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: evangelism
Teacher’s Overview of Matthew 4:12-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson “Invitation,” for 12/14/25
For Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, lesson outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications you can make. A video version of this … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Andrew, Baptist, call of the disciples, call to mission, Capernaum, church mission, church purpose, church purpose statement, December 14 2025 lesson, discipleship, ecclesiology, evangelism, Explore the Bible, fishermen, following Jesus, fulfill, instant obedience, invitation, James, John, lesson outline, Lifeway, Making of the President 1960, Mark Twain, Matthew, Matthew 4:12-25, ministry, ministry evaluation, ministry metric, ministry motto, missions, obedience, Old Testament prophecy, Old Testament quotes in Matthew, Reaching Teaching Caring, Ron Chernow, shawnethomas, Southern Baptist, Steve Jobs Walter Isaacson, Sunday School, Sunday school discussion questions, Sunday school help, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school lesson applications, Sunday school lesson illustrations, Sunday School teacher, Sunday School training, Sunday School University, Theodore White John Kennedy
14 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Psalm 96:1-13, “God’s Reign,” Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson for June 22, 2025
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Psalm 96:1-13, for Sunday, June 22, 2025, with the title ‘God’s Reign.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged beauty of holiness, Cheryl Thomas, Constantine, evangelism, Explore the Bible, Gentiles, glory of God, God, God change, God never changed, God's Reign, holiness, How Great Thou Art, idolatry, idols, International Mission Board, Jimmy Carter, judgment, Lifeway, Lord, missions, nations, peoples, praise the Lord, Psalm 96, Psalm 96:1-13, Psalms, reasons to praise the Lord, return of the Lord, SBC IMB, Shawn E. Thomas, sing, sing sing sing, sing to the Lord a new song, strength and beauty, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school outline, Unreached People Groups, UPGs, why sing a new song, witness, Yahweh, YHWH
11 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Mark 15:33-39, 16:1-8, “Our Savior,” Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for Easter Sunday, 4/20/25
An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Mark 15-16 for Sunday, April 20, 2025, with the title, “Our Savior.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Our Savior", Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln Fox River story, Bible study, Carl Sandburg Lincoln, Easter, Easter Sunday, Easter Sunday Bible study, evangelism, Explore the Bible, God, good news, gospel, It is finished, Jesus, Jesus cross, Jesus death, Jesus resurrection, Lifeway, Lifeway survey, Mark 15 & 16, needless worry, paid in full illustration, Psalm 2:2, R.W. Dale Jesus is alive, resurrection of Jesus, Shawn Thomas, shawnethomas, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, veil of the Temple, Walking With The Giants, Warren Wiersbe, why have you forsaken Me, witnessing, worry
5 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of I Peter 2:11-17, 21-25, “Our Witness,” Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson for 3/23/25
This is an overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of the Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson for March 23, 2025, from I Peter 2:11-17, 21-25, with the title, “Our Witness.” A video version of this overview is … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged atonement, authority, Baptist Sunday School, behavior, Ben Franklin, Bible study lesson, Charles Sheldon, Christian lifestyle, Christian submission, Christlikeness, conduct, Corrie Ten Boom, David McCullough John Adams, evangelism, Explore the Bible, Fight Club pornography ministry, follow in His steps, God, gospel, holiness, hupotasso, I Peter, I Peter 2, I Peter 2:11-17, I Peter 2:24, in His steps, Jesus, Jesus death, Jesus example, Jesus Paid It All, keep your behavior excellent, lesson help, lesson outline, lifestyle, lifestyle evangelism, Lifeway, lust, meekness, pornography, Psalm 37, Romans 13, Romans 8:28-29, sanctification, Southern Baptist Sunday School, submission, substitutionary atonement, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, the cross, The Presidents Club, trust, What Would Jesus Do?, witness, witness of submission, witness stand for Jesus, WWJD, You mustn't hiss the President
3 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Acts 27:31-44 “Trust” Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for 11/24/24
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 27:31-44, for Sunday, November 24, 2024, with the title, “Trust.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Acts, Acts 27:31-44, Apostle Paul, Bible study, Book of Acts, C.S. Lewis, caring for others, Cheryl Thomas stroke, crisis, eternal soul, Euraquilo, evangelism, example, Explore the Bible, food, lead by example, Lifeway, Luke, Mediterranean Sea, mere mortal, ministry, missions, nap, people, practical, rest, Richard Foster, Rome, soul, spiritual thing take a nap, storm, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, trials, trust, U.S. Grant, U.S. Grant memoirs, Ulysses S. Grant, Weight of Glory
7 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Acts 17:22-34, “Believe” for Sunday Oct. 13, 2024
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 17:22-34, with the title of “Believe,” for Sunday, October 13, 2024. A video version of this lesson is available on YouTube at … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Acts 17, Acts 17:22-34, Apostle Paul, application, Areopagus, believe, Bible, Bible study, Bulgaria, C.S. Lewis, Christ, Christianity, creation, culture, discussion questions, evangelism, Explore the Bible, faith, Gary Habermas, Genesis 1, God, God sovereignty, gospel, I Corinthians 15, idols, J.D. Vance, Jesus, Jesus only way, Jesus resurrection, John F Kennedy, John Quincy Adams creation, Kamala Harria, Lifeway, literature, Mars Hill, Matthew 13, ministry, missionary, missions, Nabeel Qureshi, Parable of the Sower, Paul and Silas, Psalm 50, repent, repentance, repentance and faith, response to the gospel, resurrection, Romans 1:4, salvation, SBC Disaster Relief, second missionary journey, seek God, Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, sermon, Silas, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, Tim Walz, Westminster Catechism
2 Comments