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 21:23-32, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Authority," for 4/26/26.
- 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)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Deuteronomy 6:1-9, 20-25, "Love" for Sunday 11/02/25
- "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Word That Sustains In Difficult Days" (Habakkuk 2:1-3 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
“The Christ of Christmas: His Humanity” (John 1:14 sermon)
Several years ago, the President of Ursuline College made headlines when she decided to move into the women’s dorm at the college. So many college professors and administrators are accused of living in their academic “ivory towers,” far removed from … Continue reading
Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Docetism, Docetists, doctrine, doctrine of the Incarnation, Doctrine of the Trinity, Emmanuel God with us, empathy, flesh, flesh and blood, follow in His steps, Hebrews 10:4, Hebrews 2:14, Hebrews 2:17, Hebrews 2:18, Hebrews 4:15, I John 4:2-3, Imitating the Incarnation, Incarnation, incarnational ministry, incarnational missions, Isaiah 59:16, ivory tower, Jesus 100% man 100% God, Jesus Christ, Jesus death, Jesus humanity, Jesus man, Jesus manhood, Jesus poverty, Jesus propitiation, Jesus real man, John 19:28, John 19:34-35, John 1:14, John 4:6, Luke 24:39, Luke 2:21, Luke 2:24, Luke 2:52, Luke 2:7, Matthew 27:28-30, missionaries, missions, Missions Conference, Paul Harvey The Man and the Birds, prison ministry, salvation, sufferings of Christ, sympathy, Ursuline college president dorm, woman drowning Boston Harbor
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“The Christ of Christmas: His Deity” (John 1:1-3 sermon)
A couple of years ago the Nativity Scene in St. Albans, West Virginia got national attention. The scene was notable, because it included a stable, some sheep, camels & a donkey, and even some “visitors” – wise men – and … Continue reading
Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Acts 14:13-15, Bishop Dmitri Royster, change your life, Christ, Christ Christmas, Christmas, Colossians 2:9, Diety of Christ, forgiveness, fullness of God, God with us, Gospels, Hebrews 1, Herschel Hobbs, I AM, Immanuel, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus Christ God, Jesus claim to be God, Jesus Creator, John 10:30, John 1:1, John 1:1-3, John 20:28, John 8:56-59, keep Christ in Christmas, Matthew 1:23 God with us, Mormons, Philippians 2:9, pleroma, resurrection of Jesus, Revelation 19:10, salvation, St. Albans West Virginia nativity scene, The Christ of Christmas, the name which is above every name, virgin birth
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“The Call of Christmas” (Luke 2:8-11 devotion)
“Now there were in that same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Christmas, Christmas devotion, Christmas sermon, evangelism, faith, for You!, humility, Isaiah 53, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Luke 2:8-11, Messiah, Personal, put your name in a verse, repentance, Ruth Bell Graham, sacrifice, salvation, Savior, shepherds, Talmud
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“What Are You Living For?” (I Peter 4:1-6 sermon)
Sir Winston Churchill had an amazing career as an English politician, Prime Minister and world leader – he is consistently listed by historians as one of the top 2 or 3 most important people of the 20th century. But reading … Continue reading
Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged ark of salvation, Bible, Biblical values, Christian suffering, decisions, devotions, drink, dysautonomia, eat drink and be merry, feel like doing, feelings, food, gospel, heaven, holiness, homosexuality, I Corinthians 6:9-11, I John 2:16, I Peter 4:1-6 sermon, I Peter suffering, idolatry, Israel Babylonian Captivity, Jesus Christ, Jesus does not leave you as you are, John 5:14, John 8 woman, John 9 bling man, judgment, just as we are, lust, lusts of men, lusts of the world, morality, morning quiet time, motivation, POTS, Psalm 119:67, purification of suffering, purificaton, purpose, repent, repentance, salvation, Same sex marriage, sanctification, scripture, sin, sin and suffering, suffer, suffering, suffering purifies, time, will of God, Winston Churchill, wrong side of eternity, wrong side of history
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“The Ark Of Our Salvation” (I Peter 3:18-22 sermon)
In 1913 there was a great flood in Brazoria County. The three rivers: the Brazos, the Colorado, and the San Bernard, all virtually became one, and the entire countryside was flooded. The streets of Angleton were covered in 3 to … Continue reading
Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged 1913 flood Brazoria County, Angleton levee, ark, ark of salvation, Augustine, baptism, baptism saves you, baptism symbol, Billy Graham apologize to Sodom, blood, Brenton Tarrant good boy, children in the ark, children's salvation, commitment, dad responsibility, decision, depravity, depravity of man, disobedience, evangelism, evil, family, father, flood, Genesis 19:14, Genesis 4:10, Genesis 6:5, God's judgment, good at heart, grace, guilt, Hurricane Harvey, hurricane preparedness, I Peter 3 sermon, I Peter 3:18-22, I Peter 3:21, II Peter 3:9, Jesus, Jesus Christ, judgment, lot, Martin Luther, mom responsibility, mother, now is the acceptable time, patience of God, persecution, Psalm 103:9, responsibility, resurrection of Jesus Christ, Roe v. Wade, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, salvation, salvation by grace, sin, sin nature, thoughts, today is the day of salvation, Where did Christ go in the spirit, witness
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“Christ’s Suffering/Our Salvation” (I Peter 3:18 sermon)
David McCullough is one of my favorite history writers (I loved his book on the Wright Brothers). One of HIS favorite authors was a man by the name of Conrad Richter, who won the Pulitzer Prize back in the 1950’s … Continue reading
Posted in Doctrine/Theology, I Peter sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged bring us to God, C.S. Lewis happiness, C.S. Lewis milk and water, C.S. Lewis pleasure, Christ suffered for sins, Christ suffered once, Conrad Richter, David McCullough, death of Christ, draw near to God, evangelism, forgiveness, God, God Father, grace, hapax, hapax legomena, heaven, Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 10:11-12, Hebrews 10:14, Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 9:25-26, hina, Hymn Free From the Law O Happy Condition, hymn It Is Well, hymn Jesus paid it all, Hymn Once For All, I Peter 3:18, I Peter sermon, It is finished, ministry, Moravians sold to slavery, My sin o the bliss of this glorious thought, once, Once for all O sinner receive it, one offering, one sacrifice, purpose, purpose clause, purpose of salvation, relationship with God, repentance, sacrifice, salvation, Sanan Gunan Thai SEAL, sin, suffer, suffering, Thai Navy SEAL died in rescue, Thai soccer team rescue, the benefit of ill, witness, works salvation
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“An Effective Witness” (I Peter 3:15 sermon)
A couple of weeks ago, a group from our church went to Houston see the play “The Hiding Place,” about how Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsy were taken by the Nazis into a concentration camp during World War … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, I Peter sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged "The Weight of Glory", 30-second elevator speech, always being ready, assurance, attitude, attitude and witnessing, Betsy Ten Boom, C.S. Lewis, Corrie Ten Boom, CPR, Effective Witness, Ephesians 2 without hope, evangelism, every person you meet, Gail White testimony, gentleness, God's provision, God's purpose, gospel, gospel outline, gospel presentation, hope, I Peter 3:15, I Peter 3:15 sermon, lifestyle, lifestyle evangelism, lifestyle witness, Man's Need, Man's Response, not out to win arguments out to win people, prepared to witness, ready, reverence, Roman Road of salvation, salvation, testimony, The Hiding Place, the hope within you, witness, witness stand for Jesus, witnessing
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“Whom Shall I Fear?” (I Peter 3:13-15 sermon)
In Marie Beth Jones’ Tales of the Brazos, she tells of Dr. William F. Bruner, who was one of the first doctors who lived in what would later become Angleton. One day Dr. Bruner was called to treat a young … Continue reading
Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Angleton, Angleton Texas, Apostle John, Christ, Christ Lord, Dr. William F. Bruner, evangelism, fear, fear controls you, fear of death, fear of men, fear of the Lord, Herod fear, homosexuality, I Peter 3:13-15 sermon, I Peter 3:14, II Corinthians 5:11, intimidation, Isaiah 8, Jesus, Jesus is Lord, LGBT agenda, Lordship, Lordship of Christ, Marie Beth Jones, Matthew 10:28, Matthew 14, meaning of lordship, Milton Paradise Lost, mission, missions, peer pressure, persecution, Psalm 27:1, Revelation 1, Romans 3:18, Tales of the Brazos, television, tv news and fear, what people think, whom shall I fear?, witness
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