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: Garden of Gethsemane
“Suffering Servant/Glorious King: The Justifier” (Isaiah 53:11 sermon)
On January 21, 1977, President Jimmy Carter issued a proclamation granting unconditional pardon to all those who evaded the draft for the Vietnam War. Over 200,000 Americans had been charged with that crime, and they estimate another 300,000 were also … Continue reading
Posted in Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King
Tagged Al Mohler, Christian testimony, fear, forgiveness, Garden of Gethsemane, Gethsemane meaning, guilt, ha rabbim, heaven, hell, hoi polloi, I John 2:2, Isaiah, Isaiah 53, Isaiah sermon, James 2:19, Jesus anguish, Jesus sinless, Jesus suffering, Jimmy Carter, Jimmy Carter pardon, John Milton, judgment, justification, knowledge of Christ, limited atonement, oil press, Osama Bin Laden death, Paradise Lost, Polycarp, righteousness, Romans 3, salvation, scope of justification, sin debt, sins of the whole world, the many, William Tyndale
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson of Mark 14:32-42, “Willing”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Mark 14:32-42 for Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: ??? Ask your … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Abba Father, Alexander Whyte, an ounce of prevention, battle, Christ, disciples, Explore the Bible, forgiveness, Garden of Gethsemane, God's will, help my unbelief, I Peter 2:24, Jesus, John Jellico, lead us not into temmptation, Lifeway, Mark 14:32-42, Mark 7:25, Mark Sunday school lesson, model prayer, Mount of Olives, olive oil, olive press, prayer, Romans 3:19, salvation, sin, spiritual warfare, Sun Tzu, the cross, three strikes and you're out, Thy will be done, trials, William Manchester Last Lion, Winston Churchill
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“Grace That Is Greater Than The Inexcusable” (Mark 14:32-42 sermon)
C.S. Lewis once wrote “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” That is a great statement, and it can very convicting about our attitude and practice towards others — but … Continue reading
“Tried By Fire” (I Peter 1:6-7 sermon)
Theodore Roosevelt was a man of very unique character: he gloried in facing obstacles and overcoming them. He would take his guests out on a 20-mile hike – and much to their dismay, the tougher the course, the better he … Continue reading
Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Christianity in America, confess Jesus, confession, dark year, difficulties, distress, facing death, faith, faith proof, Garden of Gethsemane, Hawaii, I Peter 1:6-7 sermon, I Peter sermon, illness, John Calvin, John Calvin blocks of wood, joy, joy in trials, maturity, perseverance, professions of faith, real faith, refined by fire, rejoice, reward for trials, rewards, run tee shirts, salvation, saved, saving faith, temptations, Theodore Roosevelt, trials, tried by fire, various trials
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“Grace That Is Greater Than The Inexcusable” (Mark 14:32-42 sermon)
C.S. Lewis wrote “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” That is a great statement, and very convicting regarding our attitude and practice towards others — but the power of … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Bible Reading, devotional time, excuses, failure, forgiveness, Garden of Gethsemane, grace, humiliation, I Timothy 1:15, Immeasurable grace, inexcusable, infinite grace, Jesus, Jesus answer, Jesus Christ, Job, love of God, lovingkindness, Mariana Trench, Mark 14:32-42, Mark 2:17, mercy, Mt. Everest, no excuses, ocean, prayer, Psalm 103, Psalm 103:11-14, Psalm 27, Psalm 5:3, quiet time, Romans 3:19, Romans 5:20, Ronnie Rogers, salvation, seeking His face, shame, sin
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“His Only Begotten Son” (John 3:16 sermon)
In Matthew 26, the Bible describes how just before He went to the cross, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as … Continue reading
Posted in John 3:16 sermon series, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Acts 4:12, atonement, Deity of Christ, eternal generation, fully God fully man, Garden of Gethsemane, Genesis 22:2, God the Son, Hebrews 2:17, humanity of Christ, incarnate, Incarnation, Islam God has no son, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus only way, John 14:6, John 17:24, John 1:1, John 3:16, John 3:16 sermon, Jonathan Edwards, Kenneth Copeland, Mormon doctrine Jesus, only begotten Son, Son of God, Tony Dungy prayer breakfast testimony, Tony Dungy testimony death of son, Trinity, Triune God, yachid, yachid darling
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