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 Joshua 1:1-11, 16-18, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson: "Strong & Courageous" for 6/07/26
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 27:27-31, 45-54, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Our Savior," for 5/31/26
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Numbers 14:11-24, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Rebellion & Judgment" for 9/28/25
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 26:17-30, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Our Atonement," for 5/24/26
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "The Gift That Is An Insult" (I Kings 9:10-14)
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: fear not
Teacher’s Overview of Joshua 1:1-11, 16-18, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson: “Strong & Courageous” for 6/07/26
Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text highlights and outline, illustrations you can use, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications you can make. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRODUCTION: ???DISCUSSION … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged anxiety, Bible study, big talk, Book of Joshua, church, church staff, courage, discipleship, do not be afraid, do not fear, do the word, doers of the world, Dwight Eisenhower, Explore the Bible, faith, fear, fear not, God's promise, Israel, Jesus, John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage, John Quincy Adams, Joshua, Joshua the son of Nun, Lifeway, meditation, ministry, Moses, pastors, Promised Land, promises, Rick Atkinson An Army at Dawn, scripture, scripture meditation, scripture memorization, servant leadership, service, Shawn E. Thomas, Shawn Thomas, strength, strong and courageous, success, Sunday school lesson, the new Joshua, timidity, word faith, youth ministry
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Teacher’s Preview of Matthew 10:16-20, 26-34, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for 2/01/26, “Loyalty Tested”
A preview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Matthew 10 for February 1, 2026. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Loyalty Tested", application, baptism, baptism as profession, Bible, Bible study, bible study help, Commission, confess Jesus, confession, discussion questions, Don Lemon CNN Minneapolis church, evangelism, Explore the Bible, fear, fear not, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, God, gospel, group discussion, hair on head numbered, Holy Spirit, I came to bring a sword, illustration, importance of baptism, Islam, Islam or the sword, Jesus, Jon Meacham Destiny and Power, lesson outline, Lifeway, Matthew, Matthew 10, Matthew 10:16-20 26-34, mission, mission trips, NAMB, NAMB church plant, persecution, profession of faith, public profession, Shawn Thomas, shawnethomas, sparrows, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school outline, William Manchester Winston Churchill, witness, witness in persecution, Your Father
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“Fear Not, I Am With You” (Isaiah 41:10 sermon)
On the occasion of the announcement of my retirement from full-time ministry, Sunday January 5, 2025. I really wrestled and prayed about how to do this service today; and this is what I felt led to do:— First, I want … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged anxiety, Bible, C.S. Lewis, C.S. Lewis old folks homes, Cheryl Thomas, Christianity, do not anxiously look about you, faith, fear not, First Baptist Angleton Texas, For I am with you, God, How Firm A Foundation, Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 6, Jesus, King Uzziah, ministry, Mr. Rogers, pastor, pastor resignation, providence, Psalm 23, resignation, retirement, Shawn Thomas, stroke, trust
15 Comments
“No Spirit of Fear” (II Timothy 1:7 sermon/Hurricane Beryl, July 7, 2024)
In March 2020 about a dozen or so of our church members went on a mission trip to Mazatlan, Mexico, to minister with what is now James Trail ministry, with Dan & Meredith Shuman. It was a good trip, but … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged A Leopard Tamed, assurance, be not afraid, Bible, Christianity, confidence, COVID, COVID sermon, Death, discipline, Eleanor Vandevort, faith, fear, fear not, fruit of the Spirit, God, how to be saved, hurricane, hurricane Beryl, hurricane prep, II Timothy 1:7, In Christ Alone, Jesus, Kim Eaves, London Plague, love, Martin Luther plague, ministry, missionary, no fear, no fear in death, no guilt in life no fear in death, panic, power, Puritans, salvation, sermon, sound mind, Sudan, testimony, The Black Death
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“A Christian Response to the Coronavirus Crisis” (II Timothy 1:7 sermon)
How many of you remember where you were on September 11, 2001? I do … I was in my office at First Baptist Church Moss Bluff when someone told me to look at my computer … and those horrendous scenes … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Discipleship, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged "In Christ Alone" song, 9/11, Back-2-Back missions, coronavirus, coronavirus and church, Dan Shuman, Facebook, faith, fear, fear not, fear not 365 times, fear of death, Galatians 5:22-23, gospel, hoarding, Holy Spirit, I Corinthians 13, II Timothy 1:7, Kim Eaves, Kyle & Jackie Chamblin, love, Martin Luther and plague quote, Mazatlan, Meredith Shuman, panic, pray and watch, Psalm 5:3, Puritans in London plague, salvation, selfishness, sensible, September 11 2001, sound mind, spirit of fear, the world
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