First Brethren Church of Oak Hill

11/17/2025

Still plenty of beans and cornbread. Come and get to stay or go.

07/09/2024

Trust

We are made to place our trust in that which will provide us with more life, joy, and peace.

Trust is something we are not created to give away lightly. We value trust like we value our own lives, constantly scrutinizing others to see if they’re worthy of our trust. But still we are made to do life with help. We are made to place our trust in that which will provide us with more life, joy, and peace. I pray that this week you and I will discover how trustworthy our heavenly Father is. I pray that we will willingly hand over control of our lives to a capable, loving, and near God. And I pray we will experience the abundant life that can only come through placing our trust in a God who gives up everything for relationship with us.

Psalm 22:4-5 - "In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame."

Trust is foundational to experiencing the incredible life God offers us in relationship with him. Trust is a commodity of the heart that is only truly given when someone or something proves itself trustworthy. I can only trust you to the measure that I believe you are trustworthy. I can only trust my vehicle to the extent that I believe it will get me somewhere safely.

Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” And Jeremiah 17:7 says simply, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.”

We serve a God who is perfectly trustworthy. We serve a God who “so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God has already given us everything. He has done enough to earn our trust. But no matter how trustworthy God is, we still must make the decision to trust him. And no more important decision could be made.

To place our trust in God is to found our lives on the unshakable, powerful, loving, and resourceful character of our heavenly Father. He alone has the ability to provide for us, heal us, love us, empower us, and save us. He alone is one to trust. When we place our hope in him, we anchor our lives, emotions, finances, relationships, and future in a God who wholly cares for us, loves us, and promises to provide for us.

God promises you in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” You do not have to go through life on your own. You do not have to carve out your own way. You do not have to work to be loved, liked, or provided for. When you place your trust in God, give him your heart, and follow him, you will discover a wealth of abundant life unseen by those living for the world. The Creator of all, the Author and Perfecter of your faith, is beckoning you to place your trust in him alone. He is beckoning you to stop looking to the world and yourself for that which only he can truly and consistently provide. Place your trust in him alone today and experience a peace and joy that comes from casting off the weight you were never made to carry.

Ask yourself this question and please be honest: Who or what am I placing my complete trust in? Friend, if your answer is not Jesus Christ then my prayer is that you would seek to understand what that would truly look like in your life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS04WbSnxok

The official live video for "Trust In God" by Elevation Worship feat. Chris Brown & Isaiah Templeton."Trust In God" is available everywhere on the album, CAN...

05/05/2024

Day 21 Challenge:

Don’t Look Back.

Listen to Jesus’ words from Luke 9:62 ~ ”No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

What does this mean?

One of the greatest things I ever learned from running in track meets in middle school and high school was never to look back. Even if you thought you were winning a race – don’t ever look back. Looking back could be disastrous in a close race, because it is virtually impossible to keep your pace and maintain focus on the finish line while looking over a shoulder.

Remember Lot’s wife when she looked back — it was for her - her last mistake.

Although scripture this idea is seemingly spelled out for us but maybe not more clearly than Paul’s words from Hebrews 12:1 - “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Friends, looking back from a spiritual standpoint only hinders our progress forward. While it is very difficult, sometimes even painful, and heart wrenching to make a ‘clean break’ with our past, it is absolutely imperative for our spiritual well-being that we learn how to move forward, walk away, and resist the instinct to look back!

So on this, the final day 21 challenge, I leave you with a question:

Is God calling you from something, or even someone?

If He is, then friend, the only way for you to experience the wholeness of life and the fullness of joy He wants for you is to take that step forward and – Don’t Look Back!

May God bless you as you seek Him today

05/04/2024

Day 20 Challenge:

Walk in Your Freedom. One of the cries of every human heart is for freedom! People make tremendous sacrifices and have even gone to war in order to obtain or maintain freedom.

Freedom is at the heart of the gospel as John 8:36 tells us, “Therefore if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.”

Freedom is a key element of the kingdom of God, but here’s the interesting twist. Biblical freedom isn’t the ability to do whatever we want. It’s the ability to do that which is right.

Listen to Jesus’ thoughts on the subject out of John 8:31-32- ”To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

Friends, to know the truth takes discipline and discipline is the key to walking in freedom. So how do we become disciplined? Two key ingredients:

1. Spend time in God’s word!!!
Psalm 19:8 - “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”

2. Pray!!!
1 Thessalonians 5:17 - “Pray continually”

Jesus wants you to walk in freedom, but the choice is yours.

May God bless you as you seek Him today

05/03/2024

Day 19 Challenge:

Take up your authority. The authority of the believer rests on the believer’s mandate to serve the Lord. When we are in God’s will, we can move with confidence that we are doing what is right and that the Holy Spirit’s power is at work within and through us.

Some ministries emphasize the authority of the believer to an unhealthy and unbiblical extent. It’s better to remember the meekness to which we are called.

Even Paul, who as an apostle, had genuine authority over the church, but did not always exert his authority: “Although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love” ~ Philemon 1:8–9

So, what is the authority we should always walk in?

First: the authority to share the gospel.

Second: the authority and right to be called a child of God.

Third: the authority to approach God’s throne of grace with confidence.

Fourth: In all things, we remember that Christ is the Lord. “Therefore we have the authority to boast about Jesus. “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord”
~ 2 Corinthians 10:17

Friends, our authority comes from God and from His Word. We must follow His lead and only exercise our authority to win hearts for Jesus. After all we are God’s ambassadors and we can speak with His authority as we share His Word, as we appeal to the world on behalf of Christ.

May God bless you as you seek Him today

05/02/2024

Day 18 Challenge:

Rejoice Always. Acts 5:41 ~ “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”

Those of us who live in countries where we have freedom of religion find it almost impossible to imagine how millions of persecuted Christians today not only persevere but even rejoice in their suffering. And yet it happens every day.

There are many stories and testimonies of Christians who suffer daily for the name of Jesus Christ, and continually they thank the Lord for counting them worthy to suffer for His sake.

Friends, only the power and presence of the risen Savior makes that possible!

But why exactly does the Scriptures encourage us as Christians to rejoice in suffering? And how is this of comfort to the burdened and besieged soul?

Church, the Bible expects the Christian to rejoice in their sufferings because of the benefit it provides to us, to others, and the glory that it ascribes to God.

Therefore, I leave you today to wrestle with the words of the apostle Paul from Romans 8:16-18 ~ ”The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.“

So rejoice always; it is to your benefit and to God’s glory.

May God bless you as you seek Him today

05/01/2024

Day 17 Challenge:

Stay in His Presence. Sometimes we say God showed up at church today and other times we say God wasn't in it. What we mean and should say; is I showed up today or I wasn't in it. We are the ones who choose to be absent or present.

Often, we hope for God to ‘show up’ in our church worship or personal prayer time. Yet, the reality is that God is already present. He is available. More than that, He wants us to rest, be held, meet, recover, recharge, hear and become aware of Him!

God desires us to experience His presence, His protection, His power, His provision and His peace - not someplace else, but present here.

Like the father of the prodigal son story, God is there simply waiting for us to show up. It is we who must become aware of Him. We must become present to the presence of God.

Matthew 11:28 reads, "come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”.

Wow, weary, burdened...most of us fit this criteria, don't we? We are tired and weighed down. But, so often we overlook Jesus’ invitation to make ourselves come into His presence.

Stop thinking about what you’re doing next, who you need to call, text or email. Don't think about where you’re going or what you’ll be eating. Just be present here - because that’s where God is.

May God bless you as you seek Him today

04/30/2024

Day 16 Challenge:

Be different. When most of us hear the word disciple, we automatically think of the twelve disciples who were chosen and called by Jesus Himself to follow Him throughout His short three-year ministry here on earth. They committed their lives to following Him as they learned from Him as His students. But what exactly is a disciple?

We are not those that have it all figured out. A modern-day disciple is called regardless of past hurts, past mistakes, past sin, or any background. Jesus didn’t choose the wealthy, the most liked, or the honorable. Quite the opposite. He chose to walk with fisherman, outcasts from society such as the woman with the issue of blood, the blind, those with leprosy, those that were sinful. He came to lift the unwanted, unliked, and unloved out of their shame, to lift them to a place of honor, to partner with them as His disciples, and He does the same for us today.

What a disciple looks like in today’s modern-day world is someone who is willing to leave everything behind just as Jesus instructed those who began following Him. Jesus says we are to hate all, even our closest family members, in order to be His disciple. What Jesus is saying is not to literally “hate” them, but it means that a disciple’s earthly loyalties should be subordinate to their devotion to the Lord. Christ must come first in the disciple’s life above all else, even dear loved ones.

To be a modern-day disciple is turning away from all in the world and turning to the Word first. Turning off the buffet line of distractions, notifications, alerts, and anything that takes our attention and devotion away from Him. It’s not becoming possessed with possessions or other people – yes, even your spouse, your children, or parents. It’s surrendering our ideas, our plans, and our desires and handing them over to the Lord, trusting that His ways are better. It is through this dying to ourselves and leaving everything behind as we surrender all to the Lord that we can truly be a modern-day disciple. Mark 8:35 says, “for whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel will save it.”

Just think about it—

May God bless you as you seek Him today

04/29/2024

Day 15 Challenge:

How would you sum up the heart of discipleship in just three words? Consider these: Learn, love, and live.

Those three words capture the essence of our mission as disciple makers of any age. We want people to learn who God is. We want them to develop a genuine love for Him because of who He is and what He has done. And we want to help them to live for God, showing their love for Him with their whole lives.

Often when we think of discipleship, we look at it from the perspective of learning—formal instruction in the essential truths of the Christian faith. And discipleship certainly is that. But it’s more than learning. It’s living the truth as well; obeying God’s commands is the ultimate response of what we learn. But in between those is love, something so important that Jesus said it was the first and greatest of all the commandments: to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind” ~ Matthew 22:37

True discipleship—discipleship as Jesus understands it—has love for God at its foundation. Love that is based upon what we know about God, His nature, His character, and His plans for this world. Love that expresses itself in how we live in this world right now. And as we make disciples, that is our goal: to help people to learn the gospel story of Scripture, to grow in their love for the Author of the story, and then live out their part in God’s ongoing gospel story.

Learn, Love and Live!!! Yes it is that easy and hard.

May God bless you as you seek Him today

04/28/2024

Day 14 Challenge:

Fan the flames of Patience.

Patience is at a premium in our world today. Fast food is too slow; now we can order ahead. Even “instant coffee” takes too long; now there’s Keurig. And of course, we have the monumental tribute to our desires for immediacy: smartphones and the seemingly always available wifi.

We’re always finding new ways to get around waiting in line, or waiting at all, from rapid passes at theme parks to anywhere that we might have to wait. Even waiting to checkout at local market is catered to not waiting - do it yourself.

Many of these developments are wonderful. Why wait in line needlessly? I’ll be the first to say I embrace many of these improvements. But at some point, we should pause to ask whether having it our way, right away, is leading us to overblown expectations of instant gratification in all of life. Not only are we impatient about fast food, coffee, information, and thrill rides, but are we losing our capacity to be patient altogether? Especially with those we are called to serve.

After all, isn’t God patient with us? How many times have we rebelled? How often have we misrepresented Him? How frequently have we presumed upon His forgiveness? How much have we been impatient with Him — only to find out how gently and kindly He handled us in return?

So be patient with one another. After all that is the first virtue that Paul talks about concerning LOVE in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ~ “Love is patient, love is kind.” You can read the rest.

May God bless you as you seek Him today

04/27/2024

Day 13 Challenge:

Be a friend. Friendship is one of life’s greatest gifts. Having a trusted and encouraging friend to confide in during a time of crisis is particularly valuable. Yet for some people in the midst of challenges, the sense of loneliness and isolation can feel more overwhelming than the crisis itself. Sometimes we just need to talk with someone who “gets it.”

Church, befriending others was the early church’s method of evangelism, discipleship, and worship. The early Christians began to see themselves as people who had been befriended by God. By extension, they began to see friendship as the theater of salvation.

The church’s main mission in a world that has forgotten how to be friends is to be an embodied reminder of the friendship that we were made by God for communion with God. We are the ones who understand God that God has befriended us in Jesus, not because we were perfect, not because we think like God or act like God, but because friendship is the very nature of God.

Jesus said; “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.“ ~ John 15:15

Our call today is to remember how to practice friendship, as if other’s lives depended on it. Because the truth is; they do.

May God bless you as you seek Him today