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
- Romans 3:21-4:5, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson overview: "Saving Faith," for 9/20/26.
- Teacher's Overview of Romans 2:1-13, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Coming Judgment," for 9/13/26.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 20:1-16, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Grace," for 4/19, 2026
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Romans 1:13-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "True Power," for 9/06/26
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 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
- 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: Islam
“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
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“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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“It’s What’s Inside That Counts” (Matthew 5:8 sermon)
When I got sick in 2012, they ran me through a bunch of tests trying to diagnose my illness. One day I found myself on an exam table, hooked up to an ultrasound machine, and the technician smeared some gel … Continue reading
Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Discipleship, Matthew sermons, Sermons
Tagged 6th Beatitude, appearance, beatific vision, Blaise Pascal, blessed are the pure in heart, blood of Jesus, clean, clean hands, clean heart, good deeds outweigh bad, good works, heart attitude, heart qualities, heaven, I John 1:7, I John 3:2, I Samuel 16:7 Eliab, Isaiah 1:18, Islam, it's what's inside that counts, katharos, look good, Mark 7:1-7, Matthew 5:8, Muslim, outward appearance, pork unclean, Proverbs 20:9, Psalm 17:15, Psalm 24:3-4, Psalm 27:4, Psalm 51:10, Psalm 63, pure heart, pure in heart, Revelation 22:4, salvation, Seeing God, superficiality, surface, the great reward, Tim Keller beatific vision, ultrasound heart, unclean, we will see Him
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“Blessed Assurance”? (Matthew 7:21-23 sermon)
Do you think that you are going to heaven? If you do, you’re in good company. An ABC news poll indicated that 89% of Americans believed in heaven, and 85% of them think that THEY are going there. And it … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Matthew sermons
Tagged assurance, assurance of salvation, Blessed Assurance, charismatic gifts, consecration, Corrie Ten Boom, eternal life, false hope, fruit of salvation, grace, heaven, Hinduism, holiness, Islam, Lordship, Muslim dervishes, obedience, profession of faith, salvation, works salvation
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“Put The Sword Into The Sheath”
“So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:11) Jesus spoke these words in response to the actions of Peter in :10, when … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged boycott, Christianity, Islam, Islam or the sword, John 18:11, love your enemies, Matthew 5:44, non-violence, policy, politics, sword, war
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“Unfathomable Treasure: Our Triune God” (Matthew 3:16-17 sermon)
Do you know that no one really knows WHAT electricity is? Look it up; they don’t. They know theories about how it works; they know how to avoid being killed by it; they know how to harness it to use … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged A.W. Tozer The Knowledge of the Holy, Deity of Christ, Deuteronomy 6:4, doctrine, doctrine of God, doctrine of trinity, Ephesians 2:18, eternity, George W. Bush, God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit, Great Commission, Gregory Nazianzen, heaven, I Peter 1:2, illustrations of Trinity, Islam, Jesus Christ, John 17:5, John 1:1, Matthew 3:16-17 sermon, modalism, modalism and Matthew 3, monotheism, Mormonism, prayer, salvation, theology, Trinitarian Christians, Trinitarian faith, Trinity, Triune God
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“The Disciple’s Character: Purity of Heart” (Matthew 5:8 sermon)
I enjoy going to a number of high school sporting events, like football and basketball games, and track meets. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this one track meet I watched several years ago in Louisiana. As I sat in … Continue reading
Posted in "The Disciple's Character" series (Beatitudes Mt. 5:3-12), Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged appearance, Beatitudes, holiness of God, inner man, Islam, Jeremiah 17:10, Mark 7:1-7, Matthew 5:21, Matthew 5:48, Matthew 5:8 sermon, pornography, Psalm 51:10, pure heart, purity of heart, salvation
7 Comments