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.
-
Top Posts & Pages
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 16:13-26, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "Following Jesus" for 3/15/26
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 15:1-11+, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson for March 8, 2026, "Real Devotion"
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Man Born Blind" (John 9 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 14:22-33, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Courage," for March 1, 2026.
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- "This Is My Story: The Woman At The Well" (John 4:1-42 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: fear
The Key to Fearlessness
In I Kings 17:1 the prophet Elijah first appears on the scene in Israel, and his first message to the king of Israel is of a drought in the land. But notice what Elijah says: “As YHWH, the God of … Continue reading
You’re Not God!
Psalm 9 ends with this prayer from David: “Put them in fear, O LORD; let the nations know that they are but men.” His request may seem like a curious one at first, but it is actually very insightful regarding … Continue reading
Shouting The War Cry?
In I Samuel 17, David went up to the camp of Israel in the Valley of Elah to check on his brothers, and :20 says that “he came to the circle of the camp while the army was going out … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged church, cowardice, evangelism, fear, I Samuel 17:20, missions
Leave a comment
The Fear of Man
After much prevarication regarding his sin of not fully obeying the Lord regarding His command to destroy the Amalekites, in I Samuel 15:24 Saul did finally own up to his sin: “I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged fear, I Peter 3:14-15, I Samuel 15:24, intimidation, leadership, peer pressure, Saul
5 Comments
Heralds of the Advent: Micah 5
When Mark Twain visited the Holy Land in the 1860’s, he did not find Bethlehem to be impressive. In fact, he wrote later of its “mouldy domes and turrets” and disparaged its “noisy mob” and “leprous beggars.” He said he … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged "O Little Town of Bethlehem", advent, anxiety, Bethlehem, fear, Lordship, Mark Twain, Micah 5:2-5, Phillips Brooks, sermon, Shepherd
Leave a comment
shawnethomas 