Teacher’s Overview of Ruth 1:11-18, 2:5-12, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: “Faithfulness,” for 8/23/26

Posted on 2026/08/15 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications that you can make. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION:

(I’m not going to suggest that you begin the lesson this week by asking for “mother-in-law stories,” though that could be a very fertile field for discussion, and it would tie in with this week’s lesson on Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi! But you might instead ask:

???DISCUSSION QUESTION???

“What is your favorite love story?” (Novel, movie, real-life)

One of my favorites is the story of actress Vanessa Redgrave, who played Guinevere in the 1960s musical “Camelot,” and who ended up, later in life, after many ups and downs in life and relationships, marrying Franco Nero, who had played Sir Lancelot in the movie! I just think it’s really neat that they came back to each other in the end in real life — life imitating art!

You/your group can share your own favorite love stories — then make the point: in today’s lesson we start a 2-session study of the Book of Ruth, which conveys one of the great “love stories” of the Bible — and how it fits in to the greatest love story of all: God’s love for us, and how this “little love story” fit into His plan to send the Messiah, Jesus.

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Overview of Judges 16:16-31, Lifeway’s Explore the Bible lesson, “Compromise,” for August 16, 2026.

Posted on 2026/08/08 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations to share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION:

???DISCUSSION QUESTION???

“Is compromise good or bad?”

(That’s kind of a loaded question, isn’t it? Actually not all compromise is bad:

— Compromise is often necessary in politics, to get things done.

“The Great Compromise” of 1787 at the American Constitutional Convention broke the deadlock between large states who wanted representation based on population, and smaller states who wanted equal representation. The Compromise provided for BOTH: there would be representation by population in the House of Representatives, and equal representation (2 senators each state) in the Senate. This is an example of how compromise can be helpful in achieving an outcome that is satisfactory to both parties.

— Compromise in relationships is almost always essential; one person can’t always have their own way. Each one gives a little, for example, in marriage: “Should we go to the war museum, or go shopping?” Compromise says lets go to the museum for 2 hours, then shop for two hours! Compromise is helpful for a good marriage and other relationships.

But understanding all that: we need to realize that compromise with SIN is always harmful — and this is what our lesson today from Judges 16 powerfully reminds us. 

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Teacher’s Overview of Judges 7:1-8, 19-23, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: “Trust,” for August 9, 2026

Posted on 2026/08/01 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text highlights and outline, discussion questions for your group, illustrations you can share, and spiritual life applications to make. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTORY ??? DISCUSSION QUESTION???

“Can you share one of the hardest things someone ever asked you to do?”

(As a pastor I have been asked to do some difficult things over the years: visit a hardened lost person, or someone who was about to die, or who had just lost a loved one, etc., but perhaps the hardest for me was as an 18-year-old, I was asked to go the home of a man I didn’t know, and ask him to make a commitment to our church building campaign. I was just filled with anxiety and dread about making that visit. It so happened that a deacon from our church saw me with that card in my hand — and I think he could read my face — and he said “Hey, I’ll go with you to make that visit.” I was never so happy to have someone with me in my life! He took over that visit, and it went great. But it made all the difference that he was with me!

Last time in our study of Judges we saw how God told Gideon to do something very difficult — to rescue Israel from Midian — and GIdeon was very hesitant about it. But as we left off, we saw that God promised Gideon that HE WOULD BE WITH HIM, and that made all the difference for him. 

Today we continue that story in Judges 7 as God again asks Gideon to do something extremely challenging — but the way it unfold would make it absolutely clear that only GOD HIMSELF brought about the victory. 

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Teacher’s Overview of Judges 6:1-4, 7-16, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Called,” for August 2, 2026.

Posted on 2026/07/25 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text highlights and outline, illustrations to share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications to make. A video version of this preview is available on YouTube at:

???DISCUSSION/INTRODUCTION QUESTION???

“Can you share a time when God called you/someone you know, to a special work or ministry?”

(You might share this ILLUSTRATION:

“The Scottish Reformer John Knox was called to the work of preaching and pastoring in the course of a worship service by a preacher who declared it was God’s and the congregation’s will.” But Knox was not excited about it. In fact Lewis Allen writes: “Knox ran out of the gathering in tears and locked himself in his room.” (The Preacher’s Catechism, pp. 57-58)

Some of us may have felt the same way when God called us to do something! We can take comfort that we’re not the only ones who ever responded in a reluctant way! In today’s lesson in Judges 6, we see how one man was very reluctant when God called him, but God showed him something powerful that could overcome all his excuses. This lesson should help us to respond to God as He calls us to follow Him today as well.

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Teacher’s Overview of Judges 2:11-23, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: “Consequences,” for July 26, 2026.

Posted on 2026/07/18 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, 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:

ILLUSTRATION:

After World War II ended, U.S. President Harry Truman was driven through Berlin, which had been devastated by Allied bombing and Russian artillery.

“On Wilhelmstrasse (German for King “Wilhelm’s street”) Truman’s car pulled up beside the Reich Chancellery and the shell-blasted stone balcony where Hitler had harangued his Nazi followers. Truman did not get out. ‘It is a terrible thing,” he began, knowing he was expected to say something, ‘but they brought it on themselves. That’s what happens when a man overreaches himself.’ It was all he could find to say.” (David McCullough, Truman, p. 414)

Truman’s words may not have been what some consider “eloquent,” but they still rang true: “They brought it on themselves.”

We all know situations like this today, too, don’t we? People sin against God and pay the consequences. Like Truman said: “They brought it on themselves.” 

That expression could easily serve as the theme for the Book of Judges, and today’s lesson especially, which talks about the “Consequences” of sin. 

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Teacher’s Preview of Joshua 24:14-24, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson: “Vital Decision,” for July 19, 2026.

Posted on 2026/07/11 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations to share, sample group discussion questions, and spiritual life applications to make. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION:

??? DISCUSSION QUESTION???

“If you were going to give a speech to a graduating class, what’s something you’d tell them?”

(That answer will vary according to the individual, of course. You might get some interesting, insightful answers!)

In today’s lesson, Israel has in a sense “graduated” into the Promised Land. The promise God made to Abraham and all the patriarchs has come to pass. But “now what?” What are they going to do from this point forward. As we’ll see in today’s lesson in Joshua 24, the answer is very much up to them, and how committed they will be to serve God.

That question: “Now what?” is a good question for all kinds of people, isn’t it? “Now what?” What’s next for new graduates? What’s next for new retirees? What’s next for new Christians? What’s next for a church with a new pastor — or which has just lost a pastor and is in transition — on and on. “Now what?” To a great extent, just like for Israel, and for new graduates, the answer is up to us, if we will really choose to serve God, as Joshua tells Israel in our lesson in Joshua 24 today.

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“Finishing Well” (Psalm 92:12-15 message)

Posted on 2026/07/06 by Shawn Thomas

(Preached at Trinity Baptist Church, Norman, OK, Father’s Day, June 21, 2026)

Just a few years ago, an elderly university president in South Carolina wrote: “It’s sundown, Lord … I fear not death … But I do fear that I should end before I finish, or finish not well.” 

Not long ago, one of our church members posted on Facebook and said “I want to finish life well. What do you think it looks like, to ‘finish well’?” I thought that was a great question. Because truthfully, a LOT of people do NOT finish well. So many in scripture did not:

— King David of course comes to mind, for several reasons:

— Eli the prophet, did not finish well, as he compromised with his sons’ sin.

— The last thing we read about Noah is his naked, drunken spell. Not what you want to be remembered for!

And we see that today too, don’t we:

— I know of a pastor who’s come out with some really liberal views in his last years; it’s very disappointing.

— You may know a pastor, or church member, or a family member, or friend, who just didn’t finish well — maybe it was immorality or unethical conduct — or maybe they just kind of slowly gave up. 

I hope that it’s your heart’s desire, men, this Father’s Day, to say: “I don’t want to finish like that. I want to finish well.” Truthfully, all of us as God’s people should have that desire. But how do we do it? Psalm 92 shows us:

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Teacher’s Overview of Joshua 14:1-15, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Unwavering Determination” for 7/12/26

Posted on 2026/07/04 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications you can make. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION:

You might post a picture like this, and ask your group if they know what it’s from. (All you Oklahoma church members should know this is the famous “Land Run” of 1889, when Congress opened up the unassigned lands in central Oklahoma for settlement. Everyone who wanted land lined up, and at the firing of the gun/canon/bugle (depending on where you were at noon, April 22, 1889) and they all took off, racing to mark off a plot of land as “theirs.” (Some of you know that those who sneaked in early to mark off a spot were called “Sooners”!) 

But then you might transition and say that God had a less chaotic means of dividing up the Promised Land, and we’ll look at that this morning in our passage in Joshua 14.

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Teacher’s Overview of Joshua 7:10-23, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Sin Revealed,” for July 5, 2026.

Posted on 2026/06/27 by Shawn Thomas

Includes a suggested introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications you can make. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION:

You might begin this week’s lesson by posting this quote: 

You could either ask your group to discuss what means, and/or explain that Donne was expressing how none of us “stands alone” like an island; what we do personally affects many others as well. And then point out that in today’s lesson we’ll see how even one man’s sin had a devastating effect upon a whole nation!

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Teacher’s Overview of Joshua 6:12-25, Lifeway Explore the Bible lesson, “Winning Strategy,” for June 28, 2026.

Posted on 2026/06/20 by Shawn Thomas

Inclues a sample introduction to the lesson, text outline and highlights, illustrations you can share, discussion questions for your group, and spiritual life applications you can make. A video version of this preview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION:

???DISCUSSION QUESTION???

“Did you get some instructions that you didn’t understand, but you just did it anyway?”

(We all probably have: for example I am doing most of the cooking at our house since Cheryl’s stroke. I was making some fajitas, and I asked her if she wanted me to put some black beans on them. She said that sounded good, but make sure to wash them when I take them out of the can. I thought, what? Why do I need to do that? And I asked her that. She said all the recipes said to. So I just did it. And later I looked it up — and it said they’re packed in a kind of very salty “brine” that you want to wash off before you eat. So there you have it!)

You/your group can share similar things, then make the point: in today’s lesson in Joshua, we’ll see how Joshua and the people of Israel obeyed God’s instructions, when they may not have fully understood “why” on some of them — and some of them are a bit hard for some of us to understand today as well, as we will see!

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