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.
-
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)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 17:1-13, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Glory," for 3/22/26
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Condescension & The Glory" (Philippians 2:6-11 sermon)
- "Lessons From Gethsemane" (Matthew 26 sermon)
- "How To Seek The Lord" (Isaiah 55:6-7 sermon)
- "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
Category Archives: Devotions/Bible Studies
Conditional Promises
In I Kings 3:14 God gave the newly crowned King Solomon a conditional promise: “IF you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, THEN I will prolong your days.” Notice the “IF … … Continue reading
The Evidence of Love
I Kings 3:3 says: “Now Solomon loved YHWH, walking in the statutes of his father David …”. Solomon really did love God (at least at first). What was the evidence of it?
Don’t Make Your First Step A Misstep
I Kings 3 describes King Solomon’s first steps after he was established as king over Israel. Verse 1 tells us “Then Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her to the … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged choice, decisions, first step, I Kings 3:1, Solomon
Leave a comment
A Balanced Ministry Goal
In Colossians 1:28 Paul wrote, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” Here he states his goal for ministry, which we would do well … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Colossians 1:28, discipleship, evangelism, ministry
Leave a comment
An Unfamiliar Wonder
In Psalm 8:4, David marvels at the attentiveness of God to man, asking: “What is man, that You take thought of him, or the son of man, that You attend him?” The gravity of his statement is increased when one … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged egocentrism, God, humility, man, mankind, pride, Psalm 8:4, self-centeredness
2 Comments
The Heavens Are His
Psalm 8:3 says, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers; the moon and the stars which You have ordained …”. Notice all the YOU’s here, which refer to God: “YOUR heavens … work of YOUR fingers … … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged astronomy, creation, heavens, Psalm 89:11, Psalm 8:4, sky, This Is My Father's World, universe
Leave a comment
Servants, Not Lords
In Colossians 1:23 the Apostle Paul writes about “the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a servant.” The description Paul gave of himself … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Apostle Paul, authority, Colossians 1:23, diaconos, Matthew 20:25-26, minister, ministry, servant, service
2 Comments
The Hole He Dug
Psalm 7:15 says: “He dug a pit and hollowed it out, and has fallen into the hole which he made.” Here David describes the irony of the downfall of the wicked who oppressed him: they fell into the very pit … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged destructive behavior, irony, judgment, Psalm 71:5, repentance, self-destruction
Leave a comment
Pregnant With Trouble
Psalm 7:14 has a word for the wicked — and for those of us who fear that they are going to “get away with it.” They won’t! The verse reads: “Behold, he travails with wickedness, and he conceives mischief and … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged judgment, pregnancy, Psalm 37, Psalm 71:4, Psalm 73:19, unrighteous, wicked
Leave a comment
shawnethomas 