Tag: Acts: Life In The Spirit

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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.

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Sermon Audio: Giving The Right Stuff
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 3:1-10
Duration: 27:41
Size: 13.3 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Giving The Right Stuff
Acts 3:1-10

Peter did not have what the beggar thought was needed; he had something 1000 times better, and he did not hesitate to give it away.

We are going unwrap 3 ideas today that will help us give the right stuff.

I. Earthly Riches Produce Diminishing Returns
Money is not evil; in fact, it is quite useful, but it can never be a substitute for the presence and power of God at work in our lives.

II. Heavenly Riches Produce Lasting Returns
If we have the Spirit of God, we have all that we need, and we have what others need!

The heavenly riches that Peter shared with him paid eternal dividends.

III. God Wants Us to Be Willing to Give What We Have
We also have a spiritual obligation to be obedient to the Holy Spirit and give of the spiritual resources we have in Christ.

Maybe we would like to do more for God, being used in the miraculous and sharing our faith with others. However, we don’t think we have the necessary power.

Jesus told the disciples that they would receive power to be His witnesses after the Holy Spirit came upon them.

If you believe in Christ, you have the Spirit of God living in you, wanting to use you to give life, hope, and healing to those in need.

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Sermon Audio: Anatomy of a Growing Church
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 2:42-47
Duration: 28:45
Size: 13.9 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Anatomy of a Growing Church
Acts 2:42-47

What are the elements needed for growth? What does a growing church look like?

I. Essentials of a Growing Christian Body
A. Teaching/Learning
If we will devote ourselves to obeying God’s word, whether we learn it in a Sunday School class, a sermon, in our own Bible reading time, or some other way, we will learn to live in the freedom God has for us.

B. Fellowship
So, not only did they hang out together and build good friendships with one another, but they gathered to remember the Lord’s death, and what it had done for all of them together. It was both social and spiritual.

C. Prayer & Worship
Now, as important as personal prayer times are, Acts 1:14 says they all joined together constantly in prayer.

D. A Sense of Awe
If we really believe that our God is alive and well and wants to let His power flow through His church, then I believe we will begin to see the miraculous in our lives.

E. Sharing
They were so excited about what God was doing in their lives that they wanted to be around other believers who would rejoice together with them.

II. Effects of a Growing Christian Body
A. Favor
Favor comes by being part of the solution, rather than the problem in your community.

B. Divine Increase
Let me encourage you to keep on being faithful in obeying what God asks you to do. Don’t give up sharing your faith. Keep planting seeds; keep watering the soil. God will give the increase if we do not give up.

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Sermon Audio: How To Deal With Conviction
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 2:36-41
Duration: 21:06
Size: 10.0 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
How To Deal With Conviction
Acts 2:36-41

As we take a look at how Peter’s listeners responded when they were faced with their own sin and guilt, we will see at least 3 steps that can apply to our own lives.

I. Get Right
The sword of God’s word, when delivered in the power of the Holy Spirit can cut to the heart.

According to Peter, we need to repent, because God is the One who is disturbing us, convicting us, and making us see our need to get right with Him!

II. Get Clean
That is why we say His blood washes away our sins.

III. Get Filled
Luke’s references to the Holy Spirit usually include both the indwelling Spirit, whom we receive at salvation, and the empowering Spirit, whom we receive when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Get right! Get clean! Get filled! Folks, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit! We need to stay filled with the Holy Spirit!

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Sermon Audio: Under The Influence
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 2:14-36
Duration: 24:07
Size: 11.9 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Under The Influence
Acts 2:14-36

Well, Peter was still under the influence of the Holy Spirit when he stood up to correct the allegation of drunkenness, and he preached the gospel to well over 3000 people at once.

Let’s look at three main elements from Peter’s sermon to find these answers.

I. God Is Pouring Out His Spirit on all Who Will Receive (2:17-18)
If we don’t trust that God wants to give us what is best for us, then we won’t be very open to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

The invitation is that of a loving Father, saying, “Come home. I love you and want to give you a life worth living.”

We need to stay in right relationship and close fellowship with Jesus, so the Holy Spirit can work through us.

II. God Is Showing Signs & Wonders to Signal the End of Time (2:19-20)
Jesus is coming back to this earth to take His people to be with Him forever.

III. God Is Saving All Who Call on Jesus (2:21)
How many of you here today would say, “I really need more of the Holy Spirit in my life”?

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Sermon Audio: Birthday of the Church
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 2:1-13
Duration: 29:16
Size: 14.1 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Birthday of the Church
Acts 2:1-13

Today on the Church calendar it is known as Pentecost which is the “Birth of the Church.”

If we look in the past, before this day in Acts chapter 2, we will find a different sort of Pentecost celebration.

Pentecost was a time of celebration where people would feast and be thankful for what God had already given them and for the provision He would provide in the future.

It seems that for these Christians celebrating Pentecost together, it would soon take on a whole new meaning for they would be witnesses and participants to the birth of the Church.

We find that the Spirit came and allowed those who were there to speak in tongues. What an amazing miracle for the beginning of the church!

This day of Pentecost was really just the beginning for the church and there was much to look forward to.

The Holy Spirit provides us the environment needed to have a personal relationship with God.

As a result of Pentecost Present, we have the Holy Spirit with us now in Pentecost Future.

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.

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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.

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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.