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.
-
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: Immanuel
Teacher’s Overview: Numbers 9:15-23 “The Journey” Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson for 9/07/25
An overview for Sunday School teacher and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Numbers 9:15-23, with the title, “The Journey,” for Sunday, September 7th, 2025. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Bible, Bible study, cloud by day, endurance, Explore the Bible, God, God is with us, God's leadership, God's presence, God's will, I Samuel 10, Immanuel, Jesus, learning exercises, Lifeway, Magellan, Moses, numbers, Numbers 9, Numbers 9:15-23, patience, pillar of fire, prayer, presence of God, providence, Shawn E. Thomas, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school lesson overview, tabernacle, The Journey, Thy will be done, wait on the Lord, waiting
12 Comments
“Immanuel: God is With Us” (Matthew 1:23 sermon)
In David McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize winning biography of Harry Truman, he writes about “This first Truman to reach Jackson County … Anderson Shipp Truman … was slight, gentle, soft-spoken, thirty years old, and without prospects. Nevertheless, Mary Jane Holmes, who … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Bible, Christianity, David McCullough, depravity of man, Emmanuel, Ephesians 1:13, faith, for You are with me, Genesis 6, Genesis 6:5, God, God is with us, gospel, Harry S Truman, heaven, Hebrews 1:3, Holy Spirit, I Corinthians 6:19, II Corinthians 13:5, Immanuel, Incarnation, Isaiah 7, Isaiah 7:14, Jesus, Jesus Deity, Jesus is GOd, judgment, love, Martin Luther, Mary, Matthew 1, Matthew 1:23, peace, Psalm 23, salvation, test yourself, The Best Christmas pageant Ever, the Lord is with you, Truman, where meek hearts will receive Him still
Leave a comment
“The Promise of Christmas” (Zechariah 2:10-11 sermon)
In the 1800s, R.H. Dana was a student at Harvard who got measles, which weekend his eyesight and kept him from being able to read, so he took a job on a sailing ship in hopes of regaining his health. … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged agent Clint Hill President Eisenhower, Charles Ellet bridge builder Niagara Falls, faith, God with us, Immanuel, Messiah in Zechariah, R.H. Dana Two Years Before The Mast, Revelation 21 God Himself dwell among them, salvation, saving faith, Zechariah 2 sermon, Zechariah 2:10-11 sermon, Zechariah Christmas sermon
1 Comment
“The Christ of Christmas: His Deity” (John 1:1-3 sermon)
A couple of years ago the Nativity Scene in St. Albans, West Virginia got national attention. The scene was notable, because it included a stable, some sheep, camels & a donkey, and even some “visitors” – wise men – and … Continue reading
Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Acts 14:13-15, Bishop Dmitri Royster, change your life, Christ, Christ Christmas, Christmas, Colossians 2:9, Diety of Christ, forgiveness, fullness of God, God with us, Gospels, Hebrews 1, Herschel Hobbs, I AM, Immanuel, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus Christ God, Jesus claim to be God, Jesus Creator, John 10:30, John 1:1, John 1:1-3, John 20:28, John 8:56-59, keep Christ in Christmas, Matthew 1:23 God with us, Mormons, Philippians 2:9, pleroma, resurrection of Jesus, Revelation 19:10, salvation, St. Albans West Virginia nativity scene, The Christ of Christmas, the name which is above every name, virgin birth
Leave a comment
“Immanuel: God With Us” (Matthew 1:23 sermon)
One of my favorite parts of the Christmas program last weekend was when B.J. and Amy and Greg sang that beautiful song of the annunciation, which is right out of Luke 1:28, where the angel appeared to Mary and said: … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons
Tagged "Sovereignty of God", assurance of salvation, Christ, Christmas, church, Colossians 2:9, Current Events, deity of Jesus, depravity of man, ecclesiology, Ephesians 1:13, Every Day With Jesus, faith, Genesis 6:5, God with us, God's plan, Hebrews 1:3, Holy Spirit, Hymn In The Garden, I Corinthians 6:19, II Corinthians 13:9, illustrations, Immanuel, Isaiah, Isaiah 7:14, Jesus, Jesus and marriage, John 14:8-9, John 1:12, King Ahaz, man, Martin Luther, Mary, Matthew 1:23, once saved always saved, perseverance of the saints, Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church Elf production, Romans 8:15, salvation, sealed in the Holy Spirit, smallpox vaccine, The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever, trust
Leave a comment
The Lord’s Presence in Our Storms
In Matthew 1 the angel told Joseph that one of Jesus’ “nicknames” would be “Immanuel”, which means, “God With Us.” That is no small thing. In fact, it means everything that God is with us. He created us originally to … Continue reading
God With Us
Psalm 132:13-14 says: “For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.” We find in these verses several expressions of how … Continue reading
shawnethomas 