2024-01-07: Shift — Shift Out of Neutral

Sermon Audio: Shift Out of Neutral
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Ezekiel 37:1-10
Duration: 28:37
Size: 19.6 MB

Shift
Shift Out of Neutral
Ezekiel 37:1-10

But are we going anywhere? Is there forward motion, or is there just movement?

What is life going to look like on the other side of quarantine, or a church split, or LGBTQA+++ (oops! I mean exile!)

In other words, they are stuck in neutral. Not only is there no forward motion, there’s no motion at all.

Without the Spirit of God inhabiting what we do, we are stuck in neutral. No matter how busy we become, we won’t be alive as a church.

So, anything and everything that happens within the kingdom of God happens because God either wills it to happen or permits it to happen.

So, while God never promises to any individual church that it will endure, God is blessing Richmond, and I believe he will continue to bless our congregation as we continue to be faithful to him.

Sufficient

Clear

Authoritative

Necessary

You can know about God through creation. But you can’t know God apart from Scripture.

2023-12-31: Jesus Is Everything to Me Christmas — Christmas All Year Long

Sermon Audio: Christmas All Year Long
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Matthew 2:13-23
Duration: 22:33
Size: 15.4 MB

Jesus Is Everything to Me Christmas
Christmas All Year Long
Matthew 2:13-23

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we would take the spirit of Christmas with us all through the year?

Christmas is wonderful, and then plop, it’s face to face with reality once again?

As he thought about the Christ-child lying in a manger, he took off his tattered coat and laid it on the altar.

Our homes are important because it is at home that we not only talk about love and trust, but we learn to live with love and trust.

But what a difference it would make if we did take Christ into the marketplace, into the workplace, to school, and wherever we go–and not just leave Him in the manger.

But Jesus in our lives is the one thing that makes all the difference–that gives us a solid foundation, the strength to endure, and even to overcome.

May the songs of peace and goodwill be in our hearts forever.

2023-12-24: Jesus Is Everything to Me Christmas — Born to Be a Priest

Sermon Audio: Born to Be a Priest
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Hebrews 2:14-17
Duration: 19:37
Size: 13.4 MB

Jesus Is Everything to Me Christmas
Born to Be a Priest
Hebrews 2:14-17

Now the past 4 weeks we’ve focusing on Jesus having been born to be our Mediator, our Sanctifier, our Savior and our Redeemer. And all of those were tied into…Christ’s death on the cross.

God is holy and righteous, and (because of our sins) we’re not! And that created a problem.

But, the blood (placed on the Mercy Seat) covered the sins of the people for the year, so that Israel could continue to be in God’s presence.

His blood has cleansed our hearts. And now, when you and I pray to God we enter into God’s very throne room.

But Jesus became our High Priest so He could destroy death. Jesus came so we wouldn’t have to be afraid of death anymore.