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
- 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 of God
Teacher’s Overview of Deuteronomy 30:11-20, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Fully Committed,” for 11/23/25.
Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, outline and highlights from the text, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRODUCTION: ???DISCUSSION QUESTION??? … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Fully Committed", ABC salvation, ABCs of salvation, application, Bible, Bible lesson, Bible study, choices, choose life, decisions, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 30, Deuteronomy 30:11-20, discussion questions, Eusebius, Eusebius Church History, Explore the Bible, Glass Wax commercial, gospel, Great Commandment, illustrations for Sunday School, Jesus, Lifeway, love God, Marinus the centurion, Moses, Nathan Finn Jonathan Edwards, Romans 10, salvation, scripture, Shawn Thomas, shawnethomas.com, so easy a child can do it, Sunday School, Sunday school class, Sunday School teacher, the word is near you, word of God
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Teacher’s Overview of Psalm 19:1-11, Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson, “God’s Glory,” for June 15, 2025
An overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Psalm 19:1-11, for Sunday, June 15, 2025, with the title “God’s Glory.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Anthony Flew, Bible, Bill Tolar, Bill Tolar testimony, creation, design, DNA evidence of God, Edward Dolnick The Clockwork Universe, Explore the Bible, galaxy, General Revelation, glory of God, God is a mathematician, intelligent design, John Adams, Lifeway, Milky Way galaxy, natural revelation, nature, Psalm 19, Psalm 19:1-11, Psalms, Romans 1, Special Revelation, Theodore Rex, Theodore Roosevelt Grand Canyon, universe, word of God, Yahweh, Yuri Gagarin
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Teacher’s Overview of I Peter 1:13-25, “Our Mandate,” Lifeway “Explore the Bible” lesson for 3/09/25
An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of I Peter 1:13-25, for Sunday, March 9, 2025, with the title, “Our Mandate.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged "Our Mandate", "therefore living", accountability to God, agape love, agape vs philadelphia love, Andrew Jackson judgment, Bible, Bible application, blood of Jesus, brotherly love, Christian life, church, Explore the Bible, Francis Schaeffer, George Muller prayer, gird up your loins, gird your minds for action, gospel, grow in love, holy, How Should We Then Live?, I Corinthians 6:19-20, I Peter, I Peter 1, I Peter 1:13-25, II Corinthians 5:10, Jesus blood, Jon Meacham Andrew Jackson, judgment, judgment seat of Christ, Leviticus holy, Lifeway, love, love based living, love in church, Romans 12:1, salvation, sanctification, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday School teacher, teacher help, therefore, Tim Keller prayer, word of God, word-based living, you shall be holy
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“A Biblical Farewell” (Acts 20:18-32)
(On the occasion of my retirement from First Baptist Church, Angleton, TX, Sunday, January 26, 2025) So what do you say to someone when you’re seeing them for the last time? It’s very difficult. Quite honestly, a lot of times … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Acts, Acts 20, Acts 20 sermon, Apostle Paul, Bible, children, Christianity, daily Bible reading, elders, Ephesian elders, faith, farewell, Father's hands, God, God the Father, good bye sermon, gospel, Henry V, I commit you to God, I know whom I have believed, In Christ Alone, intercessory prayer, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the answer, Mark Dever, nothing in my hand I bring, pastor, pastor retirement, Paul, prayer, Prodigal Son, read the directions, repent, repentance, repentance and faith, retirement, salvation, saving faith, scripture, Shakespeare, Shawn E. Thomas, Shawn Thomas retirement, sin, We're in God's hands brother, why should I let you into my heaven, word of God
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“What Real Faith Looks Like: Doers of the Word” (James 1:22-25 sermon)
In late 1942, the United States landed troops in North Africa to begin the liberation of Europe from Hitler’s Nazi Germany. In the early days after the invasion, the U.S. Army initially was not making much progress in their march … Continue reading
Posted in Book of James Sermons: What Real Faith Looks Like, Sermons
Tagged An Army At Dawn, application, better cheese, Bible, big talk, Book of James, change, change your life, Christianity, church, doers of the word, Dwight Eisenhower, Edward Dolnich, faith, few doers, God, hearer or doer, hearers only, hearing the word, Isaac Newton, James, James 1, James 1:22-25, Jesus, life change, Luke 3, Mark 6:20, Matthew 7:24-27, mirror, mirror of the word, New Testament, perfect attendance church, practical application, Psalm 119:11, repentance, Rick Atkinson, Robert Boyle, sanctification, scripture, The Clockwork Universe, what shall we do, word of God
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 2:41-47, “United”
And overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Acts 2:41-47, for Sunday, June 16, 2024, with the title, “United.” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Acts, Acts 2, Acts 2:41-47, apostolic teaching, At Arm's Length, baptism, believer's baptism, Bible, Bill Elliff, Book of Acts, church in Acts, Dan Emmitt, Early Church, Explore the Bible, fellowship, house of prayer, infant baptism, Jack Tillery, kidney transplant, koinonia, lesson overview, lesson plan, Lifeway, love, marks of the church, prayer, Simply Prayer, sprinkling baptism, Sunday School, Sunday school help, Sunday School teacher, unity, word of God
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Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Jeremiah 23:1-12, “Rules”
A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Jeremiah 23:1-2, with the tithe, “Rules,” for Sunday, July 9, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading
Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews
Tagged Babylonian Captivity, Benjamin Franklin, Branch, declares the Lord, deeds, Explore the Bible, good works, Isaiah 64:6, Israel, Jeremiah 23:1-12, Jeremiah 23:6, Jimmy Carter integrity, Jonathan Alter Jimmy Carter, judgment, leaders, Lifeway, Messiah, my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness, names of God, political leaders, pride, righteousness, Romans 3:10, Rules, shepherds, Solid Rock song, Sunday school lesson help, Sunday school teacher help Jeremiah 23, teacher help, The Lord Our Righteousness, Walter Isaacson, word of God, works, world religions, Yahweh Tzedeknu
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