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 Preview of Matthew 10:16-20, 26-34, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for 2/01/26, "Loyalty Tested"
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 9:10-19, 23-26, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson "Mercy Extended" for 1/25/26
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 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
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- 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
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- Philippians sermons
- POTS (dysautonomia) articles
- Psalms studies and messages
- Revelation sermon series
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- The Model Prayer Series
- The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020)
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Tag Archives: Islam
Teacher’s Preview of Matthew 10:16-20, 26-34, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for 2/01/26, “Loyalty Tested”
A preview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Matthew 10 for February 1, 2026. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Loyalty Tested", application, baptism, baptism as profession, Bible, Bible study, bible study help, Commission, confess Jesus, confession, discussion questions, Don Lemon CNN Minneapolis church, evangelism, Explore the Bible, fear, fear not, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, God, gospel, group discussion, hair on head numbered, Holy Spirit, I came to bring a sword, illustration, importance of baptism, Islam, Islam or the sword, Jesus, Jon Meacham Destiny and Power, lesson outline, Lifeway, Matthew, Matthew 10, Matthew 10:16-20 26-34, mission, mission trips, NAMB, NAMB church plant, persecution, profession of faith, public profession, Shawn Thomas, shawnethomas, sparrows, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school outline, William Manchester Winston Churchill, witness, witness in persecution, Your Father
3 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Deuteronomy 33:1-5, 26-29, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “God’s Power,” for 11/30/25.
Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, teaching outline and highlights, illustrations you can use, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRODUCTION: ???DISCUSSION QUESTION???“What is your … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Here I raise my Ebenezer", "there's no god like Jehovah", At Calvary, Bible, blessings, C.S. Lewis Screwtape Letters, Christian songs, Days of Elijah, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 33, Deuteronomy 33:1-5, discussion questions, Explore the Bible, ezer as help, God, God as King, God help, gospel, illustrations, Islam, Jebel Musa, Jehovah, Jeshurun meaning, Jesus, Jesus King, king, Lifeway, love of God, Mohammed, Moses, Moses blessing of Israel, Paran, salvation, shawnethomas, Simeon, Sinai, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school lesson help, Sunday School teacher, teaching outline, Yahweh, YHWH
4 Comments
“What Real Faith Looks Like: Real Faith Works” (James 2:14-26 sermon)
John Wooden was one of the greatest coaches of all time. His UCLA Bruins dominated college basketball back in the 1960s-70s like no other team ever has. He won 10 national championships in 12 years, including seven in a row! … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged Abigail Adams, Abraham, Abraham faith, Abraham works, arrested for being a Christian, Bible, Book of James, demons, demons believe, epistle of straw, evidence, faith, faith and works, fruit, God, good works, gospel, Islam, James, James 2, James 2:14-26, Jesus, Jimmy Carter testimony, John Adams, John Wooden, John Wooden testimony, judgment, Martin Luther, Matthew 13, Nabeel Qureshi, Parable of the Sower, Rahab, Rahab faith, Rahab works, religion, salvation, Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, spiritual fruit, testimony, They Call Me Coach, witness, words vs actions, words vs deeds, works, works salvation, world religions
2 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 8:26-39, “Baptizing”
An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 8:26-39, for Sunday, July 28, with the title, “Baptizing.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Acts 4:12, Acts 8, Acts 8:26-39, all gods the same, Ardas, baptizing, believers baptism, Bible study, Charles Spurgeon, church in Acts, cross, doctrine of baptism, Early Church, Ethiopia, Ethiopian eunuch, evangelism, Explore the Bible, Gaza Road, gospel, gospel outline, Harmeet Dhillon, Holy Spirit, Islam, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus one way, John 14:6, lesson help, lesson overview, Lifeway, missions, obedience, Pentecost, Philip, repentance and faith, response to the gospel, RNC, salvation, Samaritan Pentecost, same god different name, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, teacher help, the church, the cross, the gospel, what is the gospel
2 Comments
Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 20:1-18 “I Have Seen”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 20:1-18 for Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023 (and re-posted for March 24, 2024) (A video version of this overview is available … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Arnold Toynbee quote, C.S. Lewis The Resurrection, Easter Sunday Sunday School lesson, Frank Morrison Who Moved the Stone, Islam, Jesus prophecy resurrection, Joe Namath I guarantee it, John 20 Bible study lesson, John 20 Explore the Bible lesson, John 20 Sunday School lesson, John 20 Sunday School teacher help, John 20:1-18, Lifeway Explore the Bible John 20, Matthew 28 resurrection of Jesus, Nabeel Qureshi Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, Old Testament prophecies of Jesus resurrection, personal relationship, prophecies of Jesus resurrection, resurrection of Jesus, Romans 1:4 resurrection
9 Comments
Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Luke 2:1-15 “The First Christmas”
A brief overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Luke 2:1-15, for Sunday, December 24, 2023, with the title, “The First Christmas.” A video version of this overview is available on … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Bible study lesson, Christmas, Explore the Bible, Hinduism, Islam, Jesus, Lifeway, Luke 2:1-15, Nabeel Qureshi, salvation, Savior Christ the Lord, Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, Sunday School, Sunday school teacher help, The First Christmas, works
2 Comments
“The Incomparable Christ” (Hebrews 1:1-4 sermon)
The name of John Hay is not very well known today, but in the 1800s he was one of the most influential men in America. He was Secretary of State under Theodore Roosevelt, but he began his career as a … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Acts 4:12, angel Gabriel, angel Michael, angels, Colossians 1:15, false prophets, forgiveness of sins, glory of God, Hebrews 1 sermon, Hebrews 1:1-4 sermon, Islam, Jesus, Jesus angels, Jesus Christ, Jesus cross, Jesus glory, Jesus God's fairest reflection, Jesus God's final revelation, Jesus name above all names, Jesus redeemer, Jesus sat down, Jesus son of God, Joseph Smith, Matthew 24:24, radiance of His glory, the Bab, The Incomparable Christ
1 Comment
“Enemies of the Cross” (Philippians 3:18 sermon)
A few weeks ago, this July, a large cross that stood at the top of Mt. Tzouhalem (zoo-HAY-lem), a popular lookout spot on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada, was cut down overnight, and removed from the area. No one … Continue reading
Posted in Philippians sermons, Sermons
Tagged American religion, baptism and salvation, Buddhism, Christian Smith and Melinda Denton, cross at Tzouhalem, cross of Christ, deeds deny him, Enemies of the Cross, evangelism, examine yourself, faith alone, Galatians, Hudson Taylor, I Corinthians 1 baptism, II Corinthians 13:5, Islam, It is finished, judaizers, Just and the Justifier, justification, justification by faith alone, lifestyle witness, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, Muslims, Muslims and Jesus, My Father Bertrand Russell by Katharine Tait, not living for the cross, paid in full, Philippians 3:18, Philippians 3:18 sermon, Romans 3:26, salvation, salvation by the cross, test yourself, tetelestai, the cross, The Missing Ingredient, Titus 1:16, witness
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