A Southern Baptist pastor for almost 35 years, I currently serve as Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Angleton, Texas, and post my weekly sermons on this site, as well as a brief overview for Sunday School teachers of the weekly Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson.
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Top Posts & Pages
- Teacher's Overview: Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson of John 8:3-18, "I Am The Light"
- "Glorifying God as Salt & Light" (Matthew 5:13-16 sermon)
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview: Lifeway "Explore the Bible" John 7:14-29
- Teacher's Overview: Lifeway "Explore the Bible" John 9:24-38, "You Have Seen Him"
- "Following Jesus" (Matthew 4:18-22 sermon)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- "The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "How To Seek The Lord" (Isaiah 55:6-7 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
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- India Mission Trip 2011
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- Philippians sermons
- POTS (dysautonomia) articles
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Tag Archives: Romans 8:28-29
“Am I A Soldier Of The Cross?” (Matthew 5:10-12 sermon)
Many of you recognize the name of Henry Blackaby, the author of the Experiencing God study. He wrote that one time he prayed: “Lord, make me like You.” That sounds like a good prayer to pray, right? But he said … Continue reading
Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA
Tagged Ake Green Sweden, Am I A Soldier, Am I A Soldier of the Cross, America moral climate, American persecution, Beatitudes, Boxer Rebellion, character of Christ, Christian persecution, Christianity in India, Christlikeness, current persecution, Defense of Marriage Act, Equality Act, falsely on account of me, for the sake of righteousness, hate crimes, Henry Blackaby, homosexuality, I Peter 2:20, I Peter 4:12, II Timothy 3:12, India, India ministry, India missions, insensitivity, Isaac Watts, John 15:20, John 16:33, Joshua 24:15, Luke 6:26, Luke 9:23, Matthew 5:10, Matthew 5:10-12, Nik Ripkin, Oberkfell decision, persecution, Persecution of Christians in America, Romans 8:28-29, RSS, Sanjay Charan, The Insanity of God, what persecution is not
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“Trust & Obey” (Matthew 5:5 sermon)
Conrad Richter wrote an amazing trilogy back in the 1940’s and 50’s about the settling of Ohio by the American Pioneers, from the perspective of a pioneer woman by the name of Sayward Wheeler. The story progresses through: The Trees, … Continue reading
Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Battle of Gettysburg, Beatitudes, Beatitudes and prayer, Bill Day Murrah bombing testimony, bitterness, Blessed are the gentle, Blessed are the meek, character of Christ, Christian witness and meekness, circumstances, conformed to the image of Christ, Conrad Richter trilogy, definition of angels, definition of faith, definition of meekness, Disciple's personality, forgiveness, fret not because of evildoers, fruit of spirit is gentleness, Galatians 5:22-23, gentle, giveaway sign of not trusting God, God's goal for our lives, hymn Trust & Obey, II Samuel 16 David meekness, Jesus example of Beatitudes, Jesus example of meekness, Jesus yoke, judgmnet, leave it in God's hands, Matthew 5:5, meek, meekness, meekness and salvation, meekness in the Christian life, Moses meekness, nothing in my hands I bring simply to thy cross I cling, Numbers 12 Aaron and Miriam, ox taking the yoke, praeis meaning, progression in Beatitudes, Psalm 37, Psalm 37:3, Robert E. Lee, Robert E. Lee example of meekness, Romans 8:28-29, salvation, Sayward's ox, scriptural definitions, take His yoke upon you, take your hands off the situation, tame horse, The Fields, The Meekness Psalm, Timothy McVeigh Murrah Bombing, trust and salvation, trust in God, trust in the Lord and do good, witness
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“God’s Goal For Your Life” (Matthew 5:3-12 sermon)
I’ve heard a number of people talk about their goals for this New Year in 2021: goals for health and diet and exercise. Our daughter Libby asked me the other night what my goal was for how many books I’ll … Continue reading
Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Discipleship, Sermons
Tagged 8 qualities of the Beatitudes, aiming at wrong target, Baptist B's, Beatitudes, Billy Graham Secret of Happiness, character of Christ, Christian character, conformed to the image of Hi Son, Ephesians 4:13, Francis Chan Crazy Love, God's Goal for your life, God's goals, humility, I John 3:2, image of Christ, image of His Son, Jesus and the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3-12, mercy, New Year goal, numerical goals, picture of Jesus in Beatitudes, portrait of Christ, poverty in spirit, purpose of trials, Romans 8:28-29, spiritual goals, spiritual success, succeeding at things that don't really matter, success, trials
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“The Goodness of God in the Midst of Affliction” (Psalm 119:65-72 sermon)
In February 2012, I stood to lead prayer meeting at the church in Louisiana I had pastored for 12 years, but the longer I stood the sicker I became. I had to leave during the prayer time and have my … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged "Fall Apart" song, affliction, attributes of God, becoming like Christ, Christlikeness, cleansing, cocoon of a butterfly, confession, conformed to His image, dysautonomia, Ephesians 6, faith, faith testing, glory, God attributes, God goodnesss, God is good, God is good all the time, god is good and does good, God's purpose, good, grace, identification, II Corinthians 12:9, it is good for me that I was afflicted, John 17:3, knowing God, lessons, life, life purpose, Matthew 13 parable of the sower, maturity, minister, ministry, My grace is sufficient, pastor, pastor Shawn Thomas, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, POTS, prayers, priorities, Psalm 119 acrostic, Psalm 119:65-72, Psalm 119:67, purification, purpose for suffering, purpose for trials, purposes for affliction, Romans 8:28-29, Ronnie Rogers Trinity Baptist Norman, salvation, Shawn E. Thomas, sin, spiritual maturity, spiritual warfare, suffering, sword of the Spirit, test, teth, theodicy, theology, theology 101, thorn in the flesh, tob good, trials, word of God, You are good, You do good
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“The Disciple’s Character: Mourning Over Sin” (Matthew 5:4 sermon)
Many times over the years, people have come to my office, feeling very troubled over a sin or a habit in their life. And sometimes they will say something like: “I feel so bad about that sin; I am not … Continue reading
Posted in "The Disciple's Character" series (Beatitudes Mt. 5:3-12), Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Beatitudes, blessed are those who mourn, character, character of Christ, conviction, discipleship, Donald Whitney Ten Questions To Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, Fireproof movie, I Corinthians 5:2, intercession, Isaiah 6, Isaiah 66:1-2, James 4:9, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jonathan Edwards, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Matthew 23:37, Matthew 5:4, Matthew 5:4 sermon, Monica, mourning, prayer, Psalm 119:136, Psalm 126:5, Romans 7, Romans 8:28-29, sin, St. Augustine
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“The Disciple’s Character: Spiritual Dependence” (Matthew 5:3 sermon)
Several years ago I read the testimony of a Hollywood celebrity who had struggled for years with drinking. But they kept denying that they really had a problem. They said the breakthrough came when they got to their lowest point, … Continue reading
Posted in "The Disciple's Character" series (Beatitudes Mt. 5:3-12), Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Beatitudes, character, character of Christ, humility, I need help, Matthew 5:3, Matthew 5:3 sermon, Pharisee and publican, poor in spirit, prayer, purpose for trials, Romans 8:28-29, salvation, self-righteousness, sin, spiritual dependence, spiritual poverty, three most important words, trials
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“The Disciple’s Character: God’s Goal For Your Life in 2016” (Matthew 5:3-12 sermon)
Francis Chan wrote in his book, Crazy Love: “Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” That quote is worth pondering as we begin this new year. Many of … Continue reading
Psalm 3:3 “My Shield” (preached Aug. 11, 2013 at Trinity, Norman)
I wrote the much of the following message during the summer of 2012, when I was on medical leave as pastor of FBC Moss Bluff, LA with dyautonomia (POTS). I would later resign the church in February of 2013, selling … Continue reading
Posted in Home & Family Life, Ministry, Sermons
Tagged God's purpose, illness, Psalm 3:3 sermon, Romans 8:28-29, trials
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Suffering and Empathy
Hebrews 2:18 teaches: “Since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.” This verse, which specifically refers to Jesus’ ministry, also has application for us, … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged empathy, Hebrews 2:18, Hebrews 4:15, purpose of suffering, Romans 8:28-29, suffering
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