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Posts Tagged ‘perseverance’

Vital Step to a Radiant Faith-Perseverance

April 19th, 2023 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is Perseverance.

Second Peter chapter 1 encourages us to add certain qualities to our faith, not because it adds to our salvation, but because it makes our faith more effective and productive.

One of those qualities in verse 6 is perseverance. Sometimes, disappointments, conflicts, or health challenges can wear us down and tempt us to give up. But God’s grace is a refreshing influence for our faith. Jesus endured the cross for us. When we persevere in the faith through trials, our witness for God is purified and proven to be genuine. This is one way we can be a light for others-by consistently living for God and relying on His love day-by-day and moment-by-moment.

In First Timothy 4:16, the Apostle Paul gave this counsel to a young pastor, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

Perseverance is a vital step to a radiant faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Faith Building Verse-Job 23:10

August 8th, 2022 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Job 23:10.

In the midst of grief, pain, and affliction, Job said, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

Job’s faith spoke through his perseverance. He endured suffering and saw the value of what suffering would produce in building his character. Not everyone responds to suffering in the same way. Suffering has the potential to make us bitter, but suffering also has the potential to refine our faith and build maturity into our character.

First Peter 1:6 and 7 says,, “For a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”  This genuine faith is more valuable than gold.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us endure times of testing with God in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Faith Building Verse-James 1:12

February 18th, 2022 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is James 1:12.

James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

To persevere is to persist in something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

As we follow Jesus, we are going to face difficult days. Our love for God will be tested. It might come through persecution. It might come through disappointments or conflicts that weigh us down. Jesus promised we would have trouble in this life. But He also promised ultimate victory and blessing for those who were faithful to Him. There is reward for faithfulness through times of testing.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to stay faithful to Jesus through the trials of life in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Daily Challenge-Persevere In Hope

June 3rd, 2021 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to persevere in hope.

Through the frustrations and heartaches of life, we have a hope that helps us to press on in the faith, resting on the promises of God.

In Romans 8:22, the Apostle Paul wrote, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship-the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

This world will have good seasons and difficult seasons-joy, conflict, and pain. But God is planning a much better place in the future for those who follow Jesus by faith. His promises keep hope alive in our hearts, and keep us motivated to serve Him faithfully today.

Take the daily challenge to persevere in hope on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Good News Focus-Integrity and Influence

August 10th, 2020 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Good News Focus is on First Timothy 4:16.

“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

This verse stresses the importance of what we believe and how we live. Both matter in terms of how they have an impact on our lives and on those watching us.

A good starting place for believing in sound doctrine is to study the life of Jesus. Examine how He lived, what He taught, and what He did to make redemption possible for us. He loves us and invites us to follow Him.  He seeks a relationship with us that will change our lives and save us from our sins. As we put our full faith in His gift of grace to save us, Jesus will make us instruments of His grace for others as we live out the Gospel.

Jesus is our Source of Good News, leading us to places of integrity and influence in the Year of Vision.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

20/20 Insight-Growth in Godly Character

May 27th, 2020 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Vision, today’s 20/20 Insight focuses on God’s purpose for our lives to grow in godly character.

God works through times of adversity and discipline to accomplish character in our lives. He will let us struggle with questions or struggle in our pain, but He does not leave us or forsake us. He is right there with us, providing His grace in our time of need.

James 1:3 explains that the trials that we face are tests to our faith. These tests are meant to produce perseverance. When perseverance finishes its work, we have the opportunity to become mature and complete, not lacking anything.   God works through the character qualities of our lives to enable our faith to thrive for Him.

Focusing on the fruit of godly character gives us greater clarity for living out the Christian life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Good News Focus-Purpose in Trials

February 20th, 2020 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Good News Focus is on James 1, verses 2 through 4.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” 

Here we see that there is purpose to the trials of our lives. That purpose is to grow in godly character. We may not like the trial, but we can rejoice in the fruit that is produces after we endure the trial.

The strong wings of a butterfly are made through the struggle to get out of the cocoon. If the struggle did not happen, the butterfly would likely never fly. In a similar way, our trials give us the opportunity to grow stronger in our faith. 

Jesus is our source of Good News, leading us to a place of godly character in the Year of Vision.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Freedom Phrase-The Right Focus

October 9th, 2019 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Hebrews 12, verses 1b through verse 3.

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

When we face temptation, discouragement, or persecution for our faith, we can find strength by remembering the tenacity of Jesus to finish the race that was marked out for Him. Love was His motive. Future glory with His followers was His joy. His example is our inspiration.

Through Jesus, we are set free from the entanglements of sin to run the race marked out for us. 

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Eye On Integrity-Perseverance and Maturity

July 24th, 2018 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on James 1, verses 2 to 4.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

It is not unusual to come out of a trial with a very different mindset than when we entered into a trial. Something happens in the midst of a trial that humbles us to recognize our dependence on Jesus.

Coming out of a trial, we can usually be more sympathetic to other people in similar circumstances, because we have been there.

We rarely seek trials before they happen, but after they happen, we can often look back on their value to our faith. James has wise advice for our trials-Persevere. Another way of saying that is “Don’t give up.”

Walking in perseverance and maturity are virtues to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Lesson Of Faith-Perseverance of Job

September 3rd, 2013 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today, WJTL remembers the perseverance of Job.

James 5:11 says, “As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”

The story of Job is one of human tragedy and godly triumph. Here was a man who lost practically everything. Yet, he did not give up on God even though he suffered much pain without knowing why he was going down this road of human suffering.

One of his statements gives us insight into what God can do through our moments of hardship.  Job said, “He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

Just as God took Job’s faith through the refinement process in the midst of his troubles, He can also use trials to purify us. First Peter 1:6 says, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

The perseverance of Job is a lesson of faith worth remembering.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com