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.

“Working Out Your Salvation” (Philippians 2:12-13 sermon)

Posted on 2021/04/12 by Shawn Thomas

SO, how do you follow up on Easter Sunday?! We had such a great day last Sunday, didn’t we? Celebrating our Risen Savior; seeing several people follow Him in baptism — It was a great Easter Sunday. But how do you … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Philippians sermons, Sermons | Tagged Bible Reading, challenge, church attendance, comfort, daily devotions, daily quiet time, dicipleship, Ephesians 2:8-9, Ephesians 6:5-6, eye service, fruit of salvation, George Washington slavery, God is at work, God is at work in you, God worthy, Hebrews 13, hypocrisy, Luke 6:46, Matthew 6:1, our God is a consuming fire, Philippians 2:12-13, responsibility, sacrifice, salvation, Secret Service president, service, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, take a bullet, take a bullet for God, Tom Brady super bowl trophy, Working Out Your Salvation, worship, worship attendance | 2 Comments

“But Now Christ IS Risen!” (I Corinthians sermon, Easter 2021)

Posted on 2021/04/05 by Shawn Thomas

Frank Morison was a gifted English lawyer who set out to write a book he planned on calling Disproving the Resurrection of Jesus. He was convinced that he would be able to do what his title proclaimed. However, when he … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons | Tagged But now Christ IS risen, C.S. Lewis Christianity moderately important, Cary Grant, Christian service, daily quiet time, devotion time, Did Jesus rise from the dead?, Easter, Easter sermon, Easter sermon 2021, eternal life, evangelism, For now Christ IS risen, Frank Morison Who Moved The Stone, gospel, I Corinthians 15 resurrection, liberal theology, Luke 24 road to Emmaus, Lyndon Johnson biography Robert Caro, missions, Nabeel Qureshi, resurrection of Jesus, Revelation 3:20, Rudolph Bultmann, sacrifice, salvation, Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, share gospel, The only thing we've got is the resurrection, Tom Brady super bowl trophy, Tom Brady toss Lombardi trophy | Leave a comment

“Rescued By His Sacrifice” (Galatians 1:3-5 sermon)

Posted on 2021/03/29 by Shawn Thomas

In one of the first major battles of the Revolutionary War, the British routed the young American army on Long Island, New York. They hoped to destroy the rest of the retreating Americans, but American Commander William Stirling made the … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "deliver us out of this present evil age", "I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross", 1776 David McCullough, Aslan, Aslan it may be harder than you think, atonement, Buddha, Buddha no one saves us but ourselves, C.S. Lewis Lion Witch Wardrobe, cat story, communion service message, cross of Christ, David McCullough George Washington, enemy of God, enmity with God, Ephesians 2:1-2, forgiveness, Galatians 1:3-5, grace, I Timothy 2:6, Jesus sacrifice, Lord's Supper message, Lord's Supper, Lord's Supper sermon, Matthew 20:28, peace, prince of the power of the air, propitiation, salvation, sin, slavery to Satan, the cross, the cross of Christ, William Stirling | Leave a comment

“A Body In Motion” (Ephesians 4:11-16 sermon)

Posted on 2021/03/22 by Shawn Thomas

Sir Isaac Newton, the English scientist, is famous, among other things, for the “laws of motion” he formulated in the 1600’s: among them being that a body at rest tends to remain at rest, and a body in motion tends … Continue reading →

Posted in Ministry, Sermons | Tagged balance of truth and love, Bill Russell Player coach, body in motion, body of Christ, Christlikeness, church, church activities, church discipline, church equipping ministry, church growth, Church ministry, deceivers in the church, each part, Ephesians 4:11-16, equip the saints, equipping, every joint, false prophets, First Baptist Church Angleton, Isaac Newton, it takes us all, maturity, ministry project, pastor, pastor as coach, pastor as equipper, pastor as example, pastor as player-coach, people of God, Rosaria Butterfield, speaking the truth in love, spiritual maturity, unity of the faith, whole body, working together, Your relationship with others must be as strong as your words | 1 Comment

“Glorifying God as Salt & Light” (Matthew 5:13-16 sermon)

Posted on 2021/03/15 by Shawn Thomas

“(Victor) Frankl was a prominent Jewish psychiatrist and neurologist who lived in Vienna, Austria. In 1942, he and his wife and parents were arrested and transported to a Nazi concentration camp. At the end of the war three years later, … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Matthew sermons, Sermons | Tagged Christians and politics, Christians and tippiing, Christians being salt and light, church, come out of the closet, discipleship, evangelism, First Baptist Angleton Texas, glorify God, glorify God and enjoy Him, I Corinthians 10:31, I Corinthians 6:20, I Peter 2:12, I Peter 4:16, II Corinthians 9:13, light, Lillian Parks Leighton, Matthew 5:13-16, meaning, never disgrace that uniform, outreach, prayer walk, purpose, purpose for life, salt, salt and light, salt lose its savor, Victor Frankl Man's Search For Meaning, Westminster Shorter Catechism, witness, worship, you are the light of the world, you are the salt of the earth | 2 Comments

“Am I A Soldier Of The Cross?” (Matthew 5:10-12 sermon)

Posted on 2021/03/08 by Shawn Thomas

Many of you recognize the name of Henry Blackaby, the author of the Experiencing God study. He wrote that one time he prayed: “Lord, make me like You.” That sounds like a good prayer to pray, right? But he said … Continue reading →

Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA | Tagged Ake Green Sweden, Am I A Soldier, Am I A Soldier of the Cross, America moral climate, American persecution, Beatitudes, Boxer Rebellion, character of Christ, Christian persecution, Christianity in India, Christlikeness, current persecution, Defense of Marriage Act, Equality Act, falsely on account of me, for the sake of righteousness, hate crimes, Henry Blackaby, homosexuality, I Peter 2:20, I Peter 4:12, II Timothy 3:12, India, India ministry, India missions, insensitivity, Isaac Watts, John 15:20, John 16:33, Joshua 24:15, Luke 6:26, Luke 9:23, Matthew 5:10, Matthew 5:10-12, Nik Ripkin, Oberkfell decision, persecution, Persecution of Christians in America, Romans 8:28-29, RSS, Sanjay Charan, The Insanity of God, what persecution is not | Leave a comment

“Peacemaking: The Pinnacle of Christlikeness” (Matthew 5:9 sermon)

Posted on 2021/03/01 by Shawn Thomas

John Adams is probably best known as the 2nd President of the United States, but he himself wanted to be remembered for ONE thing more than any other. He wrote to a friend of his, ‘I desire no other inscription … Continue reading →

Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Discipleship, Sermons | Tagged Beatitudes, blessed are the peacemakers, broke down the barrier, character of Christ, children of God, Christian, cost of peacemaking, David McCullough, DeShazer Fuchida, discipleship, eirene poeo, enmity with God, Ephesians 2:14-16, evangelism, following Jesus, forgiveness in the church, imitating Jesus, Jacob DeShazer testimony, Jews and Gentiles, John Adams, Matthew 5:9, mission trips, Mitsuo Fuchida, no prejudice in the church, one in Christ, outreach, peace with God, peace with man, peacemaker, peacemaking, prayer, prayer walk, racial divide, racism, reconciliation, salvation, sons of God | Leave a comment

“It’s What’s Inside That Counts” (Matthew 5:8 sermon)

Posted on 2021/02/22 by Shawn Thomas

When I got sick in 2012, they ran me through a bunch of tests trying to diagnose my illness. One day I found myself on an exam table, hooked up to an ultrasound machine, and the technician smeared some gel … Continue reading →

Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Discipleship, Matthew sermons, Sermons | Tagged 6th Beatitude, appearance, beatific vision, Blaise Pascal, blessed are the pure in heart, blood of Jesus, clean, clean hands, clean heart, good deeds outweigh bad, good works, heart attitude, heart qualities, heaven, I John 1:7, I John 3:2, I Samuel 16:7 Eliab, Isaiah 1:18, Islam, it's what's inside that counts, katharos, look good, Mark 7:1-7, Matthew 5:8, Muslim, outward appearance, pork unclean, Proverbs 20:9, Psalm 17:15, Psalm 24:3-4, Psalm 27:4, Psalm 51:10, Psalm 63, pure heart, pure in heart, Revelation 22:4, salvation, Seeing God, superficiality, surface, the great reward, Tim Keller beatific vision, ultrasound heart, unclean, we will see Him | Leave a comment

“The Character of Christ: Merciful (Matthew 5:7 sermon)

Posted on 2021/02/20 by Shawn Thomas

Several years ago, a man and his wife were traveling on the Interstate in Florida, when their car broke down, with the next exit 40 miles away. There had been a rash of highway robberies there recently, so no one … Continue reading →

Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Matthew sermons, Sermons | Tagged Beatitudes, Biblical definition of mercy, blessed are the merciful, But God, character, character of Christ, compassion, Dane Ortlund, do something, Ephesians 2 mercy, feel compassion, Florida highway robbery, forgiveness, God rich in mercy, Good Samaritan, Jesus example, John Hay Abraham Lincoln mercy, Luke 7:13-15, Mark 10:21, Mark 6:34, Matthew 14:14, Matthew 18, Matthew 5:7, Matthew 9:36, mercy, notice, Prodigal Son, Samaritan and mercy, see feel compassion do, see the need, Sherlock Holmes, you give them something to eat | Leave a comment

“Hunger For Righteousness” (Matthew 5:6 sermon)

Posted on 2021/02/08 by Shawn Thomas

Bertrand Russell was one of the most famous atheists the world has ever known; he lived almost 100 years in Britain, from 1872 to 1970. But as much as he promoted atheism in his books and writings, Russell longed in … Continue reading →

Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Discipleship, Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Beatitudes, Bertrand Russell, C.S. Lewis, character of Christ, Charles Spurgeon testiimony, Christian life, daily devotions, daily quiet time, daily worship time, dikaiosune, eternity, God designed the human machine to run on Himself, God Himself will be among them, hunger for righteousness, hunger for salvation, Isaiah 45:22, John Newton, Matthew 5:6, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 17:15, Psalm 63, Revelation 19, Revelation 21, right with God, righteousness, salvation, satisfied, satisfied with His likeness, time with God | Leave a comment