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.
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 12:1-14, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Rejecting Legalism," for 2/15/26.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 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)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- Basebaal Strikes Out
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 sermon)
- “No Strange Fire: Honoring God in Worship” (Leviticus 10:1-3 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
“What Real Faith Looks Like: Relationships & Righteousness” (James 1:19-21 sermon)
In the fall of 1871, explorer Harry Stanley found missionary Dr. Livingstone in Ujiji, Africa, after he had been lost to civilization for several years. It was then that he uttered those famous words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume.” Staying there … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
Tagged A.T. Robertson, anger, Bible, Christianity, continual repentance, conversation, dads, Dr. Livingstone, ethics, evangelism, faith, fathers, Fathers Day, garden, gay Christian, gospel, Harry Stanley, hearing, holiness, humility, James, James 1, James 1 sermon, ministry, mouth, proverbs, quick to hear, real Christianity, receive Jesus, relationships, repent, repentance, salvation, sanctification, saving faith, sermons, Shekinah, sin, slow to anger, slow to speak, Sunday school class, teaching, temper, thrice was Moses angry, two ears one mouth, weeds, What Real Faith Looks Like, witness, word implanted, words, Zeno
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: The Blame Game” (James 1:13-16 sermon)
On our trip to see our grand daughters baptized, Cheryl & I stopped to see a couple of Presidential libraries, including Jimmy Carter’s in Atlanta. I had to chuckle when we stopped there, because we have an ongoing joke in … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged A.T. Robertson, ABCs of salvation, accountability, Adam & Eve, alpha privative, blame, blame God, blaming God, Book of James, born this way, C.S. Lewis, Calvinism, Charles Guiteau, Clint Hill, David and Bathsheba, Dwight D. Eisenhower, excuses, first step to salvation, free will, Gary Powers, genetic predisposition, God, God author of sin, Greek grammar, habits, homosexuality, how to be saved, James, James 1, James 1:13-16 sermon, James sermons, Jesus, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, King David, lust, Mere Christianity, peirazo, President Eisenhower, Psalm 51, responsibility, Ronald Reagan, salvation, sin, temptation, temptations, The Blame Game, trials, trials vs temptations, Westminister Confession, What Real Faith Looks Like
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 37, “Dreamer” for April 28, 2024.
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 37:5-8, 18-28, for Sunday, April. 28, 2024 with the title, “Dreamer.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged 10 Commandments, 5 Love Languages, church, church conflict, Dreamer, Explore the Bible, family, family conflict, Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman, Genesis 37, God's providence, God's sovereignty, gospel, grace, hagiography, His Very Best, I John 1:8, Israel, Jacob, jealousy, Jimmy Carter, Job, Jonathan Alter, Joseph, Joseph's brothers, lesson overview, Lifeway, marriage, Messiah, problem, providence, responsibility of man, salvation, sin, sovereignty, Sunday School teacher, workplace confict
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“What James’ Faith Looked Like” (James 1:1 sermon)
This summer the Olympics will return to Paris France. It’s always fun to see how our American athletes do — and usually somebody from our country wins, and shares their Christian testimony. In 2008 a young man by the name … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged anointed One, Bible, Book of James, C.S. Lewis, Christ, Christian testimony, commitment, David Boudia, doulos, faith, God, heaven, James, James the brother of Jesus, Jesus, Lord, Lord Jesus Christ, Mary, Mere Christianity, Messiah, Nicodemus, personal relationship, rich young ruler, salvation, saving faith, sin, slave
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“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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Genesis 32:22-32 Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for 4/14/23, “Wrestled”
(A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 32:22-32, “Wrestled,” for Sunday, April 14, 2024. Includes a sample lesson introduction, outline, text highlights, illustrations, questions for your class, and … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged baptism, Bible, Bible study, Bill Elliff, Blessed, Christophany, conviction, D Day, Dwight Eisenhower, Explore the Bible, Genesis, Genesis 32, Genesis 32:22-32, God, Habakkuk 2:1, heel snatcher, Israel, Jacob, Jacob wrestling, Jesus, Lifeway, Lord's Supper, Luke 11, Luke 18, name, Peniel, prayer, remembrances, Romans 10:1, Romans 9:1, salvation, sin, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, supplanter, teacher help, wrestling with God
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: Genesis 27:18-30, “A Deceiver”
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 27:18-30, “A Deceiver,” for Sunday, March 17, 2024. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: ??? … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged 10 Commandments, Acts 2:23, Bathsheba, Bible, Bible study, Deceiver, Eru, Esau, Explore the Bible, Genesis, Genesis 27, Genesis 27:18-30, God bless the broken road, grace, heel snatcher, inquire of the Lord, Isaac, Isaac and Rebekah, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jacob, Jacob and Esau, Jesus, Lifeway, Melkor, pray, prayer, prescriptive vs. descriptive, Rebekah, Romans 11:33, Romans 3:23, salvation, Simarillion, sin, sovereignty vs responsibility, Sunday School teacher, supplanter, twins, Why God?
8 Comments
“Suffering Servant/Glorious King: Consider Him!” (Isaiah 53:8 sermon)
A few years ago I was reading an interview they did with a man, who was highly regarded as someone who was very intelligent, and they asked him: “Do you believe in heaven and the afterlife?” And this man answered, … Continue reading
Posted in Isaiah 53 sermon series Suffering Servant Glorious King, Sermons
Tagged Bill Tolar, Bill Tolar testimony, C.S. Lewis Screwtape Letters, consider Him, cross, demons, devil, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53 sermon, Isaiah 53:8, Jesus, Matthew Henry, Messiah, Old Testament prophecy, resurrection, Romans 1:4, salvation, sin, spiritual warfare, substitutionary atonement, Suffering Servant, vindication
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