Author Archives: Shawn Thomas

About Shawn Thomas

My blog, shawnethomas.com, provides brief devotions from own personal daily Bible reading, as well as some of my sermons, book reviews, and family life experiences.

“Super Grace For Super Sinners” (Romans 5:20 sermon)

Posted on 2018/08/20

This week I read about a worship team that was meeting together, planning for upcoming services. They discussed using a certain song at the end of the service to encourage people to come forward and pray. But one woman on … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged abundant grace, Agatha Christie, Agatha Christie autobiography, Agatha Christie piano, conviction, excuse to sin, Ezekiel 13:10, Genesis 6:5, grace, grace abounding, grace super abounds, grace that is greater than all our sin, I Corinthians 6:9, I Timothy 1:14, Jeremiah 17:9, Law, more than abundant grace, Parker Solar probe, preachers, preachers and entertainment, Psalm 103, Romans, Romans 3, Romans 5:20 sermon, salvation, sin, sun, super grace, super grace for super sinners, super sinners, tax cuts, Ten Commandments, Titus 2:11, truth | Leave a comment

“Culture-blind” — or Cowardly?

Posted on 2018/08/13

In Washington Irving’s delightful The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, the author journals about his attendance at a venerable English country church: “The congregation was composed of the neighboring people of rank, who sat in pews sumptuously lined and cushioned, … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Devotions/Bible Studies, Ministry, Sermon Illustrations, Uncategorized | Tagged C.S. Lewis, church, compromise, courage, cowardice, culture, culture blindness, favoritism, James 2, James 2:1, James 2:1-6, Lesslie Newbigin, partiality, poor, preaching, reform, rich, The Country Church, The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Washington Irving | 2 Comments

“Ambassadors For Christ” (II Corinthians 5:20 sermon)

Posted on 2018/08/06

According to a recent article in Politico magazine, the American ambassador to Germany is not the most popular man in that country today. In fact, he is very unpopular. But part of the problem is the fact that he is … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged ambassadors, ambassadors for Christ, behavior, compromise, conduct, conduct unbecoming, Donald Trump, evangelism, gospel, I Corinthians 6:19, II Corinthians 5:20, Jon Huntsman, Libby Breland, Message, mission, missions, neighborhood, Philippians 1:27, purpose, rights, Romans 5:10, Romans 5:8, salvation, school, witness, work place | Leave a comment

“The Gospel” (I Corinthians 15:1-11 sermon)

Posted on 2018/07/30

One of our family’s favorite movies, especially when our kids were at home, was “The Princess Bride.” Many of its lines were quoted at home in our daily conversations — and still are, on our family Facebook chat group. Of … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged American exceptionalism, Anne Bronte The Tenant of Wildfell hall, anointed One, BBC The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Bronte gospel, Christ, culture, euangelion, false gospel, Galatians 1, genuine gospel, good news, gospel, gospel preacher, healing, I Corinthians 15, I Corinthians 15:1, I Corinthians 15:1-11, I Peter 2:24, India, J.D. Greear, John 11:3, John 3:16, Leslie Newbigin, Messiah, mission, politics, pray for yourself, Princess Bride, prosperity, receive Jesus, Romans 1:16, the gospel, what is the gospel? | Leave a comment

“Warnings From The Wilderness” (I Corinthians 10:1-13 sermon)

Posted on 2018/07/23

On the coastline of Japan, by the little village of Aneyoshi, is an ancient stone tablet. Engraved on this tablet is a somber warning: “Remember the calamity of the great tsunamis. Do not build any homes beyond this point.” In … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged adultery, Aneyoshi Japan Tsunami, Aneyoshi tablet, commitment discipleship, decision, faith, grumbling, homosexuality, I Corinthians 10, I Corinthians 10:1-13, I Corinthians 10:13, idolatry, idols, immorality, living together, pornography, salvation, temptation, testimony, Tim Keller tweet, trust, trusting God | Leave a comment

“Gaining The Glory” (II Thessalonians 2:14 sermon)

Posted on 2018/07/09

Samuel Rutherford was a Puritan who pastored in Scotland in the 1600’s. He was persecuted by the government for his Biblical beliefs, and was banished from his church. Rutherford is noted for many things, including his famous “Letters” he wrote … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 4:12, C.S. Lewis, Christian hedonism, David McCullough, excitement, Exodus 33, Ezekiel 10, fall short of the glory of God, flight, fulfilment, glory, glory departs the temple, glory glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land, glory of God, glory of the Lord, good news, gospel, heaven, I Peter 1:8, ichabod, II Thess. 2:14, II Thessalonians 2:14, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus only way, John 10:7, John 14:6, John 17, John Milton, John Piper, Jonathan Edwards, Macchu Piccu, one door, Orville Wright, Paradise Lost, peace, pleasure, Romans 3:23, salvation, Samuel Rutherford, satisfaction, show me Your glory, sin, soul-satisfying happiness, Temple, The Sands of Time Are Sinking, Wade Powell, Wright Brothers | Leave a comment

“The People of God” (Joshua sermon)

Posted on 2018/07/02

This week we will be celebrating the 242nd anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of our nation. Most of us are very proud to be Americans, and are grateful to God for the blessings that He has … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged abortion, Alexandria plague, allegiance, Bishop Cyprian, church, compromise, Dionysius, direction, George Muller, Gibeonites, God's side, imitation, Joshua, Joshua 5:13-15, Joshua 9:14, leadership, love, marriage, mercy, people of God, prayer, salvation, service, the world, VBS, worldliness | Leave a comment