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 Deuteronomy 33:1-5, 26-29, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "God's Power," for 11/30/25.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Deuteronomy 30:11-20, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Fully Committed," for 11/23/25.
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 3:13-4:11, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Affirmation," for 12/07/25
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- “Immanuel: God With Us” (Matthew 1:23 sermon)
- "Give Thanks to the Lord" (Psalm 118 sermon) Thanksgiving 2024
- Teacher's Overview of Acts 18:1-11, 18-21, Lifeway's "Explore the Bible" lesson "Together" for Oct. 20, 2024
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Example of Joseph" (Matthew 1:18-25 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
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- missions
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- POTS (dysautonomia) articles
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- Revelation sermon series
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- The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020)
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- Uncategorized
- worship
Tag Archives: commandments
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Leviticus 26:1-13, “Holy Living,” for Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Leviticus 26:1-13, with the title, “Holy Living,” for Sunday, February 23, 2025. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Holy Living", Agatha Christie autobiography, blessings, blessings of holiness, commandments, commands, David McCullough Harry Truman, day of atonement, dwelling, Eden Regained, Explore the Bible, glory, God, God glory, gospel, Hebrews 12:14, holiness, Jesus, John 15:10 If you love Me keep My commandments, John Milton Paradise Lost, John Newton, keep My commandments, lesson outline, Leviticus, Leviticus 26:1-13, Lifeway, Lord, nearness of God, obedience, obedience is the best test, Paradise Restored, Psalm 73:28, salvation, sanctification, Shebani, spiritual blessings, spirituality, Sunday School, Sunday School teacher, tabernacle, teacher help, Truman himself, ultimate blessing, Yahweh, YHWH, you shall be holy for I am holy
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“What Real Faith Looks Like” (Introduction to the Book of James)
Some time ago I was visiting with a pastor in another state, and he was talking about how there are well over 30 churches in just their small community. He said, “You know how it is here; everyone says they … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
Tagged American Christianity, assurance, Bible, Book of James, Christianity, commandments, conviction, conviction of sin, easy believism, epistle of straw, faith, God's Law, gospel, how can I be saved, James, James 3, Jesus, John Ryland, Lord, Lord Lord, Martin Luther, meddling in my private life, salvation, Samuel Rutherford, saving faith, scripture memory, sin, strawy epistle, Tennessee Williams, testimony, tongue, What Real Faith Looks Like, words, works
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“Just As The Lord Had Commanded”
“Just as the LORD had commanded Moses” is the theme of Exodus 39 & 40. Nothing “new” was commanded here; rather the focus was on how Moses actually DID everything that God had commanded him. Notice how these same words, … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged Bible, commandments, Exodus 39, Exodus 40, God's word, obedience
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“Worthy of Worship” (Psalm 65:1 devotion)
I have heard several people this week say that they are looking forward to the cooler weather that is coming in at the end of the week, and fall — and Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged "Worthy of Worship", actions, Apostle John, awe, be still and know, commandments, deeds, Genesis 28, Hallelujah, intercessory prayer, Job, John 14:15, Lottie Moon, Lottie Moon and C.H. Toy, Lottie Moon love, Luke 6:46, obedience, praise, praise methods, prayer, Psalm 100:1, Psalm 46:10, Psalm 65:1, Revelation 1:17, reverence, silence, tithe, ways to praise, worship
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A Surprising Key To Abiding In Him
After Jesus shared with His disciples the importance of “Abiding in Him” in the first verses of John 15 (“abide in Me … apart from Me, you can do nothing”, etc.) one might ask, “But HOW do I ‘abide in … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged abiding, abiding in Christ, abiding in Him, commandments, John 15:10, John 15:5
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Keeping His Commandments
“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” (John 14:21) It is … Continue reading
The “Next” Verse …
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) Much attention is focused on Jesus’ promise in John 14:14, “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it”, and rightly so. And yet it is … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged commandments, discipleship, I John 2:3, John 14:15, Lordship, love, love relationship, obedience, relationship
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Love & The Commandments
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” (I John 5:3) There is a fallacy in the thinking of many people, that there is a distinction between the “love” of … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged commandments, dilemma, fallacy, I John 5:3, legalism, love, love vs. commandments
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Love & Obedience
Many times, it is not “either/or”, but “both.” It is so in Nehemiah 1:9, where Nehemiah has just confessed the sins of Israel to God, and he quotes Him as saying to His people, “but if you return to Me … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged commandments, discipleship, John 14:15, love, Nehemiah 1:9, obedience
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