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: healing
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: Acts 19:11-20, “Motives” for 10/27/24
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 19:11-20, with the title “Motives,” for Sunday, October 27, 2024. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Acts, Acts 19, Acts 19:11-20, addictions, Apostle Paul, Asia, awe, book burning, Book of Acts, confession, convictions, demons, Ephesus, Explore the Bible, fruit, God's genuine work, healing, Hinduism, I John 4:4, James 2:19, knowing Jesus, large city, lesson help, lesson outline, Leviticus 19:31, Lifeway, motives, NSRK Ravi, occult, Paul's third missionary journey, repentance, reverence for God, sons of Sceva, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, Temple of Artemis, Thom Rainer The Unexpected Journey, witchcraft
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 9:32-43, “Healing,” for 8/11/24
An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leader of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for August 8, 2024, Acts 9:32-43, with the title, “Healing.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: J. … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Aeneas, Bible study, chief end of man, Donald Trump Savior, Dorcas, Explore the Bible, gazelle, glory of God, God, good deeds, gospel, Healer, healing, J. Edwin Orr, Jack Tillery, Jesus, Jesus is the answer, Joppa, Lifeway, Lydda, miracle, miraculous healing, organ transplant, Peter, point to Jesus, Psalm 27:13, Savior, service, Sunday School, Tabitha, WWJD
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Teacher’s Overview: Genesis 30:25-34, 41-43, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson: “Blessed” for April 7, 2024
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 30, “Blessed,” for Sunday, April 7, 2024. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: In her … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Agatha Christie, Agatha Christie autobiography, balance, blessed to be a blessing, blessing, blessings, Explore the Bible, flocks, Genesis, Genesis 30, healing, health wealth and prosperity, Jacob, Laban, lesson overview, Life Group Lesson, Lifeway, Lord, money, prosperity preaching, Psalm 128, Psalm 136, riches, scriptural balance, Sunday school lesson, teacher help, wealth, Yahweh
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“Suffering Servant/Glorious King: The Cost and Benefits of His Atonement” (Isaiah 53:5 sermon)
Several years ago, the wife of a pastor friend of mine in Oklahoma went out to her car at school and found a traffic ticket on it. But when she looked at it closely, she found that the ticket was … Continue reading
Posted in Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King
Tagged Acts India Mission, atonement, blood, chastened, chastisement, cross, crushed, forgiveness, grace, healing, healing Hosea, healing in the atonement, healing symbolic, I Corinthians 15:19, I John 1:9, II Corinthians 12:7, II Timothy 4:20, Isaiah, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53 sermon, Isaiah 53:5, Jesus, Jesus death, Jonathan Edwards, Joni Earickson Tada, peace, pierced, Romans 5:1, salvation, Sanjay Charan, scourged, scourging, shalom, sin, substitutionary atonement, Yitzhak Rabin death
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“The Gospel” (I Corinthians 15:1-11 sermon)
One of our family’s favorite movies, especially when our kids were at home, was “The Princess Bride.” Many of its lines were quoted at home in our daily conversations — and still are, on our family Facebook chat group. Of … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged American exceptionalism, Anne Bronte The Tenant of Wildfell hall, anointed One, BBC The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Bronte gospel, Christ, culture, euangelion, false gospel, Galatians 1, genuine gospel, good news, gospel, gospel preacher, healing, I Corinthians 15, I Corinthians 15:1, I Corinthians 15:1-11, I Peter 2:24, India, J.D. Greear, John 11:3, John 3:16, Leslie Newbigin, Messiah, mission, politics, pray for yourself, Princess Bride, prosperity, receive Jesus, Romans 1:16, the gospel, what is the gospel?
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Sickness For The Glory Of God?
“This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” (John 11:4) The Bible repeatedly teaches us that God is to be glorified in everything … Continue reading
“The Spirit We Need” (Matthew 3:11 message)
One day last week, a woman posted a comment on my blog on the internet. She wrote: “Shawn, I was looking at your work “being poured out as a drink offering”. I am a Christian who have received the baptism … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged baptism in the Holy Spirit, baptism in the spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 5:18, gifts of the Spirit, God the Holy Spirit, healing, holiness, Holy Spirit, I Corinthians 12:13, I Corinthians 12:7, I Corinthians 6:19, II Corinthians 13:5, John 14:16-17, Joni Earickson Tada cancer testimony, Matthew 3:11 sermon, power, power of the Holy Spirit, Romans 8:9, salvation, speaking in tongues, Spirit of Christ, Spirit of God, spiritual gifts
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Lord of ALL
“The men were amazed and said, ‘What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?’” (Matthew 8:27) Jesus’ disciples were just beginning to understand Who He was. Caught in their boat during a … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged angelic forces, creation, forgiveness of sins, healing, Jesus, Jesus authority, Lordship, Matthew chapters 8 & 9, nature, space, time
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Psalm 3:3 “Thou O Lord” Part III: “The Lifter of My Head”
The recent shootings in Aurora, Colorado are reminiscent of a similar tragedy over a year ago in Tuscon, Arizona. Former Philadelphia Phillies baseball manager Dallas Green lost his granddaughter in that Tucson shooting rampage, and afterwards, in a media interview, Green was asked how he … Continue reading
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