Author Archives: Shawn Thomas

About Shawn Thomas

My blog, shawnethomas.com, features the text of my sermons, book reviews, family life experiences -- as well as a brief overview of the Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson for Southern Baptist Sunday School teachers.

“What Real Faith Looks Like: Total Commitment” (James 1:6-8 sermon)

Posted on 2024/05/06 by Shawn Thomas

One time Cheryl, our son Michael & I were waiting to place an order in the drive through line at a fast-food restaurant, and it looked like the people in front of us were having a difficult time making up … Continue reading →

Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons | Tagged answered prayer, Book of James, choices, choose, Christian life, commitment, cool vs. Christ, dipsuchos, discipleship, double-minded, doubt, faith, genuine salvation, Hipster Faith, I Kings 18:21, James, John Bunyan, Joshua 24:15, Landry Jones, Matthew 6:24, Mr. Facing Both Ways, no man can serve two masters, one master, Pilgrim's Progress, prayer, salvatiion, seeking God, tossed by the wind, total commitment, two-headed snake, unanswered prayer, Whitney Hand, whom will you serve | Leave a comment

Teacher’s Overview of Genesis 41, based on Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for May 12, 2024, “Revealed”

Posted on 2024/05/04 by Shawn Thomas

An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 41:14-20, 33-37 for Sunday, May 12, 2024, with the title, “Revealed.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged balance, Bible, Biblical balance, Cervantes, Charles DIckens, Don Quixote, dream, evangelism, Explore the Bible, faith, Genesis 41, God, God sovereignty, interpretation, Jesus, John Bunyan Pilgrims Progress, Joseph, Joseph prison, life application, Lifeway, Nile River, Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition, pray like it all depends on God, prayer, providence, rags to riches, Revealed, Romans 8:28, salvation, sovereignty, sovereignty and responsibility, Sunday School, teacher help, trust, Walter Raleigh, witness | 8 Comments

“Real Faith Seeks Wisdom” (James 1:5 sermon)

Posted on 2024/04/29 by Shawn Thomas

Sometimes when a pastor preaches verse-by-verse through a book of the Bible, he might come to a passage which he’s really not sure will apply to anyone in the congregation that day. I can assure you that the scripture we are … Continue reading →

Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons | Tagged A.T. Robertson, ask for wisdom, ask of God, Bible, Bible Reading, Bible study, Book of James, chastisement, daily Bible reading, doers of the word, If any of you lacks wisdom, James, James 1, James 1:5, James sermons, James wisdom, Job, Mark Dever, maturity, perseverance, prayer, purpose for trials, Rebekah Genesis 25, salvation testimony, seeking wisdom, sophia, spiritual growth, spiritual maturity, trials, where is wisdom found, wisdom, wisdom in trials | 3 Comments

Teacher’s Overview of Genesis 39:7-21, Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for May 5, 2024.

Posted on 2024/04/27 by Shawn Thomas

A lesson overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 39:7-21 with the title “Accused,” for Sunday, Mary 5, 2024. (I might use an alternate title: “He Is With Me”!) A … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged "Sovereignty of God", accountability to God, Accused, Bible study, Deuteronomy 19:15, Explore the Bible, false accusation, flee youthful lusts, Genesis, Genesis 39:7-21, George Whitefield America's Spiritual Founding Father, God judge, gospel, I am with you always, I Corinthians 14 worship, I Timothy 5:19, II Timothy 2:22, II Timothy 4:7, Jehovah, Joseph, judgment, lesson overview, lesson preview, Lifeway, Lord, Matthew 28:20, presence of God, Providence of God, Psalm 139, Psalm 23, Richard Jewell accusation, Romans 8:28, salvation, Sunday School, teacher help, temptation, the gospel, the Lord was with him, Thomas Kidd George Whitefield, two or three witnesses, Yahweh, you are with me Psalm 23 | 2 Comments

“What Tested Faith Looks Like” (James 1:2-4 sermon)

Posted on 2024/04/22 by Shawn Thomas

John & Abigail Adams are one of my favorite couples from history. He was, of course, the 2nd President of the United States, and they were both Christians. He was away from home a lot, either serving in Congress or … Continue reading →

Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons | Tagged Abigail Adams, Book of James, C.S. Lewis, Christian growth, Christian life, count it all joy, Ephesians 4:13, faith, glorifying God, hupomeno, I Peter 1:6, I Peter 4:12, I walked a mile with pleasure, James, James 1:2-4, Joe McKeever, John & Abigail Adams, John Adams, John Newton, My Dearest Friend, persecution, Philippians 1:29, Psalm 4:7, purpose of suffering, Robert Browning Hamilton, Romans 5:3, Samuel Rutherford, spiritual growth, spiritual maturity, suffering, temptations, tested faith, testimony suffering, tests, The Cocoon, trials, trials purpose, various trials, What Real Faith Looks Like, when sorrow walked with me | Leave a comment

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 37, “Dreamer” for April 28, 2024.

Posted on 2024/04/20 by Shawn Thomas

An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 37:5-8, 18-28, for Sunday, April. 28, 2024 with the title, “Dreamer.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged 10 Commandments, 5 Love Languages, church, church conflict, Dreamer, Explore the Bible, family, family conflict, Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman, Genesis 37, God's providence, God's sovereignty, gospel, grace, hagiography, His Very Best, I John 1:8, Israel, Jacob, jealousy, Jimmy Carter, Job, Jonathan Alter, Joseph, Joseph's brothers, lesson overview, Lifeway, marriage, Messiah, problem, providence, responsibility of man, salvation, sin, sovereignty, Sunday School teacher, workplace confict | Leave a comment

“What James’ Faith Looked Like” (James 1:1 sermon)

Posted on 2024/04/15 by Shawn Thomas

This summer the Olympics will return to Paris France. It’s always fun to see how our American athletes do — and usually somebody from our country wins, and shares their Christian testimony. In 2008 a young man by the name … Continue reading →

Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons | Tagged anointed One, Bible, Book of James, C.S. Lewis, Christ, Christian testimony, commitment, David Boudia, doulos, faith, God, heaven, James, James the brother of Jesus, Jesus, Lord, Lord Jesus Christ, Mary, Mere Christianity, Messiah, Nicodemus, personal relationship, rich young ruler, salvation, saving faith, sin, slave | 2 Comments

Teacher’s Overview of Genesis 35:1-15, “Renewed” Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson for April 21, 2024

Posted on 2024/04/13 by Shawn Thomas

An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders of Genesis 35:1-15, Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for Sunday April 21, 2024, with the title, “Renewed.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: Another title … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged Bethel, blessing, blessings, C.S. Lewis, children, consecration, Explore the Bible, false gods, father, Genesis, Genesis 35:1-15, God, gods, good, head of household, holiness, idols, instant obedience, internet, Israel, Jacob, Jim Eliot, John Kenneth Galbraith, LBJ, Lifeway, Luke 6:46, Lyndon Johnson, matriarch, name Israel, obedience, obey, one good God, parenting, patriarch, peace, revival, safety, Shechem, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, teraphim, There is but one good, vow to the Lord, vows, Why do you call Me Lord | 5 Comments

“What Real Faith Looks Like” (Introduction to the Book of James)

Posted on 2024/04/08 by Shawn Thomas

Some time ago I was visiting with a pastor in another state, and he was talking about how there are well over 30 churches in just their small community. He said, “You know how it is here; everyone says they … Continue reading →

Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like | Tagged American Christianity, assurance, Bible, Book of James, Christianity, commandments, conviction, conviction of sin, easy believism, epistle of straw, faith, God's Law, gospel, how can I be saved, James, James 3, Jesus, John Ryland, Lord, Lord Lord, Martin Luther, meddling in my private life, salvation, Samuel Rutherford, saving faith, scripture memory, sin, strawy epistle, Tennessee Williams, testimony, tongue, What Real Faith Looks Like, words, works | Leave a comment

Genesis 32:22-32 Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for 4/14/23, “Wrestled”

Posted on 2024/04/06 by Shawn Thomas

(A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 32:22-32, “Wrestled,” for Sunday, April 14, 2024. Includes a sample lesson introduction, outline, text highlights, illustrations, questions for your class, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged baptism, Bible, Bible study, Bill Elliff, Blessed, Christophany, conviction, D Day, Dwight Eisenhower, Explore the Bible, Genesis, Genesis 32, Genesis 32:22-32, God, Habakkuk 2:1, heel snatcher, Israel, Jacob, Jacob wrestling, Jesus, Lifeway, Lord's Supper, Luke 11, Luke 18, name, Peniel, prayer, remembrances, Romans 10:1, Romans 9:1, salvation, sin, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, supplanter, teacher help, wrestling with God | 5 Comments