Staff
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Isaiah 40, verse 8.
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.
We can easily get distracted by putting too much priority on temporary things, which are here today and gone tomorrow. There is more to life than the stuff of this world. There is a heavenly place, where Jesus reigns on the throne. Jesus told us to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven. That is where His Kingdom lasts forever. Worship of His name lasts forever. His love lasts forever. His grace lasts forever.
The final verse of the Bible declares: “the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.” And so it will be for eternity. That is where God’s Word can be found on the heart of everyone who lives there.
The enduring word of God reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Psalm 97:11.
“Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.”
The light of God shines on the person who is fully devoted to the Gospel.
There is joy in walking in fellowship with God. There is joy in following Him with a faithful heart. There is joy in embracing His love for us. There is joy is sharing this good news with others. There is joy in pondering a glorious future with Him. There is joy in praising Him for who He is and the many ways He has blessed us.
Psalm 97, verse 12 says, “Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.”
The joy of knowing the LORD reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in John 6:11.
Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
Jesus demonstrated that He can do a lot with the little that we offer him. A boy offered 5 loaves and 2 fish, and it was multiplied into a feast for thousands of people.
Jesus started this miracle by thanking His Heavenly Father for the food that was offered to Him. Food is a precious source of nourishment for our bodies. Where God provides for our physical needs, that is a reason to offer Him thanks. Where we see the need around us, that is a reason to be generous with others.
The provision of food reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
Focus on God’s Goodness-Resurrection of Jesus
john : March 28, 2024 4:33 pm : John Shirk, Staff PagesJOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Romans 10:9.
If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
We are dead in our sins until we come alive to God. This transformation happens when we recognize our need for a Savior, and call on Jesus for forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. His resurrection is the defining moment in human history that makes eternal life possible.
The Apostle Paul reasoned in First Corinthians 15:17, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” But Paul affirmed that Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, and that means victory over death for those who follow Jesus as Lord.
The Resurrection of Jesus reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in First John 1:9.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
It’s incredible to think about God’s provision of forgiveness for our sins. That is why Jesus went to the cross, to extend mercy and grace to a world that needed a Savior.
Jesus is the only one qualified to save us from our sins, because of what He accomplished at the cross and the empty grave. He invites us into an honest relationship with Him, where we can be open about our sorrows, our struggles, and our sins. He is able to not only forgive us, but also to make our heart clean again, so that we are considered pure in God’s sight.
Forgiveness for the contrite heart reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.
To understand the value of God’s grace, think about where we would be without God’s grace. There would be no Savior. There would be no hope. There would be no forgiveness. In this chapter, verse 3 tells us that we were by nature deserving of wrath.
But because of God’s great love for us, God is rich in mercy. He sent Jesus into the world to die for our sins and rise from the dead. That’s good news to embrace for our lives. Jesus is the difference maker who rescues us from the wages of sin.
The gift of grace reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
Here’s our Praise & Worship Playlist filled with songs celebrating Jesus’ love-driven sacrifice, powerful and precious blood, and His defeat of death and the grave. I hope this lineup helps your heart focus on the events we remember in this Easter season—leading up to and including Resurrection Sunday—and overflow with worship.
| Song Title | Artist | Album | Year |
| 6AM | |||
| Resurrection Day | Rend Collective | Good News | 2018 |
| Nothing Holding Me Back | Bryan & Katie Torwalt | Here On Earth | 2011 |
| Is He Worthy (Live) | Shane & Shane | Hymns Live | 2019 |
| Forever | Brian Johnson | Tides | 2013 |
| King of Kings (feat. Brooke Ligertwood) | Hillsong Worship | Awake | 2019 |
| Son of Heaven (feat. Dante Bowe & Matt Maher) | Brandon Lake | House of Miracles (Live) | 2021 |
| Ashes (ft. Chris McClarney) | Dara Maclean | [Single] | 2017 |
| Because Of Christ (ft. Mitch Wong) | The Belonging Co | TEN | 2024 |
| Upon Him | Matt Redman | Studio Single | 2020 |
| I Believe | Jonathan & Melissa Helser | The Land Im Livin In | 2022 |
| Redemption Song | Canyon Hills Worship | Single | 2019 |
| 7AM | |||
| The Wonderful Cross (feat. Pat Barrett) | Simple Hymns | Songs of Communion | 2020 |
| O What A Miracle (Seth Condrey) | North Point Worship | Single | 2020 |
| Son of Suffering | Matt Redman | Radio Single | 2022 |
| Jesus Over Everything | The Belonging Co | See The Light | 2021 |
| Empty | Chris McClarney | Empty – Single | |
| Miracle Child | Brandon Lake | Coat of Many Colors | 2023 |
| The Blood (ft. Mitch Wong) | Jenn Johnson | Simple | 2022 |
| Remember | Bryan & Katie Torwalt | Single | 2019 |
| Lamb of God (Live) | Matt Redman & David Funk | Lamb of God (Live) | 2023 |
| Jesus Paid It All (feat. Kim Walker Smith) | Worship Circle | Worship Circle Hymns | 2019 |
| Christ And Christ Crucified (Live) | Lindy Cofer, Circuit Rider Music & Mitch Wong | I Saw The Lord (Live) | 2022 |
| A Thousand Hallelujahs | Brooke Ligertwood | Radio single | 2023 |
| 8AM | |||
| How Great Thou Art (Until That Day) | Matt Redman | Single | 2024 |
| No Body | Elevation Worship | CAN YOU IMAGINE? | 2023 |
| Death Was Arrested (feat. Seth Condrey) | North Point | Nothing Ordinary | 2017 |
| Thank You Jesus for the Blood | Charity Gayle | Endless Praise | 2022 |
| Who Else | Gateway Worship | Radio Single | 2023 |
| Hallelujah For the Cross | Chris McClarney (of Jesus Culture) | Breakthrough | 2018 |
| How Precious Is The Blood (Live) | Cody Carnes | God Is Good! (Live) | 2022 |
| Behold Him (ft. Kim Walker Smith) | Paul Baloche | Single | 2019 |
| Lead Me To The Cross (ft. Martin Smith) | Brooke Ligertwood | EIGHT | 2023 |
| What Hes Done | Passion | Single | 2022 |
| Always | Chris Tomlin | Radio Edit | 2022 |
| Above All (Live) | Michael W. Smith | Worthy is the Lamb (Live) – EP | 2024 |
| Sunday Is Coming | Phil Wickham | Single | 2023 |
| 9AM | |||
| How We Remember | Pat Barrett | Shelter | 2023 |
| Death Where Is Your Sting | Cory Asbury | Reckless Love | 2018 |
| Resurrection Day | Josh Baldwin | Where The Glory Is | 2022 |
| What I See (feat. Chris Brown) | Elevation Worship | LION | 2022 |
| Youve Already Won | Shane & Shane | Single | 2023 |
| Reign Above It All | The McClures | Single | 2021 |
| Ive Witnessed It (ft. Melodie Malone) | Passion | Single Version | 2023 |
| I Believe | Phil Wickham | I Believe | 2023 |
| O Praise The Name | Hillsong Worship | Open Heaven River Wild | 2016 |
| He Lives (feat. Chris McClarney) [Live] | Church of the City | Single | 2020 |
| Hosanna (feat. Steffany Gretzinger) | Ben Cantelon | Single | 2021 |
| Christ Be Magnified | Cody Carnes | Single | 2020 |
| Living Hope | Phil Wickham | Living Hope | 2018 |
| Graves Into Gardens (feat. Brandon Lake) | Elevation Worship | Graves Into Gardens | 2020 |
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in First John 2:1 and 2.
“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
In the spiritual realm, Satan is the accuser of God’s followers and Jesus is our defender. This comes to light especially when we disobey the Lord. After Satan tempts us, he accuses us before God. He tries to shame us and condemn us. On the other hand, Jesus is the influence who motivates to trust and obey God. When we fall short, His grace is sufficient to protect us from condemnation. His love for us is very great, and His kindness moves us to turn back from the error of sinful ways to follow Him faithfully.
Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
The righteousness of Jesus to defend us reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Luke 15:20.
Jesus told a story about a father who had two sons. The younger son took his share of the estate and squandered his wealth on wild living. But after he spent everything, he was in great need. His desperate circumstances led him to do some serious soul-searching about the direction of his life. He came to his senses and decided to return to his father. How would the father respond to this young man’s return?
Jesus said, “while he was still a long way off, his father was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son and threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
This is a vivid picture of God’s embrace for the person who recognizes their need for forgiveness and comes home to His grace.
The compassion of God reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Lamentations 3:22 and 23.
“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
God’s love is just as dependable as the rising sun every morning. Sometimes, clouds cover the sunrise, but that does not deny the reality that the sun has risen. In a similar way, the dark clouds of dire circumstances do not deny the reality of God’s constant love for us.
The writer of Lamentations wrote about the faithfulness of God in a national crisis. He said, “My soul is downcast within me.” But the thought that gave him hope was waking up to the reality of God’s constant love every single day.
The constant love of God reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
