shawnethomas

It’s Not Too Much

Posted on 2018/02/26 by Shawn Thomas

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.’” (Exodus 13:1-2)

It is striking that God has no hesitations in claiming the firstborn of everything. “It belongs to Me,” He said. That is true. He MADE those firstborn. He created them all — and all the “other” born as well! They are ALL His, and He can require whatever He will, whenever He wants, without recrimination. It all belongs to Him. It is not “too much.”

It is the same with anything in our lives. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged Abraham and Isaac, Exodus 13:1-2, giving, love, obedience, sacrifice, service, tithe, tithing, vocation | Leave a comment

Not Up For Negotiation

Posted on 2018/02/22 by Shawn Thomas

“Pharaoh callled for Moses and Aaron and said, ‘Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.’” (Exodus 8:25)

That sounded like a logical compromise. Moses and Aaron had told Pharaoh that God had commanded them to go and worship Him in the wilderness (7:16). Pharaoh was perhaps rightly concerned about losing his slave labor source, but on the other hand, God’s miracles were beginning to weigh heavy upon the land: they had already experienced the plagues of frogs and gnats and flies. So he offered a compromise: Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged ambassadors for Christ, Bible, compromise, Exodus 8:25, God's word, II Corinthians 5:20, leadership, negotiation, word of God | Leave a comment

Not Our Faithfulness

Posted on 2018/02/21 by Shawn Thomas

“So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and cruel bondage.” (Exodus 6:9)

One thing a reading of Exodus makes very clear: God did not deliver Israel from their captivity in Egypt because of the faithfulness of its people, or its leaders. Which actually should be a comforting thought for us. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged assurance, Exodus 6:9, faithfulness, God's word, II TImothy 1:12, II Timothy 2:13, promise, salvation | Leave a comment

The Other Side Of Love

Posted on 2018/02/20 by Shawn Thomas

“With reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity; You consume as a moth what is precious to him; surely every man is a mere breath.” (Psalm 39:11)

Psalm 39:11 should be a standard memory verse for God’s people — but most have probably never heard it. Yet it explains so many of the painful things that happen in our lives, and heeding it might cause us to avoid so much hardship. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged chastening, discipline, father, Hebrews 12, love, love and discipline, other side of love, Psalm 38:1-3, Psalm 39:11, scripture memory verse, sin | 1 Comment

“The Questions of Moses” (Exodus 3:10-4:1 sermon)

Posted on 2018/02/19 by Shawn Thomas

When we are reading through God’s word like we are, we need to look for certain things. Like is there a command we need to keep; or a sin to confess; or a prayer to pray using this verse? Is something repeated? If it is, that must be important. One of the things the Lord brought to my attention as I read Exodus 3 & 4 this week was that as God called Moses to go and deliver His people, Moses asked the Lord a series of questions. These questions were important to him as he faced God’s call on his life. And these same questions are important for US as we hear from God about what He wants US to do with our lives, and in His church, today: Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons | Tagged Aristides, church, D Day, Exodus 3:10-4:1, faith, General Eisenhower, God, Hadrian, I AM, I AM WHO I AM, I am with you, Joseph, man, Moses, names, questions, resumes, salvation, service, theology, trust, What If?, Yahweh | Leave a comment

The God They Didn’t Warn You About!

Posted on 2018/02/19 by Shawn Thomas

“O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, and chasten me not in Your burning anger. For Your arrows have sunk deep into me, and Your hand has pressed down upon me.” (Psalm 38:1-2)

“Rebuke … wrath … burning anger … arrows … You hand has pressed down upon me.” If these words sound strange to many readers of Bible studies, devotionals and sermons today, it is because they are conspicuously absent. Unless you read the actual text of scripture, you may never encounter these concepts. And yet they are an important part of the revelation of God’s nature, and His dealings with us. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Doctrine/Theology, Uncategorized | Tagged anger, Bible Reading, Bible studies, chastening, devotionals, judgment, Psalm 38:1-2, punishment, sin, theology, wrath | Leave a comment

The Prayer That Keeps Returning

Posted on 2018/02/16 by Shawn Thomas

“But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer kept returning to my bosom.” (Psalm 35:13)

Can you remember a time when a prayer you were prayingfor someone was so urgent, that your heart returned to it over and over? Perhaps a loved one was driving home on a stormy evening, or their life was hanging by a thread in ICU. The prayer that you prayed was not a one-time “God bless so-and-so”, but a desperate cry which your heart kept repeating until the crisis was over.

This is the kind of prayer that David describes here in Psalm 35. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized | Tagged intercession, intercessory prayer, pray without ceasing, prayer, Psalm 35:13 | 3 Comments

“The Providence of God” (Genesis 37-50 sermon)

Posted on 2018/02/12 by Shawn Thomas

Christians have a different outlook than other people have. We believe in an unseen, almighty, all-wise God. So because of that, not only is our outlook different, but our vocabulary is different as well. Many people speak of “karma” or “luck” or things happening by “chance.” But as Christians, we don’t believe in those things. We believe in a GOD who arranges events, and so we have a different vocabulary. We don’t speak of “chance” or “luck’; instead we speak of “The Providence of God.”

The Providence of God is a concept that Christians a few generations ago referred to often — but in our age both the word and the idea behind it have fallen into neglect. The “Providence” of God refers to the way that God directs details in life to bring about His plan and purpose in the world. In our daily Bible readings this week in Genesis we have seen God’s Providence unfold in a dramatic way in the life of Joseph and his family. Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons | Tagged Carson Wentz, chance, church planting, coincidence, Corrie Ten Boom, Doug Pederson, dysautonomia, Ephesians 1:11, forgiveness, Genesis 37-50, God, Joseph story, Karma, luck, Nick Foles, OU Nebraska game of the century, Philadelphia Eagles, plan, POTS, providence, Providence of God, purpose, Romans 8:28, salvation, theology, trust, witness, workplace | 1 Comment

“The Lord Was With Him”

Posted on 2018/02/12 by Shawn Thomas

One little expression in the story of Joseph in Genesis tells us all we need to know about him — and the one thing we need most in our lives today too: Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged circumstances, Genesis 39, Genesis 48:21, God's presence, Holy Spirit, I am with you, Matthew 28:20, the Lord was with him | Leave a comment

Do You Really Want To Know God’s Way?

Posted on 2018/02/08 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 25:4-5 David prays, “Make me to know Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me …”. Many Christians might identify with these words. Upon reading them they might say, “Amen! I want God to lead ME like that!” But do you really? Are you willing to do what is necessary for God to lead you? What does that involve? Psalm 25 shows us: Continue reading →

Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship | Tagged devotions, discipleship, God's will, humility, leadership, prayer, pride, Psalm 25, purity, quiet time, sanctification, sin, wait on the Lord | Leave a comment