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 Preview of Matthew 10:16-20, 26-34, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for 2/01/26, "Loyalty Tested"
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 9:10-19, 23-26, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson "Mercy Extended" for 1/25/26
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" (John 3:16 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 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 trips
Teacher’s Preview of Matthew 10:16-20, 26-34, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for 2/01/26, “Loyalty Tested”
A preview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson of Matthew 10 for February 1, 2026. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Loyalty Tested", application, baptism, baptism as profession, Bible, Bible study, bible study help, Commission, confess Jesus, confession, discussion questions, Don Lemon CNN Minneapolis church, evangelism, Explore the Bible, fear, fear not, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, God, gospel, group discussion, hair on head numbered, Holy Spirit, I came to bring a sword, illustration, importance of baptism, Islam, Islam or the sword, Jesus, Jon Meacham Destiny and Power, lesson outline, Lifeway, Matthew, Matthew 10, Matthew 10:16-20 26-34, mission, mission trips, NAMB, NAMB church plant, persecution, profession of faith, public profession, Shawn Thomas, shawnethomas, sparrows, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school outline, William Manchester Winston Churchill, witness, witness in persecution, Your Father
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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
“God’s Providence in America” (Sunday, July 4, 2021)
For the last several years, I have made a personal “tradition” of reading David McCullough’s book, 1776 on the 4th of July. (Hey, you choose your holiday fun and I’ll choose mine!) The book is a marvelous retelling of that … Continue reading
Posted in History, Sermons
Tagged "the outcome seemed little short of a miracle", 4th of July sermon, abortion, America, America God's chosen people, David McCullough 1776, Genesis 22, George Washington, God will "see to", God will provide, God's providence in America, I Timothy 2 pray for authorities, II Chronicles 7:14, immorality, Independence Day sermon, Isaiah 46, Lottie Moon, Lottie Moon offering, miracle vs. providence, mission trips, missions, perversion, providence, Providence of God, Psalm 103:19, Psalm 67, Romans 8:28, slavery, Southern Baptist missions
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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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Missions in the Context of Worship
Acts 13:2 “Missions in the Context of Worship” Last year, at our Saturday evening missions banquet, one of our visiting missionaries spoke of the trials of serving overseas. Many of our hearts were touched as she shared about how they … Continue reading