Tag Archives: Mark Twain

Teacher’s Overview of Matthew 4:12-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson “Invitation,” for 12/14/25

Posted on 2025/12/06 by Shawn Thomas

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 Psalm 105, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson, “God’s Faithfulness” for July 20, 2025.

Posted on 2025/07/12 by Shawn Thomas

An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Psalm 105:1-11, 42-45 for Sunday, July 20, 2025, with the title, “God’s Faithfulness.” A video overview of this overview is available on YouTube … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged A Tramp Abroad, antinomianism, Charles Wesley, Christian liberty, Explore the Bible, faith, faithfulness, God, God remembered, God's Faithfulness, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Heidelberg Castle, Jesus, liberty to obey, Lifeway, Lord, Mark Twain, praise, praise the Lord, prayer, promise, Psalm 105, Psalm 105:1-11, seed of Abraham, Shawn E. Thomas, sing, singing, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson help, Sunday School lesson outline, Sunday school overview, trust, ways to praise God, We're Marching to Zion, Yahweh, YHWH | 5 Comments

“Deepening Your Spiritual Life Through the Psalms”

Posted on 2025/07/07 by Shawn Thomas

(Shared at Trinity Baptist Church, Norman, Sunday night, July 6, 2025) Many of you know that while I was serving at the First Baptist Church of Angleton, Texas, last August, my wife Cheryl experienced a devastating stroke which left her … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Home & Family Life, Psalms studies and messages, Sermons | Tagged Bible, C.S. Lewis, cathedral of Milan, Christian meditatiion, discipleship, Donald Whitney, God, God designed the human machine to run on Himself, God's glory, God's word, how to praise, how to pray, Jesus, Mark Twain, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, meditation and Psalms, Mere Christianity, model prayer, praise Psalms, prayer, Psalms, Psalms and God, Psalms and prayer, Psalms and singing, Psalms overview, scripture memory, Shawn Thomas, spiritual growth, Tim Keller on Psalms, types of Psalms | 2 Comments

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson of Luke 1:26-38, “Delivered From Sin” for 12/22/24

Posted on 2024/12/14 by Shawn Thomas

An overview for Sunday school workers who are teaching Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for Dec. 22, 2024, Luke 1:26-38, with the title “Delivered From Sin.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO One of … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged "Delivered From Sin", angel, angels, Ave Maria, betrothal, Bible, Bible definition of angel, charis, Christmas, Christmas Bible study, Christmas lesson, doula, Explore the Bible, Gabriel, good news, gospel, grace, Hail Mary, Hebrews 1:14, house of David, I Corinthians 6:19-20, I Timothy 2:5, icons, idolatry, Incidents of Travel in Egypt, Jesus, Jesus birth, Jesus Christ, John Lloyd Stephens, karis, Lifeway, Luke, Luke 1, Luke 1:26-38, Mariolatry, Mark Twain, Mary, Mary role model, Messiah, Michael and Gabriel, Old Testament prophecies of Jesus, one mediator, prophecy, servant, slave, The Annunciation, The Innocents Abroad, The Virgin Mary, veneration, virgin, Zacharias and Elizabeth, Zacharias vs Mary | 1 Comment

“The LORD in His Holy Temple” (Habakkuk 2:12-20 sermon)

Posted on 2023/11/13 by Shawn Thomas

Virtually everyone in our country knows George Washington, our first, and one of our greatest presidents of the United States. Washington had a very charismatic demeanor about him. Men who were fleeing in battle would suddenly turn around and face … Continue reading →

Posted in Habakkuk "Find Us Faithful" series messages, Sermons | Tagged A.W. Tozer Knowledge of the Holy, America slavery judgment, awe, be still and know, Bible Reading, business ethics, business practices, Chris Moore Texas Port Ministry, daily devotions, daily prayer, David McCullough John Adams, devotions, ethics, General George Marshall, George Washington Ron Chernow, God holy, God's judgment, Habakkuk, Habakkuk 2, Habakkuk sermon, He walks with me and talks with me, hush, I AM, idol worship, idolatry, idols, In The Garden, John the Baptist repent, judgment, levity in worship, love, loving people, Mark Twain, morning prayer, Revelation 1 Jesus, reverence in worship, sin, slavery, The Great I AM, The Innocents Abroad, The Lord is in His holy temple, Thomas Jefferson, using people, woe, Yahweh, YHWH | Leave a comment

“Come Away & Rest” (Mark 6:30-31 sermon)

Posted on 2023/07/10 by Shawn Thomas

In the 1860’s, Mark Twain took a steamboat tour of Europe and the Holy Land. In his book, The Innocents Abroad, one of my favorite books, Twain wrote about his stop in Rome: “Afterward we walked up and down one … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons | Tagged busy-ness, daily Bible reading, daily quiet time, day off, devotion time, Ephesians 2:8-9, eternal rest, Eugene Peterson, faith, grace, Innocents Abroad, Jehovah's Witness, Jesus rest, Mark 1:35, Mark Twain, Mark Twain Innocents Abroad, minister day off, ministry, ministry rest, prayer, prayer time, rest, rest in peace, Romans 10:2, Sabbath, sabbath rest, sabbatical, salvation, vacation, work, work a holic, work-a-holic | 1 Comment

“The Church That Was Tested” (Revelation 2:8-11 sermon)

Posted on 2023/05/08 by Shawn Thomas

Some of you know that in 2012 I went through an illness that put me out of the ministry for two years. I lost my job, my income, we had to sell our home, and many of our possessions. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Revelation sermon series | Tagged abortion, be faithful, Bible, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Churches of Revelation 2-3, doctrine, don't give up, faithful, faithfulness, false religion, hate crimes, homosexuality, it was good for me that I was afflicted, Jesus only way, Jesus Satan brothers, Jonathan Edwards, Letter to Smyrna, Life on the Mississippi, Mark Twain, Mormon Church, Nik Ripken, perseverance, POTS, poverty, Psalm 119, Reproductive Freedom Church, revelation, Revelation 2:8-11, Revelation sermon, Revelation Smyrna, RFC, Rich Man and Lazarus, ten days, testing, testing limits, tests, The African Queen, tribulation | 2 Comments

“The Substitutionary Atonement” (I Peter 2:24 sermon)

Posted on 2019/09/09 by Shawn Thomas

In 2018, an ISIS terrorist took a young woman hostage in southern France, threatening to kill her. In a bold move, a police officer, Lt. Col. Arnaud Beltrame, offered to take the place of the young woman. The terrorist let … Continue reading →

Posted in Doctrine/Theology, I Peter sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged ask Jesus into your heart, atonement, Becky Thatcher, capital punishment, change, Christ crucified, Christianity, cross, cross of Christ, die to sin, doctrine, Elizabeth Nel, evangelism, Exodus 13 lamb, forgiveness, good works, I Peter 2:24, I Peter 2:24 sermon, Isaiah 53, ISIS, It is finished, It Is Well, Leviticus 14, life change, Lt. Col. Arnaud Beltrame, Mark Twain, Old Testament, on the cross, paid in full, repentance, sacrifice, salvation, sanctification, sin, substitute, substitutionary atonement, tetelestai, the cross, the word of the cross, theology, Tom Sawyer, transformation, Winston Churchill, witness, witnessing, works | 2 Comments

“Red Letters”

Posted on 2019/04/15 by Shawn Thomas

I recently watched David Crowder’s testimony about writing the popular song, “Red Letters.” He said when he was a little boy, he was sitting in a church service with his grandmother, and he was fiddling with the envelopes or whatever … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged blood of Jesus, David Crowder, Jesus, Jesus death, Life on the Mississippi, Louis Klposch, Luke 22:20, Mark Twain, red letter Bible, Red Letters, Red Letters song, Romans 3:23, salvation, steamboat accident, substitutionary atonement, What can wash away my sin? | 1 Comment

“Pursuing Holiness” (Hebrews 12:14 sermon)

Posted on 2019/03/24 by Shawn Thomas

The old Puritans of England in the 1500-1600’s have gotten what J.I. Packer calls “a bad rap.” Usually if someone calls a person a “Puritan”, or says that something is “Puritanical”, they mean it as an insult: that the person … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged applying scripture, Arthur Bennett, beatific vision, cathedral of Milan, conviction, daily quiet time, desire for holiness, forgiveness, Hebrews 12:14, holiness, holy, holy holy holy, I John 1:9, I John 2:3, I John 3:2, I John 3:3, If I do not walk holily, II Corinthians 5:17, II Timothy 3:16, Innocents Abroad, Isaiah 6, J.I. Packer, Javert, Les Miserables, Mark Twain, Matthew 5:8, morning devotions, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 17:15, Puritans, pursuit of holiness, repentance, sanctification, Seeing God, sin, sinners prayer, Stars song Les Miserables, U-turn, Valley of Vision book, Victor Hugo | 1 Comment