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: finish
“The Church That Looked Better Than It Really Was” (Revelation 3:1-6 sermon)
In 2010, Cheryl & our youngest son Michael & I visited England, and one the top things on my list to see was the Metropolitan Tabernacle Church in London: once the “megachurch” of the 1800s, where Charles Spurgeon, perhaps the … Continue reading
Posted in Revelation sermon series
Tagged appearance, church, Church at Sardis, clean room, deeds, faithful, FBC Angleton, finish, First Baptist Church Angleton, Florence Nightengale, God omniscience, happiness, happy in heaven, heaven, Henry Stanley, Henry Stanley happy Denzil, hypocrites, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the reward, Jesus knows, Jesus reward, Jim Gasso, Letters to the churches in Revelation, Matthew 23:27, Metropolitan Tabernacle London, Ministry Safe training, not found deeds completed, outward appearance, parenting, Psalm 16:11, quit before finish, reputation, reputation greater than reality, revelation, Revelation 3:1-6, reward, Sardis, Spurgeon's Tabernacle, works
1 Comment
Lifeway Explore the Bible overview of I Kings 11:1-13, “Compromised” for Sunday, June 19, 2022
(A brief overview of the lesson, for Sunday School teachers and Bible Study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lessons. A video version is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3eASaR88Co&t=28s ) SAMPLE INTRODUCTION: Can you think of someone, in sports or political or … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible Sunday School lessons
Tagged compromise, Compromised, Explore the Bible for 6/19/22, Explore the Bible lesson, finish, Finishing strong, I Kings 11:1-13, I Kings 11:1-13 Explore the Bible, King Solomon, Lifeway Explore the Bible, sin, Sunday school lesson overview, Sunday school outline, Sunday school teacher help
5 Comments
Finish!
“But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability.” (II Corinthians 8:11) The Apostle Paul was addressing the Corinthian church … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged diligence, finish, II Corinthians 8:11, ministry, perseverance
1 Comment
shawnethomas 