When The Preacher Can’t Preach

Posted on 2011/04/02 by Shawn Thomas

Once again, I find myself uniquely qualified to write about this topic, because it doesn’t look like I am going to be preaching tomorrow morning.  I have had a cold since Wednesday, went home from the office with it Thursday, and since Friday have had a very painful sore throat, and cannot raise my voice above a low whisper.  I have tried a number of home remedies, including tea, honey, etc., but nothing has worked – yet!  I am still holding out hope for an “overnight miracle”, as I know that there are people praying for me, but if the present course holds, I will not be preaching this Sunday.  Ever wonder what goes through a preacher’s mind on such an occasion?  Here’s your opportunity!  I don’t know if these are a “typical” preacher’s thoughts or not, but several things come to mind: Continue reading →

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The Secret of Contentment

Posted on 2011/04/01 by Shawn Thomas

I feel like I am particularly suited to write this post, among other reasons because I have been basically limited to my recliner for the past 48 hours with a cold and a bad sore throat!  This morning I read Philippians 4 as part of my morning devotional time, and my attention zeroed in on verse 11, where Paul writes: “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” Continue reading →

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A General’s Grace

Posted on 2011/03/31 by Shawn Thomas

Robert E. Lee was impressive in many different ways.  General Wilcox, having met Lee for the very first time, wrote: “I was much impressed with his fine appearance, either on horse or on foot … the handsomest man in the army.”  Lee was universally described as graceful, but unlike so many of today’s “stars”, he was not “all style and no substance.”  Lee’s gracefulness of appearance was, if possible, surpassed by the graciousness of his character.  That gracious attitude was manifested towards others in many ways.  I trust that one of my favorite stories from Lee’s life will speak to your heart as it does to mine: Continue reading →

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The Drink Offering: Don’t Waste Your Life

Posted on 2011/03/28 by Shawn Thomas

(There is a revised and expanded version of this message available here, preached at First Baptist, Pauls Valley, OK 7-13-14)

The other day, as I was getting out of my car, I saw that I had a can of Coke in the cup holder.  I can’t stand to leave anything in the car, so I picked up the can to take it in, and noticed that I still had a little bit of Coke left in it.  I didn’t really want to drink it right then, so I just poured it out on the ground not far from the car.  I’m sure you’ve probably done the same kind of thing.

In Philippians 2, the Apostle Paul gives us a similar picture of what was happening with his life.  He says it was being “poured out”.  A lot of people might think that like my Coke, Paul’s life was being wasted, but the truth is, it is only lives which are being poured out like his, that are NOT being wasted.  Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons | 48 Comments

Grandpa Is Smiling

Posted on 2011/03/25 by Shawn Thomas

A few days ago, someone gave us another king size bed – for which we were very grateful! – but it became an occasion for some re-arranging at our house.  We ended up putting our old king-sized mattress in Michael’s garage bedroom – along with a couple of other mattresses, plus the bunk beds he has been using.

His bunk beds are something of a family heirloom.  They were made by Grandpa Les, my mom’s husband, when I was the pastor of FBC Beggs, Oklahoma, years ago when our older kids were preschoolers.  Grandpa Les has since passed away, but the bunk beds have been special to us, since he hand made them for the kids.  They are VERY sturdy, and very heavy.  They survived the growing up years of both Paul and David, and have now been passed down to Michael, who has used them through all of his elementary years. 

Now, with Michael getting a little bigger, we were faced with some re-arranging.  I asked him if he wanted to sleep in a king-sized bed, and he was very excited about it.  But what about Grandpa’s bed?  We were in quandary.  Then Michael had an idea: we can put the bunk beds side by side, and put the king sized mattress on them!  That would be the best of both worlds!  Great idea, I thought!  So tonight, we started the project.  Little did we know … Continue reading →

Posted in Home & Family Life | 3 Comments

“Which Side Are You On?”

Posted on 2011/03/23 by Shawn Thomas

Although I haven’t heard the song since my college years, I can still “hear” the group enthusiastically singing the chorus: “Which side are you on, boys, which side are you on?  Which side are you on, boys, which side are you on?”  The song was really sung as a challenge: there are some times in life when you can’t “sit on the fence”; you have to choose one side or the other.  We are at such a time now. Continue reading →

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The Meaning of the Earthquake

Posted on 2011/03/20 by Shawn Thomas

A week ago Friday, I had been sleeping in, since it was my day off, when Cheryl came in and said to me, “There has been an earthquake in Japan.”  From the other room, I could hear the news, reporting about possible tsunami waves heading towards the U.S. west coast.  I immediately thought of my mom, who with her husband had gone to Hawaii on a mission trip/vacation – those waves might be heading her way.  What a way to wake up in the morning – it had that “September 11th” feeling to it; it seemed like I had awakened to the whole world falling apart!  Continue reading →

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So Many Needs …

Posted on 2011/03/19 by Shawn Thomas

I had not intended to write a blog this evening, or about this evening, but I felt compelled to do so.  Tonight at 6:30 we had the Missions Banquet at our church, First Baptist Moss Bluff.  Matching our conference theme, “Go Near, Go Far”, we had missionaries representing ministries from Lake Charles to the ends of the earth.  The program was not elaborate: we spent a few minutes mingling with the missionaries and looking at the booths they had set up in the gym, then we ate, then heard each missionary share 2-3 minutes about how a person could be involved in ministry in their field.  If you were not there, I wish you could have been.  You would have heard: Continue reading →

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“Your Best Life Later”

Posted on 2011/03/19 by Shawn Thomas

It’s not an assignment any of us would have wanted from God – but it’s the one He gave Hosea: “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry, and have children of harlotry, for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord.”  (Hosea 1:2b)  Hosea knew right off that he was to have a difficult ministry: he was purposefully to take a wife whom he knew in advance would be unfaithful to him, Continue reading →

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What Do You Call It?

Posted on 2011/03/17 by Shawn Thomas

The other day, my wife Cheryl was going to meet some ladies at church to “scope out” some things for Libby & Josh’s upcoming wedding.  She stopped by my office (and took my last cold Dr. Pepper!) and as she headed out, she said, “I’m headed to the sanctuary … I mean the auditorium … or … what should I call it?”  “The worship center”, I said, “that is what I prefer.”  She said, “Well, since I work in the children’s department, I just usually call it ‘big church’!” Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments