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)
- Joshua 3:5 Sermon: "Preparing For God To Work"
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 19:16-30, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Eternal Life" for 4/12/26
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "How To Seek The Lord" (Isaiah 55:6-7 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 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
“Commissioned By His Glory” (Isaiah 6 sermon)
I’ve made it a personal tradition each Independence Day the past several years to read David McCullough’s classic, 1776, which chronicles that famous year in America’s history. One of the opening paragraphs describes George III, the King of England, proceeding … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged call to mission, Commission, conviction, conviction of sin, daily Bible reading, David McCullough 1776, evangelism church, forgiveness, General James Hamilton death Marie Beth Jones, glory, glory of God, holy holy holy, Isaiah 6 sermon, King Uzziah Isaiah, Luke Peter sinful man, Mark Twain Hawaii sunset, ministry perseverance, mission, outreach church, personal worship, Pregnancy Help Center, Revelation 4:8, sacrifice of Jesus, seraphim, service, shudder before the beautiful, sin, worship
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Lifeway Explore the Bible Teachers’ Overview: I Kings 18:25-39, for Sun., July 10, 2022, “Proven”
(A brief overview for teachers and Bible Study leaders of the Lifeway Sunday school lesson for July 10, 2022) INTRODUCTION: One way you could begin this lesson would be to ask your group: ??? “Have you/anyone in your class … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible Sunday School lessons
Tagged I Kings 18:25-39, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson overview, Lifeway lesson overview, Shawn Thomas lesson overview I Kings 18:25-39, Sunday school lesson I Kings 18:25-39, Sunday school lesson video help I Kings 18:25-39, Sunday school teacher help, teachers' overview of I Kings 18:25-39
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Explore the Bible lesson overview: I Kings 15:9-22, “Return” for Sun., July 3, 2022
(This is a brief overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leader of the Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for this text. A video version of this overview is available at: ONE way you could open this lesson would … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews, Explore the Bible Sunday School lessons
Tagged Explore the Bible I Kings 15:9-22, Explore the Bible July 3 2022, family, I Kings 15:9-22, King Asa of Judah, Lifeway Explore the Bible I Kings 15:9-22, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, pragmatism, return to God, revival, Roe v Wade overturn, Sunday school lesson help, Sunday school lesson overview I Kings 15:9-22
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Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson overview: I Kings 12:6-19, “Divided,” for Sunday, June 26, 2022
(This is an overview intended for Sunday School teachers and Bible Study leaders, of the Lifeway lesson for June 26, 2022. A video version is also available on YouTube at: ONE way you could introduce this passage would be to … Continue reading
“A Not-So-Happy Ending” (Jonah 4 sermon)
In Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities he tells of the Marquis St. Evremonde, an extremely rich man who entertained himself by racing his carriage through the narrow streets of Paris and watching the peasants dive out of the … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, missions, Sermons
Tagged Carroll Keach LBJ driver, Charles Dickens Tale of Two Cities, Christian service, Christians comfort, church battleship or cruise ship, discipleship, I Corinthians 12:7, Jonah, Jonah 4, Matthew 26:58, missions, passion, Robert Caro Lyndon Johnson, Romans 10:1, service, spectator religion, spiritual gifts
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Lifeway Explore the Bible overview of I Kings 11:1-13, “Compromised” for Sunday, June 19, 2022
(A brief overview of the lesson, for Sunday School teachers and Bible Study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lessons. A video version is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3eASaR88Co&t=28s ) SAMPLE INTRODUCTION: Can you think of someone, in sports or political or … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible Sunday School lessons
Tagged compromise, Compromised, Explore the Bible for 6/19/22, Explore the Bible lesson, finish, Finishing strong, I Kings 11:1-13, I Kings 11:1-13 Explore the Bible, King Solomon, Lifeway Explore the Bible, sin, Sunday school lesson overview, Sunday school outline, Sunday school teacher help
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Explore the Bible Sunday school lesson overview: I Kings 8:46-60, “Repentance,” for June 12, 2022.
(This study is an overview, especially for teachers and Bible study leaders, of the Lifeway “Explore the Bible” Sunday school lesson, “Repentance”, for June 12, 2022. Please feel free to use any of the questions, examples, and illustrations in your … Continue reading
“Jesus Coaches His Misguided Disciples” (Luke 9:46-56 sermon)
A couple of years ago, a hurricane hit southwest Louisiana where we had formerly pastored, and some of you may remember, we had a family come and stay with us in the aftermath. They have a little preschool boy (4-5 … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Sermons
Tagged attitudes of disciples, C.S. Lewis humility, Christian unity, denominations, discipleship, don't win arguments win people, ego, evangelism, humility, Jasper Myers summersault baseball video, Jesus coaches disciples, Jesus teaches disciples, John 17 all be one, John 3:17, John Newton, Luke 9:46-56 sermon, ministry, pastor ego, pride, self-centeredness, selflessness, song He's still working on me, Teddy Roosevelt bride at every wedding, The Cause of Christ Kari Jobe, witnessing
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“The Most Important Thing” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 sermon)
In 1962 Birch Bayh was elected to the Senate from Indiana, and he and his wife Marvella came to Washington D.C. Marvella had always wanted to see Europe, and she was delighted when she and her husband received an invitation … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Bible, Bible Reading, Birch Bayh, daily devotions, Deuteronomy 6:4 sermon, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, God commandments, gospel, Hear O Israel, how to love God, I Corinthians 8:4-6, Jesus only way, John 14:15, John 14:6, John 15:10, Jonathan Edwards fountain of love, keep God's commandments, LBJ father Sam Johnson, LORD Yahweh, love God, love the LORD your God, Luke 10 Mary and Martha, Lyndon Johnson Robert Caro, Marvella Bayh, Matthew 23:5, monotheism, obedience to God, phylacteries, President of the United States, Psalms, quiet time, Richard Feynman love, The Most Important Thing, The Shema, Yahweh
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