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
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 28:1-10, 16-20, "Our Task," Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for 4/05/26
- "Suffering Servant/Glorious King: The Cost and Benefits of His Atonement" (Isaiah 53:5 sermon)
- "A Living Hope" (I Peter 1:3 sermon)
- "Lessons From Gethsemane" (Matthew 26 sermon)
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "I AM the Living One" (Revelation 1:17-18 sermon)
- "Christ's Suffering/Our Salvation" (I Peter 3:18 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 18:21-35, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Forgiveness," for 3/29/26
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 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: September 2012
A Simple Recipe For The Day
Sometimes we make things too complex; looking way off into the future, worrying about “what if” and “which way”, when many times those decisions don’t really need to made today. What we really need to focus on this day is … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged living in the present, Psalm 37:3, trust, trust in the Lord and do good, worry
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Prayers for a Loved One
Often times we end up praying the same old things for people – especially when we pray for them very often. It is easy to get into a “rut” and pray some version of the same tired “bless so-and-so.” One … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
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Behold Me!
In Genesis 37, Jacob asked his son Joseph to go to his brothers who were pasturing the flock. Many versions translate Joseph’s response as “I will go”, but his actual response is very interesting. Literally he told his father: “Behold … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
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This Week in “Paradise” September 17
This week in the “paradise” otherwise known as the pastor’s home, we had company from out of town, which proved to be very entertaining — on top of our own typical antics. I can even share SOME of what went … Continue reading
Near to the Brokenhearted
Psalm 34:18 says: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.” This should be comforting to those of us who have sorrow. Sometimes, in our despondency, we feel like God is far away. But this scripture says that in reality, He … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged brokenhearted, comfort, God is near, Psalm 34:18
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“Comforting the Afflicted & Afflicting the Comfortable” James 1:9-11
In the early 1900’s, humorist Finley Peter Dunne said that “The newspaper does everything for us. It runs the police force and the banks, commands the militia, controls the legislature, baptizes the young, marries the foolish, comforts the afflicted and … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged bung hole, comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable, Death, dust, eternity, Finley Peter Dunne, Hamlet, Isaiah 40:6-7, James 1:9-11 sermon, Luke 12:13-21, materialism, money, poor, poor Christians, poverty, Prince William inheritance, prosperity preaching, Revelation 2:9, rich, rich Christians, rich man and heaven, riches, self-image, Shakespeare, Sylvester Stallone, the democracy of death, The RIch Fool, The Rich Man and Lazarus, Your Best Life Now
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His House of Prayer
In Mark 11:17, Jesus said: “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?’” His words regarding the temple remind us of some principles regarding our houses of worship today:
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged church, house of prayer, house of worship, Mark 11:17, worship
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The Goal of Revival
In Genesis 35, Jacob led his family in a “revival” in which they put away foreign gods and purified themseles. But “revival” is not merely putting away sinful gods and practices – it has a positive end. After he admonished … Continue reading
This Week in “Paradise” Sept. 10
Disgusted Fan The University of Oklahoma did not do as well as their fans might have hoped in their football season opener a week ago, including an ugly blocked punt in the first quarter. Just after it happened, Libby sent … Continue reading
Revival Time in the Home
In Genesis 35:2, Jacob told his household: “Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments; and let us arise and go to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God.” … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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