element in good Christian community. Whether it’s at a celebration of life, or during a time of sickness, or during any other trial of life, we need to simply be there for each other. It is not a time for preaching, teaching, or mouthing cliches. It is a time to simply carry one another’s burdens and to offer comfort and support.

I encourage all of us to be more intentional about practicing the ministry of presence. Just be there for people.

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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Reject self-pity

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Christian community”

Our Bible verse for today: “Aram had gone on raids and brought back from the land of Israel a young girl who served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his skin disease.” 2 Kings 5:2-3 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Reject self-pity”

This morning I want to return us to the story of Naaman from yesterday’s devotional. There’s an important person in that story who is often overlooked, and whose role in the outcome goes unnoticed. It’s the servant girl. We know almost nothing about her except that she was a young Jewish girl from Israel who was captured by the army of Aram and brought back to serve as a slave. From that point forward, her life would be one of captivity and servitude – that’s all she had to look forward to.

So, it would be reasonable to expect that she would be resentful and sullen. Probably, out of necessity, she would do her job, serve her mistress well, maybe even paste a phony smile on her face and appear to be happy or even grateful but surely, she would secretly harbor resentment and bitterness over her circumstances, wallowing in self-pity.

But that’s not the way this reads. Instead, the passage paints a picture of a dedicated servant who cared about her master enough to speak-up when she thought she knew of a possible solution to his problem. She didn’t have to do that. She could have secretly relished the fact that Naaman had leprosy, and even though she knew about Elisha and his power to heal, she could have withheld that information. Self-pity does that to people. It makes them self-absorbed, bitter, and resentful.

All too often when our personal circumstances are less than ideal, the temptation is for us to become excessively focused on ourselves and our own circumstances, and even to wallow in self-pity over it. When we do that, we become unaware of, or insensitive to, or simply unconcerned about, what’s going on in the lives of others around us.

The servant girl could have been self-absorbed; she could have wallowed in self-pity; but she didn’t. Instead, she chose to focus on helping someone else, and that resulted in a mighty movement of God, which ended up being recorded in the Bible for people to read about for thousands of years.

A good Christian community is made up of people who, despite their own trying circumstances, continue to be aware of and attentive to those around them. They take their eyes off of themselves and focus instead on being a blessing to others.

I know life can sometimes be hard. But I encourage all of us to reject self-pity and to stay focused on others instead.

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)

Obedience leads to experience

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Christian community”

Our Bible verse for today: “So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the command of the man of God. Then his skin was restored and became like the skin of a small boy, and he was clean.” 2 Kings 5:14 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Obedience leads to experience”

Naaman was an army General, a rough, tough, man’s man who served as the commander of the army for the king of Aram. However, at some point he contracted leprosy, a contagious skin disease for which there was no cure. Fortunately for him, there was a young Jewish girl in his household, a slave that was brought from Israel to serve Naaman’s wife. She was aware of a prophet in Israel by the name of Elisha who performed miracles. So, the girl told her mistress that if the master (Naaman) would only go to the great prophet and ask for healing, she was sure a miracle would be performed for him and the master would be healed.

So, Naaman went to Elisha, and he did ask for healing. But instead of Elisha simply saying some words, waving a magic wand, and presto chango there was healing, Elisha instructed Naaman to go to the river and perform an elaborate ritual of cleansing. If he would do that, then the One True God would heal him. But Naaman thought the ritual was ridiculous, and he was even insulted that such a thing was expected of him. So, he refused to do it and he went away in a huff. Finally, some of his assistants convinced him to at least give it a try and when he did, as we read in 2 Kings 5:14 (above), he was indeed healed.

What Naaman learned is a lesson that we need to learn too – obedience leads to experience. We obey first, then we get to experience God. The key is to trust God, obey Him, and then move forward in obedience. Just do what you know you are supposed to do, and trust the rest to God.

This is often where good Christian community comes into play. It was the community around Naaman that eventually convinced him to obey first so he could experience second. (Granted, Naaman and is assistants didn’t have faith in God before the miracle, but I’ll bet they did afterwards!)

Our Christian community does for us what Naaman’s assistants did for him. Sometimes it will be through their words of good counsel and encouragement, but other times they will inspire us by their examples. Try this, look around you and notice the Christians who are clearly experiencing the power of God in their lives. If you look closely, you will also find that they are the ones who are obeying God. They are obeying first and experiencing second.

The fact is that when it comes to practicing our faith and experiencing the power of God in our lives, obedience leads to experience.

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)

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)

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)