Richmond Community Church

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:48 — 17.7MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 3:5-8

But God…
But God Gave the Increase
1 Corinthians 3:5-8

Their focus was off God and on themselves and others.

All things come from God. Paul uses this analogy in today’s passage.

What has God given you and me to do? And are we doing it?

But it is surprising to some people that the church cannot be run as a business and still be the Lord’s work.

Often things don’t get done in the church because the failure of those who did not do what God has called them to do.

The size of the work does not matter, large or small.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:25 — 18.1MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

But God…
But God Has Chosen the Foolish Things
1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Intelligence, abilities and talents, power, and wealth, all the things that matter in the eyes of the world, do not matter with Almighty God. Today, we will consider what matters in the eyes of God.

The old saying is quite true: God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Christianity made people who were things into real men and women, more, into sons and daughters of God.

Is it any wonder that the slaves and the lowly of the world run to Christ?

We could not go to Him, so He came to us. It is only by His drawing that we are able to come.

Ask the questions: Is our coming to Jesus about what we do, or about what He has done? Who gets the glory?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:53 — 17.8MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Romans 5:8, Romans 5:6-11

But God…
But God Demonstrates His Own Love
Romans 5:8, Romans 5:6-11

The question this morning is, “Why did Jesus pay that debt for us?”

Jesus came to save the truly lost. He came to save those that needed saving. He came to save lost mankind.

We understand that there are people we love and if called upon and perhaps we would take their place if they were in danger.

Because Jesus’ substitutionary death for us on the cross, we have “been justified by His blood” we have been made righteous before God.

By accepting the reconciliation, accepting what Jesus has done on our behalf, we are now in position to establish a personal relationship with Him.

We are reconciled with God. And it was Almighty God who initiated the reconciliation with us by sending us Jesus.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:01 — 16.5MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 16:14-15

But God…
But God Knows Our Hearts
Luke 16:14-15

Today’s passage deals with the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, thinking they have fooled everyone, including God.

As Christians, we only have one Lord and Master, and that is Jesus.

Too often people put on a show, just for other people to see.

But what is in the heart that really matters. What is in your heart?

There are so-called religious experts and authorities that will twist the Bible, and even denounce the teachings of Scripture to justify all sorts of evil.

The more we transform our minds our hearts will become more inline to God’s way of thinking and not of our own.

We may go through all the motions, and may look pious and righteous to our friends and family and the world around us, but God knows our hearts.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:42 — 14.9MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Psalm 49:15, Psalm 49:1-20

But God…
But God Will Redeem Me
Psalm 49:15, Psalm 49:1-20

I’m beginning to understand more and more that the important things in life are eternal.

We must have an eternal mind set to put things in their proper perspective in the here and now. Psalm 49 expounds on this.

Stuff, does not define who you are. In the end, it only matters who you are in the Lord.

The fools trust what they have in this life. But what about those who have put their trust in God? But God…

All things in this life will pass away, but those in Christ Jesus will reap an eternal reward.

Many will have the praise of men in this life, but do they have the praise of God?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:24 — 16.8MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Genesis 50:20, Genesis 50:15-21

But God…
But God Meant It For Good
Genesis 50:20, Genesis 50:15-21

The fact is, God is involved in every aspect of human activity, and throughout all of human history and throughout all of time.

However, all things are in the hands of God who can turn the bad around into good.

A bad situation, or a undesirable set of circumstances are not always a bad thing when you are in the hands of God.

He understood, as few do, that the events that happened to him, as terrible as they were, that God’s hand had been in it all the time.

If we were hidden from the consequences to sin, we would live in illusionary world, we would have the mistaken impression that we were fine with God and there would be no remorse or repentance.

We all have learned by experience, and some experiences have been painful, but when we look back on it all, we can clearly see the hand of God at work in our lives, building Christian maturity, sensitivity, patience, and hope.

Some of us will suffer precisely because we are a Christian.

For many things, we may not understand this side of Glory, but we know all things rest in His hands, including all of us who truly belong to Him.