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: history
Teacher’s Overview of Acts 5:29-42, Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson “Worthy,” for July 14, 2024
(A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: ??? Did you/someone you know ever disobey a law/command/guideline, to do something you believed God wanted you to do?(— A friend of mine and I shared the gospel … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged abortion, Acts, Acts 5, Acts 5:29-42, apostles, balance, Bible, Bible study, C.S. Lewis, chronological snobbery, civil disobedience, cost of discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, discipleship, Ephesians 1:13, evangelism, Explore the Bible, faith, Gamaliel, Geaux Therefore, God of our Fathers, gospel, hate crime, history, Holy Spirit, homosexuality, Jesus is Lord, Jewish Encyclopedia, lessons of history, Lifeway, Lordship, ministry, NOBTS, obedience, persecution, perseverance, Peter, Pharisee, Prince and Savior, repentance, Rex Butler, Romans 10:9, Romans 13:1, Ron DeSantis, salvation, Savior and Lord, sharing, Stephen Boissoin, submission, Sunday School, time will tell, transgender, we must obey God rather than men, Winston Churchill lessons of history, witness, workplace
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The Providences of 1776
I’ve made a personal “tradition” of reading David McCullough’s 1776 on the 4th of July for the last couple of years. The book is a marvelous retelling of this pivotal year in the story of America. A repeated theme that … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, History, Reviews, Sermon Illustrations, Uncategorized
Tagged 1776, 4th of July, America, America and the providence of God, America God, American history, American Revolution, Battle of Brooklyn fog, David McCullough, David McCullough 1776, George Washington, history, Independence Day, providence, providence and American Revolution, providences, the providence of God, Trenton, United States of America
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Rodney Stark, “Mythbuster”!
I have never watched “Mythbusters”, the iconoclastic Discovery Channel show which tests the veracity of popular urban legends — but I felt like I was in the midst of a Christian history version of the show as I read Rodney … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews, Uncategorized
Tagged Baylor University, Christian history, Christian history myths, Christianity, Christopher Columbus, crusades, flat earth myth, Gospels oral tradition, history, inerrancy, mythbusters, myths, Rodney Stark, The Triumph of Christianity, Washington Irving
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Conspiracy Theories?
“Conspiracy theories” are popular with many people, and some of them gain traction among the Christian population as well. It should be instructive to us that scripture actually has a word that speaks to these, in Isaiah 8:12-13: “You are … Continue reading
When God Whistles They Come!
“He will also lift up a standard to the distant nation, and will whistle for it from the ends of the earth; and behold, it will come with speed swiftly.” (Isaiah 5:26) This verse give us one of the most … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged "Sovereignty of God", countries, God, history, Isaiah 6:26, nations, theology
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shawnethomas 