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)
- "Your Response to Christmas" (Matthew 2:1-12 Sermon)
- "Blessed Is She Who Believed" (Luke 1:45 sermon)
- "A 'Real Life' Christmas" (Luke 2:1-11 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 4:12-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson "Invitation," for 12/14/25
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 5:13-20, 43-48, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "True Righteousness," for 12/28/25.
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
“Humility In The Church” (I Peter 5:1-7 sermon)
On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 theological statements to the door of the Wittenburg church, and kicked off the Protestant Reformation. He called the church of God back to the authority of the word of God, and … Continue reading
Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Acts 20:17, Acts 20:28, bishop, C.S. Lewis Screwtape Letters, Church ministry, elders, episkopos, forgiveness, George Friderick Handel, grace, humble, humble salvation, humble yourself, humble yourselves, humility, humility in the church, humility not thinking less of yourself, humility salvation, humility thinking of yourself less, I Peter 5:1-7 sermon, Lutheran name, Martin Luther, ministry, opinion, overseer, pastor, pastor example, pastor not lording, pastor pedestal, pastor pride, pastors, preference, pride, salvation, Shepherd, shepherds, Sunday School, Sunday School ministry, Sunday School teacher
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“The Ark Of Our Salvation” (I Peter 3:18-22 sermon)
In 1913 there was a great flood in Brazoria County. The three rivers: the Brazos, the Colorado, and the San Bernard, all virtually became one, and the entire countryside was flooded. The streets of Angleton were covered in 3 to … Continue reading
Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged 1913 flood Brazoria County, Angleton levee, ark, ark of salvation, Augustine, baptism, baptism saves you, baptism symbol, Billy Graham apologize to Sodom, blood, Brenton Tarrant good boy, children in the ark, children's salvation, commitment, dad responsibility, decision, depravity, depravity of man, disobedience, evangelism, evil, family, father, flood, Genesis 19:14, Genesis 4:10, Genesis 6:5, God's judgment, good at heart, grace, guilt, Hurricane Harvey, hurricane preparedness, I Peter 3 sermon, I Peter 3:18-22, I Peter 3:21, II Peter 3:9, Jesus, Jesus Christ, judgment, lot, Martin Luther, mom responsibility, mother, now is the acceptable time, patience of God, persecution, Psalm 103:9, responsibility, resurrection of Jesus Christ, Roe v. Wade, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, salvation, salvation by grace, sin, sin nature, thoughts, today is the day of salvation, Where did Christ go in the spirit, witness
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“Christ’s Suffering/Our Salvation” (I Peter 3:18 sermon)
David McCullough is one of my favorite history writers (I loved his book on the Wright Brothers). One of HIS favorite authors was a man by the name of Conrad Richter, who won the Pulitzer Prize back in the 1950’s … Continue reading
Posted in Doctrine/Theology, I Peter sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged bring us to God, C.S. Lewis happiness, C.S. Lewis milk and water, C.S. Lewis pleasure, Christ suffered for sins, Christ suffered once, Conrad Richter, David McCullough, death of Christ, draw near to God, evangelism, forgiveness, God, God Father, grace, hapax, hapax legomena, heaven, Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 10:11-12, Hebrews 10:14, Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 9:25-26, hina, Hymn Free From the Law O Happy Condition, hymn It Is Well, hymn Jesus paid it all, Hymn Once For All, I Peter 3:18, I Peter sermon, It is finished, ministry, Moravians sold to slavery, My sin o the bliss of this glorious thought, once, Once for all O sinner receive it, one offering, one sacrifice, purpose, purpose clause, purpose of salvation, relationship with God, repentance, sacrifice, salvation, Sanan Gunan Thai SEAL, sin, suffer, suffering, Thai Navy SEAL died in rescue, Thai soccer team rescue, the benefit of ill, witness, works salvation
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“You’re Not From Around Here” (I Peter 2:11-12 sermon)
Our daughter Libby grew up in Oklahoma and Louisiana, but since she has been married and in the ministry, she has lived in some different parts of the country, where they talk differently, and do things differently. She and Josh … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, I Peter sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged "Show me now", abstain, abstinence, body temple, care, children's choir, Christian "hate speech", Christian behavior, Christian life, Christian living, discipleship, Eliza Doolittle, enemies, evangelism, family, grace, holier than thou, holiness, homosexuality, hypocrites, I Corinthians 6:12, I Corinthians 6:19-20, I John 2:3-4, I Peter 2:11-12, I Peter sermon, imitation, joy, legalism, libertine, libertines, libertinism, lifestyle evangelism, lifestyle witness, living in a fishbowl, love, lust, marriage, My Fair Lady, persecution of Christians, repent, repentance, responsibility, salvation, sanctification, Show me!, witness, worldly lusts, You're not from around here
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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 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
2 Comments
“The Household of God” (I Timothy sermon)
In our “Discovering The Ridge” class for those who are joining our church, I often tell the story of the group in our home town which was starting a new church, and for some time they met in the home … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Acts 2, Acts 20:28, Acts 6, Apostle Paul testimony, C.S. Lewis, C.S. Lewis Athanasius quote, Christian bookstores, Christian music, church, church buildings, church handbook, church leadership, deacon, deacon qualifications, deacon servants, deacons, doctrine, doctrines of demons, ecclesiology, elder, evangelism, false teachers, gospel, grace, he did not move with the times, heaven, I Timothy, I Timothy 4, leadership, mercy, morning prayer, offices of the church, overseer, overseer pastor elder, pastor, pastor qualifications, salvation, test the spirits, the church, the gospel, witness
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“Super Grace For Super Sinners” (Romans 5:20 sermon)
This week I read about a worship team that was meeting together, planning for upcoming services. They discussed using a certain song at the end of the service to encourage people to come forward and pray. But one woman on … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged abundant grace, Agatha Christie, Agatha Christie autobiography, Agatha Christie piano, conviction, excuse to sin, Ezekiel 13:10, Genesis 6:5, grace, grace abounding, grace super abounds, grace that is greater than all our sin, I Corinthians 6:9, I Timothy 1:14, Jeremiah 17:9, Law, more than abundant grace, Parker Solar probe, preachers, preachers and entertainment, Psalm 103, Romans, Romans 3, Romans 5:20 sermon, salvation, sin, sun, super grace, super grace for super sinners, super sinners, tax cuts, Ten Commandments, Titus 2:11, truth
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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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“4 ‘MUSTS’ For Spiritual Growth” (I Peter 2:1-3 sermon)
On Sunday morning, December 7th, 1941, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Washington called General Douglas MacArthur, who was in charge of the Philippines, to tell him about the attack, and that they would undoubtedly be next. William Manchester, author of … Continue reading →