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
- Romans 8:14-27 Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson overview, "Indwelt," for October 18, 2026
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Romans 7:4-6, 14-25 Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson overview: "Struggle," for 10/11/26
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 22:15-22, 34-40, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Honor" for 5/03/26
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
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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Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
He asked. But he didn’t like the answer he received. Nehemiah 1 says that when some visitors arrived in Babylon from Jerusalem, Nehemiah asked about the welfare of the holy city. But the answer dismayed him: the people were distressed, … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Matthew 5:4, mourning, Nehemiah 1:4, revival
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“The Discipline of Fellowship” (Hebrews 10:23-25 sermon)
Cheryl & I are fond of assigning “chapter titles” to different episodes of our life together, as if they would be chapters in a book. We have labeled some of them: “The Great Mouse Caper”, “The Dark Year”, or “Just … Continue reading
The Only Rock
The last phrase of Psalm 18:31 addresses just the point where many people make the biggest mistake in their lives. The verse says: “For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?” (Psalm 18:31) … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Matthew 7:, peace, Psalm 16:5, Psalm 18:31, rock, sand, security, stability
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It’s Not How Much You Read
Three little words in Hebrew fed my soul that day. I try to get a variety of scripture into my life daily, as I read from Psalms to begin my prayer time, then both an Old Testament and a New … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship
Tagged Bible Reading, God's purposes, Hebrew, Psalm 18:30, scripture meditation
2 Comments
The Precious Stewardship
In Ezra 8:24-30 Ezra tells us that he took 12 of the priests who were with him in Babylon, and weighed out to each of them a portion of the gold & silver and the costly utensils which were going … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Ezra 8:24-30, faith, II Timothy 1:14, stewardship, the gospel, word of God
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