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: prayer
“What Real Faith Looks Like: Total Commitment” (James 1:6-8 sermon)
One time Cheryl, our son Michael & I were waiting to place an order in the drive through line at a fast-food restaurant, and it looked like the people in front of us were having a difficult time making up … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged answered prayer, Book of James, choices, choose, Christian life, commitment, cool vs. Christ, dipsuchos, discipleship, double-minded, doubt, faith, genuine salvation, Hipster Faith, I Kings 18:21, James, John Bunyan, Joshua 24:15, Landry Jones, Matthew 6:24, Mr. Facing Both Ways, no man can serve two masters, one master, Pilgrim's Progress, prayer, salvatiion, seeking God, tossed by the wind, total commitment, two-headed snake, unanswered prayer, Whitney Hand, whom will you serve
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Teacher’s Overview of Genesis 41, based on Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for May 12, 2024, “Revealed”
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 41:14-20, 33-37 for Sunday, May 12, 2024, with the title, “Revealed.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged balance, Bible, Biblical balance, Cervantes, Charles DIckens, Don Quixote, dream, evangelism, Explore the Bible, faith, Genesis 41, God, God sovereignty, interpretation, Jesus, John Bunyan Pilgrims Progress, Joseph, Joseph prison, life application, Lifeway, Nile River, Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition, pray like it all depends on God, prayer, providence, rags to riches, Revealed, Romans 8:28, salvation, sovereignty, sovereignty and responsibility, Sunday School, teacher help, trust, Walter Raleigh, witness
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“Real Faith Seeks Wisdom” (James 1:5 sermon)
Sometimes when a pastor preaches verse-by-verse through a book of the Bible, he might come to a passage which he’s really not sure will apply to anyone in the congregation that day. I can assure you that the scripture we are … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged A.T. Robertson, ask for wisdom, ask of God, Bible, Bible Reading, Bible study, Book of James, chastisement, daily Bible reading, doers of the word, If any of you lacks wisdom, James, James 1, James 1:5, James sermons, James wisdom, Job, Mark Dever, maturity, perseverance, prayer, purpose for trials, Rebekah Genesis 25, salvation testimony, seeking wisdom, sophia, spiritual growth, spiritual maturity, trials, where is wisdom found, wisdom, wisdom in trials
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Genesis 32:22-32 Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for 4/14/23, “Wrestled”
(A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 32:22-32, “Wrestled,” for Sunday, April 14, 2024. Includes a sample lesson introduction, outline, text highlights, illustrations, questions for your class, and … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged baptism, Bible, Bible study, Bill Elliff, Blessed, Christophany, conviction, D Day, Dwight Eisenhower, Explore the Bible, Genesis, Genesis 32, Genesis 32:22-32, God, Habakkuk 2:1, heel snatcher, Israel, Jacob, Jacob wrestling, Jesus, Lifeway, Lord's Supper, Luke 11, Luke 18, name, Peniel, prayer, remembrances, Romans 10:1, Romans 9:1, salvation, sin, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, supplanter, teacher help, wrestling with God
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: Genesis 27:18-30, “A Deceiver”
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 27:18-30, “A Deceiver,” for Sunday, March 17, 2024. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: ??? … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged 10 Commandments, Acts 2:23, Bathsheba, Bible, Bible study, Deceiver, Eru, Esau, Explore the Bible, Genesis, Genesis 27, Genesis 27:18-30, God bless the broken road, grace, heel snatcher, inquire of the Lord, Isaac, Isaac and Rebekah, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jacob, Jacob and Esau, Jesus, Lifeway, Melkor, pray, prayer, prescriptive vs. descriptive, Rebekah, Romans 11:33, Romans 3:23, salvation, Simarillion, sin, sovereignty vs responsibility, Sunday School teacher, supplanter, twins, Why God?
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Teacher’s Overview of Genesis 19:12-26, Lifeway “Explore the Bible lesson “Purged”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 19:12-26, with the title, “Purged,” for Sunday, February 25, 2024. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Abraham, better than I deserve, Dave Ramsey, evangelism, Explore the Bible, fire and brimstone, Genesis, Genesis 19:12-26, grace, Hebrews 12:25, hell, hurricane, intercessory prayer, Isaac's Storm, John Bunyan, Jude 1:7, judgment, lesson outline, Lifeway, lot, ministry, mission, Pearl Harbor, Pilgrim's Progress, prayer, prayer for the lost, presumptuous sins, Purged, Sodom, Sodom and Gomorrah, Sunday school lesson, warning, witness
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Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 15:1-6 & 16:1-6, “Impatience”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 15 & 16 for Sunday, February 11, 2024, with the title, “Impatience.” A video version of this overview is available on … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Abraham, Abram, Abram and Lot, Apollo, conflict, Explore the Bible, faith, fear, galaxy, Genesis, Genesis 15:1-6 16:1-6, Genesis 15:6, God reward, Hagar, heat shield, heaven, honest to God, I am your reward, II Corinthians 5:21, impatience, Lifeway, Martin Luther King content of character, prayer, promise, Psalm 16, R.C. Sproul Jr., reckoned righteousness, Revelation 5, reward, righteousness, Romans 4, salvation by faith, Sarah, Sarai, shield, stars, substitutionary atonement, trust
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson of Mark 14:32-42, “Willing”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Mark 14:32-42 for Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: ??? Ask your … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Abba Father, Alexander Whyte, an ounce of prevention, battle, Christ, disciples, Explore the Bible, forgiveness, Garden of Gethsemane, God's will, help my unbelief, I Peter 2:24, Jesus, John Jellico, lead us not into temmptation, Lifeway, Mark 14:32-42, Mark 7:25, Mark Sunday school lesson, model prayer, Mount of Olives, olive oil, olive press, prayer, Romans 3:19, salvation, sin, spiritual warfare, Sun Tzu, the cross, three strikes and you're out, Thy will be done, trials, William Manchester Last Lion, Winston Churchill
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