Richmond Community Church

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:53 — 23.3MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Isaiah 6:1-8

Shift
Shift Your Paradigm
Isaiah 6:1-8

A paradigm is simply a specific way of looking at the world. It is a set of presuppositions, laws, theories, philosophies that shape your understanding of the world.

How would it effect you to have a close encounter with God? A God who isn’t an illusion or a pipe dream, but who is real enough to see?

Our first paradigm shift: When we see the world as it really is, and we realize it’s maybe not so stable and so under control as we thought.

When your paradigm shifts, is your concept of God big enough to handle it?

The Second Paradigm Shift: Seeing God as He Really Is
What the Lord is showing Isaiah is that He is the all-knowing, all-powerful, Almighty God with whom no one can compare!

If we walk out of a worship service the same as when we walked in, I’m not sure we’ve truly worshipped, because true worship will shake your temple!

The Third Paradigm Shift: Seeing Ourselves as we Really Are
This is a sign that you’ve seen God for who He is. Not only have you said, “uh oh,” but your heart grieves for those around you,

The NT equivalent of the coal from the altar is the Cross of Jesus Christ.

A VISION OF GOD LEADS TO MISSION FOR GOD

Here I am. Send me!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:41 — 17.6MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 10:38-42, John 9, Psalm 27, Luke 18:18-23, Philippians 3:10-14

Shift
Shift Your Priorities
Luke 10:38-42, John 9, Psalm 27, Luke 18:18-23, Philippians 3:10-14

We are going to look at five different ONE THING passages, and as we do, my prayer is that this is going to help you shift your priorities–from being worried and anxious about “many things” to prioritizing ONE THING.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t explicitly say what the ONE THING is. What exactly did Mary choose?

All we know, and all he knows, is that he once was blind, and now he sees.

If your identity is in Christ, then nothing else matters. If your identity is not in Christ, then nothing else matters.

What’s your ONE desire? At this moment in your life, what is the ONE THING you would ask of the Lord?

The question: What is your purpose? What’s your calling? It’s simple. To be like Jesus in every way.

The question you have to answer is what is distracting you.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:23 — 18.8MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 1:1-8, Genesis 11:1-4, Exodus 3-4:1, Jonah 1-3:1, Romans 15:17-20

Shift
Shift Into Action
Acts 1:1-8, Genesis 11:1-4, Exodus 3-4:1, Jonah 1-3:1, Romans 15:17-20

So, we are going to look at what God’s plan has been for his people from the very first pages of Scripture.

So, twice–once at the end of Luke and once at the beginning of Acts, Jesus gives very clear instructions to the disciples. Beginning from Jerusalem, they are to take the gospel to the four corners of the earth.

The law of Inertia states that “A body in motion tends to remain in motion, while a body at rest tends to remain at rest.”

We live out the old McDonald’s commercial–you deserve a break today.

But when it came to using Moses to do it, not so much. So, he started giving God one excuse after another.

Do you find yourself staying put when God says go because you’re either too comfortable or too insecure?

I have to wonder if we sometimes miss God’s heart for people because we’ve already decided that God would never want to save them?

Remember, God’s will WILL be accomplished. He proved it at Babel. He proved it with Moses. He proved it with Jonah. And he proved it in the book of Acts.

Maybe this is our time to put self on the shelf.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:56 — 19.2MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 13:1-17, Philippines 2:5-11

Shift
Shift Your Attitude
John 13:1-17, Philippines 2:5-11

All of these made me wonder–is it possible to have a shift in your attitude that does not involve alcohol, a barroom brawl, or professional wrestling?

When we talk about shifting our attitude as Christians, it means shifting to be more like Jesus.

Jesus could have used this moment to “power up” on His disciples.

But Jesus taught and modeled that power is not primarily for the benefit of the powerful. And instead of powering up, he empowered others.

Jesus didn’t lay aside his power and authority to play-act the role of a servant.

But from the day we ate of the fruit in the garden, thinking it would make us like God, an alien will take precedence over our own.

Jesus used his power to give power to the powerless.

So, you can serve people without serving God. But you can’t serve God without serving people.

Doulos emphasizes the relationship of the servant to the MASTER.
Diakoneo emphasizes the relationship of the servant to the MINISTRY.
Huperetes–the under–oarsman, emphasizes the relationship of the servant to the MISSION.

So, what does it take to shift our attitude from one of entitlement to one of empowerment?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:38 — 19.7MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Ezekiel 37:1-10

Shift
Shift Out of Neutral
Ezekiel 37:1-10

But are we going anywhere? Is there forward motion, or is there just movement?

What is life going to look like on the other side of quarantine, or a church split, or LGBTQA+++ (oops! I mean exile!)

In other words, they are stuck in neutral. Not only is there no forward motion, there’s no motion at all.

Without the Spirit of God inhabiting what we do, we are stuck in neutral. No matter how busy we become, we won’t be alive as a church.

So, anything and everything that happens within the kingdom of God happens because God either wills it to happen or permits it to happen.

So, while God never promises to any individual church that it will endure, God is blessing Richmond, and I believe he will continue to bless our congregation as we continue to be faithful to him.

Sufficient

Clear

Authoritative

Necessary

You can know about God through creation. But you can’t know God apart from Scripture.