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
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- Sermons
- The Model Prayer Series
- The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020)
- This Week In Paradise (pastors family blog)
- Travel
- Uncategorized
- worship
Tag Archives: Leo Tolstoy
“The Fruits of Righteousness” (James 3:13-18 sermon)
I am not much of a “tree expert” at all. I know some people can just look at a tree and say, “Oh that’s a such-and-such tree …” but I have never been able to do that. I could probably … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Discipleship
Tagged assurance of salvation, attitudes, bad fruit, Bible, blessed are the peacemakers, Christianity, Eusebius Church History, examine yourself, faith, fruit, God, good fruit, Holy Spirit, hypocrisy, hypocrite, II Corinthians 13:5, Irenaeus, James 3, James 3 sermon, James 3:13-18, jealousy, Jesus, Leo Tolstoy, Matthew 7:16, mercy, natural earthly demonic, peace, peaceable, peacemaker, Philippians 2, salvation, selfishness, test yourself, the world the flesh and the devil, trees, War and Peace, works, you will know them by their fruits
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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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