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 Preview of Matthew 16:13-26, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "Following Jesus" for 3/15/26
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 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"
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Man Born Blind" (John 9 sermon)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- "The Most Important Thing" (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 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: sin
Unalterable Consequences of Sin
II Samuel 24:10 says, “Now David’s heart troubled him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD: ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of … Continue reading
The Root Issue of Sin
II Samuel 12 relates how Nathan the prophet boldly confronted King David after his adultery with Bathsheba. In :10 he tells the king: “Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged Great Commandment, heart of sin, II Samuel 12:10, John 14:15, love, root issue, sin
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Hurtful Ways
In Psalm 139:23 David asks: “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” Then in :24 he prays: “and see if there be any hurtful way in me.” “Hurtful way” here is literally, “way of pain.” Our sinful, or ungodly … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged confession, hurt, pain, Psalm 139:23-24, repentance, self-evaluation, sin
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What Voracity Reveals
Hebrews 12:16 exhorts: “that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.” This verse is very revealing, not only about Esau, but many people today as well. It teaches us … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged depravity, Hebrews 12:16, immorality, Philippians 3:19, sin, voracity
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So Easily Entangled
Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged entanglements, Ephesians 6:10, Genesis 4:7, Hebrews 12:1, holiness, sin, temptation
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Many Dangers, Toils & Snares
As we see from this insightful segment of Richard Baxter’s The Saints’ Everlasting Rest, every single state we may find ourselves in here on earth places us in the danger of one temptation or another, due to our own wicked … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Ministry
Tagged confession, evaluation, examination, Lord's Supper, self-watch, sin, temptations
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The Revealing Nature of Mourning
Psalm 79:1 begins with a mournful prayer: “O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance …”. The writer of Psalm 79 is a mourner, and it is important to understand the cause of his grief. It is obvious to the … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged blessed are those who mourn, Matthew 5:4, mourning, Psalm 79, sin
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When You’ve Messed Up: (Part VI) Don’t Take Grace Lightly!
The message of I Samuel 12 to a people who had sinned is a hopeful one: if they will admit their sin, God will forgive, and they should not give up on their relationship with Him. But it ends with … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged cheap grace, forgiveness, grace, I Samuel 12:24-25, John 8, repentance, sin
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When You’ve Messed Up: (Part II) Admit Your Sin
We saw yesterday that Israel had “messed up” by asking God for a king to rule over them, so that they could be “like all the peoples.” Then in I Samuel 12, God showed the people of Israel clearly that … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged admit blame, confess sin, confession, excuse, I Samuel 12:17-19, justify, messed up, minimize, sin
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When You’ve Messed Up (Part I: Introduction)
God has blessed Cheryl & I with some pretty good kids. People are always complimenting us on them, and saying what great parents we must be, but I can tell you for certain that we did not get the kind … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged confession, I Samuel 12, parenting, repentance, restoration, sin
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