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 Romans 1:13-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "True Power," for 9/06/26
- Teacher's Overview of Joshua 1:1-11, 16-18, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson: "Strong & Courageous" for 6/07/26
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Ruth 3:8-13, 4:13-17, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Redemption," for 8/30/26.
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Word That Sustains In Difficult Days" (Habakkuk 2:1-3 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 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
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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The Benefits of Delight
In Psalm 119:98, the Psalmist was overjoyed with the word of God, exclaiming: “Oh how I love Your Law; it is my meditation all the day.” We saw here how this “meditation” is not merely a “discipline”, but a heartfelt … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged Bible, God's word, meditation, meditation on scripture, Psalm 119:98-100, scripture
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God’s Word: Discipline or Delight?
In Psalm 119:97 the writer exclaims: “Oh how I love Your Law; it is my meditation all the day.” How do we know that he really loved the word of God? The second part of the verse explains it:
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Bible, meditation on scripture, Psalm 119:97, scripture, word of God
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A Dead Giveaway!
In I Samuel 28, King Saul could not get an answer from the Lord for his request (because of Saul’s disobedience and inconsistency) and so he decided to take another course: he sought out a medium at En-dor. Verse 8 … Continue reading
Glorious Saints
In I Samuel 28, the medium at En-dor brings Samuel up from the dead for Saul. Verse 12 says she cried out with a loud voice, and Saul asks her what she saw. She responds: “I see a divine being … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged "The Weight of Glory", afterlife, C.S. Lewis, glory, heaven, heavenly body, I Samuel 28:13
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So Easily Entangled
Hebrews 12:1 says, “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 is … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged entanglements, Ephesians 6:10, Genesis 4:7, Hebrews 12:1, holiness, sin, temptation
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“The Little Condo on the Prairie” (11-19-13)
FFB WOES Monday night, Cheryl and our daughter-in-law Ashley were virtually tied in their fantasy football matchup for the week, and each had a couple of players left in the game that evening. But Cheryl’s hopes vanished when her quarterback, … Continue reading
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