Richmond Community Church

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Sermon Audio: The Necessity of Obedience
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 5:25-32
Duration: 21:31
Size: 10.5 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
The Necessity of Obedience
Acts 5:25-32

If you know the story of the first man and woman in the Bible, you know that God gave them only one restriction: Don’t eat from one certain tree or you will certainly die.

I. Obedience Is a Moral Obligation
God’s commands were never designed to be kept outside of a right relationship with Him.

II. Obedience Produces Authority
In our lives, there is also a sense in which obedience fosters boldness or authority.

Nevertheless, there are times when we need to use the authority God has given us, and it may come out loud and strong.

III. Obedience Demonstrates Our Faith
The apostles and the early believers had faith in Jesus, and they demonstrated that faith by obeying what He had told them to do.

IV. Obedience Welcomes the Holy Spirit into Our Lives
So, when Peter said that the Holy Spirit was a witness of these things, whom God gives to those who obey Him, he was emphasizing that the Messiah had indeed come in the person of Jesus, whom the Sanhedrin had put to death.

If we will obey Him in repentance and walk close to Him, the HOLY SPIRIT will live within us and give us the power we need to do what God has called us to do- that is to reach those who do not yet know Jesus as their forgiver and leader.

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Sermon Audio: Free To Follow
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 5:17-25
Duration: 22:18
Size: 10.6 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Free To Follow
Acts 5:17-25

Now, people have many different ideas about what freedom is all about.

Let’s look at a few areas in our lives where freedom can be more than a song.

I. We Can Find Freedom from the Past (No more guilt!)
God does not think about our sins anymore after we confess and repent of them.

II. We Can Find Freedom in the Present (No more bondage!)
God wants to set us free from a sinful lifestyle, and He will free us if we ask Him to.

So, what I’d say to you first of all is PRAY!!! And if it doesn’t happen in a moment, don’t give up, but keep on praying!

Let’s show hurting people what Jesus is really like. Then they will come to Him and be healed and set free!

III. We Can Find Total Freedom in the Future (No more sorrow or pain)
We can find total freedom when our life is over, but only if we are trusting in Jesus for our salvation and aiming to do what God wants us to do.

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Sermon Audio: Reaching Your Jerusalem
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 5:12-16
Duration: 19:08
Size: 9.21 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Reaching Your Jerusalem
Acts 5:12-16

God expects His people to make a difference in the world around them.

I. God Expects His People to Believe Him for Miracles (Acts 5:12,15-16)
Do you trust God to work miracles on your behalf?
Do you trust Him to work miracles for someone else through your prayers?

II. God Expects His People to Foster a Sense of Community (Acts 5:12b)
The important thing for us to glean from this is that they all met together, building their sense of oneness.

III. God Expects His People to Build a Good Reputation (Acts 5:13)
Ask yourself, “What positive impact does my life have on my neighborhood? How can I make a greater impact?”

IV. God Expects His People to Grow (Acts 5:14)
It is about another human being finding peace with God and receiving God’s free gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

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Sermon Audio: Living A Life Of Integrity
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 5:1-11
Duration: 23:23
Size: 11.4 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Living A Life Of Integrity
Acts 5:1-11

As our merciful God is working His goodness into our hearts and lives, He requires sincerity and integrity from us.

I. God Cares about Proper Motives (Generosity or Greed?)
As far as we can tell, they were giving for the right reasons: to honor God and to help those in need.

Nevertheless, greed and pride are sins that can easily sidetrack us from doing what honors God.

II. God Requires Honesty from His People
We do know, however, that he and his wife were in on it together and had agreed on what they would tell anyone who might ask about how much they sold their property for.

III. Personal Sin Affects Those Around Us
The sin I’m talking about is the kind where we make a conscious choice to disobey God and His word, and we really don’t feel all that bad about it; at least not bad enough to repent and turn back to God.

God was not pleased, because He knew that their sin would have a harmful effect on the character and testimony of the church.

IV. God Does Not Want People to Take Him Lightly
These verses show us that fearing the Lord is a good thing. It does not mean that we do not trust Him or love Him.

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Sermon Audio: Living A Life Of Grace
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 4:32-37
Duration: 21:48
Size: 10.8 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Living A Life Of Grace
Acts 4:32-37

When we live in such a way that God’s kindness and favor spills all over everyone around us—that is what it means to live a life of grace.

I. Grace Gives Us the Proper Attitude Towards Other Believers (Acts 4:32)
Sociologists, as well as psychologists, would probably tell you that people tend to form close knit groups based on commonalities.

II. Grace Gives Us Perspective about Ownership (Acts 4:32b,34-37)
Part of the outflow of the grace that was on them and the unity they shared was their willingness to share the material possessions and wealth God had blessed them with.

What kind of return are we bringing to God’s kingdom with the use of the resources God sends our way?

III. Grace Promotes a Biblical Lifestyle of Evangelism (sharing the good news) (Acts 4:33)
One of the greatest ways for people to know that Jesus is alive is through your life!

We do not need to apologize for the gospel or for our faith in Jesus!

This is what His grace is all about! It is favor that nobody deserves, yet it is available to all. God wants us to make His grace readily available to those who need it!

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Sermon Audio: Life-Shaking Prayer
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 4:23-31
Duration: 23:25
Size: 11.2 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Life-Shaking Prayer
Acts 4:23-31

God will shake our lives in a good way, when we ask Him for courage and power to do His will.

I. Life-Shaking Prayer Recognizes That God is in Control (Acts 4:23-24)
God is our Creator and has power over everything in heaven, on earth, and everywhere in between.

II. Life-Shaking Prayer Understands that God Works Through Opposition (Acts 4:25-29a)
Now, fresh in the minds of the disciples are the names of some current leaders who have tried to oppose God.

God works through opposition! His kingdom will come and what He wants to happen will happen, regardless of the enemy’s efforts to oppose Him.

III. Life-Shaking Prayer Seeks Courage from Above (Acts 4:29)
When Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission to go into all the world and make disciples of people from all nations, He promised He would be with them wherever they went.

IV. Life-Shaking Prayer Believes God for the Miraculous (Acts 4:30)
If they know God is able to heal their bodies, or do other signs and wonders, then they will know He is powerful enough to forgive them and help them in other areas of life.

V. Life-Shaking Prayer Results in Effective Evangelism (Acts 4:31)
There are a lot of ways to do this, but if we try to do it without praying for God’s help, then we will not be effective!

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Sermon Audio: Being With Jesus
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 4:13-22
Duration: 22:06
Size: 10.7 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Being With Jesus
Acts 4:13-22

If we will spend time with Jesus, we can boldly go and do His will, facing anything that comes our way.

I. Being with Jesus Gives Us Courage
1. We can walk with Him by reading the Gospels (and the rest of the Scriptures).
2. We can spend time with Him through prayer.
3. We can spend time w/ Him through praise and worship.
4. Another way we can be with Jesus is to understand that He is with us all day long, wherever we go.

II. Being with Jesus Prepares Us for the Extraordinary
He used these ordinary men to work an extraordinary miracle of healing for the lame man.

III. Being with Jesus Teaches Us to Obey God
God does not want to hear how much we love Him unless we are willing to show it by our obedience.

Please understand that just doing good things is not enough to get us into heaven.

IV. Being with Jesus Gives Us Something to Say
As you get to know Him more and watch Him work in your life, you will be able to share that with others.

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Sermon Audio: Disturbing Good News
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 4:1-12
Duration: 21:28
Size: 10.7 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Disturbing Good News
Acts 4:1-12

So, why would we want to talk about something like this? What’s so good about it?

The disturbing good news about Jesus can bring healing and forgiveness to all who believe in Him.

I. Jesus Disturbs Those Who Reject God
Jesus disturbs people because He wants them to realize the truth about themselves and about God.

II. Jesus Changes the Lives of Those Who Trust Him
So, you might say that the disturbing message of Jesus changed them in this way: it made them willing to be disturbed for the sake of Jesus.

III. Jesus Is the Only Source of Healing
Genuine healing only comes from God. Satan will try to imitate God in order to deceive, but His power is limited, and will always take more than it gives.

IV. Jesus Is the Only Source of Salvation
There is not an alternative source for forgiveness or salvation–just as there is no other source for healing.

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Sermon Audio: Times of Refreshing
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 3:11-26
Duration: 20:57
Size: 10.6 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Times of Refreshing
Acts 3:11-26

Well, of all the refreshing experiences we can find, nothing can compare to the renewal of the mind and spirit that is found in the presence of God.

We’re going to look at a few thoughts from our passage that will show us how a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ can bring refreshing to our souls.

I. Turning Away from Sin Brings Times of Refreshing
Let’s repent and turn away from the sin we have allowed into our lives, and the times of refreshing will begin to flow into our lives like cool refreshing water.

II. Turning to God Brings Times of Refreshing
When it is well with my soul, I find myself refreshed because I am doing what I was created to do–that is to live in harmony with God.

III. Staying Close to Jesus Brings Times of Refreshing (It is all about relationship!)
Jesus compared Himself to a Shepherd and said, “My sheep know My voice.” Can you recognize when Jesus is speaking to you?

If we choose to ignore God’s answer for mankind, we are passing up the only way to get right with Him, and to find the refreshing we need in our lives.

Are you willing to let go of what seems so important to you? If you will, I can assure you that God has something 1000 times more wonderful than what you would be giving up.