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
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- 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
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- missions
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- Philippians sermons
- POTS (dysautonomia) articles
- Psalms studies and messages
- Revelation sermon series
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- The Model Prayer Series
- The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020)
- This Week In Paradise (pastors family blog)
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- Uncategorized
- worship
Tag Archives: power
“No Spirit of Fear” (II Timothy 1:7 sermon/Hurricane Beryl, July 7, 2024)
In March 2020 about a dozen or so of our church members went on a mission trip to Mazatlan, Mexico, to minister with what is now James Trail ministry, with Dan & Meredith Shuman. It was a good trip, but … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged A Leopard Tamed, assurance, be not afraid, Bible, Christianity, confidence, COVID, COVID sermon, Death, discipline, Eleanor Vandevort, faith, fear, fear not, fruit of the Spirit, God, how to be saved, hurricane, hurricane Beryl, hurricane prep, II Timothy 1:7, In Christ Alone, Jesus, Kim Eaves, London Plague, love, Martin Luther plague, ministry, missionary, no fear, no fear in death, no guilt in life no fear in death, panic, power, Puritans, salvation, sermon, sound mind, Sudan, testimony, The Black Death
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“The Hand Inside The Glove” (Philippians 2:12-15 sermon)
This is a nice golf glove. But it is very limited. It really can’t do much by itself, can it? It can’t swing a club. Really, it can’t do anything, can it?! But this glove belongs to somebody. It belongs … Continue reading
Posted in Philippians sermons, Sermons
Tagged church, complaining, do all things without grumbling or disputing, Ephesians 1:13, examine yourself, God will in you, God work in you, golf, grumbling in church, Holy Spirit, I Corinthians 12:3, II Corinthians 12:5, indwelling Holy Spirit, Mark Twain Innocent Abroad, Philippians 2:12-15, power, Romand 8:9, salvation, spirit filled living, test yourself, the hand inside the glove, will and work in you
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“The Hope” (Easter Sermon 2018)
A young man came into our church in Oklahoma City one Sunday morning, and he was in despair. His marriage, and really his whole life, had fallen apart, and he came to church in despair for help, and he said … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Acts 20:21, Acts 26, Acts 26:19-23, deeds of repentance, despair, Easter, Easter sermon, Ephesians 1 resurrection power, eternal life, hope, I Corinthians 6:9-10, Isaiah 53, Jesus resurrection, John Merrill football coach, power, promise, repent, repentance, repentance and faith, repenters, repenters and Christians, resurrection, Romania, sin, Stefan Berci, Tim Keller
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“The Spirit We Need” (Matthew 3:11 message)
One day last week, a woman posted a comment on my blog on the internet. She wrote: “Shawn, I was looking at your work “being poured out as a drink offering”. I am a Christian who have received the baptism … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged baptism in the Holy Spirit, baptism in the spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 5:18, gifts of the Spirit, God the Holy Spirit, healing, holiness, Holy Spirit, I Corinthians 12:13, I Corinthians 12:7, I Corinthians 6:19, II Corinthians 13:5, John 14:16-17, Joni Earickson Tada cancer testimony, Matthew 3:11 sermon, power, power of the Holy Spirit, Romans 8:9, salvation, speaking in tongues, Spirit of Christ, Spirit of God, spiritual gifts
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“With A Word”
“… and He cast out the spirits with a word.” (Matthew 8:16) It is obviously significant that the scripture indicates here that it was “with a word” that Jesus cast the demons out. It didn’t take an elaborate ritual, or … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged faith, Jesus, Matthew 8:16, power, prayer
2 Comments
Prayer + Purity = Power
In II Corinthians 4:7, the Apostle Paul speaks of “the surpassing greatness of the power” that is in the life of a Christian, even though in and of themselves they are merely an “earthen vessel.” In other words, God manifests … Continue reading
Something Beyond Ourselves
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves” (II Corinthians 4:7) Why is it that God often allows those of us in His service … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Ministry, Uncategorized
Tagged evangelism, Holy Spirit, II Corinthians 4:7, ministry, power, witness
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What No One Else Can Do
“… he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.” (Mark 5:4) Mark 5’s description of … Continue reading
Sermon: Romans 1:4 “The Meaning of the Resurrection of Jesus” for FBC Paul’s Valley, 4-20-14
When we were serving in Louisiana one of our church members was coaching a kids baseball practice just before Easter one year, and he announced that they weren’t going to have practice or a game that weekend because it was … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Chuck Colson, commitment, David Koresh, decision, Easter sermon, Ganges River, Hinduism, John 14:6, life change, power, resurrection of Jesus, Romans 1:4, salvation, Watergate
2 Comments
shawnethomas 