I served as pastor of Southern Baptist churches in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana for almost 30 years before taking a medical leave from the pastorate in February 2013 due to dysautonomia (POTS) and moving to Norman, Oklahoma. Blessed with renewed health, I was called as Senior Pastor of Pleasant Ridge Baptist in Morganton, NC in February 2015.
In this blog I share daily devotions from my own personal Bible readings, as well as sermons, book reviews, illustrations -- and occasional humorous "peeks" at life inside this pastor's home!
Tag Archives: God is good
“The Goodness of God in the Midst of Affliction” (Psalm 119:65-72 sermon)
In February 2012, I stood to lead prayer meeting at the church in Louisiana I had pastored for 12 years, but the longer I stood the sicker I became. I had to leave during the prayer time and have my … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged "Fall Apart" song, affliction, attributes of God, becoming like Christ, Christlikeness, cleansing, cocoon of a butterfly, confession, conformed to His image, dysautonomia, Ephesians 6, faith, faith testing, glory, God attributes, God goodnesss, God is good, God is good all the time, god is good and does good, God's purpose, good, grace, identification, II Corinthians 12:9, it is good for me that I was afflicted, John 17:3, knowing God, lessons, life, life purpose, Matthew 13 parable of the sower, maturity, minister, ministry, My grace is sufficient, pastor, pastor Shawn Thomas, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, POTS, prayers, priorities, Psalm 119 acrostic, Psalm 119:65-72, Psalm 119:67, purification, purpose for suffering, purpose for trials, purposes for affliction, Romans 8:28-29, Ronnie Rogers Trinity Baptist Norman, salvation, Shawn E. Thomas, sin, spiritual maturity, spiritual warfare, suffering, sword of the Spirit, test, teth, theodicy, theology, theology 101, thorn in the flesh, tob good, trials, word of God, You are good, You do good
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“The Goodness of God in the Midst of Affliction” (Psalm 119:65-72 sermon)
In February 2012, I stood to lead prayer meeting at the church I had been pastoring for 12 years in Louisiana, and the longer I stood the more nauseated I became. I had to leave during prayer and have my … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged affliction, doctrine of God, God, God is good, Psalm 119:68 sermon, purposes for trials, theology, trial
1 Comment
What Real Faith Looks Like: Trusting A Benevolent God
One of my favorite scenes from the movie world is from the Christmas classic: “A Christmas Story”, when little Ralphie discovers the BB gun which his father had bought him for Christmas. The dad watches with delight as Ralphie opens … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
Tagged Daniel 4:29-30, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 2:9, faith, God is good, Greek word thelema, Habakkuk 3:17-18, I Timothy 2:4, II Peter 3:9, James 1:17-18, Jimmy Stewart, Job 1:21, John 3, John 3:27, Joshua Breland testimony, King Nebuchadnezzer, Mark 10:18, Psalm 100:5, Psalm 119:68, Romans 6:23, salvation as a gift, self-made man, Shenandoah, the goodness of God, trust, you must be born again
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Theology 101
Psalm 119:68 contains what we might describe as “Theology 101” — a basic understanding of God: “You are good and do good.” This verse reminds us that the basic nature of God is good; and everything that He does is … Continue reading
