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 6:12-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Winning Strategy," for June 28, 2026.
- “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
- Teacher's Overview of Joshua 3:14-4:9, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson "Remembering God's Works" for June 21, 2026.
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 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
Author Archives: Shawn Thomas
What No One Else Can Do
“… he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.” (Mark 5:4) Mark 5’s description of … Continue reading
Our Part
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.” (I Corinthians 3:6) Paul made it very clear here just Who was responsible for making the church at Corinth grow: “GOD was causing the growth.” He alone was responsible for … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged church growth, I Corinthians 3:6, responsibility, service
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In A Night
“The oracle concerning Moab. Surely in a night Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined. Surely in a night Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined.” (Isaiah 15:1) God revealed in Isaiah 15 His impending judgment on the nation of … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged assurance, fear, future, Isaiah 15:1, judgment, materialism, prophecy, security, trust
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“This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer” (Acts 16:25-34 sermon)
“And the prisoners were listening.” That phrase from the testimony story we just read in Acts 16 always sticks out to me. When Paul and Silas were unjustly thrown into the prison in Philippi, they didn’t bemoan their fate. The … Continue reading
Posted in "This Is My Story" sermon series, Sermons
Tagged Acts 16:25-34, assurance, circumstances, conviction, evangelism, Philippian jailer, salvation, sermon, testimony, witness
12 Comments
Does God Not Care?
“Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’” (Mark 4:38) The verse previous (:37) indicates that a “fierce gale of wind” … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged God, God's love, Mark 4:38, providence, theology
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“NOT In Cleverness of Speech”
“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.” (I COrinthians 1:17) It is definitely interesting in this day when … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged creativity, I Corinthians 1:17, preaching, teaching
1 Comment
Sovereignty & Responsibility (Isaiah 10)
God’s ways are higher than ours, Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us, and there is much we do not understand about them. But some scriptures “pull back the curtain” just a bit and give us some insight into how God works. Isaiah … Continue reading
Take Refuge in Him
“The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.” (Psalm 34:22) God had made it clear in Psalm 34:21 that the wicked would be punished. The word there means … Continue reading
The Wicked Will Be Punished
“Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.” (Psalm 34:21) God makes clear in this verse what the end of the wicked will be. Their punishment is inescapable: “Those who hate the righteous will … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged evil, judgment, Psalm 34:21, punishment, salvation, wicked
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Small Beginnings
“And He said, ‘How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged beginnings, kingdom of God, Mark 4:30-32, obedience, Welsh revival
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