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
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- Philippians sermons
- POTS (dysautonomia) articles
- Psalms studies and messages
- Revelation sermon series
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- The Model Prayer Series
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- worship
Tag Archives: love God
Teacher’s Overview of Deuteronomy 30:11-20, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Fully Committed,” for 11/23/25.
Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, outline and highlights from the text, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRODUCTION: ???DISCUSSION QUESTION??? … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Fully Committed", ABC salvation, ABCs of salvation, application, Bible, Bible lesson, Bible study, choices, choose life, decisions, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 30, Deuteronomy 30:11-20, discussion questions, Eusebius, Eusebius Church History, Explore the Bible, Glass Wax commercial, gospel, Great Commandment, illustrations for Sunday School, Jesus, Lifeway, love God, Marinus the centurion, Moses, Nathan Finn Jonathan Edwards, Romans 10, salvation, scripture, Shawn Thomas, shawnethomas.com, so easy a child can do it, Sunday School, Sunday school class, Sunday School teacher, the word is near you, word of God
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Lifeway Explore the Bible: John 12:1-11, “Why Wasn’t This Sold?”
(A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 12:1-11, for Sunday, March 5, 2023 with the title: “Why Wasn’t This Sold?” A video version of this overview is available … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged 5 Love Languages, Asbury Revival, Asbury Revival criticism, criticism, discipleship, doing vs talking, Explore the Bible lesson John 12, Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman Five Love Languages, gift, gift of service, God, heart, how to show love, John 12:1-11 Sunday school lesson, judge servant of another, judging, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson help, love, love God, loving God, loving others, Mary gift, motivation, motives, persecution, quality time, service, Sunday school lesson overview John 12, teacher help John 12, Teacher help John 12:1-11, Theodore Roosevelt Sr quote, time, touch, Why Wasn't This Sold, words of affirmation
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“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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“The Faith That Saves” (I Peter 1:8-9 sermon)
II Timothy 1:5 has one of the great Mothers Day verses. It says: “For I am mindful of the sincere FAITH within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it … Continue reading
Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Acts 4:12, affections, doubt, Ephesians 1:13, faith, Hebrews 1:11, I Corinthians 15, I John 5:12, I Peter, I Peter 1:8-9, II Timothy 1:5, Jack Tillery, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John 14:6, John 20, John Piper affections, John Piper Think, love, love God, love Jesus, Mothers Day, not seen, object of faith, prosperity gospel, resurrection of Jesus, salvation, saves, saving faith, sight, soul, Thomas, transplant, unseen, unseen love, Your Best Life Now
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“The Children of God” (Deut.33:3 sermon)
Not everyone pictures a relationship with a Heavenly Father as being good. I just finished reading a biography of Charles Lindbergh, the first man to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. We aren’t as familiar with him today, but he was … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged affection, assurance, Bible, Bible Reading, Boompa, Charles Lindbergh, cherish, child, corporate worship, Deuteronomy 33:1-3, Deuteronomy 33:3, Ephesians 1:13, family of God, father, God, God is love, God the Father, good good Father, gospel, Great Commandment, He Will Hold Me Fast, held, Henry V, I John 4:8, Jeremiah 31:3, John 10:27-29, John 8:31, Keith & Krysten Getty, kept, love, love God, love letter, love of God, Luke 10 Mary and Martha, Luke 8:21, Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation, perseverance of the saints, prayer, Psalm 131:2, salvation, Shakespeare, singing, Son, we are in God's hands, weaned child, word of God, worship
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It’s Not Complicated
“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:40) It’s not complicated. God’s basic will for your life as a whole, and for every day, is actually fairly simple. In Matthew 22 Jesus said “the whole … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged God's will, Great Commandment, love, love God, love people, Matthew 22:40
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