Month: July 2025

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:11 — 19.4MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Galatians 6:1-5, John 13:34-35, Galatians 5:14

One Anothering
Bear One Another’s Burdens
Galatians 6:1-5, John 13:34-35, Galatians 5:14

Sucked in, washed up, and blown over…that’s enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart.

The “burdens” that we are to help others carry include any sort of difficulties that people face.

As followers of Jesus, there are certain Christian responsibilities or burdens that each believer must bear and these burdens or responsibilities cannot be lifted by others.

And so, as Christians, we need to accept the fact that we too will have burdens to carry.

If the person needing the help isn’t open and honest enough about their struggle or burden, then no one will know what their burden is.

In other words, God helps us carry our burdens through his people.

Let’s love each other enough to want to help those who are burdened. And then, let us be humble enough to be willing to receive the loving assistance of others.

I hope that our love for each other will cause us to feel that no burden is too heavy to help a brother or sister to bear.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:10 — 20.7MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: James 5:16, Ephesians 6:18, Acts 12:1-18, Matthew 7:7-11, Philippians 4:6-7

One Anothering
Pray For One Another
James 5:16, Ephesians 6:18, Acts 12:1-18, Matthew 7:7-11, Philippians 4:6-7

I’m guessing that most of us believe in prayer, but would admit that we don’t feel like we are very good at it, or that we don’t do enough of it.

The right view of God is to see Him as our Heavenly Father, who is a great parent who hears all our requests but gives us what is good for us, which is not always what we want.

Prayer involves an intimate relationship where we share our struggles and needs with each other so that we can pray for each other.

Not only did Paul request prayer, he made others aware that he was praying for them.

That’s the best “but” there is, right? But the church was praying to God for him.

I think God included it as an encouragement to us, so that we would understand that God answers our prayers even when our prayers and our faith are not perfect.

Jesus continues to intercede for us, and we can intercede for each other.

How would that change the way we pray for ourselves and others if we prayed less about our needs and desires and prayed more for God’s purposes?

Prayer is ultimately not getting our will done in heaven, but getting God’s will done on earth.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:59 — 19.2MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Ephesians 4:1-3, Colossians 3:13, Romans 12:18

One Anothering
Bear With One Another
Ephesians 4:1-3, Colossians 3:13, Romans 12:18

To live above, with saints we love, that will be glory. To live below, with the saints we know, that’s quite a different story!

But doesn’t Tolkien’s story sound a lot like the challenges that we face as “the fellowship of God’s people” as we attempt to carry out our quest to do the Will and Works of God in this world?

It is not God’s will that we accept or tolerate the sins of our brothers and sisters in Christ–sins must be repented of not tolerated.

I think it would be helpful for us to have a mantra of “be gentle and patient.”

Forgiveness is one of those difficult and painful subjects that we wrestle with.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same thing.

Patience, forbearance, forgiveness and peace are not automatic–they involve deliberate acts of the will and a whole lot of effort.

Prayer makes a difference and brings change, but we might be surprised by what change it brings.