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 12:1-14, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Rejecting Legalism," for 2/15/26.
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Judgment Coming," for 2/22/26.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 11:1-6, 16-24, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Confronting Doubts, for 2/08/26
- "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" (John 3:16 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 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
Teacher’s Overview of Genesis 22:1-14 “A Substitute” Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson for March 3, 2024
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Genesis 22:1-14 “A Substitute”, for March 3, 2024. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRODUCTION: Gene Kranz, … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged a test, Abraham, atonement, children, Chuck Colson, cross, Explore the Bible, Failure is not an option, faith, Father Maximilian Kolbe, Gene Kranz, Genesis, Genesis 22, Genesis 22:1-14, Hebrews 11, I Samuel 15:22, Isaac, Isaiah 53, Jehovah Jireh, Jesus, Lifeway, Luke 6:46, Mt. Moriah, NASA, obedience, obey, sacrifice, Sarah, substitutionary atonement, test, testing, the cross, the Lord the Provider, trials, Yahweh Jireh
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“Suffering Servant/Glorious King: For All of Us” (Isaiah 53:6 sermon)
When I got sick in the winter of 2012, and Cheryl & Michael & I moved to Oklahoma, as difficult as that time was, much good came out of it. One of those good things was that I discovered that … Continue reading
Posted in Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King
Tagged Acts 20:21, all, all means all, all of us, all we like sheep, Becky Thatcher, church, consequences, faith, forgiveness, gospel, guilt, He died for me, I John 2:2, I Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53:6, James Hastings, Jesus, John 3:16, Luke 13:3, Luke 15, Messiah, Messianic prophecy, Mr. Dobbins, older brother, our griefs He bore, personal response, Prodigal Son, Proverbs 14:12, punishment, repentance, repentance and faith, Romans 10:13, salvation, self-righteousness, sheep, sheep ditch video, sin, Sternberg, substitutionary atonement, Suffering Servant, the cross, Tom Sawyer
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Teacher’s Overview of Genesis 19:12-26, Lifeway “Explore the Bible lesson “Purged”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 19:12-26, with the title, “Purged,” for Sunday, February 25, 2024. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Abraham, better than I deserve, Dave Ramsey, evangelism, Explore the Bible, fire and brimstone, Genesis, Genesis 19:12-26, grace, Hebrews 12:25, hell, hurricane, intercessory prayer, Isaac's Storm, John Bunyan, Jude 1:7, judgment, lesson outline, Lifeway, lot, ministry, mission, Pearl Harbor, Pilgrim's Progress, prayer, prayer for the lost, presumptuous sins, Purged, Sodom, Sodom and Gomorrah, Sunday school lesson, warning, witness
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“Suffering Servant/Glorious King: The Cost and Benefits of His Atonement” (Isaiah 53:5 sermon)
Several years ago, the wife of a pastor friend of mine in Oklahoma went out to her car at school and found a traffic ticket on it. But when she looked at it closely, she found that the ticket was … Continue reading
Posted in Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King
Tagged Acts India Mission, atonement, blood, chastened, chastisement, cross, crushed, forgiveness, grace, healing, healing Hosea, healing in the atonement, healing symbolic, I Corinthians 15:19, I John 1:9, II Corinthians 12:7, II Timothy 4:20, Isaiah, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53 sermon, Isaiah 53:5, Jesus, Jesus death, Jonathan Edwards, Joni Earickson Tada, peace, pierced, Romans 5:1, salvation, Sanjay Charan, scourged, scourging, shalom, sin, substitutionary atonement, Yitzhak Rabin death
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 17:1-10, 15-19, “Established”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 17:1-10 and 15-19, with the title of “Established,” for Sunday, February 18, 2024. A video version of this overview is available … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Abraham, Abraham laughed, Abram, awe, But God, Canaan, Colossians 3:3, covenant, Explore the Bible, faith, Genesis, God, honest to God, humility, II Corinthians 5:21, Isaac, Ishmael, Israel, Jesus, Lifeway, name, name change, names meaning, Nefilat Apayim, new covenant, Palestine, salvation, Sarah, Sarai, worship
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“Suffering Servant/Glorious King: His Substitutionary Atonement” (Isaiah 53:4 sermon)
In Charles Dickens’ famous novel, A Tale of Two Cities, he writes of two men who, although they looked very similar, and both loved the same young lady, but they were very different in character. Sidney Carton was a man … Continue reading
Posted in Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King, Sermons
Tagged bear sin, Bible, burden of sin, Charles DIckens, cross, faith, forgiveness, God, guilt, Hurricane Katrina, Isaiah, Isaiah 53:4, It Is Well, Jesus, Job, John 9, John Bunyan, judgment, leprosy, Leviticus, Leviticus 16, Mesopotamian King substitute ritual, Messiah, my sin o the bliss, nailed to the cross, Newbery Medal, Pilgrim's Progress, reward, salvation, scapegoat, Sid Fleischman, Sidney Carton, sin, substitutionary atonement, suffering, Suffering Servant, Tale of Two Cities, The Whipping Boy
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Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 15:1-6 & 16:1-6, “Impatience”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 15 & 16 for Sunday, February 11, 2024, with the title, “Impatience.” A video version of this overview is available on … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Abraham, Abram, Abram and Lot, Apollo, conflict, Explore the Bible, faith, fear, galaxy, Genesis, Genesis 15:1-6 16:1-6, Genesis 15:6, God reward, Hagar, heat shield, heaven, honest to God, I am your reward, II Corinthians 5:21, impatience, Lifeway, Martin Luther King content of character, prayer, promise, Psalm 16, R.C. Sproul Jr., reckoned righteousness, Revelation 5, reward, righteousness, Romans 4, salvation by faith, Sarah, Sarai, shield, stars, substitutionary atonement, trust
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“Suffering Servant/Glorious King: Man of Sorrows” (Isaiah 53:2-3 sermon)
Abraham Lincoln was not an attractive man; in fact, people described him as “homely;” he had a number of facial defects. His own cabinet secretary called him a “long-armed ape.” And yet this “unsightly man,” as some called him, is … Continue reading
Posted in Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King, Sermons
Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Acts 4:12, appearance, celebrity Christians, Christian rock star, cool Christian, cross, desert, flower crushed, gospel, Isaiah, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53:2-3, Jesus, Jesus appearance, Jesus lamb, Jesus only way, Jesus suffering, Jesus uniqueness, John 14:6, Lamb of God, man of sorrows, Mark 8:31, marred more than any man, Messiah, Old Testament, Parable of the Sower, perfume, prophecy, Proverbs 20:9, Psalm 139, resurrection plant, Revelation 5, righteousness, Romans 3:10, salvation, sin, style vs substance, substitutionary atonement, Suffering Servant, tender shoot, worthy is the Lamb
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Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 12:1-5, 13:11-18, “Promised”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 12:1-5, 13:11-18, for Sunday, February 4, 2024, with the title, “Promised.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Abraham, Abram, Bible study, Blessed are the meek, blessed to be a blessing, blessing, Explore the Bible, faith, Genesis 12, Genesis Sunday school lesson, gentleness, George Washington, giving, Hebrews 11, humility, Israel, life map, Lifeway, Matthew 5:5, meekness, meekness Psalm, mission trip, missions, Numbers 12:3, obedience, Promised Land, Psalm 37, Psalm 67, rights, step of faith, Sunday School, Sunday School teacher, tithing, Trenton
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shawnethomas 