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)
- "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: disciples
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson of Mark 14:32-42, “Willing”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Mark 14:32-42 for Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: ??? Ask your … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Abba Father, Alexander Whyte, an ounce of prevention, battle, Christ, disciples, Explore the Bible, forgiveness, Garden of Gethsemane, God's will, help my unbelief, I Peter 2:24, Jesus, John Jellico, lead us not into temmptation, Lifeway, Mark 14:32-42, Mark 7:25, Mark Sunday school lesson, model prayer, Mount of Olives, olive oil, olive press, prayer, Romans 3:19, salvation, sin, spiritual warfare, Sun Tzu, the cross, three strikes and you're out, Thy will be done, trials, William Manchester Last Lion, Winston Churchill
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“The Misplaced Passion of Spectator Religion” (Jonah 4 sermon)
On this Father’s Day, many of us are remembering our dads — whether they are still with us, or like my dad, have gone on to be with the Lord. I can remember my father sitting in his recliner, watching … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Amos, Apostle Paul, armchair religion, Charles DIckens, Christianity, church, clergy laity divide, comfort, compassion, convenience, critic, cruise ship or battleship?, disciples, discipleship, Ephesians 4:11-12, evaluate, Fathers Day, gifts, grieve, Holy Spirit, I Corinthians 12:7, Jonah, Jonah 4, La-z-boy Christianity, Marquis St. Evremonde, Matthew 26:58, Matthew 5:4, mercy, ministry, mission, mourn, Nineveh, passion, religion, Romans 10:1, salvation, service, spectator, spectator Christianity, spectator religion, spiritual gifts, Tale of Two Cities, worship, worship services
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“I Commend You To God”
“And now I commend you to God …” (Acts 20:32) Paul didn’t utter these words casually, or irresponsibly. He had just said in :32 that “day and night for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged Acts 20:32, children, disciples, discipleship, prayer, students, training, trust
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A Picture of Discipleship
“My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” (Galatians 4:19) Here in his impassioned message to the church he had planted at Galatia, Paul shows us some important things about the nature of … Continue reading
The “Peters” & The “Others”
“Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the … Continue reading
The Believer’s Peace
“Do not let your heart be troubled.” (John 14:1) Many of God’s people are familiar with the opening words of this chapter. But they may not remember that Jesus REPEATS these very same words again later, near the end of … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged Comforter, disciples, heart, heaven, helper, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John 14:27, John 14:6, John 1:41, peace, salvation
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A Triune Comfort
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.” (John 14:16) Jesus, knowing that His disciples were grieved by His impending departure from this world, comforts them with the promise … Continue reading
Are You Doing His Works?
“Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to the Father.” (John 14:12) Much of the attention … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged disciples, discipleship, Jesus, John 14:12, marks of discipleship, Matthew 4:23, ministry, test, works
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