Author: David Worcester

Lead Pastor of Compass Church http://CompassChurchSD.com #Jesus, #Family #ChurchPlanting #CollegeMinistry. #Missions http://GospelAppointments.com @collegiatecoll

Prayer Works! There are things that God will do if we pray that He won’t if we don’t. (James 4)

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Prayer actually changes things!

Let that sink in. Your prayers (some how) change what really happens here on earth! If that’s not a motivation to pray I don’t know what is! This simple phrase has rocked my world.

There are things that God will do if we pray that He won’t if we don’t.

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Sometimes God withholds blessings from our lives, simply because we don’t ask for them. James tells us,

“Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.”  James 4:2b

Sometimes it’s that simple. You might not have something you want because you haven’t been praying for it! Ask yourself this question…

“If I could pray for anything, and knew the answer was yes, what would I pray for? What is stopping me from praying for that right now?” Tweet This

Maybe it is for a family member to come to Christ. Maybe it is to get a reliable car for your family. Maybe you want your ministry to reach more people. Why not pray right now?

Ask God to what you can’t yourself. You may see a miracle happen. Prayer only works if we actually pray! Our father loves to answer the prayer of his children.

James is quick to tell us that this is not a “genie in the bottle” type deal. Sometimes the answer is no because we are asking for things with the wrong motives.

“And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” James 4:3

It’s not wrong to ask for things you want, but it is important to check your motives.

Are you motivated by God’s glory and the benefit of others? Or are you motivated by selfish desires? Sometimes God says no to selfish requests the same way a parent says no to a child when he wants to eat his 8th piece of candy on Halloween.

God knows what we need far more than we do. More often than not, God is waiting to bless us in crazy ways if only we would pray. In his classic book “Too Busy Not To Pray” Bill Hybles said,

“Prayerless people cut themselves off from God’s peace and his prevailing power… It’s suprising to me how many are willing to settle for lives like that. Don’t be one of them! Nobody has to live that way. Prayer is the key to unlocking God’s consistent and prevailing power in your life.” – Bill Hybles Tweet This

Don’t just read this article. Take a moment to pray RIGHT NOW!  Also, post a prayer request in the comments section. I would love to pray for you!

Share on Facebook or Twitter. Get daily updates by subscribing by email. From  James 4 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Your Words Matter More Than You Know! James 3

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Your tongue is one of the most powerful weapons on earth.

It has the power to destroy and it has the power to bring life.  James tells that our words have great influence on our lives and the lives of the people around us.

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According to James the tongue is like…

  • A bit is what is used to guide horse.
  • A small rudder steering a huge ship.
  • A tiny spark that sets a forest on fire.
  • A wild animal that can’t be tamed.
  • A spring that produces fresh and salty water.
  • A tree that produces two types of fruit.

Words set the direction for our lives. Words can cause destruction. Words can bless. Words can curse.

Your words matter more than you know!

Post a comment answering this question…

Which of these truths motivates you to use your words more wisely?

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From my reading in James 3 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

One Sin is Enough to Separate You From God. – James 2

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How good is good enough?

James tells us that if we break even one command, the consequence is the same as breaking all the commands!

“For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.” James 2:10

If you have a cup of water and I put one drop of poison in it, will you want to drink it? No! Sin is like poison it infects our whole lives. Even the best people are still guilty before God and separated from him by their sin.

God can not allow any sin to enter his holy presence.

This is why Jesus had to die. He was the only one who lived without breaking even one command! When he died he sacrificed himself in our place.

“One sin can separate us from God and only one sacrifice can save us.” Tweet This

You can not be good enough, but Jesus was good enough for you! He died so that you and I can be united with God and forgiven. Will you trust him with your life and choose to follow him?

Answer this question in the comments section… Why is it so hard for people to believe that we can’t be good enough to be saved?

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From my reading in James 2 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

3 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Sermons You Listen To! – James 1

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From my reading in James 1 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Church-goers spend thousands of hours listening to sermons.

Unfortunately, many of us let them go in one ear and out the other. James tells us how to listen to sermons in a way that will actually change our lives!

asleep1. Humbly accept hard truth.

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.” James 1:19-12

A humble listener will be eager to hear what God has to say. If the Word of God is faithfully preached, eventually your world will be rocked.

Don’t get mad when you hear something you don’t want to hear. Your opinion doesn’t really matter when you compare it to God’s. In order to properly understand the Word you must get under it’s authority. Tweet This

Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. Humility is the prerequisite for life change.  If it is God’s Word, then humbly accept it because it has the power to save your soul.

2. Don’t deceive yourself, do something!

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” James 1:22

You may know a lot about the Bible, but unless you do something it won’t change your life.

Information without application leads to stagnation. Inspiration without application leads to frustration. Tweet This

If you are getting a lot information, but have no outlet to apply it you will be like the Dead Sea.  Because there is not outlet the Sea is “Dead.” Don’t be a dead sea Christian.

A healthy Christian will be more like the Sea of Galilee. The same river flows in but it also flows out. To stay fresh spiritually you must apply scripture to your life.

It is possible to become spiritually fat on spiritual food if you don’t exercise your faith.

“The Scriptures were not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.” DL Moody Tweet This 

3. Think deeply about Scripture and don’t forget what you heard.

“For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” James 1:23–25

I had acne as a teenager. I would often look in the mirror and pop white heads. TMI I know. But what if I saw a fresh white head and just ignored it. I would go through the whole day with it on my face.

That is what it’s like when we look at the word but don’t do anything about it.

We are instructed to get a long hard look at the Word.

Scripture is like the stars on a clear night. The longer and harder you look, the more you see and the more beautiful they become. Tweet This

One of the best ways for me to remember what I have learned in scripture is to memorize verses. Through memorizing you can think about that verse throughout your day. We are to take pains to remember what it says, then we will be blessed for doing it.

The blessing does not come from merely knowing the Scripture the blessing comes from doing it! Tweet This

Why do you think it is so hard for us to listen well to the sermons we hear?

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3 Ways To Follow Spiritual Leadership Within Biblical Limits – Hebrews 13

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From my reading in Hebrews 13 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Rebellion is an American pastime.

Following leadership is scary, because we don’t trust our leaders. High profile spiritual leaders who have taken advantage of their flocks have not helped matters. The writer of Hebrews gives us 4 great ways to be good followers.

1. Imitate the faith of godly leaders.

“Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.” Hebrews 13:7

Modeling is the most powerful form of leadership. Tweet This

The lives of these leaders were observable. It was clear that these men taught the word and walked it out. Followers were told to not just imitate what the leaders did, but imitate their faith.

2. Follow your spiritual leaders about church matters.

“Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God.”  Heb 13:7a

We are to follow leaders in ways that involve church matters. Church leaders don’t have the authority to tell you what to wear, what to eat and what to do in your free time.

They do have the responsibility to lead the church, and if you get in the way of that, you are working against God. These men have the hard work of watch over our souls. It is a hard job worthy of respect.

“We are accountable to our spiritual leaders and our leaders are accountable to God.” Tweet This

3. Make it a joy for them to lead.

“Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.” 

I know from experience, good followers makes leaders happy. On the other hand, people who are constantly fighting my leadership are annoying and detrimental to the team. When someone is unwilling to follow the whole team suffers.

“Making it a joy for your leaders helps the team run smoothly and the mission move forward. It benefits everyone!” Tweet This

Don’t be the person to slow God’s mission down. Follow leadership in the church as long as they are being faithful to Jesus.

Why is it so hard for many of us to follow leadership in the church? Click here to comment.

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4 Ways To Win The Race of Life – Hebrews 12

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From my reading in Hebrews 12 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Life is a race.

I hope I win! I hope I win! ~ Mr. Bean in Rat Race

Hebrews 11 tells us about the men and women who carried the baton of faith. Now they have passed it on to us. Here are 4 ways to run your part of the race well.

1. Realize the crowd in the cloud is cheering you on! Tweet This

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith… Heb 11:1a 

Knowing we are not the first to run this race helps motivate us to run hard for Jesus.

2. Get rid of the distractions and sin that hold you back.

“let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up… Heb 11:1b

I ran track in high school and I was forced to wear uncomfortably short shorts. This kept baggy cloths from getting in the way and slowing me down.

There are two things that slow us down in the race of faith.

  1. Distractions might not be sin in themselves but if they keep us from running the race Jesus has for us then they become sin.
  2. Sin trips us up. Sin stops our forward progress. Confess it to God and keep running!

3. Run hard even when it gets hard.

“And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us… Heb 11:1c Tweet This

The race of life is a marathon. It takes endurance. We must never give up because Jesus never gave up.

4. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and don’t give up!

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.” Hebrews 12:1–3

Jesus is our greatest example of endurance. He ran the perfect race and never gave up.

He was able to endure because of the joy that awaited him. He endured so that we could be saved and so he would be glorified!

Compared to what Jesus went through, most of our problems are small. Tweet This

Jesus suffered for you and he can give you strength to get through anything!  So run hard following in the footsteps of Jesus.

Which of these ways of winning the race do you need to focus on today?

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Are you willing to suffer for Jesus in obscurity? Hebrews 11:20-40

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From my reading in Hebrews 11:20-40 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Modern people love to be noticed, and Christians are not immune.

We love to show what we are doing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Many of us desire to be famous. We don’t want to go through life unnoticed.

Hebrews 11 is also known as “The Hall of Faith.”

Some of the most famous men and women of the Bible are listed. Imagine you are walking along the Hollywood walk of fame looking at all the stars then you look down and see one that says “others…”

This is basically what is happening in this passage. The writer lists famous people of the faith like Abraham, Jacob, and Moses. But then he says this about others…

“Others were tortured and refused to accept their freedom so they could be raised from the dead to a better life. Some were laughed at and beaten. Others were put in chains and thrown into prison. They were stoned to death, they were cut in half, and they were killed with swords. Some wore the skins of sheep and goats. They were poor, abused, and treated badly. The world was not good enough for them! They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and holes in the earth.” Hebrews 11:35b–38 

These unnamed men and women willingly suffered for Jesus.

These “others” endured…

  • Torture
  • Death
  • Mocking
  • Flogging
  • Imprisonment
  • Stoning
  • Being cut in half
  • Killed by swords
  • Inadequate clothing
  • Poverty
  • Abuse
  • Homelessness

The others didn’t gain any fame from what they suffered. They did it for Jesus’ sake. Tweet This

The writer of Hebrews describes these men and women this way.

“The world was not good enough for them!” Hebrews 11:38

We should honor the men and women who willingly suffer for Jesus. We should also ask ourselves…

Am I willing to suffer for Jesus in obscurity like one of the others?

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6 Facts About Faith – Hebrews 11:1-19

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From my reading in Hebrews 11:1-19 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

1. Faith confidently hopes in the future.

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Heb 11:1

2. Faith is essential to pleasing God.

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Heb 11:6   Tweet This

3. Faith is the gateway to righteousness.

“By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.” Heb 11:7b

4. Faith is eternally minded.

“Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.” Heb 11:10

5. Faith trusts God’s promises.

“It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise.” Heb 11:11

6. Faith is future focused.

“All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth.” Heb 11:13

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Don’t give up on the church! 4 ways to cultivate real community. – Hebrews 10:19-39

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From my reading in Hebrews 10:19-39 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

 70 percent of young adults ages 23-30 stopped attending church regularly for at least a year between ages 18-22. Tweet this

Young people and many older people are giving up on the church. Why? Part of the reason is that many churches are having quality services but are not doing a good job of facilitating true community. The writer of Hebrews gives us three ways to experience of the kind of community that I believe will keep people coming back!

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Heb 10:24-25
Tweet: And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together. http://ctt.ec/C4OsD+

 1. Think about how to encourage others.

“And let us consider…”

First of all, we have to think about ways to encourage others. So often in our lives we are so worried about our lives that we don’t actually think about how the needs of others.

2.  Spur each other on to love and good works.

…how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds

We are to consider how we can “spur” each other toward love and good deeds. If you have ridden a horse you know that cowboys wear spurs in order to get the horses going.

Sometimes we need a good old fasion kick in the butt from our friends. 

We all have times where we need motivation, that’s why we shouldn’t give up on the church.

 3. Don’t give up meeting together.

 “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,”

We are to meet together regularly! So many people treat church as optional.  If I get all my homework done, if my kids don’t have a soccer game that morning, and if I feel like it then I will go to church.

The problem with this philosophy is that real friendships happen with regular contact.

Think about the people you are closest with. Probably the reason you are so close is that you spent a lot of time with them.

Make meeting with other believers a priority. Investing in others takes intentionality.

4. Encourage others urgently.

“but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

We need to be intentional about encouraging each other, because we only have a limited time.  Jesus’ return is only getting closer, we are only on this earth for a short time, and we need intentionally encourage others.

Don’t give up on the church. You need the people in it to spur you on and encourage you and others need you!

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How is it that Christians are “made perfect” yet “being perfected”? Hebrews 10:1-18

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From my reading in Hebrews 10:1-18 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

In one sense salvation is very simple. In others it is complex.

When Jesus died for our sins he made us perfect in God’s eyes. Also if we are following Jesus then we are continually being conformed to the image of Jesus. No verse sums this process up better than than following one…

“For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.” Heb 10:14

Christ made us perfect in God’s eyes through his sacrificial death on the cross.  The phrase “made perfect” means that we are made perfect in the moral sense.

We get credit for Christ’s perfect moral record.

Justification is a fancy word for how Christ has made us perfect in his sight. Justicifaction is “the act of clearing someone of transgression.”

Tweet: Justification means it is “just as if I’d” never sinned! http://ctt.ec/ZQheP+ via @davidworcester

The other part of our salvation is the process of being made holy. The fancy word for this is sanctification.

Sanctification is the process in which we grow in holiness as we walk with Jesus.

A solid knowledge of justification and sanctification are key to living the Christian life. Knowing that you are completely forgiven by Jesus gives you freedom to grow. Our effort in growth is not to earn our forgiveness but to become more like Jesus.

How does understanding both of these aspects of salvation help your walk with Jesus?

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