Category: 2013 Sermons

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Android | Podcast Index | RSS

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”
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.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Android | Podcast Index | RSS

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”
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.