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)
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- "A 'Real Life' Christmas" (Luke 2:1-11 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: Sunday school help
Teacher’s Overview of Matthew 4:12-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson “Invitation,” for 12/14/25
For Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, lesson outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications you can make. A video version of this … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Andrew, Baptist, call of the disciples, call to mission, Capernaum, church mission, church purpose, church purpose statement, December 14 2025 lesson, discipleship, ecclesiology, evangelism, Explore the Bible, fishermen, following Jesus, fulfill, instant obedience, invitation, James, John, lesson outline, Lifeway, Making of the President 1960, Mark Twain, Matthew, Matthew 4:12-25, ministry, ministry evaluation, ministry metric, ministry motto, missions, obedience, Old Testament prophecy, Old Testament quotes in Matthew, Reaching Teaching Caring, Ron Chernow, shawnethomas, Southern Baptist, Steve Jobs Walter Isaacson, Sunday School, Sunday school discussion questions, Sunday school help, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school lesson applications, Sunday school lesson illustrations, Sunday School teacher, Sunday School training, Sunday School University, Theodore White John Kennedy
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Teacher’s Overview of Deuteronomy 12:1-11, 29-32, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Undivided Worship,” for 11/09/25
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson for November 9, 2025 on Deuteronomy 12. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Asherah, Asherim, Bible, Bible worship, Biblical Archeology Society, compromise, David Foster Wallace quote, Deuteronomy 12, Deuteronomy 12:1-11, every man did what was right in his own eyes, everybody worships, Explore the Bible, feminism, First Amendment, giving, God, homosexuality in churches, idol worship, idolatry, illustration, Jesus, lesson outline, Lifeway, Lord's Supper, New Testament worship, Old Testament worship, Plains of Moab, prayer, priesthood of the believer, regulative principle of worship, Shawn E. Thomas, Shawn Thomas, Sunday School, Sunday school help, Sunday School teacher, tithing, Undivided Worship, worship, worship commands, www.shawnethomas.com
10 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 2:41-47, “United”
And overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 2:41-47, for Sunday, June 16, 2024, with the title, “United.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Acts, Acts 2, Acts 2:41-47, apostolic teaching, At Arm's Length, baptism, believer's baptism, Bible, Bill Elliff, Book of Acts, church in Acts, Dan Emmitt, Early Church, Explore the Bible, fellowship, house of prayer, infant baptism, Jack Tillery, kidney transplant, koinonia, lesson overview, lesson plan, Lifeway, love, marks of the church, prayer, Simply Prayer, sprinkling baptism, Sunday School, Sunday school help, Sunday School teacher, unity, word of God
3 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 3:1-7, 21-24 “The First Sin”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 3:1-7, 21-24, “The First Sin,” for Sunday, December 17, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "The First Sin", Adam and Eve, as God now is man shall become, as man now is God once was, Bible, consequences of sin, do not love the world, Explore the Bible, first sin, Genesis, Genesis 3:1-7, Genesis Bible study, Genesis Sunday school lesson, God's word, has God said?, I John 2:15-17, James Dobson, John Milton, Lifeway, lust, lust of the flesh lust of the eyes boastful pride of life, marriage, Mormonism, Paradise Lost, protevangelium, R.C. Sproul, repentance, Revelation 12:9, salvation, Satan, Satan's schemes, serpent, sin, sin is cosmic treason, Sunday school help, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, temptation, The First Gospel, The Garden of Eden
6 Comments