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)
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 9:10-19, 23-26, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson "Mercy Extended" for 1/25/26
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "What God Wants From Us" (Micah 6:8 sermon)
- "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" (John 3:16 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
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 9:32-43, “Healing,” for 8/11/24
An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leader of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for August 8, 2024, Acts 9:32-43, with the title, “Healing.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: J. … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Aeneas, Bible study, chief end of man, Donald Trump Savior, Dorcas, Explore the Bible, gazelle, glory of God, God, good deeds, gospel, Healer, healing, J. Edwin Orr, Jack Tillery, Jesus, Jesus is the answer, Joppa, Lifeway, Lydda, miracle, miraculous healing, organ transplant, Peter, point to Jesus, Psalm 27:13, Savior, service, Sunday School, Tabitha, WWJD
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: The King’s Laws” (James 2:5-13)
In Leo Tolstoy’s War & Peace, he writes about how during Napoleon’s War with Russia he commanded a group of his soldiers to go downstream and find a good place to ford the river, and go to the other side. … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged all sin is sin, Andrew Jackson, Bible, Book of James, C.S. Lewis, Christianity, comparing, discipleship, ethics, failure, faith, God, gospel, how would you like it, in the course of justice, James, James 2, James 2:5-13, Jesus, John Adams, Jon Meacham American Lion, judgment, King Jesus, Law, law of liberty, Law of mercy, Leo Tolstoy, Love God Love Others, love your neighbor, mercy, Napoleon, obedience, render the deeds of mercy, Romans 13:8-10, salvation, Shakespeare, Sheldon Vanauken, sin, slavery, Tao, The Golden Rule, The Great Commandment, The Hermitag, the Law, The Merchant of Venice, the quality of mercy, the standard, transgression, War & Peace, we do pray for mercy, Yours Jack, zeal
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: No Partiality” (James 2:1-4 sermon)
At one point during the U.S. Civil War, Northern General Ulysses S.Grant gave President Abraham Lincoln and the Secretary of War a list of 8 major generals and 33 brigadier generals whose service he said “the Government ‘could dispense with … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged Are you somebody?, beauty, Bible, Billy Graham, black, Book of James, business, business ethics, Christian life, Christianity, church, faith, favoritism, God, gospel, Hadrians Wall, In Christ Alone, James, James 2, James 2:1-4, Jesus, judgment, Katharine Graham's Washington, Lindy Boggs, money, partial, partiality, poor, prejudice, Proverbs 20:10, race, racial prejudice, reverse discrimination, rich, rich young ruler, Robert Caro, Robert E. Lee, Roman society, Rome, salvation, salvation by faith, sermon, sin, sin of partiality, Steve Jobs, The Country Church, the ground is level at the foot of the cross, The Power Broker, Ulysses S. Grant, Walter Isaacson, Washington Irving, white, worship
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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
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“Don’t Waste A Good Crisis” (Hurricane Beryl message, July 2024, Psalm 46)
Just before the dark days of the Second World War, English Prime Minister Winston Churchill famously said: “Never let a good crisis go to waste”! His statement has been adopted and re-quoted by many politicians in recent years: “Never let … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Bible, blessings, CAT 1, Corrie Ten Boom, COVID, COVID crisis, crises, crisis, crisis ministry, don't waste a good crisis, electricity, faith, give thanks, God, God is our refuge, gratitude, hurricane Beryl, In Christ Alone, Jesus, Lyndon Johnson, material blessings, ministry, My hope is built on nothing less, never let a god crisis go to waste, politics, prayer, Psalm 116:1, Psalm 46, Psalm 46:1, Robert Caro, salvation, Samaritans Purse disaster relief, saving faith, service, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, take for granted, thankful, The Solid Rock, trust, water, well, Winston Churchill
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“No Spirit of Fear” (II Timothy 1:7 sermon/Hurricane Beryl, July 7, 2024)
In March 2020 about a dozen or so of our church members went on a mission trip to Mazatlan, Mexico, to minister with what is now James Trail ministry, with Dan & Meredith Shuman. It was a good trip, but … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged A Leopard Tamed, assurance, be not afraid, Bible, Christianity, confidence, COVID, COVID sermon, Death, discipline, Eleanor Vandevort, faith, fear, fear not, fruit of the Spirit, God, how to be saved, hurricane, hurricane Beryl, hurricane prep, II Timothy 1:7, In Christ Alone, Jesus, Kim Eaves, London Plague, love, Martin Luther plague, ministry, missionary, no fear, no fear in death, no guilt in life no fear in death, panic, power, Puritans, salvation, sermon, sound mind, Sudan, testimony, The Black Death
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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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“What Real Faith Looks Like: Doers of the Word” (James 1:22-25 sermon)
In late 1942, the United States landed troops in North Africa to begin the liberation of Europe from Hitler’s Nazi Germany. In the early days after the invasion, the U.S. Army initially was not making much progress in their march … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged An Army At Dawn, application, better cheese, Bible, big talk, Book of James, change, change your life, Christianity, church, doers of the word, Dwight Eisenhower, Edward Dolnich, faith, few doers, God, hearer or doer, hearers only, hearing the word, Isaac Newton, James, James 1, James 1:22-25, Jesus, life change, Luke 3, Mark 6:20, Matthew 7:24-27, mirror, mirror of the word, New Testament, perfect attendance church, practical application, Psalm 119:11, repentance, Rick Atkinson, Robert Boyle, sanctification, scripture, The Clockwork Universe, what shall we do, word of God
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