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.
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 8 & 9, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Every Life Valued" for 1/18/26
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 6:19-34, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Treasure," for 1/04/2026
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- "Three Christian Attitudes" (Philippians 3:12-15 sermon)
- "The Gift That Is An Insult" (I Kings 9:10-14)
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: Isaiah 53
Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Mark 15:24-39, “Sacrificed”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Mark 15:24-38 for Sunday, November 19, 2023, “Sacrificed.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: One … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged A.D. 70, Alexamenos worships God, At The Cross, Bible prophecy, casting lots, centurion, characters at the cross, Christ crucified, cross of Christ, donkey cross, Ephesians 3:12, Explore the Bible, Explore the Bible Mark 15, fulfilled scripture, gospel, Hebrews 10:19-22, hymn At The Cross, I Corinthians 1:18, Isaiah 53, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Old Testament prophecy, John Lloyd Stephens Incidents of Travel, Lifeway, Mark 15 Sunday school lesson, Mark 15 teacher help, Mark 15:24-39, Mark 4, Muslims and the cross, Nabeel Qureshi, Old Testament prophecies, Parable of the Sower, Rob Plummer, salvation, Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, Shawn Thomas, Something awry in the Temple, Sunday School teachers, tabernacle, Temple, the cross, truly this man was the son of God, veil of the Temple, why have you forsaken Me
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“For All Of Us” (Isaiah 53:6 sermon)
I remember when I was a boy, growing up at the First Baptist Church of Harrah, Oklahoma, our pastor (Hoyt Aduddell) had just preached one of those messages that sticks with you for some reason. The reason this particular message … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged all have sinned, all we like sheep, atonement, BP oil spill, Exxon Valdez, I Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53:6, It is well with my soul, Jesus cross, Messiah, my sin o the bliss, respond to the gospel, response, Romans 10:13, RSVP, Ruthanna Metzger RSVP, salvation, sheep, sin, substitute, substitutionary atonement, Suffering Servant
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“Jesus ‘Calls’ His Resurrection” (Mark 8:31-38 sermon, Easter 2022)
Jesus “called” the Resurrection, didn’t He? I say that because it’s one thing to “accidentally” happen do something, and another thing entirely to do it on purpose, and “call it” in advance. For example, we watched the “Final Four” NCAA … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged butterfly chrysalis, Christian commitment, commitment, cross of Christ, death of Jesus, Easter sermon, EPCOT butterfly display, George Whitefield, I give You my soul as a blank, Isaiah 53, lessons in suffering, Mark 8:31-38, resurrection of Jesus, Romans 14, suffering, suffering of Christ, the cross, the sword in the stone, Thomas Kidd George Whitefield
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“The A-B-Cs of Salvation in Leviticus 1:1-4”
One of the most difficult things for me on my recent mission trip to Bulgaria was the language. I am typically fairly good at languages, and when I go on mission trips I can usually speak some of the language … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged ABC of salvation, Alexander Graham Bell, alphabet, Candice Millard James Garfield, Charles Dickens Tale of Two Cities, In Christ Alone song, Isaiah 53, James Harrison Australia blood, Jesus only way, Jesus substitute, Jesus the lamb, John 14:6, lay hand on the head, Leviticus 1:1-4 sermon, male without defect, sacrifice, salvation, satisfaction, substitutionary atonement, Sydney Carton substitution, theological ABCs, wrath of God satisfied
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“A Divine Appointment” (Acts 8:26-40 sermon)
In 2014 Cheryl & I were living in Norman, Oklahoma while I was recuperating from illness that had caused me to resign my pastorate in Louisiana. One winter afternoon about 4:00 I suddenly had a strong urge to go out … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Ministry, Sermons
Tagged Acts 8, Acts 8 Philip and Ethiopian, baptism, baptism and salvation, baptism profession of faith, baptism symbolic, daily Bible reading, divine appointment, Dwight Moody Big L, Ethiopian eunuch, Ethiopian Treasurer, evangelism, faith, gospel, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit prompting, India mission, instant obedience, Isaiah 53, Jesus, meaning of baptism, missions, morning devotions, morning worship time, Only Jesus saves, people need the Lord, priest "we baptize you", religion, repentance, response to the gospel, salvation, Walk Across The Room, witnessing, witnessing opportunity
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“The Call of Christmas” (Luke 2:8-11 devotion)
“Now there were in that same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Christmas, Christmas devotion, Christmas sermon, evangelism, faith, for You!, humility, Isaiah 53, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Luke 2:8-11, Messiah, Personal, put your name in a verse, repentance, Ruth Bell Graham, sacrifice, salvation, Savior, shepherds, Talmud
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“The Substitutionary Atonement” (I Peter 2:24 sermon)
In 2018, an ISIS terrorist took a young woman hostage in southern France, threatening to kill her. In a bold move, a police officer, Lt. Col. Arnaud Beltrame, offered to take the place of the young woman. The terrorist let … Continue reading
Posted in Doctrine/Theology, I Peter sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged ask Jesus into your heart, atonement, Becky Thatcher, capital punishment, change, Christ crucified, Christianity, cross, cross of Christ, die to sin, doctrine, Elizabeth Nel, evangelism, Exodus 13 lamb, forgiveness, good works, I Peter 2:24, I Peter 2:24 sermon, Isaiah 53, ISIS, It is finished, It Is Well, Leviticus 14, life change, Lt. Col. Arnaud Beltrame, Mark Twain, Old Testament, on the cross, paid in full, repentance, sacrifice, salvation, sanctification, sin, substitute, substitutionary atonement, tetelestai, the cross, the word of the cross, theology, Tom Sawyer, transformation, Winston Churchill, witness, witnessing, works
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“In His Steps” (I Peter 2:21 sermon)
There were many different college football teams represented here today: we had Longhorn fans, and Aggie fans; Houston and Baylor — even a few Sooner fans — and many others. There are a lot of college football teams to follow … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Abraham Lincoln suffering, Carl Sandburg Abraham Lincoln, chastening fell upon Him, children, Christ suffered, Christian motivation, church, college football, discipleship, enemies, example, follow, follow Me, following Jesus, go to church, hardship, humbling, hupogrammo, I Peter 2:21, I Peter 2:21 sermon, imitation, in His steps, Isaiah 53, Jesus example, Jesus suffering, life, marriage beliefs, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Matthew 4 follow Me, ministry, motivation, no condemnation, pattern, persecution, personal response, respond, Romans 8:1, RSVP, sacrifice, salvation gift, submit to authority, suffering, trace, wrath of God
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“Reckoned As Righteous” (Genesis 15:6 sermon)
In the winter of 1738 Charles Wesley was serving as a missionary in America, but he wrote in his journal, he was seeking to convert the Indians, but who would convert HIM? He was earnestly seeking to be right with … Continue reading →