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
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- Sermons
- The Model Prayer Series
- The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020)
- This Week In Paradise (pastors family blog)
- Travel
- Uncategorized
- worship
Tag Archives: gender
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: Jeremiah 18:1-12, “Shapes”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Jeremiah 18:1-12, with the title, “Shapes,” for Sunday, July 2, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Bible study, Calvinism, clay, Explore the Bible, Explore the Bible lesson help, faith, gender, gender confusion, gender identity, gospel, Have Thine Own Way, Jeremiah, Jeremiah 18, Jeremiah 18:1-12, kiln, Lifeway, obedience, potter, predestination, repent, repentance, Romans 8:28-29, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school lesson help Jeremiah 18, teacher lesson help
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“Lights In The World” (Philippians 2:14-16 sermon)
It’s almost hard to remember last February’s winter storm now, in the heat of the summer — but I may need to remind SOME of you that you DID say you would never gripe about the Texas heat again, after … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Discipleship, Philippians sermons, Sermons
Tagged above reproach, BBC Cranford, cohabitation, dark world, darkness, divorce, eight year old gender decision, family, gender, gender issues, Genesis 2, God's plan for marriage, God's plan for sexuality, I am the light of the world, light, lights in the world, marriage, perversion, Philippians 2:14-16 sermon, Sam Rayburn, sexuality, sin, Texas winter storm 2021, the world, ungodliness, world, you are the light of the world
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“My Children’s Conduct” (Philippians 1:27-30 sermon) Mothers Day 2021
In 1778, during the American Revolution, John Adams of Massachusetts was needed by his young country as an ambassador in Europe. His 10-year-old son Johnny (John Quincy Adams) would accompany his father on the trip. It was an amazing opportunity … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Philippians sermons, Sermons
Tagged A.W. Tozer, Abigail Adams letter, ambassador for Christ, behavior, Bible, biblical marriage, children, Christian life, church compromise, church mission, church purpose, church unity, evangelism, family unity, gender, God created male and female, Jesus only way, John 17 High Priestly Prayer, John Quincy Adams, marriage, mission, missions, Mothers Day, Nabeel Qureshi, parents, parents and children, Philippians 1:27 sermon, representative, Satan's schemes, Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, sexuality, stand firm, striving together for the gospel, Sunday school organization, together, unity, witness
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No “Second Class Christians”
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28) Contrary to the claims of some, this verse does NOT mean … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged economic status, Ephesians 5, Galatians 3:28, gender, gender roles, I Timothy 3, marriage, race
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The War Against Gender
Last week Emma Watson won an award for best actor for her role in the new musical “Beauty and the Beast”. It was not “Best Actress”; just “best actor”, because these were the first “non-gender specific” awards given — it’s … Continue reading
Trusting The Creator of Gender
“And He answered and said, ‘Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female …’”. (Matthew 19:4) These words of Jesus are often overlooked. But we neglect them today to our detriment, … Continue reading
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