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 17:1-13, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Glory," for 3/22/26
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 16:13-26, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "Following Jesus" for 3/15/26
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 15:1-11+, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson for March 8, 2026, "Real Devotion"
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 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
Category Archives: Devotions/Bible Studies
Be Careful Who You Praise
“Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.’” (John 6:32) … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged credit, glory, John 6:32, praise
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Exclusive, Outrageous Jesus
“Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” (John 6:45) Many people who think they “like” Jesus today probably have no idea about some of the outrageous, exclusive things He actually said. Here in :45 we … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged Christ, Christology, exclusivity, Jesus, John 14:6, John 6:45, salvation
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Philip’s Test — And Yours
“Therefore Jesus … said to Philip: ‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?’ This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do.” (John 6:5-6) The Bible tells us … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged faith, John 6:5-6, test, trust
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Your Works Testify
“But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish — the very works that I do — testify about Me, that the Father has sent … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged assurance, John 5:36, Matthew 7:20-21, salvation, works
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How Clear Can It Be?
“So that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” (John 5:23) How is Jesus to be regarded by us? As a … Continue reading
An Overlooked Verse
“Afterwards Jesus found him in the Temple and said to him, ‘Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.’” (John 5:14) Jesus had previously healed this man, who had been sitting by … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged holiness, John 5:14, repentance, salvation, sin
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Two Inseparable Elements of Genuine Worship
“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.” (John 4:23) This is the same “hour is coming” Jesus … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged doctrine, emotions, in spirit and truth, John 4:23, spirit, truth, worship
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Worship Isn’t A Matter of Geography
“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.” (John 4:21) Jesus’ statement to the woman at Jacob’s well in Samaria should not be lost … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged Acts 17:28, God, I Corinthians 6:19-20, John 4:21, omnipresence, spirit, worship
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A Foundational Lesson About God And Worship
“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) Here Jesus teaches the Samaritan woman, and every one of us who reads the inspired record of her conversation with Him, something about God … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged God, Holy Spirit, John 4:24, pneuma, spirit, spirit and truth, theology, worship
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The “Hard Part”
“He said to her, ‘Go, call your husband and come here.’” (John 4:16) Having gotten the attention of the woman at the well with His promise of eternal life, Jesus gets to the “hard part”: “Go, call your husband and … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged confrontation, discipleship, evangelism, John 4:16, repentance, sin, witnessing
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