Category Archives: Uncategorized

“Prayers For Those You Love” (Philippians 1:7-11 sermon)

Posted on 2020/02/24 by Shawn Thomas

During the American War for Independence, John Adams, one of our Founding Fathers, corresponded with his wife Abigail, and thankfully their letters back & forth have been preserved for us. They are full of humor, and history, and love. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Philippians sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged A.T. Robertson, Abigail Adams, agape love, Benny Hinn Trinity, Beyonce medley in church, Bible, church ministry practice, counterfeit dollars, discernment, fruit, fruit of righteousness, grow in love, Hebrews 5:14, heresy, I Corinthians 13:4-8, I John 1:7, I John 4:1, I Peter 1:22, intercession, John Adams, John Adams prayer, know them by their fruits, knowledge, love, love in the church, Love is patient, Matthew 7:16, phileo love, Philippians 1, Philippians 1:7-11 sermon, prayer requests, prayers, praying, sacrificial love, salvation, theology | 1 Comment

“A Confident Future” (Philippians 1:3-6 sermon)

Posted on 2020/02/18 by Shawn Thomas

Last week Cheryl & I went with Scott & Tina to get some fruit trees at the Fairgrounds — and we bought two different avocado trees and two satsumas. I LOVE avocados, so if those trees really produce a good … Continue reading →

Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Philippians sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Aaron Ausmus police chief, Acts 16, anxiety, Apostle Paul prayer, avocado trees Texas, baptism, believe, building fund, Christianity, church, confidence, eternal security, faith, faith in Jesus saves, family prayer, fellowship, future, giving, God's protection, good deeds, good deeds vs. bad, gospel, gospel message, He who began a good work, He Will Hold Me Fast, I will never leave you, Isalm, Jesus prayer, John 17:12, judgment, keep them in prayer, Keith & Krysten Getty, koinonia, Lydia, ministry, missions, missions giving, Nabeel Qureshi, once saved always saved, participation, perseverance of the saints, Philippi, Philippian jailer, Philippians, Philippians 1:3-6, Philippians 2:13, Philippians 4:6, Philippians sermon, prayer, prayer warrior, praying, protection, Psalm 14, Romans 3, Romans 8:28-30, saving faith, scales of judgment, Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, service, share, The Ballpark in Arlington, there is none good, tithe, What must I do to be saved?, worry | 1 Comment

“The People of Joy” (Philippians 1:1-2 sermon)

Posted on 2020/02/10 by Shawn Thomas

A few weeks ago I mentioned Hudson Taylor, who began a great mission work in China in the 1800’s. While he was there, the work was difficult, and funds were getting low, but he reported to one of his friends … Continue reading →

Posted in Philippians sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "I Give Up" discipleship class, "The Pursuit of Holiness" discipleship class, Apostle Paul, bondservants, bondservants of Christ, church at Philippi, conditions of the gospel, deacons, Ephesians 1, Ephesians 2:8-9, faith, forgiveness, Galatians 5:13, gladness, God's will, grace, hagioi, hagios, happiness, happiness and holiness, happy, holiness, holy, Holy Spirit, Hudson Taylor, I Corinthians 6:19-20, in Christ Jesus, introduction to Philippians, joy, Lordship, Lordship of Christ, Luke 6:46, Martin Lloyd-Jones Philippians, Matthew 20:27, Matthew 8:9, Matthew Henry happy holy, my will, overseers, people of joy, Philippi, Philippians, Philippians 1 sermon, Philippians 1:1-2, Philippians sermon, Psalm 4:7, saints, salvation, salvation by grace, sin, slaves, slaves of Christ, spiritual blessing Ephesians 1, surrender, temptation, Thomas Brooks happiness holiness, Thy will, Thy will be done | Leave a comment

“Defective Discipleship” (Matthew 26:58 sermon)

Posted on 2020/01/26 by Shawn Thomas

Several times in recent weeks I have mentioned Martin Luther, the German Reformer of the 1500’s. After he brought the authority of the Bible, and salvation by grace through faith, back to the forefront of Christianity, he was not satisfied … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Archie Leach, baptism, baptism and discipleship, Cary Grant military, Christian finances, commitment, discipleship, distant discipleship, evangelism, following at a distance, forgiveness, grace, limited discipleship, Lordship, Luke 6:46, Luke 9:23, Martin Luther, Martin Luther discipleship, Matthew 10:37, Matthew 26:58, Matthew 26:58 sermon, Matthew 27:48-49, ministry, real discipleship, spectator discipleship, witnessing, worship, worship participation, worship service criticism | 1 Comment

“Becoming An Acts 1:8 Church” (Acts 1:8 sermon)

Posted on 2020/01/20 by Shawn Thomas

(Preached at First Baptist Church, Angleton, TX Missions Conference 1/19/20) In the 1800’s Hudson Taylor was called by God to go to China, where he spent 51 years as a missionary and founded the Inland China Mission, which ended up … Continue reading →

Posted in Ministry, missions, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 1:8, Acts 1:8 Christian, Acts 1:8 church, Acts 1:8 concentric circles, Acts 1:8 Offering, Acts 1:8 sermon, American Dream, Angleton Christian School, applying Acts 1:8, Baptist Association, Brazoria County, Bulgaria, call of God mission, Chuck Beem, church, church programs, Dan Shuman Mazatlan Back-2-Back, ends of the earth, Ephesians 1:13, evangelism, Freeport Port Ministry, gimmicks and church, giving, gospel, grace, Great Commission, Gulf Coast Baptist Association, Holy Spirit, Hudson Taylor China mission, I Corinthians 12:13, I Corinthians 15:1-4, Jerusalem, Jerusalem Judea Samaria, Jesus is our message, John 15:5, Judea, Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, Luke 24:45-47, message of Acts 1:8, ministry, mission, missions offering, Power for Acts 1:8, Romans 8:9, Samaria, Scope of Acts 1:8, seeking God, Sunday School, witness, Zechariah 4:6 | 3 Comments

“On The Alert” (I Peter 5:8-11 sermon)

Posted on 2020/01/13 by Shawn Thomas

Following the death of General Qasem Soleimani last week in Iraq, U.S. citizens and military in the Middle East were put on the alert: Iran had promised to avenge Soleimani’s death; everyone needed to beware of revenge attacks that could … Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged accuser, adversary, battle, Christian warfare, demons, devil, doubt, enemy, Ephesians 2:1, Ephesians 6, Ephesians 6:17, faith, false prophets, false teachers, Genesis 3, God, God good, He who is not for me is against me, I John 4:1, I Peter 5, I Peter 5:8-11 sermon, II Corinthians 10:3-5, II Corinthians 2:11, Job 1, knowledge, lie, life is a battle, Martin Luther, Martin Luther Anfechtungen, Martin Luther devil, Matthew 4 Jesus temptation, on the alert, prince of the power of the air, Psalm 119:68, Psalm 91:11-12, Qasem Soleimani death, resist devil, Revelation 12:12, Romans 10:17, Satan, Satan accuser, speculations, spiritual armor, spiritual battle, spiritual umbrella, spiritual warfare, spiritual weapons, stand firm, sword of the Spirit, taking every thought captive, temptation, testimony, thoughts, truth, word of God, You are good and do good, Zechariah 3 | 1 Comment

“Humility In The Church” (I Peter 5:1-7 sermon)

Posted on 2020/01/06 by Shawn Thomas

On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 theological statements to the door of the Wittenburg church, and kicked off the Protestant Reformation. He called the church of God back to the authority of the word of God, and … Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 20:17, Acts 20:28, bishop, C.S. Lewis Screwtape Letters, Church ministry, elders, episkopos, forgiveness, George Friderick Handel, grace, humble, humble salvation, humble yourself, humble yourselves, humility, humility in the church, humility not thinking less of yourself, humility salvation, humility thinking of yourself less, I Peter 5:1-7 sermon, Lutheran name, Martin Luther, ministry, opinion, overseer, pastor, pastor example, pastor not lording, pastor pedestal, pastor pride, pastors, preference, pride, salvation, Shepherd, shepherds, Sunday School, Sunday School ministry, Sunday School teacher | 2 Comments

Family Gingerbread House Contest 2019

Posted on 2019/12/31 by Shawn Thomas

It’s time for the 2019 version of our annual Thomas Family Gingerbread House contest. As usual, we will post pictures and let you vote on your favorite — voting will close at midnight Jan. 1 and the winner will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

“The Christ of Christmas: His Humanity” (John 1:14 sermon)

Posted on 2019/12/23 by Shawn Thomas

Several years ago, the President of Ursuline College made headlines when she decided to move into the women’s dorm at the college. So many college professors and administrators are accused of living in their academic “ivory towers,” far removed from … Continue reading →

Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Docetism, Docetists, doctrine, doctrine of the Incarnation, Doctrine of the Trinity, Emmanuel God with us, empathy, flesh, flesh and blood, follow in His steps, Hebrews 10:4, Hebrews 2:14, Hebrews 2:17, Hebrews 2:18, Hebrews 4:15, I John 4:2-3, Imitating the Incarnation, Incarnation, incarnational ministry, incarnational missions, Isaiah 59:16, ivory tower, Jesus 100% man 100% God, Jesus Christ, Jesus death, Jesus humanity, Jesus man, Jesus manhood, Jesus poverty, Jesus propitiation, Jesus real man, John 19:28, John 19:34-35, John 1:14, John 4:6, Luke 24:39, Luke 2:21, Luke 2:24, Luke 2:52, Luke 2:7, Matthew 27:28-30, missionaries, missions, Missions Conference, Paul Harvey The Man and the Birds, prison ministry, salvation, sufferings of Christ, sympathy, Ursuline college president dorm, woman drowning Boston Harbor | Leave a comment

“The Christ of Christmas: His Deity” (John 1:1-3 sermon)

Posted on 2019/12/16 by Shawn Thomas

A couple of years ago the Nativity Scene in St. Albans, West Virginia got national attention. The scene was notable, because it included a stable, some sheep, camels & a donkey, and even some “visitors” – wise men – and … Continue reading →

Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 14:13-15, Bishop Dmitri Royster, change your life, Christ, Christ Christmas, Christmas, Colossians 2:9, Diety of Christ, forgiveness, fullness of God, God with us, Gospels, Hebrews 1, Herschel Hobbs, I AM, Immanuel, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus Christ God, Jesus claim to be God, Jesus Creator, John 10:30, John 1:1, John 1:1-3, John 20:28, John 8:56-59, keep Christ in Christmas, Matthew 1:23 God with us, Mormons, Philippians 2:9, pleroma, resurrection of Jesus, Revelation 19:10, salvation, St. Albans West Virginia nativity scene, The Christ of Christmas, the name which is above every name, virgin birth | Leave a comment