Category Archives: Home & Family Life

“The Ruts of Righteousness” (Psalm 23:5 sermon)

Posted on 2021/12/27 by Shawn Thomas

I am currently reading a biography of Steve Jobs, the founder of the Apple computer company, and it is a very interesting life story. Jobs was not a Christian, as some of you may know, but there are really powerful … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Home & Family Life, Sermons | Tagged 2022 Christian commitments, 2022 resolutions, Baptist Faith & Message, Benny Hinn Trinity, Bible Reading, bodily discipline, church attendance, daily prayer and Bible study, date night, date your spouse, doctrine, exercise, exercise I Timothy 4, family time, getting back into a rut, giving, good ruts, Hebrews 10:25, II Timothy doctrine, In The Word 2022, marriage, New Year Bible reading, Psalm 23 sermon, Psalm 23:5 sermon, quality time, repentance, the paths of righteousness, the ruts of righteousness, tithing, wagon tracks of righteousness | Leave a comment

2020 Family Gingerbread House Contest!

Posted on 2020/12/28 by Shawn Thomas

It’s “the most wonderful time of the year” — tie for our annual family Gingerbread House contest! Thank you for being an essential part of the contest: the judges! Look over the entries below and vote for your favorite in … Continue reading →

Posted in Home & Family Life, Uncategorized | Tagged 2020 gingerbread house contest, Christmas gingerbread houses, gingerbread house contest, gingerbread houses, Thomas family gingerbread house contest | 5 Comments

“Inviting Jesus Into Your Home” (Luke 10:38-42 sermon)

Posted on 2020/08/31 by Shawn Thomas

Last week I mentioned George Washington, and some of his strengths and weaknesses. One of the good qualities that he and his wife Martha had was the gift of hospitality. After the Revolutionary War, in which Washington became a hero, … Continue reading →

Posted in Home & Family Life, Luke 10:38-42 Mary & Martha series, Sermons | Tagged Barbara Boyd, books, Christian life, Christian music, daily Bible reading, daily devotional time, daily devotions, daily prayer time, daily quiet time, depression, discipleship, discouragement, DVD, faith and home, family, family life, George Washington hospitality, Gospel Comes With a House Key, holiness, home, home as a base for ministry, home Bible studies, home life, home ministry, hospitality, hospitality ministry, how to pray, Hurricane Laura refugees, input, inviting Jesus into your home, Jesus as Lord, John Newton Amazing Grace, Levi, Lordship, Luke 10:38-42, Luke 10:38-42 sermon, Martha, music, P.G. Wodehouse golf story, prepare for Jesus in your home, Psalm 118:24, rich young ruler, Ron Chernow George Washington, Rosaria Butterfield, salvation, sanctification, spiritual diet, spiritual food, spiritual growth, stumbling blocks, teen rebellion, Tim Keller, worship, worship at church, worship at home, worship God at home | Leave a comment

“Blessed Is She Who Believed” (Luke 1:45 sermon)

Posted on 2020/05/11 by Shawn Thomas

A few months ago, our ladies ministry had a neat fellowship, in which they painted little decorative signs for their homes, with a portion of scripture on each one. The ladies painted some good verses: “I can do all things … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19 crisis assorted messages, Home & Family Life, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Abigail Adams, assurance, believe, Blessed is she who believed, circumstances, co-redemptrix, COVID-19 crisis, daily Bible reading, daily devotions, David McCullough John Adams, Ephesians 2:8-9, evangelism, faith, faith in circumstances, fear, God's word, Hebrews 13:7, hero of scripture, imitate their faith, John 3:16, John Calvin idol factory, John Newton, John Newton Mary Barham, Luke 1:45, Mariolatry, Mary, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary worship, mothers, Mothers Day, Mothers Day sermon, nail down salvation, Philippians 4:19, Revelation 22:8-9, Romans 8:18, Romans 8:28, salvation, Savior, sinners prayer, theology, trust, Virgin Mary, worship, worship God | Leave a comment

“Living Your Faith At Home” (I Peter 3:1-7 sermon)

Posted on 2019/09/23 by Shawn Thomas

Many of us are familiar with the famous story, “Rip Van Winkle.” Last year for the first time I really read the story in Washington Irving’s Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon. In it he describes Rip Van Winkle: “He would never … Continue reading →

Posted in Home & Family Life, I Peter sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged appearance, beautiful woman, beauty, Billy Graham, children, clothes, daily Bible reading, discipline, disciplines, duties, Eliab, Ephesians 5, Ephesians 5 love wife, evangelism, exercise, faith, faith and family, faith starts at home, family, family life, family sermon, fellow heir, freaking out, God sees not as man sees, gods, husband, husband love, husband spiritual leadership, husbands, I Corinthians 13 love, I Peter 2:12, I Peter 2:23, I Peter 3:1, I Peter 3:1-7 sermon, I Peter sermon, I Samuel 16, I Timothy 5:8, inner beauty, It's My Turn Ruth Graham, kids, live out your faith at home, love, makeup, marriage, ministry, mom freaking out, outward appearance, outward beauty, Plutarch, Proverbs 11:22, responsibilities, Rip Van Winkle, Ruth Graham, sacrifice, salvation, Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, submission, submit, trust, trust God, trusting God, understand wife, understanding, Washington Irving, weaker vessel, wife equal, wife submit, wife witness, witness, witness at home, wives | Leave a comment

“Seeking Him First” (Matthew 6:33 sermon)

Posted on 2017/09/18 by Shawn Thomas

This week I finished reading a book I had always heard about, but had never read: Herman Melville’s The White Whale or Moby Dick. In it he tells the story of Captain Ahab, who was obsessed with killing the great … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Home & Family Life, Matthew sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 16, anxiety, calendar, capitalism, church services, conversion, decision making, desperation, devotion time, dsicipleship, Eric Metaxas podcast, families, family first, finances, first fruits, follow Me, God first, home life, I Kings 3 Solomon, Islam, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kids baseball, kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven, Larry Burkett, Matthew 10:37, Matthew 5:48, Matthew 6:33 sermon, Moby Dick Herman Melville, money, Philippian jailer, Philippians 2:21, priorities, quiet time, religion in America, repentance, salvation, schedule, seeking, tithe, worry, worship attendance | Leave a comment

The Intercessor-Guardian

Posted on 2017/08/23 by Shawn Thomas

“I am no longer in the world, and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Home & Family Life, Uncategorized | Tagged High Priestly Prayer, intercession, Jesus intercession, John 17:11-12, lead us not into temptation, Matthew 6:13, prayer, protection, spiritual protection, spiritual warfare, temptation | Leave a comment

Passing On The Word

Posted on 2017/08/21 by Shawn Thomas

“For the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.” (John 17:8) In His High Priestly prayer here … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Home & Family Life, Uncategorized | Tagged Bible, child rearing, discipleship, family, God's word, home, John 17:8, preaching, scripture, teaching, truth | Leave a comment

A Gospel “Hallelujah”

Posted on 2017/08/13 by Shawn Thomas

Our son Michael shared his first public solo in church this morning, and Cheryl & I were extremely proud of how well he did. He taught himself to play the guitar this past year and has been developing both vocally … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Doctrine/Theology, Home & Family Life, Ministry, Music, This Week In Paradise (pastors family blog), Uncategorized | Tagged Cohen Hallelujah, Hallelujah alternative lyrics, Hallelujah lyrics, Leonard Cohen Hallelujah alternate lyrics, Michael Thomas, North Greenville University, Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church | 5 Comments

“Just Like Us”

Posted on 2017/08/10 by Shawn Thomas

When Cheryl & I brought our grand daughters Corley Jane and Lottie up to the hospital to meet their newly born sister, Josephine Grace, the girls were filled with excitement and wonder. And pondering her little sibling for the first … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Doctrine/Theology, Home & Family Life, Uncategorized | Tagged birth, birth of Christ, doctrine, Hebrews 2:17, Incarnation, Jesus, just like us, Philippians 2:6, salvation | 2 Comments