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.

2020 Family Gingerbread House Contest!

Posted on 2020/12/28 by Shawn Thomas

It’s “the most wonderful time of the year” — tie for our annual family Gingerbread House contest! Thank you for being an essential part of the contest: the judges! Look over the entries below and vote for your favorite in … Continue reading →

Posted in Home & Family Life, Uncategorized | Tagged 2020 gingerbread house contest, Christmas gingerbread houses, gingerbread house contest, gingerbread houses, Thomas family gingerbread house contest | 5 Comments

“The Room Where It Happens: The Presence of God” (Luke 1:19 sermon)

Posted on 2020/12/07 by Shawn Thomas

One of the most-visited tourist sites in London, England is the Churchill War Rooms. The rooms are in an underground bunker built just before World War II, right in the heart of the city, not far from Parliament or Buckingham … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized, worship | Tagged "The Room Where It Happens", C.S. Lewis, C.S. Lewis correspondence, C.S. Lewis on nursing homes, Christ will be there, church, church new builidng, church presence of God, church worship, Churchill War Rooms, corporate worship, daily quiet time, daily worship, Ephesians 3:12, eternity, experience His presence, foretaste of His glory, Gabriel, garden of Eden, glory, God, God made us: invented us, God sovereignty, Hamilton musical, heaven, I Corinthians 14:25, I stand in the presence of God, Isaiah 59:2, Isaiah 6:1-3, Jesus, Luke 1:19, oval office, presence, presence of God, Psalm 139, Psalm 147, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 17:15, purpose, Revelation 21:3, Revelation 4:8, salvation, satisfaction, what will we do in heaven, worship, worship services, Zacharias and Elizabeth | 3 Comments

“The Purpose For Our Blessings” (Psalm 67 sermon)

Posted on 2020/11/30 by Shawn Thomas

In 1940, Great Britain was involved in a desperate struggle for survival in the war against Nazi Germany, and they appealed to the United States for help. Many Americans, remembering World War I, did not want to get involved. But … Continue reading →

Posted in missions, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged 2005 Jane Austen Pride & Prejudice, baraka, benevolence story, better than I deserve, blessings, Charity Navigator, choir, church building, deserve, earth, Ephesians 2:8-9, Esther, evangelism, Franklin D. Roosevelt arsenal of democracy, Genesis 12:2-3, gifts, giving thanks, grace, James 1:17, Joseph in Genesis, kingdom giving, Lottie Moon offering, material blessings, missions, nations, outreach, peoples, personal testimony, Psalm 67, purpose, purpose for our blessings, salvation, salvation by grace, Shawn Thomas personal testimony, Southern Baptist missions, thankgiving, tithing, using your gifts, Walt Disney brother Roy Disney | 1 Comment

“Give Thanks to the Lord” (Psalm 136:1 sermon)

Posted on 2020/11/23 by Shawn Thomas

First Baptist Church, Angleton, TX 11/22/20 First Sunday at 972 Anchor Road When the first Pilgrims landed in the New World on November 11,1620, William Bradford, the pilgrim leader who later became their governor wrote that: “‘They fell upon their … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Doctrine/Theology, Sermons, Uncategorized, worship | Tagged Astronomer Fred Hoyle, building dedication, chesed, creation, election, enter His gates with thanksgiving, eternal security, Ezra 3:11, faith and science, First Baptist Church Angleton TX, for His lovingkindness is everlasting, for the Lord is good, Fred, George Eliot Middlemarch, give thanks, give thanks to the Lord for He is good, giving thanks, God is good, grace, gratitude, I Chronicles 16:34, I Thessalonians 5:18, II Chronicles 5:13, importance of giving thanks, ingratitude, ingratitude and sin, James 1:17, Job, Jonn 10:28, Masters golfer hole in one, mercy, Mr. Farebrother, new building, new facility, once saved always saved, pilgrims, predestination, Psalm 100:4, Psalm 136, Psalm 136:1, Richard E. Simmons III Reflections on the Existence of God, Romans 1 they did not give thanks, Romans 8:31-32, science and God, Shirley Temple "Bright Eyes", thanks to God, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, they will never perish, we will never perish | Leave a comment

“On The Move For The Glory Of God” (Joshua 1:1-9 Sermon)

Posted on 2020/11/16 by Shawn Thomas

In June of 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower had an important decision to make. All the men and material were ready for the momentous D-Day invasion of German-occupied France, but there were some reasons for hesitation. One of Eisenhower’s top aides … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Anchor Up, Baptist Faith & Message 2000, Bible, church, church building, church moving, COVID-19 pandemic, doctrine of the Bible, Dwight Eisenhower D-Day decision, fear not the lions for they are chained, First Baptist Church Angleton Texas, glory God, I am with you, I Corinthians 3:6, I Kings 13, II Kings 22:8 lost the word of God, Isaiah 42:8, John Bunyan Pilgrim's Progress, Joshua 1:1-9 sermon, Joshua 1:9, Matthew 28:20, moving, Promised Land, Ron & Pat Owens Touch Not The Glory, touch not the glory for it belongs to God, word of God, zeal | Leave a comment

“The Model Prayer: Spiritual Protection” (Matthew 6:13 sermon)

Posted on 2020/10/26 by Shawn Thomas

Many Americans cheered several years ago, when a Texas mother fought off three masked men who invaded the home where she and her little son lived. Using a pistol she had in her bedroom, she shot one intruder in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons, The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020) | Tagged angels, asking forgiveness, battle in prayer, confession, daily prayer, daily quiet time, deliver us from evil, devotions, Ephesians 6 spiritual warfare, evil, family, get up, get up and pray, hedge of protection, home, II Corinthians 2:11, J. Frank Dobie Tales of Old Time Texas, Jesus temptation, John 17, John 17:12, keeping them in Thy name, lead us not into temptation, Matthew 26 temptation, Matthew 4, Matthew 6:13, morning prayer, ounce of prevention, prayer, praying for forgiveness, praying for your children, praying for your husband, praying for your spouse, praying for your wife, praying the Model Prayer, Sam Shafer and Queenie, sin, Sun Tzu win first, temptation, The Lord's Prayer, The Model Prayer | Leave a comment

“The Model Prayer: Receiving & Giving Forgiveness” (Matthew 6:12 sermon)

Posted on 2020/10/19 by Shawn Thomas

In 2012 a book was published with the title: Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers. It became a New York Times Bestseller, and was regarded by many as a “pretty cool” book on prayer; how a lot of our … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Matthew sermons, Sermons, The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020), Uncategorized | Tagged C.S. Lewis, confessing sin, confession, daily prayer, daily quiet time, devotions, forgive the inexcusable, forgiveness, giving forgiveness, granting forgiveness, Help Thanks Wow, I John 1:9, Jerry Bridges, Jesus, Lord's Prayer, marriage, Matthew 18, Matthew 6:12 sermon, meaning of forgiveness, model prayer, morning prayer, no condemnation, Parable of the Two Debtors, prayer, prayer outline, prayer relationship, preach the gospel to yourself, Psalm 66:18, relationship with God, repentance, Romans 8:1, salvation, sin, sin debt, sinners prayer, song "The Lord's Prayer", Tim Keller | Leave a comment

“The Model Prayer: Our Requests” (Matthew 6:11 sermon)

Posted on 2020/10/12 by Shawn Thomas

During the Second World War, Corrie Ten Boom and her family helped Jews escape from Nazi persecution and hid them in her home. In her book, The Hiding Place, she shares about growing up in that home, where her father … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons, The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020), Uncategorized | Tagged Bill Elliff prayer, Calvin Coolidge Amity Shlaes, centre of his own world, Corrie Ten Boom, daily bread, daily devotions, daily quiet time, daily worship time, dependence on God, discipline, ego centrism, Exodus 32 Moses intercession, front burner prayer requests, George Eliot, give us this day our daily bread, God's Kingdom first, grace, High Priestly Prayer John 17, how do to prayer requests, I John 5:14, I Samuel 12:23, intercession, James 4:2, Jeremiah 33:3, Jesus intercessor, John 16:24, John 17 Lord's Prayer, manna in the morning, Matthew 16:3, Matthew 6:11, Matthew 6:11 sermon, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 7:7, Matthew 7:9, Middlemarch, model prayer, morning prayer, morning prayer time, Mr. Casaubon, order of the Model Prayer, organizing prayer requests, Paul Romans 9:3 intercessor, Philippians 4:6, poor in spirit, poverty in spirit, prayer, prayer relationship, prayer requests, Praying For Others, Psalm 81:10, relationship with God, Samuel intercessor, spiritual dependence, Tim and Kathy Keller daily prayer, Tim Keller, time of prayer | Leave a comment

“The Model Prayer: Thy Will Be Done” (Matthew 6:10 sermon)

Posted on 2020/10/05 by Shawn Thomas

What would you pray in the following situation: A few years back a pastor had for a friend of his who at the point of death. He was praying fervently that God would spare this friend’s life. In fact he … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Matthew sermons, Sermons, The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020), Uncategorized | Tagged 3rd petition of the Model Prayer, C.S. Lewis Great Divorce Thy will, Chuck Quarles Sermon on the Mount, daily decisions, daily Gethsemane, daily prayers, decisions, false gospel, false teachers, garden of Eden, Garden of Gethsemane, George Muller, George Muller morning prayer work, God's will, Greg Laurie, Henry Blackaby Experiencing God, how to pray, Jesus only way, John 14:6, John 7:17, John Newton Amazing Grace, John Newton God's will, Lord's Prayer, make me willing, Matthew 26, Matthew 26:42, Matthew 6:10 sermon, model prayer, morning devotions, morning prayer time, name it claim it, prayer, praying for God's will, Praying For Others, praying the Model Prayer, Praying Thy will be done, prosperity gospel, Psalm 103:19, quiet time, Rosaria Butterfield Openness Unhindered, Thy will be done, your vision, Your will be done | 1 Comment

“The Model Prayer: Kingdom Praying” (Matthew 6:10 sermon)

Posted on 2020/09/28 by Shawn Thomas

William Carey was a shoemaker who lived in England in the 1700’s, but his heart went out to the people groups all around the world who had never heard the gospel. Carey kept a map of the world on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons, The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020) | Tagged Acts 13:1-3, Apostle Paul prayer, daily prayer time, daily quiet time, devotions, fasting, force, hold the ropes, how to pray, i Kings 17, II Corinthians 10:3-5, India prayer, intercessory prayer, John 18:36, Joshua project, kingdom, kingdom of God, Kingdom praying, Luke 10, missionary, missions, missions intercessor, model prayer, morning devotions, morning prayer time, Oklahoma Baptist Messenger, Oswald Chambers, outline for prayer, pastor, pray for your pastor, prayer, prayer greater work, prayer is the greater work, praying for missions, praying for the Kingdom, praying for the lost, priority of prayer, Romans 10:1, Romans 15:30, The Lord's Prayer, Thy Kingdom come, time with God, William Carey, worship, Your kingdom come | Leave a comment