Outlasting Old Habits

Posted on 2014/11/12 by Shawn Thomas

Nehemiah learned that if you want to bring about change, you have to stay on top of it. Having led the people of Israel to re-establish many of the practices of the Law, including supporting the Levites with their tithes, Nehemiah went back to Babylon to see King Artaxerxes. But when he returned to Jerusalem, 13:10 tells us “I also discovered that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who had performed the services had gone away, each to his own field.” There’s a lesson here which many of us can apply:

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Gladness & Sincerity — Or Not!

Posted on 2014/11/11 by Shawn Thomas

A wiseacre once observed that in politics, sincerity is the most important thing; once you can fake that, you have it made! But the truth is, people can usually tell the difference. It is striking to read in Acts 2:46 that as a result of the Holy Spirit’s work in the newborn church at Jerusalem, “they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart.” So attractive was this heart-felt fellowship to those who saw it, that the next verse describes that people were being added to the church every day. “Gladness & sincerity” in a church’s fellowship are attractive — which is just where many of our churches are missing it.

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In His Sight

Posted on 2014/11/07 by Shawn Thomas

It’s not what everyone else thinks about you that matters. People may believe you to be a person of integrity, or never, ever hear you say anything bad – but they are not your judge, because they don’t know all of your words and thoughts, do they? That is why David prays in Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in YOUR sight, O Yahweh, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

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Help From The God of Jacob

Posted on 2014/11/06 by Shawn Thomas

Many of us know what it feels like to be in a time of distress. Maybe you would say you are in a time like that now. Psalm 20 reminds us that it matters who you look to for your help. Verse 1 begins: “May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high.”

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A Source of Joy

Posted on 2014/11/05 by Shawn Thomas

Nehemiah 8:17 tells us that when Israel celebrated The Feast of Booths, “there was great rejoicing.” There was a good reason for that which many of us could learn from.

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Does Your Bible Study Change Your Life?

Posted on 2014/11/04 by Shawn Thomas

Nehemiah 8:13-18 gives us a great example of how we should apply our Bible studies. Meeting together with Ezra to study the scripture, :14 says that the people of Israel “found written in the Law how the LORD had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month.” But although God had commanded it to be done, :17 says that Israel had not observed The Feast of Booths since the days of Joshua. How would Israel respond after this “Bible study”?

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“The Discipline of Discipling” (II Timothy 2:2 sermon)

Posted on 2014/11/03 by Shawn Thomas

(Preached at First Baptist, Pauls Valley, OK 11-02-14)

The group picture of Hayden Fry’s 1983 University of Iowa football team has become famous, not necessarily because of the games the team won, but because of what became of its coaching staff. The assistants on Fry’s staff that year would go on to become some of the most successful and well-known head coaches in college football. Among them were Kansas State’s Bill Snyder; Kirk Ferentz at Iowa — and our own Bob Stoops at the University of Oklahoma! In a very real way Fry’s career should be judged not merely on the number of the wins and losses he had in his program, but in the men he trained and sent out to coach in his footsteps.
This is the mindset we need to adopt as Christians. Being a disciple of Christ is not just about each of us following Jesus personally, but also involves passing our commitment on to the next generations of disciples.

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A Scriptural Guide For Including Children In Worship

Posted on 2014/11/03 by Shawn Thomas

The age at which small children should join their parents in worship can be a contentious issue. Is it merely a matter of preference, or can it be resolved scripturally? We may find a hint in Nehemiah 8:2 “Then Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding …”.

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What You Should Covet

Posted on 2014/10/30 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 19:10, culminating the chapter’s description of God’s word, says, “More to be desired are they than gold, yes than much fine gold.” The Hebrew word for “desired” is “hamad”, which means “desire, take pleasure in; covet” — in fact, lexicographers note that it is most often used in the negative sense of coveting. The details of this verse remind us of a great truth:

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His Judgments Are Right

Posted on 2014/10/29 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 19:9 ends: “The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether.” This verse should give us confidence both in the Word of God, and in the way that God deals with us personally:

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