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 Overview of Matthew 18:21-35, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Forgiveness," for 3/29/26
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 16:13-26, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "Following Jesus" for 3/15/26
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 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
Lord of ALL
“The men were amazed and said, ‘What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?’” (Matthew 8:27) Jesus’ disciples were just beginning to understand Who He was. Caught in their boat during a … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged angelic forces, creation, forgiveness of sins, healing, Jesus, Jesus authority, Lordship, Matthew chapters 8 & 9, nature, space, time
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The Action of Discipleship
“When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.” (Matthew 8:23) It is notable that after Jesus shared something about the commitments and priority of discipleship, that verse 23 immediately followed, describing the actions of His disciples: “When He … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged discipleship, following Jesus, Matthew 8:23
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The Priorities of Discipleship
After Jesus finished His great Sermon on the Mount, in which He laid forth the character and many of the standards for His disciples, He then went about ministering and actually making disciples. In Matthew 9:19 and following, we see … Continue reading
The Cost of Discipleship
“Then a scribe came and said to Him, ‘Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.’ Jesus said to him, ‘The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to … Continue reading
Discipleship: It’s Not About The Crowds
“Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea.” (Matthew 8:18) Why, when Jesus saw that a crowd had gathered, would He tell His disciples that it was time … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged compromise, crowds, discipleship, Matthew 8:18, numbers
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“With A Word”
“… and He cast out the spirits with a word.” (Matthew 8:16) It is obviously significant that the scripture indicates here that it was “with a word” that Jesus cast the demons out. It didn’t take an elaborate ritual, or … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged faith, Jesus, Matthew 8:16, power, prayer
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Do You Make Him Marvel?
“Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled …” (Matthew 8:10) What an amazing statement that is: “when Jesus heard this, He marveled.” The centurion had just come to Jesus, telling Him of his paralyzed servant, and Jesus indicated that He … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged doubt, faith, Mark 6:6, Mark 9:24, Matthew 8:10, trust, unbelief
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The Inevitable Fall
“… and it fell, and great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:27) In Jesus’ story of the houses with two foundations, He shares how “the house that was built on the sand” stood for a time. But later, when “the rain … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged judgment, Matthew 7:27, obedience, trials, word of God
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The Same Storms
“The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house” (Matthew 7:25, 27) It should be instructive to us that the words quoted above are found in BOTH Matthew 7:25 AND 7:27. “The rain fell, … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged house built on the rock, Matthew 7:25, Matthew 7:27, obedience, salvation, storms, trials
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The Ultimate Sacrifice
“Greater love has no one than this: that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) Often when a soldier gives his life in battle, it is said that he made “the ultimate sacrifice.” Humanly speaking, that is … Continue reading
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