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: Jesus only way
Teacher’s Overview of Deuteronomy 28:1-6, 15-19, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Covenant Relationship,” for 11/16/25.
Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, suggested introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Bible study, blessing, consequences, cornucupia, Covenant Blessings, curse, curse of the Law, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 18:15, Deuteronomy 28:1-6, discussion questions, Explore the Bible, God, gospel, grace, heaven, Jesus, Jesus only way, Kendall's Noble, Law, Lifeway, Lindbergh's Character Factors, Messiah, Moses, Romans 3:23, salvation, Scott Berg Lindbergh, sin, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, works, works salvation
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Teacher’s Overview of Numbers 14:11-24, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson, “Rebellion & Judgment” for 9/28/25
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Numbers 14:11-24, “Rebellion & Judgment,” for Sunday, September 28, 2025. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text highlights and outline, illustrations you … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged attributes of God, Bible, Bible study, Carl Sandburg Abraham Lincoln, chesed, consequences of sin, Exodus 34:6-7, Explore the Bible, George Washington, God, grace, intercession, intercessor, intercessory prayer, Israel, Jesus, Jesus intercessor, Jesus only way, John 14:6, John Adams, Lifeway, lovingkindness, Moses, Promised Land, punishment, qualities of God, salvation, Shawn Thomas, sin, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, Yahweh, YHWH
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Acts 17:22-34, “Believe” for Sunday Oct. 13, 2024
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 17:22-34, with the title of “Believe,” for Sunday, October 13, 2024. A video version of this lesson is available on YouTube at … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Acts 17, Acts 17:22-34, Apostle Paul, application, Areopagus, believe, Bible, Bible study, Bulgaria, C.S. Lewis, Christ, Christianity, creation, culture, discussion questions, evangelism, Explore the Bible, faith, Gary Habermas, Genesis 1, God, God sovereignty, gospel, I Corinthians 15, idols, J.D. Vance, Jesus, Jesus only way, Jesus resurrection, John F Kennedy, John Quincy Adams creation, Kamala Harria, Lifeway, literature, Mars Hill, Matthew 13, ministry, missionary, missions, Nabeel Qureshi, Parable of the Sower, Paul and Silas, Psalm 50, repent, repentance, repentance and faith, response to the gospel, resurrection, Romans 1:4, salvation, SBC Disaster Relief, second missionary journey, seek God, Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, sermon, Silas, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, Tim Walz, Westminster Catechism
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: True Religion” (James 1:26-27 sermon)
What does a “religious” person look like? What do you envision when you think of someone who is “religious”? Someone carrying a big Bible, or wearing a cross around their neck? Maybe somebody speaking from a pulpit, or singing a … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged Acts 4:12, Africa, African Queen, assurance, Bible, Bleak House, Book of James, Book of Mormon, bridle tongue, C.S. Lewis, Charles DIckens, Christianity, consumer religion, Dan & Meredith Shuman, doer of the word, false religion, Fight Club, God, hearers of the word, holier than thou, holiness, home, I Timothy 5, James, James 1, James 1:26-27, James 3, James sermons, James Trail Ministry, Jared Wilson, Jesus, Jesus only way, John 14:6, Katharine Hepburn, life, lifestyle, Luke 18, Mahatma Gandhi, Matthew 7:13-14, ministry, missions, missions starts at home, Mormon, Mormonism, Mrs. Jellyby, narrow gate, nursing home visitation, orphans, Pharisee and the publican, pornography, purity, real faith, real salvation, religion, religion starts at home, religious, Rock of Ages song, salvation, sanctification, scripture, self-righteous, test of salvation, True Religion, What Real Faith Looks Like, widows, words
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Teachers’ Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 28:10-22, “A Stairway”
An overview for Sunday School teacher and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 28:10-22, for Sunday, March 24, 2024, with the title, “A Stairway.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged A Stairway, Bethan Lloyid-Jones, Bethel, Corrie Ten Boom dream, dream, dream interpretation, El, elohim, Explore the Bible, Falls Creek, Genesis 14, Genesis 28, house of God, Jacob, Jacob's Ladder, Jesus, Jesus only way, John 14:6, Lifeway, Lord, Psalm 67, salvation, stairway, tenth, tithe, tithing, Yahweh, YHWH
5 Comments
“Suffering Servant/Glorious King: Man of Sorrows” (Isaiah 53:2-3 sermon)
Abraham Lincoln was not an attractive man; in fact, people described him as “homely;” he had a number of facial defects. His own cabinet secretary called him a “long-armed ape.” And yet this “unsightly man,” as some called him, is … Continue reading
Posted in Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King, Sermons
Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Acts 4:12, appearance, celebrity Christians, Christian rock star, cool Christian, cross, desert, flower crushed, gospel, Isaiah, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53:2-3, Jesus, Jesus appearance, Jesus lamb, Jesus only way, Jesus suffering, Jesus uniqueness, John 14:6, Lamb of God, man of sorrows, Mark 8:31, marred more than any man, Messiah, Old Testament, Parable of the Sower, perfume, prophecy, Proverbs 20:9, Psalm 139, resurrection plant, Revelation 5, righteousness, Romans 3:10, salvation, sin, style vs substance, substitutionary atonement, Suffering Servant, tender shoot, worthy is the Lamb
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“The Church That Was Tested” (Revelation 2:8-11 sermon)
Some of you know that in 2012 I went through an illness that put me out of the ministry for two years. I lost my job, my income, we had to sell our home, and many of our possessions. I … Continue reading
Posted in Revelation sermon series
Tagged abortion, be faithful, Bible, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Churches of Revelation 2-3, doctrine, don't give up, faithful, faithfulness, false religion, hate crimes, homosexuality, it was good for me that I was afflicted, Jesus only way, Jesus Satan brothers, Jonathan Edwards, Letter to Smyrna, Life on the Mississippi, Mark Twain, Mormon Church, Nik Ripken, perseverance, POTS, poverty, Psalm 119, Reproductive Freedom Church, revelation, Revelation 2:8-11, Revelation sermon, Revelation Smyrna, RFC, Rich Man and Lazarus, ten days, testing, testing limits, tests, The African Queen, tribulation
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Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson, John 13:31-14:6, “I Will Come Again”
A brief overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible Study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 13:31-14:6, with the title, “I Will Come Again,” scheduled for Sunday, March 19, 2023. A video version of this overview is … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Acts 4:12, C.S. Lewis heaven, disappointment, discouragement, Explore the Bible John 14 teacher help, Falls Creek story, glory, Hadrian Aristides quote, heaven, heavenly minded earthly good, I John 5:12, Jesus only way, John 13 Sunday school lesson, John 14 SS lesson, John 14:6, Joplin tornado testimony, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson John 13 and 14, love, Oliver Wendell Holmes heavenly minded, Psalm 16:11, Richard Feynman love, salvation, sin, stress, Sunday school lesson help, Sunday school teacher helps, they love one another quote
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