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
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- missions
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- Philippians sermons
- POTS (dysautonomia) articles
- Psalms studies and messages
- Revelation sermon series
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- The Model Prayer Series
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Tag Archives: What Real Faith Looks Like
“What Real Faith Looks Like: Real Faith Affects the Way You Talk” (James 3:1-12 message)
James 3:1-12 “What Real Faith Looks Like: Real Faith Affects the Way You Talk” Francis Carpenter was an eminent American portrait painter back in the 1800s. Among the people he painted was President Abraham Lincoln. For six months he would … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Admiral Dewey, Book of James, C.J. Stroud, careless words, children, Christian life, convicted for being a Christian, cursing, Dwight Eisenhower, faith, forest fire, forgiveness, Francis Carpenter, fruit, George Patton, gospel, holiness, horse bit, Jacqueline Winspear, James, James 2, James 3, Jesus, John Wooden, language, Maisy Dobbs, mine ponies, parents, rudder, salvation, ship, sin, speech, swear words, talk, Theodore Roosevelt, tongue, Welch revival, What Real Faith Looks Like, words, works
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: True Religion” (James 1:26-27 sermon)
What does a “religious” person look like? What do you envision when you think of someone who is “religious”? Someone carrying a big Bible, or wearing a cross around their neck? Maybe somebody speaking from a pulpit, or singing a … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: Relationships & Righteousness” (James 1:19-21 sermon)
In the fall of 1871, explorer Harry Stanley found missionary Dr. Livingstone in Ujiji, Africa, after he had been lost to civilization for several years. It was then that he uttered those famous words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume.” Staying there … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
Tagged A.T. Robertson, anger, Bible, Christianity, continual repentance, conversation, dads, Dr. Livingstone, ethics, evangelism, faith, fathers, Fathers Day, garden, gay Christian, gospel, Harry Stanley, hearing, holiness, humility, James, James 1, James 1 sermon, ministry, mouth, proverbs, quick to hear, real Christianity, receive Jesus, relationships, repent, repentance, salvation, sanctification, saving faith, sermons, Shekinah, sin, slow to anger, slow to speak, Sunday school class, teaching, temper, thrice was Moses angry, two ears one mouth, weeds, What Real Faith Looks Like, witness, word implanted, words, Zeno
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: The Blame Game” (James 1:13-16 sermon)
On our trip to see our grand daughters baptized, Cheryl & I stopped to see a couple of Presidential libraries, including Jimmy Carter’s in Atlanta. I had to chuckle when we stopped there, because we have an ongoing joke in … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged A.T. Robertson, ABCs of salvation, accountability, Adam & Eve, alpha privative, blame, blame God, blaming God, Book of James, born this way, C.S. Lewis, Calvinism, Charles Guiteau, Clint Hill, David and Bathsheba, Dwight D. Eisenhower, excuses, first step to salvation, free will, Gary Powers, genetic predisposition, God, God author of sin, Greek grammar, habits, homosexuality, how to be saved, James, James 1, James 1:13-16 sermon, James sermons, Jesus, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, King David, lust, Mere Christianity, peirazo, President Eisenhower, Psalm 51, responsibility, Ronald Reagan, salvation, sin, temptation, temptations, The Blame Game, trials, trials vs temptations, Westminister Confession, What Real Faith Looks Like
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: Perseverance” (James 1:12 sermon)
We’ve got one of my very favorite family pictures to put up on the screen: In 1998, I ran the Tulsa Run road race with Paul, David & Libby, our three oldest kids. Cheryl took this picture of the four of us at my … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
Tagged A.T. Bobertson, acid test, acid test gold, approval, approved, assurance, assurance of salvation, Book of James, crown of life, dokimos, eternal security, family, gold, gold test, I Corinthians 13, I Peter 1:6-7, if saved always saved, James, James 1:12, love, Matthew 13, once saved always saved, Parable of the Sower, perseverance, perseverance of the saints, Romans 16:10, seal of approval, stephanos, tested like gold, tests, trials, Tulsa Run, What Real Faith Looks Like
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“What Real Faith Looks Like” (Introduction to the Book of James)
Some time ago I was visiting with a pastor in another state, and he was talking about how there are well over 30 churches in just their small community. He said, “You know how it is here; everyone says they … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like
Tagged American Christianity, assurance, Bible, Book of James, Christianity, commandments, conviction, conviction of sin, easy believism, epistle of straw, faith, God's Law, gospel, how can I be saved, James, James 3, Jesus, John Ryland, Lord, Lord Lord, Martin Luther, meddling in my private life, salvation, Samuel Rutherford, saving faith, scripture memory, sin, strawy epistle, Tennessee Williams, testimony, tongue, What Real Faith Looks Like, words, works
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: Perseverance” (James 1:12)
In 1998, I ran the Tulsa Run road race with Paul, David & Libby, our three oldest kids. Cheryl took a picture of the four of us at my favorite time of a race: when it was OVER! After the Tulsa run … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged A.T. Robertson, acid test, Apelles, approved, assurance, authenticity of gold, crown of life, crown of righteousness, diadem, dokimos, games, Genesis 29, genuine faith, I Corinthians 13:7, I Peter 1:6-7, II Timothy 4:7-8, Jacob, James 1:12 sermon, Josephus, kingly crown, love, Matthew 13, nitric acid, once saved always saved, Parable of the Sower, perserverance, perseverance of love, possession of faith, profession of faith, proof of your faith, Rachel, Romans 16:10, salvation prayer, stamp of authenticity, stephanos, tested faith, tests, tests for gold, trials, Tulsa Run, victor's crown, What Real Faith Looks Like
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: Total Commitment” (James 1:6-8)
Cheryl and Michael & I were waiting in the drive through at Wendy’s the other day, and it looked like the people in front of us were having a difficult time making up their mind as to what they wanted … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged Charles Spurgeon, Choose whom you will serve, commitment, cool vs. Christ, double-minded, doubt, doubting, Ephesians 4:14, faith, God or mammon, Hipster Faith, I Kings 18:21, inconsistency, James 1:6-8 sermon, Joshua 24:15, lack of commitment, Landry Jones, Matthew 6:24, Mr. Facing Both Ways, seeking God, split personality, total commitment, two-headed snake, What Real Faith Looks Like, Whitney Hand
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