Lawson is an ordained elder in the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church and has served in Kenya as a village high-school teacher, evangelist, and Bible teacher. He is a frequent preacher, teacher, and lecturer in churches, camps, and conferences.

Dr. Lawson currently is professor of Old Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary. His publications have appeared in the Journal of Biblical Literature, the Catholic Biblical Quarterly, and the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books (IVP).