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: theodicy
Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Jeremiah 12:1-13, “Exclusive”
A brief overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Jeremiah 12:1-13 for Sunday, June 25, 2023, with the title, “Exclusive.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO ??? Can you share a time … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged ask God why, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Boss Tweed, gay wedding cake, God, hang on, Hosea 11, How can I give you up, Jeremiah, Jeremiah 12:1-13, Jeremiah 12:1-13 Bible Study, Jeremiah 12:1-13 Sunday school lesson, Jesus why have You forsaken Me, judgment, Lifeway Explore the Bible, love, Matthew 15:8, Prodigal Son, Psalm 43:2 why, Psalm 73, run with footmen, stick to it, Sunday school teacher help, Sweet Cakes By Melissa, theodicy, wicked prosper
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: John 11:32-46, “I AM The Resurrection”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of John 11:32-46, for Sunday, February 26, 2023, wit the title, “I Am The Resurrection.” (A video version of this overview is available … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Do you believe this, Explore the Bible teacher help, faith, funeral story, he whom You love, Jesus Deity, Jesus humanity, Jesus I am the resurrection, Jesus love, Jesus power, Jesus wept, John 11 Sunday school lesson help, John 11 teaching outline, Lazarus Mary Martha, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson John 11, Lifeway John 11 teacher help, questioning God, questions for God, resurrection, salvation, the one Jesus loved, theodicy, trials, trust in God
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“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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Trusting Providence In A Fallen World (Matt. 2:13-23 sermon)
I hope that you are among those who had a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year — but I know that not everyone did. Our lives are often very difficult, and if you’ve never noticed, problems don’t usually take … Continue reading
Posted in Matthew sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged A.W. Tozer, Bible prophecy, creation, Ephesians 1:11, fallen world, God's providence, Isaiah 65, Matthew 2:13-23 sermon, nature, prophecy, providence, Romans 8:19-22, Romans 8:28, sin nature, sovereignty, The Knowledge of the Holy, theodicy
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He Didn’t Get Away With It
II Kings 21 doesn’t seem to end right. With all the evil described of King Manasseh & Judah in verses 2-16 (that they were worse than the pagan nations which had preceded them) and the punishment promised by the prophets … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged evil prosper, faith, Hebrews 9:27, II Kings 21, judgment, prosperity of wicked, Psalm 73, theodicy
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God’s Not In Our “Box”!
II Kings 14 tells a story which is hard for many of us to put in our “box”, theologically speaking. It relates how Jeroboam II came to reign over the northern tribes of Israel. Jeroboam was named for the infamous … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged II Kings 14, Jeroboam II, theodicy, why do wicked prosper
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