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: parenting
Teacher’s Overview of Genesis 35:1-15, “Renewed” Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson for April 21, 2024
An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders of Genesis 35:1-15, Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for Sunday April 21, 2024, with the title, “Renewed.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: Another title … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Bethel, blessing, blessings, C.S. Lewis, children, consecration, Explore the Bible, false gods, father, Genesis, Genesis 35:1-15, God, gods, good, head of household, holiness, idols, instant obedience, internet, Israel, Jacob, Jim Eliot, John Kenneth Galbraith, LBJ, Lifeway, Luke 6:46, Lyndon Johnson, matriarch, name Israel, obedience, obey, one good God, parenting, patriarch, peace, revival, safety, Shechem, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, teraphim, There is but one good, vow to the Lord, vows, Why do you call Me Lord
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“The Church That Looked Better Than It Really Was” (Revelation 3:1-6 sermon)
In 2010, Cheryl & our youngest son Michael & I visited England, and one the top things on my list to see was the Metropolitan Tabernacle Church in London: once the “megachurch” of the 1800s, where Charles Spurgeon, perhaps the … Continue reading
Posted in Revelation sermon series
Tagged appearance, church, Church at Sardis, clean room, deeds, faithful, FBC Angleton, finish, First Baptist Church Angleton, Florence Nightengale, God omniscience, happiness, happy in heaven, heaven, Henry Stanley, Henry Stanley happy Denzil, hypocrites, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the reward, Jesus knows, Jesus reward, Jim Gasso, Letters to the churches in Revelation, Matthew 23:27, Metropolitan Tabernacle London, Ministry Safe training, not found deeds completed, outward appearance, parenting, Psalm 16:11, quit before finish, reputation, reputation greater than reality, revelation, Revelation 3:1-6, reward, Sardis, Spurgeon's Tabernacle, works
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“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
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“In The Place of God” (Genesis 30:2 sermon)
Our first year here in Angleton I was driving to Webster, and not long after I turned off of 35, to my right, I saw some Buddhist statues! Not really what I expected to see here in south Texas — … Continue reading
Posted in Home & Family Life, Sermons
Tagged Alexander Graham Bell only child, Am I in the place of God?, C.S. Lewis God invented us, children, Destiny of the Republic Candice Millard, family, first commandment, Genesis 30:2 sermon, gospel, government, guard yourselves from idols, home, I John 5:21, idolatry, James A. Garfield marriage, John Calvin human heart idol factory, marriage, money, no other gods, other gods, parenting, Ruth Graham marriage advice, salvation, Second Commandment, sports, The Clockwork Universe Edward Dolnick, wealth
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The Power of an Example
“Having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat. All of them were encouraged and they themselves also took food.” (Acts 27:35-36) This may not … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged Acts 27:35-36, disciple, discipleship, example, ministers, parenting, pastors, teachers, teaching
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When It’s Time To “Change Your Tone”
“But I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.” (Galatians 4:20) Everyone in a position of authority or leadership has experienced times when they had to “change their … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged admonition, change your tone, Galatians 4:20, leadership, parenting, rebuke, tone, warning
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“A Ruler, Who Will Shepherd”
When King Herod asked the chief priests and scribes where the Christ was to be born, they quoted Micah 5:2 to him: “And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged authority, I Peter 5:1-3, leader, leadership, Matthew 2:6, parenting, pastoring, Psalm 2, ruler, shepherding
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A Crucial Word For Parents
They don’t include any kind of “instruction manual” for raising your child when they send you home from the hospital with your baby. Thankfully, God’s word gives parents the instructions they need, in places like Proverbs 22:15, which reads: “Foolishness … Continue reading
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