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.
-
Top Posts & Pages
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Judgment Coming," for 2/22/26.
- “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.
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 11:1-6, 16-24, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Confronting Doubts, for 2/08/26
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- Lifeway "Explore the Bible" Jonah 1:15-2:10 "No Escape"
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- “No Strange Fire: Honoring God in Worship” (Leviticus 10:1-3 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: C.S. Lewis
When God Changes Your Plans
Don’t be surprised if things don’t turn out the way you plan. Indeed, often it seems like they rarely do! But Proverbs 16:9 explains why that is often the case: “The mind of man plans his way, but YHWH directs … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged C.S. Lewis, interruptions, plans, Proverbs 16:9, providence
Leave a comment
“He Will Save His People From Their Sins” (Matthew 1:21 Sermon)
(Preached at Mt. Home Baptist, Morganton, NC, and FBC Pauls Valley, OK, December 2014) C.S. Lewis wrote of an interesting experience that his brother had one Christmas season. He said Warnie was riding on a big English double-decker bus one … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged assurance, C.S. Lewis, Christmas, Death, glorification, heaven, Imagine, John Lennon, Joni Earickson Tada, justification, Matthew 1:21 sermon, salvation, sanctification, soteriology
6 Comments
“The Disciplines of Disciples” I Timothy 4:7-10 Sermon
(Preached at First Baptist, Pauls Valley 8-17-14) I had the opportunity a few days ago to go up to the high school during their summer band practice, and I must say that I was impressed with the quality of what … Continue reading
Your “Guard Duty” in Prayer (Colossians 4:2 Sermon)
(Preached at FBC Pauls Valley, OK, Sunday evening 7-13-14) On April 17th, 1862, private William Scott was pardoned by President Abraham Lincoln for sleeping on guard duty. That may not sound like a big deal, but the private had been … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged C.S. Lewis, Colossians 4:2, intercession, prayer, screwtape letters
Leave a comment
“The Goodness of God In The Midst of Affliction” Sermon on Psalm 119:65-72 preached at FBC Bethalto IL
In February 2012, I stood to lead prayer meeting at the church I had been pastoring for 12 years in Louisiana, and the longer I stood the sicker I became. I had to leave during prayer and have one of … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged affliction, C.S. Lewis, God, illness, memory verse, ministry, POTS, Psalm 119:65-72, Psalm 119:68, purpose for suffering, sovereignty, suffering, testimony, tests, trials
5 Comments
Book Review: The Reason For God, by Tim Keller
Tim Keller has defied conventional wisdom by planting Redeemer Church — a growing, evangelical fellowship — in the unlikely ground of Manhattan, New York. In the course of his work, he has engaged thousands of lost people and their questions … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
Tagged apologetics, book review, C.S. Lewis, creationism, Richard Dawkins, The Reason For God, Tim Keller
1 Comment
Notes & Quotes from C.S. Lewis: A Life, by Alister McGrath
Some of my favorite quotes, and potential sermon illustrations from McGrath’s 2013 biography of Lewis. These are in order as they appeared in the book: TRAIN UP A CHILD “Both brothers inhabited imaginary worlds, and committed something of these to … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews, Sermon Illustrations
Tagged Alister McGrath, C.S. Lewis, sermon illustrations
1 Comment
Glorious Saints
In I Samuel 28, the medium at En-dor brings Samuel up from the dead for Saul. Verse 12 says she cried out with a loud voice, and Saul asks her what she saw. She responds: “I see a divine being … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged "The Weight of Glory", afterlife, C.S. Lewis, glory, heaven, heavenly body, I Samuel 28:13
Leave a comment
Fluctuations in Faith
In I Samuel 16:2, Samuel’s response to God’s command to go and anoint another king of Israel to replace Saul was less than faith-filled: “But Samuel said, ‘How can I go? When Saul hears of it, he will kill me.’” … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged best day, C.S. Lewis, doubt, faith, fluctuations, I Samuel 16:2, inconsistencies
Leave a comment
shawnethomas 