Tag Archives: relationship with God

“Returning To The Shepherd” (I Peter 2:25 sermon)

Posted on 2019/09/16 by Shawn Thomas

I saw the cutest video this week: a farmer in Wales (United Kingdom) had his whole flock of about 250 sheep get out of the field they were supposed to be in, and they went into another field, which they … Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged conviction, eternal life, evangelism, Franklin Graham, Franklin Graham testimony, God relationship, I Peter 2:25, I Peter 2:25 sermon, Isaiah 53:6, John 17:3, knowing God, Lesean McCoy Andy Reid, lostness, Luke 15, Prodigal Son, Psalm 51:4, Puritans, relationship with God, repent, repentance, repenter, return, return to the Father, Romania, Romans 3:23, salvation, sheep, sheep straying, sin, sin against God, sin and salvation, straying, substitutionary atonement, The Lord is our shepherd, Valley of Vision | 2 Comments

“Neglecting God” (Zephaniah 1:1-6 sermon)

Posted on 2018/09/10 by Shawn Thomas

You never know what your kids are going to do with the things they hear you say. We had not been at our church in Tulsa Oklahoma very long when we pulled up to a convenience store, and Cheryl saw … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "The Twelve", Choose whom you will serve, church attendance, compromise, daily Bible reading, decisions, devotional time, evangelism, family, family time, Gibeonites, gratitude, Great Commandment, greatest sin, heaven, idolatry, James 4:17, John 17:3, Joshua 24, Luke 17 ten lepers, marriage, marriage commitment, Minor Prophets, neglecting God, neglecting your family, Old Testament prophets, pray without ceasing, quiet time, relationship with God, Romans 15:13, salvation, seeking God, singing, sins of commission, sins of omission, thanking God, Thanksgiving, time with family, time with God, worship, Zephaniah, Zephaniah 1:1-6, Zephaniah 1:6 | Leave a comment

“No Strange Fire: Honoring God in Worship” (Leviticus 10:1-3 sermon)

Posted on 2018/04/09 by Shawn Thomas

When I was pastoring in Louisiana, Governor Bobby Jindal came to our church one Sunday to share his testimony. It was a big day; we had one combined service, and every seat was filled, with standing room only. There were … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized, worship | Tagged Abba Father, Acts 5, Ananias & Sapphira, Apostle John, awesome God, balance, Bible, caesar banquet shamed, cat in church, celebrities in the church, clothing, creativity, dress, dress and worship, entertainment, entertainment and worship, familiarity, fear of God, focus in worship, giving, glory of God, God's word, Governor Bobby Jindal, Hebrews 13:28–29, house of prayer, hypocrisy, Leviticus 10:1-3 sermon, Lord's Supper, Malachi 3:10, Nadab & Abihu, obedience, prayer, preaching, regulative principle, relationship with God, respect, Revelation 1:13, Revelation 1:17, reverence, salvation, scripture, singing, songs, strange fire, testimonies, testimony, Unseen presence, worship, worship planning | Leave a comment

Keep The Fire Going!

Posted on 2018/04/09 by Shawn Thomas

“Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out.” (Leviticus 6:13) The Old Testament tabernacle worship was full of symbolism. It taught God’s people the “A-B-C’s” of what it takes to have and keep … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged daily Bible reading, devotions, fire, relationship with God, walk with God | Leave a comment

“Principles of Effective Praying” (Matthew 6:6-8 sermon)

Posted on 2017/08/07 by Shawn Thomas

The great British preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote: “Prayer is beyond any question the highest activity of the human soul. Man is at his greatest and highest when, upon his knees, he comes face to face with God.” (SOTM, p. 45) … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Bill Elliff, Catholicism, commitment, conversation with god, discipleship, George Muller, God vending machine, Hail Mary prayer, Hudson Taylor, Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret, hypocrisy, Jesus, Kathmandu, Lord's Prayer, Mark 1:35, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, MasterLife, Matthew 6:6-8, meaningless repetition, mechanical repetition, model prayer, Our Father prayer, prayer, prayer wheel, praying, principles of prayer, priority, relationship, relationship with God, repetitious prayer, rote prayer, rut in prayer, salvation, Susanna Wesley, Temple, The 18 Benedictions, tip of the iceberg, vain repetition | 2 Comments

“Knowing”: The Firm Foundation

Posted on 2017/07/05 by Shawn Thomas

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God …” (John 13:3) The word “knowing” here is a crucial one: “Jesus, KNOWING …”. … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged assurance, confidence, faith, foundation, heaven, I John 5:13, Jesus, John 13:3, knowing, relationship with God, service | 1 Comment

He Loved Us First: The Difference That Makes

Posted on 2017/02/01 by Shawn Thomas

“We love, because He first loved us.” (I John 4:19) John tells us in this brief verse God loved us first. This is significant, and makes such a difference in our understanding of our relationship with Him:

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged God's love, grace, I John 4:19, love, merit, performance trap, relationship with God, Romans 5:8, salvation, saved by grace | 1 Comment

Your Two Key Relationships (Psalm 16:2-3 sermon)

Posted on 2016/07/10 by Shawn Thomas

One of the things that makes getting around relatively easy in Oklahoma is that the whole state is basically divided into 4 quadrants by I-35 which runs north & south, and I-40, which runs east & west. These 2 great … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "The Weight of Glory", all lives matter, black lives matter, blue lives matter, C.S. Lewis quote, gospel, Mere Christianity, Psalm 16 sermon, Psalm 16:2-3, relationship with God, relationship with man, relationships, salvation, white lives matter | Leave a comment

A Mutual Embrace

Posted on 2016/05/04 by Shawn Thomas

“My soul clings to (after) You; Your right hand upholds me.” (Psalm 63:8) We get glimpses in several of the Psalms of the kind of deep spiritual relationship that David had with the Lord. Psalm 63 is one of those. … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged eternal security, John 8:29, mutual embrace, Psalm 63, Psalm 63:8, relationship with God | Leave a comment

Well-Pleasing To God!

Posted on 2016/04/06 by Shawn Thomas

“This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) What amazing thing to hear from God the Father! Everything Jesus had done: in thought, word, deed, and attitude, from His birth, to the time of His baptism … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged Colossians 3:3, imputed righteousness, Matthew 3:17, pleasing God, relationship with God, righteousness, Romans 3:22, salvation | Leave a comment