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 Joshua 1:1-11, 16-18, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson: "Strong & Courageous" for 6/07/26
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 27:27-31, 45-54, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Our Savior," for 5/31/26
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Numbers 14:11-24, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Rebellion & Judgment" for 9/28/25
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 26:17-30, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Our Atonement," for 5/24/26
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 sermon)
- "Seeking Him First" (Matthew 6:33 sermon)
- "The Gift That Is An Insult" (I Kings 9:10-14)
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: success
Teacher’s Overview of Joshua 1:1-11, 16-18, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson: “Strong & Courageous” for 6/07/26
Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text highlights and outline, illustrations you can use, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications you can make. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRODUCTION: ???DISCUSSION … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged anxiety, Bible study, big talk, Book of Joshua, church, church staff, courage, discipleship, do not be afraid, do not fear, do the word, doers of the world, Dwight Eisenhower, Explore the Bible, faith, fear, fear not, God's promise, Israel, Jesus, John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage, John Quincy Adams, Joshua, Joshua the son of Nun, Lifeway, meditation, ministry, Moses, pastors, Promised Land, promises, Rick Atkinson An Army at Dawn, scripture, scripture meditation, scripture memorization, servant leadership, service, Shawn E. Thomas, Shawn Thomas, strength, strong and courageous, success, Sunday school lesson, the new Joshua, timidity, word faith, youth ministry
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“God’s Goal For Your Life” (Matthew 5:3-12 sermon)
I’ve heard a number of people talk about their goals for this New Year in 2021: goals for health and diet and exercise. Our daughter Libby asked me the other night what my goal was for how many books I’ll … Continue reading
Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Discipleship, Sermons
Tagged 8 qualities of the Beatitudes, aiming at wrong target, Baptist B's, Beatitudes, Billy Graham Secret of Happiness, character of Christ, Christian character, conformed to the image of Hi Son, Ephesians 4:13, Francis Chan Crazy Love, God's Goal for your life, God's goals, humility, I John 3:2, image of Christ, image of His Son, Jesus and the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3-12, mercy, New Year goal, numerical goals, picture of Jesus in Beatitudes, portrait of Christ, poverty in spirit, purpose of trials, Romans 8:28-29, spiritual goals, spiritual success, succeeding at things that don't really matter, success, trials
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“The King & The Disciples” (Matthew 5:1-2 sermon)
I have never in my lifetime seen the kind of vindictiveness expressed towards a president as we have seen evidenced towards President Trump: the hatred, lack of submission, people saying “He’s not my President”, etc. I was not a big … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged 30 minute church service, Beatitudes, Bible, Bible Reading, Bible study, Chuck Quarles, Cliff Jenkins, commitment, consumer church, consumer mentality, convenience, crowds, daily bread, daily walk, Deuteronomy 8:3, devotional time, disciples, discipleship, entertainment, family, follow Me, following Jesus, God's will, God's word as food, Golden Calf, honey, Isaiah 53:6, Jesus, king, King Saul, Matthew 10:37, Matthew 4:4, Matthew 5:1-2, meat, milk, ministry, mission partnership, missions, Moses, Mount of the Beatitudes, Mt. Sinai, Pandering, persecution, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh mission churches, popularity, prayer, priorities, Psalm 119:103, quiet time, salvation, scripture, SEBTS, Sermon on the Mount, service, solid food, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, success, truth, walk with God
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The Source Of Ministerial Success
“A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.” (John 1:27) John the Baptist set forth a general principle here which applies in every area of life. We receive nothing that does not come from God … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged church, gifts, humility, II TImothy 2:21, James 1:17, jealousy, John 1:27, minister, ministry, pastor, providence, Romans 9:16, service, success
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When Self-Congratulation Is Not In Order
I Samuel 15 narrates how God commanded Saul to attack the Amalekites, and utterly destroy them and all their possessions. Saul did indeed launch the attack, but he spared the king, Agag, as well as “the best” of the animals … Continue reading