shawnethomas

Romans 6:1-14, Overview of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson, “Freedom,” for October 4, 2026.

Posted on 2026/09/26 by Shawn Thomas

For teachers and Bible study leaders. Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, discussion questions for your group, illustrations to share, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION:

Have you ever seen a bumper sticker like this: “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven”?

???DISCUSSION QUESTION???

“What do you think about the message conveyed in that bumper sticker?”

(There are a couple of ways to look at it:

1) It IS true that Christians are not perfect. We did not earn our salvation by our good works or deeds; we’re only forgiven through faith in Christ’s death on the cross. So that part of the message is true — we are not inherently “better” than other people, we’re only saved because we’re forgiven in Christ.

2) But on the other hand, if a person has really found forgiveness through faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit of God has come into their life, and He changes them. II Corinthians 5:17 says: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come.” If we are really forgiven, people should be able to see some fruit of real salvation in us: a life that is changed and is continuing to change. So there should be more of a difference between a Christian and a non-Christian, than just that we’re living the same life they are, only OUR sins are forgiven!)

This week’s lesson in Romans 6 expands on this idea, showing us that we should not take sin lightly as Christians, and presume on the grace of God, but with the power of Christ who is in us, we can and should make the choice to turn away from sin.

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Teacher’s Overview of Romans 5:1-11, 18-21, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Restored Relationship, for 9/27/26.

Posted on 2026/09/20 by Shawn Thomas

(Sorry for the glitch in the original version of this post! Please let me know if you have any further difficulties with it!) An overview for teachers, including a suggested introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations to share, group discussion questions, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION:
???DISCUSSION QUESTION??? What do you think of this quote:
“To be a Christian means to give as much of myself as I can, to as much of Jesus Christ as I know.” (Sam Shoemaker, a well-known pastor in the early 1900s)
(It’s not the fullest definition of a Christian, but I do like the idea he expresses that we commit ourselves to “as much of Jesus Christ as I know.” Because who knows everything about Christ and salvation when they first accept Him? No one! How much did the thief on the cross know? What was OUR theology when we were saved?! We’ve learned a LOT since then right?)

In fact you might even ask: “What’s something you’ve learned about salvation since you were saved, that you didn’t understand at first?”
(There should be lots of answers to that: some might say they thought at first it was just “being forgiven and not going to hell,” but now they know it’s more about a relationship with God; maybe they didn’t understand “once saved always saved” at first, and so on. We learn more about our salvation after we put our initial faith in Christ — and the truth is, we will continue to learn, or we should — as long as we live.)

This week’s passage in Romans 5 is one that teaches us more about our salvation: about some of the blessings of salvation, just how much God loved us that led Him to save us, and what Christ did for us. Let’s pray that it will help each Christian appreciate their salvation more than ever before — and inspire those who don’t know the Lord, to give their life to Him today!

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Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged application, Baptist, Bible, Christianity, Explore the Bible, faith, God, group discussion questions, Jesus, Lifeway, Restored Relationship, Romans 5, Southern Baptist, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school outline | 13 Comments

Romans 3:21-4:5, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson overview: “Saving Faith,” for 9/20/26.

Posted on 2026/09/12 by Shawn Thomas

An overview for teachers, members, and group leaders of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Romans 3:21-4:5, “Saving Faith,” for September 20, 2026. Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations to share, discussion questions, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available at:

INTRODUCTION:

Jonathan Aitken writes that former slave trader John Newton was declining greatly in his last days, at 82 years old. He was blind, and his mind, once formerly so sharp and studious, was now cloudy and forgetful. One of Newton’s many minister friends, William Jay, visited him near the end of his life. He said Newton was hardly able to talk but he did say: “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior.” (p. 347)

Newton’s words have gone down as one of the most famous and beloved testimonies in history — and our passage for this week covers both of these vital truths of the Gospel: that we are all great sinners, but that Christ is a great Savior!

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Teacher’s Overview of Romans 2:1-13, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Coming Judgment,” for 9/13/26.

Posted on 2026/09/05 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations to share, group discussion questions, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION:

“How many of you have heard of Robinson Crusoe?”

I imagine virtually everyone will say that they have.

“But do you know that the original Robinson Crusoe is an explicitly Christian book?”

Here’s a quick summary: Crusoe rebels against the advice of his parents and goes to sea, seeking riches, but he is shipwrecked and he alone survives on an uninhabited island. At one point, he gets sick and has a terrifying dream that causes him to evaluate his life and his rebellion against God and his parents. So he begins reading the New Testament, which repeatedly spoke about repentance. Crusoe realizes that his shipwreck was not a “punishment” from God; rather it was “the kindness of God that led him to repentance.” Crusoe is saved — and when he saves Friday from a group of cannibals, he leads him to the Lord! (None of this is found in the “Disney”-type modern versions!)

But this scripture, “The kindness of God leads you to repentance,” is a key verse in our passage for this week from Romans 2:1-13!

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Teacher’s Overview of Romans 1:13-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “True Power,” for 9/06/26

Posted on 2026/08/29 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, discussion questions for your group, illustrations you can share, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRO:
???DISCUSSION QUESTION???
Several years ago, a well-known pastor asked this question; it might be a good one for you to open your lesson with this week:

“If you could have only one book of the Bible, which one would you choose, and why?”
 That’s a pretty interesting question, with lots of good answers, right? You and your group can talk about it, and you could probably get some good input. The Psalms is my personal “favorite” book; it’s my “daily bread.” And there’s no wrong answers here; how can you go wrong with any book of scripture? But I think the case could be made that the Book of Romans might be one of the very best choices, as it gives us both the most comprehensive explanation of the Gospel in all the word of God, gives us in-depth theology — quotes extensively from the Old Testament too — but then in the latter chapters, it gives us some of the most practical, every day applications for our lives that are found in all the Bible as well. I think you could definitely make a case that Romans might be that book.

And the good news is: we are beginning a 13-session study of this book of Romans this week!

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Teacher’s Overview of Ruth 3:8-13, 4:13-17, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Redemption,” for 8/30/26.

Posted on 2026/08/22 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations to share, group discussion questions, and spiritual life application. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION/ILLUSTRATION:

Carl Sandburg wrote about a slave auction that came to the attention of Abraham Lincoln. It involved the sale of “Eliza, a beautiful girl with dark lustrous eyes, straight black hair, rich olive complexion, only one sixty-fourth African, white yet a slave. A young Methodist minister, Calvin Fairbank, bid higher and higher against a thick-necked Frenchman from New Orleans. Reaching $1200, the Frenchman asked, ‘How high are you going?’ and Fairbank said, ‘Higher than you, Monsieur.’” The bids slowly rose to $1585, which the minister, backed by funds from abolitionist Salmon Chase, won. The auctioneer asked Fairbank, “What are you going to do with her?’ Fairbank said, “I’m going to free her!” and the crowd shouted and yelled with glee. (Carl Sandburg, Abraham Lincoln, The Prairie Years and the War Years, p. 93)

In this morning’s lesson, we find another story of redemption, which prefigures the greatest redemption story of all: how Christ redeemed us from our sins with His blood.

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Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged "Great Change", "Redemption", abortion, Baptist, Bible study, blood of Christ, Boaz, Book of Ruth, breath of life, Carl Sandburg Lincoln, Community Group, cost of redemption, Explore the Bible, faith, fruit of redemption, genealogy of Christ, George Wilson pardon refused, goel, gospel, Islam, kindman redeemer, life, Lifeway, Matthew genealogy, Matthew Henry, Messiah, Muslim testimony, Obed, Old Testament prophecy, promise of redemption, Ruth, Ruth and Boaz, Ruth and Naomi, salvation, saving faith, Shariq Khan testimony, slave redeemed, small group, Southern Baptist, Sunday School, Sunday school help, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school outlline, Sunday School teacher, William Wilberforce, witness | 2 Comments

Teacher’s Overview of Ruth 1:11-18, 2:5-12, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: “Faithfulness,” for 8/23/26

Posted on 2026/08/15 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications that you can make. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION:

(I’m not going to suggest that you begin the lesson this week by asking for “mother-in-law stories,” though that could be a very fertile field for discussion, and it would tie in with this week’s lesson on Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi! But you might instead ask:

???DISCUSSION QUESTION???

“What is your favorite love story?” (Novel, movie, real-life)

One of my favorites is the story of actress Vanessa Redgrave, who played Guinevere in the 1960s musical “Camelot,” and who ended up, later in life, after many ups and downs in life and relationships, marrying Franco Nero, who had played Sir Lancelot in the movie! I just think it’s really neat that they came back to each other in the end in real life — life imitating art!

You/your group can share your own favorite love stories — then make the point: in today’s lesson we start a 2-session study of the Book of Ruth, which conveys one of the great “love stories” of the Bible — and how it fits in to the greatest love story of all: God’s love for us, and how this “little love story” fit into His plan to send the Messiah, Jesus.

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Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged "death will be the funeral of all our sorrows", "valley of tears", Baptist, Bible, Bible study, bitterness, Boaz, Book of Judges, Book of Ruth, Christianity, church loyalty, Explore the Bible, faith, faithfulness, gleaning, God, gospel, grace, Jesus, Judges, lesson help, lesson outline, lesson prep, Lifeway, Lifeway Explore the Bible, love story, loyalty, Mara bitter, Moab, Moab map, Moabitess, Naomi, Psalm 37:4, Ruth, Ruth & Boaz, Ruth 1:11-18, salvation by grace, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Shawn E. Thomas, Southern Baptist, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, Thomas Watson, video lesson | 1 Comment

Overview of Judges 16:16-31, Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson, “Compromise,” for August 16, 2026.

Posted on 2026/08/08 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations to share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION:

???DISCUSSION QUESTION???

“Is compromise good or bad?”

(That’s kind of a loaded question, isn’t it? Actually not all compromise is bad:

— Compromise is often necessary in politics, to get things done.

“The Great Compromise” of 1787 at the American Constitutional Convention broke the deadlock between large states who wanted representation based on population, and smaller states who wanted equal representation. The Compromise provided for BOTH: there would be representation by population in the House of Representatives, and equal representation (2 senators each state) in the Senate. This is an example of how compromise can be helpful in achieving an outcome that is satisfactory to both parties.

— Compromise in relationships is almost always essential; one person can’t always have their own way. Each one gives a little, for example, in marriage: “Should we go to the war museum, or go shopping?” Compromise says lets go to the museum for 2 hours, then shop for two hours! Compromise is helpful for a good marriage and other relationships.

But understanding all that: we need to realize that compromise with SIN is always harmful — and this is what our lesson today from Judges 16 powerfully reminds us.

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Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged Baptist, Bible, Bible study, Book of Judges, Community Group, compromise, Explore the Bible, flirtation, flirting, God, grace, group leader, humility, II Samuel 12:14, irreversible consequences of sin, Isaiah 59:2, Jesus, Judges, Judges 16:16-31, Lectures to My Students, Lifeway, little compromises, Mark Twain The Innocents Abroad, Philistines, PIel verb, prayer, relationship with God, salvation, Samson, Samson and Delilah, Satan, sin, slavery of sin, Southern Baptist, Spurgeon These are Thy Champions, Sunday School, teacher help, temptation, The Great Compromise of 1787, toying with sin, Valley of Sorek | 7 Comments

Teacher’s Overview of Judges 7:1-8, 19-23, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: “Trust,” for August 9, 2026

Posted on 2026/08/01 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text highlights and outline, discussion questions for your group, illustrations you can share, and spiritual life applications to make. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTORY ??? DISCUSSION QUESTION???

“Can you share one of the hardest things someone ever asked you to do?”

(As a pastor I have been asked to do some difficult things over the years: visit a hardened lost person, or someone who was about to die, or who had just lost a loved one, etc., but perhaps the hardest for me was as an 18-year-old, I was asked to go the home of a man I didn’t know, and ask him to make a commitment to our church building campaign. I was just filled with anxiety and dread about making that visit. It so happened that a deacon from our church saw me with that card in my hand — and I think he could read my face — and he said “Hey, I’ll go with you to make that visit.” I was never so happy to have someone with me in my life! He took over that visit, and it went great. But it made all the difference that he was with me!

Last time in our study of Judges we saw how God told Gideon to do something very difficult — to rescue Israel from Midian — and GIdeon was very hesitant about it. But as we left off, we saw that God promised Gideon that HE WOULD BE WITH HIM, and that made all the difference for him.

Today we continue that story in Judges 7 as God again asks Gideon to do something extremely challenging — but the way it unfold would make it absolutely clear that only GOD HIMSELF brought about the victory.

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Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged "Trust", Agincourt, Bach SDG, Baptist, Bible study, Book of Judges, church, Explore the Bible, Gideon, glory, God's glory, Henry V, Jerubbaal, Judges, Lifeway, Midian, Midianites, morning prayer, numbers, Praised be God and not our strength, prayer, service, Shakespeare, soli deo gloria, Southern Baptist, Sunday School, Valley of Jezreel | Leave a comment

Teacher’s Overview of Judges 6:1-4, 7-16, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Called,” for August 2, 2026.

Posted on 2026/07/25 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text highlights and outline, illustrations to share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications to make. A video version of this preview is available on YouTube at:

???DISCUSSION/INTRODUCTION QUESTION???

“Can you share a time when God called you/someone you know, to a special work or ministry?”

(You might share this ILLUSTRATION:

“The Scottish Reformer John Knox was called to the work of preaching and pastoring in the course of a worship service by a preacher who declared it was God’s and the congregation’s will.” But Knox was not excited about it. In fact Lewis Allen writes: “Knox ran out of the gathering in tears and locked himself in his room.” (The Preacher’s Catechism, pp. 57-58)

Some of us may have felt the same way when God called us to do something! We can take comfort that we’re not the only ones who ever responded in a reluctant way! In today’s lesson in Judges 6, we see how one man was very reluctant when God called him, but God showed him something powerful that could overcome all his excuses. This lesson should help us to respond to God as He calls us to follow Him today as well.

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Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged "why has this happened?", angel of the Lord, application, Baptist, Bible, Book of Judges, call of Gideon, calling, Christian service, Christophany, discussion questions, excuses, Explore the Bible, Gideon, God, God's word, humility, illustrations, Jesus, John Knox, Judges, Judges 6, judgment, leader, leadership, lesson outline, Lifeway, Lord, meaning of Gideon, ministry, Ophrah, outline, poor in spirit, sin, Southern Baptist, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, theodicy, wine press, Yahweh, YHWH | 4 Comments

shawnethomas

Romans 3:21-4:5, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson overview: “Saving Faith,” for 9/20/26.

Teacher’s Overview of Romans 2:1-13, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Coming Judgment,” for 9/13/26.

Teacher’s Overview of Romans 1:13-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “True Power,” for 9/06/26

Teacher’s Overview of Ruth 3:8-13, 4:13-17, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Redemption,” for 8/30/26.

Teacher’s Overview of Ruth 1:11-18, 2:5-12, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: “Faithfulness,” for 8/23/26

Teacher’s Overview of Judges 7:1-8, 19-23, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: “Trust,” for August 9, 2026

Teacher’s Overview of Judges 6:1-4, 7-16, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Called,” for August 2, 2026.

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