Tag Archives: pastor

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: John 21:15-23 “Do You Love Me?”

Posted on 2023/05/20 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers & Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 21:15-23, “Do You Love Me?” for Sunday, May 28, 2023. (A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged agape, confession, cost of following Jesus, deacon, Do You Love Me?, feed My sheep, I Love Thee hymn, Jesus, John 21 Explore the Bible lesson, John 21 Sunday school lesson, John 21 Sunday school teacher help, John vs. Peter, Lifeway Explore the Bible John 21, love, pastor, Peter, phileo, potter and clay, repentance, Romans 9:20, service, sin, Sunday School teacher, You follow Me | 4 Comments

“A Body In Motion” (Ephesians 4:11-16 sermon)

Posted on 2021/03/22 by Shawn Thomas

Sir Isaac Newton, the English scientist, is famous, among other things, for the “laws of motion” he formulated in the 1600’s: among them being that a body at rest tends to remain at rest, and a body in motion tends … Continue reading →

Posted in Ministry, Sermons | Tagged balance of truth and love, Bill Russell Player coach, body in motion, body of Christ, Christlikeness, church, church activities, church discipline, church equipping ministry, church growth, Church ministry, deceivers in the church, each part, Ephesians 4:11-16, equip the saints, equipping, every joint, false prophets, First Baptist Church Angleton, Isaac Newton, it takes us all, maturity, ministry project, pastor, pastor as coach, pastor as equipper, pastor as example, pastor as player-coach, people of God, Rosaria Butterfield, speaking the truth in love, spiritual maturity, unity of the faith, whole body, working together, Your relationship with others must be as strong as your words | 1 Comment

“The Model Prayer: Kingdom Praying” (Matthew 6:10 sermon)

Posted on 2020/09/28 by Shawn Thomas

William Carey was a shoemaker who lived in England in the 1700’s, but his heart went out to the people groups all around the world who had never heard the gospel. Carey kept a map of the world on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermons, The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020) | Tagged Acts 13:1-3, Apostle Paul prayer, daily prayer time, daily quiet time, devotions, fasting, force, hold the ropes, how to pray, i Kings 17, II Corinthians 10:3-5, India prayer, intercessory prayer, John 18:36, Joshua project, kingdom, kingdom of God, Kingdom praying, Luke 10, missionary, missions, missions intercessor, model prayer, morning devotions, morning prayer time, Oklahoma Baptist Messenger, Oswald Chambers, outline for prayer, pastor, pray for your pastor, prayer, prayer greater work, prayer is the greater work, praying for missions, praying for the Kingdom, praying for the lost, priority of prayer, Romans 10:1, Romans 15:30, The Lord's Prayer, Thy Kingdom come, time with God, William Carey, worship, Your kingdom come | Leave a comment

“Humility In The Church” (I Peter 5:1-7 sermon)

Posted on 2020/01/06 by Shawn Thomas

On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 theological statements to the door of the Wittenburg church, and kicked off the Protestant Reformation. He called the church of God back to the authority of the word of God, and … Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 20:17, Acts 20:28, bishop, C.S. Lewis Screwtape Letters, Church ministry, elders, episkopos, forgiveness, George Friderick Handel, grace, humble, humble salvation, humble yourself, humble yourselves, humility, humility in the church, humility not thinking less of yourself, humility salvation, humility thinking of yourself less, I Peter 5:1-7 sermon, Lutheran name, Martin Luther, ministry, opinion, overseer, pastor, pastor example, pastor not lording, pastor pedestal, pastor pride, pastors, preference, pride, salvation, Shepherd, shepherds, Sunday School, Sunday School ministry, Sunday School teacher | 2 Comments

“A Living Hope” (I Peter 1:3 sermon)

Posted on 2019/04/22 by Shawn Thomas

(Preached at First Baptist Church, Angleton, TX Easter 2019) One of my privileges as a pastor over the last 35 years of ministry, has been to be able to hear the last words and testimonies of my church members who … Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Abraham Lincoln pardon, birth, But God, choice, church, David Koresh, David Koresh burial, Easter sermon, Edward Jenner, Ephesians 2:1, eternal life, faith, Gamaliel, God's mercy, hope, I Peter, I Peter 1:3, I Peter sermon, immunization, James Phipps, Jesus, Jesus Christ resurrection, John 3, just God, living hope, merciful God, mercy, new birth, pastor, Resurrection Day sermon, resurrection life, Romans 3:26, smallpox, smallpox vaccine, vaccine, you must be born again | Leave a comment

“The Goodness of God in the Midst of Affliction” (Psalm 119:65-72 sermon)

Posted on 2019/03/31 by Shawn Thomas

In February 2012, I stood to lead prayer meeting at the church in Louisiana I had pastored for 12 years, but the longer I stood the sicker I became. I had to leave during the prayer time and have my … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "Fall Apart" song, affliction, attributes of God, becoming like Christ, Christlikeness, cleansing, cocoon of a butterfly, confession, conformed to His image, dysautonomia, Ephesians 6, faith, faith testing, glory, God attributes, God goodnesss, God is good, God is good all the time, god is good and does good, God's purpose, good, grace, identification, II Corinthians 12:9, it is good for me that I was afflicted, John 17:3, knowing God, lessons, life, life purpose, Matthew 13 parable of the sower, maturity, minister, ministry, My grace is sufficient, pastor, pastor Shawn Thomas, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, POTS, prayers, priorities, Psalm 119 acrostic, Psalm 119:65-72, Psalm 119:67, purification, purpose for suffering, purpose for trials, purposes for affliction, Romans 8:28-29, Ronnie Rogers Trinity Baptist Norman, salvation, Shawn E. Thomas, sin, spiritual maturity, spiritual warfare, suffering, sword of the Spirit, test, teth, theodicy, theology, theology 101, thorn in the flesh, tob good, trials, word of God, You are good, You do good | 2 Comments

“A Pastor’s Farewell” (Acts 20 sermon)

Posted on 2019/01/28 by Shawn Thomas

Cheryl & I want to thank you for the last 4 years we have been allowed to serve at Pleasant Ridge. It is very difficult to say farewell to people with whom we’ve ministered and loved and been loved — … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Ministry, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged A Pastor's Farewell, Acts 20, Acts 20:21, Amy Grant Faith Walking People, asking Jesus into your heart, assurance, Baptist Faith & Message 2000, church, church family, church membership class, confidence, daily Bible reading, devotional time, devotions, doctrine, faith, false teachers, farewell, father, feelings, goodbye, gospel, II TImothy 1:12, intercessory prayer, legalism, ministry, Nominating Committee, Now I commend you to God, pastor, pastor elder overseer, pastor search committee, people, prayer, praying for children, praying for loved ones, quiet time, repentance, repentance and faith, salvation, service, sin, soul, trust, works salvation | 4 Comments

“The Household of God” (I Timothy sermon)

Posted on 2018/10/22 by Shawn Thomas

In our “Discovering The Ridge” class for those who are joining our church, I often tell the story of the group in our home town which was starting a new church, and for some time they met in the home … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 2, Acts 20:28, Acts 6, Apostle Paul testimony, C.S. Lewis, C.S. Lewis Athanasius quote, Christian bookstores, Christian music, church, church buildings, church handbook, church leadership, deacon, deacon qualifications, deacon servants, deacons, doctrine, doctrines of demons, ecclesiology, elder, evangelism, false teachers, gospel, grace, he did not move with the times, heaven, I Timothy, I Timothy 4, leadership, mercy, morning prayer, offices of the church, overseer, overseer pastor elder, pastor, pastor qualifications, salvation, test the spirits, the church, the gospel, witness | Leave a comment

“Jesus’ Warning Against False Religion” (Matthew 7:15-20 sermon)

Posted on 2017/11/06 by Shawn Thomas

Last Monday, WWOK tv in West Virginia reported a scam that has been going on in Kanawha Country, in which someone posing as a local deputy calls and demands a fine to be paid over the phone. The county said … Continue reading →

Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Matthew sermons, Sermons | Tagged 5 Solas, antichrist, Atlantic magazine, Baptist Faith & Message, Benny Hinn, celebrity Christianity, creative worship, creativity, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, disguise, doctrine, Eugene Peterson, faith, false prophets, false religion, false teachers, fruit, fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22, Grema Wormtongue, heresy, heretics, I John 4:1, II Corinthians 11:14, J.R.R. Tolkien, Litrugy of the Ordinary book, Lord of the Rings, Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, Matthew 24:11, Matthew 7:15-20 sermon, novelty, pastor, preaching, relevant, repentance, salvation, same-sex relationships, Satan, satellite churches, scams, sermons, Shepherd, teaching, theology, Tish Warren, video churches, worship, you will know them by their fruits | Leave a comment

The Height of Hypocrisy

Posted on 2017/09/05 by Shawn Thomas

“Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.” (John 18:28) Jesus had previously condemned … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged chuch attendance, deacon, deacon qualifications, employees, Great Commission, hypocrisy, I Timothy 3, inconsistency, John 18:28, legalism, Matthew 23:24, mercy, pastor, pastor qualifications, Pharisees, Roberts Rules of Order, strain out a gnat and swallow a camel, tithing | Leave a comment