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 13:24-30, 36-43, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Judgment Coming," for 2/22/26.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 12:1-14, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Rejecting Legalism," for 2/15/26.
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 11:1-6, 16-24, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Confronting Doubts, for 2/08/26
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- Joshua 3:5 Sermon: "Preparing For God To Work"
- Lifeway "Explore the Bible" Jonah 1:15-2:10 "No Escape"
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: ministry
“The King & The Disciples” (Matthew 5:1-2 sermon)
I have never in my lifetime seen the kind of vindictiveness expressed towards a president as we have seen evidenced towards President Trump: the hatred, lack of submission, people saying “He’s not my President”, etc. I was not a big … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged 30 minute church service, Beatitudes, Bible, Bible Reading, Bible study, Chuck Quarles, Cliff Jenkins, commitment, consumer church, consumer mentality, convenience, crowds, daily bread, daily walk, Deuteronomy 8:3, devotional time, disciples, discipleship, entertainment, family, follow Me, following Jesus, God's will, God's word as food, Golden Calf, honey, Isaiah 53:6, Jesus, king, King Saul, Matthew 10:37, Matthew 4:4, Matthew 5:1-2, meat, milk, ministry, mission partnership, missions, Moses, Mount of the Beatitudes, Mt. Sinai, Pandering, persecution, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh mission churches, popularity, prayer, priorities, Psalm 119:103, quiet time, salvation, scripture, SEBTS, Sermon on the Mount, service, solid food, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, success, truth, walk with God
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“Reaching, Teaching, Caring: Following the Footsteps of Jesus” (Matthew 4:23 sermon)
The yellow footprints you see are scattered all over our Marine Corps Recruit Depots in San Diego and in Parris Island. In the early stages of a Marine recruit’s time at the training base, these footprints show the young Recruits … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Matthew sermons, Ministry, Uncategorized
Tagged "reaching, caring, Church ministry, CT Stuff, discipleship, evangelism, Jesus example, Matthew 4:23 sermon, ministry, ministry model, mission statement, Only one life, Reaching Teaching Caring, Sunday School, teaching, vision statement, worship
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Jesus’ Word & Salvation
“As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him.” (John 8:30) The Bible tells us that when Jesus spoke the words He did in John 8, that “many came to believe in Him.” Sure, there was controversy, as … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Ministry, Uncategorized
Tagged Bible, Ephesians 6:17, evangelism, God's word, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John 8:30, ministry, preaching, Romans 10:17, salvation, scripture, teaching, word, word of God
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Passing On What Was Delivered To Us (Lord’s Supper Message, I Corinthians 11:23-26)
Several years ago there was a couple who was driving on a remote stretch of highway in Florida, where there had been a number of crimes committed in recent days. Unfortunately the couple had car trouble and got stranded, and … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged communion, evangelism, forgiveness, giving, I Corinthians 11:23-26, Lord's Supper, ministry, teaching, tradition
3 Comments
The Friend of the Bridegroom
“He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full.” (John 3:29) John the Baptist … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged discipleship, friend of God, John 3:29, ministry, selflessness
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The Source Of Ministerial Success
“A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.” (John 1:27) John the Baptist set forth a general principle here which applies in every area of life. We receive nothing that does not come from God … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged church, gifts, humility, II TImothy 2:21, James 1:17, jealousy, John 1:27, minister, ministry, pastor, providence, Romans 9:16, service, success
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Your Most Important Duty In The Church
“The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth;” (II John 1) The second and third epistles of John are generally much less appreciated and referenced than the first. Although I John is a penetrating … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged church, elder, II John 1, John, love, minister, ministry, responsibility, service
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Feed The Sheep, Not The Goats
“We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (I John 4:5-6) It is … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged church, compromise, I John 4:5-6, ministry, preaching, teaching, worldliness
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Radical Love For Some “ONE”
“What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying?” (Matthew 18:12) Here … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged evangelism, Galatians 2:20, love, love the one, Matthew 18:12, ministry
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“YOU give them something to eat!”
“But Jesus said to them, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’” (Matthew 14:16) Although the gathering of the multitude before Jesus that day was unusual in a sense, in another way it is … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged compassion, concern, excuses, love, Matthew 14:16, ministry, responsibility
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