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)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Ruth 3:8-13, 4:13-17, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Redemption," for 8/30/26.
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Word That Sustains In Difficult Days" (Habakkuk 2:1-3 sermon)
- "Finishing Well" (Psalm 92:12-15 message)
- "The Discipline of Fasting" (Ezra 8:21 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
Your Focus in the Storm
It seems like the eyes of everyone on the Gulf Coast are glued to the Weather Channel, with the rapid approach of a potential hurricane. It’s good to stay informed, but our constant focus should be where it is always … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged "Sovereignty of God", Hurricane Isaac, Psalm 33:7-8, trust
1 Comment
This Week in “Paradise” August 27
Wonderful Windshield Wipers A couple of weeks ago, Cheryl had gone to Advance Auto to get a couple of things for her car, including new wiper blades. The original blades on her car were not cleaning the windshield well, so … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
2 Comments
“What Tested Faith Looks Like” (James 1:2-4)
We have a lot of people here at First Baptist Church who are going through different “storms” in their lives right now. My own current battle with dysautonomia is well-known to most of you. But I know that I … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged "I Walked A Mile With Pleasure", cocoon butterfly story, drunk driver, endurance, faith, genuine faith, hupomene, James 1:2-4, Joe McKeever, maturity, purpose of trials, Robert Browning Hamilton, Samuel Rutherford, sermon, Sirach, suffering, teleios, tested faith, testing, trials, tried faith
4 Comments
Sing, Sing, Sing!
Whenever you see something repeated in the Bible, you know it is important. If you see it used THREE times, it is of utmost importance. That is why I perked up when I read the opening verses of Psalm 33 again. … Continue reading
POTS update August 2012: Sunday Challenges & “Hibernation Saturdays”!
Like many of our church members, I spend my Saturdays preparing for our Sunday services. I have done that previously, but the nature of my preparation has changed since I was diagnosed with dysautonomia or POTS this summer. With a … Continue reading
Posted in POTS (dysautonomia) articles
Tagged dizziness, Dr. Gerry Hebert, dyautonomia, First Baptist Church Moss Bluff, headaches, heart rate, heat intolerance, heat sensitivity, metoprolol succinate, nausea, pastor Shawn Thomas, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, POTS, preaching, trazodone, Wendy's potatoes & gravy
2 Comments
Fickle “Fans”
At one point, Jesus had a big “fan club” in Jerusalem. Mark 11:8-10 describes how people went “in front” and “followed” (in other words, all around Him, a big crowd) shouting “Hosanna!” as Jesus entered the city on a donkey. … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged discipleship, fan of Jesus, fan or follower, fickle fans, Mark 11:8-10
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Ways to Praise
Many of the Psalms teach us to praise God, and in the first three verses of Psalm 33, we are instructed in several means of praise:
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged excellence in worship, giving thanks, joy, means of worship, new song, praise, Psalm 33:1-3, singing, ways to praise, worship
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Rule Thyself
This verse caught my attention, since I have not always been my same “sweet-natured self” since I have been dealing with POTS in recent days. Proverbs 16:32 says: “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged anger, Proverbs 16:32, self-control, temper
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I Didn’t Roll “Snake Eyes”!
Proverbs 16:33 concludes: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” This Proverb isn’t just about “dice”. It is really about two very different, very competing world views: do things in our world happen … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged dice, dysautonomia/POTS, lot, luck, Proverbs 16:33, providence, snake eyes, theocentric worldview, trust
1 Comment
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