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 20:1-16, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Grace," for 4/19, 2026
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 19:16-30, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Eternal Life" for 4/12/26
- Joshua 3:5 Sermon: "Preparing For God To Work"
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "I AM the Living One" (Revelation 1:17-18 sermon)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "The Word That Sustains In Difficult Days" (Habakkuk 2:1-3 sermon)
- "How To Seek The Lord" (Isaiah 55:6-7 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
Lifeway Explore the Bible: John 12:1-11, “Why Wasn’t This Sold?”
(A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 12:1-11, for Sunday, March 5, 2023 with the title: “Why Wasn’t This Sold?” A video version of this overview is available … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged 5 Love Languages, Asbury Revival, Asbury Revival criticism, criticism, discipleship, doing vs talking, Explore the Bible lesson John 12, Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman Five Love Languages, gift, gift of service, God, heart, how to show love, John 12:1-11 Sunday school lesson, judge servant of another, judging, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson help, love, love God, loving God, loving others, Mary gift, motivation, motives, persecution, quality time, service, Sunday school lesson overview John 12, teacher help John 12, Teacher help John 12:1-11, Theodore Roosevelt Sr quote, time, touch, Why Wasn't This Sold, words of affirmation
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Revelation 1:3-5, “Comfort & Challenge”
Some of you can really relate to this thought: if you have a child who is in some ways both the greatest comfort and love in your life — but also in other very real ways, a great challenge to … Continue reading
Posted in Revelation sermon series, Sermons
Tagged God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, Harry Lee Poe C.S. Lewis, human nature, Irenaeus trinity, Jesus Revelation, Magellan Laurence Bergreen, Magellan Trinity, Malcolm Yarnell trinity, man nature, Matthew 7 house on rock, Revelation 1 sermon, Revelation 7 churches, Revelation blessed who reads, Revelation read hear keep, Revelation sermon, seven churches in Asia, seven spirits, sin nature, Trinity, Trinity in Revelation, Triune God
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: John 11:32-46, “I AM The Resurrection”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 11:32-46, for Sunday, February 26, 2023, wit the title, “I Am The Resurrection.” (A video version of this overview is available … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Do you believe this, Explore the Bible teacher help, faith, funeral story, he whom You love, Jesus Deity, Jesus humanity, Jesus I am the resurrection, Jesus love, Jesus power, Jesus wept, John 11 Sunday school lesson help, John 11 teaching outline, Lazarus Mary Martha, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson John 11, Lifeway John 11 teacher help, questioning God, questions for God, resurrection, salvation, the one Jesus loved, theodicy, trials, trust in God
7 Comments
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1-2 sermon)
In 1957, Jack Warner’s movie “The Spirit of St. Louis,” about Charles Lindbergh’s first-ever flight across the Atlantic Ocean, came out at the theaters. Interestingly, the real Charles Lindbergh took his wife Anne and their three youngest children to see … Continue reading
Posted in Revelation sermon series, Sermons
Tagged antichrist, blood moons prophecies, bondservant, bondservant of Jesus Christ, Charles DIckens, Charles Lindbergh, day Lord one thousand years, Dionysius Revelation quote, doulos slave, gospel, Hitler antichrist, II Peter 3:3-4, introduction to Revelation sermon, Jesus Christ, Jesus Master, March 2020 COVID, Mike you are my home, Napoleon antichrist, Nicholas Nicholby, Revelation book study Shawn Thomas, Revelation future, Revelation of Jesus Christ, Revelation prophecy, Revelation sermon, Revelation timing, salvation, slaves of Jesus Christ, The Spirit of St Louis Jack Warner
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson: John 10:7-14, 25-30 “I Know My Own”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 10:7-14, 25-30 for Sunday, February 19, 2023 with the title: “I Know My Own.” (A video version of this overview is … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged abundant life, discipleship, eternal life, eternal security, eternal security John 10, Explore the Bible John 10 teacher help, Explore the Bible lesson overview John 10:7-14, I am the door, I am the gate, I am the Good Shepherd, Jesus Good Shepherd, John 10 Sunday School lesson helps, John 10:10 eternal life abundant life, John 10:27-29, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson John 10 teacher help, once saved always saved, perseverance of the saints, salvation, teacher help John 10
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Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway “Explore the Bible” John 9:24-38, “You Have Seen Him”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 9:24-38, for Sunday, February 12, 2023, with the title: “You Have Seen Him.” (A video version of this overview is available … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged 30 second elevator speech, baptism, Bulgaria mission work, Christian persecution, evangelism, how to give a testimony, John 9 Bible study help, John 9 the man born blind, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson help, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson overview John 9:24-38, Son of Man, teacher's help LIfeway Explore the Bible John 9, testimony, testimony workshop, witnessing
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“Discovering First Baptist Angleton”: Session #4 The Nuts & Bolts”
My car’s Owner’s Manual is not my favorite book ever to read — in fact I can’t say I have ever read it all the way through. But I am also really glad that I have it when I need … Continue reading
Posted in Discovering FBCA Membership class lessons
Tagged Acts 1:8 Offering, baptism, Baptist General Convention of Texas, building program church, car owner's manual, church budget and finances, Church Constitution and by-laws, Church Council, church discipline, church financial statement, church membership, church membership class, Church membership commitment, church officers, church polity, Discovering First Baptist Church, God's Vision In Action, Gulf Coast Baptist Association, nuts and bolts of church, Romania mission, salvation, southern baptist cooperative program
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Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 8:3-18, “I Am The Light”
A brief overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 8:3-18, for Sunday February 5, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: There’s a … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged accuser of the brethren, adultery forgiveness, Bruce Catton Civil War, D.A. Carson John, Dan Sickles forgiveness, devil, Explore the Bible, Explore the Bible teacher help John 8, Feast of Tabernacles, follow Jesus, forgive 70 x 7, forgiveness, gospel, I am the light of the world, Jesus, Jesus light, John 8 BIble study, John 8 Sunday school lesson, Lifeway, Lifeway Explore the Bible John 8, salvation, Satan, Sir Isaac Newton, Sunday school lesson help John 8, teacher helps John 8, think before you speak, writing in the dirt
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“Discovering FBCA” Session #3 “Discovering Ministry”
A generation ago, a group of people in the town Cheryl & I grew up in decided to start a new church. Their first service was held in the home of one of the members. The adult worship service met … Continue reading
Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway “Explore the Bible” John 7:14-29
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 7:14-29 for Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, “He Sent Me.” (A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged A.W. Tozer theological training, Bill Elliff Simply Prayer, Feast of Booths, Feast of Tabernacles, God's way, God's will, gospel, II Kings 5 Naaman, Isaiah 55:8-9, Jesus, John 7 Bible study, John 7 lesson teacher helps, John 7 Sunday School lesson, judgment, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson John 7, Lifeway Explore the Bible teacher help John 7, Martin Luther Diet of Worms, Martin Luther here I stand, Messiah, prejudice, salvation, Savior, show me scripture, tithe, tithing
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