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: illness
“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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“Your Circumstances: A Witness Stand For Christ” (Philippians 1:12-20 sermon)
I’ve got a friend and brother in ministry, Jack Tillery, who experienced a LOT of physical difficulties while he served at our church in Louisiana and for some years since. You may get an opportunity to meet Jack some time, … Continue reading
Posted in Philippians sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Apostle Paul Acts, Apostle Paul witness Acts, Biblical Christianity, circumstances, Corrie Ten Boom witness stand for Jesus, evangelism, I Corinthians 10:31, II Corinthians 12 thorn in the flesh, illness, Jack Tillery, John Newton death of wife, lifestyle evangelism, mission, outreach, Philippians 1 sermon, Philippians 1:12-20, prosperity teaching, salvation, sickness, The Hiding Place Corrie Ten Boom, witness, witness for Christ, witness in trials, witness stand for Jesus, witness through illness, Your Best Life Now
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“Tried By Fire” (I Peter 1:6-7 sermon)
Theodore Roosevelt was a man of very unique character: he gloried in facing obstacles and overcoming them. He would take his guests out on a 20-mile hike – and much to their dismay, the tougher the course, the better he … Continue reading
Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Christianity in America, confess Jesus, confession, dark year, difficulties, distress, facing death, faith, faith proof, Garden of Gethsemane, Hawaii, I Peter 1:6-7 sermon, I Peter sermon, illness, John Calvin, John Calvin blocks of wood, joy, joy in trials, maturity, perseverance, professions of faith, real faith, refined by fire, rejoice, reward for trials, rewards, run tee shirts, salvation, saved, saving faith, temptations, Theodore Roosevelt, trials, tried by fire, various trials
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Serving God In Your Bodily Illness
“But you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time …”. (Galatians 4:13) So the Apostle Paul had a “bodily illness” which was hindering him as he sought to … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Galatians 4:13, II Corinthians 12:9, illness, service, sickness
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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 Goodness of God In The Midst of Affliction” Sermon on Psalm 119:65-72 preached at FBC Bethalto IL
In February 2012, I stood to lead prayer meeting at the church I had been pastoring for 12 years in Louisiana, and the longer I stood the sicker I became. I had to leave during prayer and have one of … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged affliction, C.S. Lewis, God, illness, memory verse, ministry, POTS, Psalm 119:65-72, Psalm 119:68, purpose for suffering, sovereignty, suffering, testimony, tests, trials
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Psalm 3:3 “My Shield” (preached Aug. 11, 2013 at Trinity, Norman)
I wrote the much of the following message during the summer of 2012, when I was on medical leave as pastor of FBC Moss Bluff, LA with dyautonomia (POTS). I would later resign the church in February of 2013, selling … Continue reading
Posted in Home & Family Life, Ministry, Sermons
Tagged God's purpose, illness, Psalm 3:3 sermon, Romans 8:28-29, trials
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