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 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)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 16:13-26, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "Following Jesus" for 3/15/26
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "The Word That Sustains In Difficult Days" (Habakkuk 2:1-3 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "Inviting Jesus Into Your Home" (Luke 10:38-42 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
Sermon: Romans 1:4 “The Meaning of the Resurrection of Jesus” for FBC Paul’s Valley, 4-20-14
When we were serving in Louisiana one of our church members was coaching a kids baseball practice just before Easter one year, and he announced that they weren’t going to have practice or a game that weekend because it was … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Chuck Colson, commitment, David Koresh, decision, Easter sermon, Ganges River, Hinduism, John 14:6, life change, power, resurrection of Jesus, Romans 1:4, salvation, Watergate
2 Comments
“The Goodness of God In The Midst of Affliction” Sermon on Psalm 119:65-72 preached at FBC Bethalto IL
In February 2012, I stood to lead prayer meeting at the church I had been pastoring for 12 years in Louisiana, and the longer I stood the sicker I became. I had to leave during prayer and have one of … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged affliction, C.S. Lewis, God, illness, memory verse, ministry, POTS, Psalm 119:65-72, Psalm 119:68, purpose for suffering, sovereignty, suffering, testimony, tests, trials
5 Comments
“The Morning Watch” (Psalm 5:3 Sermon)
One of the best articles I have ever read is “The Tyranny of the Urgent” by Charles Hummel. In it he writes that many people often wish for a 30-hour day, so they could get more done. But Hummel says … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Christian disciplines, devotions, George Mueller, Lord's Prayer, Matthew 6:9-13, model prayer, morning prayer, morning watch, prayer, Psalm 5:3, quiet time
1 Comment
The Times That Try Our Souls (Psalm 11 Sermon)
In 1776 Thomas Paine wrote, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” These words were written in a pamphlet entitled: “The American Crisis” — and America was indeed in a time of crisis which would determine our future for … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged America, crisis, difficulty, gay marriage, Greg Ogden, homosexuality, Psalm 1:1, test, Thomas Paine, times that try men's souls, Transforming Discipleship, trials
6 Comments
Psalm 3:3 “My Shield”
The following is a message from Psalm 3:3, preached at Trinity Baptist, Norman on August 11, 2013. It shares the testimony of my illness and resignation from FBC Moss Bluff, and of God’s purposes for our trials. This verse has … Continue reading
Psalm 3:3 “My Shield” (preached Aug. 11, 2013 at Trinity, Norman)
I wrote the much of the following message during the summer of 2012, when I was on medical leave as pastor of FBC Moss Bluff, LA with dyautonomia (POTS). I would later resign the church in February of 2013, selling … Continue reading
Posted in Home & Family Life, Ministry, Sermons
Tagged God's purpose, illness, Psalm 3:3 sermon, Romans 8:28-29, trials
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“The Gospel of Glory” (II Thessalonians 2:14)
Years ago, when our older kids were very small, I took our son David to Falls Creek with me for the week — he was 3 or 4 years old. We had a great week, as we got to hang … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged C.S. Lewis and pleasure, cathedral of Milan, Dante, doxa, eternal torment, Exodus 33:18-20, Exodus 34:7-8, Falls Creek, glory, glory of God, heaven, hell, II Thessalonians 2:14, John Sailhamer, kabod, Mark Twain, no hope, radiance, Romans 3:23, Samuel Rutherford, shekinah glory, The Innocents Abroad
2 Comments
“What Real Faith Looks Like: Perseverance” (James 1:12)
In 1998, I ran the Tulsa Run road race with Paul, David & Libby, our three oldest kids. Cheryl took a picture of the four of us at my favorite time of a race: when it was OVER! After the Tulsa run … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged A.T. Robertson, acid test, Apelles, approved, assurance, authenticity of gold, crown of life, crown of righteousness, diadem, dokimos, games, Genesis 29, genuine faith, I Corinthians 13:7, I Peter 1:6-7, II Timothy 4:7-8, Jacob, James 1:12 sermon, Josephus, kingly crown, love, Matthew 13, nitric acid, once saved always saved, Parable of the Sower, perserverance, perseverance of love, possession of faith, profession of faith, proof of your faith, Rachel, Romans 16:10, salvation prayer, stamp of authenticity, stephanos, tested faith, tests, tests for gold, trials, Tulsa Run, victor's crown, What Real Faith Looks Like
3 Comments
“Comforting the Afflicted & Afflicting the Comfortable” James 1:9-11
In the early 1900’s, humorist Finley Peter Dunne said that “The newspaper does everything for us. It runs the police force and the banks, commands the militia, controls the legislature, baptizes the young, marries the foolish, comforts the afflicted and … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged bung hole, comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable, Death, dust, eternity, Finley Peter Dunne, Hamlet, Isaiah 40:6-7, James 1:9-11 sermon, Luke 12:13-21, materialism, money, poor, poor Christians, poverty, Prince William inheritance, prosperity preaching, Revelation 2:9, rich, rich Christians, rich man and heaven, riches, self-image, Shakespeare, Sylvester Stallone, the democracy of death, The RIch Fool, The Rich Man and Lazarus, Your Best Life Now
8 Comments
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