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 7:15-29, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Authority Acknowledged," for 1/11/26.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 6:19-34, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Treasure," for 1/04/2026
- "Three Christian Attitudes" (Philippians 3:12-15 sermon)
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- Joshua 3:5 Sermon: "Preparing For God To Work"
- "Jesus' Example of Baptism" (Matthew 3:13-17 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: John 14:15
“The Most Important Thing” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 sermon)
In 1962 Birch Bayh was elected to the Senate from Indiana, and he and his wife Marvella came to Washington D.C. Marvella had always wanted to see Europe, and she was delighted when she and her husband received an invitation … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Bible, Bible Reading, Birch Bayh, daily devotions, Deuteronomy 6:4 sermon, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, God commandments, gospel, Hear O Israel, how to love God, I Corinthians 8:4-6, Jesus only way, John 14:15, John 14:6, John 15:10, Jonathan Edwards fountain of love, keep God's commandments, LBJ father Sam Johnson, LORD Yahweh, love God, love the LORD your God, Luke 10 Mary and Martha, Lyndon Johnson Robert Caro, Marvella Bayh, Matthew 23:5, monotheism, obedience to God, phylacteries, President of the United States, Psalms, quiet time, Richard Feynman love, The Most Important Thing, The Shema, Yahweh
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“Worthy of Worship” (Psalm 65:1 devotion)
I have heard several people this week say that they are looking forward to the cooler weather that is coming in at the end of the week, and fall — and Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged "Worthy of Worship", actions, Apostle John, awe, be still and know, commandments, deeds, Genesis 28, Hallelujah, intercessory prayer, Job, John 14:15, Lottie Moon, Lottie Moon and C.H. Toy, Lottie Moon love, Luke 6:46, obedience, praise, praise methods, prayer, Psalm 100:1, Psalm 46:10, Psalm 65:1, Revelation 1:17, reverence, silence, tithe, ways to praise, worship
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The “Next” Verse …
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) Much attention is focused on Jesus’ promise in John 14:14, “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it”, and rightly so. And yet it is … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged commandments, discipleship, I John 2:3, John 14:15, Lordship, love, love relationship, obedience, relationship
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Sons of the Father
Proverbs 4:1 pleads: “Hear, O sons, the instructions of a father, and give attention that you may gain understanding.” God reminds us here that a father cares enough to give his child instruction; he loves them, and wants the best … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged father, John 14:15, obedience, Proverbs 4:1, sonship
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Love & Obedience
Many times, it is not “either/or”, but “both.” It is so in Nehemiah 1:9, where Nehemiah has just confessed the sins of Israel to God, and he quotes Him as saying to His people, “but if you return to Me … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged commandments, discipleship, John 14:15, love, Nehemiah 1:9, obedience
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Wholly Devoted?
In I Kings 8:61 Solomon challenged the people of Israel: “Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as this day.” Solomon’s admonition to them was … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged devotion, I Kings 8:61, John 14:15, obedience
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The Evidence of Love
I Kings 3:3 says: “Now Solomon loved YHWH, walking in the statutes of his father David …”. Solomon really did love God (at least at first). What was the evidence of it?
The Root Issue of Sin
II Samuel 12 relates how Nathan the prophet boldly confronted King David after his adultery with Bathsheba. In :10 he tells the king: “Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Great Commandment, heart of sin, II Samuel 12:10, John 14:15, love, root issue, sin
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The Obedience of Love
In Psalm 119:57 the Psalmist writes: “Yahweh is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words.” Here we see the key to the kind of obedience that God wants from us.
shawnethomas 