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.
-
Top Posts & Pages
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Judgment Coming," for 2/22/26.
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 12:1-14, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Rejecting Legalism," for 2/15/26.
- 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)
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- Lifeway "Explore the Bible" Jonah 1:15-2:10 "No Escape"
- Basebaal Strikes Out
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: temptation
“Winning vs. Temptation: Jesus’ Example in Spiritual Warfare” (Matthew 4:1-11 sermon)
This last Saturday (March 18, 2017) an intruder kicked open the door of a house in Redding, California — but he picked the wrong home to invade. A California Highway Patrol Officer lived at that house, and he shot the … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged baby dedication, baseball, battle of the mind, Bible, Ephesians 6:10, Ephesians 6:17, family, God's word, goodness of God, home invasion, I Timothy 4:8, II Corinthians 10:5, Jesus example, Matthew 4:1-11, Matthew 4:1-11 sermon, protection, Proverbs 24:10, Psalm 119:68, scripture, scripture memory, self-defense, spiritual warfare, sports, sword of the Spirit, taking every thought captive, temptation, trials
Leave a comment
Do You Take The Money?
“And they took the money, and did as they had been instructed …” (Matthew 28:15 NASB) What an interesting sentence: “and they took the money.” The guards in this story knew the truth; they had been at the tomb and … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged avarice, compromise, greed, materialism, Matthew 28:15, money, temporal values, temptation, truth or treasure
Leave a comment
The Provision After The Test
“Then the devil left Him, and behold angels came, and began to minister to Him.” (Matthew 4:11) It is not accident that these words follow the series of temptations that Jesus experienced. The first of the temptations had to do … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged Matthew 4:11, provision, temptation, testing
Leave a comment
What You Really Need
The story of Jesus’ temptation by Satan in the wilderness is familiar to most of God’s people, but what He actually quoted to the enemy in His time of tempting is very instructive to us. Jesus quoted from Dueteronomy 8:2-3, … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized
Tagged Deuteronomy 8:2-3, God, Matthew 4:1-7, Matthew 4:4, need, perceived needs, purpose of trials, temptation
1 Comment
The Model Prayer: Spiritual Protection (Matthew 6:13 sermon)
(Preached at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, May 27, 2015) Much of America cheered some months ago when a Texas mother fought off three masked home invaders who came into the house where she and her little son were. With a … Continue reading
“The Discipline of the Model Prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13 sermon)
(Preached at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, 5-10-15) I attended a men’s retreat last year and I had the opportunity to talk to a man who shared with me that when he was a young Christian, he was challenged to spend … Continue reading
Don’t Take That Road!
After a brief introduction to the book, the wisdom of Proverbs begins in earnest in verse 10: “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.” It is no coincidence that the first word of wisdom given after the introduction … Continue reading
Are You Turning Away From Evil?
Job 1:1 says that Job “was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.” That phrase “turning away from evil” is an important one, which should challenge each of us:
Watch Out For This Trap!
Nehemiah’s enemies tried to trap him in Chapter 6 of that book, using a ploy which seems to be a common type of temptation used by the enemy. Perhaps it has been used against you — or may be soon?
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged compromise, God's word, Nehemiah 6:10-14, Satan, schemes of the enemy, sin, temptation, tempters
Leave a comment
As Persistent As They Are
Some people do not give up easily. Unfortunately the wicked often display more persistence than the people of God. It is revealing that in the Book of Nehemiah, Sanballat, Tobiah & Geshem, who were opposing Nehemiah’s work of rebuilding the … Continue reading
shawnethomas 