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: ethics
“What Real Faith Looks Like: The King’s Laws” (James 2:5-13)
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
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: Relationships & Righteousness” (James 1:19-21 sermon)
In the fall of 1871, explorer Harry Stanley found missionary Dr. Livingstone in Ujiji, Africa, after he had been lost to civilization for several years. It was then that he uttered those famous words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume.” Staying there … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
Tagged A.T. Robertson, anger, Bible, Christianity, continual repentance, conversation, dads, Dr. Livingstone, ethics, evangelism, faith, fathers, Fathers Day, garden, gay Christian, gospel, Harry Stanley, hearing, holiness, humility, James, James 1, James 1 sermon, ministry, mouth, proverbs, quick to hear, real Christianity, receive Jesus, relationships, repent, repentance, salvation, sanctification, saving faith, sermons, Shekinah, sin, slow to anger, slow to speak, Sunday school class, teaching, temper, thrice was Moses angry, two ears one mouth, weeds, What Real Faith Looks Like, witness, word implanted, words, Zeno
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“The Way of Pain”
“See if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:24) “Hurtful way” here is literally, “way of pain.” Our sinful, or ungodly ways, are “hurtful”, “painful” to ourselves and to others. They … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged adultery, anxiety, business, cost of sin, ethics, hurtful way, pain, Psalm 139:24, sin, the way of pain, theology, trust, way of pain
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“The Golden Rule” (Matthew 7:12 sermon)
When our kids were little, I started listening to a CD with the greatest hits of the British comic operas of Gilbert & Sullivan. These operas were written in the late 1800’s, and they poke fun at all kinds of … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged business, business ethics, Christian ethics, Christianity, context, discipleship, do unto others, driving, ethics, Exodus 22:21, Exodus 23:4, forgiveness, Gilbert & Sullivan, Gilbert & Sullivan golden rule, gospel, Great Commandment, Jesus, Matthew 7:12, perspective, relationships, Romans 12:1, salvation, Swiss Army knife, teaching, Ten Commandments, The Golden Rule, therefore, treat others the way you want to be treaated, understanding
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Christianity’s Neglected Horizontal Arm
“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12) The word “therefore” in Jesus’ familiar “Golden Rule” verse is very significant. It lets us know … Continue reading
“When The Cat’s Away …”?
“A king who sits on the throne of justice disperses evil with his eyes” (Proverbs 20:8) This scripture pictures a strong leader on the throne of the land, before whom the wicked scatter. But what often happens when a leader … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged accountability, computer, ethics, pornography, Proverbs 20:8, work, work ethic
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