Share Life Today

Gentleness & Faithfulness

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.
Have you checked off your Christian to do list today? Barna Research did a study that shares that most churchgoers equate spiritual maturity with following a list of rules. But, you know, that's not what the Bible says at all! Instead, Jesus tells us to abide in Him to produce spiritual fruit. Spiritual maturity isn't measured by checking all the boxes—it's measured by the Fruit of the Spirit. And the Fruit of the Spirit is produced by the Lord working in us as we abide in Him! Lamentations three says because of the Lord's great love we're not consumed - His mercy is new every morning, and great is His faithfulness! The Lord is so gentle with us and faithful to us. So, instead of focusing on what you think will make you look like a better Christian, focus on the power of the Holy Spirit, and spread the Gospel gently and faithfully to everyone you can. For help, visit www.sharelife.today.

Patience, Kindness, Goodness

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.
Isn't God good? All the time! And all the time, God is good. We also know that He’s kind...and He’s patient. Just ask Bill! Bill had been praying for decades for his sister-in-law to come to saving faith in Jesus. He patiently prayed for her heart to be softened, and she finally accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Talk about a celebration! You see, the Fruit of the Spirit includes patience, kindness, and goodness. And this story shows us God's kindness and goodness, and His patient pursuit of our hearts. The Lord gave Bill patience to pray for his sister-in-law and the words to speak the Gospel to her. Romans 2:4 says it's the kindness of the Lord that brings us to repentance. How can you be an example of patience, kindness, and goodness? Well, look to the Lord and His Word, and He will produce the Fruit of His Spirit in you. For resources to help you share your faith, visit www.sharelife.today.

Love, Joy, and Peace

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.
Have you heard the old song, "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart?" Well, if you know Jesus then you can experience true joy! And you can spread it, too! When you placed your trust in Jesus alone, you experienced the love of God; and there is true joy and peace in knowing where you'll spend eternity. Love, joy, and peace are part of the fruit of the Spirit; and you can use these God-given characteristics to lead people to saving faith in Him. Pio entered in his testimony in whats my story dot org, and he shared that before his brother led him to Jesus that he struggled with immense angry. And now that he knows Jesus, he says his heart is full of peace and joy that he can now share love and forgiveness with others! This, my friend, is the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. For more resources to help you share your faith, visit our website at www.sharelife.today. That’s www.sharelife.today.

Fruit of the Spirit

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.
Have you heard of the "Fruit of the Spirit?" Galatians 5:22-23 list nine characteristics of a Holy Spirit-filled life: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." When you look at the life of Jesus, you see every one of these qualities. If you'll devote yourself to Him, you'll look like He does! If you're walking close to the Lord, you'll see the Fruit of the Spirit in your own life; and these traits will help you become an effective witness for Jesus! Now, you may thinking, "how can I share the Gospel using the Fruit of the Spirit?" Well, think each one and use them in your actions and speech. Let your intentions be out of love, speak with joy, share His peace and be patient with those you share with. For more tips and resources to help you share the Gospel, visit our website at www.sharelife.today.

Means of Growth: Witness

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.
There are five primary means of growth to help your spiritual walk. Bible. Prayer. Worship. Fellowship; and finally, witness. I was recently in the same room with a brand-new grandmother. You’ll never guess what she wanted to talk about…along, of course, with copious pictures. I was recently in the same room with a sports fan and you’ll never guess what he wanted to talk about! My point is that we talk about the things which are important to us. So, you could conclude that some Christians don’t talk about Jesus because He’s not very important to them. As you become more and more involved in the first four means of growth – Bible, Prayer, Worship and Fellowship – Jesus Christ will become more and more important in your life. You’ll naturally want to talk about Him. Witnessing is simply telling others about Jesus and why the Bible says Jesus needs to be important to them. For tips and tools to help you become a better witness, visit www.sharelife.today. That's www.sharelife.today.

Means of Growth: Fellowship

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.
Did you realize there are five different means to help you grow spiritually? I want to talk about fellowship today. How do you define it? Well, you know, I heard someone say, “two or more fellows in the same ship.” You know, when I first heard it, I thought it a bit corny. But…it does get to the heart of the matter of spiritual fellowship. Here, I think, is the main point. Through calm seas or crashing waves, these people are in the same ship together. They need each other…depend on each other...encourage each other…challenge…support each other. Christian fellowship is all of these plus praying for one another, caring for one another and developing friendships with one another. Perhaps this is behind the promise of the Gospel that where two or three believers are gathered together, Jesus is in their midst. Visit www.sharelife.today for more tips and resources to help you share the Gospel and grow in your faith. That's www.sharelife.today.

Means of Growth: Worship

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.
Worship – it is easier to describe than define. There are five means of growth that help us growth spiritually. Bible…Prayer…Worship…Fellowship.…Witness. Today, I want to talk about what it means to worship. To worship God is to honor, reverence and adore Him - giving Him the supreme place in our lives. Worship deepens our relationship with our Lord. Let me emphasize two important avenues of worship. Personal, private worship is a daily investment of time that pays an amazing dividend. With your Bible and your prayer list, this one-on-one encounter with Jesus is rich and rewarding. It’s the place where His grace and strength comes into our lives every day. Corporate worship is a gathering together of God’s people at church to engage in prayer, music and teaching of God’s Word. Taken together, these two provide for a necessity of spiritual growth. To help you in your spiritual walk with the Lord, we have plenty of resources online at share life dot today. That's www.sharelife.today.

Means of Growth: Prayer

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.
This week on Share Life Today we are looking at how we can grow deeper spiritually. There are five means to spiritual growth – so five words – Bible, Prayer, Worship, Fellowship, Witness. I want to focus on the significance of prayer right now. Prayer is one of the greatest privileges of having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Bible is God speaking to us, but prayer is us speaking to God. The simple ACTS acrostic provides a useful guideline:  Adoration – praising God for who He is. Confession – admitting our sin and receiving His forgiveness. Thanksgiving – thanking God for all that He does. And supplication – bringing our needs and requests to Him in simple faith. A–C–T–S. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. If we'll do that, we'll be more aware of our great need for the Lord at all times. For more practical tips on becoming an active witness and resources to help you do that, visit share life dot today. That's www.sharelife.today.

Means of Growth: Bible

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.
Have you tried to read any product labels recently? Talk about complicated! You may have noticed that the more advancement we make in life, the more complicated things become? Unfortunately, the same complicated approach is infiltrating our spiritual lives too. So, it’s time to get back to the basics. The product label on the Spiritual Growth package contains five words:  Bible, Prayer, Worship Fellowship, Witness. First, we want to focus on the Word of God – the Bible - The place to begin is your commitment to read the Bible. The Bible describes itself as “God-breathed, useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. It’s indispensable for our growth in the Lord. Start in the Gospel of John. Read a chapter a day. Read more if you want to, but just get in the habit. Move next to Acts. Then keep going from there. We would count it a privilege to become your partner in growing. For more means of growth, visit www.sharelife.today.

The Gospel Crosses All Generations

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.
We hear so much today about the gaps that exist between the generations. While we, as Christians, recognize that people respond to the Gospel in a variety of ways, what I’ve experienced is that the simple message of the Gospel crosses all of those generational gaps. When children learn to share their faith, they often become so excited that they can’t wait to share it with their siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and great-grandparents. And many of those children have led their family members to Christ. Likewise, I have also witnessed teenagers drop what they are doing to listen as someone from my generation as we share the Gospel. When we share our faith, we become part of a spiritual chain that keeps the Gospel moving forward from generation to generation. And our contribution, no matter how big or small, will continue to impact lives for eternity long after we’re gone. That is the ultimate legacy that God has called every believer to. To learn more, visit www.sharelife.today.