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 13:24-30, 36-43, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Judgment Coming," for 2/22/26.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 12:1-14, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Rejecting Legalism," for 2/15/26.
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 11:1-6, 16-24, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Confronting Doubts, for 2/08/26
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- Joshua 3:5 Sermon: "Preparing For God To Work"
- Lifeway "Explore the Bible" Jonah 1:15-2:10 "No Escape"
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: sin
Are You Shifting The Blame?
“The people spoke against God and Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.” (Numbers 21:5) Numbers 21:4 says … Continue reading
“Testing The Fruit Of Your Salvation” (James 1:21-27 sermon)
For Mothers Day we got some things for Cheryl for the garden. She loves to garden outside — and I love to go out and walk through the garden with her for 5 minutes before I go inside to read! … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged age, Bible, Book of James, born again, church, church attendance, conviction, darkness, doer of the word, faith, Faith works, fruit, fruit of salvation, holiness, I John 1:5, II Corinthians 5, James, James 1, James 1:21-27, James 1:21-27 sermon, John 13:17, John 3, light, Matthew 13 parable of the sower, minister, ministry, mirror, mirror of the word, new creation, obedience, orphans, Paraliament, purification, repent, repentance, salvation, sanctification, scripture, service, sin, slavery, widows, William Wilberforce, word of God, works, worship
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“What Jesus Came To Do For You” (I Peter 3:18 sermon)
For the last several years, the social media platform “Twitter” has been gaining in popularity over “Facebook,” although the two are very different. One of the interesting things to see on Twitter is the biography that each person uses to … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Al Mohler, Augustine, Bill Elliff, Christ, Confessions Augustine, cross, death on the cross, face of God, gospel, health and wealth gospel, His presence, I Corinthians 15:1-3, I Peter 2:24, I Peter 3:18 sermon, Isaiah 59:2, It is finished, Jesus, John 19:30, just for the unjust, love of God, Mark Twain, Mark Vroegop, North Greenville University, prosperity gospel, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8, Ronnie Rogers, sacrifice, salvation, sin, sinners, steamboat pilot dies, tetelestai, the cross, Twitter
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“Grace That Is Greater Than The Inexcusable” (Mark 14:32-42 sermon)
C.S. Lewis wrote “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” That is a great statement, and very convicting regarding our attitude and practice towards others — but the power of … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Bible Reading, devotional time, excuses, failure, forgiveness, Garden of Gethsemane, grace, humiliation, I Timothy 1:15, Immeasurable grace, inexcusable, infinite grace, Jesus, Jesus answer, Jesus Christ, Job, love of God, lovingkindness, Mariana Trench, Mark 14:32-42, Mark 2:17, mercy, Mt. Everest, no excuses, ocean, prayer, Psalm 103, Psalm 103:11-14, Psalm 27, Psalm 5:3, quiet time, Romans 3:19, Romans 5:20, Ronnie Rogers, salvation, seeking His face, shame, sin
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The Sin of Indignation
“Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James & John.” (Mark 10:41) This verse highlights a danger that good Christians need to beware of. James and John had just asked Jesus that they might sit on His right … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged bitterness, division, fellowship, forgiveness, Genesis 4:7, indignation, jealousy, Mark 10:41, ministry, sin, strife, temptation, unity
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Psalm 119’s Most Important Lesson
”How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the Law of the LORD.” (Psalm 119:1) Well, that eliminates all of us, doesn’t it?! Psalm 119 is such a majestic Psalm. It is the longest Psalm, the longest … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged God's word, God’s commandments, God’s Law, Law of the Lord, Psalm 119, Psalm 119:1, Romans 3:10, salvation, sin, the Law
2 Comments
“The Hope” (Easter Sermon 2018)
A young man came into our church in Oklahoma City one Sunday morning, and he was in despair. His marriage, and really his whole life, had fallen apart, and he came to church in despair for help, and he said … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Acts 20:21, Acts 26, Acts 26:19-23, deeds of repentance, despair, Easter, Easter sermon, Ephesians 1 resurrection power, eternal life, hope, I Corinthians 6:9-10, Isaiah 53, Jesus resurrection, John Merrill football coach, power, promise, repent, repentance, repentance and faith, repenters, repenters and Christians, resurrection, Romania, sin, Stefan Berci, Tim Keller
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“What The Centurion Can Teach Us” (Acts 10 sermon)
Well I learned something new this week: Cheryl & I had dinner with Chris & Gina Bailey, and she made the best homemade eggrolls. I asked her what was in them, and one of the ingredients she mentioned was “white … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons
Tagged Acts 10, Acts 10 sermon, American flag symbol, baptism, baptism point of no return, baptism symbol, Baptist, commitment, Cornelius, Ephesians 1:13, faith, heaven, Holy Spirit, hymn To God Be The Glory, Muslims and Christian baptism, Nik Ripken, racism, Romans 3, salvation, sexuality, sin, subway, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives, the vilest offender who truly believes, universalism
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The Search For Delight (Psalm 37:4 sermon)
“Hedonism” is the belief that pleasure is the most important thing in the world, and that you should live your life, for pleasure. Most Christians would say that hedonism is wrong — but a few years ago pastor John Piper … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons
Tagged Alexander Von Humboldt, Amazon jungle, Bible Reading, Brave Companions David McCullough, C.S. Lewis, Christian hedonism, commitment, daily quiet time, delight, delight yourself, Delight yourself in the Lord, desires, devotion time, devotions, Divine Country, Ecclesiastes, effort, family, football, fulfillment, garden of Eden, heaven, hedonism, Hop on Pop, Job, John Piper, joy, Made To Crave, marriage, occupation, personal worship, pleasure, prayer, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 17:17, Psalm 37:4, Psalm 42, Psalm 4:7, quiet time, reading, river of delights, scripture memory, sin, Song This Blood, soul mate, vocation, worship
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The Other Side Of Love
“With reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity; You consume as a moth what is precious to him; surely every man is a mere breath.” (Psalm 39:11) Psalm 39:11 should be a standard memory verse for God’s people — but … Continue reading
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