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 8:28
“For You Are With Me” (Psalm 23:4)
(Testimony shared 10/27/24; the Sunday Cheryl & I first returned to church after her stroke) August 31, 2024 is a day that Cheryl & I will never forget. It’s the day when after a week of Cheryl having unusual physical … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Home & Family Life, Sermons
Tagged Bible, care, Cheryl Thomas, Christianity, church, circumstances, dysautonomia, Encompass Pearland, faith, First Baptist Church Angleton, forgiveness, God, God's purpose, God's will, God's word, James 4, Jesus, life, ministry, pastor, prayer, Romans 8:28, Romans 8:29, salvation, scripture memory, Servando Gonzales, servant of God, Shawn Thomas, sin, stress, stroke
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Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 50:15-26, “Revenge” for May 26, 2024
An overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” Sunday school lesson for teachers and Bible study leaders. This week’s lesson is for Sunday, May 26, 2024, and is based on Genesis 50:15-26, with the title, “Revenge?” A video version of this … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Ackroyd Dickens, Am I in God's place?, anxiety, bear a grudge, Book of Genesis, brothers, burial, Charles DIckens, Ephraim, example, Explore the Bible, faith, family, forgiveness, Forward in Faith, funeral, Genesis, Genesis 50, Genesis 50:15-26, God causes all to work together, God's sovereignty, grandchldren, grudges, guilt, Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith, Israel, John Milton Paradise Lost, Joseph, Joseph and his brothers, Joseph example, Joseph faith, Lifeway, man's responsibility, Manasseh, perspective, revenge, revenge at first though sweet, revenge dig two graves, revenge is a circle, revenge is a grenade, Richard Osman, Richard Osman The Man Who Died Twice, Romans 12:17-21, Romans 8:28, sovereignty and responsibility, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, teacher help, Vengeance, Vengeance is mine says the Lord, What if game, What If?, work together for good
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 45:1-15, “Reconcile” for 5/19/24
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 45:1-15 for Sunday, May 19, 2024, with the title, “Reconcile.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Reconcile", all things work together, Bible, Divine Providence, divine purpose, Egypt, Explore the Bible, family reunion, forgiveness, Genesis 45, Genesis 45:1-15, God, God sovereign, God's purpose, God-centered, gospel, grace, grief, Jesus, John Rahm, Joseph, League of Nations, Lifeway, loss of loved one, Pharaoh, providence, Providence of God, Psalm 119:71, purpose, reunion, revenge, Romans 8:28, salvatiion, sovereignty, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, teacher help, trials, Woodrow Wilson
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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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Teacher’s Overview of Genesis 39:7-21, Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for May 5, 2024.
A lesson overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 39:7-21 with the title “Accused,” for Sunday, Mary 5, 2024. (I might use an alternate title: “He Is With Me”!) A … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Sovereignty of God", accountability to God, Accused, Bible study, Deuteronomy 19:15, Explore the Bible, false accusation, flee youthful lusts, Genesis, Genesis 39:7-21, George Whitefield America's Spiritual Founding Father, God judge, gospel, I am with you always, I Corinthians 14 worship, I Timothy 5:19, II Timothy 2:22, II Timothy 4:7, Jehovah, Joseph, judgment, lesson overview, lesson preview, Lifeway, Lord, Matthew 28:20, presence of God, Providence of God, Psalm 139, Psalm 23, Richard Jewell accusation, Romans 8:28, salvation, Sunday School, teacher help, temptation, the gospel, the Lord was with him, Thomas Kidd George Whitefield, two or three witnesses, Yahweh, you are with me Psalm 23
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“God’s Providence in America” (Sunday, July 4, 2021)
For the last several years, I have made a personal “tradition” of reading David McCullough’s book, 1776 on the 4th of July. (Hey, you choose your holiday fun and I’ll choose mine!) The book is a marvelous retelling of that … Continue reading
Posted in History, Sermons
Tagged "the outcome seemed little short of a miracle", 4th of July sermon, abortion, America, America God's chosen people, David McCullough 1776, Genesis 22, George Washington, God will "see to", God will provide, God's providence in America, I Timothy 2 pray for authorities, II Chronicles 7:14, immorality, Independence Day sermon, Isaiah 46, Lottie Moon, Lottie Moon offering, miracle vs. providence, mission trips, missions, perversion, providence, Providence of God, Psalm 103:19, Psalm 67, Romans 8:28, slavery, Southern Baptist missions
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Poverty In Spirit: “I Need Help” (Matthew 5:3 sermon)
A pastor who served in California for a number of years shared the testimony of a Hollywood celebrity he knew, who had struggled for years with a drinking problem. But one of the most difficult things they had to deal … Continue reading
Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Discipleship, Sermons
Tagged baptism, Beatitudes, Charles Spurgeon nothing in my hand I bring, Christian character, Christian life, declaration of dependence, how to be saved, humility, I can't save myself, I need help, Isaiah 64:6, John 5:19, Kingdom of Heaven, Luke 18 Pharisee and Publican, Mark 1:35, Matthew 5:3, morning prayer, nothing in my hand I bring simply to Thy cross I cling, poor in spirit, poverty in spirit, prayer, prayer and dependence, ptochos, righteousness, Rock of Ages, Romans 8:28, Romans 8:29, salvation, spiritual dependence, spiritual growth, spontaneous prayer, The character of Christ
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