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 18:21-35, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Forgiveness," for 3/29/26
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 17:1-13, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Glory," for 3/22/26
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "Lessons From Gethsemane" (Matthew 26 sermon)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 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
You And This Generation
How should we live in the world? What should be our attitude about the changing morals and standards we see around us? Acts 2:40 says that in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, Peter exhorted his hearers to “be … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Acts 2:40, compromise, conformity, culture, moral deterioration, relevance, salvation
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Nehemiah’s Model Prayer
Not only was Nehemiah an example of one who prayed spontaneous prayers (2:4) but he knew how to pray an effective longer prayer as well. In fact, in Nehemiah 1:5-11, we see that Nehemiah’s prayer has some similarities in its … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Matthew 6:9-13, model prayer, Nehemiah 1:5-11, prayer
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There’s Always A Tobiah
Things were going great for Nehemiah; he had told the king about how Jerusalem was in ruins, had prayed and made his request, and the king granted him all that he wanted. Then Nehemiah headed towards the holy city, accompanied … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Christian life, enemies, heaven, Nehemiah 2:10, rest, Sanballat, Tobiah, war
2 Comments
Praying for God’s Will, Not Ours
There is a lot written and taught these days about how we can get “what we want” from God — but that is not the focus of many of the best prayers we find in the Bible. Nehemiah’s intercessory prayer … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Matthew 6:9-13, model prayer, Nehemiah 1:10, prayer
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Where Does God Have YOU?
After Nehemiah heard the news of the devastation of Jerusalem, he mourned and fasted and sought God in prayer. Then in the last verse of Nehemiah Chapter 1 he adds: “Now I was cupbearer to the king.” This statement may … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Esther 4:14, God's sovereignty, God's will, I Peter 1:1, Nehemiah 1:11, plan, purpose
3 Comments
God’s Providential Hand
Why did that person help me? Why did I find favor before their eyes? Nehemiah 2:8 gives us the answer to that. Nehemiah had been asked by the king what he would request, in regard to the problem of Jerusalem … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged blessing, favor, God's hand, grace, Nehemiah 2:8, providence
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Nehemiah’s Example of Spontaneous Prayer
There are times and places to pray a big, long prayer. Right after the king asks you an important question is NOT it! In Nehemiah Chapter 2, Nehemiah was distressed about Jerusalem when the king asked him why he was … Continue reading
Love & Obedience
Many times, it is not “either/or”, but “both.” It is so in Nehemiah 1:9, where Nehemiah has just confessed the sins of Israel to God, and he quotes Him as saying to His people, “but if you return to Me … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged commandments, discipleship, John 14:15, love, Nehemiah 1:9, obedience
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Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
He asked. But he didn’t like the answer he received. Nehemiah 1 says that when some visitors arrived in Babylon from Jerusalem, Nehemiah asked about the welfare of the holy city. But the answer dismayed him: the people were distressed, … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Matthew 5:4, mourning, Nehemiah 1:4, revival
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The Only Rock
The last phrase of Psalm 18:31 addresses just the point where many people make the biggest mistake in their lives. The verse says: “For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?” (Psalm 18:31) … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Matthew 7:, peace, Psalm 16:5, Psalm 18:31, rock, sand, security, stability
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