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 10:16-20, 26-34, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson for 2/01/26, "Loyalty Tested"
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 9:10-19, 23-26, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson "Mercy Extended" for 1/25/26
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 sermon)
- "This Is My Story: The Philippian Jailer" (Acts 16:25-34 sermon)
- "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" (John 3:16 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Psalm 1:1-6, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "God's Wisdom," for June 1, 2025.
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
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- The Model Prayer Series
- The Model Prayer series (FBCA 2020)
- This Week In Paradise (pastors family blog)
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- Uncategorized
- worship
Tag Archives: theology
He Longs To Be Gracious!
Isaiah 30:18 must be one of the most encouraging verses in all of the word of God: “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.” God had spent … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged compassion, God, grace, Isaiah 30:18, Prodigal Son, theology
3 Comments
“Prosperity Gospel”?
“To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless” (I Corinthians 4:11) Verses like this assure us that the Apostle Paul (as well as other New Testament writers) … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Doctrine/Theology
Tagged prosperity gospel, theology
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Does God Not Care?
“Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’” (Mark 4:38) The verse previous (:37) indicates that a “fierce gale of wind” … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged God, God's love, Mark 4:38, providence, theology
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Conspiracy Theories?
“Conspiracy theories” are popular with many people, and some of them gain traction among the Christian population as well. It should be instructive to us that scripture actually has a word that speaks to these, in Isaiah 8:12-13: “You are … Continue reading
“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 I had been pastoring for 12 years in Louisiana, and the longer I stood the more nauseated I became. I had to leave during prayer and have my … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged affliction, doctrine of God, God, God is good, Psalm 119:68 sermon, purposes for trials, theology, trial
3 Comments
When God Whistles They Come!
“He will also lift up a standard to the distant nation, and will whistle for it from the ends of the earth; and behold, it will come with speed swiftly.” (Isaiah 5:26) This verse give us one of the most … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged "Sovereignty of God", countries, God, history, Isaiah 6:26, nations, theology
1 Comment
A More Glorious Creator
Job 41:1-10 contains an interesting but somewhat enigmatic description of “Leviathan” in God’s response to Job. Some have taken pains to understand the details regarding this “Leviathan”, but :10 sheds light on the real point of the passage:
A Mixture of Error
Rarely does even a heretic get everything wrong. Usually the problem with a false teacher is that they have mixed SOME truth together with error. Elihu, the 4th and youngest of Job’s “friends”, is an example of this:
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged discernment, false teachers, heresy, Job 36, Job 37, prosperity gospel, theology
2 Comments
Job’s God And Ours
How big is your God? In Job 9:4-10 Job gives us an idea of his view of God. He says, among other things: — “It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how …” (:5) — “Who shakes … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged doctrine of God, glory, God, Job 9:4-10, theology
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General and Special Revelation (Psalm 19)
Psalm 19, which opens with those famous words: “The heavens declare the glory of God”, gives us a great example of what theologians call “General Revelation” and “Special Revelation.”
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Doctrine/Theology
Tagged creation, General Revelation, Psalm 19, Special Revelation, theology
2 Comments
shawnethomas 