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.
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 6:19-34, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Treasure," for 1/04/2026
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- "Ministering to the Multitude" (Mark 6:34-44)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "The Word That Sustains In Difficult Days" (Habakkuk 2:1-3 sermon)
- "Three Christian Attitudes" (Philippians 3:12-15 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: lesson outline
Teacher’s Overview of Matthew 4:12-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson “Invitation,” for 12/14/25
For Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, lesson outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications you can make. A video version of this … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Andrew, Baptist, call of the disciples, call to mission, Capernaum, church mission, church purpose, church purpose statement, December 14 2025 lesson, discipleship, ecclesiology, evangelism, Explore the Bible, fishermen, following Jesus, fulfill, instant obedience, invitation, James, John, lesson outline, Lifeway, Making of the President 1960, Mark Twain, Matthew, Matthew 4:12-25, ministry, ministry evaluation, ministry metric, ministry motto, missions, obedience, Old Testament prophecy, Old Testament quotes in Matthew, Reaching Teaching Caring, Ron Chernow, shawnethomas, Southern Baptist, Steve Jobs Walter Isaacson, Sunday School, Sunday school discussion questions, Sunday school help, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school lesson applications, Sunday school lesson illustrations, Sunday School teacher, Sunday School training, Sunday School University, Theodore White John Kennedy
14 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Deuteronomy 12:1-11, 29-32, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Undivided Worship,” for 11/09/25
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for November 9, 2025 on Deuteronomy 12. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Asherah, Asherim, Bible, Bible worship, Biblical Archeology Society, compromise, David Foster Wallace quote, Deuteronomy 12, Deuteronomy 12:1-11, every man did what was right in his own eyes, everybody worships, Explore the Bible, feminism, First Amendment, giving, God, homosexuality in churches, idol worship, idolatry, illustration, Jesus, lesson outline, Lifeway, Lord's Supper, New Testament worship, Old Testament worship, Plains of Moab, prayer, priesthood of the believer, regulative principle of worship, Shawn E. Thomas, Shawn Thomas, Sunday School, Sunday school help, Sunday School teacher, tithing, Undivided Worship, worship, worship commands, www.shawnethomas.com
10 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Numbers 13:17-31, “The Land,” Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson overview for 9/21/25
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Numbers 13:17-31, with the title “The Land, for Sunday, September 21, 2025. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text highlights and outline, … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "The Land", Anakim, answered prayer, anxiety, Bible, Bible study, Biblical faith, Caleb, church, doubt, Explore the Bible, faith, germ theory, Giant Despair, giants, giants in the land, God, Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11:, Ignaz Semmelweis, Jesus, John Bunyan, Joshua and Caleb, lesson outline, lesson overview, Lifeway, Moses, numbers, Numbers 13:17-31, Pilgrim's Progress, prayer, shawnethomas, spies in Canaan, Sunday School, Sunday school teacher help, the twelve spies, Valley of Eshcol, word faith
1 Comment
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson of I Peter 3:1-12, “Relationships” for 3/3025
An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of I Peter 3:1-12, for Sunday March 30, 2025, with the title, “Relationships.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged authority, Bible commands for husbands, Bible commands for wives, Bible principles of marriage, Bible study, C.S. Lewis Christian relationships, Christian relationships, CS Lewis The Weight of Glory, Explore the Bible, fellow heir, gospel, Harry Lee Poe The Completion of CS Lewis, hupotasso, husband, husbands, husbands and wives, I Peter, I Peter 3, inner beauty, Jimmy Carter, lesson outline, lesson overview, Lifeway, marriage, relationships, salvation, Shawn Thomas, submission, Sunday School, Sunday school discussion questions, Sunday school illustrations, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, the things that matter most Jimmy Carter, The Transformed Wife, understanding way, wife, wives
1 Comment
Teacher’s Overview of I Peter 2:11-17, 21-25, “Our Witness,” Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson for 3/23/25
This is an overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of the Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson for March 23, 2025, from I Peter 2:11-17, 21-25, with the title, “Our Witness.” A video version of this overview is … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged atonement, authority, Baptist Sunday School, behavior, Ben Franklin, Bible study lesson, Charles Sheldon, Christian lifestyle, Christian submission, Christlikeness, conduct, Corrie Ten Boom, David McCullough John Adams, evangelism, Explore the Bible, Fight Club pornography ministry, follow in His steps, God, gospel, holiness, hupotasso, I Peter, I Peter 2, I Peter 2:11-17, I Peter 2:24, in His steps, Jesus, Jesus death, Jesus example, Jesus Paid It All, keep your behavior excellent, lesson help, lesson outline, lifestyle, lifestyle evangelism, Lifeway, lust, meekness, pornography, Psalm 37, Romans 13, Romans 8:28-29, sanctification, Southern Baptist Sunday School, submission, substitutionary atonement, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, the cross, The Presidents Club, trust, What Would Jesus Do?, witness, witness of submission, witness stand for Jesus, WWJD, You mustn't hiss the President
3 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of I Peter 1:3-12, “Our Inheritance” for 3/02/25
An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible lesson” for March 2, 2025, “Our Inheritance,” with the text of I Peter 13-12. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Our Inheritance", Bible, Bible study, born again, Charles Dickens Great Expectations, Christianity, Daniel, eternal security, Explore the Bible, faith, George Washington, George Washington inheritance, glory, God, gospel, heaven, heaven reward, How Firm A Foundation, I know whom I have believed, I Peter, I Peter 1, imperishable, inheritance, it's not all about you, Jesus, John 3:3, John 3:7, kept in heaven, lesson help, lesson outline, Lifeway, Old Testament prophecies of Jesus, Peter, Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bithynia, power of God, prophets, reward, Romans 8:18, Ron Chernow, salvation, saving faith, selflessness, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, term Great Expectations, the soul that on Jesus, we're not home yet, you must be born again
13 Comments