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
“What Real Faith Looks Like: Total Commitment” (James 1:6-8)
Cheryl and Michael & I were waiting in the drive through at Wendy’s the other day, and it looked like the people in front of us were having a difficult time making up their mind as to what they wanted … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged Charles Spurgeon, Choose whom you will serve, commitment, cool vs. Christ, double-minded, doubt, doubting, Ephesians 4:14, faith, God or mammon, Hipster Faith, I Kings 18:21, inconsistency, James 1:6-8 sermon, Joshua 24:15, lack of commitment, Landry Jones, Matthew 6:24, Mr. Facing Both Ways, seeking God, split personality, total commitment, two-headed snake, What Real Faith Looks Like, Whitney Hand
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People for an Inheritance
There is a sweet thought in Psalm 33:12, that we are “the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.” God has not chosen for His inheritance the glorious stars, or mighty angels, or the vast riches of the … Continue reading
The Illusion of Security
Proverbs 18:11 says: “A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his own imagination.” This verse is instructive to us in that it proclaims that the rich man’s wealth is like a wall “in … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged insecurity, riches, security, trust, wealth
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At ALL Times!
Psalm 34:1 says: “I will bless the Lord at ALL times.” David, having just come out of a “close call” with Abimelech was a living example of this. He praised God in good times and bad – “all times.” We are to … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Are You A Friend?
Proverbs 17:17 says: “A friend loves at all times.” It is probably typical for us to think of this verse from our own perspective: that those who are our friends should always love us, and stick with us through thick … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged being a friend, faithfulness, friendship, love, loyalty, Proverbs 17:17
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This Week in “Paradise” Sept. 3rd
This Week in “Paradise” Sept. 3rd This week in the “Paradise” of the pastor’s home, we dealt with an impending hurricane, aging bodies, and of course our kitten, Eponine. Get Behind Me! My wife Cheryl loves French fries, but had … Continue reading
Posted in Home & Family Life, This Week In Paradise (pastors family blog)
Tagged ailing parents, diet, dysautonomia, french fries, Hurricane Isaac, Hurricane Isaac spoof video, hurricnae preparation, ice cream, kitten Eponine, pastor's family, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, POTS, spoiled kitten, weather reporters
4 Comments
Is He Finding Fruit?
Jesus’ visit to the Temple in Mark 11 was followed by His cursing of a fig tree outside of town in :12-14. But the two episodes are not unrelated. He looked at the fig tree to see if He could discover any … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged fig tree, fruit, Israel, judgment, Mark 11:12-14, Temple
1 Comment
Wisdom in Trials (James 1:5)
Sometimes when a pastor preaches verse-by-verse through a book of the Bible, he comes to a passage which he is not sure will apply to anyone in the congregation that day. I can assure you that the verse we are studying this … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
Tagged Cheryl thomas testimony, definition of wisdom, friends, Genesis 25:22, Henry Blackaby, James 1:5 sermon, James sermons, Job 28, Psalm 147:3, Rebekah, seeking wisdom, Shawn Thomas seminary testimony, trials, wisdom, wisdom deficit, wisdom in trials, wise counsel
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Jesus is Looking All Around!
A little phrase in Mark 11:11 is a curious one, and one which I had I never really pondered before. After Jesus came to Jerusalem in the Triumphal Entry, it says He came to the temple, “and after looking all … Continue reading
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