JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Isaiah 64:8.

“Yet, you, Lord are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

The Bible tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Not only has God made us, but He also has formed us for a specific purpose. What is that purpose?

Rick Warren has said, “The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it. The same is true for discovering your life’s purpose: Ask God.”

Because He knows us better than we know ourselves, He also knows how to guide us in His will and shape our character into His likeness. God can do extraordinary things through a life yielded to His purposes.

Walking with a God-directed purpose is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Matthew 4:19.

Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people.”

The Bible notes how Peter and Andrew responded to this invitation. “At once, they left their nets and followed him.”

As they followed Jesus, His words came true. Peter and Andrew were effective witnesses of the Gospel that led to the salvation of many souls. When Peter preached at Pentecost, 3,000 people came to faith in Christ in just one day!

We can follow Jesus as our Savior with a trusting heart, knowing that He loves us, and knows how to lead us to productive places of service. Then, beyond this life, He will have a heavenly home ready for us.

Walking as a follower of Jesus step-by-step is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Person of Integrity from the Bible is Abraham.

If there is one word that many people think of when Abraham’s name is mentioned, that word would be faith.

Galatians 3:6 says that Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith. That is true for those who put their faith in Jesus for salvation. We are counted as righteous in God’s eyes.

What did Abraham’s faith look like? Hebrews 11:8 gives us this example. “By faith, Abraham when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

The faithfulness of Abraham to follow God’s direction inspires us to trust and obey God and to live a life of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Second Corinthians 5:19 and 20.

“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

God is calling His followers to be agents for peace. The ultimate peacemaking mission is to share the good news of hope and salvation through faith in Jesus. We can be credible messengers of this Gospel by being active in sharing our faith, and representing Jesus in our character and conduct.

His peace in our lives can be an influence for peace in the world for the glory of God.

Walking as an ambassador for Christ is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Matthew 6:33.

Jesus said, “Seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

God’s Kingdom is firmly established. David wrote in Psalm 145:13, “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and your dominion endures through all generations.” Earthly kingdoms will rise and fall, but God’s kingdom will never be shaken.

God’s Kingdom also has great value. In one of Jesus’ shorter parables, He said that the kingdom of heaven was like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

God’s Kingdom is also filled with good fruit. Romans 14:17 says that the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Making God’s Kingdom and righteousness top priority is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on First Timothy 6, verses 10 and 11.

The Apostle Paul wrote these words to a young church leader named Timothy: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”

Money has the potential to lead us astray if the treasures of this world become the pursuit of our heart. If Paul was warning a church leader about the dangers of loving money too much, then his words are worth heeding for us. Godliness has greater value than money. That is why Paul urges Timothy to run from the pursuit of material wealth and pursue the richness of knowing Christ. Flowing out of that relationship will be the building of character qualities with great value.

Walking in pursuit of godliness is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Matthew 5, verses 43 to 45a.

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”

The way of the world is to love those who love us, but Jesus calls us to extraordinary love-the kind of love that He demonstrated on the cross for us. Romans 5:8 says that “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

We will need the influence of Jesus to love our enemies. This is not something we can do on our own strength.

Walking with love for our enemies is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Second Timothy 2:24 to 26.

How is the Lord’s servant supposed to respond to voices of opposition? This is a good Scripture to study for wisdom.

“The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”

When God’s people are faced with opposition to our faith, there might be a temptation to enter into an argument over differences. But Paul reminds Timothy here that there is something more important than winning an argument. It is more important to win souls, and it is hard to win souls if we burn bridges with anger, heated arguments, or a spirit of resentment toward the very people we are trying to reach for the Gospel.

Walking with gentle instruction and kindness are virtues to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Person of Integrity from the Bible is Zechariah.

He was a prophet who wrote a book in the Old Testament. There are significant themes found in his writings.

He called people to return to the LORD.

He spoke about the strategic and prophetic significance of Jerusalem.

He spoke of a day to come when the LORD would be king over the whole earth.

And he spoke of the events surrounding Palm Sunday with these words, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey.”

The faithfulness of Zechariah to draw attention to Jesus inspires us to do the same with our words and to live a life of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Lamentations 3:40.

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.”

Many times, spiritual inventory comes in a time of crisis when we are humbled and broken of ourselves. That was where the Israelites were at the time this verse was written. The people were taken from their homeland. Their temple was destroyed. They had descended from a place of blessing to a place of bondage, and the writer recorded a series of laments in this book.

But in this broken place, there is also hope. Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed. His compassions never fail. Great is God’s faithfulness.

When we come to the end of ourselves, there is grace waiting with open arms. God is ready to embrace anyone who is willing to renounce selfish ways and return to His grace.

Returning to the LORD after we have disobeyed Him is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com