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
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "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)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "What God Wants From Us" (Micah 6:8 sermon)
- "Working Out Your Salvation" (Philippians 2:12-13 sermon)
- "Fear Not, I Am With You" (Isaiah 41:10 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: Discipleship
Fleeting Laughter, Lasting Pain
Most of us have been guilty at some point of poking fun at someone without thinking of the pain it might be inflicting on them. In Peter Ackroyd’s Dickens, he tells the story of John Coleman, who lived opposite the … Continue reading
“Our Great God”
Last Sunday the Lord used a special song – and a special minister — to pick me up at just the right moment, give me assurance, and prepare me to share His word. When I arrived at church that day … Continue reading
Eros Gets A Bad Name?
I would wager that most people who have heard of the different Greek words for “love” have understood them something like this: “Agape” is God’s kind of selfless, giving love “Phileo” is brotherly love “Eros” is sexual love I have … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Doctrine/Theology, Reviews
Tagged C.S. Lewis, Eros, love for God, romantic love, The Four Loves
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Not This Time!
I’m writing as I am just back in from the Sam Houston High School football game at Westlake. I have been sick all week, and did not feel much like going tonight. I really only did so for one reason: I … Continue reading
“Anwoth Is Not Heaven; Preaching Is Not Christ”
Sometimes in the process of looking for one treasure, you inadvertently find another. That happened today, as I was searching through one of my very favorite books, The Letters of Samuel Rutherford. (Rutherford was the pastor of a church in … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Ministry
Tagged Letters of Samuel Rutherford, losing your ministry, ministry, preaching, priorities, Samuel Rutherford
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Samuel Rutherford’s Five Lessons From the Furnace
In 1636 Samuel Rutherford, pastor of the Scottish church of Anwoth, was removed from his pulpit during a time of religious persecution. Sent into exile into Aberdeen, Rutherford, at first despondent, found grace that gave him a seldom-equaled walk with … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Doctrine/Theology, History, Reviews
Tagged furnace, Samuel Rutherford, spiritual growth, temptations, trials
2 Comments
29 Days and Counting!
It is really cute to watch: our daughter Libby counting down the days until she is married. Libby actually lives two hours from here, in Pineville, where she attends Louisiana (Baptist) College – but I get to keep up with her … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Home & Family Life
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“Memoirs of Robert E. Lee”
Everyone who has had a task they have put off feels a great sense of satisfaction when that long-neglected duty is finished. Completing a book which you have had on your shelf, and which you have always intended to read, … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Reviews
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“Bless Those Who Curse You”
I’ll let this Union soldier who met Robert E. Lee in the worst of circumstances tell his own story of how Lee lived out Luke 6:28 . I think any further commentary from me might be considered to be vainly superfluous …
Posted in Discipleship, History
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The Secret of Contentment
I feel like I am particularly suited to write this post, among other reasons because I have been basically limited to my recliner for the past 48 hours with a cold and a bad sore throat! This morning I read … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship
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