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
- “Immanuel: God With Us” (Matthew 1:23 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 5:13-20, 43-48, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "True Righteousness," for 12/28/25.
- "The Incomparable Christ" (Hebrews 1:1-4 sermon)
- "The Example of Joseph" (Matthew 1:18-25 sermon)
- "He Will Save His People From Their Sins" (Matthew 1:21 Sermon)
- "A 'Real Life' Christmas" (Luke 2:1-11 sermon)
- "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" (John 3:16 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 2:1-12, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Worship the King," for 12/21/25
- "Your Response to Christmas" (Matthew 2:1-12 Sermon)
- "Three Christian Attitudes" (Philippians 3:12-15 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: Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Teacher’s Overview of Psalm 1:1-6, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson, “God’s Wisdom,” for June 1, 2025.
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Psalm 1:1-6, “God’s Wisdom,” for Sunday, June 1, 2025. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRODUCTION: ??? Does … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged abundant life, Alister McGrath C.S. Lewis, ashere, Augustine, Augustine and Psalms, Augustine Confessions, Bible, Biblical meditation, Blessed, Blessed life, C.S. Lewis, Confessions, David McCullough, eternal life, Excellence is a habit, Explore the Bible, God, God knows, God's wisdom, God's word, gospel, Hebrew, J. Frank Dobie, J.I. Packer Knowing God, Jesus, John 10:10, John Adams, John the Baptist, judgment, know God, knowing God, Lifeway, meditate on scripture, meditation, Psalm 1, Psalm 1:1-6, Psalm tunes, Psalms, Psalms as songs, Psalms testimony, Reflections on the Psalms, salvation, scripture memory, sin, Sir Walter Scott, Tales of Old Time Texas, Tim Keller Psalms, water, We are what we repeatedly do, wheat and chaff, wicked vs righteous, Will Durant, winnowing, wisdom
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Teacher’s Overview of II Peter 2:1-3, 17-19 & Jude 17-23, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson “Be Alert” for 5/18/25
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders who are preparing to teach Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson on II Peter 2:1-3, 17-19 & Jude 17-23, with the title “Be Alert,” scheduled for Sunday, May 18, 2025. A … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Be Alert, Bible study, counterfeits, cults, Dante Inferno, darkness, David Koresh, doctrine, Explore the Bible, false prophets, false teachers, George Whitefield, gospel, greed, heresies, Hugh Bryan, II Peter, II Peter 2:1-3, immorality, Joel Osteen, Jude, judgment, Kenneth Copeland, Lifeway, pride, prosperity gospel, Rasputin, Sunday School, teaching, Thomas S. Kidd, Tim Challies, vanity, Your Best Life Now
4 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of I Peter 4:12-19, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson, “Be Prepared” for April 27, 2025.
An overview to help Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders prepare for this week’s lesson. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: A few years ago, Nik Ripken (pen name of a former Southern … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Be Prepared, accountability, Agatha Christie, application, Beatitudes, Bible, Bible study, blessed are the persecuted, Chaplain Bob Rogers, Christianity, Christie autobiography, Clio in U.S. House, discipleship, discussion questions, Explore the Bible, God, heaven, I Peter, I Peter 4:12-19, illustrations, inevitability of suffering, Jesus, Joe McKeever, John 15:20, John 16:33, judgment, Lifeway, Luke 9:33, Matthew 249, meekness, Nik Ripken, persecution, Peter, Psalm 37, Randy Alcorn, Richard Curtis Mississippi Baptist, suffering, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school outline, sunrise, The Insanity of God, trust in the Lord and do good, types of suffering, why did God do this?
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Teacher’s Overview of Mark 15:33-39, 16:1-8, “Our Savior,” Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for Easter Sunday, 4/20/25
An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Mark 15-16 for Sunday, April 20, 2025, with the title, “Our Savior.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Our Savior", Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln Fox River story, Bible study, Carl Sandburg Lincoln, Easter, Easter Sunday, Easter Sunday Bible study, evangelism, Explore the Bible, God, good news, gospel, It is finished, Jesus, Jesus cross, Jesus death, Jesus resurrection, Lifeway, Lifeway survey, Mark 15 & 16, needless worry, paid in full illustration, Psalm 2:2, R.W. Dale Jesus is alive, resurrection of Jesus, Shawn Thomas, shawnethomas, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, veil of the Temple, Walking With The Giants, Warren Wiersbe, why have you forsaken Me, witnessing, worry
5 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of I Peter 4:1-11, “Our Faith,” Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson for 4/13/25
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of I Peter 4:1-22, with the title “Our Faith,” for Sunday, April 13, 2025. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged above all love, Bible, Bible study, Bible study lesson, David McCullough 1776, end of the world, eschatlogy, Explore the Bible, George Washington, God, good for love, gospel, holiness, Hope Thomas, I Peter, I Peter 4, I Peter 4:1-11, I Peter 4:10, I Timothy 1:5, Jesus, Lifeway, love, love covers, Martin Luther, plant an apple tree, priority of love, return of Christ, salvation, sanctification, second coming, Shawn Thomas, sin, spiritual gifts, steward, stewardship, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, surprise attack
10 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson of I Peter 3:1-12, “Relationships” for 3/3025
An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of I Peter 3:1-12, for Sunday March 30, 2025, with the title, “Relationships.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged authority, Bible commands for husbands, Bible commands for wives, Bible principles of marriage, Bible study, C.S. Lewis Christian relationships, Christian relationships, CS Lewis The Weight of Glory, Explore the Bible, fellow heir, gospel, Harry Lee Poe The Completion of CS Lewis, hupotasso, husband, husbands, husbands and wives, I Peter, I Peter 3, inner beauty, Jimmy Carter, lesson outline, lesson overview, Lifeway, marriage, relationships, salvation, Shawn Thomas, submission, Sunday School, Sunday school discussion questions, Sunday school illustrations, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, the things that matter most Jimmy Carter, The Transformed Wife, understanding way, wife, wives
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