Category: 2024 Sermons

Posted on

2024-07-28: Thinking Outside the Walls — The Power of the Presence

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:34 — 11.8MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 4:5-31

Thinking Outside the Walls
The Power of the Presence
Acts 4:5-31

We are not called to defend the walls of our church building, but instead we are to storm the very gates of Hell.

But the Bible wants us to understand that the reason Peter was so bold was because God was right there with him.

I’m more of the school of thought that the Spirit is an active and vibrant force in the life of the believer.

While the Spirit may help you and I to occasionally to say something that speaks to a person’s heart–it helps to be prepared.

And I’m convinced that–if you pray about it beforehand–the Spirit can begin to tinker with the hearts of those you’d like to talk to.

In other words–you’ll know you’ve been walking by the Spirit when your life is filled with love, joy, peace, etc.

Posted on

2024-07-21: Thinking Outside the Walls — We Must Obey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:13 — 17.4MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 5:17-32

Thinking Outside the Walls
We Must Obey
Acts 5:17-32

“If the Bible and I don’t agree, I must be wrong.”

People in places like Turkey, China, and India have to decide if their love for Jesus is more important than their love for life.

What makes one qualified to speak about salvation?

We should be praying about all things; it only makes sense that we would pray to prepare for the coming persecution.

We also are empowered by the Holy Spirit, so we need to constantly be in prayer. As we do so, we need to trust in God.

You’ll have the strength to comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of God’s love–it’s immense.

The Sanhedrin reminds them that they had been warned about preaching Jesus, but the apostles declared, “We must obey God rather than men!”

Let’s live our lives in such a way that people see us and give glory to God.

Posted on

2024-07-14: Thinking Outside the Walls — Preparing for War

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:29 — 13.9MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 2:41-47

Thinking Outside the Walls
Preparing for War
Acts 2:41-47

Jesus built His church (not of brick and mortar) but with people like you and me.

Too many churches don’t give a clear call for battle.

In the same way, if you’re gonna be a soldier of the Cross–you need to be here!

Everything we know about Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit, Church, Christian living, etc. It’s all in the Bible.

Fellowship is all about creating a church that hangs together, and works together, and understands the goals of the group.

It’s just that when we pray as a group it unleashes power from God in a unique way.

And when we meet to worship God–we talk about the Bible; we do Fellowship; we focus in Communion on Christ’s sacrifice; and we pray. When we do that, we prepare for war.

Posted on

2024-07-07: Thinking Outside the Walls — Walls Come Tumbling Down

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:38 — 11.3MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 2:36-41

Thinking Outside the Walls
Walls Come Tumbling Down
Acts 2:36-41

So, Jesus was going to build His church, and the purpose of the church was to attack the gates of hell.

We should all be looking for ways to reach beyond the walls!

Peter had said something that made them question their relationship with God.

Now what that suggests to me is that you can tear down the walls of people’s indifference to Jesus by just asking them a few questions.

Now there’s all kinds of questions you can ask people, but one last question might be: “If you died today…what would happen to you?”

Posted on

2024-06-30: God’s Holy Spirit — The Spirit’s Personality

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:59 — 14.2MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 16:3-13

God’s Holy Spirit
The Spirit’s Personality
John 16:3-13

The Holy Spirit is a divine person that works in conjunction with God and Christ.

When our minds are in tune with the Spirit’s mind, we can better understand the deeper matters of God’s will for us.

Bitterness not only grieves the Holy Spirit, but also Christ and God the Father.

There is also an eternal nature to the Holy Spirit, just as there is with God and Christ.

Each one is a divine living being capable of speaking, acting, influencing, blessing, reconciling, transforming, loving, and glorifying.

And today, we have God’s Holy Spirit directing and guiding us in ways that we cannot totally perceive.

Posted on

2024-06-23: God’s Holy Spirit — A Distinction Between God’s Word and God’s Holy Spirit

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:00 — 15.1MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 3:5-8

God’s Holy Spirit
A Distinction Between God’s Word and God’s Holy Spirit
John 3:5-8

God’s Spirit and God’s Word are not always apparent in the lives of believers.

God’s Spirit guides and leads us through God’s Word.

It is through Scripture inspired by God’s Spirit that the Christian is taught, reproved, corrected, and instructed in the way of righteousness.

We experience comfort and encouragement from the Holy Spirit through the application of Biblical doctrine that is assimilated into our lives through the aid of God’s Spirit.

There are many other passages that could be cited, but the significance of God’s Holy Word and His Holy Spirit cannot be understated.

People who are seeking God and things spiritual want to see something in Christ-followers that is real and makes a difference in daily living.

How do we get there…it is not by personal works, not by religious ritual, not by seeking some spectacular supernatural manifestation, not by some deep emotional experience.

Posted on

2024-06-09: God’s Holy Spirit — The Holy Spirit in the New Testament

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:45 — 14.9MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Corinthians 12:4-11

God’s Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit in the New Testament
I Corinthians 12:4-11

For those who do not embrace God’s gift of salvation, they will be swept up like chaff on the threshing floor and burned in fire.

The Old Testament validated that God’s Word is true and sure and that is why we must rely on God’s inspired Word as the ultimate source of truth.

In the early church, God gave various miraculous powers referred to by Paul as gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The washing, rebirth, and renewal, emphasis clearly falls on the Holy Spirit as the source of the new life God has made available to believers.

God’s Word can open hearts and minds to the things of God but it is the Holy Spirit that moves one to conversion and a life consecrated to Christ.

I think it is obvious that there is a disconnect between the church of today and the church of 2,000 years ago.

In most cases we have not allowed God’s Spirit to work in us or among us.

Posted on

2024-06-02: God’s Holy Spirit — The Holy Spirit in the Life of a Christian

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:40 — 16.5MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Romans 8:5-10

God’s Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit in the Life of a Christian
Romans 8:5-10

American independence has taught us to “do it yourself” and then if you encounter problems ask for help. But that is not God’s plan nor preference.

These “come-outers” held no formal church membership, had no governing church officials, and recognized no ministerial credentials.

The Bible does teach us that the Holy Spirit is active in a believer’s life.

We are sanctified by the Holy Spirit…that is we are set apart from our old life of sin to serve God and live a life of holiness.

In Christ, there is a new beginning–and that new beginning is aided by the power and presence of God’s Holy Spirit.

God’s Word and God’s Spirit work in tandem guide us toward sanctification to move us to holiness of character that readies us for life to come.

So, we must ask ourselves, am I growing in Christ and what are the indicators of my growth?

There is a stark difference between ’emotionalism’ and emotions that stem from a true heart of worship.

Posted on

2024-05-26: Waiting, Receiving, Being

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:48 — 17.2MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 2:1-13

Waiting, Receiving, Being
Acts 2:1-13

Ten days after Christ had left, they found themselves in a room in Jerusalem doing just what Christ had commanded them to do, they were waiting.

When most of us think of Pentecost we think of Christianity, but as is the case with most of Christianity the true beginnings of Pentecost are rooted in Judaism.

But right there in that one little phrase is the secret to a church that is going to succeed and that is they were moving in one direction.

They were promised power, and that power is what they were waiting for.

Now I don’t know what was going on in that room before the wind and fire arrived, but I would suspect that God had their undivided attention after the fact.

You see what happens is that too many of us are guilty of putting God in a theological box; we say this is our position so get in there.

The miracle here was not the language that they spoke in but that they had the courage to speak in any language