Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.

When it comes to worshipping God, our heart matters. Our worship in a community of believers will only be as beneficial as our attitudes are sincere. Scripture gives us numerous "attitude checkpoints" by which we can examine our hearts to make certain that we are ready for worship. John wrote in John 4 that "a time [...]has now come when true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." And if the Spirit is in us, He will convict us and grow us as we worship God through Him. Our humble cry should be, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Our humble, joyful, attentive attitudes in worship matter to God. So as we meet together with our church this weekend, let's come with the right attitude and worship our amazing Lord in Spirit and truth. For more on growing, visit our website at sharelife.today.

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.

Central to every worship service should be the reading and proclaiming of the Word of God. This part of worship is non-negotiable—we need to be filling ourselves up with more of the Bible. When we hear Scripture as part of our community worship, we hear what God would say through His servant to comfort, encourage, warn, and rebuke us. And this truly demands our solemn attention. In Nehemiah chapter eight, we see an example of the Word of God being preached in a worship service. Ezra, the priest, read the Law of God from daybreak until noon, and the people of God listened attentively. It says that at the end of Ezra's reading, "[he] praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, 'Amen! Amen!' They then bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground." Let us also be a people who value God's Word and worship Him when we hear it. For more on how you can grow, visit sharelife.today.

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.

Do you like to sing praises to God? Now, I know some of us aren't professional singers, but singing is an important part of Christian worship. Paul said that when we’re filled with the Holy Spirit, singing will come naturally as an expression of our joy. In Ephesians 15:19, Paul writes, "be filled with the Spirit [...] singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart." You know, King David is a perfect example of the Holy Spirit causing us to worship through song. And as a leader, he was very concerned about the people of God singing in their worship services. Our hymns of worship should have a singular purpose to them: and that is to thank and praise the Lord for all He has done. He truly is worthy of all our praise! So what are we waiting for? Regardless of our abilities, let's create time today to sing to our King! For more on how you can grow through worship, visit our website at sharelife.today. That’s sharelife.today.

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.

The auditorium was packed. As I stopped and looked around, I heard dozens of languages being spoken at the same time. We all settled into our seats as our time together was called to order. This was Evangelism Explosion's third Congress of Nations, and eighty-three different countries were represented. During that morning, we sang "How Great is Our God" (which is a powerful song in and of itself), but this time the worship leader asked for everyone to sing in their own language. Words cannot describe the beauty of that moment—where Arabic was sung alongside Czech and Fijian. And you know, this is exactly what heaven is going to be like—because every tongue, every tribe, and every nation will be there. As we join in worship here on earth, let us invite people to be a part of this eternal worship group by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ! For more on worship and sharing your faith, visit our website at sharelife.today.

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.

As we look this week at how we can grow spiritually through worship, we should consider how many of the Psalms were originally written for Jewish worship services. In Psalm 95, we read that we worship God because He is the "great King." "In His hands are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The seas are His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land." And because God made this world and everything in it, the psalmist instructs us that we should bow down in worship and "kneel before the Lord our Maker." And it always leaves me in awe when I think about how our Creator has also created a way to redeem us from our sins—that the Creator Himself became a man to live a perfect life, to die on the cross for our sins. So today, let us worship Him—our Creator and Lord! For more on growing in your faith, visit our website at sharelife.today. That’s sharelife.today.

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.

Jesus was hungry. He had been in the wilderness for forty days without eating a single thing. At the height of His physical weakness, the enemy crept close to Him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” That was the first of three temptations Jesus fought against that day. But He answered confidently with the Scripture, "It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.'" Jesus was victorious by knowing the Word of God and hiding it in His heart. So let me encourage you today—make a habit in your life to memorize Scripture and then pray them. The Bible is living and breathing and active in our lives. And it doesn't just change our lives, it can be used to change the lives of those around us! Hide God's Word in your heart. For more on prayer and sharing your faith, visit our website at sharelife.today. That’s sharelife.today.

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.

In the book of Ephesians, we read, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." So let us not neglect praying for our brothers and sisters all around the world. They’re fighting for their faith on their knees; and often, both their lives and livelihoods are in jeopardy simply for following Christ. So how can we join them in prayer? Well firstly, we should pray for their safety as they worship and share the Gospel in cultures that discriminate against them for their faith. Secondly, we should pray for resources, as many of our brothers and sisters face poverty, hunger, and disease. And thirdly, we should pray for perseverance—that even despite what they face that they continue to grow in their walks with Christ and share it with others who need the same hope. Want specific requests you can pray for? Visit our website and sign up as a prayer partner at sharelife.today.

Hi, I’m John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you’re listening to Share Life Today.

There is a power in agreement when we pray in Jesus’ name. Christ said in Matthew 18, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I with them.” And later, His disciple John wrote, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." Praying with others powerfully effects both us and the person we’re praying with, as we seek God's will in our lives. It's also a great way to open the door to a spiritual conversation. I ask waiters, cab drivers, and store clerks all over the world how I can pray for them, and almost all of them give me their requests. I then offer to go before God right then and there if they are able to join me. This has started many Gospel conversations that God has used to bring men and women into His family. So let me encourage you today—ask someone how you can pray with them. And then take the time do it. Learn more at sharelife.today.