Posts

Posted on

2019-05-19: Acts: Life In The Spirit — Taking Care of Business

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:00 — 11.9MB)

Sermon Audio: Taking Care of Business
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 1:15-26
Duration: 25:00
Size: 11.8 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Taking Care of Business
Acts 1:15-26

Scripture may not give us an explicit example of every situation we might face, but the principles of love, mercy, justice, and humility will help us find what God wants us to do.

The Bible can be trusted! It was not man’s idea, but God’s idea!

Isn’t it amazing how Scripture all works together and agrees with itself?

God is not willing that anyone should perish or be separated from Him for eternity.

I hope nobody here thinks they are out of the reach of God’s grace.

God is described literally as “the Knower of Hearts.” God is the One who knows our hearts today.

The best thing we can do to find God’s will is pray. However, there also comes a point when we must step out in faith.

Posted on

2019-05-12: Acts: Life In The Spirit — Waiting, Watching, and Working

Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()

Sermon Audio: Waiting, Watching, and Working
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 1:9-14
Duration: 21:58
Size: 10.3 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Waiting, Watching, and Working
Acts 1:9-14

Christ’s work is finished, but He left us with important work to do.

While they were straining their necks to see where Jesus had gone, two angels appeared and asked them what they were doing.

God has chosen to use us as His messengers to a lost world. Are you getting the message out?

If we want to make it to the end and finish well, we must work at developing Christian community.

Prayer changes reality in the spirit realm first, and then we see the results in the physical realm. Something happens when we pray that does not happen when we don’t pray.

We may need to find creative and nonthreatening ways to share Christ.

Posted on

2019-04-28: Acts: Life In The Spirit — Breathe Into You

Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()

Sermon Audio: Breathe Into You
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 1:1-8
Duration: 22:34
Size: 10.6 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Breathe Into You
Acts 1:1-8

“How many Christians have been living their entire lives without ever knowing what it is like to have the overwhelming Power of the Holy Spirit operating within them?”

Now to learn about the Holy Spirit, you have to go to the writings of Luke which include the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts.

It is the Holy Spirit which makes us a witness of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

You cannot live the Christian life and do the things of Jesus until you have received the Holy Spirit.

It really comes down to how bad you want it! It’s not passive waiting. It’s active waiting.

As we look at the Book of Acts to see what it really means to live in the fullness of the Spirit, it really comes down to two things: desire and discipline.

When you are baptized, you are literally dying to your former way of life because you realize that’s not cutting it and you are surrendering to life in God.

The power of the Holy Spirit must precede witness and the problem of the church is that our witness gets ahead of the Holy Spirit.

That leads to the discipline of prayer, Bible study and the fasting and then surrendering your entire life and will to God.

Posted on

2019-04-07: The Minor Prophets — Malachi: God Speaks We Listen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:38 — 10.2MB)

Sermon Audio: Malachi: God Speaks We Listen
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Malachi 1-4
Duration: 20:38
Size: 10.1 MB

The Minor Prophets
Malachi: God Speaks We Listen
Malachi 1-4

The interesting part about this book is that each time God speaks, the people responded with a rebuttal–a question of defense or denial.

They have turned cold towards God and the things of God. God has lost His place in their heart and lives.

God is actively engaging with His people in a personal and loving way. He is communicating, but are His people listening.

It is not so much a matter of IF God is speaking, but rather, whether we are listening.

It is those little sounds, soft and inward, quite imperceptible sometimes, that distracts us from distinguishing God’s Word.

Guard those short spans of time you have when you are alone and not doing anything, like commuting from home to work.

Posted on

2019-03-31: The Minor Prophets — Zechariah: Empowered By His Spirit

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:58 — 10.1MB)

Sermon Audio: Zechariah: Empowered By His Spirit
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Zechariah 1-14
Duration: 21:58
Size: 10.1 MB

The Minor Prophets
Zechariah: Empowered By His Spirit
Zechariah 1-14

Zechariah encourages the nation to respond to her privileged, covenantal relationship with God by rebuilding the Temple and returning to the worship of God in the light of a glorious future when their Messiah comes and establishes His Kingdom.

If it is God’s will and God’s work, then only through the power of His Spirit can it be done.

God’s work is done through our human efforts but not by our efforts.

The lamp-stand in the Scriptures generally depicts the church, believers in Christ.

The Lord says, any challenges you face, any obstacles to My plan, as great as a “mighty mountain” (4:7), will be removed.

Focus on His promise and not the problem. Choose to look to God. He will always be there

You cannot be too small for God to use; you can be too big for Him to use.

God removes the obstacles and turns our small gifts into wonderful things that can be used to please Him and glorify His Name.