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 22:15-22, 34-40, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Honor" for 5/03/26
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 21:23-32, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Authority," for 4/26/26.
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Gift That Is An Insult" (I Kings 9:10-14)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Word That Sustains In Difficult Days" (Habakkuk 2:1-3 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 20:1-16, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Grace," for 4/19, 2026
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
Make It Personal!
Psalm 104 begins, “Bless the LORD O my soul; O LORD my God, You are very great.” Notice the repetition of the personal pronoun in this verse: “MY soul …. MY God …”. The Psalmist was very personal in his … Continue reading
“Little Condo on the Prairie” (Oct. 14, 2013)
SQUEAMISH SOME? Many of you know that we are excitedly expecting our second grandchild in May, from our son David and his wife Ashley. Well, they had their first doctor’s appointment a few days ago, and in the office they … Continue reading
Forget None of His Benefits
After opening with the famous “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” Psalm 103:2 then says: “forget none of His benefits.” Forgetting is one of our biggest spiritual problems. Israel was constantly cited for forgetting God, forgetting His blessings, etc. We … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged blessings, forget, Psalm 103:2, remembering God's blessings
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Insights on Praise (Psalm 98)
Psalm 98 is a Psalm of praise, and verses 4-6 specifically give us several insights on how we are to praise God:
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged music, praise, Psalm 98:4-6, singing, worship
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A Good Test
Hebrews 9:28 says, “So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” This verse is a good test of … Continue reading
Perhaps YOU Are The One To Do It!
In I Samuel 17:26-30, when Goliath was challenging Israel in the Valley of Elah, it says, “Then David spoke to the men were standing by him, saying, ‘What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes … Continue reading
Shouting The War Cry?
In I Samuel 17, David went up to the camp of Israel in the Valley of Elah to check on his brothers, and :20 says that “he came to the circle of the camp while the army was going out … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged church, cowardice, evangelism, fear, I Samuel 17:20, missions
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“The Little Condo on the Prairie” (October 2013)
This fall brings football, baking — and a fall update on some of the antics going on at the Thomas household: A WOMAN’S SCORN Wednesday, Cheryl was upset because the Bakers chocolate bars she buys for making brownies had a … Continue reading
The Other Side of the Coin (It’s Not All Good News)
In reading Psalm 95, one is struck by a transition that begins in the 7th verse. From :1-7a the Psalm is all sweetness, worship, “sheep of His hand”, etc. It makes one feel really good! But then there is a … Continue reading
Growing to Maturity
Hebrews 5:14 is a verse with a lot of insight: “But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” This tells us something about spiritual maturity:
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