I'm a retired Southern Baptist pastor of almost 40 years. My wife Cheryl & I moved to Norman, OK in March of 2025. I share a weekly overview for Sunday School teachers of the weekly Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, as well as texts of my sermons and other articles.
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Top Posts & Pages
- Teacher's Overview of Joshua 2:4-21, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Amazing Grace," for June 14, 2026.
- Teacher's Overview of Joshua 1:1-11, 16-18, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson: "Strong & Courageous" for 6/07/26
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Numbers 14:11-24, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Rebellion & Judgment" for 9/28/25
- "The Disciple's Character: Purity of Heart" (Matthew 5:8 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 sermon)
- "The Word That Sustains In Difficult Days" (Habakkuk 2:1-3 sermon)
Categories
- "The Disciple's Character" series (Beatitudes Mt. 5:3-12)
- "The Disciplines of Disciples" series
- "This Is My Story" sermon series
- Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA
- Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
- COVID-19 crisis assorted messages
- Current Events
- Devotions/Bible Studies
- Discipleship
- Discovering FBCA Membership class lessons
- Doctrine/Theology
- Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
- Explore the Bible Sunday School lessons
- Habakkuk "Find Us Faithful" series messages
- History
- Home & Family Life
- I Peter sermons
- India Mission Trip 2011
- Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King
- John 3:16 sermon series
- Luke 10:38-42 Mary & Martha series
- Luke 2 Christmas series
- Matthew sermons
- Ministry
- missions
- Music
- Philippians sermons
- POTS (dysautonomia) articles
- Psalms studies and messages
- Revelation sermon series
- Reviews
- Sermon Illustrations
- Sermons
- The Model Prayer Series
- The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020)
- This Week In Paradise (pastors family blog)
- Travel
- Uncategorized
- worship
Monthly Archives: July 2012
Confusing Certainty With Correctness
Proverbs 14:12 says: “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” In the first words of this familiar verse is an important truth: Just because people think they are going … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged godly friends, misplaced confidence, Proverbs 14:12, scripture
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My POTS experience: Meds and the “Roller Coaster”
You know how when you ride a roller coaster at the amusement park, you can get that “carsick” feeling? Well “roller coaster” is the perfect analogy for me today, and the sick feeling is the literal description of how I … Continue reading
Posted in POTS (dysautonomia) articles
Tagged beta blocker, dysautonomia, medication, metropolol succinate, POTS, roller coaster, sleeping aid, trazodone
6 Comments
Poem: “I Walked A Mile With Pleasure”
I walked a mile with Pleasure; She chatted all the way; But left me none the wiser For all she had to say. I walked a mile with Sorrow, And ne’er a word said she; But, oh! The things I … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Uncategorized
Tagged pleasure, poem, Robert Browning Hamilton, sorrow, suffering, trials
7 Comments
“This Week in Paradise” (July 9, 2012)
“This Week in Paradise” July 9 Last week marked one of the first of our recorded “weeks in Paradise” in which there were no stories about our son Michael. I can assure you, that was only because I did not … Continue reading
Posted in Home & Family Life, This Week In Paradise (pastors family blog)
Tagged A Beka, coffin, dark humor, humor, pastor's family, Poirot
6 Comments
The Overflow
From first to last, it had been a morning full of hugs. I returned to the 8:30 service at First Baptist, Moss Bluff, for the first time since I have been on medical leave. I saw a couple of people in the … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Ministry, Sermon Illustrations, Uncategorized
Tagged church, evangelism, fellowship, hugs, sharing, witness
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My POTS Experience: The Beginning
I was diagnosed with dysautonomia, or POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) a couple of weeks ago (June 2012). Since this may be a part of my life from this time forward, and a number of my blog posts will refer … Continue reading
“This Week in Paradise” July 2
The “little paradise” we call the pastor’s home was marked this week by some of the lifestyle changes due to my illness, as well as starting to transition back to my office at the First Baptist Church of Moss Bluff.
shawnethomas 