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.
-
Top Posts & Pages
- Teacher's Overview of Joshua 3:14-4:9, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson "Remembering God's Works" for June 21, 2026.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Joshua 2:4-21, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Amazing Grace," for June 14, 2026.
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 sermon)
- "Inviting Jesus Into Your Home" (Luke 10:38-42 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "Your Worries & Your Father" (Matthew 6:25-34 sermon)
- "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Numbers 14:11-24, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Rebellion & Judgment" for 9/28/25
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
“I Also Send You”
“So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’” (John 20:21) This must be one of the most important statements found in the book of John, regarding the duty … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged discipleship, evangelism, follow, John 20:21, mission, purpose
Leave a comment
An Amazing Example of Selflessness
“When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ From that hour the disciple took her into … Continue reading
“Your Worries & Your Father” (Matthew 6:25-34 sermon)
The other day I was reading something written by a pastor from generations gone by, and he said of this certain thing: “This is something which is highly dishonoring to God, a sin which we need to make conscience of, … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged anxiety, C.S. Lewis, faith, family, father, Father in Heaven, God, Hudson Taylor, II Corinthians 10:3-5, love, Matthew 6:25-34 sermon, Philippians 4:6, provision, trust, worry
Leave a comment
The Lord’s Presence in Our Storms
In Matthew 1 the angel told Joseph that one of Jesus’ “nicknames” would be “Immanuel”, which means, “God With Us.” That is no small thing. In fact, it means everything that God is with us. He created us originally to … Continue reading
Standing By The Cross
“Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene.” (John 19:25) Don’t miss this little phrase in the narrative which describes … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged commitment, conversation, courage, cross, cross of Jesus, dedication, discipleship, evangelism, faith, John 19:25, lifestyle, loyalty, persecution, preaching, salvation, standing by the cross, suffering, The Old Rugged Cross, trust, witnessing
Leave a comment
The Man In The Middle
“There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between.” (John 19:18) The physical arrangement of Jesus and the two thieves on the three crosses could not possibly have been a random … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged choice, cross, decision, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John 19:18, men on the cross, salvation, thief on the cross
Leave a comment
The Height of Hypocrisy
“Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.” (John 18:28) Jesus had previously condemned … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged chuch attendance, deacon, deacon qualifications, employees, Great Commission, hypocrisy, I Timothy 3, inconsistency, John 18:28, legalism, Matthew 23:24, mercy, pastor, pastor qualifications, Pharisees, Roberts Rules of Order, strain out a gnat and swallow a camel, tithing
Leave a comment
“Your Best Investment” (Matthew 6:19-24 sermon)
In his epic novel “Les Miserables”, Victor Hugo writes about a rich, retired merchant who attended the church in the town — M. Geborand — who had accumulated an estate of 2,000,000 francs in the manufacture of cloth. M. Geborand … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Matthew sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged budget, Burke United Christian Ministries, Dr. David Burleson, eternity, faith, finances, Genesis 28, giving, He is no fool, heaven, Houston flood, I Peter 1, I Timothy 5, III John, imperishable, investments, Jesus, Jim Eliott, kingdom of God, local church, loss, Luke 12:16, mammon, material possessions, Matthew 19, Matthew 6:19-24, money, pastor support, perishable, rich young ruler, tithe, treasure, Walt Disney World
Leave a comment
shawnethomas 