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 2:1-12, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Worship the King," for 12/21/25
- “Immanuel: God With Us” (Matthew 1:23 sermon)
- "The Example of Joseph" (Matthew 1:18-25 sermon)
- "He Will Save His People From Their Sins" (Matthew 1:21 Sermon)
- "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" (John 3:16 sermon)
- "A 'Real Life' Christmas" (Luke 2:1-11 sermon)
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "Your Response to Christmas" (Matthew 2:1-12 Sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 4:12-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson "Invitation," for 12/14/25
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 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: suffering
“The Goodness of God in the Midst of Affliction” (Psalm 119:65-72 sermon)
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
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God’s Children: NOT Exempt From Suffering
In early 1865, hundreds of thousands of men from the North were being drafted into the Union Army to help finally bring an end to the war. President Abraham Lincoln’s own son Robert was now also being sent. Lincoln’s wife … Continue reading
Standing By The Cross
“Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene.” (John 19:25) Don’t miss this little phrase in the narrative which describes … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized
Tagged commitment, conversation, courage, cross, cross of Jesus, dedication, discipleship, evangelism, faith, John 19:25, lifestyle, loyalty, persecution, preaching, salvation, standing by the cross, suffering, The Old Rugged Cross, trust, witnessing
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“With Him”
“Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.’” (John 11:16) Thomas’ words here were very courageous. They also remind us of the heart of discipleship, and … Continue reading
“The Disciple’s Character: Persecuted” (Matthew 5:10-12 sermon)
Henry Blackaby, the author of Experiencing God, one time prayed a prayer that many of us have perhaps prayed at one time or another: “Lord, make me like You.” But Blackaby shared that when he prayed those words, God directed … Continue reading
Posted in "The Disciple's Character" series (Beatitudes Mt. 5:3-12), Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Beatitudes, character, character of Christ, disciple's character, hate crimes, Henry Blackaby, homosexuality, I Peter 2:20, India, Isaiah 53, Matthew 5:10-12 sermon, Matthew 5:3-12, persecuted for righteousness, persecution, RSS, suffering, William Tyndale
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3 Reasons For Comfort In Affliction
“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” (II Corinthians 4:17) The Apostle Paul gives the Corinthians — and us — three reasons in this verse why we can find comfort … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged affliction, comfort, glory, II Corinthians 4:17, purpose in suffering, Romans 8:18, suffering, trials
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Not In This World
“If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (I Corinthians 15:19) How important is Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? In this part of I Corinthians 15, Paul listed a … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged eternity, I Corinthians 15:19, prosperity gospel, rewards, suffering, Your Best Life Now
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Chosen To Die
“For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.” (I Corinthians 4:9) To be chosen by God is … Continue reading
If I Were In Your Place
One of the striking statements of the book of Job is found in 16:4, where Job tells his “friends”: “I too could speak like you, if I were in your place.” It should cause each of us to ponder the … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged compassion, discrimination, Job 16:4, judgment, suffering
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A Friend Indeed
Who can advise you as to how you should respond to a friend who is going through a difficult trial? Who better than the Biblical character Job, who knew something about it? In Job 6:14 he speaks a word for … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged counsel, friend, friendship, Job, Job 6:14, suffering, trials
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