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 24:36-51, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Alert" for May 10, 2026
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 22:15-22, 34-40, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Honor" for 5/03/26
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "The Gift That Is An Insult" (I Kings 9:10-14)
- "Inviting Jesus Into Your Home" (Luke 10:38-42 sermon)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 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 Four Loves”
Ok, I have to admit, I took the advice of Prince Humperdinck from “The Princess Bride” and did something I never do: “Skip to the end!” I had started a C.S. Lewis book I had never read before, The Four … Continue reading
Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Reviews
Tagged agape love, C.S. Lewis, God ultimate love, heaven, The Four Loves
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The God Who Speaks
A few weeks ago during my morning sermon, I spoke about how idols are “speechless” (Habakkuk 2:18), but when you know the Living God, He speaks to you through His word. Last Sunday I experienced yet another example of this. Friday and Saturday, … Continue reading
“A Labor Day Message”
Ephesians 6:5-9 “A Labor Day Message” Sept. 4, 2011 p.m. I wonder how many people really know what Labor Day is about – other than that it gives us a 3-day weekend! Labor Day seems to mean different things to different people. … Continue reading
“A Song In The Night”
Habakkuk 3:16-19 “A Song In The Night” Sept. 4, 2011 In the early 1820’s, John Keats, the English poet, went outside one evening for the specific purpose of sitting under a tree and listening to the song of a … Continue reading
My LASIK Experience
About two weeks ago I had LASIK surgery: a popular procedure used to correct one’s vision. It was something I had contemplated for some time. I had several relatives who had experienced the procedure, including two of my sons and my … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Home & Family Life, Uncategorized
Tagged LASIK, LASIK expectations, LASIK experience, LASIK side-effects
5 Comments
“Anwoth Is Not Heaven; Preaching Is Not Christ”
Sometimes in the process of looking for one treasure, you inadvertently find another. That happened today, as I was searching through one of my very favorite books, The Letters of Samuel Rutherford. (Rutherford was the pastor of a church in … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Ministry
Tagged Letters of Samuel Rutherford, losing your ministry, ministry, preaching, priorities, Samuel Rutherford
3 Comments
A Song of Wrath and Mercy
Habakkuk 3:1-2 A Song of Wrath and Mercy 8-21-11 This week one of our church members reminded me the story of Stuart Hamblen, the songwriter who had lived a life of drinking and partying, but who was saved through the ministry of Billy Graham, … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged "the old man upstairs", Habakkuk 3, Habakkuk sermons, mercy, reverence for God, the glory of God, wrath
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The Third Team on the Field
At The Response, the prayer gathering attended by 32,000-plus in Houston a few days ago, most of the event was spent in some kind of prayer. There were no “sermons” as such, although periodically, a preacher or recognized figure would … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Uncategorized
2 Comments
Delight Yourself in the Lord
Psalm 37:4 “Delight Yourself in the Lord” 8-14-11 p.m. Years ago, Corrie Ten Boom wrote, “Look around, you’ll be distressed. Look within, you’ll be depressed. Look to the Lord, you’ll be at rest.” From all of her experiences, she ought to … Continue reading
“The Lord is in His Holy Temple”
Habakkuk 2:9-20 “The Lord Is In His Holy Temple” 8-14-11 a.m. A couple of weeks ago, when we studied Habakkuk 2:4, we talked about how Job, when he had endured so much, asked God questions for which he never really received … Continue reading
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