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
- "The Example of Joseph" (Matthew 1:18-25 sermon)
- “Immanuel: God With Us” (Matthew 1:23 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 4:12-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson "Invitation," for 12/14/25
- "He Will Save His People From Their Sins" (Matthew 1:21 Sermon)
- "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" (John 3:16 sermon)
- "A 'Real Life' Christmas" (Luke 2:1-11 sermon)
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "Your Response to Christmas" (Matthew 2:1-12 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: humility
Teacher’s Overview of Numbers 20:2-13, “Lack of Trust,” Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for 10/05/25.
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Numbers 20 for Sunday Oct. 5, 2025, including a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Bible, Bible study, Bible study leader, contention, David McCullough, depravity, Explore the Bible, fall on your face, Francesco Guicciardini quote, generational curses, God, gospel, history matters, human nature, humility, impartiality, Israel, Jesus, judgment, Korah, Lack of Trust, leadership, Lifeway, Meribah, Moses, Moses disobedience, numbers, Numbers 20, Numbers 20:2-13, obedience, Promised Land, rod of Moses, self scouting, shawnethomas, sin, sin nature, sin tendencies, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: Relationships & Righteousness” (James 1:19-21 sermon)
In the fall of 1871, explorer Harry Stanley found missionary Dr. Livingstone in Ujiji, Africa, after he had been lost to civilization for several years. It was then that he uttered those famous words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume.” Staying there … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
Tagged A.T. Robertson, anger, Bible, Christianity, continual repentance, conversation, dads, Dr. Livingstone, ethics, evangelism, faith, fathers, Fathers Day, garden, gay Christian, gospel, Harry Stanley, hearing, holiness, humility, James, James 1, James 1 sermon, ministry, mouth, proverbs, quick to hear, real Christianity, receive Jesus, relationships, repent, repentance, salvation, sanctification, saving faith, sermons, Shekinah, sin, slow to anger, slow to speak, Sunday school class, teaching, temper, thrice was Moses angry, two ears one mouth, weeds, What Real Faith Looks Like, witness, word implanted, words, Zeno
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“Comforting the Afflicted & Afflicting the Comfortable” (James 1:9-11 sermon)
In the early 1900’s, humorist Finley Peter Dunne said that “The newspaper does everything for us. It runs the police force and the banks, commands the militia, controls the legislature, baptizes the young, marries the foolish, comforts the afflicted and … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
Tagged Alexander, Bible, Book of James, church poor, comforting the afflicted, death sudden, faith, Finley Peter Dunne, Hamlet, humility, identity, Imperious Caesar, Isaiah 40:6-7, James 2:5, James sermons, Jesus, love of money, Luke 12:13-21, materialism, Matthew 19:23, money, poor, poor in spirit, poverty, Prince William inheritance, real faith, Revelation 2:9, rich, riches, salvation, saving faith, self-image, Smyrna, Sylvester Stallone, temporal values, wealth, Yorick
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 17:1-10, 15-19, “Established”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 17:1-10 and 15-19, with the title of “Established,” for Sunday, February 18, 2024. A video version of this overview is available … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Abraham, Abraham laughed, Abram, awe, But God, Canaan, Colossians 3:3, covenant, Explore the Bible, faith, Genesis, God, honest to God, humility, II Corinthians 5:21, Isaac, Ishmael, Israel, Jesus, Lifeway, name, name change, names meaning, Nefilat Apayim, new covenant, Palestine, salvation, Sarah, Sarai, worship
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Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 12:1-5, 13:11-18, “Promised”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 12:1-5, 13:11-18, for Sunday, February 4, 2024, with the title, “Promised.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Abraham, Abram, Bible study, Blessed are the meek, blessed to be a blessing, blessing, Explore the Bible, faith, Genesis 12, Genesis Sunday school lesson, gentleness, George Washington, giving, Hebrews 11, humility, Israel, life map, Lifeway, Matthew 5:5, meekness, meekness Psalm, mission trip, missions, Numbers 12:3, obedience, Promised Land, Psalm 37, Psalm 67, rights, step of faith, Sunday School, Sunday School teacher, tithing, Trenton
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: Mark 1:1-13, “Introduced”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Mark 1:1-13, for Sunday, September 3, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: Read some famous … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Book of Mark, books, church, Explore the Bible, first line of books, Gregory Nazianzen, Harold Lindsell, Harry Potter, humility, II TImothy 2:21, Jesus, Jesus prophecy, John the Baptist, Joshua 3:5, Lifeway, Mark 1:1-13, Mark Bible study, Messiah, modalism, Nabeel Qureshi, obedience, Old Testament prophecy of Jesus, preparation for ministry, Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, Shawn Thomas, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school lesson help, Sunday school teacher help, Trinity
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“Coming To Worship Jesus” (Luke 21:38 sermon)
Charles Spurgeon once told a story about how Caesar Augustus was invited to a feast in his honor; but the attendance was so poor, and the feast was so mediocre, that he arose in the midst of it and lamented: … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Sermons
Tagged beauty of holiness, C.S. Lewis, Charles Spurgeon Caesar Augustus, church, church attendance, clergymen, consider Him, day of preparation, discipleship, family, Hebrews 10:25, holiness, humility, II Samuel 24:24, Isaiah 66:2, Jesus, Jesus glory, Jesus return, John 19:42, Luke 21:28, pastors, Philippians 2, preparation, preparation for worship, pride, Psalm 96:9, Sabbath, sacrifice, sacrifice that cost me nothing, salvation, sleep, Sunday, Sunday morning worship is a Saturday night decision, Sunday sabbath, Sunday worship, worship, worship Jesus, worship sacrifice
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