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 Preview of Matthew 16:13-26, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "Following Jesus" for 3/15/26
- "This Is My Story: The Man Born Blind" (John 9 sermon)
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 17:1-13, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Glory," for 3/22/26
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 15:1-11+, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson for March 8, 2026, "Real Devotion"
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "Inviting Jesus Into Your Home" (Luke 10:38-42 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "The Goodness of God in the Midst of Affliction" (Psalm 119:65-72 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: discipleship
The Father’s Pruning Work
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:2) Christians who undergo trials or difficulties may be tempted to … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged bearing fruit, branches, discipleship, fruit, fruitfulness, holiness, John 15:2, pruning, sanctification, service, trials, vine, vinedresser
2 Comments
The Lessons Around You
Jesus had just said to His disciples, “Get up, let us go from here” in the last verse of John 14, so perhaps it was passing some grapevines on the way to Gethsemane which occasioned Jesus to talk about how … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged creation, discipleship, Jesus, John 15:1, lessons in creation, Psalm 19, Romans 1, teacher, teaching, vine
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Keeping His Commandments
“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” (John 14:21) It is … Continue reading
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
The “Next” Verse …
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) Much attention is focused on Jesus’ promise in John 14:14, “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it”, and rightly so. And yet it is … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged commandments, discipleship, I John 2:3, John 14:15, Lordship, love, love relationship, obedience, relationship
1 Comment
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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Being With Him
“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:3) No wonder these words are among the most beloved in scripture. … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged discipleship, fellowship, heaven, John 1:43, Mark 3:14
1 Comment
Knowing Vs. Doing
Although it is a relatively unknown verse, John 13:17 should actually be one of the most important in the whole Bible, because it really all comes down to this: “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged application, discipleship, doing, James 2:19-20, John 13:17, knowing, salvation
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Serving Each Other “In His Steps”
“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14) Jesus is infinitely above us in rank. Therefore, if He condescends to do something for us lowly human beings, … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged discipleship, example, humility, in His steps, John 13:14, service
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Lead By Example
“For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.” (John 13:15) Here Jesus gave His disciples — and all us reading His word today — one of the most important lessons about leadership: … Continue reading
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