A Southern Baptist pastor for almost 35 years, I currently serve as Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Angleton, Texas, and post my weekly sermons on this site, as well as a brief overview for Sunday School teachers of the weekly Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson.
Tag Archives: Mark Twain
“The Church That Was Tested” (Revelation 2:8-11 sermon)
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
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“The Substitutionary Atonement” (I Peter 2:24 sermon)
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
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“Red Letters”
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?
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“The Gift That Is An Insult” (I Kings 9:10-14)
In “Henry V”, one of my very favorite plays or movies, Shakespeare tells of how when King Henry V of England was considering invading France, the French ambassador came to him with a “treasure,” saying that the Dauphin (or Prince … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged alabaster vial, cabul, commitment, corporate worship, dedication, discipleship, Endor, Galilee, Genesis 4, gift, gifts, giving, hard work, Hebrews 11:16, Henry V, I Kings 9:10-14, II Samuel 23, James 1:17, Jerusalem, King Hiram, Magdala, Malachi 1, Mark Twain, marriage, mission trips, missions, palace, personal worship, President John F. Kennedy, sacrifice, Shakespeare, Solomon, Sunday School, Temple, The Innocents Abroad, Tiberias, tithe, we choose to go to the moon, widow's mite, work, worship
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“What Jesus Came To Do For You” (I Peter 3:18 sermon)
For the last several years, the social media platform “Twitter” has been gaining in popularity over “Facebook,” although the two are very different. One of the interesting things to see on Twitter is the biography that each person uses to … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Al Mohler, Augustine, Bill Elliff, Christ, Confessions Augustine, cross, death on the cross, face of God, gospel, health and wealth gospel, His presence, I Corinthians 15:1-3, I Peter 2:24, I Peter 3:18 sermon, Isaiah 59:2, It is finished, Jesus, John 19:30, just for the unjust, love of God, Mark Twain, Mark Vroegop, North Greenville University, prosperity gospel, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8, Ronnie Rogers, sacrifice, salvation, sin, sinners, steamboat pilot dies, tetelestai, the cross, Twitter
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“Come Away … And Rest” (Mark 6:30-32 sermon)
In the 1860’s, Mark Twain took a steamboat tour of Europe and the Holy Land, during which he visited Rome. He wrote about his experience there: “Afterward we walked up and down one of the most popular streets for some … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Sermons
Tagged 4th Commandment, balance, break, busy-ness, Christian life, cruise, daily Bible reading, day off, Ephesians 2:8-9, exercise, getaway, Hebrews 4, Mark 1:35, Mark 6:30-32, Mark Twain, prayer time, rest, rest in Jesus, rest in Me, rest in peace, retreat, Revelation 14:11, Revelation 14:13, Sabbath, sabbath rest, salvation, The Innocents Abroad, trust, vacation, work
4 Comments
Illustrations from Mark Twain’s The Innocents Abroad
Not long after the Civil War, Mark Twain joined a steamship tour of Europe and the Holy Land. His entertaining book, The Innocents Abroad, chronicles the journey in a way only Twain could. Punctuated liberally with sarcasm and irony, the … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews, Sermon Illustrations
Tagged atonement, Bible prophecy, Death, Ephesus, Holy Land, Jesus, Mark Twain, materialism, rest, Sabbath, salvation, sermon illustrations, sin, the cross, The Innocents Abroad
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The Top Shelf: Books I’ve Read More Than Once
When it came time to sell our home in Louisiana and move to a condo less than half its size in Oklahoma, we had to do some dramatic downsizing! One of the most difficult items to tackle was our book … Continue reading
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