Tag Archives: witness

“Your Witness Under Authority” (I Peter 2:13-20 sermon)

Posted on 2019/08/19 by Shawn Thomas

When General Douglas MacArthur was stationed in the Philippines, he was given an order to survey the whole area of Bataan, the jungly, mountainous peninsula at the mouth of Manila Bay. Another officer on his staff saw the order and … Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 5, authority, Biblical submission, boss, Caesar is Lord, children, Christos Kurios, Daniel 1, discipline, Ephesians 1, evangelism, exceptions to submission, family, Franklin Graham, gay pride soccer jerseys, General Douglas MacArthur, government, honor the king, hupotasso, I Peter 2:13-20, I Peter sermon, Jaelene Hinckle, Jesus is Lord, Kurios Kaiseros, Law, Lordship of Christ, Nero Caesar, obedience, parents, police, President of the United States, proper role of government, render to Caesar, respect, respect authority, respect for the office, respect teachers, Roman emperor worship, Romans 13, Romans 13:1-6, Ruth Graham It's My Turn, school, submission, submission to authority, submit, supervisor, tax, teachers, U.S. women's soccer, we must obey God rather than men, William Manchester American Caesar, witness, witness of submission, workplace | Leave a comment

“You’re Not From Around Here” (I Peter 2:11-12 sermon)

Posted on 2019/08/12 by Shawn Thomas

Our daughter Libby grew up in Oklahoma and Louisiana, but since she has been married and in the ministry, she has lived in some different parts of the country, where they talk differently, and do things differently. She and Josh … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, I Peter sermons, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "Show me now", abstain, abstinence, body temple, care, children's choir, Christian "hate speech", Christian behavior, Christian life, Christian living, discipleship, Eliza Doolittle, enemies, evangelism, family, grace, holier than thou, holiness, homosexuality, hypocrites, I Corinthians 6:12, I Corinthians 6:19-20, I John 2:3-4, I Peter 2:11-12, I Peter sermon, imitation, joy, legalism, libertine, libertines, libertinism, lifestyle evangelism, lifestyle witness, living in a fishbowl, love, lust, marriage, My Fair Lady, persecution of Christians, repent, repentance, responsibility, salvation, sanctification, Show me!, witness, worldly lusts, You're not from around here | Leave a comment

“The People of God” (I Peter 2:9-10 sermon)

Posted on 2019/08/05 by Shawn Thomas

I noticed from our very first days in Angleton that there is a palpable state pride here in Texas that exceeds what I have felt from the people of any other state – and I love it! The people of … Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Abraham Lincoln pardon doll Jack, access to God, Andy Stanley unhitch, be holy for I am holy, boldness, Carl Sandburg Abraham Lincoln, chosen race, church, corporate worship, Deuteronomy 12:30, devotional time, Ephesians 1, Ephesians 2 mercy, Ephesians 3:12, eternity, Exodus 19:6, Galatians 3, God's possession, heaven, Hebrews 4:16, holiness, holy, holy nation, Hosea 1 not my people, I Peter 2:9-10, I Peter sermon, II Timothy 3:16, John 5:39, kingdom of priests, Leviticus 11:44, Leviticus 18, Lo-ami, mercy, Old Testament, people, people of God, priesthood of the believer, prophecies, purpose, quiet time, received mercy, Revelation 5:12, Robert E. Lee justice, royal priesthood, sealed Holy Spirit, security of believer, separation, so that, T.R. Fehrenback Lone Star, Texas, unhitch from Old Testament, witness, world, worldliness, worship | Leave a comment

“The Prophets and Your Salvation” (I Peter 1:10-12 sermon)

Posted on 2019/05/19 by Shawn Thomas

Back when I was a young preacher at my first church in Oklahoma City, I got a little book in the mail one day, from Edgar Whisenant: “88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be In 1988.” Whisenant was a NASA … Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Music, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized, worship | Tagged "me" generation, Acts 2:39, Bethlehem, blood moons, building, church, contemporary music, contemporary service, Daniel, Edgar Whisenant 88 Reasons Why, end times, eschatology, family, generations, God's plan, hymns, I Peter 1:10-12, I Peter message, imitate, invitation, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 7:14, It's not about you, Jesus, knowing vs. doing, love, marriage, Martin Luther, Message, Messiah, Micah 5:2, Old Testament prophecies, Old Testament prophets, personal application, prophecies, prophets, Psalm 16, Psalm 22:1, rapture, respond, response, sacrifice, salvation, saving faith, second coming, self-centered, self-centeredness, selfishness, selflessness, Suffering Servant, traditional service, witness, witness of the prophets, worship, Zechariah 9:9 | Leave a comment

“Pilgrim’s Progress” (I Peter 1:1-2 sermon)

Posted on 2019/04/08 by Shawn Thomas

The Bible is the #1 best-selling, most-read book of all time. But right behind it, is The Pilgrim’s Progress, widely considered the second most-read book in history. It was written by Puritan John Bunyan, in the form of an allegory: … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Doctrine/Theology, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged aliens, ambassador, baptism of Jesus, Bible, Chris Boniol, David McCullough Mornings on Horseback, doctrine, evangelism, gardener, George W. Bush Muslims, God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, Great Commission, Gregory of Nazianzus, Hebrews 11:13, I Peter 1:1-2, I Peter 2:11, I Peter sermon, II Corinthians 5:20, Islam and the Trinity, John Bunyan, modalism, not of this world, pilgrim, Pilgrim's Progress, pilgrims, place kicker, planted, Puritans, purpose, scripture, sown, The Pilgrim's Progress, Theodore Roosevelt Sr., this world is not your home, Trinity, Triune God, vocation, when I say God I mean Father Son and Holy Spirit, witness | 3 Comments

“On The Road With Jesus” (John 4 sermon)

Posted on 2018/11/05 by Shawn Thomas

One of best ways to learn about someone is to spend some time on the road with them. I remember reading an article by the renowned actor, Charlton Heston (who played Moses in the classic 1956 movie “The Ten Commandments”). … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "The Ten Commandments" movie, ask Jesus into your heart, Charlton Heston, cheap grace, confront sin, conviction, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, direction, discipleship, Don Sunshine, evangeism, gospel, Gospel Resurgence, help, hope, I AM, I Peter 2:21, Incarnation, Jesus Christ humanity, Jesus Deity, Jesus is the answer, John 14:6, John 4, John 4 sermon, Luke 13:3, Matthew 19, Matthew 24:30, ministry, peace, prayer, repent, repentance, repentance and salvation, rich young ruler, Ronald Reagan, salvation, sin, strength, The Cost of Discipleship, tiredness, weariness, witness, woman at the well, YHWH | Leave a comment

“The Household of God” (I Timothy sermon)

Posted on 2018/10/22 by Shawn Thomas

In our “Discovering The Ridge” class for those who are joining our church, I often tell the story of the group in our home town which was starting a new church, and for some time they met in the home … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 2, Acts 20:28, Acts 6, Apostle Paul testimony, C.S. Lewis, C.S. Lewis Athanasius quote, Christian bookstores, Christian music, church, church buildings, church handbook, church leadership, deacon, deacon qualifications, deacon servants, deacons, doctrine, doctrines of demons, ecclesiology, elder, evangelism, false teachers, gospel, grace, he did not move with the times, heaven, I Timothy, I Timothy 4, leadership, mercy, morning prayer, offices of the church, overseer, overseer pastor elder, pastor, pastor qualifications, salvation, test the spirits, the church, the gospel, witness | Leave a comment

“Opportunities For The Gospel” (Colossians 4:2-6 sermon)

Posted on 2018/10/01 by Shawn Thomas

Well, most of the church has probably heard about it by now, but in case you haven’t: I had a missed opportunity at our church senior adult cookout last week. I showed up at 6:00 last Saturday night, which was … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged ambassadors for Christ, Christian conduct, Christian walk, Colossians 4:2-6, conduct, Don Sunshine Make A Difference evangelism, evangelism, evangelism and prayer, gospel, gospel and words, Hudson Taylor, I Corinthians 15:3, kairos, lifestyle, lifestyle evangelism, missed opportunities, opportunities, opportunity, OU, prayer, prayer bookmark, prayer for the lost, praying for opportunities, Romans 10:1, salvation, Sharing Jesus Without Freaking Out, sharing the gospel, St. Augustine words if necessary quote, the gospel, University of Oklahoma, witness | 4 Comments

“Your Most Important Prayer For Others” (Romans 10:1 sermon)

Posted on 2018/08/27 by Shawn Thomas

It’s usually a whole lot easier to pick on the sins of other people, instead of addressing our own. I remember years ago, when I was in seminary, watching an evangelist on television turn to the tv camera and say, … Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Augustine of Hippo, Charles Peace, Corrie Ten Boom, evangelism, gospel, hell, intercession for the lost, intercessory prayer, Matthew 16:26, Matthew 9 paralytic, Monica prayer, prayer, prayer for salvation, prayer for the lost, Psalm 12:6, Romans 10:1 sermon, Romans 5:1, salvation, sin, sow in tears, witness | Leave a comment

“Ambassadors For Christ” (II Corinthians 5:20 sermon)

Posted on 2018/08/06 by Shawn Thomas

According to a recent article in Politico magazine, the American ambassador to Germany is not the most popular man in that country today. In fact, he is very unpopular. But part of the problem is the fact that he is … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged ambassadors, ambassadors for Christ, behavior, compromise, conduct, conduct unbecoming, Donald Trump, evangelism, gospel, I Corinthians 6:19, II Corinthians 5:20, Jon Huntsman, Libby Breland, Message, mission, missions, neighborhood, Philippians 1:27, purpose, rights, Romans 5:10, Romans 5:8, salvation, school, witness, work place | 2 Comments