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 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: give thanks
“Give Thanks to the Lord” (Psalm 118 sermon) Thanksgiving 2024
In Nathaniel Philbrick’s book, The Mayflower and the Pilgrims’ New World, he writes that when the Pilgrims first landed in America on November 11, 1620, Governor William Bradford wrote: “‘They fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged 10 lepers, Bible, Bing Crosby White Christmas, Cheryl Thomas, Corrie Ten Boom, count your blessings, count your blessings instead of sheep, enter His gates with thanksgiving, faith, forgiveness, give thanks, God, gratitude, I Thessalonians 5:18, in everything give thanks, Jesus, Mayflower, Nathaniel Philbrick, prayer, priority of thanksgiving, Psalm 100:4, Psalm 118, Psalm 118:24, Psalms, salvation, Shawn Thomas, shawnethomas, thanks, thanks Apostle Paul, thanks Psalms, Thanksgiving, this is the day the Lord has made
1 Comment
“Don’t Waste A Good Crisis” (Hurricane Beryl message, July 2024, Psalm 46)
Just before the dark days of the Second World War, English Prime Minister Winston Churchill famously said: “Never let a good crisis go to waste”! His statement has been adopted and re-quoted by many politicians in recent years: “Never let … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Bible, blessings, CAT 1, Corrie Ten Boom, COVID, COVID crisis, crises, crisis, crisis ministry, don't waste a good crisis, electricity, faith, give thanks, God, God is our refuge, gratitude, hurricane Beryl, In Christ Alone, Jesus, Lyndon Johnson, material blessings, ministry, My hope is built on nothing less, never let a god crisis go to waste, politics, prayer, Psalm 116:1, Psalm 46, Psalm 46:1, Robert Caro, salvation, Samaritans Purse disaster relief, saving faith, service, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, take for granted, thankful, The Solid Rock, trust, water, well, Winston Churchill
Leave a comment
“Give Thanks to the Lord” (Psalm 136:1 sermon)
First Baptist Church, Angleton, TX 11/22/20 First Sunday at 972 Anchor Road When the first Pilgrims landed in the New World on November 11,1620, William Bradford, the pilgrim leader who later became their governor wrote that: “‘They fell upon their … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Doctrine/Theology, Sermons, Uncategorized, worship
Tagged Astronomer Fred Hoyle, building dedication, chesed, creation, election, enter His gates with thanksgiving, eternal security, Ezra 3:11, faith and science, First Baptist Church Angleton TX, for His lovingkindness is everlasting, for the Lord is good, Fred, George Eliot Middlemarch, give thanks, give thanks to the Lord for He is good, giving thanks, God is good, grace, gratitude, I Chronicles 16:34, I Thessalonians 5:18, II Chronicles 5:13, importance of giving thanks, ingratitude, ingratitude and sin, James 1:17, Job, Jonn 10:28, Masters golfer hole in one, mercy, Mr. Farebrother, new building, new facility, once saved always saved, pilgrims, predestination, Psalm 100:4, Psalm 136, Psalm 136:1, Richard E. Simmons III Reflections on the Existence of God, Romans 1 they did not give thanks, Romans 8:31-32, science and God, Shirley Temple "Bright Eyes", thanks to God, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, they will never perish, we will never perish
Leave a comment
Reasons For Giving Thanks (Psalm 136 sermon)
When our son Michael was a little boy, he was VERY plain-spoken; he would just say whatever was on his mind. Thankfully he has grown out of that (somewhat!) as he has matured, but when he was little he just … Continue reading
shawnethomas 