Category: 2014 Sermons

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2014-06-01: Luke-The Investigative Gospel – The Fulfillment Of The Word

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:42 — 1.0MB)

Sermon Audio: The Fulfillment Of The Word
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 4:14-21
Duration: 30:42
Size: 14.0 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
The Fulfillment Of The Word
Luke 4:14-21

We love to hear each other’s stories because as a people we are not only a pilgrim people, we are also a story people.

Christians must therefore learn to tell their stories, don’t keep your stories to yourselves.

The stem of our stories is Christ in the world, bringing God to a world of darkness in the light of His word.

Fasting is one of the ways of cleansing ourselves and preparing for the presence of God in us.

That gospel, the good news was fulfilled in the hearing of those who were listening to Jesus, and today that same message is still being fulfilled.

SO WHAT IS YOUR STORY?

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2014-05-25: Luke-The Investigative Gospel – Three Big Temptations In Life

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:26 — 1.0MB)

Sermon Audio: Three Big Temptations In Life
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 4:1-13
Duration: 22:26
Size: 10.2 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
Three Big Temptations In Life
Luke 4:1-13

The Devil can’t make us do anything. He may be clever, but he’s not all powerful.

  1. He lays out the bait.
  2. Then comes the appeal.
  3. The struggle begins.
  4. The temptation ends with the response.

This morning we are going to see Jesus meet and master temptation.

We are the most susceptible to temptation when we are alone.

1. The Temptation To Do It Yourself

The devil is well aware that God exists and I don’t think that he expends a great deal of effort trying to dissuade us from a belief in God.

The power of all temptation is the prospect that it will make me happier.

We regularly are tempted to go outside the confines of God’s will to satisfy our personal needs or desires.

2. The Temptation To Take The Easy Way

The devil was offering Jesus a kingdom without the cross.

Our world teaches us to avoid pain, to take the easy way, the path of least resistance.

3. The Temptation To Not Believe It Until You See It

This would be the equivalent of saying to God – “I won’t believe in you until I see you show it to me by my terms.”

The one thing common to all three temptations is that they attempted to distract Jesus from his mission or destroy his relationship with His heavenly Father.

Verse 13 reveals that the Devil will always be lurking in the shadows, watching, waiting for the next vulnerable moment.

When you are weak – expect a major assault.
When you resist – be ready for a different approach.
When he leaves – count on another attack.

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2014-05-18: Luke-The Investigative Gospel – You’ve Got What It Takes

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:51 — 10.0MB)

Sermon Audio: You’ve Got What It Takes
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 3:21-38
Duration: 21:51
Size: 10.0 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
You’ve Got What It Takes
Luke 3:21-38

In the text we’re reading today we find part of the greatest epic ever told, and here Luke reveals to us the emergence of the hero.

You strip the Old Testament down and it becomes the story of God preparing the way for the hero to emerge.

Today God is writing the epic of your life. I don’t care whether you prefer westerns, romances or sci-fi, the story is the same.

Know why you’re here

He had come to earth for one purpose, and that was to glorify the Father.

You have absolutely got to know that you are here for one reason and only one reason: to bring glory to the Father!

Burn the bridges

The only way to follow Christ is to abandon yourself to Him. Abandon everything to Him.

Step into the river

Put a torch to the bridges you’ve been keeping erected in your life just in case things don’t work out, and step down into the river where a glorious and exciting future awaits you.

You’re going to experience…

…The fellowship of the Son.
When you abandon everything to walk with God; simply to be with Him, you’re going to be following in the very footsteps of Christ.

…The presence of the Holy Spirit.
When you abandon everything to God, the Holy Spirit is going to be in your corner.

…The affirmation of the father.
God the Father expressed in just a few simple words His love and affirmation for the Son.

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2014-05-11: A Mother To Die For

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:38 — 1.0MB)

Sermon Audio: A Mother To Die For
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 2:1-23, John 2:1-11
Duration: 26:38
Size: 12.1 MB

A Mother To Die For
Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 2:1-23, John 2:1-11

Mary undoubtedly played a key role in preparing Jesus for his ministry.

1. A Mother of Devotion

She did not bat an eye, she did not balk, and she did not shirk from the huge task God placed before her.

2. A Mother of Strength

Imagine the emotional strength required to bear up under the knowledge that someone wants to kill your baby.

There’s also great emotional strength involved when a mother lets her child make a mistake so he can learn from it.

3. A Mother of Guidance

It appears through the few glimpses we get into Jesus’ early life that God slowly revealed the plan of Jesus’ life. And certainly God used Mary to guide and instruct Jesus to that end.

You mothers have the unique gift of coaching and listening until your child figures out what purpose God might have for him/her.

4. A Mother of Patience

Mary’s devotion, and strength, and guidance had led them both to this moment of great patience—the patience involved in seeing the work of Christ finished on the cross.

God can work their suffering and mistakes for good. Pray, and trust that God will work everything out. God can take all of their mistakes and fulfill a great purpose in their life.

The mother whose devotion, and strength, and guidance gave us all a Savior.

The mother who was patient enough to watch as God finished His work on the cross.

A Mother to Die For.

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2014-04-20: Easter Sunday – Anchors for Your Soul

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:02 — 1.0MB)

Sermon Audio: Anchors for Your Soul
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Corinthians 15:3-5
Duration: 20:02
Size: 9.17 MB

Easter Sunday 2014
Anchors for Your Soul
I Corinthians 15:3-5

He wanted this holy week to be an anchor of your ordinary week.

Because of the cross…
…1. My Failures Are Not Fatal. (I Corinthians 15:3)

Our failures are not fatal. Because on the cross Jesus took the blame for our failures.

God cares more about where you are going than where you came from.

On the cross God treated Jesus as if He lived your life. So that he could treat you as if you lived His.

Because of the Cross…
…2. My Death Is Not Final. (I Corinthians 15:4)

Death is not final for the person who follows Jesus into the tomb and walks out the other side to eternity.

Only God knows the day and hour of our death.

Think about that musty tomb God chiseled into a tunnel to eternity

Because of the Cross your failures are not fatal!
Because of the Cross your death is not final!

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2014-04-13: Palm Sunday – The Road to the Cross

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:57 — 1.0MB)

Sermon Audio: The Road to the Cross
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 12:12-19
Duration: 16:57
Size: 7.76 MB

Palm Sunday 2014
The Road to the Cross
John 12:12-19

Jesus was traveling this road into Jerusalem to do just that – lay down His life for His friends.

I. THE ROAD TO THE CROSS WAS A ROAD OF DESTINY (John 12:12-13)

Jesus had come to save them from their sins, not from their political situation.

II. THE ROAD TO THE CROSS WAS A ROAD OF DEVOTION (John 12:14-15)

But do not forget that His journey did not begin there on that dusty road nor was He there by accident.

They dreamed not of the Kingdom of God but of deliverance from Roman rule—not of doing God’s will but of winning a great military victory.

III. THE ROAD TO THE CROSS WAS A ROAD OF DISCOVERY (John 12:16)

They did not understand the nature of His kingship or kingdom.

IV. THE ROAD TO THE CROSS WAS A ROAD OF DELIVERANCE (John 12:17-19)

The road to the cross is certainly no fable; Christ knew that He must die in order for others to live.

It was a day of triumph because He was on His way to pay the price for our sins, committed and uncommitted.

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2014-04-06: Luke-The Investigative Gospel – It’s Time To Turn

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:08 — 1.0MB)

Sermon Audio: It’s Time To Turn
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 3:1-20
Duration: 21:08
Size: 9.67 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
It’s Time To Turn
Luke 3:1-20

Luke wanted his friend Theophilus, for whom this gospel account is written to; remember how spiritually dark the world scene was before the appearance of John the Baptist.

1. THE TRUTH MAY NOT BE EASY TO HEAR (Luke 3:3-6)

He confronted the nation as the first authentic prophet in over 400 years: as God’s messenger, with God’s message and declaring God’s judgment.

John’s baptism followed each person’s repentance and was a sign of it.

2. THE TRUTH DEMANDS CHANGE (Luke 3:7-14)

The problem with repentance is that is very difficult for anyone to tell if someone is truly repentant.

He pointed out to them that true repentance means to rethink one’s lifestyle and goals and to carry out the results.

Repentance was a way of life not just a one-time event.

3. THE TRUTH IS THE SAME FOR EVERYONE (Luke 3:19-20)