This Week in “Paradise” August 20

Posted on 2012/08/20 by Shawn Thomas

Many naive church members consider the pastor’s home to be a “paradise” on earth. We prove otherwise every week! 🙂

Pop Goes The Weasel!

When Libby and Josh came home for the weekend, they were entertained by20120820-210255.jpghow Eponine, our baby kitten, kept jumping into and out of a little brown paper grocery sack. After watching her toy with the sack for a bit, Michael decided to “wrap her up” in the sack and bring her to me as a “surprise gift.” I opened the top of the sack, and looked down into it, and immediately recoiled, as Eponine rocketed out of the sack and jumped straight at my face in a fiery combination of a jack-in-the-box and a clawed demon! I yelped, she hit the ground running, and the kids all doubled over with laughter!

Continue reading →

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Casting Aside For Jesus

Posted on 2012/08/20 by Shawn Thomas

Mark 10:50 “and casting aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.”

Bartimaeus was a “blind beggar” when he met Jesus, :46 says.  His cloak was undoubtedly one of his few possessions.  It was probably the one thing he always held close to himself.  But when he had the opportunity to meet Jesus, the scripture says here he “cast it aside”.  What was so dear, was cast aside in light of the surpassing greatness of the opportunity to fellowship with the Lord, and the blessing He had to offer.

What a life lesson for us!  How many things are “near and dear” to us, which should be “cast aside” in light of the surpassing greatness of Jesus? Continue reading →

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“What James’ Faith Looked Like” (James 1:1)

Posted on 2012/08/19 by Shawn Thomas

     David Boudia just won the gold medal in the 10 meter diving competition in the London Olympics.  In 2008 he also participated in the Olympics, and afterwards he went to college at Purdue.  He immediately immersed himself in the party scene there, and did everything he could to pursue pleasure, and his own personal glory.  But like a lot of people who are doing that very thing at college right now, he found that it all proved to be hollow.  And when it did, his diving coach was there to lead him to faith in Jesus as His Lord & Savior.  Boudia was different at the London games.  After he won the gold medal in London, he was interviewed by NBC’s Al Michaels, in which he summarized the priorities of his life in just a few brief words: “My faith is the most important thing in my life, and this is what’s brought me through this (sic) 2012 Games.”         

     James does a very similar thing here in the very first verse of his book: he tells us a lot about himself and his priorities in just a few brief words: Continue reading →

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Sing and Don’t Be Silent!

Posted on 2012/08/19 by Shawn Thomas

As many of us head off to our church worship services today, we would do well to remember the way that Psalm 30 ends: “That my soul may sing praise to Thee and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give thanks to Thee forever.” Continue reading →

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The Meaning of Forgiveness

Posted on 2012/08/18 by Shawn Thomas

David Boudia almost did not make it to the Olympic finals.  He had a poor preliminary round in the 10 meter diving competition, and just barely qualified to go to the final round.  But fortunately, under the Olympic diving rules, his preliminary scores were all erased when he came to the finals.  He was able to start anew, and with a “clean slate”, he won the gold medal!

David Boudia’s experience of having his poor scores erased is a good analogy of the forgiveness that Psalm 32 tells us that God gives us when we confess our sins.  Notice in  verses 1 & 2 that there are 3 expressions which indicate what God does with confessed sin: Continue reading →

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The Blessing of Forgiveness

Posted on 2012/08/17 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 32:1 opens: “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!”

The world has an entirely different idea of what it means to be blessed.  They would put it (whether stated or not) “How blessed is the RICH person” or the “famous” person, or the “attractive” person, or the person who has achieved the worldly definition of “success.”  And unfortunately, too many of God’s people have bought into those same conceptions of the blessed life.  We feel good when we have these “blessings”, or envy those who do. Continue reading →

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When The Moral Compass Is Broken

Posted on 2012/08/16 by Shawn Thomas

Genesis 34 is an ugly chapter in the history of the Patriarchs.  In it, Shechem, a young Canaanite, takes Jacob’s daughter Dinah and “lay with her by force.”  Dinah’s brothers then deceive Shechem and his whole town, telling them that they will consent to intermarry with them if they will only be circumcised.  Then, when the entire male population is in the throes of recuperation from the procedure, Jacob’s sons kill Shechem and every male citizen, and pillage their town.  It is a sordid tale. Continue reading →

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My Times Are In Your Hand

Posted on 2012/08/15 by Shawn Thomas

David Boudia, who just won the gold medal in the 10 meter platform diving in the 2012 Olympics in London, had a very shaky preliminary round, and thought he might not even make it to the finals.  But he was calm about it.  He was quoted in the Baptist Press (8-13-12) as saying: “The coolest thing about this is that I know that God is perfect and sovereign, and if I made it, great.  If I didn’t, great.  I was totally content …”.  Boudia had peace about his Olympic results, because he knew that God was sovereign.  His attitude was similar to that of David’s in Psalm 31:15, when he wrote: “My times are in Your hand.” Continue reading →

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Memorizing James

Posted on 2012/08/14 by Shawn Thomas

Last Sunday morning, as we began a new sermon series at First Baptist Moss Bluff on the Book of James, I encouraged each of our church members to begin to memorize the book. 

I am excited about the response to this challenge so far.  A number of people have told me that they have started memorizing James, and I have seen others post on Facebook and indicate in other ways that they are doing the same thing.  Whether you are a member of FBC Moss Bluff or not, I would encourage you to join us, and hide this powerful portion of God’s word in your heart.  You will not regret it!

As encouraging as the response has been, many confess to having difficulty memorizing scripture.  While all of us do not have the same gift for memorizing, we can all make an effort.  Let me offer a few “helpful hints” for memorizing James, or any larger portion of scripture: Continue reading →

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A Divine Decision

Posted on 2012/08/14 by Shawn Thomas

Proverbs 16:10 is a good word for anyone holding a position of authority or influence:  “A divine decision is in the lips of the king; his mouth should not err (be unfaithful) in judgment.”

At first one might wonder why the Proverb calls it a “divine decision”? Continue reading →

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