Category: 2024 Sermons

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2024-10-20: Prayer That Works — Pray Receptively

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:22 — 17.5MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 13:1-2, Acts 16:6-10, Romans 8:26-27

Prayer That Works
Pray Receptively
Acts 13:1-2, Acts 16:6-10, Romans 8:26-27

We need to understand that prayer isn’t just us talking to God.
It’s God talking to us as well

They were worshiping and fasting when the Holy Spirit gave them instructions, and then they fasted and prayed some more.

Fasting is the discipline of going without something, usually food, although people talk about fasting from TV or social media, or something else, in order to focus on spiritual things.

Wouldn’t it be so much easier if the Holy Spirit spoke to us in an audible voice?

Hide God’s Word in your heart.
Because that is the primary channel through which God speaks to us today. Receptive prayer lets the Holy Spirit speak.

Are you willing to open your hands to God in prayer, and receive what He so wants to give you?

It’s all good because the Holy Spirit, who knows you perfectly, who knows the mind of God perfectly, is praying for you according to the perfect will of God.

If we limit our prayers to only what we ask for, what we think we need, and how we think things need to be accomplished, how much are you limiting God?

When we pray with open hands, it gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to go above and beyond what we pray.

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2024-10-13: Prayer That Works — Pray Persuasively

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:35 — 18.5MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Exodus 32:9-14, Exodus 32:30-33

Prayer That Works
Pray Persuasively
Exodus 32:9-14, Exodus 32:30-33

If God has foreordained every detail of history, and if it all unfolds according to his plan and in accordance with his will, then what difference do our prayers make?

Can we, through our prayers, make God do something he wouldn’t otherwise do?

So, we’re going to use the Bible to interpret the Bible and dig deeper into what’s happening.

Isn’t that amazing? These people had seen God inflict ten plagues on the Egyptians so they (Israel) could be delivered from bondage.

Moses knew God wasn’t playing. And so, if he was going to plead for the people, he needed to pray persuasively.

If you want to pray persuasively, pray that God be glorified.

The third factor that made Moses’ prayer so persuasive is that he believed God’s promises were eternal.

Moses got on the same page with God.

You see, they were God’s people, but they were Moses’ responsibility. He took ownership for their standing with God.

Because in making that offer, Moses points to the one who will come centuries after Moses, Jesus Christ.

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2024-10-06: Prayer That Works — Pray with Persistence

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:44 — 15.6MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 11:5-13, Luke 18:1-7

Prayer That Works
Pray with Persistence
Luke 11:5-13, Luke 18:1-7

I suspect there are people who do the same thing with prayer…they use prayer’s power sparingly.

Did you know this is the only time in the entire Gospels when the disciples explicitly asked the greatest teacher who ever lived to teach them something?

Jesus was the greatest teacher that ever lived, and He knew that a fundamental principle of teaching is that you never learn anything without being a little disturbed.

But the scripture goes on to say that even though your neighbor won’t give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your “shameless audacity” he will give you what you need.

Are we really supposed to be the little old lady who is so persistent with her requests that an unrighteous judge is afraid she’s going to beat him up?

We don’t just ask once. In both of these stories, the emphasis is that the asker kept asking.

A ASK and it will be given to you: when you are in need of something, you ask for it.

S SEEK and you will find; when you are looking for something, you seek it (wisdom, peace, answers, something you’ve lost).

K KNOCK and the door will be opened: when you want to see someone, or when you want access to somewhere, you knock on the door.

Would anyone ever accuse you of shameless audacity in your prayers? Or do you come to God timidly, afraid you are going to bother him? Afraid you are going to make him mad?

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2024-09-22: Prayer That Works — Pray with Expectancy

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:10 — 17.3MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: James 5:13-18, I Kings 18:41-45

Prayer That Works
Pray with Expectancy
James 5:13-18, I Kings 18:41-45

And I think that if we actually believed what we said we believed about prayer, we would be doing a whole lot more of it.

In James 4:2, he says that one of the reasons we don’t receive what we desire is we don’t pray.

It is common for many of us to feel we don’t know how to pray or what to say–and James understood that so he gave us an example of how we can pray.

Then Elijah, after pouring water all over his sacrifice, prays a very simple prayer:

FIRST, Prayer that works takes work!

SECOND, prayer that works takes persistence.
Because when we work at our prayers–it shows the answer “matters” to us.

THIRD, Prayer that works takes risks.
Her petite frame held power, simply because she was intimately connected with and invested in God’s name.

FOURTH, Prayer that works takes understanding God’s will.
It is asking for those things that will honor Him. That are in accordance with his will.

FIFTH, Prayer that works takes righteousness with God.
The only thing that made Elijah anything is the same thing that we have access to: God’s imputed righteousness.

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2024-09-08: Spiritual Armor — Fully Battle Ready

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:28 — 12.7MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Ephesians 6:17-18

Spiritual Armor
Fully Battle Ready
Ephesians 6:17-18

This word of God is the word that gets deep inside of us. It’s the scripture that gives us power.

This sounds like a strange sight unless we understand that the two-edged sword is the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

When He spoke that word at his enemy, it became a double-edged sword.

The writer of Hebrews states that God’s word is alive, powerful, and more deadly than the sword of the Roman soldier.

Prayer of Consecration
This type of prayer indicates that you are willing to totally surrender your life to God’s will.

Prayer of Petition
It is knowing that God, and He alone, is able to provide for your need.

Prayer of Authority
But God knows that if you meet these two criteria then you will not demand anything contrary to his desires for you.

Prayer of Thanksgiving
If you are only thankful for the pleasantries in life, then your spear has become of no effect against the enemy.

Prayer of Supplication
This is where we pray for each other. We are to pray for all people.

Prayer of Intercession
This is the most powerful prayer we have against Satan.

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2024-08-25: Spiritual Armor — The Protecting Helmet

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:43 — 12.2MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Ephesians 6:17

Spiritual Armor
The Protecting Helmet
Ephesians 6:17

Just as this helmet is designed to protect the head of the soldier from a hit that could take his life, our helmet of salvation is designed to protect our mind.

If he can get into your mind, he will begin to play mind games with you.

Satan will do all he can to keep you away from those who want to help you on a spiritual level and he does so with mind games.

Make this verse personal. “I will destroy every proud obstacle that keeps me from knowing God. I will capture my rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey God.”

When you have salvation covering your mind as a Roman soldier had his helmet to protect his head, then Satan’s plans are doomed.

Salvation gives us power.
Salvation gives us love for one another.
Salvation gives us self-control.
Salvation gives us a sound mind.

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2024-08-18: Spiritual Armor — The Shield That Covers

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:25 — 15.1MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts Ephesians 6:15-16

Spiritual Armor
The Shield That Covers
Ephesians 6:15-16

Paul related the shoes to the peace of God. We are assured of our firm footing when battling the forces sent against us.

These shields carried into battle were the size of doors. And like a door covers you when you are behind it, so did these shields.

Paul relates this shield to our faith. It is our faith that protects us.

So where does faith begin?

How do I know if my faith is big enough?

Each soldier would be equipped with a shield to fit him. God does the same with faith.

So how do I take care of this faith?

If the only time you soak your faith in the cleansing water of God’s truth is on the occasions that you come to church, your shield of faith is dry.

What about those times when my faith feels so weak?

We should be able to call on each other for prayer support when we are in a spiritual battle.

God’s promise to us.

Once again, we see the joint effort between us and God. He will protect us by his power not ours.

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2024-08-11: Spiritual Armor — Let It Shine

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:16 — 12.7MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts Ephesians 6:14

Spiritual Armor
Let It Shine
Ephesians 6:14

Although the belt was the only part of the armor not made of metal, and although it seemed to be the least significant, the belt actually played an important role.

Righteousness. Is the act of doing what is in agreement with God’s standards, which leads to the state of being in the proper relationship with God.

God has provided a way for us to be in right standing with him no matter what we do.

So, Jesus willingly went to the cross and offered his blood to cover man’s sin forever

When we are wearing our armor of righteousness, we can pray with confidence.

This is the result of understanding righteousness. It gives us a confidence to follow God’s lead through the Holy Spirit.

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2024-08-04: Spiritual Armor — Tighten Up Your Belt

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:26 — 16.0MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts Ephesians 6:14-18

Spiritual Armor
Tighten Up Your Belt
Ephesians 6:14-18

As Paul analyzed the soldier that stood before him, he observed his body armor.

With all of this glorious shining metal, notice the Holy Spirit points Paul to what seems to be the most unimportant part of the armor, the belt.

Think about this. The belt of truth is the only part of our spiritual armor that can be held in our hand.

Righteousness
If your body armor is full of holes, the only way you can patch them is by putting on the belt of truth and making the written word a top priority.

Peace
The only way you can quit stumbling in your shoes of peace is by putting on your belt of truth and let the word fill your life.

Faith
If Satan has slapped your shield of faith from your hand, the only way to retrieve it is by putting on your belt of truth and allowing the Holy Spirit to renew your faith by the word of God.

Salvation
If Satan has crushed your helmet of salvation, the only way to restore it is by putting on the belt of truth and allowing the Word of God to give you the assurance of your salvation.

Spirit
If Satan has broken your sword of the Spirit, the only way to repair it is to put on the belt of truth and hang it from your side.