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 20:1-16, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Grace," for 4/19, 2026
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 21:23-32, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Authority," for 4/26/26.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 19:16-30, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Eternal Life" for 4/12/26
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- Joshua 3:5 Sermon: "Preparing For God To Work"
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Lifeway's Explore the Bible lesson of Acts 17:22-34, "Believe" for Sunday Oct. 13, 2024
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 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: grace
“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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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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