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
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- Sermons
- The Model Prayer Series
- The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020)
- This Week In Paradise (pastors family blog)
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- Uncategorized
- worship
Tag Archives: Samuel Rutherford
“What Real Faith Looks Like” (Introduction to the Book of James)
Some time ago I was visiting with a pastor in another state, and he was talking about how there are well over 30 churches in just their small community. He said, “You know how it is here; everyone says they … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
Tagged American Christianity, assurance, Bible, Book of James, Christianity, commandments, conviction, conviction of sin, easy believism, epistle of straw, faith, God's Law, gospel, how can I be saved, James, James 3, Jesus, John Ryland, Lord, Lord Lord, Martin Luther, meddling in my private life, salvation, Samuel Rutherford, saving faith, scripture memory, sin, strawy epistle, Tennessee Williams, testimony, tongue, What Real Faith Looks Like, words, works
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“The Lord’s Day Message to John Your Brother” (Revelation 1:9-11 sermon)
About a month ago, February 8, an assistant soccer coach at a small Christian college got up to speak in chapel, gave his message and the invitation, and left the chapel. As he left he sent his wife a text: … Continue reading
Posted in Revelation sermon series, Sermons
Tagged 7th Day Adventists, 7th Day Baptists, Alan Jacobs, Asbury revival preacher, Civil War stor, Civil War Story, Harry Potter, Hebrews 10:24-25, I Corinthians 16:2, In the Spirit, John Revelation, kingdom, kingdom work, Lord's servant, Nathaniel Philbrick Mayflower, perseverance, pilgrims, plan of salvation, Revelation 1, Revelation 1 sermon, Sabbath, salvation, Samuel Rutherford, Simply Prayer Bill Elliff, Sunday worship, the Lord's Day, The Pleasures of Reading
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“The Gospel of Glory” (II Thessalonians 2:14 sermon)
One of my favorite pastors from history is Samuel Rutherford, a Puritan who pastored in Scotland in the 1600’s. He was persecuted by the government for his Biblical beliefs, and for a time was banished from his church. Rutherford is … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Ann R. Cousin The Sands of Time Are Sinking, Austin Phelps art gallery, C.S. Lewis run on God, David McCullough Wright Brothers, Ezekiel 10:18, fall short of the glory, false gospel, gain the glory, glory, glory glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land, glory of Christ, glory of God, God's glory, gospel, heaven glory, II Corinthians 4:4, II Thessalonians 1:9, II Thessalonians 2:14, Jesus only way, John 11:40 see the glory of God, John 14:6, John 17:24, John Piper definition of glory, Macchu Piccu, Paradise Lost Milton, Romans 3:23, Rutherford and Lady Kenmure, Rutherford's Letters, salvation, Samuel Rutherford, see My glory, Tim Keller prayer
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“His Marvelous Love In A Besieged City”
“Blessed be the LORD, for He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.” (Psalm 31:21) Here David praises God for ministering to him, even in an extremely difficult time in his life. He said he was … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged chesed, circumstances, grace, joy, love, lovingkindness, Psalm 31:21, Psalm 4:7, Samuel Rutherford, trials, worship
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“Eternal Life” (John 3:16 sermon)
Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor of the Chinese Qin Dynasty — and he wanted to be the last. He wanted to live forever. In Imperial China at that time, they believed in certain “elixirs of life” which might … Continue reading
“How To Build A Life Of Joy” (Philippians 1:3-5 sermon)
Samuel Rutherford was a pastor in Anwoth, Scotland in the 1600’s, when the English government changed, and demanded that all ministers use the government prescribed prayer book, and submit to the rites and ordinances of the Anglican church, instead of … Continue reading