Author: Tim

Sermon Audio: Life-Shaking Prayer
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 4:23-31
Duration: 23:25
Size: 11.2 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Life-Shaking Prayer
Acts 4:23-31

God will shake our lives in a good way, when we ask Him for courage and power to do His will.

I. Life-Shaking Prayer Recognizes That God is in Control (Acts 4:23-24)
God is our Creator and has power over everything in heaven, on earth, and everywhere in between.

II. Life-Shaking Prayer Understands that God Works Through Opposition (Acts 4:25-29a)
Now, fresh in the minds of the disciples are the names of some current leaders who have tried to oppose God.

God works through opposition! His kingdom will come and what He wants to happen will happen, regardless of the enemy’s efforts to oppose Him.

III. Life-Shaking Prayer Seeks Courage from Above (Acts 4:29)
When Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission to go into all the world and make disciples of people from all nations, He promised He would be with them wherever they went.

IV. Life-Shaking Prayer Believes God for the Miraculous (Acts 4:30)
If they know God is able to heal their bodies, or do other signs and wonders, then they will know He is powerful enough to forgive them and help them in other areas of life.

V. Life-Shaking Prayer Results in Effective Evangelism (Acts 4:31)
There are a lot of ways to do this, but if we try to do it without praying for God’s help, then we will not be effective!

Sermon Audio: Being With Jesus
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 4:13-22
Duration: 22:06
Size: 10.7 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Being With Jesus
Acts 4:13-22

If we will spend time with Jesus, we can boldly go and do His will, facing anything that comes our way.

I. Being with Jesus Gives Us Courage
1. We can walk with Him by reading the Gospels (and the rest of the Scriptures).
2. We can spend time with Him through prayer.
3. We can spend time w/ Him through praise and worship.
4. Another way we can be with Jesus is to understand that He is with us all day long, wherever we go.

II. Being with Jesus Prepares Us for the Extraordinary
He used these ordinary men to work an extraordinary miracle of healing for the lame man.

III. Being with Jesus Teaches Us to Obey God
God does not want to hear how much we love Him unless we are willing to show it by our obedience.

Please understand that just doing good things is not enough to get us into heaven.

IV. Being with Jesus Gives Us Something to Say
As you get to know Him more and watch Him work in your life, you will be able to share that with others.

Sermon Audio: Disturbing Good News
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 4:1-12
Duration: 21:28
Size: 10.7 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Disturbing Good News
Acts 4:1-12

So, why would we want to talk about something like this? What’s so good about it?

The disturbing good news about Jesus can bring healing and forgiveness to all who believe in Him.

I. Jesus Disturbs Those Who Reject God
Jesus disturbs people because He wants them to realize the truth about themselves and about God.

II. Jesus Changes the Lives of Those Who Trust Him
So, you might say that the disturbing message of Jesus changed them in this way: it made them willing to be disturbed for the sake of Jesus.

III. Jesus Is the Only Source of Healing
Genuine healing only comes from God. Satan will try to imitate God in order to deceive, but His power is limited, and will always take more than it gives.

IV. Jesus Is the Only Source of Salvation
There is not an alternative source for forgiveness or salvation–just as there is no other source for healing.

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.

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.