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 18:21-35, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Forgiveness," for 3/29/26
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 28:1-10, 16-20, "Our Task," Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for 4/05/26
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 17:1-13, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Glory," for 3/22/26
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "Lessons From Gethsemane" (Matthew 26 sermon)
- Psalm 3:3 “Thou, O Lord” Part II: “My Glory”
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: grace
Teacher’s Overview of Matthew 18:21-35, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson, “Forgiveness,” for 3/29/26
Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text highlights and outline, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications you can make. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRODUCTION: OPENING … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged 70 x 7, as we forgive, Baptist, Biblical talent, Bill Elliff, Book of Matthew, C.S. Lewis forgiveness, Craig Blomberg, denarius, Erika Kirk forgiveness, Explore the Bible, forgive the inexcusable, forgive us our debts, forgiveness, forgiving debts, forgiving others, George Wetmore Colles, God's Forgiveness, gospel, grace, Jerome Kerviel, lesson overview, Lifeway, Marie Beth Jones, Matthew, Matthew 18, Matthew 18:21-35, model prayer, poor in spirit, redemption, salvation, Simon Peter, Southern Baptist, Sunday School, Sunday school illustrations, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school outline, Sunday School teacher, unforgiveness
3 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Matthew 9:10-19, 23-26, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson “Mercy Extended” for 1/25/26
For teachers of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Matthew 9, for January 25, 2026. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications that … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Mercy Extended", Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln pardons, Bible professional mourners, Book of Matthew, Carl Sandburg Abraham Lincoln, church, down and out, evangelism, Explore the Bible, fasting, gospel, grace, gracious, Jesus, Jesus and fasting, John Lloyd Stevens, legalism, Lifeway, Matthew, Matthew 9, mercy, mourning, New Testament fasting, outreach, Pharisees, reclining to eat, separate from sinners, shawnethomas, showing grace, sin, sinners, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school outline, Sunday School teacher, synagogue official, triclinium, wineskins
5 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Deuteronomy 28:1-6, 15-19, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Covenant Relationship,” for 11/16/25.
Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, suggested introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Bible study, blessing, consequences, cornucupia, Covenant Blessings, curse, curse of the Law, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 18:15, Deuteronomy 28:1-6, discussion questions, Explore the Bible, God, gospel, grace, heaven, Jesus, Jesus only way, Kendall's Noble, Law, Lifeway, Lindbergh's Character Factors, Messiah, Moses, Romans 3:23, salvation, Scott Berg Lindbergh, sin, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, works, works salvation
4 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Numbers 14:11-24, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson, “Rebellion & Judgment” for 9/28/25
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Numbers 14:11-24, “Rebellion & Judgment,” for Sunday, September 28, 2025. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text highlights and outline, illustrations you … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged attributes of God, Bible, Bible study, Carl Sandburg Abraham Lincoln, chesed, consequences of sin, Exodus 34:6-7, Explore the Bible, George Washington, God, grace, intercession, intercessor, intercessory prayer, Israel, Jesus, Jesus intercessor, Jesus only way, John 14:6, John Adams, Lifeway, lovingkindness, Moses, Promised Land, punishment, qualities of God, salvation, Shawn Thomas, sin, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, Yahweh, YHWH
5 Comments
“How To Seek The Lord” (Isaiah 55:6-7 sermon)
In 1622, the ship, “Our Lady of Atocha,” sailed from the Spanish colonies in the New World back towards Spain. The Atocha was laden down with so much gold from the mines in the Americas that it had taken two … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Sermons
Tagged Atocha, Bible, Bonhoeffer, Book of Isaiah, call on the name of the Lord, cheap grace, daily prayer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, faith, God, gospel, grace, Isaiah, Isaiah 55, Isaiah 55:6-7, Jesus, Matthew 6:33, Mel Fisher, Our Lady of Atocha, prayer, repentance, revival, salvation, seek God, seek the Lord while He may be found, seek ye first, seeking, sermon, sin, The Cost of Discipleship, treasure
2 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 10:34-48, “Including” for 8/18/24
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 10:34-48, for Sunday, August 18, 2024, with the title, “Including.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "simply to Thy cross I cling", Acts, Acts 10, Acts 10:34-48, baptism, Baptist, Bible, Cornelius, discrimination, EE, evangelism, Evangelism Explosion, Explore the Bible, faith, Gentile Pentecost, Gentiles, gospel, grace, Holy Spirit, In Christ Alone, Jesus, John Wesley, Lifeway, Martin Luther King, prejudice, Revelation 5:9, Romans 2:11, salvation, salvation by faith, Samaritan Pentecost, Southern Baptist, speaking in tongues, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, teacher help, teaching outline, Thomas S. Kidd George Whitefield, W.A. Criswell, witnessing
7 Comments
shawnethomas 