A Southern Baptist pastor for almost 35 years, I currently serve as Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Angleton, Texas, and post my weekly sermons here. I am grateful to see these messages read in countries around the world, and pray that God will use His word to help individuals to walk with Him daily, and churches to glorify Him with their worship and obedience.
Top Posts & Pages
- Explore the Bible lesson overview: I Kings 15:9-22, “Return” for Sun., July 3, 2022
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "Following Jesus" (Matthew 4:18-22 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "How To Seek The Lord" (Isaiah 55:6-7 sermon)
- "Your Best Investment" (Matthew 6:19-24 sermon)
- "The Purpose of God's Blessings" (Psalm 67 sermon)
- “The Narrow Way To Heaven” (Matthew 7:13-14 sermon)
- "When Living Is Christ, then Dying Is Gain" (Philippians 1:21 sermon)
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Tag Archives: Christlikeness
“A Body In Motion” (Ephesians 4:11-16 sermon)
Sir Isaac Newton, the English scientist, is famous, among other things, for the “laws of motion” he formulated in the 1600’s: among them being that a body at rest tends to remain at rest, and a body in motion tends … Continue reading
Posted in Ministry, Sermons
Tagged balance of truth and love, Bill Russell Player coach, body in motion, body of Christ, Christlikeness, church, church activities, church discipline, church equipping ministry, church growth, Church ministry, deceivers in the church, each part, Ephesians 4:11-16, equip the saints, equipping, every joint, false prophets, First Baptist Church Angleton, Isaac Newton, it takes us all, maturity, ministry project, pastor, pastor as coach, pastor as equipper, pastor as example, pastor as player-coach, people of God, Rosaria Butterfield, speaking the truth in love, spiritual maturity, unity of the faith, whole body, working together, Your relationship with others must be as strong as your words
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“Am I A Soldier Of The Cross?” (Matthew 5:10-12 sermon)
Many of you recognize the name of Henry Blackaby, the author of the Experiencing God study. He wrote that one time he prayed: “Lord, make me like You.” That sounds like a good prayer to pray, right? But he said … Continue reading
Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA
Tagged Ake Green Sweden, Am I A Soldier, Am I A Soldier of the Cross, America moral climate, American persecution, Beatitudes, Boxer Rebellion, character of Christ, Christian persecution, Christianity in India, Christlikeness, current persecution, Defense of Marriage Act, Equality Act, falsely on account of me, for the sake of righteousness, hate crimes, Henry Blackaby, homosexuality, I Peter 2:20, I Peter 4:12, II Timothy 3:12, India, India ministry, India missions, insensitivity, Isaac Watts, John 15:20, John 16:33, Joshua 24:15, Luke 6:26, Luke 9:23, Matthew 5:10, Matthew 5:10-12, Nik Ripkin, Oberkfell decision, persecution, Persecution of Christians in America, Romans 8:28-29, RSS, Sanjay Charan, The Insanity of God, what persecution is not
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“In His Steps: When We Suffer” (I Peter 2:19-23 sermon)
Cheryl & I love to read and watch the old Agatha Christie detective stories, so last year we each read her autodbiography. In it Mrs. Christie tells of a teacher at her girls school growing up. She said she couldn’t … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Agatha Christie biography, an eye for an eye, become like Christ, Christian life suffering, Christians and persecution, Christians and suffering, Christlikeness, commit to God, despair, discipleship, do not be overcome by evil, do not take your own revenge, entrust to God, faith, following Christ, foolish suffering, fret not, godly suffering, holiness, holy, I Peter 2:19-23, I Peter 2:20, I Peter sermon, I will repay says the Lord, in His steps, In His steps suffering, J.R.R. Tolkien, Joe McKeever, Lord of the Rings, love your enemies, Matthew 26:50, Matthew 5 sermon on the mount, meekness Psalm, never take your own revenge, payback, persecuted for Jesus, persecution, Proverbs 20:22, Psalm 37, revenge, ring of power, Romans 12:17, Romans 12:19, salvation, suffer, suffering, suffering for Jesus, trust, trust God, trust in the Lord and do good, turn the other cheek, why did God do this?, you can't fight the enemy with his own ring without turning into an enemy
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“The Goodness of God in the Midst of Affliction” (Psalm 119:65-72 sermon)
In February 2012, I stood to lead prayer meeting at the church in Louisiana I had pastored for 12 years, but the longer I stood the sicker I became. I had to leave during the prayer time and have my … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged "Fall Apart" song, affliction, attributes of God, becoming like Christ, Christlikeness, cleansing, cocoon of a butterfly, confession, conformed to His image, dysautonomia, Ephesians 6, faith, faith testing, glory, God attributes, God goodnesss, God is good, God is good all the time, god is good and does good, God's purpose, good, grace, identification, II Corinthians 12:9, it is good for me that I was afflicted, John 17:3, knowing God, lessons, life, life purpose, Matthew 13 parable of the sower, maturity, minister, ministry, My grace is sufficient, pastor, pastor Shawn Thomas, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, POTS, prayers, priorities, Psalm 119 acrostic, Psalm 119:65-72, Psalm 119:67, purification, purpose for suffering, purpose for trials, purposes for affliction, Romans 8:28-29, Ronnie Rogers Trinity Baptist Norman, salvation, Shawn E. Thomas, sin, spiritual maturity, spiritual warfare, suffering, sword of the Spirit, test, teth, theodicy, theology, theology 101, thorn in the flesh, tob good, trials, word of God, You are good, You do good
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Walking As He Walked?
“By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (I John 2:5b-6) Many people in America today claim to be Christians, … Continue reading
Faithful Intercessors
In Colossians 1:9 Paul wrote: “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask …”. Here Paul was declaring the faithfulness and consistency that he (and evidently … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Christlikeness, Colossians 1:9, Hebrews 8:25, I Samuel 12:23, in His steps, intercession, prayer
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