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: Romans 12:1
Teacher’s Overview of I Peter 1:13-25, “Our Mandate,” Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson for 3/09/25
An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of I Peter 1:13-25, for Sunday, March 9, 2025, with the title, “Our Mandate.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Our Mandate", "therefore living", accountability to God, agape love, agape vs philadelphia love, Andrew Jackson judgment, Bible, Bible application, blood of Jesus, brotherly love, Christian life, church, Explore the Bible, Francis Schaeffer, George Muller prayer, gird up your loins, gird your minds for action, gospel, grow in love, holy, How Should We Then Live?, I Corinthians 6:19-20, I Peter, I Peter 1, I Peter 1:13-25, II Corinthians 5:10, Jesus blood, Jon Meacham Andrew Jackson, judgment, judgment seat of Christ, Leviticus holy, Lifeway, love, love based living, love in church, Romans 12:1, salvation, sanctification, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, teacher help, therefore, Tim Keller prayer, word of God, word-based living, you shall be holy
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Closer to Sodom or Heaven?
“Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty, walk before Me, and be blameless.’” (Genesis 17:1) Notice something important in God’s charge to Abram.
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Doctrine/Theology
Tagged Genesis 17:1, holiness, Matthew 5:48, Romans 12:1, sanctification, Sodom
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“The Golden Rule” (Matthew 7:12 sermon)
When our kids were little, I started listening to a CD with the greatest hits of the British comic operas of Gilbert & Sullivan. These operas were written in the late 1800’s, and they poke fun at all kinds of … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged business, business ethics, Christian ethics, Christianity, context, discipleship, do unto others, driving, ethics, Exodus 22:21, Exodus 23:4, forgiveness, Gilbert & Sullivan, Gilbert & Sullivan golden rule, gospel, Great Commandment, Jesus, Matthew 7:12, perspective, relationships, Romans 12:1, salvation, Swiss Army knife, teaching, Ten Commandments, The Golden Rule, therefore, treat others the way you want to be treaated, understanding
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Worship is More Than Words
We often think of “worship” as the prayers we say, or the songs we sing — or perhaps even the “heart” behind them. And there is some truth to those ideas. But Romans 12:1 should cause many of us to … Continue reading
The Motivation For Holiness
Why should we attempt to be holy? Many people do not realize that genuine Christians have a different motivation for holiness than most other religious groups. Romans 12:1 admonishes us: “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged grace, mercy, Romans 12:1, salvation, works
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A “Little” Sin?
You might not think it’s much of a sin — but it may be bigger than you imagine! Romans 1:21, speaking of those upon whom the wrath of God rightly falls, says: “For even though they knew God, they did … Continue reading
Holy Gratitude
In Psalm 6:8 David says: “Depart from me, all you who do iniquity, for Yahweh has heard the voice of my weeping.” It is interesting (and instructive for us) that David’s response to the fact that God heard his prayer … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged gratitude, holiness, Psalm 6:8, Romans 12:1, Thanksgiving
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We Are An Offering
Psalm 110:3 says: “Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power …”. In Hebrew, that literally reads: “Your people WILL BE freewill offerings” — that is, they will offer themselves freely as a sacrifice and offering to … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged commitment, consecration, freewill offering, Psalm 110:3, Romans 12:1, sacrifice
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