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 13:24-30, 36-43, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Judgment Coming," for 2/22/26.
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 14:22-33, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Courage," for March 1, 2026.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 12:1-14, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Rejecting Legalism," for 2/15/26.
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" (John 3:16 sermon)
- "The Discipline of Fasting" (Ezra 8:21 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: Dickens
Teacher’s Overview of Matthew 8 & 9, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Every Life Valued” for 1/18/26
An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Matthew 8:1-4, 14-17, and 9:1-8, Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for January 18, 2026. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text highlights and outline, illustrations you can share, … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Every Life Valued", A Christmas Carol, Bernard Ollivier Walking to Samarkand, Bible, Bible study, C.S. Lewis Weight of Glory, caring, caring for people, Carl Sandburg Abraham Lincoln, demons, Dickens, empty stomach, every person matters, Explore the Bible, forgiveness, God, gospel, healing, heaven, It Is Well, Jesus, Jesus authority, King Jesus, leper, leper colony, leprosy, Lifeway, love, mankind was my business, Matthew, Matthew 8, Matthew 8 & 9, Matthew 9, ministering to the sick, ministry, my sin o the bliss, outcasts, paralytic, paralyzed man, Peter mother in law, Psalm 32:1, salvation, Salvation Army, sick, sickness, sin, spiritual healing, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, William Booth, your sins are forgiven
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“Orotund or Obfuscation?” How many of these 20 Dickens words do YOU Know?!
At 1083 pages, it took me more than a just few days to read Peter Ackroyd’s epic-length biography, Dickens. Actually I would have completed it much more quickly had I not stopped to look up so many words! Some I just wanted … Continue reading
Sermon Illustrations from Peter Ackroyd’s “Dickens”
Preachers find illustrations for sermons from every sphere of life, including their own personal experiences and, of course, the hilarious things their children say. Many pastors also glean sermon illustrations in the course of their reading as well. I am currently … Continue reading