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)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 5:13-20, 43-48, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "True Righteousness," for 12/28/25.
- "He Will Save His People From Their Sins" (Matthew 1:21 Sermon)
- "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" (John 3:16 sermon)
- "Blessed Is She Who Believed" (Luke 1:45 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
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
Your Stewardship of God’s Grace
“If indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you.” (Ephesians 3:2) These two little phrases are important regarding Paul’s ministry, and our own: “TO ME”/“FOR YOU.” God gave His grace “to” … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged Damascus Road, Ephesians 3:2, grace, ministry, Paul, salvation, stewardship
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“Blessed Assurance”? (Matthew 7:21-23 sermon)
Do you think that you are going to heaven? If you do, you’re in good company. An ABC news poll indicated that 89% of Americans believed in heaven, and 85% of them think that THEY are going there. And it … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Matthew sermons
Tagged assurance, assurance of salvation, Blessed Assurance, charismatic gifts, consecration, Corrie Ten Boom, eternal life, false hope, fruit of salvation, grace, heaven, Hinduism, holiness, Islam, Lordship, Muslim dervishes, obedience, profession of faith, salvation, works salvation
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Perfected In The Flesh?
“Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3) Writing to the legalistic Galatians, Paul was reminding them that they were not saved by works of “the flesh” — good … Continue reading
God’s Understanding Towards Us
Psalm 103 is well-loved for its opening words “bless the Lord, O my soul,” and is a great Psalm of praise to God for His blessings towards us. Among the emphases of the Psalm is the blessing of God’s UNDERSTANDING … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged bless the Lord, empathy, fairness, God, God's patience, God’s grace, God’s sympathy, grace, Hebrews 4:15, judgment, patience, praise, Psalm 103, sympathy, theology, understanding
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Don’t Miss The Holiness In His Grace
“And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.’” (John 8:11) Jesus’ response to the woman caught in adultery was an amazing display of His mercy and grace, and the story has touched … Continue reading
The Difficult Balance: “Grace And Truth”
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The Messiah when He came to live among us, John wrote, was … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged balance, grace, grace and truth, John 1:14, love and discipline, truth
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An Important Perspective For Prayer
“In Your righteousness deliver me …” (Psalm 31:1b) As David calls out to the Lord for deliverance in Psalm 31, this is an important little statement because of its correct perspective about our prayers and what we “deserve.” David asks … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged grace, intercessory prayer, justice, Merchant of Venice, mercy, prayer, Psalm 31:1, righteousness, Shakespeare
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“His Marvelous Love In A Besieged City”
“Blessed be the LORD, for He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.” (Psalm 31:21) Here David praises God for ministering to him, even in an extremely difficult time in his life. He said he was … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged chesed, circumstances, grace, joy, love, lovingkindness, Psalm 31:21, Psalm 4:7, Samuel Rutherford, trials, worship
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He Loved Us First: The Difference That Makes
“We love, because He first loved us.” (I John 4:19) John tells us in this brief verse God loved us first. This is significant, and makes such a difference in our understanding of our relationship with Him:
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged God's love, grace, I John 4:19, love, merit, performance trap, relationship with God, Romans 5:8, salvation, saved by grace
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