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: seeking God
“What Real Faith Looks Like: Total Commitment” (James 1:6-8 sermon)
One time Cheryl, our son Michael & I were waiting to place an order in the drive through line at a fast-food restaurant, and it looked like the people in front of us were having a difficult time making up … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged answered prayer, Book of James, choices, choose, Christian life, commitment, cool vs. Christ, dipsuchos, discipleship, double-minded, doubt, faith, genuine salvation, Hipster Faith, I Kings 18:21, James, John Bunyan, Joshua 24:15, Landry Jones, Matthew 6:24, Mr. Facing Both Ways, no man can serve two masters, one master, Pilgrim's Progress, prayer, salvatiion, seeking God, tossed by the wind, total commitment, two-headed snake, unanswered prayer, Whitney Hand, whom will you serve
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Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway “Explore the Bible” Lamentations 3:19-33 “Good”
A brief overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Lamentations 3:19-33 for Sunday, August 27, 2023, with the title, “Good.” (A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: A few months into the American Revolution in … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Augustine of Hippo, chesed, child of such tears, compassion, David McCullough, depression, Explore the Bible, faithfulness, God, God judge, God's love, grace, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, hope, II Corinthians 10:5, II Timothy 2:13, inheritance, Jehovah, Jeremiah, Jerusalem, Lamentations 3:19-33, Lifeway, Lord, love, lovingkindness, Martin Luther, Monica Augustine, portion, priests, Psalm 103, Psalm 16, Psalm 2:2, Psalm 42, seek God, seeking God, Shawn Thomas, SS teacher help, St. Augustine, Sunday school lesson, taking thoughts captive, The Lord is my portion, tob, trials, Yahweh
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson: Jeremiah 42:7-22, “Trustworthy”
A brief overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Jeremiah 42:71-22 for Sunday, August 13, 2023, with the title, “Trustworthy.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged arrogance, direction, Explore the Bible, Ferdinand Magellan death, God's will, Jeremiah 42, Jeremiah 42 Sunday school lesson, Jeremiah 42:7-22, John 4 whatever He says to you do it, Lifeway, obedience, prayer, pride, Proverbs 14:12, rich young ruler, seeking God, Sunday school lesson help Jeremiah 42, Sunday school teacher help, time to seek God, tithe, tithing
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Teachers’ Overview of Lifeway Explore the Bible: Amos 5:4-15
A brief overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Amos 5:4-15 for Sun. Sept 18, 2022, “Seek God.” A video version of the overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: You … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged America judgment, Amos 5:4-15 Sunday school lesson, Amos Bible Study, Appointment at Samarra, Deuternomy 4:29, heavens declare the glory of God, Hebrew dawrash seek, Isaiah 55:6, James Webb Space Telescope pictures, judgment, Lifeway Explore the Bible Amos 5:4-15, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson help, Matthew 5:3, poor in spirit, Psalm 19, salvation, seek God, seeking God, Sunday school lesson "Seek God", Sunday school teacher help
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“Neglecting God” (Zephaniah 1:1-6 sermon)
You never know what your kids are going to do with the things they hear you say. We had not been at our church in Tulsa Oklahoma very long when we pulled up to a convenience store, and Cheryl saw … Continue reading
Posted in Discipleship, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged "The Twelve", Choose whom you will serve, church attendance, compromise, daily Bible reading, decisions, devotional time, evangelism, family, family time, Gibeonites, gratitude, Great Commandment, greatest sin, heaven, idolatry, James 4:17, John 17:3, Joshua 24, Luke 17 ten lepers, marriage, marriage commitment, Minor Prophets, neglecting God, neglecting your family, Old Testament prophets, pray without ceasing, quiet time, relationship with God, Romans 15:13, salvation, seeking God, singing, sins of commission, sins of omission, thanking God, Thanksgiving, time with family, time with God, worship, Zephaniah, Zephaniah 1:1-6, Zephaniah 1:6
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“Pressing On To Know the Lord” (Hosea 6:3 sermon)
Not long ago I read of a well-known actress who said that when she wasn’t acting, she really had no purpose in life. She said she just about went crazy because she nothing to do, and she said, “Thank God … Continue reading