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JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Hebrews 11:4.

“By faith, Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith, Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.”

This event happened in Genesis chapter 4 among these two brothers. Abel kept flocks. Cain worked the soil. Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. Abel also brought an offering to the LORD-fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.

Abel’s offering was better for a number of reasons. First, Abel gave of his firstfruits. He gave his best to God. Second, His offering also consisted of a blood sacrifice, which was a foreshadow to the sacrifice that Jesus would offer at the cross. Third, Abel’s offering was given with pure motives. Worship is a matter of the heart. Where faith and love motivate us to worship, God is pleased with our sacrifices of praise.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to give God our very best from a heart that delights in Him in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is Gentleness.

This quality is kind and patient toward people who have room for growth. Love is the motivational factor that inspires us to be gentle.

This quality is also found in the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:23, and is often associated in the Bible with humility.

Jesus described Himself as gentle and humble as He was inviting us to come into relationship with Him. He is approachable.

A gentle person finds a way to stay calm in the midst of tension. They treat others with the respect and dignity of being made in the image of God.

In Titus 3:2, we are reminded to “slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.”

Gentleness is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is Faithfulness.

This is one of the qualities found in the fruit of the Spirit.

God’s faithfulness is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. Lamentations 3:23 tells us that God’s compassions are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

To be faithful is to be reliable and trustworthy. Walking with Jesus will train us to live with godly integrity, keep our commitments, stay true to our promises, and be loyal to our friends.

One example of faithfulness in the Bible was a man named Epaphras. The Apostle Paul described him as a faithful minister of Christ. He taught the Colossian church about God’s grace. He was also faithful in prayer for God’s people to stand firm in all the will of God.

Jesus taught that whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.

Faithfulness is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Hebrews 11:3.

“By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”

God’s power is able to speak something into existence. That is what we find at creation in the book of Genesis.  God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good.

God also created life among animals of many kinds and the life of human beings. The population of the world is reaching 8 billion people, and each person on this planet matters to God, including you. This says something about our value to God and His value to us.

Psalm 95:6 says, “Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker, for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.”

This Faith-Building verse inspires us to worship God as our Creator in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Hebrews 11:6.

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

We learn here that faith is foundational to pleasing God. There is no way to please Him without it.  And then, we learn what kind of faith that God is seeking in our hearts-the kind that believes in God’s existence and in God’s goodness.

This is a word of encouragement to us that God watches over us. Second Chronicles 16:9 tells us that His eyes range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. He sees what we do for His name’s sake, and He is storing up heavenly rewards for His faithful servants.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to earnestly seek God in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is Goodness.

One definition of goodness is the quality of being morally virtuous. God is good, and works in ways that are always consistent with what is right and true. There is no corruption in Him.

Goodness is one of the qualities found in the fruit of the Spirit. As a result of walking in fellowship with God, we will experience His goodness and learn how to share His goodness with others.

Psalm 25:8 says, “Good and upright is the LORD; therefore, he instructs sinners in his ways.”

Romans 15:14 shows us how goodness benefits others: Paul told the church, “I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” The goodness of God equips us, through our words and actions, to build up others in the faith.

Goodness is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is Kindness.

This quality is identified in the fruit of the Spirit, showing tender concern for others. Kindness causes us to take notice of the person who feels forgotten or to be gentle with the person who feels anxiety.

Kindness is refreshing for someone who is beaten down by harsh words and discouraging influences.

Kindness is life-changing for someone who recognizes their need for God’s grace. Romans 2:4 tells us that the kindness of God leads us to repentance.

Because of God’s kindness toward us, we can be a voice of kindness and refreshment for others. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Kindness is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verses are Hebrews 11:1 and 2.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”

When we look into the Old Testament stories of the heroes of faith, we will notice a pattern where God called specific people into specific missions to accomplish His planned purpose.

Each one of them, including Noah, Abraham, and Moses needed to trust God without seeing the big picture. This is true of us too. God’s grace has been revealed ultimately through Jesus Christ. We have the Bible to tell us about this reality. He has a purpose for our lives, and we can find and fulfill that purpose by looking to Jesus and following His will step-by-step, day-by-day. We don’t know what the journey may bring, but we can trust Him to lead us to a place where our faith can thrive for His glory.

These Faith-Building Verses inspire us put our confidence in God for salvation and direction in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com