By The Will of God

Posted on 2014/02/17 by Shawn Thomas

In Colossians 1:1 Paul wrote that he was an apostle “by the will of God.” This is an extremely important assertion. He had not taken this mantle upon himself; God had purposed and given it to him. It should be the goal for each of us to be able to say the same thing about ourselves, and our place of service.

Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Knowing Him

Posted on 2014/02/14 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 3:3 David said: “But You, YHWH, are a shield about me …”. It is instructive that the enemies of David, the “naysayers”, said: “There is no help for him in God” — the word “God” there is the Hebrew “Elohim”, which is a general name for God. But in his response, David said, “But you, O YHWH, are a shield for me …”. YHWH, of course, is the personal, covenant name of God, the name He gave Moses when he asked Him what His name was.

Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Don’t Listen To What “Everybody” Is Saying

Posted on 2014/02/13 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 3:2 David writes: “Many are saying to my soul, ‘there is no salvation for him in God’.” The Psalm tells us that David’s situation was indeed bleak: he wrote it when he was in the cave, fleeing from Absalom during his rebellion. Things did not look good for David, and evidently he wasn’t getting a lot of encouragement either. “MANY” were saying that there was no hope for him.

One of the things this Psalm should remind us of is that what the “many” are saying is not always right! Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Breaking the Chain: The Sons of Korah

Posted on 2014/02/12 by Shawn Thomas

Some people feel as if they are “doomed to failure” due to a sin their parents committed, or because of something unsavory in their family background. The story of the sons of Korah reminds us that we are not consigned to failure because of our family heritage.

Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

But You …

Posted on 2014/02/11 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 3, David is almost overwhelmed by the increase of his enemies, and the hopelessness of his situation. And this was not only his own perception. Verse 2 says “MANY are saying of my soul, ‘there is no deliverance for him in God.'” It looked very bleak, and the “Selah” probably indicates a pause to meditate on the situation, which at that time looked hopeless. But the next words would change everything:

Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Are YOU Sure of a Good Conscience?

Posted on 2014/02/10 by Shawn Thomas

In Hebrews 13:18 the author writes: “Pray for us, we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.” That is quite a statement to make: “we are sure that we have a good conscience.” I wonder how many of us could honestly write the same thing? And yet it should be the goal for each of us!

Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Model Prayer and Your Request

Posted on 2014/02/07 by Shawn Thomas

We saw here how what is often referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer” of Matthew 6:9-13 is really a model for our daily prayers. But it can also serve as a guide for the way that we pray for specific issues or requests.

Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Model Prayer

Posted on 2014/02/06 by Shawn Thomas

The Model Prayer of Matthew 6:9-13 (often referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer”) is probably the single most familiar prayer in history, yet it is often misunderstood. It was never meant to be used as a “rote” prayer, word-for-word. Jesus didn’t say “pray this”, but rather “pray IN THIS WAY” — in other words, it was a MODEL for the way that we are to address God.

Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Psalm 3:3 “My Shield”

Posted on 2014/02/05 by Shawn Thomas

The following is a message from Psalm 3:3, preached at Trinity Baptist, Norman on August 11, 2013. It shares the testimony of my illness and resignation from FBC Moss Bluff, and of God’s purposes for our trials. This verse has been an anchor for my soul the past two years. The Lord is indeed “my shield, my glory and the lifter of my head.”

This link will take you to the Trinity, Norman podcast site. If you will scroll down the page to the August 11, p.m. service, you will find my message, entitled, Psalm 3:3, “My Shield”:

http://trinitynorman.podbean.com/page/5/

(While at the website, you may also want to listen to some of the sermons by Pastor Ronnie Rogers, and Associate Pastor Ryan Polk, two of the finest men, and best preachers I know.)

Posted in Home & Family Life, POTS (dysautonomia) articles, Sermons | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Psalm 3:3 “My Shield” (preached Aug. 11, 2013 at Trinity, Norman)

Posted on 2014/02/05 by Shawn Thomas

I wrote the much of the following message during the summer of 2012, when I was on medical leave as pastor of FBC Moss Bluff, LA with dyautonomia (POTS). I would later resign the church in February of 2013, selling our home and many of our possessions, facing what was humanly speaking an uncertain future. Little did we know that the Lord would completely restore my health that summer, and that He would indeed be “the lifter of my head.” But throughout the past 18 months, this message — and most importantly, the promise of the Lord behind it — has been an anchor for my soul. I have had the opportunity to share it in several churches in Oklahoma, including our current home church, Trinity Baptist of Norman, where this message was recorded. I hope that the Lord will use it to minister to you, and to others you may know who are walking through difficult days.

http://media61.podbean.com/pb/2934aeb0a0440420e74b27e571bead2c/52ed8ce6/data2/blogs49/471138/uploads/2013-08-11pm.mp3

Posted in Home & Family Life, Ministry, Sermons | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment