Richmond Community Church

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:50 — 17.7MB)

peaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Galatians 5:13-15, Ephesians 2:8-10, Philippians 2:5-8, Matthew 20:25-28, John 13:1-17

One Anothering
Serve One Another
Galatians 5:13-15, Ephesians 2:8-10, Philippians 2:5-8, Matthew 20:25-28, John 13:1-17

We want to love one another as God has commanded us to love one another just as He loves us.

But what does Paul mean by freedom? In what ways are we free? Sometimes it helps to look at what something doesn’t mean, in order to understand what it does mean.

We are not free to do something foolish just because it is legal; just because something is permitted under the law doesn’t make it good or right.

Our freedom in Christ is not a freedom to indulge the flesh, but a freedom to serve one another in love.

And there is no better way to love each other than by serving each other.

Jesus is our perfect example of service, and we are called to serve each other in love, and we will be blessed if we do so.

Serving others with love, because of Jesus, leads to true fulfillment and true greatness.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:52 — 18.4MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Hebrews 3:12-14, Hebrews 10:25, Ephesians 4:29

One Anothering
Encourage One Another
Hebrews 3:12-14, Hebrews 10:25, Ephesians 4:29

“Basement people” are the discouragers in our lives.
“Balcony people” are the great encouragers of our lives and we all need them!

Therefore, the Hebrew writer commanded them to continue to meet together for encouragement and to encourage each other daily.

How encouraging it must have been to those in need to have someone like Barnabas make a sacrifice on their behalf.

So, here’s Barnabas, a man who never wrote a book that made it into the Bible, but he encouraged two men who wrote over half of the New Testament.

Another very important way that our presence makes a difference is here at worship services and at the other gatherings of the church.

Words of encouragement can be given in many ways. We can do it privately or publicly. It can be done in person or by letter, email, text, or phone call.

Let’s be balcony people not basement people! May God help us learn to encourage one another.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:53 — 18.5MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Colossians 3:15-17, Romans 15:14, Galatians 2:11-13, Proverbs 12:1

One Anothering
Admonish One Another
Colossians 3:15-17, Romans 15:14, Galatians 2:11-13, Proverbs 12:1

But nevertheless, in the face of our dislike of confrontation and its abuse by some, God says that it is necessary and can be very helpful.

Biblical admonition involves moral correction through verbal confrontation that is motivated by genuine love.

If admonition is done in the right spirit, with the right motive, using an appropriate method, then the person receiving the admonition will be better for it.

Truthfully, if we are not characterized by goodness and growing in the knowledge of God’s Word, then we should be receiving not giving admonishment.

The words we use are only a small part of what gets communicated.

God’s Word has power to penetrate and convict and change a person like nothing else.

Even in the best scenario, admonition is a little embarrassing and painful.

It is so important for us to learn how to receive admonition with humility. And it is so important for us to learn how to admonish others.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:36 — 23.1MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Romans 15:7, John 13:34-35, Romans 14, Romans 15, Matthew 25:40-45

One Anothering
Accept One Another
Romans 15:7, John 13:34-35, Romans 14, Romans 15, Matthew 25:40-45

Do you think that Jesus is welcome here at Richmond Community Church? How welcoming and accepting of others are we as a church?

By His loving acceptance, He was able to make a distinction between who people are and what they have done or what they have allowed themselves to become.

God has created all of us with the need to be loved and accepted, and God’s intent is for the church to be the place where love and acceptance can be realized.

I would like to suggest that the “who” we are to accept includes both non-Christians and Christians.

Everyone should matter to us, and everyone should be welcome to come among us at church.

So, we must do our best to accept people without prejudice or being judgmental.

If God has not given a clear command and instruction on the matter, then let’s give each other the right to come to our own conclusions, to make our own personal choices.

Paul meant that we don’t want to cause a Christian to do something that they cannot do with a clear conscience and therefore cause them to sin against the Lord.

What would happen if we tried to treat each person the way we would treat Jesus himself?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:11 — 20.0MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Ephesians 5:21, Philippians 2:5-8, Matthew 20:25-28, Acts 21

One Anothering
Submit to One Another
Ephesians 5:21, Philippians 2:5-8, Matthew 20:25-28, Acts 21

Battleships must learn to submit to lighthouses.

“People are not complex, they really just want to achieve their personal definition of peace and quiet and to have their own sweet way.”

In its most general use, submission means to yield to another’s admonition and advice.

This mutual submission, even by those who are in authority, is a distinctive concept made possible by Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul, who recorded these observations about Christ, and who gave us the command to submit to one another, also put this command into
practice in his own life.

He willingly set aside being right and defending himself for a higher good.

And so first of all, we must understand that submission is not about being a doormat.

I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:27 — 18.8MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Romans 12:10, Philippians 2:3-4

One Anothering
Honor One Another
Romans 12:10, Philippians 2:3-4

Today, we want to learn something about what it means to honor one another.

As Christians, we are called to outdo one another in honoring others, considering everyone as precious and of value.

Because rejoicing with those who rejoice means we are happy for them that they are receiving some honor or gift or accomplishment.

God has made it clear about how valuable each of us are to Him — He values us enough to allow His Son to die for us and we need to honor and value each person the way God does.

So, who should we honor? Everyone — including God and those in authority.

Honoring others means valuing others and letting them know we value them.