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)
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 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
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 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: Great Commission
Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: John 20:19-29, “Reach Out Your Hand”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible Study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 20:19-29 for Sunday, May 21, 2023 with the title, “Reach Out Your Hand.” A video version of this overview is available … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "doubting Thomas" Sunday school lesson, apostle Thomas, as the Father sent Me, Babylon Bee Gospel with minimal effort, Babylon Bee satire, Caesar is Lord, deity of Jesus, Ephesians 2:14-15, Esther Edwards peace, Explore the Bible teacher help John 20:19-29, Great Commission, I Corinthians 12:3, Incarnation, incarnational mission, Jesus, Jesus is Lord, Jesus resurrection Sunday school lesson, John 1:1, John 20:19-29, John 20:19-29 Sunday school lesson, Jonathan Edwards George Marsden, kurios Lord, Lifeway Explore the Bible John 20:19-29, mission, missionary, My Lord and My God, peace, peace in your heart, Peace to you, peace with God, peace with others, personal commitment, Philippians 2:11, Philippians 4:7, receive the Holy Spirit, resurrection, Romans 5:1, so send I you, Sunday school lesson help John 20:19-29, Sunday school teacher help John 20:19-29, Texas Port Ministry
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“Pilgrim’s Progress” (I Peter 1:1-2 sermon)
The Bible is the #1 best-selling, most-read book of all time. But right behind it, is The Pilgrim’s Progress, widely considered the second most-read book in history. It was written by Puritan John Bunyan, in the form of an allegory: … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Doctrine/Theology, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged aliens, ambassador, baptism of Jesus, Bible, Chris Boniol, David McCullough Mornings on Horseback, doctrine, evangelism, gardener, George W. Bush Muslims, God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, Great Commission, Gregory of Nazianzus, Hebrews 11:13, I Peter 1:1-2, I Peter 2:11, I Peter sermon, II Corinthians 5:20, Islam and the Trinity, John Bunyan, modalism, not of this world, pilgrim, Pilgrim's Progress, pilgrims, place kicker, planted, Puritans, purpose, scripture, sown, The Pilgrim's Progress, Theodore Roosevelt Sr., this world is not your home, Trinity, Triune God, vocation, when I say God I mean Father Son and Holy Spirit, witness
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“On The Banks Of The Promised Land” (Joshua 1:1-9 sermon)
I am so excited to share God’s word with our new church family this morning. As I thought and prayed about what to preach, SO many things came to mind. I found myself wishing I could share dozens of different … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged anchor, application, Bible, boldness, church, church transition, conditional promise, evangelism, faith, family transition, foundation, foundations, God's promise, God's word, Great Commission, James doer of the word, Joshua 1 sermon, Joshua 1:1-9, Joshua 1:9, materialism, missions, pastor transition, possessions, priorities, running, salvation, scripture, transition, transitions, trust
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The Height of Hypocrisy
“Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.” (John 18:28) Jesus had previously condemned … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged chuch attendance, deacon, deacon qualifications, employees, Great Commission, hypocrisy, I Timothy 3, inconsistency, John 18:28, legalism, Matthew 23:24, mercy, pastor, pastor qualifications, Pharisees, Roberts Rules of Order, strain out a gnat and swallow a camel, tithing
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“Unfathomable Treasure: Our Triune God” (Matthew 3:16-17 sermon)
Do you know that no one really knows WHAT electricity is? Look it up; they don’t. They know theories about how it works; they know how to avoid being killed by it; they know how to harness it to use … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged A.W. Tozer The Knowledge of the Holy, Deity of Christ, Deuteronomy 6:4, doctrine, doctrine of God, doctrine of trinity, Ephesians 2:18, eternity, George W. Bush, God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit, Great Commission, Gregory Nazianzen, heaven, I Peter 1:2, illustrations of Trinity, Islam, Jesus Christ, John 17:5, John 1:1, Matthew 3:16-17 sermon, modalism, modalism and Matthew 3, monotheism, Mormonism, prayer, salvation, theology, Trinitarian Christians, Trinitarian faith, Trinity, Triune God
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Missions In A Nutshell
“For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.” (III John 7) Here in an often overlooked letter, we find a little verse which succinctly defines and prescribes the work of the missionary and … Continue reading
“When I say ‘God’ …”
Jesus’ final command to His disciples in the Book of Matthew is well-known to many: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching … Continue reading