Category Archives: Home & Family Life

“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 | 6 Comments

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

The Model Prayer & Praying For Your Child’s Future Spouse

Posted on 2017/06/20 by Shawn Thomas

“Pray then in this way …” (Matthew 6:9) Our son Paul wrote a sweet post on Facebook for Fathers Day, quoting an outline of a prayer I used (and still use) to pray for his future spouse, based on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Home & Family Life, Uncategorized | Tagged family, intercession, Lord's Prayer, marriage, Matthew 6:9-13, model prayer, prayer, prayer requests, praying for your child | 4 Comments

Gingerbread Decorating Contest 2016

Posted on 2016/12/24 by Shawn Thomas

It’s time for our family gingerbread decorating contest for Christmas 2016. We’ll follow the procedure we have for the last couple of years: we’ll post pictures of each entry below, and you can vote on your favorite at the poll … Continue reading →

Posted in Home & Family Life, Uncategorized | Tagged gingerbread house contest | 1 Comment