Tag Archives: discipleship

Teacher’s Overview of Acts 18:1-11, 18-21, Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson “Together” for Oct. 20, 2024

Posted on 2024/10/12 by Shawn Thomas

An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 18:1-11, 18-21 for Sunday, October 20, 2024, with the title, “Together.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged Acts, Acts 18:1-11, Acts 1:8, Aquila and Priscilla, assurance, Betty Rogers, bi-vocational pastor, Bible study, bivocational ministry, Cheryl Thomas, Corinth, couples ministry, discipleship, Explore the Bible, Ezekiel 3:17-19, Greece, if the Lord wills, illustrations, lesson help, lesson outline, lesson overview, Lifeway, Lord willing, map, Matthew 7:6, Michael Thomas, ministry, mission, music, part-time ministry, Paul and Silas, Paul's Second Missionary Journey, Priscilla and Aquila, rehab, sin city, stroke, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, teaching outline, tentmaker, Unreal City, Unreal City song cycle, Will Rogers | 4 Comments

“When Tragedy Strikes”

Posted on 2024/10/06 by Shawn Thomas

About five weeks ago, tragedy struck in our home. My wife of 42 years, Cheryl, suffered a massive stroke that left her paralyzed on her left side. Leaving the ER in Angleton, she was sent to Jenny Sealy Hospital in … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Home & Family Life | Tagged Baptist, Bible, Cheryl Thomas, Christian life, Christianity, church, church membership, discipleship, First Baptist Church Angleton, First Baptist Church Harrah, God, God's word lamp, gospel, hope, Isaiah 58:11, Jesus, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 118, Psalm 23, Psalms, salvation, scripture memory, Shawn Thomas, stroke, stroke victim, tragedy, trials | 6 Comments

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson: Acts 15:39-16:10, “Kingdom Work” for 9/29/24

Posted on 2024/09/21 by Shawn Thomas

An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 15:39-16:10, with the title of “Kingdom Work,” for Sunday, September 29, 2024. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged Acts 15:39-16:10, Acts we passage, Bible, Bible study, circumcision, controversy, direction, disciples, discipleship, Explore the Bible, faith, Galatians, Galatians 6:1, God's will, going with, grace, Holy Spirit, Jerusalem Conference, Jesus, John Mark, John Piper, kingdom, kingdom work, Law, lesson, Lifeway, making disciples, mentor, ministry, mission, mission trip, Paul, Paul & Barnabas, Paul & Silas, Paul & Timothy, salvation, second missionary journey, St. Paul the Traveler, strengthening churches, Sunday School, teacher help, Titus, Titus circumcision, why was Timothy circumcised, William Mitchell Ramsey, with | 14 Comments

“What Real Faith Looks Like: The King’s Laws” (James 2:5-13)

Posted on 2024/07/29 by Shawn Thomas

In Leo Tolstoy’s War & Peace, he writes about how during Napoleon’s War with Russia he commanded a group of his soldiers to go downstream and find a good place to ford the river, and go to the other side. … Continue reading →

Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons | Tagged all sin is sin, Andrew Jackson, Bible, Book of James, C.S. Lewis, Christianity, comparing, discipleship, ethics, failure, faith, God, gospel, how would you like it, in the course of justice, James, James 2, James 2:5-13, Jesus, John Adams, Jon Meacham American Lion, judgment, King Jesus, Law, law of liberty, Law of mercy, Leo Tolstoy, Love God Love Others, love your neighbor, mercy, Napoleon, obedience, render the deeds of mercy, Romans 13:8-10, salvation, Shakespeare, Sheldon Vanauken, sin, slavery, Tao, The Golden Rule, The Great Commandment, The Hermitag, the Law, The Merchant of Venice, the quality of mercy, the standard, transgression, War & Peace, we do pray for mercy, Yours Jack, zeal | Leave a comment

Teacher’s Overview of Acts 5:29-42, Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson “Worthy,” for July 14, 2024

Posted on 2024/07/06 by Shawn Thomas

(A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: ??? Did you/someone you know ever disobey a law/command/guideline, to do something you believed God wanted you to do?(— A friend of mine and I shared the gospel … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged abortion, Acts, Acts 5, Acts 5:29-42, apostles, balance, Bible, Bible study, C.S. Lewis, chronological snobbery, civil disobedience, cost of discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, discipleship, Ephesians 1:13, evangelism, Explore the Bible, faith, Gamaliel, Geaux Therefore, God of our Fathers, gospel, hate crime, history, Holy Spirit, homosexuality, Jesus is Lord, Jewish Encyclopedia, lessons of history, Lifeway, Lordship, ministry, NOBTS, obedience, persecution, perseverance, Peter, Pharisee, Prince and Savior, repentance, Rex Butler, Romans 10:9, Romans 13:1, Ron DeSantis, salvation, Savior and Lord, sharing, Stephen Boissoin, submission, Sunday School, time will tell, transgender, we must obey God rather than men, Winston Churchill lessons of history, witness, workplace | 1 Comment

“What Real Faith Looks Like: Total Commitment” (James 1:6-8 sermon)

Posted on 2024/05/06 by Shawn Thomas

One time Cheryl, our son Michael & I were waiting to place an order in the drive through line at a fast-food restaurant, and it looked like the people in front of us were having a difficult time making up … Continue reading →

Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons | Tagged answered prayer, Book of James, choices, choose, Christian life, commitment, cool vs. Christ, dipsuchos, discipleship, double-minded, doubt, faith, genuine salvation, Hipster Faith, I Kings 18:21, James, John Bunyan, Joshua 24:15, Landry Jones, Matthew 6:24, Mr. Facing Both Ways, no man can serve two masters, one master, Pilgrim's Progress, prayer, salvatiion, seeking God, tossed by the wind, total commitment, two-headed snake, unanswered prayer, Whitney Hand, whom will you serve | Leave a comment

“Putting God First” Matthew 6:33 (2024 New Year Message)

Posted on 2024/01/08 by Shawn Thomas

President Lyndon Johnson’s wife Lady Bird once gave a speech to wives of congressmen. She told them she had once asked Lyndon what he felt were the three most significant priorities in his career, and he named what he felt … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons | Tagged calendar, chief end of man, commitment, daily Bible reading, daily devotions, decision-making, decisions, discipleship, Exodus 20:2, first, first commandment, garden of Eden, Gibeonites, giving, glorify God and enjoy Him, Hebrews 10:25, Jesus Lord, Jesus operating system, Jonathan Edwards heaven, Joshua 9, Katherine Graham's Washington, Lady Bird Johnson, Lord's Day, Lordship, Lyndon Johnson, Mark 1:35, Matthew 6:33, morning priority, New Year, no Bible no newspaper, prayer time, priorities, Proverbs 3:9, Psalm 5:3, putting God first, rich young ruler, Sabbath, salvatiion, schedule, sin, spiritual warning light, Sunday worship, Ten Commandments, tenth, tithe, Westminster Confession, worship | Leave a comment

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson: Mark 8:31-9:1, “Followed”

Posted on 2023/09/30 by Shawn Thomas

An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Mark 8:31-9:1, “Followed,” for Sunday, October 8, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: Just after Calvin … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews, Uncategorized | Tagged baptism, begone Satan, Bible study, Bible study teacher help, Bourges, Caesarea Philippi, Calvin Coolidge, confession of faith, Daniel 7 Son of Man, deny self, discipleship, Edmund Starling, eternal life, eternity, Explore the Bible, follow Me, Jesus, Julius Caesar, kingdom of God, Lifeway, Mark 8 Bible Study, Mark 8 Sunday School, Mark 8:31-9:1, Messiah, Peter, Roman soliders branded, Simon Peter, Son of Man, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school lesson help, Sunday school teacher help, take up cross, teacher overview, tract Not I But Christ, transfiguration, Vercingetorix | 5 Comments

“Coming To Worship Jesus” (Luke 21:38 sermon)

Posted on 2023/08/21 by Shawn Thomas

Charles Spurgeon once told a story about how Caesar Augustus was invited to a feast in his honor; but the attendance was so poor, and the feast was so mediocre, that he arose in the midst of it and lamented: … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons | Tagged beauty of holiness, C.S. Lewis, Charles Spurgeon Caesar Augustus, church, church attendance, clergymen, consider Him, day of preparation, discipleship, family, Hebrews 10:25, holiness, humility, II Samuel 24:24, Isaiah 66:2, Jesus, Jesus glory, Jesus return, John 19:42, Luke 21:28, pastors, Philippians 2, preparation, preparation for worship, pride, Psalm 96:9, Sabbath, sacrifice, sacrifice that cost me nothing, salvation, sleep, Sunday, Sunday morning worship is a Saturday night decision, Sunday sabbath, Sunday worship, worship, worship Jesus, worship sacrifice | Leave a comment

“Swimming Upstream” (Luke 1:57-66 sermon)

Posted on 2023/07/17 by Shawn Thomas

I was in a river canoeing one time, and it was shallow, and the current was pretty strong, so just for fun I decided to get out and see how far I could swim against the current. So I jumped … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons | Tagged burden, church, commitment, convention, discipleship, following Jesus, freedom, giving church, glorifying God, glory God, God obedience, going against the current, John the Baptist birth, Luke 1:57-66 sermon, obedience, obey God, obeying God, Romans 12:2, salvation, song trust and obey, standard procedure, swimming upstream, tithe, tithing, trust and obey, Zecharias and Elizabeth | 1 Comment