Category Archives: Uncategorized

“The Lord Tests The Righteous” (Psalm 11:5 sermon)

Posted on 2020/07/20 by Shawn Thomas

During the Civil War, they got a new orderly, a young man to carry messages to and from President Abraham Lincoln. Not long after he started, someone offered him $100 (which was a lot of money back in the 1860’s!) … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19 crisis assorted messages, Current Events, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Abigail Adams, Affliction is a good man's shining time, Carl Sandburg Abraham Lincoln, character, compromise, COVID-19, COVID-19 time of testing, foundations destroyed, Genesis 42:15, God is on the throne, God of the Bible, God sovereignty, gold refined, heart, I AM, I AM THAT I AM, I Chronicles 29:17, it's a test, Job, Job 23:10, John Newton, Matthew 13 parable of the sower, Navy SEAL, Navy SEAL hell week, perseverance, perseverance of the saints, priorities, Psalm 11:5 sermon, Psalm 1:1, ring the bell, Say "This is a test!", sin, test, test heart, test of salvation, testing, The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord tests the righteous, William H. McRaven, Yahweh, YHWH | 5 Comments

“Dying, Yet Being Renewed” (II Corinthians 4:16 sermon)

Posted on 2020/07/13 by Shawn Thomas

Writing at age 75, mystery writer Agatha Christie observed: “With every year that passes, something has to be crossed off (my) list of pleasures. Long walks are off, and alas, bathing in the sea; fillet steaks and apples and raw … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19 crisis assorted messages, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged abortion, adoption, Agatha Christie, age, aging, aging process, Bible, body, body soul spirit, breath of life, Colossians 3:10, consecration, consequences of sin, COVID-19, daily Bible reading, daily quiet time, Death, decay, devotions, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, dying, Ephesians 3:16, Ephesians 4:18, eso, exo, exoskeleton, Facebook Live prayer meeting, Genesis 17, God, growing old, Holy Spirit, human life, human nature, I Thessalonians 5:23, II Corinthians 4:16, II Corinthians 4:16 sermon, II Corinthians 5:17, Ingrid Newkirk PETA founder, inner, inner man, Isaiah 59:2, Jesus Christ, joy, joy in the Lord, Live Stream worship, living soul, Luke 12:33 moth, new creation, new creature, new man, new self, outer man, pain is a holy angel, patience with others, patience with self, process of sanctification, regeneration, renewing mind, Romans 12:1-2, Romans 8:28, salvation, sanctification, sin, soul, spirit, word of God, Zoom | Leave a comment

Book Review: Reflections on the Existence of God

Posted on 2020/07/11 by Shawn Thomas

Instead of closing with the perfunctory “I was sent this book in exchange for reading it and promising to write a review,” I am going to open with it. Because that is exactly how I encountered this book. But I … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Uncategorized | Tagged apologetics, apology, C.S. Lewis, creation, Darwininsm, evolution, faith, faith and science, God, materialistic humanism, Reflections on the Existence of God, Richard E. Simmons III, science | Leave a comment

The Providences of 1776

Posted on 2020/07/05 by Shawn Thomas

I’ve made a personal “tradition” of reading David McCullough’s 1776 on the 4th of July for the last couple of years. The book is a marvelous retelling of this pivotal year in the story of America. A repeated theme that … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, History, Reviews, Sermon Illustrations, Uncategorized | Tagged 1776, 4th of July, America, America and the providence of God, America God, American history, American Revolution, Battle of Brooklyn fog, David McCullough, David McCullough 1776, George Washington, history, Independence Day, providence, providence and American Revolution, providences, the providence of God, Trenton, United States of America | Leave a comment

“His Grace Prevails” (Psalm 117 sermon)

Posted on 2020/06/29 by Shawn Thomas

Last Sunday we spent some time looking at Psalm 101:3, which gives us an important commitment towards holiness: “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not fasten … Continue reading →

Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Advocate with the Father, all nations, all people, chesed, David and Bathsheba, David heaven, Derek Kidner, Ephesians 2 dead in sin, Ephesians 2 grace, Exodus 34:6-7, forgiveness, God’s grace, grace, grace that is greater than all our sin, hesed, His Grace Prevails, His lovingkindness is everlasting, His mercy endures forever, I John 2 sin, II Samuel 9:3, John Bunyan Grace Abounding To the Chief of Sinners, John Bunyan testimony, John Mark McMillan if grace is an ocean, John Newton Amazing Grace, love, lovingkindness, Martin Luther chesed grace, Mephibosheth, mercy, Peter grace, Psalm 107, Psalm 117, Psalm 117:2, Psalm 51 grace, racial prejudice, Revelation 7:9, temptation, the chesed of YHWH, Whoever will call, why should I let you into My heaven? | 6 Comments

“No Worthless Thing” (Psalm 101:3 sermon)

Posted on 2020/06/22 by Shawn Thomas

On this Father’s Day, we can remember one of the great “Father/Son” teams in American history, John Adams, and his son, John Quincy Adams, both of whom served as President of the United States. When he was only ten years … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Abigail Adams, belial, Bible sword, billboards, books, Cary Grant Phillis Brooks, commercials, commitment to holiness, Daspe survey pornography, David and Bathsheba, Eve saw, family, Fathers Day, forgiveness, God, grace, grace of God, heaven, holiness, horses peripheral vision, I John 2:16, internet, internet pornography, internet search, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, lead us not into temptation, Love Later Brand Hatch Hajela, lust of the eyes, marriage, Matthew 4 temptation, model prayer, moral thread in books, No Worthless Thing, Philippians 4:8, pornography, pornography addiction, Psalm 101, Psalm 101:3, pursuit of holiness, reading, relationship with God, salvation, sanctification, Satan, scripture memory, sons of belial, surfing the internet, television, temptation, the lamp of the body is the eye, trap, tv watching, warning, word of God | 7 Comments

“Waiting For Our King” (Psalm 110 sermon)

Posted on 2020/06/15 by Shawn Thomas

When I was growing up I loved the story of Robin Hood — I had an oversized green t-shirt that I would wear, with a brown belt around my waist, as I would take my bow & arrows out into … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19 crisis assorted messages, Current Events, Doctrine/Theology, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "until" in the New Testament, abortion, cancer, Christ King, COVID-19, Deity of Christ, end times, enemies a footstool, every knee will bow, Exodus 35:29, Free French, freewill offering, German "blitzkreig", Hebrews 2:8, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, humanity of Christ, I give myself, I heard the bells Civil War origin, I heard the bells on Christmas Day song, India persecution of Christians, interim, Jesus Christ is Lord, John Quincy Adams, King John on England, Matthew 22:43-45, Matthew 24:45-46, Messiah Jesus, nedabah freewill offering, Paradise Lost, peace on earth good will to men, people volunteer freely, Philippians 2, Psalm 110, Psalm 110:1, Psalm 110:3, race, racial tension, return of Christ, return of the King, Richard the Lionheart, Robin Hood, Romans 12:1, servants, service, slaves, Son of David, Son of God, there is no peace on earth I said, Tiglath Pilezer, U.S. Civil War, until every knee bows, Vichy French, volunteer, willing servants | Leave a comment

“The Ministry of the Intercessor” (Psalm 106:19-23 sermon)

Posted on 2020/06/08 by Shawn Thomas

Congressman Kellogg of Illinois read the reply from Secretary of War Stanton: the stay of execution for a young man from his home state had been denied. The young man was scheduled to be executed at sunrise the next day. … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19 crisis assorted messages, Discipleship, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Abigail intercession, Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln pardon, Carl Sandburg Abraham Lincoln, Christ intercessor, church and prayer, Colossians 1:9, daily quiet time, devotion time, emotional cost, Ephesians 6:18, Ezekiel 22:30, Facebook prayer requests, I Peter 2:24, I Timothy 2:1, I Timothy 2:5, intercede, intercession, intercessory prayer, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 59:2, James 5:16, Jesus only way, mediator, ministry of intercession, morning prayer time, Moses stood in the breach, Phinehas intercession, prayer, prayer and fasting, prayer for the lost, prayer for the sick, prayer for wisdom, prayer in worship service, praying, priority of prayer, Psalm 106:19-23, Romans 10:1, salvation, stand in the breach, stand in the gap, Tad Lincoln intercession, the cost of intercession, time | 2 Comments

“Preparing the Way for Our King” (Luke 3 sermon)

Posted on 2020/06/01 by Shawn Thomas

In 1789 George Washington was elected as the first President of the United States — and the country went wild with celebration. Washington, who was reluctant to take the office, left his home at Mount Vernon to make his way … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19 crisis assorted messages, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "rededicate your life", Bible Reading, change of mind, confession, COVID-19, daily Bible reading, First Baptist Church, George Washington, Isaiah 40, John the Baptist, Luke 3, preparation, rededication, repent, repentance, revival, sin, specific repentance, Then what shall I do?, U-turn, u-turn absolutely required | Leave a comment

“Coming Back To Worship ‘In The Spirit'” (Luke 2:27 sermon)

Posted on 2020/05/18 by Shawn Thomas

It’s good to see people starting to come back and participate in our worship services again — it’s been growing over the last 2-3 weeks, and hopefully that will continue. But many are suggesting that we won’t ever get back … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19 crisis assorted messages, Discipleship, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 1:8, baptism in the Holy Spirit, church, church attendance, church like an orchestra, cleanse yourselves, confession of sin, daily Bible reading, daily quiet time, devotions, don't mortgage your Sunday morning, Ephesians 1:13, expectation for worship, faith, full of the Spirit, Hebrews 10:25, Hebrews 11:6, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit and salvation, Holy Spirit in you, I Corinthians 11 Lord's Supper, II TImothy 2:21, indwelling Holy Spirit, Isaiah 1, Isaiah 1:18, John 15:5, Luke 2:27 sermon, Luke Holy Spirit, morning worship time, One God Three Persons, Person of the Holy Spirit, preparation for worship, prepare for worship, prepare worship, Puritans, rest Sunday, Romans 8:9, salvation, Saturday night, sealed in the Holy Spirit, sermon note taking, sermon notes, Simeon, sin, spirit, spiritual preparation for worship, Sunday morning worship attire, Trinity, wash yourselves, worship, worship expectancy, worship preparation | Leave a comment