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 17:1-13, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Glory," for 3/22/26
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 16:13-26, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "Following Jesus" for 3/15/26
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. 1:18-24 sermon)
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 15:1-11+, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson for March 8, 2026, "Real Devotion"
- "Christ's Suffering/Our Salvation" (I Peter 3:18 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Man Born Blind" (John 9 sermon)
- "The Church That Made God Sick" (Revelation 3:14-22 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 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: salvation
“The A-B-Cs of Salvation in Leviticus 1:1-4”
One of the most difficult things for me on my recent mission trip to Bulgaria was the language. I am typically fairly good at languages, and when I go on mission trips I can usually speak some of the language … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged ABC of salvation, Alexander Graham Bell, alphabet, Candice Millard James Garfield, Charles Dickens Tale of Two Cities, In Christ Alone song, Isaiah 53, James Harrison Australia blood, Jesus only way, Jesus substitute, Jesus the lamb, John 14:6, lay hand on the head, Leviticus 1:1-4 sermon, male without defect, sacrifice, salvation, satisfaction, substitutionary atonement, Sydney Carton substitution, theological ABCs, wrath of God satisfied
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“A Kingdom of Priests” (Exodus 19:6 sermon)
This week I read an article about a Boston (Catholic) University student named Robert LeBlanc, who went to college, like a lot of young people do, with dreams of one day getting married, having children and setting up a family. … Continue reading
Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Home & Family Life, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged "neighborhood priest", Acts 4:12, are you a Christian, Bulgaria mission, Catholic priests, Christianity, define priest, duties of a priest, Ephesians 3:12, Exodus 19:6 sermon, guard your loved ones in prayer, holy priesthood, how to be saved, I Peter 2:5, I Peter 2:9, intercessory prayer, Jesus Christ, John 14:6, kingdom of priests, making a prayer list, Martin Luther, mediator, prayer, prayer list, priesthood of the believer, Psalm 5:3, Revelation 5:10, Roman Catholicism, salvation, you are a priest
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“A Divine Appointment” (Acts 8:26-40 sermon)
In 2014 Cheryl & I were living in Norman, Oklahoma while I was recuperating from illness that had caused me to resign my pastorate in Louisiana. One winter afternoon about 4:00 I suddenly had a strong urge to go out … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Ministry, Sermons
Tagged Acts 8, Acts 8 Philip and Ethiopian, baptism, baptism and salvation, baptism profession of faith, baptism symbolic, daily Bible reading, divine appointment, Dwight Moody Big L, Ethiopian eunuch, Ethiopian Treasurer, evangelism, faith, gospel, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit prompting, India mission, instant obedience, Isaiah 53, Jesus, meaning of baptism, missions, morning devotions, morning worship time, Only Jesus saves, people need the Lord, priest "we baptize you", religion, repentance, response to the gospel, salvation, Walk Across The Room, witnessing, witnessing opportunity
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“The Revelations of Psalm 19”
Olaudah Equiano grew up in Africa in the 1700’s and was sold into slavery. He eventually was able to buy his own freedom, became educated, and even published a book. But as a young man he was a servant to … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Anthony Flew, Augustine of Hippo testimony, Augustine tolle lege, Bible, Bible Reading, Christopher Hitchens creation fine tuning, conviction, creation, creation design, daily Bible reading, General Revelation, God's word, gospel, hearing from God, kind of sin, Nabeel Qureshi testimony, Olaudah Equiano reading, Psalm 19, Psalm 19 revelation, Psalm 19 sermon, Quran vs. Bible, redeemer, Richard E. Simmons Reflections on the Existence of God, Romans 1:20, salvation, Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, sin, Special Revelation, take up and read, word of God
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“In The Place of God” (Genesis 30:2 sermon)
Our first year here in Angleton I was driving to Webster, and not long after I turned off of 35, to my right, I saw some Buddhist statues! Not really what I expected to see here in south Texas — … Continue reading
Posted in Home & Family Life, Sermons
Tagged Alexander Graham Bell only child, Am I in the place of God?, C.S. Lewis God invented us, children, Destiny of the Republic Candice Millard, family, first commandment, Genesis 30:2 sermon, gospel, government, guard yourselves from idols, home, I John 5:21, idolatry, James A. Garfield marriage, John Calvin human heart idol factory, marriage, money, no other gods, other gods, parenting, Ruth Graham marriage advice, salvation, Second Commandment, sports, The Clockwork Universe Edward Dolnick, wealth
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“When Yahweh Is Your God” (Genesis 28:10-22 sermon)
A few years ago a pastor I know from Oklahoma was in New York City riding in a cab. He saw a little statue on the driver’s dashboard, and he asked the man, who was from India, about it. The … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Sermons
Tagged Anthony Flew atheist, Anthony Flew testimony, Christian commitment, church buildings, commitment, commitment to Christ, commitment to worship, corporate worship, daily Bible reading, discipleship, E.W. Starling Woodrow Wilson, Genesis 28 sermon, giving, Hebrews 10:25, I AM, idolatry, idols, John Dean Warren G. Harding, LORD is Yahweh, personal worship, Prince Charles II of England, salvation, tithe, tithe and the Law, tithe as a mark of Lordship, tithe Genesis 28, tithing, worship, Yahweh
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“Those Who Are Rich” (I Timothy 6:17 sermon)
When our son David was little, we were teaching him and his brother Paul some of the “good old kids songs,” like, “The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me!” And so one day we had them sing for the … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged "eternal 401k", America standard of living, Christian giving, Christianity and wealth, enjoy riches, eternal 401k in heaven, eternal investment, eternal life, Ezekiel 7:19, generosity, George H.W. Bush "have half", giving, gold, I Chronicles 29:14, I Corinthians 1:26, I Timothy 6:17 sermon, invest riches, Joe Biden rich 400000, Luke 16 Unrighteous Steward, Luke 8:3, Lyndon Johnson Robert Caro, Mark Twain Innocents Abroad Pompeii, money, ready to share, riches, riches in heaven, salvation, song B-I=B-L-E, stewardship, take hold of eternal llife, tithe, tithing, Washington Post Gautam Nair Americans rich, wealth, who are the rich
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The Lord’s Supper: The Sacrifice Remembered (Matthew 26:26-29 sermon)
One of the newer monuments in Washington D.C. is one commemorating our soldiers who fought and won the Second World War. Among other elements, the memorial contains panels with bronze engravings of scenes from the war: soldiers loading artillery pieces, … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons
Tagged Acts 3:19, Christian children rebel, communion, food choice, forgiveness, God compassion, God judge, hoi polloi, I John 2:2, I Timothy 2:6, Isaiah 53:12, James Dobson, judge paid for crime, Lord's Supper symbol, many, Matthew 26:26-29 sermon, personal response, polloi, Romans 10:13, salvation, World War II monument
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shawnethomas 
“Reckoned As Righteous” (Genesis 15:6 sermon)
In the winter of 1738 Charles Wesley was serving as a missionary in America, but he wrote in his journal, he was seeking to convert the Indians, but who would convert HIM? He was earnestly seeking to be right with … Continue reading →