Tag: Val Watkins

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2014-01-12: Luke-The Investigative Gospel – How Can I Be Sure?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:24 — 1.0MB)

Sermon Audio: How Can I Be Sure?
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 1:5-25
Duration: 22:24
Size: 10.2 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
How Can I Be Sure?
Luke 1:5-25

The gospel of Luke breaks a silence that has lasted for over four hundred years.

Zechariah was an ordinary country priest, one perhaps as many as 20,000 estimated to be living in Palestine at the time.

I wonder what that says about our own attendance in “worship services”, we come to worship God but do we have any idea that we might actually meet up with Him.

This man, John, who would come to be called “the Baptist“, was to be an extraordinary man!

In spite of Zachariah’s godliness, his obedience to the law and a lifetime of service in the ministry, his faith was weak when it came to believing such a promise.

Zachariah in asking, “How can I be sure”, is in effect asking for a sign.

God kept his promise, just as he always does, and Elizabeth, in spite of her years, conceived a child.

Application

First, our impossibilities are only the platforms upon which God is able to do his best work.

Second, God’s delays are not denials. Never confuse a wait with a no.

Third, when God does choose to intervene it is always for His glory and our good.

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2014-01-05: Luke-The Investigative Gospel – Can We Trust The Map?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:18 — 10.7MB)

Sermon Audio: Can We Trust The Map?
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 1:1-4
Duration: 23:18
Size: 10.6 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
Can We Trust The Map?
Luke 1:1-4

Today, I want us to begin on a journey which will lead us to a treasure.

This passage, right at the beginning of this gospel account tries to define for us the credentials of this treasure Map.

Is the Author Credible?

This letter doesn’t have any identifying statement. But we do have some clues.

What we have here is a 2 volume set, written as a history of the Christian church, to some important official.

Really there is no other credible option and there is almost unanimous agreement between scholars today that Luke was the author.

To him, this was no mere game – his whole purpose of life, everything he held dear depended on getting the facts straight.

Are the sources of information credible?

The information that was gleaned however, in this and other accounts was directly obtained from eyewitnesses to the events.

Like he himself, their lives had been changed and so their testimonies were not distant memories, but dynamic and trustworthy accounts of what had happened to change their lives.

Is the method used to make the Map credible?

Luke declares to us that he himself investigated the information.

For Luke, this was achieved by publishing his work while many of his sources were still living.

Is the purpose for writing credible?

Luke’s reason for writing this account was so that Theophilus could know for sure what he had been taught.

As we look into Luke’s Map of Jesus’ life over the coming months, I pray that our eyes would be opened to see Jesus afresh.

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2013-12-29: What Do You See?

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Sermon: What Do You See?
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Hebrews 11:6-10
Duration: 47:27
Size: 21.7 MB

What Do You See?
Hebrews 11:6-10

We move forward through life unsure of how to respond to the changing situations in world around us.

As you think back over the past year and look at your own life and the direction of this church what do you see?

1. The Under-taking Church – looking back

Decisions in this kind of church are based on what has worked in the past – if it was good enough for them it is good enough for us.

While you can learn from the past, you can’t live there. You have to live and adapt to where you are or you will perish.

It is impossible to serve God yesterday.

2. The Care-taking Church – looking present

Decisions in this kind of church are based on immediate assets.

As long as the services are good and the needs are met and the people are happy then all is well.

3. The Risk-taking church – looking future

They invest all they have today so that they can be all that God wants them to be tomorrow.

Though he could not see or understand it, he based his life on God’s word and was willing to wait 120 years for the promise to be fulfilled.

God is shaking the kingdoms of the earth and the Kingdom of Heaven is forcefully advancing. Don’t miss what God is doing – join Him.

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2013-12-15: Christmas At The Movies – It’s A Wonderful Life

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Sermon: It’s A Wonderful Life
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Ephesians 2:1-20
Duration: 32:56
Size: 15.0 MB

Christmas at the Movies

“Christmas at the Movies”
It’s A Wonderful Life
Ephesians 2:1-20

In the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” George Bailey had a gift that he wasn’t sure he wanted. His gift was the gift of life.

George Bailey finally understood how wonderful his life had been because he was allowed to see how much would have been lost if he had never been born.

I. Here in Ephesians 2, Paul is writing to Christians who had been tempted to throw away their gift as well.

False Teachers had come to town telling the Ephesians that what God had done through Jesus Christ wasn’t enough.

His objective was to teach them what would have happened if Jesus had not been born.

II. What would it have been like if Jesus had never been born?

What if by faith they lived as best they could, according to the Law of Moses?

These were great and admirable people that we can look up to; and we wonder if we could ever be like them.

III. Now, that might have seemed practical for individuals who aren’t “bad” people.

The whole purpose of the Law was to drive home that even “nice” people sinned and needed a sacrifice to atone for their bad thoughts their bad words and their bad actions.

Paul was the worst of all sinners? Yes. And he knew it! And being a “nice guy” wasn’t going to change that.

IV. And so Paul pleads with these Ephesian Christians to remember what their lives were like before Jesus was “born” into their lives.

Christmas time is supposed to be a season of peace and goodwill. And with Jesus it can be.

But what happens is that (without Jesus) all some people see is tinsel and lights on a dead tree.

But the beauty of God’s gift of Jesus is that even into an empty life, God can give forgiveness and hope.

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2013-12-01: Christmas At The Movies – The Santa Clause

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:34 — )

Sermon: The Santa Clause
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Ephesians 4:17-5:2
Duration: 25:34
Size: 11.7 MB

Christmas at the Movies

“Christmas at the Movies”
The Santa Clause
Ephesians 4:17-5:2

The poet, Clement More gave him a red nose and eight tiny reindeer.

Once he put on the suit, his life was never the same.

I. The Bible talks about us putting on something too-it says we put on Jesus.

Once we put on Jesus-our lives are never the same either.

That is what should happen to us when we “put on” Jesus. That single act should change the way we look and think and act.

In short-when people are around us…they should be able to see what we’ve put on. They should be able to see Jesus in us.

We’ve got to be careful how we behave, because the world is watching to see what difference Jesus makes in our lives.

II. Now, how do you go about “putting on Jesus?”

We identify with what He did for us. We literally die and are buried and rise up to a new life.

Baptism is just the culmination of all those decisions. Baptism is “putting on Jesus” because you want to be His child.

III. But now…why is it that we can “put on Jesus”?

He became like us…so that we could become like Him.

If only God could become a man, then he could prove that He didn’t really want to hurt us, but instead He wanted to lead us to safety.

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2013-10-13: The Great Adventure – Sail Into The Unknown

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Sermon: The Great Adventure – Sail Into The Unknown
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Jonah 1:1-17
Duration: 25:36
Size: 11.7 MB

The Great Adventure
Sail Into The Unknown
Jonah 1:1-17

I believe that God intends the Christian life to be fun, exciting, sometimes surprising and always challenging!

Jonah 1:1-2

His orders are straightforward enough: “Go to Nineveh!”, God says.

Jonah 1:3

When God called Jonah to go, he went all right, right off in the opposite direction! He ran away from God!

The problem for Jonah is that, with God, you can run, but you cannot hide!

Jonah 1:4-17

It was a “course corrective” put there by God to get Jonah back on the right track!

Jonah 3:1-6,10

Jonah is one of those. He’s proof positive that God can use anybody to accomplish his will!

Jonah 4:1-2,11

God saw 120,000 precious souls who didn’t know him, but desperately needed to! That illustrates the difference in the way we look at the world and the way God sees it.

You see, Paul, like Jonah was trying to do it his way, instead of God’s way, and that will always get you into trouble!

Sometimes it’s only later looking back that you realize what God was doing by allowing you to go through what you were going through.

God calls us into this life to follow in the steps of his Son and to take his good news message of salvation into all the world (Beyond these Walls).

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2013-10-06: The Great Adventure – Sound The Battle Cry

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Sermon: The Great Adventure – Sound The Battle Cry
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Joshua 1:1-17
Duration: 23:03
Size: 10.5 MB

The Great Adventure
Sound The Battle Cry
Joshua 1:1-17

Joshua just sort of pops onto the scene suddenly in Exodus 17 with little introduction, almost as if he’s been there all along.

But that would be Joshua’s calling, that would be his great adventure!

Joshua 1:1-11

Notice how, over and over there, God tells Joshua, “Be Strong and Courageous, do not be afraid!” followed by the constant reassurance “I will be with you.”

So, what God was calling Joshua to was much more than simply leading a nation or serving as some kind of figurehead.

Joshua 5:13-15
Joshua 6:1-5

This wasn’t just a dispute over land, this was God’s Army, these were God’s People, and this was God’s Purpose! And so, Joshua was going to fight it God’s Way!

Joshua 6:20-21,24

Joshua serves to remind us (even today) that there is a time when God calls his people to battle; to “Sound the Battle Cry!”, that there is a time for war!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Ephesians 6:10-18

Christians, we are called to war; not with the people of the world, but with the spiritual forces of evil which seek to control our world, led by the devil himself!

I want to make sure that before we leave here today that you’re in the Lord’s Army! God is calling on you to suit up!

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2013-09-29: The Great Adventure – Step Up To The Plate

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Sermon: The Great Adventure – Step Up To The Plate
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Exodus 3:1-4:20
Duration: 29:57
Size: 13.7 MB

The Great Adventure
Step Up To The Plate
Exodus 3:1-4:20

Think about all that Moses could’ve accomplished with what he had been given?

He probably expected to live out the rest of his days out in the desert…watching sheep…a far cry from where his life could’ve taken him.

Exodus 3:1-10

He may have thought he was done, but God was just getting started… he had big things for Moses to do!

Despite all that God had done to prepare Moses, when it came down to it…Moses didn’t want to go.

Exodus 3:11-15
Exodus 4:1-16

Have you ever not wanted to do what you knew God wanted you to do?

Exodus 4:19-20

Discovering who you are and what God has given you to do in the Kingdom is the fun and exciting thing about being a Christian!

Do you need to step up and be the child of God that He calls you to be?

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2013-09-22: The Great Adventure – Stand Against The Tide

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Sermon: The Great Adventure – Stand Against The Tide
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Genesis 6:5-9
Duration: 26:10
Size: 11.9 MB

The Great Adventure
Stand Against The Tide
Genesis 6:5-9

Ever felt pressure to go along with the crowd…to give in to the tide?

Noah was different! We see in verse 8 that Noah finds favor with God, precisely because he is different!

Think about what this means…Noah did just what God told him to…even when it went against conventional wisdom…it went against the norm…went against what everybody else was doing!

When the whole world was full of evil…Noah stood against the tide and was God’s man!

But, like Noah, God still calls his people to stand against the tide! And that’s not always an easy thing to do…

There can be tremendous pressure to conform…to “fit in”…to be just like everybody else.

It takes a lot to stand against the tide…especially when the forces of that tide can be so strong.

1. He “walked with God.” (6:9)

In order to have a relationship with God…we’ve got to put in the time to make that relationship strong and that means more than just church on Sundays!

2. Noah trusted God’s Word (6:22)

We’ve got God’s Word on it…its just a matter of us choosing who we’re going to listen to…the wise, scholars, philosophers of this age? Or God?

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2013-09-15: The Great Adventure – Saddle Up Your Horses

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Sermon: The Great Adventure – Saddle Up Your Horses
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Hebrews 11:8-12
Duration: 24:12
Size: 11.0 MB

The Great Adventure
Saddle Up Your Horses
Hebrews 11:8-12

There is a disturbing trend that many church observers are noticing and beginning to talk about.

This morning for us…I want us to see that if church is boring…it isn’t God’s fault! It isn’t Jesus’ fault!

The call to follow Christ is an invitation to a radically new life full of challenge, excitement, surprise and opportunity!

Hebrews 11:8-10

I know some folks who are…and change is not something that usually comes very easily at that age. For some folks…at any age!

When you answer God’s call…no telling where you might end up!

How many times have you completely put yourself in God’s hands and said, “God, I’m really committed to this and I know there’s no going back!”

Hebrews 11:11-12

Doesn’t he still call his people to adventure?

That is because “we are here to be Jesus to those out there!” That starts in our own communities…neighborhoods & households…and what an adventure!

Is it time you asked him what adventure he’s got in store for you?