Tag: Sermon

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2024-12-15: Empty the Jar at Christmas — The Gifts We Bring

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:59 — 11.3MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Matthew 2:9-11

Empty the Jar at Christmas
The Gifts We Bring
Matthew 2:9-11

I suspect that each of those gifts was more like wrapping paper. Beautiful on the outside, but inside–there was something valuable hidden!

So hidden within that gift of Gold, was a proclamation: Jesus is King.

So, Frankincense was an offering (or a gift) to God. And hidden within that gift (to Jesus)…was this message: Jesus was God in the flesh.

So, the gift Myrrh the Wise-men brought declared Jesus had come to be our Priest.

The question today is this: What can I bring to Jesus? What kind of gifts can I bring to a God–a King–a Savior…who has everything?

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2024-12-01: Empty the Jar at Christmas — Ready for the Journey

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:41 — 14.3MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Matthew 2:1-2

Empty the Jar at Christmas
Ready for the Journey
Matthew 2:1-2

I believe he did this to bring the point home that Jesus is for all of mankind.

The Persian wise men of their time likely learned about prophecies like Numbers 24:17.

Many had heard the shepherds declare that they had seen the messiah and were filled with wonder.

Again, I believe God had a greater purpose in sending the wise men and having Matthew include them in his gospel message.

And that is what some of you were. But…that’s the part that matters–who you are now.

Empty the jar–it’s about holding nothing back from God as we worship Him.

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2024-11-17: Lies People Believe — I’ve Got Too Much Dirt

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:26 — 14.8MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Romans 5:6-11

Lies People Believe
I’ve Got Too Much Dirt
Romans 5:6-11

Now, if someone with as much dirt as Barabbas could become a follower of Jesus, do you really think you have too much dirt for God to handle it?

Jesus, however, gave His life even though none of us deserve His sacrifice.

Exhibit A, Paul’s life before knowing Jesus.
Even though he thought he was acting with great zeal on behalf of God, he was actually sinning against the God he proclaimed to love.

Exhibit B, the life accomplishments of Paul as a Christian.
Eventually, it’s believed that Paul’s faith cost him his life.

Exhibit C, what motivated him to go through it all.
Even as His enemy, He sent His son Jesus to die on the cross. Jesus did all the work to reconcile me to God.

We’ve taken the plunge and accepted the gift of grace that God offered through Jesus’ sacrifice.

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2024-11-10: Lies People Believe — I Am What I Am

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:22 — 13.5MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: II Corinthians 5:14-17

Lies People Believe
I Am What I Am
II Corinthians 5:14-17

The phrase simply means–I have no choice–that’s just the way it is.

But that doesn’t stop people from continually protesting: “I can’t help myself”, “I can’t change who I am”. “It’s not my fault!”

To people who engaged in sin who said, “I was born that way” Jesus said “You must be born again.”

Jesus came to transform people…to remake them.

Now the problem is this: the people who buy into that mindset often face hopelessness and despair.

The first step to being healed of your sin. Recognize that you’ve messed up and want to change–REPENT!

The Christian is never trapped by their past. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

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2024-11-03: Lies People Believe — I Did It My Way

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:17 — 12.6MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Proverbs 3:5-10

Lies People Believe
I Did It My Way
Proverbs 3:5-10

But, when it comes to the more serious decisions of life, if we insist on doing things our way, it can get real dangerous…real quick.

It’s an impressive song about facing life’s difficulties…and triumphing over the challenges — I Did It My Way!

It’s no longer going to be your will that guides you…but God’s.

But when churchgoers do this (when they insist on doing things their way), they don’t think of it defying God.

If Jesus is not the Lord of your life — somebody’s got to be.

Nothing he had done compared to what Jesus had done…for him.

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2024-10-27: Lies People Believe — God Doesn’t Understand Me

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:37 — 11.6MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 6:19-21

Lies People Believe
God Doesn’t Understand Me
Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 6:19-21

They don’t feel they can get close to Him. God seems distant and uncaring.

We wish God would…just do something! But when we can’t see Him do that something, many people struggle in their faith.

So, Joseph was still a slave, but at least God blessed him while he was there. I mean…it could be worse.

In the midst of his suffering, Joseph decided to focus on that “Truth.”
And that “truth” was that God would always be there for him.

And the first lie is that God doesn’t care. That He’s not there. And that He just doesn’t understand us.

We live in a fallen world where the things we cling to fail us. And that’s why Jesus said “In this world you will have trouble.”

She got to the point where she knew God was always near her and that He would never leave her or forsake her.

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2024-10-20: Prayer That Works — Pray Receptively

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:22 — 17.5MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 13:1-2, Acts 16:6-10, Romans 8:26-27

Prayer That Works
Pray Receptively
Acts 13:1-2, Acts 16:6-10, Romans 8:26-27

We need to understand that prayer isn’t just us talking to God.
It’s God talking to us as well

They were worshiping and fasting when the Holy Spirit gave them instructions, and then they fasted and prayed some more.

Fasting is the discipline of going without something, usually food, although people talk about fasting from TV or social media, or something else, in order to focus on spiritual things.

Wouldn’t it be so much easier if the Holy Spirit spoke to us in an audible voice?

Hide God’s Word in your heart.
Because that is the primary channel through which God speaks to us today. Receptive prayer lets the Holy Spirit speak.

Are you willing to open your hands to God in prayer, and receive what He so wants to give you?

It’s all good because the Holy Spirit, who knows you perfectly, who knows the mind of God perfectly, is praying for you according to the perfect will of God.

If we limit our prayers to only what we ask for, what we think we need, and how we think things need to be accomplished, how much are you limiting God?

When we pray with open hands, it gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to go above and beyond what we pray.

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2024-10-13: Prayer That Works — Pray Persuasively

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:35 — 18.5MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Exodus 32:9-14, Exodus 32:30-33

Prayer That Works
Pray Persuasively
Exodus 32:9-14, Exodus 32:30-33

If God has foreordained every detail of history, and if it all unfolds according to his plan and in accordance with his will, then what difference do our prayers make?

Can we, through our prayers, make God do something he wouldn’t otherwise do?

So, we’re going to use the Bible to interpret the Bible and dig deeper into what’s happening.

Isn’t that amazing? These people had seen God inflict ten plagues on the Egyptians so they (Israel) could be delivered from bondage.

Moses knew God wasn’t playing. And so, if he was going to plead for the people, he needed to pray persuasively.

If you want to pray persuasively, pray that God be glorified.

The third factor that made Moses’ prayer so persuasive is that he believed God’s promises were eternal.

Moses got on the same page with God.

You see, they were God’s people, but they were Moses’ responsibility. He took ownership for their standing with God.

Because in making that offer, Moses points to the one who will come centuries after Moses, Jesus Christ.

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2024-10-06: Prayer That Works — Pray with Persistence

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:44 — 15.6MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 11:5-13, Luke 18:1-7

Prayer That Works
Pray with Persistence
Luke 11:5-13, Luke 18:1-7

I suspect there are people who do the same thing with prayer…they use prayer’s power sparingly.

Did you know this is the only time in the entire Gospels when the disciples explicitly asked the greatest teacher who ever lived to teach them something?

Jesus was the greatest teacher that ever lived, and He knew that a fundamental principle of teaching is that you never learn anything without being a little disturbed.

But the scripture goes on to say that even though your neighbor won’t give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your “shameless audacity” he will give you what you need.

Are we really supposed to be the little old lady who is so persistent with her requests that an unrighteous judge is afraid she’s going to beat him up?

We don’t just ask once. In both of these stories, the emphasis is that the asker kept asking.

A ASK and it will be given to you: when you are in need of something, you ask for it.

S SEEK and you will find; when you are looking for something, you seek it (wisdom, peace, answers, something you’ve lost).

K KNOCK and the door will be opened: when you want to see someone, or when you want access to somewhere, you knock on the door.

Would anyone ever accuse you of shameless audacity in your prayers? Or do you come to God timidly, afraid you are going to bother him? Afraid you are going to make him mad?