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 Preview of Matthew 16:13-26, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "Following Jesus" for 3/15/26
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 17:1-13, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Glory," for 3/22/26
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Man Born Blind" (John 9 sermon)
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 15:1-11+, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson for March 8, 2026, "Real Devotion"
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "Christ's Suffering/Our Salvation" (I Peter 3:18 sermon)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 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: Sermons
“Hunger For Righteousness” (Matthew 5:6 sermon)
Bertrand Russell was one of the most famous atheists the world has ever known; he lived almost 100 years in Britain, from 1872 to 1970. But as much as he promoted atheism in his books and writings, Russell longed in … Continue reading
Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Discipleship, Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Beatitudes, Bertrand Russell, C.S. Lewis, character of Christ, Charles Spurgeon testiimony, Christian life, daily devotions, daily quiet time, daily worship time, dikaiosune, eternity, God designed the human machine to run on Himself, God Himself will be among them, hunger for righteousness, hunger for salvation, Isaiah 45:22, John Newton, Matthew 5:6, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 17:15, Psalm 63, Revelation 19, Revelation 21, right with God, righteousness, salvation, satisfied, satisfied with His likeness, time with God
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“Trust & Obey” (Matthew 5:5 sermon)
Conrad Richter wrote an amazing trilogy back in the 1940’s and 50’s about the settling of Ohio by the American Pioneers, from the perspective of a pioneer woman by the name of Sayward Wheeler. The story progresses through: The Trees, … Continue reading
Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Battle of Gettysburg, Beatitudes, Beatitudes and prayer, Bill Day Murrah bombing testimony, bitterness, Blessed are the gentle, Blessed are the meek, character of Christ, Christian witness and meekness, circumstances, conformed to the image of Christ, Conrad Richter trilogy, definition of angels, definition of faith, definition of meekness, Disciple's personality, forgiveness, fret not because of evildoers, fruit of spirit is gentleness, Galatians 5:22-23, gentle, giveaway sign of not trusting God, God's goal for our lives, hymn Trust & Obey, II Samuel 16 David meekness, Jesus example of Beatitudes, Jesus example of meekness, Jesus yoke, judgmnet, leave it in God's hands, Matthew 5:5, meek, meekness, meekness and salvation, meekness in the Christian life, Moses meekness, nothing in my hands I bring simply to thy cross I cling, Numbers 12 Aaron and Miriam, ox taking the yoke, praeis meaning, progression in Beatitudes, Psalm 37, Psalm 37:3, Robert E. Lee, Robert E. Lee example of meekness, Romans 8:28-29, salvation, Sayward's ox, scriptural definitions, take His yoke upon you, take your hands off the situation, tame horse, The Fields, The Meekness Psalm, Timothy McVeigh Murrah Bombing, trust and salvation, trust in God, trust in the Lord and do good, witness
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“Sowing In Tears” (Matthew 5:4 sermon)
I remember very well, listening to the young man in my church office a few years ago. He was burdened with some temptations to sin that he was experiencing. He couldn’t understand why he would have such feelings and temptations; … Continue reading
Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Discipleship, Sermons
Tagged Augustine of Hippo, Beatitudes, blessed are those who mourn, character of Christ, children and salvation, Christian character, conviction of sin, guilt, intercession, Matthew 5:4, Monica prayer, mourning, prayer, repentance, salvation, sin
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Poverty In Spirit: “I Need Help” (Matthew 5:3 sermon)
A pastor who served in California for a number of years shared the testimony of a Hollywood celebrity he knew, who had struggled for years with a drinking problem. But one of the most difficult things they had to deal … Continue reading
Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Discipleship, Sermons
Tagged baptism, Beatitudes, Charles Spurgeon nothing in my hand I bring, Christian character, Christian life, declaration of dependence, how to be saved, humility, I can't save myself, I need help, Isaiah 64:6, John 5:19, Kingdom of Heaven, Luke 18 Pharisee and Publican, Mark 1:35, Matthew 5:3, morning prayer, nothing in my hand I bring simply to Thy cross I cling, poor in spirit, poverty in spirit, prayer, prayer and dependence, ptochos, righteousness, Rock of Ages, Romans 8:28, Romans 8:29, salvation, spiritual dependence, spiritual growth, spontaneous prayer, The character of Christ
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“God’s Goal For Your Life” (Matthew 5:3-12 sermon)
I’ve heard a number of people talk about their goals for this New Year in 2021: goals for health and diet and exercise. Our daughter Libby asked me the other night what my goal was for how many books I’ll … Continue reading
Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Discipleship, Sermons
Tagged 8 qualities of the Beatitudes, aiming at wrong target, Baptist B's, Beatitudes, Billy Graham Secret of Happiness, character of Christ, Christian character, conformed to the image of Hi Son, Ephesians 4:13, Francis Chan Crazy Love, God's Goal for your life, God's goals, humility, I John 3:2, image of Christ, image of His Son, Jesus and the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3-12, mercy, New Year goal, numerical goals, picture of Jesus in Beatitudes, portrait of Christ, poverty in spirit, purpose of trials, Romans 8:28-29, spiritual goals, spiritual success, succeeding at things that don't really matter, success, trials
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“The Room Where It Happens: The Presence of God” (Luke 1:19 sermon)
One of the most-visited tourist sites in London, England is the Churchill War Rooms. The rooms are in an underground bunker built just before World War II, right in the heart of the city, not far from Parliament or Buckingham … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized, worship
Tagged "The Room Where It Happens", C.S. Lewis, C.S. Lewis correspondence, C.S. Lewis on nursing homes, Christ will be there, church, church new builidng, church presence of God, church worship, Churchill War Rooms, corporate worship, daily quiet time, daily worship, Ephesians 3:12, eternity, experience His presence, foretaste of His glory, Gabriel, garden of Eden, glory, God, God made us: invented us, God sovereignty, Hamilton musical, heaven, I Corinthians 14:25, I stand in the presence of God, Isaiah 59:2, Isaiah 6:1-3, Jesus, Luke 1:19, oval office, presence, presence of God, Psalm 139, Psalm 147, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 17:15, purpose, Revelation 21:3, Revelation 4:8, salvation, satisfaction, what will we do in heaven, worship, worship services, Zacharias and Elizabeth
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“Give Thanks to the Lord” (Psalm 136:1 sermon)
First Baptist Church, Angleton, TX 11/22/20 First Sunday at 972 Anchor Road When the first Pilgrims landed in the New World on November 11,1620, William Bradford, the pilgrim leader who later became their governor wrote that: “‘They fell upon their … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Doctrine/Theology, Sermons, Uncategorized, worship
Tagged Astronomer Fred Hoyle, building dedication, chesed, creation, election, enter His gates with thanksgiving, eternal security, Ezra 3:11, faith and science, First Baptist Church Angleton TX, for His lovingkindness is everlasting, for the Lord is good, Fred, George Eliot Middlemarch, give thanks, give thanks to the Lord for He is good, giving thanks, God is good, grace, gratitude, I Chronicles 16:34, I Thessalonians 5:18, II Chronicles 5:13, importance of giving thanks, ingratitude, ingratitude and sin, James 1:17, Job, Jonn 10:28, Masters golfer hole in one, mercy, Mr. Farebrother, new building, new facility, once saved always saved, pilgrims, predestination, Psalm 100:4, Psalm 136, Psalm 136:1, Richard E. Simmons III Reflections on the Existence of God, Romans 1 they did not give thanks, Romans 8:31-32, science and God, Shirley Temple "Bright Eyes", thanks to God, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, they will never perish, we will never perish
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