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 Preview of Matthew 16:13-26, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: "Following Jesus" for 3/15/26
- "This Is My Story: The Man Born Blind" (John 9 sermon)
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Preview of Matthew 15:1-11+, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson for March 8, 2026, "Real Devotion"
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "The Disciple's Character: Purity of Heart" (Matthew 5:8 sermon)
- "The Goodness of God in the Midst of Affliction" (Psalm 119:65-72 sermon)
- "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" (John 3:16 sermon)
- "Inviting Jesus Into Your Home" (Luke 10:38-42 sermon)
- "The Church That Made God Sick" (Revelation 3:14-22 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
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- Philippians sermons
- POTS (dysautonomia) articles
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- Revelation sermon series
- Reviews
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- The Model Prayer Series
- The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020)
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Tag Archives: temptation
“The Worst Trade Ever” (Matthew 4:10 sermon)
With baseball season starting this week, I was reading an article on the worst trades in baseball history. There were a number of contenders, but I have to agree with the one they identified as the worst: On December 26, … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged Babe Ruth trade, Boehmians, Deuteronomy 6:13, Dikkon Eberhart, discipleship, free love, God is your soul mate, immorality, John 17:24, John Calvin idol factory, love, Matthew 4:10 sermon, Psalm 147:1, Psalm 149, relationship, reward, Shawn Johnson, soul mate, suicide, temptation, The Time Mom Met Hitler Frost Came To Dinner and I Heard The Greatest Story Ever Told, worship
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“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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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