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 Joshua 1:1-11, 16-18, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson: "Strong & Courageous" for 6/07/26
- Teacher's Overview of Numbers 14:11-24, Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, "Rebellion & Judgment" for 9/28/25
- “Building Your Life On The Rock” (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon)
- Teacher's Overview of Matthew 27:27-31, 45-54, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, "Our Savior," for 5/31/26
- "How To Run The Christian Race" (Hebrews 12:1-2 sermon)
- "God's Purpose For Your Life" (I Peter 2:4-5 sermon)
- "The World, The Flesh, and the Devil" (James 3:15 sermon)
- "True Religion" (Philippians 3:2-3)
- "The Disciple's Character: Meekness" (Matthew 5:5 sermon)
- "The Lord Our Provider" (Philippians 4:15-23 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: word faith
Teacher’s Overview of Joshua 1:1-11, 16-18, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson: “Strong & Courageous” for 6/07/26
Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text highlights and outline, illustrations you can use, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications you can make. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRODUCTION: ???DISCUSSION … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged anxiety, Bible study, big talk, Book of Joshua, church, church staff, courage, discipleship, do not be afraid, do not fear, do the word, doers of the world, Dwight Eisenhower, Explore the Bible, faith, fear, fear not, God's promise, Israel, Jesus, John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage, John Quincy Adams, Joshua, Joshua the son of Nun, Lifeway, meditation, ministry, Moses, pastors, Promised Land, promises, Rick Atkinson An Army at Dawn, scripture, scripture meditation, scripture memorization, servant leadership, service, Shawn E. Thomas, Shawn Thomas, strength, strong and courageous, success, Sunday school lesson, the new Joshua, timidity, word faith, youth ministry
7 Comments
Teacher’s Overview of Numbers 13:17-31, “The Land,” Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson overview for 9/21/25
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Numbers 13:17-31, with the title “The Land, for Sunday, September 21, 2025. Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text highlights and outline, … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "The Land", Anakim, answered prayer, anxiety, Bible, Bible study, Biblical faith, Caleb, church, doubt, Explore the Bible, faith, germ theory, Giant Despair, giants, giants in the land, God, Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11:, Ignaz Semmelweis, Jesus, John Bunyan, Joshua and Caleb, lesson outline, lesson overview, Lifeway, Moses, numbers, Numbers 13:17-31, Pilgrim's Progress, prayer, shawnethomas, spies in Canaan, Sunday School, Sunday school teacher help, the twelve spies, Valley of Eshcol, word faith
1 Comment
“Worshiping God Anyway” (Habakkuk 3:16-19 sermon)
On November 5th of last year, a killer shot 46 people people who had gathered to worship at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, just southeast of San Antonio. The pastor, Frank Pomeroy, and his wife were out … Continue reading
Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged abortion, Acts 16, commitment, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Facebook, faith, gospel, Habakkuk 3, Habakkuk 3:16-19, heaven, hinds feet, hinds feet meaning, II Corinthians 4:16, Job, joy, joy in God, judgment, pain, pain holy angel, Paul and Silas, prosperity gospel, Psalm 147:10-11, Psalm 2:2, Romans 8, salvation, Sutherland Springs shooting, word faith, word faith teaching, worship
1 Comment
“If it’s God’s will”?
One must admit, Paul didn’t make much of a “positive confession” in Romans 1:10, when he told the church at Rome: “if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.” Those words … Continue reading
Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies
Tagged faith, God's will, humility, if it's God's will, James 4:14-16, Lord willing, positive confession, Romans 1:10, word faith, words
1 Comment
shawnethomas 