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 20:1-16, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Grace," for 4/19, 2026
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "For All Of Us" (Isaiah 53:6 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 19:16-30, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Eternal Life" for 4/12/26
- "I AM the Living One" (Revelation 1:17-18 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 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
“Suffering Servant/Glorious King: The Justifier” (Isaiah 53:11 sermon)
On January 21, 1977, President Jimmy Carter issued a proclamation granting unconditional pardon to all those who evaded the draft for the Vietnam War. Over 200,000 Americans had been charged with that crime, and they estimate another 300,000 were also … Continue reading
Posted in Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King
Tagged Al Mohler, Christian testimony, fear, forgiveness, Garden of Gethsemane, Gethsemane meaning, guilt, ha rabbim, heaven, hell, hoi polloi, I John 2:2, Isaiah, Isaiah 53, Isaiah sermon, James 2:19, Jesus anguish, Jesus sinless, Jesus suffering, Jimmy Carter, Jimmy Carter pardon, John Milton, judgment, justification, knowledge of Christ, limited atonement, oil press, Osama Bin Laden death, Paradise Lost, Polycarp, righteousness, Romans 3, salvation, scope of justification, sin debt, sins of the whole world, the many, William Tyndale
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Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 20:1-18 “I Have Seen”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 20:1-18 for Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023 (and re-posted for March 24, 2024) (A video version of this overview is available … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Arnold Toynbee quote, C.S. Lewis The Resurrection, Easter Sunday Sunday School lesson, Frank Morrison Who Moved the Stone, Islam, Jesus prophecy resurrection, Joe Namath I guarantee it, John 20 Bible study lesson, John 20 Explore the Bible lesson, John 20 Sunday School lesson, John 20 Sunday School teacher help, John 20:1-18, Lifeway Explore the Bible John 20, Matthew 28 resurrection of Jesus, Nabeel Qureshi Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, Old Testament prophecies of Jesus resurrection, personal relationship, prophecies of Jesus resurrection, resurrection of Jesus, Romans 1:4 resurrection
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Teachers’ Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 28:10-22, “A Stairway”
An overview for Sunday School teacher and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 28:10-22, for Sunday, March 24, 2024, with the title, “A Stairway.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged A Stairway, Bethan Lloyid-Jones, Bethel, Corrie Ten Boom dream, dream, dream interpretation, El, elohim, Explore the Bible, Falls Creek, Genesis 14, Genesis 28, house of God, Jacob, Jacob's Ladder, Jesus, Jesus only way, John 14:6, Lifeway, Lord, Psalm 67, salvation, stairway, tenth, tithe, tithing, Yahweh, YHWH
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: Genesis 27:18-30, “A Deceiver”
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 27:18-30, “A Deceiver,” for Sunday, March 17, 2024. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: ??? … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged 10 Commandments, Acts 2:23, Bathsheba, Bible, Bible study, Deceiver, Eru, Esau, Explore the Bible, Genesis, Genesis 27, Genesis 27:18-30, God bless the broken road, grace, heel snatcher, inquire of the Lord, Isaac, Isaac and Rebekah, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jacob, Jacob and Esau, Jesus, Lifeway, Melkor, pray, prayer, prescriptive vs. descriptive, Rebekah, Romans 11:33, Romans 3:23, salvation, Simarillion, sin, sovereignty vs responsibility, Sunday School teacher, supplanter, twins, Why God?
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“Suffering Servant/Glorious King: Consider Him!” (Isaiah 53:8 sermon)
A few years ago I was reading an interview they did with a man, who was highly regarded as someone who was very intelligent, and they asked him: “Do you believe in heaven and the afterlife?” And this man answered, … Continue reading
Posted in Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King, Sermons
Tagged Bill Tolar, Bill Tolar testimony, C.S. Lewis Screwtape Letters, consider Him, cross, demons, devil, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53 sermon, Isaiah 53:8, Jesus, Matthew Henry, Messiah, Old Testament prophecy, resurrection, Romans 1:4, salvation, sin, spiritual warfare, substitutionary atonement, Suffering Servant, vindication
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“Suffering Servant/Glorious King: Like A Lamb” (Isaiah 53:7 sermon)
In Acts Chapter 8 the Bible tells the story of how the Treasurer of the country of Ethiopia was in his chariot reading a verse from the scroll of Isaiah, when the deacon Philip walked up to him. Acts tells … Continue reading
Posted in Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King
Tagged Acts 8, atonement, Behold Me, blood on the doorpost, cross, Ethiopian eunuch, Gadhafi, gentleness, Isaiah, Isaiah 53, Isaiah sermon, Jesus, John 10:17, John 3:16, John Milton, lamb, Like a Lamb, meekness, Paradise Lost, Passover, Passover Lamb, Philippians 2, Psalm 37, Robert E. Lee, Rock of Ages, Romans 3:20, sacrifice, salvation, substitution, substitutionary atonement, Suffering Servant, the cross, the lamb of God, volunteer
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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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