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 13:24-30, 36-43, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Judgment Coming," for 2/22/26.
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 14:22-33, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Courage," for March 1, 2026.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 12:1-14, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Rejecting Legalism," for 2/15/26.
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Discipline of Fasting" (Ezra 8:21 sermon)
- "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" (John 3:16 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: Bible study
Teacher’s Overview of Matthew 12:1-14, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Rejecting Legalism,” for 2/15/26.
An overview for teachers of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Matthew 12 for February 15, 2026. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can use, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Bible, Bible study, Book of Matthew, Byron Farwell Mr Kipling's Army, C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity, care, church, church legalism, church tradition, criticism, David McCullough Johnstown Flood, Deity of Christ, Explore the Bible, God, Jesus, legalism, Lifeway, Lord of the Sabbath, love, Matthew, Matthew 12, mercy, Oral tradition, ox in a ditch, Pharisees, Rudyard Kipling, Sabbath, sabbath breaking, Sunday School, Talmud, the Law, tradition
2 Comments
Teacher’s Preview of Matthew 10:16-20, 26-34, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for 2/01/26, “Loyalty Tested”
A preview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Matthew 10 for February 1, 2026. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Loyalty Tested", application, baptism, baptism as profession, Bible, Bible study, bible study help, Commission, confess Jesus, confession, discussion questions, Don Lemon CNN Minneapolis church, evangelism, Explore the Bible, fear, fear not, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, God, gospel, group discussion, hair on head numbered, Holy Spirit, I came to bring a sword, illustration, importance of baptism, Islam, Islam or the sword, Jesus, Jon Meacham Destiny and Power, lesson outline, Lifeway, Matthew, Matthew 10, Matthew 10:16-20 26-34, mission, mission trips, NAMB, NAMB church plant, persecution, profession of faith, public profession, Shawn Thomas, shawnethomas, sparrows, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school outline, William Manchester Winston Churchill, witness, witness in persecution, Your Father
4 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Matthew 8 & 9, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Every Life Valued” for 1/18/26
An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Matthew 8:1-4, 14-17, and 9:1-8, Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for January 18, 2026. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text highlights and outline, illustrations you can share, … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Every Life Valued", A Christmas Carol, Bernard Ollivier Walking to Samarkand, Bible, Bible study, C.S. Lewis Weight of Glory, caring, caring for people, Carl Sandburg Abraham Lincoln, demons, Dickens, empty stomach, every person matters, Explore the Bible, forgiveness, God, gospel, healing, heaven, It Is Well, Jesus, Jesus authority, King Jesus, leper, leper colony, leprosy, Lifeway, love, mankind was my business, Matthew, Matthew 8, Matthew 8 & 9, Matthew 9, ministering to the sick, ministry, my sin o the bliss, outcasts, paralytic, paralyzed man, Peter mother in law, Psalm 32:1, salvation, Salvation Army, sick, sickness, sin, spiritual healing, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, William Booth, your sins are forgiven
6 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Matthew 7:15-29, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Authority Acknowledged,” for 1/11/26.
For teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Matthew 7, for Sunday, January 11, 2026. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Authority Acknowledged, Bible, Bible study, Carl F.H.Henry sermon, doers of the word, Explore the Bible, false prophets, false teachers, foundation, fruit, fruit trees, God, God's word, gospel, Grima Wormtongue, Hillel vs Shammai, house on the rock, I never knew you, I say to you, Jesus, Jesus is Lord, Kenneth Copeland, LDS, lifestyle, Lifeway, Lord Lord, Lord of the Rings, Matthew, Matthew 5, Matthew 5 6 7, Matthew 7:, Matthew 7:15-29, morality, Mormonism, N.T. Wright Jacob Neusner, neopaganism, profession of faith, Ralph Nader, salvation, Sermon on the Mount, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, teaching, works salvation, you will know them by their fruit
1 Comment
Teacher’s Overview of Deuteronomy 30:11-20, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Fully Committed,” for 11/23/25.
Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, outline and highlights from the text, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRODUCTION: ???DISCUSSION QUESTION??? … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Fully Committed", ABC salvation, ABCs of salvation, application, Bible, Bible lesson, Bible study, choices, choose life, decisions, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 30, Deuteronomy 30:11-20, discussion questions, Eusebius, Eusebius Church History, Explore the Bible, Glass Wax commercial, gospel, Great Commandment, illustrations for Sunday School, Jesus, Lifeway, love God, Marinus the centurion, Moses, Nathan Finn Jonathan Edwards, Romans 10, salvation, scripture, Shawn Thomas, shawnethomas.com, so easy a child can do it, Sunday School, Sunday school class, Sunday School teacher, the word is near you, word of God
11 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Deuteronomy 28:1-6, 15-19, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Covenant Relationship,” for 11/16/25.
Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, suggested introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Bible study, blessing, consequences, cornucupia, Covenant Blessings, curse, curse of the Law, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 18:15, Deuteronomy 28:1-6, discussion questions, Explore the Bible, God, gospel, grace, heaven, Jesus, Jesus only way, Kendall's Noble, Law, Lifeway, Lindbergh's Character Factors, Messiah, Moses, Romans 3:23, salvation, Scott Berg Lindbergh, sin, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, works, works salvation
4 Comments