Category Archives: Discipleship

“Reaching, Teaching, Caring” (Matthew 4:23 sermon)

Posted on 2019/03/03 by Shawn Thomas

I came home from work last Monday night and Cheryl was sitting on the couch wrapped up in a blanket, and she said, “You remember that thing you said in the sermon yesterday about how ‘If you worshiped God first … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Ministry, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "reaching, Abraham Lincoln, Acts 2:42-47, care, caring, Carl Sandburg Abraham Lincoln, church, church calendar, Church Council, church leaders, discipleship, evangelism, gospel, I Peter 2:21, in His steps, Jesus cares, love, Luke 9:56, Mark 1:15, Mark 6:34, Matthew 14:14, Matthew 4:23, Matthew 4:23 sermon, Matthew 8:14-16, Matthew 9:35, megachurches, mercy, ministry, ministry priorities, ministry team, mission, priorities, purpose, R.H. Dana, Reaching Teaching Caring, repentance, repentance and faith, salvation, see feel compassion do, service, spiritual growth, Sunday School, teaching, Two Years Before The Mast, What Would Jesus Do?, worship, WWJD | 1 Comment

God’s Children: NOT Exempt From Suffering

Posted on 2019/02/06 by Shawn Thomas

In early 1865, hundreds of thousands of men from the North were being drafted into the Union Army to help finally bring an end to the war. President Abraham Lincoln’s own son Robert was now also being sent. Lincoln’s wife … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Sermon Illustrations, Uncategorized | Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Carl Sandburg Abraham Lincoln, child of God, God's will, Hebrews 5:8, purpose of suffering, Son, suffering | Leave a comment

“A Pastor’s Farewell” (Acts 20 sermon)

Posted on 2019/01/28 by Shawn Thomas

Cheryl & I want to thank you for the last 4 years we have been allowed to serve at Pleasant Ridge. It is very difficult to say farewell to people with whom we’ve ministered and loved and been loved — … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Ministry, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged A Pastor's Farewell, Acts 20, Acts 20:21, Amy Grant Faith Walking People, asking Jesus into your heart, assurance, Baptist Faith & Message 2000, church, church family, church membership class, confidence, daily Bible reading, devotional time, devotions, doctrine, faith, false teachers, farewell, father, feelings, goodbye, gospel, II TImothy 1:12, intercessory prayer, legalism, ministry, Nominating Committee, Now I commend you to God, pastor, pastor elder overseer, pastor search committee, people, prayer, praying for children, praying for loved ones, quiet time, repentance, repentance and faith, salvation, service, sin, soul, trust, works salvation | 4 Comments

“He Will Hold Me Fast” (John 10:27-29 sermon)

Posted on 2018/11/19 by Shawn Thomas

We have SO many blessings to count this Thanksgiving season, don’t we? But surely one of THE greatest blessings we have to give thanks for as God’s people, is the SECURITY of our salvation in Jesus Christ — that “HE will … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Doctrine/Theology, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Amazing Grace, backsliding, C.S. Lewis, Charles Spurgeon, devil, discouragement, double negative, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 2:8-9, eternal life, eternal security, He Will Hold Me Fast, Hebrews 13:6, II TImothy 1:12, II Timothy 2:13, John 10:27-29 sermon, Kristyn Getty, Lectures to My Students, Matthew 24:25, Matthew 5:20, My Father, My Father's hand, never perish, once saved always saved, ou me, perseverance of the saints, pluck out of My hand, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:35, salvation gift, salvation works, Satan, Sears Kenmore warranty, security, sheep, sin and security, snatch out of My hand, Spurgeon down to God's price, temporary life, The Ballpark in Arlington, when we've been there ten thousand years | 4 Comments

“Working The Works Of God” (John 9 sermon)

Posted on 2018/11/12 by Shawn Thomas

You can definitely tell that it’s fall now — not only from the temperatures, but also from all the leaves that are falling. I spend a good deal of time Thursday afternoon gathering and burning over 11 wheelbarrows packed with … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged adoption, believe, BUCM, Burke United Christian Ministries, care, caring, church program, discipleship, evangelism, Evangelism: How The Church Speaks of Jesus, faith, Fall, felt need vs. spiritual need, John 6:29, John 9, John 9 sermon, leaves, Mack Stiles, man born blind, ministry, Orphan Sunday, salvation, sin, Sunday School, time, time change, time management, work, works | 1 Comment

“Neglecting God” (Zephaniah 1:1-6 sermon)

Posted on 2018/09/10 by Shawn Thomas

You never know what your kids are going to do with the things they hear you say. We had not been at our church in Tulsa Oklahoma very long when we pulled up to a convenience store, and Cheryl saw … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "The Twelve", Choose whom you will serve, church attendance, compromise, daily Bible reading, decisions, devotional time, evangelism, family, family time, Gibeonites, gratitude, Great Commandment, greatest sin, heaven, idolatry, James 4:17, John 17:3, Joshua 24, Luke 17 ten lepers, marriage, marriage commitment, Minor Prophets, neglecting God, neglecting your family, Old Testament prophets, pray without ceasing, quiet time, relationship with God, Romans 15:13, salvation, seeking God, singing, sins of commission, sins of omission, thanking God, Thanksgiving, time with family, time with God, worship, Zephaniah, Zephaniah 1:1-6, Zephaniah 1:6 | Leave a comment

“Ambassadors For Christ” (II Corinthians 5:20 sermon)

Posted on 2018/08/06 by Shawn Thomas

According to a recent article in Politico magazine, the American ambassador to Germany is not the most popular man in that country today. In fact, he is very unpopular. But part of the problem is the fact that he is … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged ambassadors, ambassadors for Christ, behavior, compromise, conduct, conduct unbecoming, Donald Trump, evangelism, gospel, I Corinthians 6:19, II Corinthians 5:20, Jon Huntsman, Libby Breland, Message, mission, missions, neighborhood, Philippians 1:27, purpose, rights, Romans 5:10, Romans 5:8, salvation, school, witness, work place | 2 Comments

“When You Follow Jesus” (Mark 10:29-30 sermon)

Posted on 2018/04/23 by Shawn Thomas

I saw an ad the other day which indicated that a subscription I am very interested in was only $2 for two months — which was a very good deal! But when I read the fine print, it said that … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons | Tagged Am I A Soldier of the Cross?, Andrew Brunson, Beatitudes, blessed are the persecuted, blessings, Chick-Fil-A, Christian family, church family, context, disciple, discipleship, eternal life, family, fellowship, follow Jesus, follow Me, game show, II Timothy 3:12, Islam, John 17:3, leave family, Mark 10, Mark 10:29-30, New Yorker magazine and Chick-Fil-A, Pastor Cao, Paul & Timothy, persecution, priorities, Psalm 16:11, rich young ruler, Rifqa Bary, sermon | 16 Comments

“Come Away … And Rest” (Mark 6:30-32 sermon)

Posted on 2018/04/16 by Shawn Thomas

In the 1860’s, Mark Twain took a steamboat tour of Europe and the Holy Land, during which he visited Rome. He wrote about his experience there: “Afterward we walked up and down one of the most popular streets for some … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons | Tagged 4th Commandment, balance, break, busy-ness, Christian life, cruise, daily Bible reading, day off, Ephesians 2:8-9, exercise, getaway, Hebrews 4, Mark 1:35, Mark 6:30-32, Mark Twain, prayer time, rest, rest in Jesus, rest in Me, rest in peace, retreat, Revelation 14:11, Revelation 14:13, Sabbath, sabbath rest, salvation, The Innocents Abroad, trust, vacation, work | 4 Comments

“Leave Us Alone”?

Posted on 2018/02/27 by Shawn Thomas

“Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wildereness.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship | Tagged cost of discipleship, discipleship, Exodus 14:12, sacrifice, service | Leave a comment