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 Matthew 22:15-22, 34-40, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Honor" for 5/03/26
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 21:23-32, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Authority," for 4/26/26.
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Gift That Is An Insult" (I Kings 9:10-14)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 20:1-16, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Grace," for 4/19, 2026
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 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
A Friend Indeed
Who can advise you as to how you should respond to a friend who is going through a difficult trial? Who better than the Biblical character Job, who knew something about it? In Job 6:14 he speaks a word for … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged counsel, friend, friendship, Job, Job 6:14, suffering, trials
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What God Brags About
When Satan appeared before God in Job 1 & 2, the Lord had a word for him. Both in 1:8 and 2:3, He asked him, “Have you considered My servant Job?” This is a living example of what Psalm 147:10-11 … Continue reading
A Friend Who Is Near
When distress is near, you need God to be nearer still. This was David’s desire in Psalm 22:11, where he prays: “Be not far from me, for trouble is near.” Notice the parallel: the “trouble” (the Hebrew word can mean … Continue reading
“He Will Save His People From Their Sins” (Matthew 1:21 Sermon)
(Preached at Mt. Home Baptist, Morganton, NC, and FBC Pauls Valley, OK, December 2014) C.S. Lewis wrote of an interesting experience that his brother had one Christmas season. He said Warnie was riding on a big English double-decker bus one … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged assurance, C.S. Lewis, Christmas, Death, glorification, heaven, Imagine, John Lennon, Joni Earickson Tada, justification, Matthew 1:21 sermon, salvation, sanctification, soteriology
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Are You Turning Away From Evil?
Job 1:1 says that Job “was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.” That phrase “turning away from evil” is an important one, which should challenge each of us:
Whose Birthday Is It?
In Boca Rotan, Florida, several years ago, a 6-year-old boy who was attending a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese was left at the restaurant by his parents after the party. The child went into state custody, as the parents … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged giving, IMB, International Mission Board, Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, missions
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Lay Down Our Lives?
I John 3:16 says: “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for our brethren.” This verse should challenge those of us who claim to be Christian … Continue reading
When The Platitudes Don’t Work
It’s easy to quote popular spiritual platitudes to ourselves and others in times of difficulty. But what happens when they don’t “work”? We find in Psalm 22 that David knew something about that. In :4-5 he says, “In You our … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Hebrews 11:, platitudes, Psalm 2:2, spiritual cliches, suffering, trial
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Spirituality and Trials
“What did they do to deserve this?” Whether we verbalize it or not, we often wonder such things when we observe people going through difficult times. But we might be surprised at the real answer! In Job 1:8 the Bible … Continue reading
Thanksgiving on the Prairie
Thanksgiving has become perhaps our very favorite family holiday in recent years, and we were looking forward to it even more this year, with our grandbabies coming in. While David & Ashley were on their way from North Carolina, they … Continue reading
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