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 Preview of Matthew 15:1-11+, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson for March 8, 2026, "Real Devotion"
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Woman At The Well" (John 4:1-42 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 14:22-33, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Courage," for March 1, 2026.
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- "The Church That Left Their First Love" (Revelation 2:1-7 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
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Exodus 25:1-9, 31:1-6, “Instructions” for 1/26/25
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Exodus 25:1-9 and 31:1-6, with the title “Instructions,” for Sunday, January 26, 2025. A video version of this overview that you can watch … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Instructions", Bezalel, building fund, contribution, EW Starliing, Exodus, Exodus 25:1-9 31:1-6, Explore the Bible, gifts, giving, heart, heave offering, I Corinthians 12:7, Lifeway, Michael Thomas, sanctuary, service, serving, spiritual gifts, Starling of the White House, steward, stewardship, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson help, Sunday school outline, tabernacle, talents, tithe, Woodrow Wilson
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“How To Seek The Lord” (Isaiah 55:6-7 sermon)
In 1622, the ship, “Our Lady of Atocha,” sailed from the Spanish colonies in the New World back towards Spain. The Atocha was laden down with so much gold from the mines in the Americas that it had taken two … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Sermons
Tagged Atocha, Bible, Bonhoeffer, Book of Isaiah, call on the name of the Lord, cheap grace, daily prayer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, faith, God, gospel, grace, Isaiah, Isaiah 55, Isaiah 55:6-7, Jesus, Matthew 6:33, Mel Fisher, Our Lady of Atocha, prayer, repentance, revival, salvation, seek God, seek the Lord while He may be found, seek ye first, seeking, sermon, sin, The Cost of Discipleship, treasure
2 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Exodus 22 & Leviticus 19, “Protection” for 1/19/25
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Exodus 22:21-27, and Leviticus 19:9-10, with the title of “Protection” for Sunday, January 19, 2025. A video version of this overview is available … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged alien, Bible, caring, Exodus, Exodus 22, Explore the Bible, foster care, God, gospel, Jesus, Leviticus 19, Lifeway, orphan, Pearl Buck, Pearl Buck quote helpless members, poor, protection, stranger, Sunday School, Sunday School teacher, teacher help, teaching outline, vulnerable, widow
8 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Exodus 20:1-17 “God’s Commands,” Lifeway “Explore the Bible lesson for January 12, 2025.
An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Exodus 20:1-17 for Sunday, January 12, 2025 with the title, “God’s Commands.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
“Fear Not, I Am With You” (Isaiah 41:10 sermon)
On the occasion of the announcement of my retirement from full-time ministry, Sunday January 5, 2025. I really wrestled and prayed about how to do this service today; and this is what I felt led to do:— First, I want … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged anxiety, Bible, C.S. Lewis, C.S. Lewis old folks homes, Cheryl Thomas, Christianity, do not anxiously look about you, faith, fear not, First Baptist Angleton Texas, For I am with you, God, How Firm A Foundation, Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 6, Jesus, King Uzziah, ministry, Mr. Rogers, pastor, pastor resignation, providence, Psalm 23, resignation, retirement, Shawn Thomas, stroke, trust
15 Comments
“Trusting Providence In A Fallen World” (“Trust & Obey”) Matthew 2:13-23 sermon
(Preached at First Baptist Church, Angleton, TX, December 29, 2024.) I hope that you are among those who had a Merry Christmas — but honestly I know that not everyone did. Our lives are often very difficult, and maybe you’ve … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged A.W. Tozer, Bethlehem, Bible, Christianity, Christmas, creation, depravity, Egypt, faith, God, God's provision, God's providence, Holy family, importance of obedience, Jesus, Joseph, Joseph's obedience, King Herod, man's nature, massacre of innocents Bethlehem, Matthew, Matthew 2, miracle vs providence, nature, obedience, post-Christmas sermon, prophecy, providence, provision, Romans 8:19-22, Romans 8:22, sermon, sovereignty, sovereignty of God, The Knowledge of the Holy, tragedy, Trust & Obey
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Teacher’s Overview of Exodus 16 & 17, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for January 5, 2025
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Exodus 16:11-19, 17:1-6, “Provision Given,” for Sunday, January 5, 2025. A video version of this overview, that you can watch/listen to, is available … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Bible, Bible study, daily bread, do all things without grumbling, Exodus, Exodus 16 and 17, Exodus 16:11-19 17:1-6, Exodus from Egypt, Explore the Bible, financial provision, God, gospel, grumbling, Jehovah Jireh, Jesus, Lifeway, man hu, manna, my God shall supply all your needs, needs, Philippians 2:14-16, Philippians 4:19, provision, quail in the wilderness, salvation, Sunday School, testimony, water from the rock
4 Comments
“Immanuel: God is With Us” (Matthew 1:23 sermon)
In David McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize winning biography of Harry Truman, he writes about “This first Truman to reach Jackson County … Anderson Shipp Truman … was slight, gentle, soft-spoken, thirty years old, and without prospects. Nevertheless, Mary Jane Holmes, who … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Bible, Christianity, David McCullough, depravity of man, Emmanuel, Ephesians 1:13, faith, for You are with me, Genesis 6, Genesis 6:5, God, God is with us, gospel, Harry S Truman, heaven, Hebrews 1:3, Holy Spirit, I Corinthians 6:19, II Corinthians 13:5, Immanuel, Incarnation, Isaiah 7, Isaiah 7:14, Jesus, Jesus Deity, Jesus is GOd, judgment, love, Martin Luther, Mary, Matthew 1, Matthew 1:23, peace, Psalm 23, salvation, test yourself, The Best Christmas pageant Ever, the Lord is with you, Truman, where meek hearts will receive Him still
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Teacher’s Overview of Exodus 14:19-31, “Power Revealed,” Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson for December 29, 2024.
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Exodus 14:19-31, with the title of “Power Revealed,” for Sunday December 29, 2024. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged 1776 David McCullough, Bible study, Book of Exodus, church, deliverance, doubt, Exodus, Exodus 14:19-31, Explore the Bible, faith, God shield, God sovereignty, God's people, God's protection, gospel, hand of Moses, hope, hopeless, hopeless situation, Jehovah, John 14:27, Lifeway, My Shield, peace, Pharaoh Exodus, pillar of cloud, power of God, proverbs, Psalm 3:3, Red Sea miracle, Red Sea vs Sea of Reeds, salvation, salvation of God, Sean McDowell, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, The Exodus, Yahweh, YHWH
2 Comments
“For the Mouth of the Lord Has Spoken It” (Isaiah 40:1-8 sermon)
Emory University in Atlanta has a big collection of the writings of Martin Luther, who set off the Reformation in the early 1500s, and emphasized justification by grace alone, through faith alone. A couple of years ago, they found this … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged America judgment, atonement, Bible, Bible Reading, Christianity, Christmas, comfort, comfort comfort My people, daily Bible reading, daily devotions, daily quiet time, debt, faith, God, God's word, gospel, Handel's Messiah, History First Baptist Church College Station, II Timothy 3:16, Isaiah 40, Jesus, Jesus paid debt, judgment, King Uzziah, Larry Watson, Lord Shepherd, Malcolm Bane, Martin Luther, Martin Luther document Emory University, MasterLife, Messiah, prayer, salvation, scripture, scripture memory, sin, sin debt, Voltaire, war room prayer, word of the Lord
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