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 7:15-29, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Authority Acknowledged," for 1/11/26.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 6:19-34, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Treasure," for 1/04/2026
- "Three Christian Attitudes" (Philippians 3:12-15 sermon)
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- Joshua 3:5 Sermon: "Preparing For God To Work"
- "Jesus' Example of Baptism" (Matthew 3:13-17 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: heaven
“Expecting The Unexpected” (James 4:13-17 sermon)
How many of you expected to be here at Angleton Christian School for worship this morning? I didn’t! Some of you saw my post on Facebook yesterday morning: I listed all the activities, all the things we had going today … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Discipleship, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged balance, cancer, change, crisis sermon, do not know what a day may bring, emergencies, fear, Gaza, gospel, heaven, II Timothy 1:7, illness, Israel, Israel Gaza, James 4, Jesus, Lord willing, Luke 12 rich man, plans, salvation, second coming, spirit of fear, unexpected, World War III
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“The Church That Looked Better Than It Really Was” (Revelation 3:1-6 sermon)
In 2010, Cheryl & our youngest son Michael & I visited England, and one the top things on my list to see was the Metropolitan Tabernacle Church in London: once the “megachurch” of the 1800s, where Charles Spurgeon, perhaps the … Continue reading
Posted in Revelation sermon series
Tagged appearance, church, Church at Sardis, clean room, deeds, faithful, FBC Angleton, finish, First Baptist Church Angleton, Florence Nightengale, God omniscience, happiness, happy in heaven, heaven, Henry Stanley, Henry Stanley happy Denzil, hypocrites, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the reward, Jesus knows, Jesus reward, Jim Gasso, Letters to the churches in Revelation, Matthew 23:27, Metropolitan Tabernacle London, Ministry Safe training, not found deeds completed, outward appearance, parenting, Psalm 16:11, quit before finish, reputation, reputation greater than reality, revelation, Revelation 3:1-6, reward, Sardis, Spurgeon's Tabernacle, works
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“The Glorious Vision” (Revelation 1:12-17 sermon)
George Washington was not only “the father of our country” and one of the greatest men in American history, he also LOOKED the part. Historian Ron Chernow writes: “People were transfixed by Washington’s lean, virile presence. … Washington had … Continue reading
Posted in Revelation sermon series, Sermons
Tagged awe, Daniel 7 Ancient of Days, Daniel 7 Son of Man, David McCullough Harry Truman, eyes a flame of fire, George Washington, George Washington uniform, glory, Harry Truman, heaven, humility, Jesus eternity, Jesus glory, Jesus holiness, Jesus majesty, Jesus purity, Jesus Revelation, Jesus right hand, Jesus sword, Jesus word, John MacArthur, John Revelation, Jonathan Alter Jimmy Carter, popcorn snow, Revelation 1 sermon, Revelation 1:12-17, reverence, right hand, Ron Chernow, salvation, shining like the sun, Son of Man, vision of Jesus, witness
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Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson, John 13:31-14:6, “I Will Come Again”
A brief overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible Study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 13:31-14:6, with the title, “I Will Come Again,” scheduled for Sunday, March 19, 2023. A video version of this overview is … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Acts 4:12, C.S. Lewis heaven, disappointment, discouragement, Explore the Bible John 14 teacher help, Falls Creek story, glory, Hadrian Aristides quote, heaven, heavenly minded earthly good, I John 5:12, Jesus only way, John 13 Sunday school lesson, John 14 SS lesson, John 14:6, Joplin tornado testimony, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson John 13 and 14, love, Oliver Wendell Holmes heavenly minded, Psalm 16:11, Richard Feynman love, salvation, sin, stress, Sunday school lesson help, Sunday school teacher helps, they love one another quote
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“O Come Let Us Adore Him” (Revelation 4 & 5 sermon)
Christmas celebrations like many of us experience today haven’t really been in existence that long. Many old-time religious folk didn’t believe Christ was born on December 25, so they actually FORBID making it a special day of any kind. The … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized, worship
Tagged children Christmas, Christmas, Christmas worship, God, heaven, kingdom of priests, Lion and the Lamb, Lion Witch Wardrobe C.S. Lewis, manger scene St Albans West Virginia, O Come Let Us Adore Him sermon, Pilgrims Christmas, Revelation 4 sermon, Revelation 5 sermon, salvation, sons of Asaph, South Christmas log, Thou Art Worthy, worship
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“The Greatest Verse in the Bible?” (John 3:16 sermon)
People often enjoy discussing who or what “the greatest” is in different areas of life. A new acronym has arisen in light of that: “GOAT,” which stands for “Greatest of All Time.” The first time I saw that, it was … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged airplane trust, C.S. Lewis Screwtape Letters, eternal life, eternal life definition, eternal life meaning, everlasting life, faith, for God so loved, Galatians 2:20, GOAT, greatest travel destination, greatest verse in the Bible, heaven, how to be saved, how to go to heaven, invitation, John 17:3, John 3:16, John 3:16 sermon, Jonathan Edwards, love, sacrifice Jesus, saving faith, this is eternal life, Tom Brady GOAT, trust in Jesus, Whoever will call, whosoever surely meaneth me, whosoever will may come, Winston Churchill son Randolph
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“Who God Says He Is” (Exodus 34:6-8 sermon)
Years ago, in his book, The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer wrote: “What you think about when you think about God is the most important thing about you.” What do you think about when you think about God? And … Continue reading
Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Sermons
Tagged "The love of God" song, A.W. Tozer what you think about when you think about God, Al Mohler, Bulgaria missions, chesed, compassion God, Dave Ramsey better than I deserve, doctrine of God, Exodus 34:6-8 sermon, forgiveness, God, grace of God, grace to others, gracious, heaven, Jebel Musa, Jesus final revelation, living by grace, love has a long fuse, lovingkindness, Marinne Williamson, new age, Prodigal Son, relationship with God, response to God, revelation, salvation by grace, surprises in heaven, theology, Yahweh, YHWH
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