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 11:1-6, 16-24, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Confronting Doubts, for 2/08/26
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 10:16-20, 26-34, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for 2/01/26, "Loyalty Tested"
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 12:1-14, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Rejecting Legalism," for 2/15/26.
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Disciple's Character: Purity of Heart" (Matthew 5:8 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: Book of Matthew
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
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Teacher’s Overview of Matthew 11:1-6, 16-24, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Confronting Doubts, for 2/08/26
An overview for teachers of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Matthew 11 for Sunday, February 8, 2026. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Confronting Doubts", accountability to God, Anton Bruckner, Baptist, Benjamin Franklin mule story, Bethsaida, Bible, Book of Matthew, can't please the crowd, Capernaum, Christian doubts, criticism, doubting salvation, doubts, expectations, Explore the Bible, fruit, gift, gifts, God, gospel, Henry Adams, Jesus, John Newton, John the Baptist, judgment, Letters of John Newton, Lifeway, Matthew, Matthew 11, missions, opportunity, Shawn E. Thomas, shawnethomas.com, Southern Baptist, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, teacher help, The Education of Henry Adams, theodicy, woe
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Teacher’s Overview of Matthew 9:10-19, 23-26, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson “Mercy Extended” for 1/25/26
For teachers of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Matthew 9, for January 25, 2026. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications that … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Mercy Extended", Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln pardons, Bible professional mourners, Book of Matthew, Carl Sandburg Abraham Lincoln, church, down and out, evangelism, Explore the Bible, fasting, gospel, grace, gracious, Jesus, Jesus and fasting, John Lloyd Stevens, legalism, Lifeway, Matthew, Matthew 9, mercy, mourning, New Testament fasting, outreach, Pharisees, reclining to eat, separate from sinners, shawnethomas, showing grace, sin, sinners, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school outline, Sunday School teacher, synagogue official, triclinium, wineskins
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