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.

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson: Jeremiah 42:7-22, “Trustworthy”

Posted on 2023/08/05 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Jeremiah 42:71-22 for Sunday, August 13, 2023, with the title, “Trustworthy.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged arrogance, direction, Explore the Bible, Ferdinand Magellan death, God's will, Jeremiah 42, Jeremiah 42 Sunday school lesson, Jeremiah 42:7-22, John 4 whatever He says to you do it, Lifeway, obedience, prayer, pride, Proverbs 14:12, rich young ruler, seeking God, Sunday school lesson help Jeremiah 42, Sunday school teacher help, time to seek God, tithe, tithing | 7 Comments

“Saved By The Gospel” (I Corinthians 15:1-5 sermon)

Posted on 2023/07/31 by Shawn Thomas

The word “gospel” gets used in a lot of different conversations: — Someone told me this week that one of their family members was in a “gospel music” group. — You could say of a minister: “he’s a gospel preacher.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons | Tagged baptism, being saved, Bernard Ollivier, Christ died for our sins, conditional promise, evangelism, evangelistic message, fruit, fruit of salvtion, good news, gospel, gospel in a nutshell, gospel meaning, gospel message, gospel test, heaven, how to go to heaven, I Corinthians 15:1-5, I Peter 2:24, if, if saved always saved, J.I. Packer, James 2:19, Jesus, Jesus death, John 1:12, Jonathan Edwards, Louis Zamperini, making a decision for Jesus, Martin Luther personal pronouns, Muslim salvation, once saved always saved, Parable of the Soils, perseverance, perseverance of the saints, personal salvation, profession of faith, receiving Jesus, Romans 1:4, salvation, saved, sinner's prayer, Sinners in the hands of an angry God, skydiver saved, sozo, substitutionary atonement, test of salvation, the cross, Unbroken book, Unbroken movie | 2 Comments

Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson: Jeremiah 36:19-31, “Speaks”

Posted on 2023/07/29 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for Sunday, August 6, 2023, Jeremiah 36:19-31, with the title: “Speaks.” (A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged Baruch, Bible, Bic Benedict, Explore the Bible, father son, Giant Bic and Jordy, God's word, humility, Jeremiah, Jeremiah 36:19-31, Jeremiah lesson, Jeremiah Sunday school lesson, Josiah vs Jehoiakim, judgment, King Jehoiakim, King Josiah, Lifeway, repentance, right side of history, scroll, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, Voltaire, Voltaire and the Bible, wrong side of history | 13 Comments

“Jesus’ Example of Baptism” (Matthew 3:13-17 sermon)

Posted on 2023/07/24 by Shawn Thomas

Adoniram Judson was born in 1788, and grew up in Massachusetts when the United States was still a new country. He graduated valedictorian of his class at Brown University, and wrote 2 books, one on grammar, and one on math. … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship | Tagged Adoniram Judson, baptism, baptism by immersion, baptism obedience, baptism sprinkling, baptism symbol, baptizo, bapto, first American missionary, gospel, humility, immersion, Jesus baptism, Jesus is Lord, Lordship, Matthew 3, Matthew 3 baptism, missions, salvation, thief on the cross baptism, Trinity, Triune God, wedding ring symbol | Leave a comment

Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: Jeremiah 35:5-19, “Worthy”

Posted on 2023/07/22 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Jeremiah 35:5-19, with the title “Worthy,” for Sunday, July 30th, 2023. (A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at; … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged children obedience, Donna Reed show, Explore the Bible, General MacArthur obedience, George H.W. Bush, I Samuel 15, if we obey God we must disobey ourselves, Jeremiah 35, Jeremiah 35 "Worthy", Jeremiah 35 lesson help, Jeremiah 35 Sunday school lesson, Jon Meacham Destiny and Power, Jonadab, Keith Green to obey, Lifeway, Luke 6:46, Melville Moby Dick, obedience, President Ford, Rechab, Rechabites obedience, to obey is better than sacrifice, why do you call Me Lord Lord, William Manchester American Caesar | 3 Comments

“Swimming Upstream” (Luke 1:57-66 sermon)

Posted on 2023/07/17 by Shawn Thomas

I was in a river canoeing one time, and it was shallow, and the current was pretty strong, so just for fun I decided to get out and see how far I could swim against the current. So I jumped … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons | Tagged burden, church, commitment, convention, discipleship, following Jesus, freedom, giving church, glorifying God, glory God, God obedience, going against the current, John the Baptist birth, Luke 1:57-66 sermon, obedience, obey God, obeying God, Romans 12:2, salvation, song trust and obey, standard procedure, swimming upstream, tithe, tithing, trust and obey, Zecharias and Elizabeth | 1 Comment

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: Jeremiah 31:23-34, “Redeems”

Posted on 2023/07/15 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Jeremiah 31:23-34, for Sunday, July 23, 2023, with the title, “Redeems.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged 1948 presidential election, accountability, Bible covenant, blame game, broke covenant, comeback, comeback OU Texas, covenant, covenant meaning, Dewey defeats Truman, Explore the Bible, Explore the Bible lesson Jeremiah 31, God is in the restoration business, God remember sin, Jeremiah 31, Jeremiah 31:23-34, Jeremiah 31:31, Jeremiah restore, Jesus blood, Jesus covenant, Lifeway, Lifeway lesson help, Matthew 26:27-28 blood of the covenant, neighborhood covenant, new covenant, personal responsibility, presidential pardon, Redeem, restoration tv show, restore, Romans 3:23, sin, sour grapes children's teeth, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school lesson help, Sunday school teacher help, victim mentality | 21 Comments

“Come Away & Rest” (Mark 6:30-31 sermon)

Posted on 2023/07/10 by Shawn Thomas

In the 1860’s, Mark Twain took a steamboat tour of Europe and the Holy Land. In his book, The Innocents Abroad, one of my favorite books, Twain wrote about his stop in Rome: “Afterward we walked up and down one … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons | Tagged busy-ness, daily Bible reading, daily quiet time, day off, devotion time, Ephesians 2:8-9, eternal rest, Eugene Peterson, faith, grace, Innocents Abroad, Jehovah's Witness, Jesus rest, Mark 1:35, Mark Twain, Mark Twain Innocents Abroad, minister day off, ministry, ministry rest, prayer, prayer time, rest, rest in peace, Romans 10:2, Sabbath, sabbath rest, sabbatical, salvation, vacation, work, work a holic, work-a-holic | 1 Comment

Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Jeremiah 29:4-14, “Present”

Posted on 2023/07/08 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson on Jeremiah 29:4-14, for Sunday, July 16, 2023, with the title, “Present.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged America providence, Babylonian exile, Benjamin Franklin, divination, dreams, Explore the Bible, Explore the Bible Jeremiah 29:4-14, false prophets, false teachers, God's message, God's plan, God's sovereignty, God's word, Jeremiah, Jeremiah 23:28-29, Jeremiah 29:11, Jeremiah the prophet, Lifeway, prosperity preachers, prosperity teaching, providence, Providence of God, Same sex marriage, seek God, seek the welfare, seeking God, shalom, sovereignty, SS teacher help, Sunday school lesson help, Sunday school lesson Jeremiah 29:4-14, Sunday school teacher help, visions | 17 Comments

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Jeremiah 23:1-12, “Rules”

Posted on 2023/07/01 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Jeremiah 23:1-2, with the tithe, “Rules,” for Sunday, July 9, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged Babylonian Captivity, Benjamin Franklin, Branch, declares the Lord, deeds, Explore the Bible, good works, Isaiah 64:6, Israel, Jeremiah 23:1-12, Jeremiah 23:6, Jimmy Carter integrity, Jonathan Alter Jimmy Carter, judgment, leaders, Lifeway, Messiah, my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness, names of God, political leaders, pride, righteousness, Romans 3:10, Rules, shepherds, Solid Rock song, Sunday school lesson help, Sunday school teacher help Jeremiah 23, teacher help, The Lord Our Righteousness, Walter Isaacson, word of God, works, world religions, Yahweh Tzedeknu | 7 Comments