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.
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- The Drink Offering: Don't Waste Your Life (Philippians 2:17 sermon update)
- "The Word That Sustains In Difficult Days" (Habakkuk 2:1-3 sermon)
- "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
Author Archives: Shawn Thomas
“The Discipline of Evangelism” (Colossians 4:2-6 sermon)
(Preached at First Baptist, Pauls Valley OK, 10-12-14) Many of us have looked on with shock and horror at the ISIS takeover of good portions of two countries in the Middle East, with the beheadings and other atrocities they have … Continue reading
You And This Generation
How should we live in the world? What should be our attitude about the changing morals and standards we see around us? Acts 2:40 says that in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, Peter exhorted his hearers to “be … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Acts 2:40, compromise, conformity, culture, moral deterioration, relevance, salvation
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Nehemiah’s Model Prayer
Not only was Nehemiah an example of one who prayed spontaneous prayers (2:4) but he knew how to pray an effective longer prayer as well. In fact, in Nehemiah 1:5-11, we see that Nehemiah’s prayer has some similarities in its … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Matthew 6:9-13, model prayer, Nehemiah 1:5-11, prayer
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There’s Always A Tobiah
Things were going great for Nehemiah; he had told the king about how Jerusalem was in ruins, had prayed and made his request, and the king granted him all that he wanted. Then Nehemiah headed towards the holy city, accompanied … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Christian life, enemies, heaven, Nehemiah 2:10, rest, Sanballat, Tobiah, war
2 Comments
Praying for God’s Will, Not Ours
There is a lot written and taught these days about how we can get “what we want” from God — but that is not the focus of many of the best prayers we find in the Bible. Nehemiah’s intercessory prayer … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Matthew 6:9-13, model prayer, Nehemiah 1:10, prayer
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Where Does God Have YOU?
After Nehemiah heard the news of the devastation of Jerusalem, he mourned and fasted and sought God in prayer. Then in the last verse of Nehemiah Chapter 1 he adds: “Now I was cupbearer to the king.” This statement may … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Esther 4:14, God's sovereignty, God's will, I Peter 1:1, Nehemiah 1:11, plan, purpose
3 Comments
“The Discipline of Service” (I Peter 4:10 Sermon)
(Preached at First Baptist, Pauls Valley, OK 10-05-14) This week our daughter Libby took a picture of our grand daughter Corley, walking in her daddy’s shoes for the first time. It made a cute picture, of course, but is also … Continue reading
God’s Providential Hand
Why did that person help me? Why did I find favor before their eyes? Nehemiah 2:8 gives us the answer to that. Nehemiah had been asked by the king what he would request, in regard to the problem of Jerusalem … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged blessing, favor, God's hand, grace, Nehemiah 2:8, providence
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Nehemiah’s Example of Spontaneous Prayer
There are times and places to pray a big, long prayer. Right after the king asks you an important question is NOT it! In Nehemiah Chapter 2, Nehemiah was distressed about Jerusalem when the king asked him why he was … Continue reading
Love & Obedience
Many times, it is not “either/or”, but “both.” It is so in Nehemiah 1:9, where Nehemiah has just confessed the sins of Israel to God, and he quotes Him as saying to His people, “but if you return to Me … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged commandments, discipleship, John 14:15, love, Nehemiah 1:9, obedience
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