Author: Tim

Sermon Audio: Gaining Spiritual Authority
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 19:13-20
Duration: 20:59
Size: 14.4 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Gaining Spiritual Authority
Acts 19:13-20

I’m talking about the authority that God has given every true believer over the powers of darkness–the devil and his evil companions.

I. Spiritual Authority Comes through Relationship, not Ritual (Acts 19:13-16)
Some people think that if you just say the right words, then you can tap into powers higher than yourself.

The only way your name gets written in heaven is by putting your trust in Jesus for forgiveness and starting a relationship of love and obedience to Him.

See, Satan does have power, and without the power of God in us through faith in Jesus, we don’t stand a chance against him.

II. Spiritual Authority Is Given to Bring Honor to God (Acts 19:17)
If we begin to think that this spiritual authority is all about us, we will become less effective for the Lord, and will find ourselves drifting away from Him.

III. Spiritual Authority in Action Can Result in Widespread Acts of Repentance (Acts 19:18-20)
Revival is about waking up from our slumber, awakening our conscience, experiencing true sorrow for sin, and doing something about it with God’s help.

Sermon Audio: Living Like a Christ Follower
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 19:8-12
Duration: 19:14
Size: 13.2 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Living Like a Christ Follower
Acts 19:8-12

Due to a recording issue, audio used here was taken from the live stream.

A Christ follower is someone who has asked Jesus to become their forgiver and leader.

I. Christ Followers Learn to Be Boldly Persuasive with the Good News (Acts 19:8)
Stay in the word, and stay filled with the Spirit.

II. Christ Followers May Need to Redirect their Ministry Efforts (Acts 19:9a)
We may face times when we need to reevaluate our direction.

III. Christ Followers Learn to Utilize their Surroundings to Spread God’s Word (Acts 19:9b-10)
We often talk about how important it is to simply live a Christian life and let people see Jesus in us.

What can you do to more effectively spread the good news about Jesus?

IV. Christ Followers Can Be Used to Do Extraordinary Miracles (Acts 19:11-12)
Take the authority God has given you (just as Jesus gave His disciples authority over evil spirits), and be all that He wants you to be as you minister for Him.

Sermon Audio: God’s Great Desires for the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 19:1-7
Duration: 22:03
Size: 15.1 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
God’s Great Desires for the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Acts 19:1-7

“And there is only one way to Heaven. It’s Jesus Christ!”

1. That’s why God wants us to comprehend His gospel.
What we don’t know can hurt us, for all eternity. So, we must have a basic understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

2. God wants us to communicate His gospel.
No one has ever been saved without the working of the Holy Spirit in their heart.

The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Godhead who gives us the new spiritual birth of eternal life.

3. God wants us to put confidence in His gospel.
When those disciples of John the Baptist heard the good news about Jesus, they “believed on Him.”

4. God wants us to have confirmation of His gospel.
Every time we see Christians speak in tongues in the Book of Acts, it is to give confirmation of the good news about Jesus Christ.

Speaking in tongues in Acts 2 gave confirmation that the good news had arrived.

Here God gave confirmation that the good news was for all men, both Jews and Gentiles.

God confirmed the gospel to them, and He confirms His good news to all believers.

They are drawn to a church when they see people within that church genuinely caring for one another.

Sermon Audio: Four Great Goals For Christian Growth
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 18:22-28
Duration: 23:41
Size: 16.2 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Four Great Goals For Christian Growth
Acts 18:22-28

“Even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.”

1. The first goal is be available.
Apollos had a lot going for him. He was a great speaker. He was an expert in the Old Testament. He was very committed and courageous. But apparently, he wasn’t saved.

In spite of all of his gifts and knowledge, Apollos hadn’t heard the Gospel, so he needed the most important help of all.

In fact, that’s one of God’s great goals for our lives, because He wants to do amazing things in us and through us.

2. So be available. — And be teachable.
God wants us to be teachable. We can never get to the point where we know everything. We never know so much that we can’t learn more.

But thankfully, Apollos had an open heart. He was teachable, and we need to be teachable too.

3. Be teachable. — And be dependable.
We expect loyalty and reliability from things and other people. Isn’t it reasonable then that God just might expect the same from us?

4. So be dependable. — And be flammable.
We need to see people the way Jesus sees them, and feel what He feels about them.

Only God knows how many more souls have been saved because that daddy’s heart was on fire. And we need the same kind of burning in our hearts.

Sermon Audio: Promoting The Purposes of God
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 18:12-21
Duration: 21:05
Size: 14.4 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Promoting The Purposes of God
Acts 18:12-21

As individual believers who belong to God’s family, we must make God’s will the most important pursuit of our lives.

I. God’s Purposes Are Sometimes Furthered by Unlikely People (Acts 18:12-17)
Gallio was one of those people–not in the sense of being a follower of Christ, but in the sense of being used by God to protect Paul from harm.

Bottom line: God kept Paul safe for the time and furthered His own purposes through unlikely people like Gallio and a mob of Greek thugs.

II. God’s Purposes Are Advanced through Personal Commitment (Acts 18:18)
If we choose to make a vow to God to express our thankfulness, that is great–as long as we are prepared to fulfill what we promise.

You are the one who will choose what kind of commitment you need to make to get closer to God and allow Him to work through your life.

III. God’s Purposes Give Direction to True Christ-Followers (Acts 18:19-21)
Following God’s will is the one thing that will keep you on the right track.

Are God’s purposes being fulfilled in your life? Evangelism… Discipleship… Fellowship… Worship… Ministry…