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
- Romans 8:14-27 Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson overview, "Indwelt," for October 18, 2026
- Romans 7:4-6, 14-25 Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson overview: "Struggle," for 10/11/26
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 22:15-22, 34-40, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Honor" for 5/03/26
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- Romans 6:1-14, Overview of Lifeway's Explore the Bible lesson, "Freedom," for October 4, 2026.
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 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 Fruit of Repentance” (Matt. 3:4-10 sermon)
It has been very interesting to say the least, to watch the first week of the Presidency of Donald Trump unfold. He has made appointments and issued executive orders which have pleased some, but have infuriated others. But there was, … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged assurance of salvation, changed life, CNN, Donald Trump, fruit of repentance, garden, John the Baptist, judgment, Luke 19, Luke 3, Matthew 3:4-10, Matthew 7:21, Matthew sermon, repent, repentance, repenter, Rosaria Butterfield, salvation, The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, Zaccheus
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Empty Words Won’t Save You
“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” (I John 4:15) Despite the apparent simplicity of this verse, one should be careful not to take it in a woodenly literal fashion, … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged assurance, assurance of salvation, confession, demons, I John 4:15, Mark 5, Matthew 7:21, salvation, test of salvation
1 Comment
Seeing God In Us
“No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.” (I John 4:12) “No one has seen God at any time.” Not God in His fullness … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged brotherly love, God, I John 4:12, love, witness
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Feed The Sheep, Not The Goats
“We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (I John 4:5-6) It is … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged church, compromise, I John 4:5-6, ministry, preaching, teaching, worldliness
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Why Some Churches “Succeed”
“They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them.” (I John 4:5) It’s not all about numbers in the work of God’s Kingdom — although judging “success” merely on the basis … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged church, compromise, doctrine, false teachings, I John 4:5
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Test The Spirits
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (I John 4;1) Here John addresses what has become one of the weaknesses … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged discernment, doctrine, false teachers, heresy, I John 4:1, theology
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Assurance For The Doubter
“Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us, … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged assurance of salvation, doubts, Ephesians 2:8-9, faith, feelings, I John 3:18-20, works
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Trusting Providence In A Fallen World (Matt. 2:13-23 sermon)
I hope that you are among those who had a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year — but I know that not everyone did. Our lives are often very difficult, and if you’ve never noticed, problems don’t usually take … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged A.W. Tozer, Bible prophecy, creation, Ephesians 1:11, fallen world, God's providence, Isaiah 65, Matthew 2:13-23 sermon, nature, prophecy, providence, Romans 8:19-22, Romans 8:28, sin nature, sovereignty, The Knowledge of the Holy, theodicy
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What Is Love?
“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (I John 3:16) Everyone has some idea of what love is: songs and poems have been … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged brotherly love, feelings, giving, I John 3:16, John 3:16, love, sacrifice, true love
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