I'm a retired Southern Baptist pastor of almost 40 years. My wife Cheryl & I moved to Norman, OK in March of 2025. I share a weekly overview for Sunday School teachers of the weekly Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, as well as texts of my sermons and other articles.
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Top Posts & Pages
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 2:1-12, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Worship the King," for 12/21/25
- “Immanuel: God With Us” (Matthew 1:23 sermon)
- "The Example of Joseph" (Matthew 1:18-25 sermon)
- "He Will Save His People From Their Sins" (Matthew 1:21 Sermon)
- "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" (John 3:16 sermon)
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "A 'Real Life' Christmas" (Luke 2:1-11 sermon)
- "Your Response to Christmas" (Matthew 2:1-12 Sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 4:12-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson "Invitation," for 12/14/25
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
Categories
- "The Disciple's Character" series (Beatitudes Mt. 5:3-12)
- "The Disciplines of Disciples" series
- "This Is My Story" sermon series
- Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA
- Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
- COVID-19 crisis assorted messages
- Current Events
- Devotions/Bible Studies
- Discipleship
- Discovering FBCA Membership class lessons
- Doctrine/Theology
- Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
- Explore the Bible Sunday School lessons
- Habakkuk "Find Us Faithful" series messages
- History
- Home & Family Life
- I Peter sermons
- India Mission Trip 2011
- Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King
- John 3:16 sermon series
- Luke 10:38-42 Mary & Martha series
- Luke 2 Christmas series
- Matthew sermons
- Ministry
- missions
- Music
- Philippians sermons
- POTS (dysautonomia) articles
- Psalms studies and messages
- Revelation sermon series
- Reviews
- Sermon Illustrations
- Sermons
- The Model Prayer Series
- The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020)
- This Week In Paradise (pastors family blog)
- Travel
- Uncategorized
- worship
Tag Archives: assurance
Teacher’s Overview of Acts 18:1-11, 18-21, Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson “Together” for Oct. 20, 2024
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 18:1-11, 18-21 for Sunday, October 20, 2024, with the title, “Together.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Acts, Acts 18:1-11, Acts 1:8, Aquila and Priscilla, assurance, Betty Rogers, bi-vocational pastor, Bible study, bivocational ministry, Cheryl Thomas, Corinth, couples ministry, discipleship, Explore the Bible, Ezekiel 3:17-19, Greece, if the Lord wills, illustrations, lesson help, lesson outline, lesson overview, Lifeway, Lord willing, map, Matthew 7:6, Michael Thomas, ministry, mission, music, part-time ministry, Paul and Silas, Paul's Second Missionary Journey, Priscilla and Aquila, rehab, sin city, stroke, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, teaching outline, tentmaker, Unreal City, Unreal City song cycle, Will Rogers
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“No Spirit of Fear” (II Timothy 1:7 sermon/Hurricane Beryl, July 7, 2024)
In March 2020 about a dozen or so of our church members went on a mission trip to Mazatlan, Mexico, to minister with what is now James Trail ministry, with Dan & Meredith Shuman. It was a good trip, but … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged A Leopard Tamed, assurance, be not afraid, Bible, Christianity, confidence, COVID, COVID sermon, Death, discipline, Eleanor Vandevort, faith, fear, fear not, fruit of the Spirit, God, how to be saved, hurricane, hurricane Beryl, hurricane prep, II Timothy 1:7, In Christ Alone, Jesus, Kim Eaves, London Plague, love, Martin Luther plague, ministry, missionary, no fear, no fear in death, no guilt in life no fear in death, panic, power, Puritans, salvation, sermon, sound mind, Sudan, testimony, The Black Death
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: True Religion” (James 1:26-27 sermon)
What does a “religious” person look like? What do you envision when you think of someone who is “religious”? Someone carrying a big Bible, or wearing a cross around their neck? Maybe somebody speaking from a pulpit, or singing a … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged Acts 4:12, Africa, African Queen, assurance, Bible, Bleak House, Book of James, Book of Mormon, bridle tongue, C.S. Lewis, Charles DIckens, Christianity, consumer religion, Dan & Meredith Shuman, doer of the word, false religion, Fight Club, God, hearers of the word, holier than thou, holiness, home, I Timothy 5, James, James 1, James 1:26-27, James 3, James sermons, James Trail Ministry, Jared Wilson, Jesus, Jesus only way, John 14:6, Katharine Hepburn, life, lifestyle, Luke 18, Mahatma Gandhi, Matthew 7:13-14, ministry, missions, missions starts at home, Mormon, Mormonism, Mrs. Jellyby, narrow gate, nursing home visitation, orphans, Pharisee and the publican, pornography, purity, real faith, real salvation, religion, religion starts at home, religious, Rock of Ages song, salvation, sanctification, scripture, self-righteous, test of salvation, True Religion, What Real Faith Looks Like, widows, words
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: Perseverance” (James 1:12 sermon)
We’ve got one of my very favorite family pictures to put up on the screen: In 1998, I ran the Tulsa Run road race with Paul, David & Libby, our three oldest kids. Cheryl took this picture of the four of us at my … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
Tagged A.T. Bobertson, acid test, acid test gold, approval, approved, assurance, assurance of salvation, Book of James, crown of life, dokimos, eternal security, family, gold, gold test, I Corinthians 13, I Peter 1:6-7, if saved always saved, James, James 1:12, love, Matthew 13, once saved always saved, Parable of the Sower, perseverance, perseverance of the saints, Romans 16:10, seal of approval, stephanos, tested like gold, tests, trials, Tulsa Run, What Real Faith Looks Like
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“What Real Faith Looks Like” (Introduction to the Book of James)
Some time ago I was visiting with a pastor in another state, and he was talking about how there are well over 30 churches in just their small community. He said, “You know how it is here; everyone says they … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
Tagged American Christianity, assurance, Bible, Book of James, Christianity, commandments, conviction, conviction of sin, easy believism, epistle of straw, faith, God's Law, gospel, how can I be saved, James, James 3, Jesus, John Ryland, Lord, Lord Lord, Martin Luther, meddling in my private life, salvation, Samuel Rutherford, saving faith, scripture memory, sin, strawy epistle, Tennessee Williams, testimony, tongue, What Real Faith Looks Like, words, works
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“The Spirit In Us” (Romans 8:9-17sermon)
In Acts Chapter 19, the Apostle Paul is on his way to Ephesus, and he comes across some disciples. He asked them: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said to him: “No, we have not even … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Doctrine/Theology, Sermons
Tagged Abba Father, Acts 8 Philip and Ethiopian, assurance, assurance of salvation, Bill Gaither I'm not what I was, Charles Wesley, Charles Wesley and Moravians, Charlie Chaplin, DNA, doctrine of the Holy Spirit, Doctrine of the Trinity, God the Holy Spirit, holiness, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit and salvation, Holy Spirit and sanctification, Holy Spirit conviction, Isaiah 30:21, John Newton I am not what I used to be, John Wesley, leadership of Holy Spirit, plan of salvation, Romans 8, Romans 8 Holy Spirit, Romans 8:9-17, salvation, sanctification, spirit, test of salvation, Trinity, Wesley salvation
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“Confidence On That Day” (II Timothy 1:12 sermon)
Author Dane Ortlund wrote: “When my two-year-old Benjamin begins to wade into the gentle slope of the zero-entry swimming pool near our home, he instinctively grabs hold of my hand. He holds on tight as the water gradually gets deeper. … Continue reading
Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Sermons
Tagged assurance, assurance in death, Colonel Edmund Starling, confidence in death, confidence in God., Confidence in Harry Truman, daily Bible reading, Dane Ortlund, David McCullough, eternal life, every eye shall see Him, every eye will see Him, facing death, faith, Harry Truman, heavenly 401k, I know whom I have believed, I Peter 2:2, II Thessalonians 1:7-10, II Timothy 1:12 sermon, John 10:27-28, John 8:31, John F. Kennedy funeral media coverage, knowing God, Matthew 7:22, on that day, paratheke, peace in death, return of Christ, Revelation 1:7, Robert Caro, safe investment, that day, trust, trusting God, Woodrow Wilson, Years of Lyndon Johnson
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“True Religion” (Philippians 3:2-3)
There are some things on this earth, that it just doesn’t really matter that much what you believe about them. It’s just not that important. For example, you may believe that pecans are God’s gift to humanity. But I myself … Continue reading
Posted in Philippians sermons, Sermons
Tagged altar call, assurance, baptism and salvation, Bethan Lloyd-Jones testimony, by grace you are saved, Dr. Johnson apprehension of death, Dr. Samuel Johnson, Ephesians 2:8, false prophets, false religion, fear of death, Galatians 2:16, glory in Christ Jesus, go down to the front, go to church, heart in worship, how to be saved, I John 4:1, Jesus Jesus Jesus, Jewish false teachers, live a good life, love God with all your heart, many false prophets, Matthew 24:11, Matthew 7:13-14, no confidence in the flesh, Philippians 3:2-3, religion, Robert Caro Lyndon Johnson, Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Lyndon Johnson, salvation, salvation by grace, salvation not by works, the gate is small, True Religion, true religion is Jesus, works salvation, worship, worship in the Spirit of God
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shawnethomas 