temple baptist blog
updates from our pastor.
Each week, Pastor Jim Tom shares something the Lord is teaching him—honest insights of encouragement and conviction drawn from ministry, marriage, parenting, grandparenting, and everyday life. Whether you’re a believer, a skeptic, or just curious, we hope these reflections meet you right where you are, help you think, and encourage you in whatever season of life you’re walking through. And if anything raises a question or you’d like to talk more, we’d love for you to reach out.
Everything Flows from Your Relationship with Jesus.
The depth of your relationship with Jesus Christ will determine the quality of every other relationship in your life. The way you treat people—how you respond, how you forgive, how you carry yourself—it’s all a reflection of where you are with Him.
If there’s distance between you and Jesus, it’s going to show up in how you interact with others. But when He’s first, everything else starts to fall into place.
On Being Thankful.
True thankfulness to God is shown through obedience—obedience that flows from a heart that’s truly grateful and desires to live in a way that reflects appreciation for all God has done. Thankfulness isn’t just lip service—it’s life service. It comes from a heart that’s been touched and transformed by the grace of God.
Adding Value to People.
I really believe one of the main reasons I’m here is to add value to people. At the end of the day, the greatest value I can give anyone is Jesus. He’s the one who’s changed my life, and He’s the only one who can truly change someone else’s.
The greatest example of someone valuing people is Jesus Himself. He didn’t just say it—He showed it. He laid down His life so others could live. That’s the ultimate act of adding value.