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
- Teacher's Overview of Joshua 1:1-11, 16-18, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson: "Strong & Courageous" for 6/07/26
- Teacher's Overview of Numbers 14:11-24, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Rebellion & Judgment" for 9/28/25
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Joshua 2:4-21, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Amazing Grace," for June 14, 2026.
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 27:27-31, 45-54, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Our Savior," for 5/31/26
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Disciple's Character: Purity of Heart" (Matthew 5:8 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 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
“Jesus’ Example of Baptism” (Matthew 3:13-17 sermon)
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”
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
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: Jeremiah 31:23-34, “Redeems”
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)
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 of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Jeremiah 23:1-12, “Rules”
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
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: Jeremiah 18:1-12, “Shapes”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Jeremiah 18:1-12, with the title, “Shapes,” for Sunday, July 2, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Bible study, Calvinism, clay, Explore the Bible, Explore the Bible lesson help, faith, gender, gender confusion, gender identity, gospel, Have Thine Own Way, Jeremiah, Jeremiah 18, Jeremiah 18:1-12, kiln, Lifeway, obedience, potter, predestination, repent, repentance, Romans 8:28-29, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school lesson help Jeremiah 18, teacher lesson help
12 Comments
“The Church That Made God Sick” (Revelation 3:14-22 sermon)
Someone once did a survey of his church group, and he asked them: On a scale of 1-10, “1” meaning that you are very cold-hearted towards God, and “10” meaning that you are really “on fire” for Him — what … Continue reading
Posted in Revelation sermon series
Tagged admit need, Bach JJ, Church at Laodicea, deeds, hot or cold, I Need Thee Every Hour, I stand at the door and knock, Jesus invitation, Jimmy Carter Revelation 3:20, Johann Sebastian Bach Jesu Juva, LBJ, lukewarm, lukewarm deeds, lukewarmness, Lyndon Johnson, Lyndon Johnson need help, Matthew 5:3, ministry, need, poor in spirit, revelation, Revelation 3, Revelation 3:14-22, Revelation 3:20, Revelation sermon, Revelation sermon series, Robert Caro Lyndon Johnson, salvation, service, The Church That Made God Sick, William Holman Hunt Jesus painting, works, wretched meaning
1 Comment
shawnethomas 