Tag: Sermon

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2012-05-06: Spiritual Disciplines – Solitude

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:45 — )

Sermon: Spiritual Disciplines – Solitude
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 13:6-8
Duration: 25:45
Size: 11.7 MB

Spiritual Disciplines
Solitude
Luke 13:6-8

The gardener of our soul is the Holy Spirit, he digs around our roots and feeds us so that we might bear good fruit.

What is Solitude
Just as fasting is the abstinence from food for spiritual purposes, solitude is the withdrawing to privacy for spiritual purposes.

True solitude removes ourselves from company, but it also removes ourselves from other distractions as well.

Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment. Solitude is not first a place but a state of mind and heart.

We only have to look at Jesus’ life if we want to find the practice of Solitude in scripture.

The Benefits of Solitude
In the quiet of solitude, all pretensions can be striped away, all the things in life that are trying to mold us in their image are removed, all the requirements of the world disappear, and we can stand before God “just as I am”.

Remember that Dallas Willard said that the Discipline of Solitude is for strengthening.

You can see that Jesus sought out solitude before the big events in his life.

When we are tempted to live in a way that will please those around us, rather than live in integrity with who the Father has called us to be, the more time we spend in solitude with the Father, the less other’s judgments stick to us!

How to Practice Solitude
The important thing is to get alone and recognize God’s presence with you before you read or pray.

They say that you can be alone even when standing in a crowd.

The truth is, I believe that all Christians should take some kind of solitary retreat at times.

The Benefits of Solitude

  • Being Real
  • Getting Centered
  • Learn to Live in Integrity

How To Practice Solitude

  • Daily Solitude
  • Spontaneous Solitude
  • Retreats
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2012-04-29: Love God…Love People

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:58 — )

Sermon: Love God…Love People
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Mark 12:28-34
Duration: 24:58
Size: 11.4 MB

Love God…Love People
Mark 12:28-34

If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.

Jesus’ answer to this all-important question would reveal a great deal about his own heart–which, of course, is the heart of God.

Love God. Love people. That’s what matters most to God! These are the Greatest Commands. These are the big rocks!

I. Love God: Deuteronomy 6:4-5

The heart is the source of our feelings and emotions.

Perhaps, the best way to understand it is that your soul is both who and what you are.

Loving God with all your mind implies centering your education on him–learning and growing in our capacity to fathom his vastness and mystery.

Strength here has nothing to do with physique; it signifies your energy output–your work, your job, your play, whatever it is that you put effort into.

As we learn to love him more, he opens our hearts to greater love.

II. Love People: Leviticus 19:18

Loving your neighbor essentially means loving the people around you–all of them.

The five love languages:

  • Words of Affirmation
  • Quality Time
  • Acts of Service
  • Physical Touch
  • Gifts

When we serve, touch, and give gifts to other people, we are nonetheless doing it for God.

Ultimately, we love people the most when we share with them the same loving relationship with God that we have.

All of this sort of begs the question–how loving are you?

I Corinthians 13:4-8

And if it is our desire to grow in our capacity to love God and love people, then we must learn to love like Jesus…

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2012-04-08: Going Away Empty Hearted – Easter 2012

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:01 — )

Sermon: Going Away Empty Hearted
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 20:1-18
Duration: 31:01
Size: 14.2 MB

Going Away Empty Hearted
Easter 2012
John 20:1-18

On Sunday morning, some friends of his arrive at the tomb where he was buried to pay their last respects only to discover that his body is gone.

The question is how are you going to respond to that empty tomb?

JOHN, THE BELIEVER

He was so excited about the possibility that Jesus might actually be alive that he ran faster than he ever had before.

John saw and believed.

PETER, THE SKEPTIC

The last time that he had looked into the eyes of Jesus was just after Peter had denied Him.

He needed more evidence.

Peter walked away from that empty tomb with his heart still broken.

MARY, THE BROKEN-HEARTED

It was the deepest darkest time of their lives.

To her, Jesus meant…

  • Release
  • Peace
  • Forgiveness
  • Someone to believe in
  • Leadership

Seeing the Lord – that’s what Mary wanted more than anything else, and she wanted it more than anyone else did.

RESPONSE

You see the empty tomb and you believe.

You see the empty tomb and you don’t know what to believe.

You see the empty tomb, you see the change in people’s lives and you hang around long enough to have your questions answered and your faith grown.

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2012-04-01: Spiritual Disciplines – Confession

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:15 — 16.6MB)

Sermon: Spiritual Disciplines – Confession
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 15:17-20
Duration: 36:15
Size: 16.5 MB

Spiritual Disciplines
Confession
Luke 15:17-20

What God wants to hear is an honest answer to a simple question.

True confession is marked by honesty.

God can forgive any sin, but he will not forgive us until there is honest confession.

We have lost our moral bearings, we are spiritually adrift, and we are unaware of it.

The good news is that when we do confess our sin, we do not find rejection but acceptance from God.

True confession is marked by sorrow.

Real confession means that we regret what we have done.

Sin brings sorrow because it alienates us from God, from other people, and it leaves us broken within.

True confession is marked by change.

Once we become honest with ourselves, others and God, once we have repented with godly sorrow, a change takes place in our hearts.

It is a good thing to have someone to whom we can confess our sins.

When we are determined to seek the forgiveness of those we have wronged and make restitution, then we are on the path of a new obedience.

His heart is full of love and forgiveness.

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2012-03-04: Spiritual Disciplines – Contemplative Prayer

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:33 — )

Sermon: Spiritual Disciplines – Contemplative Prayer
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Psalm 27
Duration: 32:33
Size: 14.9 MB

Spiritual Disciplines
Contemplative Prayer
Psalm 27

Most of us realize that we cannot grow the fruit of the Spirit, or weed out the sins of our lives by sheer will power alone.

How do we develop a relationship with our maker?

PRAYER!

Often times our prayers are the same way, we are running around in our lives and we stop for a second and say, “Oh, God, I need you.”

We must pray not just to speak to God, but also, to hear from Him what we are to speak.

Real prayer is something we learn.

Begin With Scripture
Meditate on Scripture before you pray.

Listen Before You Speak
Spend time in silence before God, wait to see what he says.

As we learn to listen to each other, we can apply that skill to God in our prayers.

Imagination
God may not speak to you in words audible or inaudible. He may speak to you in pictures, images, feelings, sensations, dreams, and visions.

Speak
Prayer is about relationship, and although we should not make it one-sided by doing all the talking, we should also not make it one-sided by doing all the listening!

Having a spiritual friend or soul-friend is like having a training buddy.

Pray
We need to dig the well deeper, so that it won’t go dry during the hard times, and we need to develop our relationship with God so that we can enjoy the good times with Him.