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
- "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "Inviting Jesus Into Your Home" (Luke 10:38-42 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 sermon)
- "America's Verse" -- "Judge Not" (Matthew 7:1-5 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
Run With Endurance
Hebrews 12:1 exhorts us: “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that … Continue reading
Do Not Confuse Disobedience With “Mercy”
In I Samuel 28:18, Samuel speaks to Saul from the grave: “As you did not obey the Lord and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, so the Lord has done this thing to you this day.” Here the … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged disobedience, I Samuel 28:18, J.I. Packer, precise God, Puritans, Richard Rogers
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How Sweet Are Your Words?
In Psalm 119:103 the Psalmist exclaims: “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Are they indeed? How would we demonstrate the truth of this verse, if it were so in our own … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Bible, God's word, Psalm 119:103, scripture
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Learning to Hate Evil
Psalm 119:104 says: “From Your precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every evil way.” Psalm 97:10 admonishes us: “Hate evil, you who love the Lord.” One of the salient problems of God’s people in every age is that we … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Bible, hate evil, holiness, Psalm 119:104, Psalm 97:10, sanctification, scripture, word of God
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A Word of Thanksgiving
Psalm 111:1 says: “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart, in the company of the upright and in the assembly.” Here we find several truths about thanksgiving: — “I will give thanks …” … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged giving thanks, praise, Psalm 111:1, thanks, Thanksgiving
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Thanksgiving: “The Freewill Offerings of My Mouth”
In Psalm 119:108 the Psalmist prays: “O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me Your ordinances.” In Old Testament times, the people of Israel were commanded to offer a number of different offerings: the lamb … Continue reading
The Testimony of God’s Servants
Psalm 119:65 is a verse which all of God’s saints can bear witness to; there is not one who cannot: “You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD, according to Your word.” — Those who currently feel satisfied with … Continue reading
“The Little Condo on the Prairie” (11-26-13)
The holidays are upon us, and so Thanksgiving, Christmas shopping — and of course football! — are the focus of “The Little Condo” this week. Cheryl & I began our Christmas shopping one day last week, and we made a … Continue reading
If God Is Against You …
In I Samuel 28:16 “Samuel said, ‘Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has departed from you and has become your adversary?’” The background to that unusual verse is that Saul had sought God in :6 of this … Continue reading
You Yourself Have Taught Me
In :102 of Psalm 119, the writer recalls: “I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me.” We observe in this verse the intimate connection between God and His word. To the Psalmist, “Your ordinances” … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Bible, daily devotions, daily walk with God, privilege, Psalm 119:102, quiet time, teaching
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