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.
-
Top Posts & Pages
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 17:1-13, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Glory," for 3/22/26
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 16:13-26, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "Following Jesus" for 3/15/26
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 15:1-11+, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson for March 8, 2026, "Real Devotion"
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "The Word That Sustains In Difficult Days" (Habakkuk 2:1-3 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: Uncategorized
The Man In The Middle
“There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between.” (John 19:18) The physical arrangement of Jesus and the two thieves on the three crosses could not possibly have been a random … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged choice, cross, decision, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John 19:18, men on the cross, salvation, thief on the cross
Leave a comment
The Height of Hypocrisy
“Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.” (John 18:28) Jesus had previously condemned … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged chuch attendance, deacon, deacon qualifications, employees, Great Commission, hypocrisy, I Timothy 3, inconsistency, John 18:28, legalism, Matthew 23:24, mercy, pastor, pastor qualifications, Pharisees, Roberts Rules of Order, strain out a gnat and swallow a camel, tithing
Leave a comment
“Your Best Investment” (Matthew 6:19-24 sermon)
In his epic novel “Les Miserables”, Victor Hugo writes about a rich, retired merchant who attended the church in the town — M. Geborand — who had accumulated an estate of 2,000,000 francs in the manufacture of cloth. M. Geborand … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Matthew sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged budget, Burke United Christian Ministries, Dr. David Burleson, eternity, faith, finances, Genesis 28, giving, He is no fool, heaven, Houston flood, I Peter 1, I Timothy 5, III John, imperishable, investments, Jesus, Jim Eliott, kingdom of God, local church, loss, Luke 12:16, mammon, material possessions, Matthew 19, Matthew 6:19-24, money, pastor support, perishable, rich young ruler, tithe, treasure, Walt Disney World
Leave a comment
“Put The Sword Into The Sheath”
“So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:11) Jesus spoke these words in response to the actions of Peter in :10, when … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged boycott, Christianity, Islam, Islam or the sword, John 18:11, love your enemies, Matthew 5:44, non-violence, policy, politics, sword, war
Leave a comment
The Model Prayer in John 17
In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus gave His disciples the Model Prayer, which provides at least 6 “agenda topics” that God wants us to address with Him when we pray (see message here). But Jesus didn’t just commend a model to us; … Continue reading
The World Does Not Know Him
“O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.” (John 17:25) Jesus makes it clear in this verse that those who are not His disciples in … Continue reading
The Eternal Love of Heaven
“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John … Continue reading
His Eternal Plan For You
“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may behold My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John … Continue reading
“The Importance of Forgiving Others” (Matthew 6:14-15 sermon)
Several years ago a pastor went on a trip to England, where a Catholic priest told him and his wife a story about Lady Spencer, the mother of Princess Diana (who had been killed in a tragic car accident on … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged American Christianity, Augustine of Hippo, Bill Elliff, bitterness, Constantine baptism, daily sins, devotional time, eclipse, Emmet Fox gulp acid, Ephesians 4:32, fellowship with God, forgiveness, forgiving others, God, God holy, holiness of God, I John 1:7, John 15:5, Lady Spencer, Matthew 6:14-15 sermon, Michael Thomas' Hallelujah lyrics, model prayer, Peter Brown, Princess Diana, quiet time, salvation, sins, Stephen Acts 7, unforgiveness
6 Comments
Jesus’ Prayer Request: Unity In His People
One of the outstanding characteristics of the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus in John 17 is the repetition of His prayers for the unity of His people. At least FOUR TIMES in His intercession He asks the Father to make … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged church, John 17, Philippians 2, prayer, sacrifice, unity
Leave a comment
shawnethomas 