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 Joshua 6:12-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Winning Strategy," for June 28, 2026.
- Teacher's Overview of Joshua 3:14-4:9, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson "Remembering God's Works" for June 21, 2026.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 sermon)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- “The Golden Rule” (Matthew 7:12 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "Inviting Jesus Into Your Home" (Luke 10:38-42 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
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Tag Archives: judgment
In A Night
“The oracle concerning Moab. Surely in a night Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined. Surely in a night Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined.” (Isaiah 15:1) God revealed in Isaiah 15 His impending judgment on the nation of … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged assurance, fear, future, Isaiah 15:1, judgment, materialism, prophecy, security, trust
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Sovereignty & Responsibility (Isaiah 10)
God’s ways are higher than ours, Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us, and there is much we do not understand about them. But some scriptures “pull back the curtain” just a bit and give us some insight into how God works. Isaiah … Continue reading
The Wicked Will Be Punished
“Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.” (Psalm 34:21) God makes clear in this verse what the end of the wicked will be. Their punishment is inescapable: “Those who hate the righteous will … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged evil, judgment, Psalm 34:21, punishment, salvation, wicked
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It’s Not Always Good News
God’s men don’t always have “good news” to share. If they do, they are certainly not God’s men! We see an example of that in Isaiah 7. God has just told King Ahaz that he does not need to fear … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged America, bad news, faithfulness, false prophets, God's people, good news, Isaiah 7, judgment, preachers, prophets
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Epithets
The very last chapter of Romans contains a long list of people to whom the Apostle Paul wished to send greetings. It is interesting to read the little “descriptions” that he attaches to the names of the people he was … Continue reading
The Ultimate “Wrong Side of History”: A Psalm For Our Times,
Christians in America have been dismayed by many recent events in our country, the Supreme Court decision regarding same-sex marriage prominent among them. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by what seems to be an unrelenting tide of ungodliness, and … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship
Tagged eternity, God, hope, Jesus Christ, judgment, Psalm 113, Psalm 2, same-sex marriage SCOTUS, sovereignty, wrath, wrong side of history
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The Discipline of Service (I Peter 4:10 sermon)
In 1910 Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech in Paris, France, on the kind of people that is needed to make a great society. A paragraph from that speech has become famous: “It is not the critic who counts, nor the … Continue reading
No Small Sin
A church member was once overheard saying: “He’s a good minister, he’s just got a little pride problem.” But pride is not a “little” problem — for a minister or anyone else, as Proverbs 16:5 makes clear: “Everyone who is … Continue reading
Are You Really That Close to God?
Many people claim to be “a friend of God”, but the Bible indicates that number may be far fewer in actuality. Psalm 25:14 says, “The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make known … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged accountability, fear, fear of the Lord, friend of God, holiness, intimacy with God, judgment, Psalm 25:14
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If I Were In Your Place
One of the striking statements of the book of Job is found in 16:4, where Job tells his “friends”: “I too could speak like you, if I were in your place.” It should cause each of us to ponder the … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged compassion, discrimination, Job 16:4, judgment, suffering
2 Comments
shawnethomas 