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 Judges 7:1-8, 19-23, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "Trust," for August 9, 2026
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Judges 6:1-4, 7-16, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Called," for August 2, 2026.
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "Pressing On To Know the Lord" (Hosea 6:3 sermon)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 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: church
“Testing The Fruit Of Your Salvation” (James 1:21-27 sermon)
For Mothers Day we got some things for Cheryl for the garden. She loves to garden outside — and I love to go out and walk through the garden with her for 5 minutes before I go inside to read! … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged age, Bible, Book of James, born again, church, church attendance, conviction, darkness, doer of the word, faith, Faith works, fruit, fruit of salvation, holiness, I John 1:5, II Corinthians 5, James, James 1, James 1:21-27, James 1:21-27 sermon, John 13:17, John 3, light, Matthew 13 parable of the sower, minister, ministry, mirror, mirror of the word, new creation, obedience, orphans, Paraliament, purification, repent, repentance, salvation, sanctification, scripture, service, sin, slavery, widows, William Wilberforce, word of God, works, worship
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When “Worship” Misses The Mark
“He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.’” (Exodus 32:4) … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged Bible, church, church standards, creativity, Exodus 32:4, idolatry, regulative principle, worship
2 Comments
The Problem of Impatience
“Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain …” (Exodus 32:1) One of the biggest problems that afflicts God’s people is IMPATIENCE. We want instant results. This is certainly true in our “microwave era”, … Continue reading
“The Man Who Almost Gave Up His Faith” (Psalm 73 sermon)
One of the best known memoirs of the Holocaust is Night by Elie Wiesel. Wiesel was a devout Jew before his experience in the Nazi death camps, but his time there destroyed his faith. He wrote, “Why, but why should I … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons
Tagged Asaph, Bible Reading, church, devotionals, doubts, Elie Wiesel, eternity, faith, Harvey Weinstein, heaven, hell, Holocaust, Hugh Hefner, it will end better, John 6, judgment, justice, Luke 16, Psalm 73, Psalm 73 sermon, punishment, questions, revelation, rewards and punishments, Rich Man and Lazarus, scripture, temptations, unanswered prayer, Whitney Hand knee injury, wrong side of history
3 Comments
“The Questions of Moses” (Exodus 3:10-4:1 sermon)
When we are reading through God’s word like we are, we need to look for certain things. Like is there a command we need to keep; or a sin to confess; or a prayer to pray using this verse? Is … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Aristides, church, D Day, Exodus 3:10-4:1, faith, General Eisenhower, God, Hadrian, I AM, I AM WHO I AM, I am with you, Joseph, man, Moses, names, questions, resumes, salvation, service, theology, trust, What If?, Yahweh
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“Immanuel: God With Us” (Matthew 1:23 sermon)
One of my favorite parts of the Christmas program last weekend was when B.J. and Amy and Greg sang that beautiful song of the annunciation, which is right out of Luke 1:28, where the angel appeared to Mary and said: … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons
Tagged "Sovereignty of God", assurance of salvation, Christ, Christmas, church, Colossians 2:9, Current Events, deity of Jesus, depravity of man, ecclesiology, Ephesians 1:13, Every Day With Jesus, faith, Genesis 6:5, God with us, God's plan, Hebrews 1:3, Holy Spirit, Hymn In The Garden, I Corinthians 6:19, II Corinthians 13:9, illustrations, Immanuel, Isaiah, Isaiah 7:14, Jesus, Jesus and marriage, John 14:8-9, John 1:12, King Ahaz, man, Martin Luther, Mary, Matthew 1:23, once saved always saved, perseverance of the saints, Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church Elf production, Romans 8:15, salvation, sealed in the Holy Spirit, smallpox vaccine, The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever, trust
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“ALL The Saints”
“For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints …” (Ephesians 1:15) The smallest little words in scripture can sometimes have the biggest impact … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship
Tagged brotherly love, Christian love, church, Ephesians 1:15, fellowship, love, love for saints
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A Godly Attitude Towards Sinning Brothers
“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1) How should a … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged church, church discipline, Galatians 6:1, sin, sinnng brethren
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