To Do-ers List

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:22-25

Welcome to To Do-ers List Bible study series. I pray you find this short series beneficial and life changing.

I am a list maker. Most days I start my morning by making my to-do list. My to-do list keeps me focused and helps me make valuable use of my time. God is a doer as well; creating is one of His specialties. We can be listeners, hearers, watchers, thinkers, and gatherers of His word, but there must be a point in time when we become doers.

It is important to note while other Greek words for hearing translate as  “understanding, perceiving, and obeying,” the word used for hearer in the verse above means simply one who passively hears. No action. No engagement. Classic in one ear and out the other. But, God calls us to be doers of His word.

The Bible lists many benefits of being do-ers of the Word.

1. Correction, instruction, and training (2 Timothy 3:16)
2. Wisdom (Psalm 19:7)
3. Freedom (John 8:32)
4. Life (John 6:68)
5. Strength (Joel 2:11)
6. Greater faith (Romans 10:17)
7. Comfort, revival, and peace (Psalm 119:7-16)
8. Plus many, many other benefits.

God has not given us His Word for information, but for transformation. Therefore, the mission of this Bible study series is to change hearers into doers. Each day we will focus on one command from Scripture and apply it to our lives. Every nook and cranny, every chore, errand, and encounter of our lives will be covered in the Word of God.

Starting July 27^th, check our website every morning at 5:00 a.m. to get your To Do-ers List for the day.

From hearers to doers. Are you up for the challenge?

Study Guides:

To help you organize your daily study and record your experiences, please download and print the following PDF, or download the journal app to your favorite Apple device.

• To Do-ers List Study Guide PDF
• Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.

Please add your name to the comment section below if you are up for the challenge. Don’t forget to comment on your experience in the comment section below!

**If you are starting late, please access the first six days of the study on the links below!**

To Do-ers List Day 1: Love God

To Do-ers List, Day 2: Love Others

To Do-ers List, Day 3: Pray ’bout Everything

To Do-ers List, Day 4: Walk by Faith

To Do-ers List, Day 5: Word in Me

To Do-ers List: Day 6: Always Do Good

Be a doer of the word.

by Mary Kane

All rights reserved. Copyright 2015.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Always is a very sketchy word in today’s culture. Very few things in this life rank the term always. “I will always love you … I will always be there for you … I will always be your friend.”  I have heard and believed these phrases only to be disappointed on several occasions. The promise is only as dependable as the one who utters it.

God promises there will come a day when we will be always with the Lord. Faith will become sight, no more death, no more sin, no more sorrow, and no more shame. The separation will be over and we shall forever be always with the Lord. The promise is only as dependable as the One who utters it.

To find our more about Always With the Lord, please click on the link below.

1 Thessalonians, Part 17: Always With the Lord

9 For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God,  10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith. 1 Thessalonians 3:10

Picture perfect … practice makes perfect. These well-known idioms are part of American culture.  People long for perfection. Perfectionism is a cruel task master, especially when one is … well, …imperfect.  Despite our flawed condition, we continue to seek perfection. We work, strive, and labor for perfect test scores, perfect teeth, perfect children, the perfect job, the perfect wedding, the perfect vacations,  the perfect house, the perfect outfit, etc.  We try everything except the one thing that will help achieve our goal–prayer. Prayer, however,  helps us not to be perfect, but to be perfected. Biblical perfection is very different from the human idea of perfection.

What does perfection have to do with a life of faith? The Bible does have a good deal to say about perfection,

“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48

Whew! That sounds like a perfect impossibility until we read,

“I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” John 17:23

and,

“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Colossians 1:28

God’s plan in for man to be perfected, but Biblical perfection will not be achieved apart from Christ. To learn how to be perfected, please click on the link below.

A Life of Faith, Part 13: Pray and Perfect

“ … and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith.”

Co-workers can be a wonderful blessing. When I was in college, I used to work at a popular pizza place. I had a wonderful co-worker. We were so close we often rode to work together. My co-worker and I covered for one another at work, traded clothes,  shared our hurts and dreams and often saw each other apart from work. Clothes and dreams weren’t the only things we shared, however. On one of our many long trips to work, my co-worker shared the Gospel with me. It is because of her witness that I became a Christian.

Our verse above states, ” He [Timothy] is our brother and God’s co-worker.” Well, my co-worker is “my sister and God’s co-worker.” As a matter of fact, we are sisters and still co-workers today; true co-workers, laboring together as God’s co-workers to bring the message of the Gospel to a lost and lonely world.

You too, can be God’s co-worker. First you must lay down your life, pick up your cross and follow Him.

To do part 11 of The Life of Faith Thessalonians study, please click on the link below.

1 Thessalonians A Life of Faith, Part 11: God’s Co-worker

Before the days of email, texting and social media, people wrote letters. As a young girl, I had a few pen-pals; good friends who live far away with whom one corresponds via traditional postal mail. In order to create beautiful letters,  I spent my allowance on beautiful stationary, sealing wax and stamps.

The coming of the mailman was an event. Those who are over the age of 40 understand the thrill of a mailman approaching the house with hands filled with letters — especially love letters. The greatest love letter in the world was written thousands of years ago. The letter containspart 10 of A Life of Faith, please click on the link below.

A Life of Faith, Part 10: The Word

“… as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children,  that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. “

1 Thessalonians 1:11-12   

Walking is the oldest mode of transportation known to mankind. Before the wheel, the horse and buggy, and the car, mankind walked. There is something very satisfying, and very thought provoking about walking. Walking provides time to meditate, reflect and pray about problems, challenges and plans.

Walk is the term God uses to describe our relationship with Him …  a walk with us every step of our journey.

As a runner, I know it is important not just to run a race, but to run well. The same applies to ourwalk worthy of the Lord? Does the phrase walk worthy refer to training, style, techniques and form or is it really a matter of the heart?

To continue your study in 1 Thessalonians, A Life of Faith, please click on the link below.

A Life of Faith, Part 9: Walk Worthy