Tag Archives: spiritual maturity

“Real Faith Seeks Wisdom” (James 1:5 sermon)

Posted on 2024/04/29 by Shawn Thomas

Sometimes when a pastor preaches verse-by-verse through a book of the Bible, he might come to a passage which he’s really not sure will apply to anyone in the congregation that day. I can assure you that the scripture we are … Continue reading →

“What Tested Faith Looks Like” (James 1:2-4 sermon)

Posted on 2024/04/22 by Shawn Thomas

John & Abigail Adams are one of my favorite couples from history. He was, of course, the 2nd President of the United States, and they were both Christians. He was away from home a lot, either serving in Congress or … Continue reading →

Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons | Tagged Abigail Adams, Book of James, C.S. Lewis, Christian growth, Christian life, count it all joy, Ephesians 4:13, faith, glorifying God, hupomeno, I Peter 1:6, I Peter 4:12, I walked a mile with pleasure, James, James 1:2-4, Joe McKeever, John & Abigail Adams, John Adams, John Newton, My Dearest Friend, persecution, Philippians 1:29, Psalm 4:7, purpose of suffering, Robert Browning Hamilton, Romans 5:3, Samuel Rutherford, spiritual growth, spiritual maturity, suffering, temptations, tested faith, testimony suffering, tests, The Cocoon, trials, trials purpose, various trials, What Real Faith Looks Like, when sorrow walked with me | Leave a comment

“Christian Contentment” (Philippians 4:10-14 sermon)

Posted on 2021/10/04 by Shawn Thomas

In Victor Hugo’s classic, Les Miserables, one of the early heroes in the story, whom the Lord uses to help turn around the life of the convict Jean Valjean, is Bishop Myriel. Unlike many churchmen in France at that time … Continue reading →

Posted in Philippians sermons, Sermons | Tagged Bible Reading, Bishop Myriel, buy, C.S. Lewis contentment, C.S. Lewis letter Mary Shelburne, C.S. Lewis old folks home, Christ will be with you, Christian contentment, church health, circumstances, circumstances and happiness, contentment, contentment in circumstances, context of Philippians 4:13, dangers of contentment, evangelism, God's will vs. my will, holiness, I can do all things through Christ meaning, I'm satisfied with just a cottage, Jesus, Jesus and contentment, Jesus makes the difference, Les Miserables, Madison Avenue, Nick Saban satisfaction, NOT your best life now, Philippians 4:10-14, Philippians 4:13, Philippians sermon, prayer, prosperity gospel, retail therapy, Romania hospital, secret to contentment, shopper's high, spending, spiritual growth, spiritual maturity, The Glory and the Dream by William Manchester, Victor Hugo, walk with God, what Philippians 4:13 does NOT mean | Leave a comment

“A Body In Motion” (Ephesians 4:11-16 sermon)

Posted on 2021/03/22 by Shawn Thomas

Sir Isaac Newton, the English scientist, is famous, among other things, for the “laws of motion” he formulated in the 1600’s: among them being that a body at rest tends to remain at rest, and a body in motion tends … Continue reading →

Posted in Ministry, Sermons | Tagged balance of truth and love, Bill Russell Player coach, body in motion, body of Christ, Christlikeness, church, church activities, church discipline, church equipping ministry, church growth, Church ministry, deceivers in the church, each part, Ephesians 4:11-16, equip the saints, equipping, every joint, false prophets, First Baptist Church Angleton, Isaac Newton, it takes us all, maturity, ministry project, pastor, pastor as coach, pastor as equipper, pastor as example, pastor as player-coach, people of God, Rosaria Butterfield, speaking the truth in love, spiritual maturity, unity of the faith, whole body, working together, Your relationship with others must be as strong as your words | 1 Comment

“The Goodness of God in the Midst of Affliction” (Psalm 119:65-72 sermon)

Posted on 2019/03/31 by Shawn Thomas

In February 2012, I stood to lead prayer meeting at the church in Louisiana I had pastored for 12 years, but the longer I stood the sicker I became. I had to leave during the prayer time and have my … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "Fall Apart" song, affliction, attributes of God, becoming like Christ, Christlikeness, cleansing, cocoon of a butterfly, confession, conformed to His image, dysautonomia, Ephesians 6, faith, faith testing, glory, God attributes, God goodnesss, God is good, God is good all the time, god is good and does good, God's purpose, good, grace, identification, II Corinthians 12:9, it is good for me that I was afflicted, John 17:3, knowing God, lessons, life, life purpose, Matthew 13 parable of the sower, maturity, minister, ministry, My grace is sufficient, pastor, pastor Shawn Thomas, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, POTS, prayers, priorities, Psalm 119 acrostic, Psalm 119:65-72, Psalm 119:67, purification, purpose for suffering, purpose for trials, purposes for affliction, Romans 8:28-29, Ronnie Rogers Trinity Baptist Norman, salvation, Shawn E. Thomas, sin, spiritual maturity, spiritual warfare, suffering, sword of the Spirit, test, teth, theodicy, theology, theology 101, thorn in the flesh, tob good, trials, word of God, You are good, You do good | 2 Comments

“Into The Wilderness”: The Principle of Spiritual Testing (Matthew 4:1 sermon)

Posted on 2017/03/20 by Shawn Thomas

Those of us who have children know that parenting can be a very “up and down” experience. Cheryl & I have talked about this a number of times. It’s like you never get to “sit on your laurels” — even … Continue reading →

Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Disciple Now, Elijah, Exodus 19, Golden Calf, i Kings 18, Jesus, Matthew 4:1 sermon, Moses, salvation, spiritual growth, spiritual high, spiritual maturity, testing, track & field, trials, wilderness, youth camp | Leave a comment

Seriously?

Posted on 2016/08/16 by Shawn Thomas

“Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?” (Matthew 15:33) Seriously? Where would they get enough bread to feed the multitude of 4000 who had been with Jesus and His disciples … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged experience, faith, Matthew 15, providence, provision, spiritual maturity, tests, trust | 1 Comment

Older Is Not Always Wiser

Posted on 2015/02/04 by Shawn Thomas

You have to be careful when you are quoting Job’s friends! Just because their words are recorded in scripture does not mean that what they said is good, or correct. But in Job 32:9 the younger “friend” Elihu made a … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged chronological age, Hebrews 5:12, Job 32:9, spiritual age, spiritual growth, spiritual maturity | 1 Comment

Growing to Maturity

Posted on 2013/10/04 by Shawn Thomas

Hebrews 5:14 is a verse with a lot of insight: “But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” This tells us something about spiritual maturity:

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged Hebrews 5:14, spiritual maturity | Leave a comment

Press On To Maturity

Posted on 2013/08/30 by Shawn Thomas

Hebrews 6:1 instructs us: “Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God …”. There seems to be, unfortunately, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged dumbing down preaching, Ephesians 4:13, Hebrews 6:1, spiritual maturity | 1 Comment