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 7:15-29, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Authority Acknowledged," for 1/11/26.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 6:19-34, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Treasure," for 1/04/2026
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "Three Christian Attitudes" (Philippians 3:12-15 sermon)
- "The Discipline of Fasting" (Ezra 8:21 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: poor in spirit
It’s Not The Place, But The Heart
God opens the majestic concluding chapter of the Book of Isaiah by proclaiming: “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me?” In other words, we human beings cannot … Continue reading
“The Disciple’s Character: Spiritual Dependence” (Matthew 5:3 sermon)
Several years ago I read the testimony of a Hollywood celebrity who had struggled for years with drinking. But they kept denying that they really had a problem. They said the breakthrough came when they got to their lowest point, … Continue reading
Posted in "The Disciple's Character" series (Beatitudes Mt. 5:3-12), Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Beatitudes, character, character of Christ, humility, I need help, Matthew 5:3, Matthew 5:3 sermon, Pharisee and publican, poor in spirit, prayer, purpose for trials, Romans 8:28-29, salvation, self-righteousness, sin, spiritual dependence, spiritual poverty, three most important words, trials
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“Who Is Adequate For These Things?”
“and who is adequate for these things?” (II Corinthians 2:16) Anyone who has ever taken their Christian ministry seriously can identify with the words of the Apostle Paul in this verse. Here Paul just exclaims about the gravity of the … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Ministry, Uncategorized
Tagged dependence, humility, II Corinthians 2:16, James 4:6, ministry, poor in spirit
1 Comment
The Basic Christian Message
David’s prayer in Psalm 25:16 is a little gospel in miniature: “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” At least two elements in this verse are significant: what he realizes about himself, and … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged gospel, poor in spirit, Psalm 25:16, religion, salvation
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Am I God?
In II Kings 5 the king of Aram, having heard of the prophet Elisha, sent his leprous general Naaman to the king of Israel so that he might be cured of his leprosy. We find the king’s response in verse … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged dependence, humility, II Kings 5:7, Matthew 5:3, poor in spirit, salvation
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Inquire of the Lord First!
As I Samuel 23 opens, David is told that the Philistines are attacking and plundering Keilah. Verse 2 says, “So David inquired of the Lord, saying, ‘Shall I go and attack the Philistines?’” It is of note here that David … Continue reading
But As For Me …
Psalm 73:1-2a opens: “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me …”. He (Asaph here) recognized God’s goodness to His people (“Israel”) in general, and to the “pure in heart” especially. … Continue reading
Destructive Self-Confidence (G.K. Chesterton story)
“Once I remember walking with a prosperous publisher, who made a remark which I had often heard before; it is, indeed, almost a motto of the modern world. Yet I had heard it once too often, and I saw suddenly … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Sermon Illustrations
Tagged G.K. Chesterton, humility, Matthew 5:3, Orthodoxy, poor in spirit, self-confidence
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shawnethomas 