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.
-
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)
- "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" (John 3:16 sermon)
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "A 'Real Life' Christmas" (Luke 2:1-11 sermon)
- "Your Response to Christmas" (Matthew 2:1-12 Sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 4:12-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson "Invitation," for 12/14/25
- "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: culture
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Acts 17:22-34, “Believe” for Sunday Oct. 13, 2024
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 17:22-34, with the title of “Believe,” for Sunday, October 13, 2024. A video version of this lesson is available on YouTube at … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Acts 17, Acts 17:22-34, Apostle Paul, application, Areopagus, believe, Bible, Bible study, Bulgaria, C.S. Lewis, Christ, Christianity, creation, culture, discussion questions, evangelism, Explore the Bible, faith, Gary Habermas, Genesis 1, God, God sovereignty, gospel, I Corinthians 15, idols, J.D. Vance, Jesus, Jesus only way, Jesus resurrection, John F Kennedy, John Quincy Adams creation, Kamala Harria, Lifeway, literature, Mars Hill, Matthew 13, ministry, missionary, missions, Nabeel Qureshi, Parable of the Sower, Paul and Silas, Psalm 50, repent, repentance, repentance and faith, response to the gospel, resurrection, Romans 1:4, salvation, SBC Disaster Relief, second missionary journey, seek God, Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, sermon, Silas, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, Tim Walz, Westminster Catechism
2 Comments
“Culture-blind” — or Cowardly?
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 Gospel” (I Corinthians 15:1-11 sermon)
One of our family’s favorite movies, especially when our kids were at home, was “The Princess Bride.” Many of its lines were quoted at home in our daily conversations — and still are, on our family Facebook chat group. Of … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged American exceptionalism, Anne Bronte The Tenant of Wildfell hall, anointed One, BBC The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Bronte gospel, Christ, culture, euangelion, false gospel, Galatians 1, genuine gospel, good news, gospel, gospel preacher, healing, I Corinthians 15, I Corinthians 15:1, I Corinthians 15:1-11, I Peter 2:24, India, J.D. Greear, John 11:3, John 3:16, Leslie Newbigin, Messiah, mission, politics, pray for yourself, Princess Bride, prosperity, receive Jesus, Romans 1:16, the gospel, what is the gospel?
Leave a comment
Don’t “Fit In”!
“Depart, depart, go out from there, touch nothing unclean; go out of the midst of her, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.” (Isaiah 52:11) Speaking of the return of the His people from captivity in Babylon, … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged aliens, compromise, culture, I Peter 1:1, Isaiah 52:11, separation, strangers
Leave a comment
You And This Generation
How should we live in the world? What should be our attitude about the changing morals and standards we see around us? Acts 2:40 says that in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, Peter exhorted his hearers to “be … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Acts 2:40, compromise, conformity, culture, moral deterioration, relevance, salvation
Leave a comment