Tag Archives: trials

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: John 11:32-46, “I AM The Resurrection”

Posted on 2023/02/18 by Shawn Thomas

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 | 7 Comments

“Standing Firm in Difficult Days” (Philippians 4:1-3)

Posted on 2021/09/20 by Shawn Thomas

So: this year we’ve had COVID, and a devastating winter storm, and now the eye of a hurricane pass right over us. Add to that all of the personal and family trials we’ve each had, and I know some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Philippians sermons, Sermons | Tagged be on the team, Christian fellowship, Christian service, Christian unity, church, church attendance, church divisions, COVID, COVID and church attendance, do not grow weary, Euodia and Syntyche, fellow workers, Galatians 6:9 do not grow weary, gifts, Jesus John 17 unity, ministry, Olympic rowing, perseverance, Philippians 4:1-3 sermon, service, stand firm, Standing Frim, storm, sunathelo, sunergoi, trials, unity in service, unity in worship, video services vs. in person, you can't get a hug on tv | 2 Comments

“God’s Goal For Your Life” (Matthew 5:3-12 sermon)

Posted on 2021/01/11 by Shawn Thomas

I’ve heard a number of people talk about their goals for this New Year in 2021: goals for health and diet and exercise. Our daughter Libby asked me the other night what my goal was for how many books I’ll … Continue reading →

Posted in Beatitudes Series 2020 FBCA, Discipleship, Sermons | Tagged 8 qualities of the Beatitudes, aiming at wrong target, Baptist B's, Beatitudes, Billy Graham Secret of Happiness, character of Christ, Christian character, conformed to the image of Hi Son, Ephesians 4:13, Francis Chan Crazy Love, God's Goal for your life, God's goals, humility, I John 3:2, image of Christ, image of His Son, Jesus and the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3-12, mercy, New Year goal, numerical goals, picture of Jesus in Beatitudes, portrait of Christ, poverty in spirit, purpose of trials, Romans 8:28-29, spiritual goals, spiritual success, succeeding at things that don't really matter, success, trials | 2 Comments

“The Refiner’s Fire” (Malachi 3:1-4 sermon)

Posted on 2020/04/20 by Shawn Thomas

Ruth Bell Graham was the wife of the famous evangelist Billy Graham. Billy had of course garnered so much world-wide attention, having been seen on tv, and having written so many books, and so on — but after some years, … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19 crisis assorted messages, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Babylonian Captivity, Billy Graham, Bishop Moule no situation so chaotic, Brass Bell Milwaukee, busy-ness, C.S. Lewis, circumstances, coronavirus crisis, COVID-19, daily Bible reading, devotional time, devotions, Ephesians 1:11, finances, financial crisis, fuller's soap, Genesis Joseph, God, God's purpose, growing through trials, Hebrews 13:5, holiness, holy, II Corinthians 12 Apostle Paul, It's My Turn Graham, Italy doctor COVID-19 atheist, Malachi 3:1-4 sermon, money, normal, offerings in righteousness, pandemic, Peter Acts 2 sermon, predestined plan and purpose of God, purification, purpose, refiner's fire, relationships, rest, Romans 8:28, Ruth Bell Graham, sacrifice of praise, sanctification, schedule, sickness, Thanksgiving, thorn in the flesh, time, trials, worship | Leave a comment

“Faith In Crisis” (Psalm 74 sermon)

Posted on 2020/04/06 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 74 “Faith in Crisis” (COVID crisis Sunday #4, 4/05/20) The verses we find here in Psalm 74 are not going to make many “verse-of-the-day” Bible calendars: “O God, why have You rejected us forever?” “The enemy has damaged everything … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19 crisis assorted messages, Current Events, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged A. Scott Berg Lindbergh, Asaph, Babylonian Captivity idolatry, C.S. Lewis Screwtape Letters, Charles Lindbergh 1927 flight, commitment, commitment to Jesus, coronavirus, COVID-19, COVID-19 crisis, COVID-19 prayers, crisis, daily Bible reading, daily devotions, daily worship, Daniel 4:17-18, devotional time, faith in crisis, forsaken, girl praying, girl praying for Lindbergh, ICU doctor St. John's Tulsa, intercession, Jeremiah 7:4, Jesus is King, Jesus is Lord, Job 13:15, obedience, perseverance, prayer, Psalm 22:3, Psalm 74, questioning God, Romans 10:9, salvation, seeking God, The Temple of the Lord, theodicy, trials, Tulsa World, Why have you rejected us?, Yet, yet You are my King from of old, Yours also is the night | 2 Comments

“Tried By Fire” (I Peter 1:6-7 sermon)

Posted on 2019/05/06 by Shawn Thomas

Theodore Roosevelt was a man of very unique character: he gloried in facing obstacles and overcoming them. He would take his guests out on a 20-mile hike – and much to their dismay, the tougher the course, the better he … Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Christianity in America, confess Jesus, confession, dark year, difficulties, distress, facing death, faith, faith proof, Garden of Gethsemane, Hawaii, I Peter 1:6-7 sermon, I Peter sermon, illness, John Calvin, John Calvin blocks of wood, joy, joy in trials, maturity, perseverance, professions of faith, real faith, refined by fire, rejoice, reward for trials, rewards, run tee shirts, salvation, saved, saving faith, temptations, Theodore Roosevelt, trials, tried by fire, various trials | Leave a comment

“The Goodness of God in the Midst of Affliction” (Psalm 119:65-72 sermon)

Posted on 2019/03/31 by Shawn Thomas

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 | 2 Comments

The Lord’s Presence in Our Storms

Posted on 2017/09/07 by Shawn Thomas

In Matthew 1 the angel told Joseph that one of Jesus’ “nicknames” would be “Immanuel”, which means, “God With Us.” That is no small thing. In fact, it means everything that God is with us. He created us originally to … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged difficulties, family, God with us, Hurricane Harvey, Immanuel, John 16:33, presence of God, problems, Psalm 46 devotion, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 46:10, Psalm 4:6, storms, trials, tribulations, Very present help | Leave a comment

The Father’s Pruning Work

Posted on 2017/08/03 by Shawn Thomas

“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:2) Christians who undergo trials or difficulties may be tempted to … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized | Tagged bearing fruit, branches, discipleship, fruit, fruitfulness, holiness, John 15:2, pruning, sanctification, service, trials, vine, vinedresser | 2 Comments

“You Will Understand Hereafter”

Posted on 2017/07/10 by Shawn Thomas

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.’” (John 13:7) Of how many things that happen to us are these words true: “What I do you do not realize now, … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged discipleship, faith, John 13:7, trials, trust, understanding, wisdom | 1 Comment