Author Archives: Shawn Thomas

About Shawn Thomas

My blog, shawnethomas.com, features the text of my sermons, book reviews, family life experiences -- as well as a brief overview of the Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson for Southern Baptist Sunday School teachers.

“Suffering Servant/Glorious King: Man of Sorrows” (Isaiah 53:2-3 sermon)

Posted on 2024/01/29 by Shawn Thomas

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 | Leave a comment

Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 12:1-5, 13:11-18, “Promised”

Posted on 2024/01/27 by Shawn Thomas

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 | 7 Comments

“Suffering Servant, Glorious King: The Message” (Isaiah 53:1 sermon)

Posted on 2024/01/22 by Shawn Thomas

In the mid-1900s, a young English college student by the name of Brown Patterson went to Oxford to study English literature. Before classes began, he went out for a walk. There he saw a middle-aged man, wearing baggy corduroy trousers, … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King, Sermons | Tagged Acts 10, Acts 16:31, Acts India Missiion, aim, arm of the Lord, Boswell Life of Johnson, C.S. Lewis, conviction, Ethiopian eunuch, evangelism, God, gospel, gospel message, hard heart, heaven, Holy Spirit, I Corinthians 2:14, II Corinthians 6:2, intercessory prayer, invitation, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53 sermon, Isaiah 53:1, John 6:44, Matthew 16, Message, missions, Philippian jailer, power of the gospel, Psalm 16:11, relationship with God, response to gospel, Romans 10:1, Romans 1:16, salvation, salvation by grace, salvation prayer, sermon, Suffering Servant, thief on the cross, who has believed our message, works | Leave a comment

Teacher’s Overview: Genesis 11:1-9, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson for 1/28/24

Posted on 2024/01/20 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 11:1-9, “Stalled,” for January 28, 2024. A video version of this lesson is available on YouTube at: INTRODUCTION In 2011 NBC … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged anti-semitism, atheism, Babylon, Bible map, Carolyn Weber, Explore the Bible, fame, Genesis, Genesis 11:1-9, glory, Gregory Nazianzen, judgment, Kenneth Matthews NAC commentary, Lifeway, make a name for yourself, make Jesus famous, name of God, Nimrod, shem, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson help, Sunday school teacher help, Surprised by Oxford, Tower of Babel, Trinity, Triune God, Walt Disney, When I say God, Yahweh | 8 Comments

“Suffering Servant, Glorious King” Isaiah 53 sermon series Introduction

Posted on 2024/01/15 by Shawn Thomas

In 1946, a Bedouin shepherd was out looking for a lost goat, and the shepherd (or technically “goatherd”) was climbing up a steep hillside looking for it. He came across a little cave, which was dark, so he threw a … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King | Tagged all have sinned, all we like sheep, cross of Jesus, Dead Sea Scrolls, forgiveness, gospel, I Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53 message, Isaiah 53 New Testament, Isaiah 53 prophecy, Isaiah 53 sermon, Isaiah 53 sermon series, Isaiah context, Isaiah scroll, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John R.W. Stott, Luke 24:27, Messiah, New Testament quote Isaiah 53, Old Testament prophecy messiah, prophecies Messiah, Ruth Graham Isaiah 53, Ruth Graham testimony, salvation, sin, substitutionary atonement, Suffering Servant | Leave a comment

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 9:1-15, “Protect”

Posted on 2024/01/13 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 9:1-15 for Sunday, January 21, 2024, with the title, “Protect.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged abortion, birth rate, C.S. Lewis Weight of Glory, cancer, capital punishment, Chad Bird, Chad Bird Unveiling Mercy, Christian diet, covenant, Explore the Bible, father, food, food and drink, Genesis 9:1-15, Gettys, God's promises, He Will Hold Me Fast, Heavenly Father, Hurricane Harvey, I Corinthians 10:23, II Peter 3:3-7, Imago Dei, legalism, Lifeway, missionary diet, missionary food, Noah, Noahic covenant, population rate, promises, rainbow, right to life, Romans 14:17, sanctity of life, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school lesson help, teacher help, the flood, war | 4 Comments

“Putting God First” Matthew 6:33 (2024 New Year Message)

Posted on 2024/01/08 by Shawn Thomas

President Lyndon Johnson’s wife Lady Bird once gave a speech to wives of congressmen. She told them she had once asked Lyndon what he felt were the three most significant priorities in his career, and he named what he felt … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons | Tagged calendar, chief end of man, commitment, daily Bible reading, daily devotions, decision-making, decisions, discipleship, Exodus 20:2, first, first commandment, garden of Eden, Gibeonites, giving, glorify God and enjoy Him, Hebrews 10:25, Jesus Lord, Jesus operating system, Jonathan Edwards heaven, Joshua 9, Katherine Graham's Washington, Lady Bird Johnson, Lord's Day, Lordship, Lyndon Johnson, Mark 1:35, Matthew 6:33, morning priority, New Year, no Bible no newspaper, prayer time, priorities, Proverbs 3:9, Psalm 5:3, putting God first, rich young ruler, Sabbath, salvatiion, schedule, sin, spiritual warning light, Sunday worship, Ten Commandments, tenth, tithe, Westminster Confession, worship | Leave a comment

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 8:10-22, “Land!”

Posted on 2024/01/06 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 8:10-22 for Sunday, January 14, 2024, with the title, “Land!” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: ??? Can you … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged "Land!", ark, But God, cancer, church, creation laws, deliverance, don't just do something stand there, don't just stand there do something, Edward Dolnick, Ephesians 2, eternal life, Explore the Bible, faith, faithfulness of God, flood, Genesis 8, Genesis 8:10-22, giving, giving testimony, God, God creation, gratitude, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, hope, I Samuel 13, judgment, laws of science, Lifeway, Matthew Henry, Noah, obedience, patience, Pinkerton's bbq, Psalm 130:5, sacrifice, sacrificial giving, salvation, Sir Isaac Newton, testimony, thanks, Thanksgiving, The Clockwork Universe, the flood, tithe, tithing, trust, trusting God, waiting, waiting on God, waiting on the Lord | 7 Comments

Teachers’ Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 6 & 7, “Judgment”

Posted on 2023/12/30 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson on Genesis 6:13-22, 7:20-24 for Sunday, January 7, 2023, with the title of “Judgment.” A video version of this overview is available on … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged Answers in Genesis, archeology, ark, bible study help, cubit, Exodus 34:6-7, Explore the Bible, flood, Genesis 18:25, Genesis 6, Genesis 6 Bible study, Genesis 7, Gilgamesh Epic, God, God judge, gospel, grace, hell, II Peter 2, judge of all the earth, judgment, justice, lesson outline, Lifeway, Noah, salvation, sin, Sodom and Gomorrah, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, The Ark Encounter | 7 Comments

Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 4:1-5, “The First Murder”

Posted on 2023/12/19 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 4:1-15 with the title of “The First Murder” for Sun. Dec. 31, 2023. A video version of this overview is available … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged A.W. Tozer, Abel, Abel sacrifice, abortion, addictions, Admiral Hyman Rickover, anger, attributes of God, Baptist Sunday school lesson, be killing sin, be killing sin or sin will be killing you, best, Bible study, blood, blood sacrifice, Cain, Cain & Abel, Cain sacrifice, children, children gift, Christ, Christmas, consequences of sin, doing your best, Explore the Bible, forgiveness, Genesis 4:1-15, grain offering, Habakkuk 3:2, Hebrews 11:4, Hebrews 9:22, in wrath remember mercy, Jesus, Jimmy Carter Why Not the Best, John Owen, judgment, lesson outline, lesson plan, Leviticus 7:37, Lifeway, Malachi 1:8, mercy, murder, My Best Jimmy Carter, parents, pornography, President Jimmy Carter, Psalm 101:3, Psalm 127:3, punishment, relationships, Romans 13:14, sacrifice, salvation, Saviior, sin, Southern Baptist, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, temptation, The First Murder, The Knowledge of the Holy, why not the best, works, worship | 2 Comments