Blogs
Focus On God-His Ability To Do What Is Impossible For Us
john : September 13, 2017 5:31 pm : John Shirk, Staff PagesJOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Trust, today’s Focus on God examines His ability to do what is humanly impossible.
Looking at the history of the Bible, we would have to acknowledge that our faith depends on a mighty God who works miracles.
By His command, He was able to create something out of nothing. This was the birth of the world.
God kept His promise to Abraham to provide a son when Sarah was past her childbearing years. This was the birth of the nation of Israel.
The hope of redemption came to the world through a virgin birth. This was the birth of Jesus.
Jesus died on a cross, then rose from the dead three days later. He is uniquely qualified to save us from our sins, restore us to God, and give us eternal life with Him. This is spiritual birth: to accept this gracious gift. Luke 1:37 says, “Nothing is impossible with God.”
God’s ability to do what is humanly impossible is a reason to trust in God for today and forever.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
Look at this sunflower! I grew a bunch of them this summer, but this one is the biggest. It truly lives up to the variety’s name: “Mammoth Sunflower”. I am amazed that such a humongous flower–with such a heavy head of seeds and such a woody stalk–can come from such a small seed.
I took a few minutes in the sunshine today to look around my yard. The vegetables in my garden have maxed out the square footage I gave them. The plants in pots on my patio have spilled over the edges. In just one season, so much has happened!
It reminded me of the verse-of-the-day that popped up in my Bible App earlier this morning:
“6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6-7 NIV, Spiritual Fullness in Christ)
I made a note in my heart and want to encourage you, too! Continue to live your life in Christ. Root yourself in Him. Build yourself up by His Word. Strengthen yourself with the testimony of what He has done in your life and for those around you. Let all of that work together to produce the fruit of thankfulness in your heart.
Sometimes I imagine us as plants and God as a gardener. I think of Him taking a look around the flowerbeds when the season is coming to an end, noticing how much we’ve grown and enjoying the fruit and flowers we’ve produced. Personally, I want to be like this sunflower: a bright, strong testimony of God’s goodness and glory.
Kristi Leigh – WJTL DJ
Kristi@WJTL.com
Praise & Worship Show Playlist
kristi : September 10, 2017 6:00 am : Kristi Leigh, music, Staff PagesKristi Leigh – WJTL DJ
Kristi@WJTL.com
Song Title |
Artist |
Year |
Album |
6:00 A.M. |
|||
Full Attention |
Jeremy Riddle |
2007 |
Full Attention |
The Lord is My Shepherd |
Jeremy Riddle |
2011 |
Furious |
Doxology//Amen |
Phil Wickham |
2016 |
Children of God |
Joy |
Phil Wickham |
2011 |
Response |
King of All the Earth |
Bryan & Katie Torwalt |
2015 |
Kingdom Come |
Let There Be Light |
Bryan & Katie Torwalt |
2016 |
Let There Be Light – Single |
Sing Out (feat. Chris Quilala) [Live] |
Jesus Culture |
2015 |
Unstoppable Love (Live) |
Let It Echo (Heaven Fall) [feat. Chris Quilala] [Live] |
Jesus Culture |
2016 |
Let It Echo (Live) |
I Can Only Imagine |
Rita Springer |
2002 |
Effortless |
I Believe In You |
Rita Springer |
2017 |
Battles |
Seas of Crimson (feat. Brian Johnson) |
Bethel Music |
2015 |
We Will Not Be Shaken (Live) [Deluxe Edition] |
I Wont Forget |
Brian Johnson |
2017 |
After All These Years |
7:00 A.M. |
|||
Wonderful Name |
Christy Nockels |
2015 |
Let It Be Jesus |
Healing Is In Your Hands |
Christy Nockels |
2010 |
Passion: Awakening |
Come Thou Fount (Above All Else) |
Shane & Shane |
2014 |
The Worship Initiative, Vol. 1 |
Beautiful Things |
Shane & Shane |
2014 |
The Worship Initiative, Vol. 1 |
The Garden |
Kari Jobe |
2017 |
The Garden (Deluxe Edition) |
Let Your Glory Fall |
Kari Jobe |
2017 |
The Garden (Deluxe Edition) |
Our Father (feat. Jenn Johnson) |
Bethel Live |
2012 |
For The Sake Of The World |
Mention of Your Name |
Jenn Johnson |
2017 |
After All These Years |
What A Beautiful Name |
Hillsong Worship |
2017 |
Let There Be Light |
O Praise The Name |
Hillsong Worship |
2016 |
Open Heaven River Wild |
Everything and Nothing Less (feat. Chris McClarney) [Live] |
Jesus Culture |
2016 |
Let It Echo (Live) |
God of Miracles (Live) |
Chris McClarney |
2015 |
Everything and Nothing Less (Live) |
8:00 AM |
|||
Heroes |
Amanda Cook (of Bethel Music) |
2015 |
Brave New World |
I Belong to You (Live) |
Bethel Music & Amanda Cook |
2014 |
You Make Me Brave (Live) |
You Came (Lazarus) |
Jonathan David & Melissa Helser |
2017 |
Beautiful Surrender |
No Longer Slaves (feat. Jonathan David & Melissa Helser) |
Bethel Music |
2015 |
We Will Not Be Shaken (Live) [Deluxe Edition] |
Future / Past |
John Mark McMillan |
2014 |
Borderland |
King of My Heart |
John Mark & Sarah McMillan |
2015 |
You Are the Avalanche – EP |
My Victory |
Crowder |
2016 |
American Prodigal |
This I Know |
Crowder |
2014 |
Neon Steeple |
Alabaster |
Rend Collective |
2012 |
Homemade Worship By Handmade People |
10,000 Reasons |
Rend Collective Experiment |
2013 |
Campfire |
Once For All |
Paul Baloche |
2016 |
Your Mercy |
I Will Worship You |
Paul Baloche |
2016 |
Your Mercy |
9:00 A.M. |
|||
Resurrecting |
Elevation Worship |
2016 |
Here as in Heaven |
Yahweh |
Elevation Worship |
2016 |
Here as in Heaven |
Good Good Father |
Housefires |
2014 |
Housefires II |
Build My Life |
Housefires |
2016 |
Housefires III |
Here’s your handcrafted playlist for the September 8th/10th episode of Some Sort of Rock Show:
Hour 1
- The Coming Storm – Matt Moore
- Tear It Up – Kutless
- Modern Slave – Sun City
- Stereo – Mike Mains & The Branches
- Underneath – Zahna
- Source of Life – DaysEye
- This Is Who We Are – Written in Kings
- Hard Love – NEEDTOBREATHE
- Safe & Sound – We Were Once
- I Give Up – Stellar Kart
- The Resistance – Skillet
- A Different Kind of Dynamite – Thousand Foot Krutch
- Mic Drop – Manic Drive
- Nebulous – Manic Drive
- Crash – Crossing Fire
Hour 2
- Until The Night’s Gone – Graceful Closure
- The Lining Is Silver – Relient K
- Let Go – Set for the Fall
- Tell Me – As We Ascend
- Found – Seventh Day Slumber
- On My Own – Ashes Remain
- Get Down – Finding Favour
- Get Down Get Down – KJ-52
- Prizm- Pax217
- Stronger – Spoken
- Don’t Be Long – Army of Bones
- Holy Water – Switchfoot
- Evil Lies – Gold, Frankincense, & Myrrh
- House Of Cards – Manafest
- The Broken One – We Are Vessel
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Promise of Hope is based on Second Corinthians 5:17.
“If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!”
Through faith in Jesus, we are made new. This is evident in various ways.
In relationship with Christ, we have a new mind with a new attitude. Ephesians 4:23 says that we were taught to put off our old self and be made new in the attitude of our minds.
In relationship with Christ, we have a new heart. Ezekiel 11:19 says, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them.”
In relationship with Christ, we have a new home. Philippians 3:20 reminds believers that our citizenship is in heaven.
And in relationship with Christ, we have a new start. According to First Peter 1:3, “In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
Becoming a new creation is a promise of hope for those who follow Jesus in the Year of Trust.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
Five Fun Free Family Things To Do Sept 8-10, 2017
phredd : September 8, 2017 8:53 am : Fred McNaughton, Staff PagesFive Fun Free Family Things To Do This Weekend
September 8-10, 2017
5 Conestoga Herb Guild Herb Fest tomorrow (Saturday September 9) 9am-2pm at the Boettcher House Museum in Landis Woods in Lancaster. Herbal crafts, jams, jellies, baked goods, herbal food and beverage samples, wreath demonstrations, Potpourri, soaps, garlic, garden décor and more. More Info: Conestoga Herb Guild Facebook Page
4 Praise Jam 2017 tonight (Friday Sept. 8) 7pm-9:30pm at Grace Point Church of the Nazarene. Worship teams from local churches including: The Living Room of Ephrata, Grace Point Nazarene of Ephrata, & Grace Community Church of Willow Street. Local non-profit Ministries will also have tables and information available. More Info: www.nazgp.org
3 Community Day at Spring Creek Church of the Brethren of Hershey, tomorrow (Saturday September 9) 3-8pm. Presentations by Zoo America, Firetrucks, Teddy Bear Clinic, Derry K9 Unit, Ice Cream, Games and more. The evening will close with a worship concert. More Info: SpringCreekCOB.org
2 9th Annual Peach Festival tomorrow (Saturday, September 9) 3-6 pm at The Lititz United Methodist Church in Lititz. Jazz music with the “Swing Street” trio, Encore Dance Group, candy scramble, Inflatable Skeeball, Free games, PLUS Peach ice cream, peach cobbler, peach pie, and assorted homemade baked goods. Rain or shine. Proceeds benefit Warwick Release Time! More Info: www.lititzumc.org.
1 Landis Homes Fellowship Day & Community Auction, at Landis Homes, East Oregon Road, Lititz, tomorrow (Saturday, September 9) 8am-2pm. Bounce houses, barrel train rides, petting zoo, face painting, balloons and more. KCB broadcasting live 9am-noon with free goodies like Chick-fil-A cookies, requests, games and more. More Info: Landishomes.org
JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Trust, today’s Focus on God examines the tears of Jesus.
There were several times in the Bible when Jesus wept. One of those times was by the gravesite of his good friend Lazarus. John 11:35 records that “Jesus wept.”
Also, in Luke 19:41, as Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it. He saw the devastation that was coming to that city because the people failed to recognize the time of God’s visitation.
Jesus was a man of sorrows. In these two examples, we see Jesus shedding tears in the death of a friend and the coming tragedy of those who would reject Him. He sympathizes with us in our grief, and He cares for the lost. His tears reveal the genuine expression of His love for people.
The tears of Jesus are reasons to trust in God for today and forever.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
Praise & Worship Show Playlist
kristi : September 3, 2017 6:00 am : Kristi Leigh, music, Staff PagesKristi Leigh – WJTL DJ
Kristi@WJTL.com
Song Title |
Artist |
Year |
Album |
6:00 a.m. |
|||
Sound of Melodies |
Leeland |
2006 |
Sound of Melodies |
My Soul Sings |
Delirious |
2008 |
Kingdom Of Comfort |
Letting Go (feat. Steffany Frizzell Gretzinger) |
Bethel Music |
2013 |
Tides |
Great I Am (feat. Jared Anderson) |
New Life Worship |
2011 |
You Hold It All |
Spirit of God |
Planetshakers |
2015 |
Outback Worship Sessions |
Your Glory / Nothing But the Blood (Live) |
All Sons & Daughters |
2013 |
Live |
Remember |
Passion |
2016 |
Salvations Tide Is Rising |
Beauty For Ashes (Live) |
Chris McClarney |
2015 |
Everything and Nothing Less (Live) |
Restoration |
David Brymer |
Unceasing |
|
Redeemed |
Big Daddy Weave |
2012 |
Love Come To Life |
Forever And A Day |
Anthony Skinner |
2004 |
Forever And A Day |
7:00 a.m. |
|||
This Is Amazing Grace |
Jeremy Riddle |
2012 |
Bethel Live: For The Sake Of The World |
I Will Worship You |
Paul Baloche |
2016 |
Your Mercy |
I Will Exalt (feat. Amanda Cook) [Live] |
Bethel Live |
2011 |
Be Lifted High (Deluxe Edition) [Live] |
Where You Are |
Leeland |
2014 |
Christ Be All Around Me |
Find You On My Knees |
Kari Jobe |
2013 |
Where I Find You |
Touch The Sky |
Hillsong United |
2015 |
Empires |
Oh Blessed (feat. Anthony Skinner) |
Stu Garrard |
2017 |
Beatitudes |
If You Say Go |
Rita Springer |
2006 |
Vineyard – Sweetly Broken |
I Will Run |
Jason Morant |
2006 |
Open |
Heart Runs |
John Mark McMillan |
2014 |
Borderland |
8:00 a.m. |
|||
Create In Me |
Rend Collective |
2014 |
The Art of Celebration |
After Your Heart |
Phil Wickham |
2007 |
Cannons |
We Are Hungry |
Jesus Culture |
2011 |
Jesus Culture Awakening: Live From Chicago |
Thirsty (Live) |
Chris McClarney |
2015 |
Everything and Nothing Less (Live) |
One Thirst and Hunger |
Jeremy Riddle |
2011 |
Furious |
Overcome |
Elevation Worship |
2017 |
There Is a Cloud |
Psalm 66 (You Are Great) |
Robbie Seay Band |
2015 |
Psalms LP |
Great Are You Lord |
All Sons & Daughters |
2014 |
All Sons & Daughters |
What A Beautiful Name |
Hillsong Worship |
2017 |
Let There Be Light |
Mention of Your Name |
Jenn Johnson |
2017 |
After All These Years |
Defender |
Rita Springer |
2017 |
Battles |
10,000 Reasons |
Rend Collective Experiment |
2013 |
Campfire |
9:00 a.m. |
|||
Forever (Live) |
Bethel Music & Kari Jobe |
2014 |
You Make Me Brave (Live) |
This I Believe (The Creed) |
Hillsong Worship |
2014 |
No Other Name |
Once For All |
Paul Baloche |
2016 |
Your Mercy |
Here Is Love |
Matt Redman |
2004 |
Passion: Hymns Ancient and Modern |
I Know Who You Are |
Planetshakers |
2016 |
Momentum |
Here’s your handcrafted playlist for the September 1st/3rd episode of Some Sort of Rock Show:
09.01-03.17
Hour 1
- House of Cards – Manafest
- Light Up the Sky – Thousand Foot Krutch
- Mic Drop – Manic Drive
- Get Down Get Down – KJ-52
- The Coming Storm – Matt Moore
- Lights Out – Silverline
- Evil Lies – Gold, Frankincense, & Myrrh
- Live Again – torndown
- Crash – Crossing Fire
- Come Alive – Attaboy
- This Is Who We Are – Written in Kings
- Grindin’ – NF
- Don’t Be Long – Army of Bones
- Promise – Delirious
Hour 2
- Bring Me to the Water – Everything New
- The River – Decyfer Down
- Stronger – Spoken
- The One – Disciple
- Holding On – Sun City
- Say It Like You Mean It – Switchfoot
- Get Down – Finding Favour
- Shouting Grounds – Crowder
- Memoir – Audio Adrenaline
- Until The Night’s Gone – Graceful Closure
- Tell Me – As We Ascend
- Back From the Dead – Skillet
- The Broken One – We Are Vessel
- Found – Seventh Day Slumber
- Source of Life – DaysEye
JOHN SHIRK – For today’s Life at the Crossroads Moment, loving God with our eyes.
The dominant news story this week has been the historic storm in Texas and Louisiana. Houston has been particularly hard hit. The widespread flooding and devastation is unimaginable.
People will typically respond to storms of this magnitude in different ways. There are the looters-People who steal and vandalize vacant buildings. There are the spectators-those who watch what is going on from a distance. And there are the heroes-the rescue workers, the aid workers, those who contribute financial resources to relieve human suffering. We see those different kinds of people in the story of the Good Samaritan.
A man was on the road to Jericho. He was robbed and beaten up by thieves. There were religious leaders who saw him lying on the side of the road, and walked right by him. They were the spectators. And then there was the Good Samaritan. And he shows us how we can love God with our eyes. “He came to where the man was, and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.” Then he took him to a motel and took care of him. And he took care of this man’s expenses too. This Good Samaritan noticed the need and did something about it.
So, when we see human suffering, whether we are watching this situation unfold on our TV screens in Texas, or a neighbor who is grieving the loss of a loved one, we have a decision to make, as to how we respond. Compassion will prompt us to do something helpful. The Good Samaritan was the example of someone who loved their neighbor as himself. Luke 10 gives us wisdom for turning to God at the crossroads of life.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com