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 7:15-29, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Authority Acknowledged," for 1/11/26.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 6:19-34, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Treasure," for 1/04/2026
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "Three Christian Attitudes" (Philippians 3:12-15 sermon)
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- Joshua 3:5 Sermon: "Preparing For God To Work"
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 5:13-20, 43-48, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "True Righteousness," for 12/28/25.
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
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- Discovering FBCA Membership class lessons
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- Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King
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Tag Archives: Samuel Rutherford
Sunday Afternoon Gleanings (7-26-15)
Samuel Rutherford was a 17th-century Scottish Puritan pastor who was exiled for his faith. He spent much time writing others at home or in prison who struggled with their faith due to their circumstances. Below are some gleanings from this … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged doubt, faith, prayer, Samuel Rutherford, The Valley of Vision, trials
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“The Gospel of Glory” (II Thessalonians 2:14)
Years ago, when our older kids were very small, I took our son David to Falls Creek with me for the week — he was 3 or 4 years old. We had a great week, as we got to hang … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged C.S. Lewis and pleasure, cathedral of Milan, Dante, doxa, eternal torment, Exodus 33:18-20, Exodus 34:7-8, Falls Creek, glory, glory of God, heaven, hell, II Thessalonians 2:14, John Sailhamer, kabod, Mark Twain, no hope, radiance, Romans 3:23, Samuel Rutherford, shekinah glory, The Innocents Abroad
2 Comments
Fairest Lord Jesus
The hymn “Fairest Lord Jesus” has an uncertain origin. It was first published in a German Roman Catholic publication in 1677, without attribution to an author. It is interesting that Samuel Rutherford, the Scottish Puritan pastor who was exiled in … Continue reading
Posted in Music, Sermon Illustrations
Tagged fairest, Fairest Lord Jesus, glorious Lord Jesus Christ, hymn story, James 2:1, music, Samuel Rutherford, worship
4 Comments
“What Tested Faith Looks Like” (James 1:2-4)
We have a lot of people here at First Baptist Church who are going through different “storms” in their lives right now. My own current battle with dysautonomia is well-known to most of you. But I know that I … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged "I Walked A Mile With Pleasure", cocoon butterfly story, drunk driver, endurance, faith, genuine faith, hupomene, James 1:2-4, Joe McKeever, maturity, purpose of trials, Robert Browning Hamilton, Samuel Rutherford, sermon, Sirach, suffering, teleios, tested faith, testing, trials, tried faith
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Missions in the Context of Worship
Acts 13:2 “Missions in the Context of Worship” Last year, at our Saturday evening missions banquet, one of our visiting missionaries spoke of the trials of serving overseas. Many of our hearts were touched as she shared about how they … Continue reading
“Anwoth Is Not Heaven; Preaching Is Not Christ”
Sometimes in the process of looking for one treasure, you inadvertently find another. That happened today, as I was searching through one of my very favorite books, The Letters of Samuel Rutherford. (Rutherford was the pastor of a church in … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Ministry
Tagged Letters of Samuel Rutherford, losing your ministry, ministry, preaching, priorities, Samuel Rutherford
3 Comments
Delight Yourself in the Lord
Psalm 37:4 “Delight Yourself in the Lord” 8-14-11 p.m. Years ago, Corrie Ten Boom wrote, “Look around, you’ll be distressed. Look within, you’ll be depressed. Look to the Lord, you’ll be at rest.” From all of her experiences, she ought to … Continue reading
Samuel Rutherford’s Five Lessons From the Furnace
In 1636 Samuel Rutherford, pastor of the Scottish church of Anwoth, was removed from his pulpit during a time of religious persecution. Sent into exile into Aberdeen, Rutherford, at first despondent, found grace that gave him a seldom-equaled walk with … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Doctrine/Theology, History, Reviews
Tagged furnace, Samuel Rutherford, spiritual growth, temptations, trials
2 Comments
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