Month: February 2023

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:00 — 13.0MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 18:1-14

The Final Week
Who Are You Looking For?
John 18:1-14

You know, Jesus loved to ask questions. As I was doing some web surfing, I discovered that Jesus asked over 300 questions in the four gospels.

In fact, Judas was at the Last Supper… and Jesus even washed Judas’ feet.

Jesus came to save the worst of sinners, whether Judas, Paul… or me.

One problem too many people have is that they are afraid that they don’t know enough to witness to others.

There’s a common agreement amongst a lot of scholars that when you read a person’s name in the Gospels it’s probably because he/she had become a Christian.

The way for us to touch people for Jesus is to share how Jesus touched us.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:19 — 16.0MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 17:1-26

The Final Week
The Prayer of Love
John 17:1-26

And a lot of scholars call this prayer: Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, because in this prayer Jesus is interceding for His church just like a High Priest in the Old Testament would have interceded for God’s people.

And so, in the vital prayer, just days before His crucifixion, Jesus was praying for the Father to protect the church from those dangers.

But here’s the deal: Satan can’t touch you IF you stay close to God.

Because when you quote Scripture…you’re quoting God. You can’t get a higher authority than God.

Jesus prayed that we would be unified: One church, with one message, and one Savior.

More often congregations are torn apart because of conflicts between members…and those conflicts can escalate because other members take sides.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:14 — 16.0MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 16:1-15

The Final Week
The Power That Empowers
John 16:1-15

He’s come to convince the world of their need for Jesus–their need to be saved!

Our job is to witness to them. not condemn them.

And so, the Spirit’s job (and ours) is to point to Jesus’ righteousness (not our righteousness).

Instead, He focuses on convicting people–that they are 1) Sinners, 2) they’re not righteous, and 3) they will face judgment.

Sometimes He convicts people through Scripture.

Sometimes, the Spirit sets people up for you through circumstances.

Sometimes, the Spirit sets people up for us by convicting them of their sin.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:55 — 14.4MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 14:15-27

The Final Week
It’s What’s on the Inside That Counts
John 14:15-27

You see, Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit, and it’s a fundamental teaching in Scripture that the Spirit dwells inside of each believer.

The apostles were able to do some very powerful and amazing things. I believe that the Holy Spirit was moving powerfully in their midst.

But the real problem here is that, not only that they were false prophets, but their arrogance serves to undermine the faith of real Christians in the ability of God’s Spirit to really do things.\

He dwells INSIDE of us and He knows exactly what we’re thinking and how we’re feeling.

We can be so filled with God’s powerful Spirit that we refuse to see reason for despair/surrender.

That means that, if you belong to Christ and the Spirit of God is inside of you, when you come before the throne of God at the resurrection that SEAL/MARK of the Holy Spirit is the only thing God’s going to look at.