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)
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "The Condescension & The Glory" (Philippians 2:6-11 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 17:1-13, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Glory," for 3/22/26
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- "Lessons From Gethsemane" (Matthew 26 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 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
The Most Important Thing
It is no accident that David opens Psalm 18:1 by saying, “I love You, O Lord my strength.” His love for Yahweh was the first and most important thing in his life — and should be in ours as well.
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged God, love, priorities, Psalm 18:1, The Great Commandment, worship
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God’s Word: Desire or Discipline?
In light of I Peter 2:2’s command to “long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation”, one might ask if spending time in the Bible should be considered to be … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Bible, Bible Reading, desire, devotions, discipline, I Peter 2:2, quiet time, scripture, word of God
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Read The Word: Public Reading of Scripture
In II Kings 23, King Josiah led a revival in Judah when God’s word was rediscovered in the Temple. The book of the Law was read aloud to him by Shaphan the scribe (22:10) and it had a profound effect … Continue reading
He Didn’t Get Away With It
II Kings 21 doesn’t seem to end right. With all the evil described of King Manasseh & Judah in verses 2-16 (that they were worse than the pagan nations which had preceded them) and the punishment promised by the prophets … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged evil prosper, faith, Hebrews 9:27, II Kings 21, judgment, prosperity of wicked, Psalm 73, theodicy
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God’s House?
II Kings 21:5 records how the wicked King Manasseh “built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of YHWH.” Manasseh brought idolatrous worship right into God’s temple. In both the inner & outer … Continue reading
A Very Selfish Outlook
King Hezekiah’s response to Isaiah’s prophecy in II Kings 20 must surely go down as one of the most selfish attitudes in all of scripture. Hezekiah had shown the messengers from the Babylonian king all of his treasures, and Isaiah … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged apathy, attitude, care, Hezekiah, II Kings 20, love, Philippians 2:4, selfishness, unborn
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“The Apple of Your Eye”: A Monday Prayer For Loved Ones
It is good to pray scriptures as we intercede for loved ones, as it takes us out of what can become almost “rote” repetition of requests, and substitutes something fresh and pertinent from God’s word instead. Psalm 17:8 makes such … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged apple of your eye, daughter of your eye, Hebrew, Keil & Delitzsch, Psalm 17:8, Psalms, pupil of your eye
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Devoted To Prayer?
Acts 1:14 says that after the ascension of Jesus to heaven, the disciples “all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer.” This was undoubtedly the key to their later filling with the Spirit, and success of their mission. … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Acts 1:14, Colossians 4:2, devotion, prayer
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God Did It!
In II Kings 18, the Assyrian army under Sennacherib invaded Judah, and the king spoke arrogantly to Hezekiah, king of Judah, about how none of the nations’ gods had delivered them from his hand, and Yahweh their God would not … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged God's sovereignty, humility, II Kings 19:25, pride
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Praying for the Glory of God
Hezekiah truly made his prayer in II Kings 19 about the glory of God — a model for us all. Faced with invasion by Sennacherib’s army, Hezekiah sought the Lord (:1, :14). As we observed in the last post (here), … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged glory of God, II Kings 19, model prayer, prayer
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