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2026-09-06: The Prayer of Jabez — Feel My Pain

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:14 — 15.9MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NKJV)

The Prayer of Jabez
Feel My Pain
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NKJV)

His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.”
(Jabez literally means “to cause pain” or “painful”).

Bringing pain into other people’s lives is a spiritual problem.

When Jesus established the Church, he gave one command and it was repeated throughout the New Testament: Love one another.

God wants us (Christians) to be sensitive to the pain we cause others because if we aren’t–then we can push others away from Christ and away from the God we say we love.

When you think about it that way, Jabez’ prayer: can take on a whole new meaning… “Keep me from evil God so that I won’t cause You pain.”

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2026-08-30: The Prayer of Jabez — God Helps Those…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:17 — 15.3MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (TLB)

The Prayer of Jabez
God Helps Those…
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (TLB)

And I believe that when Jabez cried out in prayer: “Let your hand be with me”, this was the one part of his prayer that particularly touched God’s heart.

Now, what would Jabez have read from the Bible of his day that would have led him to pray “Let your hand be with me”.

These stories would have driven home to Jabez that God’s people were at their strongest when they were led by God’s hand, but at their weakest when they tried to go it alone.

The lesson for us is that if we want to be successful in our business, in our family and in our church, then we need God as our pilot.

When the Lord’s hand was upon Moses in this situation, Moses received God’s approval, favor and protection.

It would just shine out from him so that people would know who he was and who he loved.

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2026-08-23: The Prayer of Jabez — The Prayer That God Answers

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:24 — 16.1MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NASB95)

The Prayer of Jabez
The Prayer That God Answers
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NASB95)

There are many people who have rejected this prayer because they believe that it is so selfish.

So, if God doesn’t answer selfish prayers, what kind of prayer is this prayer of Jabez?

What makes Jabez’ prayer so special was that he prayed was based upon something God already wanted to do: “enlarge my territory.”

I suspect Jabez had read about this promise from God in Exodus, “enlarge my territory”, and Jabez said to himself: “I want that promise for my family.”

This is a promise He’s given to us if we obey Him.

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2026-08-16: The Prayer of Jabez — Receiving the Blessing

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:30 — 16.1MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NIV)

The Prayer of Jabez
Receiving the Blessing
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NIV)

But here, (in the midst of a very standard, very boring list), the Chronicler pauses and mentions this story about Jabez and his two sentence prayer.

Today we’re going to focus on the 1st of this prayer’s four sections: “Oh, that you would bless me.”

Did God make good on those promises? Did Abraham receive a “great name?”

This is God’s way of people becoming great. They become great by having real value, by making a difference in this world.

If we receive the blessing of Abraham, God will make your life, a brilliant blaze, a superb meteor, a magnificent glow. It will matter that we lived.

In a word, the prayer of Jabez was “amplius“, that God make his life mean more, and accomplish more for His kingdom of Israel.

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2026-08-02: But God… But God Gave the Increase

But God...

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.

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2026-07-26: But God… But God Has Chosen the Foolish Things

But God...

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?

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2026-07-19: But God… But God Demonstrates His Own Love

But God...

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.

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2026-07-12: But God… But God Knows Our Hearts

But God...

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.

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2026-07-05: But God… But God Will Redeem Me

But God...

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?