Tag Archives: discipleship

“Our Imitation of Christ” (Philippians 2:5 sermon)

Posted on 2021/05/30 by Shawn Thomas

Birch Bayh was a Senator from Indiana back in the 1960’s. He and his wife Marvella ended up serving in Washington for some years, but they were admittedly “babes at sea” when they first arrived from Indiana. They were nervous … Continue reading →

“While You Are Waiting” (Philippians 1:22-26 sermon)

Posted on 2021/04/25 by Shawn Thomas

It matters what you believe. A few years ago there was man who was was in high school and decided that since he didn’t believe in God, there was no meaning or purpose to life. And since there was no … Continue reading →

Posted in Philippians sermons, Sermons | Tagged Christian life, Dahmer life no meaning, discipleship, don't waste your life, Fruitful labor, George Washington death, John Piper seashells, others, Philippians 1:22-26, selfishness, selflessness, senior adults, service, what's in it for me, work, You're a good man Charlie Brown | Leave a comment

“Glorifying God as Salt & Light” (Matthew 5:13-16 sermon)

Posted on 2021/03/15 by Shawn Thomas

“(Victor) Frankl was a prominent Jewish psychiatrist and neurologist who lived in Vienna, Austria. In 1942, he and his wife and parents were arrested and transported to a Nazi concentration camp. At the end of the war three years later, … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Matthew sermons, Sermons | Tagged Christians and politics, Christians and tippiing, Christians being salt and light, church, come out of the closet, discipleship, evangelism, First Baptist Angleton Texas, glorify God, glorify God and enjoy Him, I Corinthians 10:31, I Corinthians 6:20, I Peter 2:12, I Peter 4:16, II Corinthians 9:13, light, Lillian Parks Leighton, Matthew 5:13-16, meaning, never disgrace that uniform, outreach, prayer walk, purpose, purpose for life, salt, salt and light, salt lose its savor, Victor Frankl Man's Search For Meaning, Westminster Shorter Catechism, witness, worship, you are the light of the world, you are the salt of the earth | 2 Comments

“Peacemaking: The Pinnacle of Christlikeness” (Matthew 5:9 sermon)

Posted on 2021/03/01 by Shawn Thomas

John Adams is probably best known as the 2nd President of the United States, but he himself wanted to be remembered for ONE thing more than any other. He wrote to a friend of his, ‘I desire no other inscription … Continue reading →

Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Discipleship, Sermons | Tagged Beatitudes, blessed are the peacemakers, broke down the barrier, character of Christ, children of God, Christian, cost of peacemaking, David McCullough, DeShazer Fuchida, discipleship, eirene poeo, enmity with God, Ephesians 2:14-16, evangelism, following Jesus, forgiveness in the church, imitating Jesus, Jacob DeShazer testimony, Jews and Gentiles, John Adams, Matthew 5:9, mission trips, Mitsuo Fuchida, no prejudice in the church, one in Christ, outreach, peace with God, peace with man, peacemaker, peacemaking, prayer, prayer walk, racial divide, racism, reconciliation, salvation, sons of God | Leave a comment

“The Model Prayer: Begin With Praise” (Matthew 6:9 sermon)

Posted on 2020/09/21 by Shawn Thomas

When the Revolutionary War was over and the United States became a new nation, our country appointed John Adams as its new ambassador to England. When he arrived in London, Adams was to make his first appearance before George III, … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons, The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020), Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 4 prayer, ambassador, begin with praise, Charles Spurgeon, Daniel prayer, David McCullough, discipleship, enter His gates with thanksgiving, example of giving thanks, George III, giving thanks, God is worthy, Heidelberg Castle, how to begin prayer, how to pray, iPod, Jesus' Model Prayer, John Adams, learning to pray, Mark Twain A Tramp Abroad, Model Prayer outline, music, Nehemiah prayer, praise, praise Psalm, praise scriptures, praise songs, prayer, prayer changes you, prayer example, praying, Psalm 100, Psalm 100:4, Psalm 8:1, Psalm 95:1-2, Psalm 96:1, Psalm 9:1, Psalm 9:2, Psalm songs thanks, Revelation 4:11, Revolutionary War, scripture memory, sing to God, singing, Solomon prayer, Spurgeon praise, St. James palace, thankgiving, thanks, Thanksgiving, The Lord's Prayer, The Model Prayer, three means of praise, vertical praise songs | Leave a comment

“Inviting Jesus Into Your Home” (Luke 10:38-42 sermon)

Posted on 2020/08/31 by Shawn Thomas

Last week I mentioned George Washington, and some of his strengths and weaknesses. One of the good qualities that he and his wife Martha had was the gift of hospitality. After the Revolutionary War, in which Washington became a hero, … Continue reading →

Posted in Home & Family Life, Luke 10:38-42 Mary & Martha series, Sermons | Tagged Barbara Boyd, books, Christian life, Christian music, daily Bible reading, daily devotional time, daily devotions, daily prayer time, daily quiet time, depression, discipleship, discouragement, DVD, faith and home, family, family life, George Washington hospitality, Gospel Comes With a House Key, holiness, home, home as a base for ministry, home Bible studies, home life, home ministry, hospitality, hospitality ministry, how to pray, Hurricane Laura refugees, input, inviting Jesus into your home, Jesus as Lord, John Newton Amazing Grace, Levi, Lordship, Luke 10:38-42, Luke 10:38-42 sermon, Martha, music, P.G. Wodehouse golf story, prepare for Jesus in your home, Psalm 118:24, rich young ruler, Ron Chernow George Washington, Rosaria Butterfield, salvation, sanctification, spiritual diet, spiritual food, spiritual growth, stumbling blocks, teen rebellion, Tim Keller, worship, worship at church, worship at home, worship God at home | Leave a comment

“The Maladies of Martha” (Luke 10:38-42 sermon)

Posted on 2020/08/17 by Shawn Thomas

A few weeks ago I read Joseph J. Ellis’ book on President Thomas Jefferson, entitled American Sphinx. In it, he discussed, among other things, the men who influenced Jefferson and made him the kind of president that he was. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Luke 10:38-42 Mary & Martha series, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged accusing God, busy-ness, Christian growth, consecration, COVID-19, daily Bible reading, daily devotions, daily prayer time, daily quiet time, devotions, discipleship, does God care?, egocentrism, Ephesians 2, example, Exodus 2:24-25, God, God mercy, God who sees, God's will, Hagar in the wilderness, It's not about you, Job 38-39, John 21 you follow Me, John Adams, Joseph J. Ellis American Sphinx, log out of your own eye, love, love of God, Luke 10:38-42 sermon, Maladies of Martha, Mark 4:38, Mark 5 Gerasene demoniac, marriage, Martha, mercy of God, morning prayer time, negative example, others' shortcomings, others' sins, our will, prayer, priorities, relationships, Rick Warren Purpose Driven Life it's not about you, salvation, sanctification, schedule, self-centeredness, selfish, selfishness, sin, spiritual growth, telling God what to do, Thomas Jefferson, Thy will be done, time, time with God, what's in it for me? | Leave a comment

“Martha & Jesus: A Christian Allegory” (Luke 10:38-42 sermon)

Posted on 2020/08/03 by Shawn Thomas

One of the most famous allegories in history is John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. An “allegory” is where some character or symbol represents something else. In Pilgrim’s Progress (which is perhaps a rather “thin” allegory) the main character of Bunyan’s novel … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Luke 10:38-42 Mary & Martha series, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged allegory, analogy, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Jackson baby christening, asking Jesus in your heart, attitudes, Augustine conversion, Augustine spiritual growth, baptism, busy-ness, Christian allegory, consecration, conviction of Holy Spirit, daily devotions, daily quiet time, devotions, discipleship, Holy Spirit, home remodeling, infant baptism, Jesus in your life, Lazarus John 11, Luke 10:38-42, Martha and Jesus, Mary and Martha, personal salvation, Peter Brown Augustine, Pilgrim's Progress, priorities, process of sanctification, relationships, Saint Augustine, salvation, sanctification, schedule, sinners prayer, worship | 2 Comments

“Defective Discipleship” (Matthew 26:58 sermon)

Posted on 2020/01/26 by Shawn Thomas

Several times in recent weeks I have mentioned Martin Luther, the German Reformer of the 1500’s. After he brought the authority of the Bible, and salvation by grace through faith, back to the forefront of Christianity, he was not satisfied … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Archie Leach, baptism, baptism and discipleship, Cary Grant military, Christian finances, commitment, discipleship, distant discipleship, evangelism, following at a distance, forgiveness, grace, limited discipleship, Lordship, Luke 6:46, Luke 9:23, Martin Luther, Martin Luther discipleship, Matthew 10:37, Matthew 26:58, Matthew 26:58 sermon, Matthew 27:48-49, ministry, real discipleship, spectator discipleship, witnessing, worship, worship participation, worship service criticism | 1 Comment

“In His Steps: When We Suffer” (I Peter 2:19-23 sermon)

Posted on 2019/09/03 by Shawn Thomas

Cheryl & I love to read and watch the old Agatha Christie detective stories, so last year we each read her autodbiography. In it Mrs. Christie tells of a teacher at her girls school growing up. She said she couldn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Agatha Christie biography, an eye for an eye, become like Christ, Christian life suffering, Christians and persecution, Christians and suffering, Christlikeness, commit to God, despair, discipleship, do not be overcome by evil, do not take your own revenge, entrust to God, faith, following Christ, foolish suffering, fret not, godly suffering, holiness, holy, I Peter 2:19-23, I Peter 2:20, I Peter sermon, I will repay says the Lord, in His steps, In His steps suffering, J.R.R. Tolkien, Joe McKeever, Lord of the Rings, love your enemies, Matthew 26:50, Matthew 5 sermon on the mount, meekness Psalm, never take your own revenge, payback, persecuted for Jesus, persecution, Proverbs 20:22, Psalm 37, revenge, ring of power, Romans 12:17, Romans 12:19, salvation, suffer, suffering, suffering for Jesus, trust, trust God, trust in the Lord and do good, turn the other cheek, why did God do this?, you can't fight the enemy with his own ring without turning into an enemy | Leave a comment