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.
-
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)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 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)
- Romans 6:1-14, Overview of Lifeway's Explore the Bible lesson, "Freedom," for October 4, 2026.
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "Inviting Jesus Into Your Home" (Luke 10:38-42 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
Where Is Your Glory?
In Mark13:1, as Jesus came out of the Temple, one of His disciples said to Him: “What wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings”. But Jesus answered him in :2, “Do you see all these great buildings? Not one stone will … Continue reading
The Business of Heaven
Psalm 84:4 says: “How blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising You.” — Here we see that Psalmist’s envy of those who get to take care of the temple of God. He imagines how blessed … Continue reading
Erring in Heart
God said of ancient Israel in Psalm 95:10 “They are a people who err in their heart”. It is one thing to err in your mind. It is quite another to err in your heart.
A Worrier’s Mantra
Psalm 94:19 is a word for the worriers among us: “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.” Many of us can identify with the Psalmist, who said that his anxious thoughts “multiplied” within him. Isn’t … Continue reading
No Minor Flaw
I Timothy 3:6 gives an important warning to all us when it speaks to one of the qualifications for pastor. Verse 6 says he is to be “not a new convert.” Many people would nod their heads in agreement with … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged flattery, I Timothy 3:6, overseer, pride, qualifications
Leave a comment
Start At Home
There is what many people consider to be a strange episode in Exodus 4:24-26. Why was the Lord so upset with Moses because his son was not circumcised? Yet there is a lesson here which should cause many of us … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged consistency, Exodus 4:24-26, hypocrisy, religion starts at home
Leave a comment
Morning and Night
In Psalm 92:2 the Psalmist says he will “declare Your steadfast love in the morning and Your faithfulness by night”. This is typical of Hebrew poetry, which is characterized by parallelism, but it is not over-reaching to think that there … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged faithfulness, lovingkindness, morning and evening, Psalm 92:2
Leave a comment
Your Secret Sins
Psalm 90:8 says that God has “placed” “our secret sins in the light of (His) presence.” One of the things this means is that He purposefully arranges circumstances so that the hidden sins of our hearts have occasion to manifest … Continue reading
The Highways To Zion
Psalm 84:5 says, “How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion!” This verse is significant because it tells us that “the highways to Zion” are in your “heart.” You don’t … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged highways to Zion, Psalm 85:4, Romans 10:8-9
Leave a comment
