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 18:21-35, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Forgiveness," for 3/29/26
- 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)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 16:13-26, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "Following Jesus" for 3/15/26
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 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
“My Redeemer Lives” (Easter sermon, Job 19)
Last Sunday we shared the story of Oscar Schindler, the German businessman who literally “redeemed” over 1200 Jewish prisoners from death in German concentration camps by bribing guards and bringing the prisoners in to work in his business. The picture … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Leave a comment
Are You Ready For The King?
Matthew 3:3 tells us that years before John the Baptist appeared, Isaiah prophesied that his basic message would be: “Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.” The picture the Old Testament prophet was conveying is that … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged consecration, Matthew 3:3, preparation, revival
Leave a comment
Fears, Circumstances & Providence
After the wicked King Herod died in Matthew 2, an angel told Joseph that he could take Jesus and Mary back to Israel. But it wasn’t that easy. There would be some “complications”: verse 22 tells us that Herod’s son … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Home & Family Life, Uncategorized
Tagged circumstances, faith, God's will, Matthew 2, Matthew 2:23, providence, purpose, trust
Leave a comment
“My Redeemer” (Job 19 sermon)
(Palm Sunday/Lord’s Supper service 3-20-16) If you want to make my wife Cheryl groan, just mention the Book of Job. I think she feels like we lived through that book for about two years as a family, and indeed Job … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged I John 2:2, Job, Job 19:25, Lord's Supper, mediator, My Redeemer Lives, Oscar Schindler, Palm Sunday, redeemer, redemption, salvation, sin, umpire
Leave a comment
From Joy To Crisis: The Principle of Undulating Circumstances
It is difficult to imagine how amazing it must have been for Mary & Joseph to experience the visit of the magi — and to receive from them the opulent gifts that they brought. What an emotional “high” they must … Continue reading
Dissembling Politicians — And Others …
“And (Herod) sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.’” (Matthew 2:8) Do we need to be … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged dissembling, elections, hypocrisy, Matthew 2:8, politicians
2 Comments
“A Ruler, Who Will Shepherd”
When King Herod asked the chief priests and scribes where the Christ was to be born, they quoted Micah 5:2 to him: “And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged authority, I Peter 5:1-3, leader, leadership, Matthew 2:6, parenting, pastoring, Psalm 2, ruler, shepherding
1 Comment
A Model of Obedience
Although the character of Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, does not appear for long in the gospels, what we see of him there is commendable. In just the first chapter of Matthew alone, he modeled obedience to God in a number … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged example, faith, Joseph, Matthew 1:24-25, obedience
Leave a comment
“The Disciple’s Character: Persecuted” (Matthew 5:10-12 sermon)
Henry Blackaby, the author of Experiencing God, one time prayed a prayer that many of us have perhaps prayed at one time or another: “Lord, make me like You.” But Blackaby shared that when he prayed those words, God directed … Continue reading
Posted in "The Disciple's Character" series (Beatitudes Mt. 5:3-12), Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Beatitudes, character, character of Christ, disciple's character, hate crimes, Henry Blackaby, homosexuality, I Peter 2:20, India, Isaiah 53, Matthew 5:10-12 sermon, Matthew 5:3-12, persecuted for righteousness, persecution, RSS, suffering, William Tyndale
Leave a comment
shawnethomas 