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.
-
Top Posts & Pages
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 25:31-46, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson "Active Faith" for May 17, 2026
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 24:36-51, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Alert" for May 10, 2026
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Church With An Open Door" (Revelation 3:7-13 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 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: love your neighbor
Teacher’s Overview of Matthew 22:15-22, 34-40, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson, “Honor” for 5/03/26
For teachers of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Matthew 22 for May 3, 2026. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications you … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged application, Bible study, California COVID crisis 2020, California worship restrictions 2020 COVID, church and state, commandments, denarius, discussion questions, Explore the Bible, flattery, God, government overreach, Great Commandment, greatest commandment, Herodians, I'm good for love, illustrations, Jesus, lesson preview, Lifeway, love, love the LORD your God, love your neighbor, Mark Twain Innocents Abroad, Passion Week, Pharisees, render to Caesar, Romans 13 submission to government, Ronald Reagan age an issue, Shawn E. Thomas, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, Tiberius Caesar, trap of flattery, What is the greatest commandment?
5 Comments
“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
Leave a comment
Shut Up By The Scriptures
“But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” (Galatians 3:22) Paul teaches us here that one of the purposes of scripture is to … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged conviction, Galatians 3:22, Golden Rule, Holy Spirit, love your neighbor, Romans 11:32, salvation, scriptures, shut up
1 Comment
shawnethomas 