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 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: mission
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Exodus 2:23-25, 3:7-15, “Seen & Heard” for 12/01/24
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Exodus 2 & for December 1, 2024 with the title, “Seen & Heard.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Colossians 1:13, Egypt, Exodus, Explore the Bible, God, God cares, God's promise, gospel, Hagar, I AM, Israel, Jehovah, Jesus, lesson help, Lifeway, love, mission, Moses, name of God, Psalm 139, salvation, Shawn E. Thomas, shawnethomas.com, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher outline, tetragrammaton, Thom Rainer, Unexpected Journey, Yahweh
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Teacher’s Overview of Acts 18:1-11, 18-21, Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson “Together” for Oct. 20, 2024
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 18:1-11, 18-21 for Sunday, October 20, 2024, with the title, “Together.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Acts, Acts 18:1-11, Acts 1:8, Aquila and Priscilla, assurance, Betty Rogers, bi-vocational pastor, Bible study, bivocational ministry, Cheryl Thomas, Corinth, couples ministry, discipleship, Explore the Bible, Ezekiel 3:17-19, Greece, if the Lord wills, illustrations, lesson help, lesson outline, lesson overview, Lifeway, Lord willing, map, Matthew 7:6, Michael Thomas, ministry, mission, music, part-time ministry, Paul and Silas, Paul's Second Missionary Journey, Priscilla and Aquila, rehab, sin city, stroke, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, teaching outline, tentmaker, Unreal City, Unreal City song cycle, Will Rogers
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“Suffering Servant/Glorious King: Exalted!” (Isaiah 53:12 sermon)
In 1927, Charles Lindbergh made the first-ever trans-Atlantic flight, taking off from the United States, and landing in Paris, France. It was a huge event in the history of mankind, and it was celebrated all over the world. After he … Continue reading
Posted in Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King
Tagged atonement, C.S. Lewis, Charles Lindbergh, Christian persecution, church, Civil War Story, daily Gethsemane, Easter, Easter sermon, evangelism, example, Gethsemane, glory, heaven, hoi polloi, imitation, iron man triathlon, Isaiah, Isaiah 53, Jesus, Jesus Paid It All, John F. Kennedy, Jonah sign, kenosis, let it wave high it is our glory, ministry, mission, Old Glory, Philippians 2, propitiation, resurrection, reward, Romans 1:4, salvation, service, sign, suffering, Suffering Servant, witness
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Teacher’s Overview of Genesis 19:12-26, Lifeway “Explore the Bible lesson “Purged”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 19:12-26, with the title, “Purged,” for Sunday, February 25, 2024. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Abraham, better than I deserve, Dave Ramsey, evangelism, Explore the Bible, fire and brimstone, Genesis, Genesis 19:12-26, grace, Hebrews 12:25, hell, hurricane, intercessory prayer, Isaac's Storm, John Bunyan, Jude 1:7, judgment, lesson outline, Lifeway, lot, ministry, mission, Pearl Harbor, Pilgrim's Progress, prayer, prayer for the lost, presumptuous sins, Purged, Sodom, Sodom and Gomorrah, Sunday school lesson, warning, witness
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: Mark 7:24-37, “Includes”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Mark 7:24-37 with the title “Includes,” for Sunday, October 1, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
“The Church With An Open Door” (Revelation 3:7-13 sermon)
When Cheryl & I first began dating, she had been on “Cloud 9” for weeks. She had told everyone at her job at Jack’s Service Company in Oklahoma City about this great guy she was now with. They all said they … Continue reading
Posted in Revelation sermon series, Sermons
Tagged Acts 16 Macedonia, atheism, Caesar is Lord, church at Philadelphia, church open door, Church With An Open Door, closed doors open doors, evangelism, faithful, faithfulness, gospel, Jeremiah 1, Jesus, Jesus is Lord, Jesus to the churches, Lord of the open door, ministry, mission, Open Door, opportunity, peer pressure, people of the open door, persecution, philadelphia, pressure, rainbow, Revelation 3:7-13, Revelation 3:7-13 sermon
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Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: John 20:19-29, “Reach Out Your Hand”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible Study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 20:19-29 for Sunday, May 21, 2023 with the title, “Reach Out Your Hand.” A video version of this overview is available … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "doubting Thomas" Sunday school lesson, apostle Thomas, as the Father sent Me, Babylon Bee Gospel with minimal effort, Babylon Bee satire, Caesar is Lord, deity of Jesus, Ephesians 2:14-15, Esther Edwards peace, Explore the Bible teacher help John 20:19-29, Great Commission, I Corinthians 12:3, Incarnation, incarnational mission, Jesus, Jesus is Lord, Jesus resurrection Sunday school lesson, John 1:1, John 20:19-29, John 20:19-29 Sunday school lesson, Jonathan Edwards George Marsden, kurios Lord, Lifeway Explore the Bible John 20:19-29, mission, missionary, My Lord and My God, peace, peace in your heart, Peace to you, peace with God, peace with others, personal commitment, Philippians 2:11, Philippians 4:7, receive the Holy Spirit, resurrection, Romans 5:1, so send I you, Sunday school lesson help John 20:19-29, Sunday school teacher help John 20:19-29, Texas Port Ministry
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