JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to pursue faith.

This is what the Apostle Paul instructed a young pastor to do in Second Timothy 2:22. Paul was instructing Timothy how to be an effective witness for the Gospel.

Pursuing faith is one of those instructions. This is how we can shine for Jesus today-with a testimony of faith that reflects His goodness and grace.

At the foundation of faith, we are trusting Jesus alone to save us from our sins and lead us in the way of righteousness until we reach our heavenly home. Our faith depends on what Jesus has done for us.

First Corinthians 15:3 says, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” This is the Gospel by which we take our stand and are saved.

Take the daily challenge to follow Jesus and trust Him completely on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Happy Independence Day!

This week’s Praise & Worship playlist has a Freedom & Fireworks theme.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7LCLCqhCtC1AdiQYvAh622?si=a6b057cc90d3412f

Happy 4th,

Kristi

Kristi Leigh, WJTL DJ

Kristi@WJTL.com

Podcast: Spotify & Apple Podcasts & SoundCloud & Google Podcasts

Follow: Instagram & Facebook

Playlists: Spotify

Song Title	Artist	Album	Year
6AM
Christ Has Set Me Free	Rend Collective	Homemade Worship By Handmade People	2012
Wild and Free	Jason Upton	A Table Full of Strangers, Vol. 2	2018
Freedom in the Spirit (feat. Adam Agin)	Sarah Kroger	Bloom	2019
Nothing Holding Me Back	Bryan & Katie Torwalt	Here On Earth	2011
It Was For Freedom (feat. Jon Egan, Mia Fields)	New Life Worship	You Hold It All	2011
Refiners Fire	Brian Doerksen	Songs 4 Worship Ultimate	2011
Refiner (feat. Chandler Moore & Steffany Gretzinger)	Maverick City Music	Maverick City, Vol. 2	2019
God Ablaze	Charlie Hall	The Rising	2010
Burn for You (feat. David Brymer)	Rivers & Robots	Discovery	2018
Like a Fire (feat. Steffany Gretzinger)	Sean Feucht	The Things We Did at First	2016
Freedom	William Matthews	For The Sake Of The World	2012
Love Like Fire	Hillsong Worship	A Beautiful Exchange	2010
7AM
Where The Spirit Of The Lord Is (feat. Christy Nockels)	Chris Tomlin	Passion: Awakening	2010
Fires Gonna Fall	Martin Smith	Iron Lung	2019
Burning In My Soul	Brett Younker	Passion: Let The Future Begin	2013
Flame of Fire, Rushing Wind	Bryan & Katie Torwalt	Champion	2016
Freedom Song	Christy Nockels	Let It Be Jesus	2015
Living with a Fire (feat. Chris Quilala) [Live]	Jesus Culture	Living with a Fire (Live)	2018
Another In The Fire	Hillsong United	People (Live)	2020
I Am Set Free	All Sons & Daughters	Season One	2012
Freedom (Live)	Urban Rescue	City Sessions (Live In Los Angeles)	2017
SING IT FROM THE SHACKLES	Rend Collective	Single	2020
Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)	Crowder	Neon Steeple	2014
Chains	Bellarive	Before There Was	2014
Im Going Free (Jailbreak)	Vertical Worship	The Rock Wont Move	2013
8AM
Break Every Chain	Jesus Culture & Kristene Di Marco	Jesus Culture Awakening: Live From Chicago	2011
Liberated	Zealand Worship	Liberated	2018
Free As a Bird	Rend Collective	Campfire II: Simplicity	2016
Set Free (feat. Matt Redman)	Chris Tomlin	Passion: Here For You	2011
Im Free (Hymn) / Washed By The Water (Acoustic Live)	Needtobreathe	Acoustic Single	2019
Consuming Fire	Tim Hughes	When Silence Falls	2004
All Consuming Fire (Live)	Chris McClarney	Everything and Nothing Less (Live)	2015
Hearts Ablaze (feat. Bethany Kuenzli)	Philip Herndon	Send Revival EP	2020
Freedom Reigns (feat. Kim Walker-Smith)	Jesus Culture	Come Away	2010
Freedom (feat. Kim Walker-Smith) [Live]	Jesus Culture	Living with a Fire (Live)	2018
I Am Free	Jared Anderson	51 Must Have Modern Worship Hits	2007
I Am Found, I Am Free	GATEWAY	Monuments	2017
9AM
We Are The Free	Matt Redman	10,000 Reasons	2011
No Longer Slaves (feat. Jonathan David & Melissa Helser)	Bethel Music	We Will Not Be Shaken (Live) [Deluxe Edition]	2015
Finally Free	Rend Collective	The Art of Celebration	2014
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) [Live]	Shane & Shane	Hymns Live	2019
No Chains On Me	Chris Tomlin	And If Our God Is For Us	2010
Set Me Ablaze (feat. Katie Torwalt) [Live]	Jesus Culture	Let It Echo (Live)	2016
Burn Like A Star	Rend Collective	The Art of Celebration	2014
Calling On Fire	Bellarive	Before There Was	2014
Set a Fire (Live)	Jesus Culture	Live from New York (with Martin Smith) [Live]	2012
Fires	Matt Redman	10,000 Reasons	2011
Where The Spirit of the Lord Is	Life Church	Death of Death	2019
Free, Amen (Live)	We The Kingdom	Live At the Wheelhouse – EP	2019
Praise Like Fireworks	Rend Collective Experiment	Campfire	2013

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is Freedom.

Galatians 5:1 tells us that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

To be free in Christ is to be forgiven by His grace and to walk in His truth.

There are two main obstacles to freedom. One obstacle is trespassing God’s laws, where we disobey God and become slaves to sin. The other obstacle is legalism, where we depend on observing God’s laws to save us.  The truth is that we cannot save ourselves by doing good deeds, but Jesus can save us from our sins. That is why He came to the world. Trusting Jesus to save us will set us free from the control of those obstacles.

Jesus said in John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Because of Jesus, we are set free to walk in an authentic relationship with God.

Find encouragement in the true and lasting freedom that Jesus provides for His followers in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4qzzIJrYJQ3lGNaVms28WH?si=f30c8ca0709a4526

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to pursue righteousness.

This is what the Apostle Paul instructed a. young pastor to do in Second Timothy 2:22. Paul was instructing Timothy how to be an effective witness for the Gospel.

Pursuing righteousness was one of those instructions. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught us to seek first His kingdom and his righteousness. The pursuit of God’s righteousness is to be top priority for our lives. Jesus also said that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled.

In our pursuit for righteousness, Jesus is the answer.

Romans 3:22 tells us “this righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”  We can trust Jesus to set us free from the guilt of our sin. He will make us right with God, and give us the desire to do what is right in the eyes of God.

Take the daily challenge to pursue righteousness on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to pursue godly character.

In Second Timothy 2:22, the Apostle Paul gave this instruction to a young church leader.

“Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

Whatever we pursue normally flows out of our priorities. That is why it is important to seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness. That priority will direct us to pursue the qualities of God’s Kingdom.

It is not enough just to avoid doing bad things. Saying no to sin is certainly noble, but there is so much more to the Christian life than saying no to sin. There is also the focus of saying yes to God, and His plan for our lives. That plan will include the pursuit of righteousness, faith, love, and peace.

Take the daily challenge to pursue godly character on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is Mighty.

This refers to having impressive power or strength.

The hand of the LORD is described as Mighty. When He acts on our behalf, that is a source of comfort for us.

In Deuteronomy 3:24, Moses said to the LORD, “Sovereign LORD, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do.”

It was the mighty hand of God that brought the Israelites out of Egypt, the land of slavery.

God’s mighty hand has the power to free us from our slavery to sin-to redeem us from the power of death, the traps of the devil, and the deceptions of this world. We cannot prevail on our own strength, but with the Lord on our side, we have a strong ally to give us victory. If God is for us, who can be against us?

Find encouragement in the mighty hand of God to redeem us in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK-Today’s Word of Encouragement is Adoption.

Parents who adopt children choose to welcome them into their family with open arms.

Adoption is one of God’s spiritual blessings for the person who puts their faith in Jesus Christ. We are welcomed into the family of God with open arms.

Ephesians 1:5 says, “In love, he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-to the praise of his glorious grace.”

What a gift! To be included in God’s family and to enjoy the blessing of His acceptance and forgiveness-that is a compelling reason to praise Him every single day.

Find encouragement in the blessing of being adopted into God’s family in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3CrPfGPclEnv23sw8WxLzQ?si=204c843d5c5345f0

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to praise God for changed lives.

In the early church, Saul was a dangerous man. He actively sought to persecute Christians. But one time, when he was on such a mission to Damascus, he had an encounter with Christ which led to his miraculous conversion.

When Saul’s eyes were opened to the Gospel, he responded by faith and became a leader in the early church. Notice how the believers in Judea responded to his conversion in Galatians 1:23.

“They only heard the report: ‘the man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they praised God because of me.”

If we can think of someone who recently came to faith in Christ, we can praise God for the road that they are travelling. Love them, pray for them, be part of building them up in the faith, and celebrate with them.

Take the daily challenge to praise God for changed lives that puts them on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com