Tag Archives: church

“A Living Hope” (I Peter 1:3 sermon)

Posted on 2019/04/22 by Shawn Thomas

(Preached at First Baptist Church, Angleton, TX Easter 2019) One of my privileges as a pastor over the last 35 years of ministry, has been to be able to hear the last words and testimonies of my church members who … Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Abraham Lincoln pardon, birth, But God, choice, church, David Koresh, David Koresh burial, Easter sermon, Edward Jenner, Ephesians 2:1, eternal life, faith, Gamaliel, God's mercy, hope, I Peter, I Peter 1:3, I Peter sermon, immunization, James Phipps, Jesus, Jesus Christ resurrection, John 3, just God, living hope, merciful God, mercy, new birth, pastor, Resurrection Day sermon, resurrection life, Romans 3:26, smallpox, smallpox vaccine, vaccine, you must be born again | Leave a comment

“Reaching, Teaching, Caring” (Matthew 4:23 sermon)

Posted on 2019/03/03 by Shawn Thomas

I came home from work last Monday night and Cheryl was sitting on the couch wrapped up in a blanket, and she said, “You remember that thing you said in the sermon yesterday about how ‘If you worshiped God first … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Ministry, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "reaching, Abraham Lincoln, Acts 2:42-47, care, caring, Carl Sandburg Abraham Lincoln, church, church calendar, Church Council, church leaders, discipleship, evangelism, gospel, I Peter 2:21, in His steps, Jesus cares, love, Luke 9:56, Mark 1:15, Mark 6:34, Matthew 14:14, Matthew 4:23, Matthew 4:23 sermon, Matthew 8:14-16, Matthew 9:35, megachurches, mercy, ministry, ministry priorities, ministry team, mission, priorities, purpose, R.H. Dana, Reaching Teaching Caring, repentance, repentance and faith, salvation, see feel compassion do, service, spiritual growth, Sunday School, teaching, Two Years Before The Mast, What Would Jesus Do?, worship, WWJD | 1 Comment

“Our Greatest Priority” (Matthew 22:34-38 sermon)

Posted on 2019/02/25 by Shawn Thomas

I have to admit: I was kind of disappointed last Sunday after we came home from church and eating out, that there wasn’t a football game on tv that I could fall asleep to. Can’t wait till next September — … Continue reading →

Posted in Ministry, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized, worship | Tagged Acts 2, busyness, calendar, church, church calendar, church priorities, corporate worship, daily quiet time, devotional time, distractions, ecclesiology, evangelism, fill up the calendar, first business of the church, fundamentals, Great Commandment, greatest commandment, Isaiah 59:2, John 17:17, knowing God, left your first love, letters to the churches, life purpose, loving God, Luke 10:38-42, Mark 1:35, Matthew 22:34-38, missions, morning prayer, morning worship, personal worship, prayer, priorities, purpose, revelation, Revelation 2 & 3, Romans 3:23, running, salvation, salvation purpose, schedule, sin, Sunday, tithe, tithing, Vince Lombardi gentlemen this is a football, worship, worshiping God | 2 Comments

“On The Banks Of The Promised Land” (Joshua 1:1-9 sermon)

Posted on 2019/02/20 by Shawn Thomas

I am so excited to share God’s word with our new church family this morning. As I thought and prayed about what to preach, SO many things came to mind. I found myself wishing I could share dozens of different … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged anchor, application, Bible, boldness, church, church transition, conditional promise, evangelism, faith, family transition, foundation, foundations, God's promise, God's word, Great Commission, James doer of the word, Joshua 1 sermon, Joshua 1:1-9, Joshua 1:9, materialism, missions, pastor transition, possessions, priorities, running, salvation, scripture, transition, transitions, trust | 4 Comments

“A Pastor’s Farewell” (Acts 20 sermon)

Posted on 2019/01/28 by Shawn Thomas

Cheryl & I want to thank you for the last 4 years we have been allowed to serve at Pleasant Ridge. It is very difficult to say farewell to people with whom we’ve ministered and loved and been loved — … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Ministry, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged A Pastor's Farewell, Acts 20, Acts 20:21, Amy Grant Faith Walking People, asking Jesus into your heart, assurance, Baptist Faith & Message 2000, church, church family, church membership class, confidence, daily Bible reading, devotional time, devotions, doctrine, faith, false teachers, farewell, father, feelings, goodbye, gospel, II TImothy 1:12, intercessory prayer, legalism, ministry, Nominating Committee, Now I commend you to God, pastor, pastor elder overseer, pastor search committee, people, prayer, praying for children, praying for loved ones, quiet time, repentance, repentance and faith, salvation, service, sin, soul, trust, works salvation | 4 Comments

“The Household of God” (I Timothy sermon)

Posted on 2018/10/22 by Shawn Thomas

In our “Discovering The Ridge” class for those who are joining our church, I often tell the story of the group in our home town which was starting a new church, and for some time they met in the home … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 2, Acts 20:28, Acts 6, Apostle Paul testimony, C.S. Lewis, C.S. Lewis Athanasius quote, Christian bookstores, Christian music, church, church buildings, church handbook, church leadership, deacon, deacon qualifications, deacon servants, deacons, doctrine, doctrines of demons, ecclesiology, elder, evangelism, false teachers, gospel, grace, he did not move with the times, heaven, I Timothy, I Timothy 4, leadership, mercy, morning prayer, offices of the church, overseer, overseer pastor elder, pastor, pastor qualifications, salvation, test the spirits, the church, the gospel, witness | Leave a comment

“Where’s Your Glory?” (Jeremiah 9:23-24 sermon)

Posted on 2018/09/17 by Shawn Thomas

Sunday morning came to our church in Southwest Louisiana, and the crowd was exuberant. Purple and gold clothing was everywhere. People were cheerful and talking in the hallways. A festive air just covered the whole place. LSU had won their … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged church, conversation, crown, daily quiet time, Death, devotional time, discipleship, Ernest Hemingway, eternal life, eternity, exercise, glory, heaven, Houston medical center, Isaiah 55, J.I. Packer, Jeremiah 9:12, Jeremiah 9:23-24, John 17:3, knowing God, Knowing God book, LSU football, materialism, NFL injuries, Pete Rose, Philippians 3:10, prayer time, quiet time, relationships, riches, suicide, temporal values, The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Washington Irving, Westminster Abbey, worship | 16 Comments

“Culture-blind” — or Cowardly?

Posted on 2018/08/13 by Shawn Thomas

In Washington Irving’s delightful The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, the author journals about his attendance at a venerable English country church: “The congregation was composed of the neighboring people of rank, who sat in pews sumptuously lined and cushioned, … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Devotions/Bible Studies, Ministry, Sermon Illustrations, Uncategorized | Tagged C.S. Lewis, church, compromise, courage, cowardice, culture, culture blindness, favoritism, James 2, James 2:1, James 2:1-6, Lesslie Newbigin, partiality, poor, preaching, reform, rich, The Country Church, The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Washington Irving | 2 Comments

“The People of God” (Joshua sermon)

Posted on 2018/07/02 by Shawn Thomas

This week we will be celebrating the 242nd anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of our nation. Most of us are very proud to be Americans, and are grateful to God for the blessings that He has … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged abortion, Alexandria plague, allegiance, Bishop Cyprian, church, compromise, Dionysius, direction, George Muller, Gibeonites, God's side, imitation, Joshua, Joshua 5:13-15, Joshua 9:14, leadership, love, marriage, mercy, people of God, prayer, salvation, service, the world, VBS, worldliness | Leave a comment

“The Misplaced Passion of Spectator Religion” (Jonah 4 sermon)

Posted on 2018/06/18 by Shawn Thomas

On this Father’s Day, many of us are remembering our dads — whether they are still with us, or like my dad, have gone on to be with the Lord. I can remember my father sitting in his recliner, watching … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons | Tagged Amos, Apostle Paul, armchair religion, Charles DIckens, Christianity, church, clergy laity divide, comfort, compassion, convenience, critic, cruise ship or battleship?, disciples, discipleship, Ephesians 4:11-12, evaluate, Fathers Day, gifts, grieve, Holy Spirit, I Corinthians 12:7, Jonah, Jonah 4, La-z-boy Christianity, Marquis St. Evremonde, Matthew 26:58, Matthew 5:4, mercy, ministry, mission, mourn, Nineveh, passion, religion, Romans 10:1, salvation, service, spectator, spectator Christianity, spectator religion, spiritual gifts, Tale of Two Cities, worship, worship services | Leave a comment