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 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
- 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: marriage
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 Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 37, “Dreamer” for April 28, 2024.
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 37:5-8, 18-28, for Sunday, April. 28, 2024 with the title, “Dreamer.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged 10 Commandments, 5 Love Languages, church, church conflict, Dreamer, Explore the Bible, family, family conflict, Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman, Genesis 37, God's providence, God's sovereignty, gospel, grace, hagiography, His Very Best, I John 1:8, Israel, Jacob, jealousy, Jimmy Carter, Job, Jonathan Alter, Joseph, Joseph's brothers, lesson overview, Lifeway, marriage, Messiah, problem, providence, responsibility of man, salvation, sin, sovereignty, Sunday School teacher, workplace confict
Leave a comment
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 3:1-7, 21-24 “The First Sin”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 3:1-7, 21-24, “The First Sin,” for Sunday, December 17, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "The First Sin", Adam and Eve, as God now is man shall become, as man now is God once was, Bible, consequences of sin, do not love the world, Explore the Bible, first sin, Genesis, Genesis 3:1-7, Genesis Bible study, Genesis Sunday school lesson, God's word, has God said?, I John 2:15-17, James Dobson, John Milton, Lifeway, lust, lust of the flesh lust of the eyes boastful pride of life, marriage, Mormonism, Paradise Lost, protevangelium, R.C. Sproul, repentance, Revelation 12:9, salvation, Satan, Satan's schemes, serpent, sin, sin is cosmic treason, Sunday school help, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, temptation, The First Gospel, The Garden of Eden
6 Comments
Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: Jeremiah 2:1-13 “Judges”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” series lesson of Jeremiah 2:1-13 for Sunday, June 11, 2023, with the title “Judges.” (A video version of this overview is available on YouTube … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Babe Ruth trade, cistern, Explore the Bible, Jeremiah 2 "Judges", Jeremiah 2:1-13, John Calvin idol factory, left first love, Lifeway Explore the Bible, lost your first love, love, marriage, Revelation 2:4, Sunday school lesson Jeremiah 2, Sunday school teacher help Jeremiah 2, trade
7 Comments
“I John’s Tests of Your Salvation”
Last week Cheryl & I went to the anniversary celebration at Challenger Aviation, Mike Challenger’s aviation business at Hobby Airport. Mike’s wife Mikelle’s dad is on staff at Sagemont Baptist in Houston, and we really enjoyed visiting with him and … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Doctrine/Theology, Sermons
Tagged agape love, assurance of salvation, can I know I am saved, Challenger Aviation, Christian, Christian doctrine, Christian love, Christianity and homosexuality, commandments obedience, conviction, conviction of sin Holy Spirit, David McCullough Wright Brothers, doctrine, forgiveness, fruit of the Spirit, fully God fully man, Hadrian Aristides love one another, holiness, Holy Spirit, how to be saved, how to know I am saved, I John 4:6, I John 4:7-8, I John 5:13, I John assurance of salvation, I John sermon, I John test of salvation, Jesus Deity, Jesus humanity, John 16:8, keep His commandments, Ken Keithley quote indifference, lay down life love, love, love in marriage, love one another, marks of salvation, marriage, obedience, Oberkfell decision, righteousness, Romans 8:15-16, sacrificial love, salvation, sanctification, signs of salvation, sin, test of Holy Spirit
1 Comment
“Gratitude: Your First Step Towards God” (Romans 1:21 sermon)
When John F. Kennedy was president, he was at a dinner one evening when an assistant defense secretary’s wife told him that every night when her husband comes home, she says to him: “How can they say those things about … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Adam and Eve ingratitude, church, Colossians 3:17, creation, daily devotions, Dallek Camelot's Court, Einstein and God, family, forgiveness, giving thanks, gratefulness, gratitude, how to pray, I Corinthians 6:9-11, I Thessalonians 5:18, ingratitude, John F. Kennedy, leper Count Your Many Blessings, marriage, negativity, practicing thanksgiving, prayer, Psalm 136:1, Psalm 95:2, quiet time, relationships, Romans 1:21, salvation, sin, steps to God, thanking God, thanks, Thanksgiving, thanksgiving prayers
1 Comment
“Walking in the Fear of the Lord” (Proverbs sermon)
As we started reading the Book of Proverbs in our daily Bible readings this week, one of the first verses we came across was 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,” a famous verse in this … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Book of Proverbs, business principles, Cary Grant buttons, Cary Grant Nancy Nelson, definition of angel Hebrews 1:14, Edward Dolnick Clockwork Universe, family, fear of God, fear of the Lord, finances, in all your ways acknowledge Him, Isaac Newton God foundation of knowledge, Jesus Christ salvation, Joseph temptation Genesis 39, marriage, parenting, proverbs, Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs business, Proverbs relationships, purpose of Proverbs, The fear of the Lord, Thomas Hardy Under The Greenwood Tree, walking in the fear of the Lord
1 Comment
shawnethomas 