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 Matthew 2:1-12, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Worship the King," for 12/21/25
- “Immanuel: God With Us” (Matthew 1:23 sermon)
- "The Example of Joseph" (Matthew 1:18-25 sermon)
- "He Will Save His People From Their Sins" (Matthew 1:21 Sermon)
- "Your Response to Christmas" (Matthew 2:1-12 Sermon)
- "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" (John 3:16 sermon)
- "A 'Real Life' Christmas" (Luke 2:1-11 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 4:12-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson "Invitation," for 12/14/25
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 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: confession
The Personal Confession
“Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:28) Following his initial doubts about the resurrection of Jesus, when Thomas saw the living Christ, he then made this great confession: “My Lord and my God!”
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged confession, Deity of Christ, faith, Jesus, John 20:28, Lordship
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Empty Words Won’t Save You
“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” (I John 4:15) Despite the apparent simplicity of this verse, one should be careful not to take it in a woodenly literal fashion, … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged assurance, assurance of salvation, confession, demons, I John 4:15, Mark 5, Matthew 7:21, salvation, test of salvation
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A Balanced Perspective On Sin
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (I John 2:1) Here in the first verse of … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged confession, forgiveness, guilt, holliness, I John 1:9, I John 2:1, libertinism, purity
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Prayer and the End of All Things
“The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.” (I Peter 4:7) A thoughtless person, contemplating the end of the world, might consider that prayer was not of much … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged confession, end times, eschatology, eternity, I Peter 4:7, intercession, prayer
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The Model Prayer: Forgiveness (Matthew 6:12 sermon)
(Preached at Pleasant Ridge Baptist, 5-20-15) I know that many of you, like me, grew up hearing soloists and others sing what became the “traditional” version of “The Lord’s Prayer.” There is one part of the song that seems almost … Continue reading
“The Discipline of the Model Prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13 sermon)
(Preached at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, 5-10-15) I attended a men’s retreat last year and I had the opportunity to talk to a man who shared with me that when he was a young Christian, he was challenged to spend … Continue reading
Are YOU Sure of a Good Conscience?
In Hebrews 13:18 the author writes: “Pray for us, we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.” That is quite a statement to make: “we are sure that we have a … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged confession, conscience, forgiveness, good conscience, Hebrews 13:18, integrity
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Hurtful Ways
In Psalm 139:23 David asks: “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” Then in :24 he prays: “and see if there be any hurtful way in me.” “Hurtful way” here is literally, “way of pain.” Our sinful, or ungodly … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged confession, hurt, pain, Psalm 139:23-24, repentance, self-evaluation, sin
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Getting Real With God: Four Important Admissions
The writer of Psalm 130 is very transparent in his prayer to the Lord. We find here that he makes 4 very important admissions which each of us would do well to imitate:
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged admit sin, confession, forgiveness, help, prayer, Psalm 130, salvation, transparency
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Answering That Accusing Whisper When We Pray
Psalm 130 begins with a couple of pleas to the Lord to hear the Psalmist’s prayers. In :1 he says: “I have cried to You, O YHWH” and again in :2, “Lord, hear my voice.” He wants God to hear … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged accusation, accuser, confession, conscience, forgiveness, prayer, Psalm 130:3-4, Satan
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