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 19:16-30, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Eternal Life" for 4/12/26
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 20:1-16, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Grace," for 4/19, 2026
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "A Living Hope" (I Peter 1:3 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 28:1-10, 16-20, "Our Task," Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for 4/05/26
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "I AM the Living One" (Revelation 1:17-18 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 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
Exclusive, Outrageous Jesus
“Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” (John 6:45) Many people who think they “like” Jesus today probably have no idea about some of the outrageous, exclusive things He actually said. Here in :45 we … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged Christ, Christology, exclusivity, Jesus, John 14:6, John 6:45, salvation
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“Fasting For Spiritual Breakthrough” (Matthew 4:2 sermon)
On May of 1776, in the throes of the conflict of the birth of our country, General George Washington sent this order to his army: “The Continental Congress having ordered, Friday the 17th. Instant to be observed as a day … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged apostles, Apostolic Constitutions, discipleship, Early Church, Esther, evangelism, fasting, fasting challenge, George Washington, intercession, intercessory prayer, Jesus, John 4, Matthew 4:2 sermon, Matthew 6, Moses, Nehemiah, prayer, prayer and fasting, rules for fasting, salvation, Samaritan woman, Shepherd of Hermas, Tertullian
5 Comments
“Weary, Yet Pursuing: Obeying God When You Are Tired” (John 4:6-7 sermon)
During the Civil War, the 20th Massachusetts regiment found themselves in combat day after day after day for almost 2 solid months. And it wore them down physically, emotionally, in every way. At the end of June 1864, Captain H.L. … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Civil War, discipleship, evangelism, exhaustion, Jesus, John 4:6-7, Judges 8:4, obedience, prayer, priorities, schedule, time management, tired, weary, weary yet pursuing
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“Into The Wilderness”: The Principle of Spiritual Testing (Matthew 4:1 sermon)
Those of us who have children know that parenting can be a very “up and down” experience. Cheryl & I have talked about this a number of times. It’s like you never get to “sit on your laurels” — even … Continue reading
Jesus and Jacob’s Ladder
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’ And He said to him, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged fellowship, heaven, Jacob's Ladder, Jesus, John 1:50-51, salvation
1 Comment
“Behold The Lamb Of God”
“The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.’” (John 1:29) John the Baptist’s description of Jesus to his disciples and the crowd at the … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged atonement, I John 2:2, Isaiah 53, Jesus, John 1:29, Lamb of God, Messiah, propitiation, sacrifice
2 Comments
“The Servant & The Savior” (Matthew 3:11 sermon)
Several years ago, one of my sisters was attending a missions banquet, and she heard that the President of our Southern Baptist International Mission Board was going to be in attendance, so she was looking forward to meeting him. She … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Charles Spurgeon conversion, cruise ship or battlleship, Deity of Christ, humble, humility, Isaiah 45:22, Jesus, life change, look to Jesus, love, Matthew 3:11 sermon, power of the Holy Spirit, pride, Savior, service, spiritual gifts, steward, stewardship, the Holy Spirit and fire, transformation
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“He Will Save His People From Their Sins” (Matthew 1:21 sermon)
(Preached at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, December 11, 2016) In his famous play, “Romeo & Juliet”, William Shakespeare wrote: “What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” And there is some truth in that. … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged C.S. Lewis, Colossians 2:14, glorification, guilt, Hebrew, I John 2:2, II Thessalonians 1:9, It is finished, It Is Well, Jesus, justificatiion sanctification glorification, justification, Matthew 1:21, paid in full, Romeo and Juliet, salvation, salvation past present future, sanctification, sin, sins, slavery, test, tetelestai, wrath, Yehoshua, Yeshua
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“The Most Miraculous Birth” (Matthew 1:18-23 sermon)
Our family is anxiously awaiting the birth of our fourth grand daughter, who is due in Wake Forest at any minute. If you have ever participated in a birth, or held a newborn baby, you know that EVERY birth — … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Christ, Emmanuel, God is with us, Incarnation, Jesus, Matthew, Matthew 1:18-23, Matthew sermons, salvation, virgin birth
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Jesus’ Family Tree (Matthew 1:1-17 sermon)
Someone told me not long ago that they have a relative who is really into researching their family genealogy, but this person does not share that interest. They said, you know I hate to admit it, but whenever my relative … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged archeology, forgiveness, genealogy, historicity of Christianity, historicity of Jesus, I John 1:9, Jesus, Jesus' family tree, Matthew, Matthew 1, Matthew 1 genealogy, Matthew sermons, Pope Benedict abortion, prophecy, repentance, salvation, sons of Korah
2 Comments
shawnethomas 