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

The definition of this word is “greatly surprised; astonished.”

We have a reason to be amazed at the birth of Christ. His arrival marked a major step forward in God’s redemption plan for us. God came to earth and was made in human likeness. He humbled Himself and would go to the cross to save us from our sins. Christmas reminds us of when God came near to us.

The shepherds were eyewitnesses to the manger scene, and heard the angelic announcement concerning Jesus birth.

Luke 2:17 says, “When they had seen him they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”

Find encouragement in the amazing grace of God in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3tbW927afxGdODKyBSHL1f?si=80d153f298f64c3e

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

Many predictions of human origin fail to materialize, but in the course of time, the prophecies of the Bible prove to be reliable.

Here are just a few prophecies about Jesus’ birth which came true hundreds of years later.

Isaiah 7:14 said “the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”  That happened when Mary gave birth to Jesus.

Micah 5:2 predicted Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus. That was fulfilled in Matthew chapter 2.

And when Jesus went to Egypt, Matthew quoted Hosea 11:1 to link that event to a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

Second Peter 1:21 tells us that “prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Find encouragement in the prophecies of the Bible to give us hope in Christ in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

It’s Week 1 in a Season of Joy Sunday mornings on WJTL. This week’s Praise & Worship playlist is filled with songs of joy from Dante Bowe, Phil Wickham, Kim Walker-Smith, We The Kingdom, Aaron Shust, Rend Collective, Shane & Shane and more!

Kristi Leigh, WJTL DJ

Kristi@WJTL.com

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Playlists: Spotify

Song Title	Artist	Album	Year
6AM
Beauty For Ashes	Anthony Skinner	Forever And A Day	2004
Joyful	Dante Bowe	Circles	2021
Joy	Phil Wickham	Response	2011
Joyful (The One Who Saves)	Brenton Brown	Joyful	2010
Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?	Delirious	Revival Generation	1998
Up in Arms	Hillsong UNITED	Zion (Deluxe Edition)	2013
Joy to the World / Joy of the Lord	Maverick City Music	A Very Maverick Christmas (feat. Mav City Gospel Choir)	2021
Rejoice	Dustin Kensrue	The Water & The Blood	2013
joy.	for KING & COUNTRY	Burn The Ships	2018
My Joy	Philip Herndon	Love In Every Motion	2012
Your Love Never Fails	Chris McClarney	Love Never Fails	2008
Make A Joyful Noise – I Will Not Be Silent	David Crowder	All I Can Say	1998
Rejoice	Chris Tomlin	See The Morning	2006
Shout for Joy	Paul Baloche	The Same Love	2012
7AM
Tears Of Joy	Phil Wickham	The Ascension	2013
What Joy Is Found	Jeremy Riddle	Full Attention	2007
Take Courage (Kristene DiMarco)	Bethel Music	Starlight (Live)	2017
Joy of the Lord (Live) [Spontaneous]	Bethel Music & Jenn Johnson	You Make Me Brave (Live)	2014
I Have Found (Live)	Kim Walker-Smith	Revival Nights (Live)	2021
Find a Reason (Joyful Joyful) [feat. Brett Stanfill]	North Point Worship	Find a Reason	2020
Count It All Joy	Sovereign Grace Music	Worship God Live	2005
I Will Rejoice	Rita Springer	I Have To Believe	2005
O Rejoice	Hillsong	Celebrating Christmas	2005
Rejoice	Brad+Rebekah	Single	2019
Praise the Lord / Rejoice [feat. Eb Cole]	Daniel Bashta	My Resurrection	2017
8AM
In Your Presence (feat. Kim Walker-Smith) [Live]	Jesus Culture	Let It Echo (Live)	2016
Psalm 16 (Fullness of Joy)	Shane & Shane	Psalms, Vol. 2	2015
Joy! He Shall Reign	Big Daddy Weave	Single	2020
Rejoice	Andrew Peterson	The Burning Edge of Dawn	2015
Joy Is In Our Hearts	Sara Groves	Fireflies And Songs	2009
Rejoice	Sovereign Grace Music	Savior	2006
Psalm 96 (Let the Earth Rejoice)	Robbie Seay Band	Psalms LP	2015
Hymn of Joy (Live)	Chris Tomlin	Adore-Christmas Songs Of Worship (Live)	2015
Joy Of The Lord	Rend Collective	As Family We Go	2016
Rejoice	Andrew Ripp	Evergreen	2021
Joy Has Dawned	Bethany Dillon and Matt Hammitt (of Sanctus Real)	In Christ Alone – Modern Hymns Of Worship	2008
Rejoice	Mission Worship	Mission Worship EP	2019
Joy Is In This Place	Tim Hughes	When Silence Falls	2004
House Of The Lord	Phil Wickham	Single	2021
9AM
Joy (Shining Light)	Victory Fellowship Worship Band	Elevator Music	2010
Joy Invincible (feat. Jenn Johnson)	Switchfoot	Joy Invincible recut Single	2020
Joy Comes In The Morning	Baylor Wilson	Joy Comes In The Morning	2021
Joy (To the World) (feat. Ryan Ellis)	Life.Church Worship	Gloria (Live)	2021
Rejoice	Life Center Worship	Single	2019
Joyous Light	Chris Tomlin	Passion: Hymns Ancient and Modern	2004
Yes I Will	Vertical Worship	Bright Faith Bold Future	2018
Sing Wherever I Go (Live)	We The Kingdom	Live At the Wheelhouse – EP	2019
Joy To The World (Joyful, Joyful)	Phil Wickham	Christmas	2019
Joy	Rend Collective	The Art of Celebration	2014
Joy To Be (feat. Chaunda Jefferson)	Citizens	The Joy of Being	2020
Rejoice	Aaron Shust	Unto Us	2014
Joyful Noise	Matt Maher	Single	2021
Rejoice	Jordan St. Cyr	Single	2021
Heart Sings Hallelujah (Live)	Paul McClure & Hannah McClure	Christmas Morning (Live)	2020
Bless His Name (Ive Got That Joy) (feat. Brandon Lake & Andy Cherry)	Seacoast Music	Single	2021
Praise to the Lord (Joyful, Joyful)	Shane & Shane	Hymns, Vol. 2	2019

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

According to Micah 5:2, Bethlehem was small among the clans of Judah, and would be the birthplace of the Messiah.

This was the prediction about Jesus in that passage, “Out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

In Matthew 2:1, “Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea.”

Jesus could have been born in a larger city or a more strategic place to be noticed. But instead, He was born in a small town not far from Jerusalem.

One insight to gain from Bethlehem is that God loves to work through places and people that others consider to be insignificant. He works through ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary purposes. This can be our reality when we make room for Jesus to be the guiding influence of our lives.

Find encouragement in Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus to see what He can accomplish through us in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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

The Bible directs us to Jesus Christ as Savior, who is qualified to redeem us from sin and to save our souls.

This is one of the reasons why we can celebrate Christmas with so much hope: We have a Savior in Jesus Christ. We needed a rescuer because of our sin, and God saw our need. He did something about it by sending us His precious gift.

In Luke 2:11, the angelic announcement to the shepherds echoes through the centuries around the world to this generation:  “Today, in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Find encouragement in knowing Jesus as Savior, Messiah, and Lord in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to build up others with our words.

Ephesians 4:29 instructs us with these words, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

If we are going to meet people at their point of need, we will need to use words that are wholesome and filled with encouragement.

Ephesians 5:4 tells us that obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking are out of place for God’s holy people. Instead, we are called to speak words filled with truth and thanksgiving, in a spirit of love.

One of the great encouragers in the early church was Barnabas. Through his words to the believers in Antioch, “a great number of people were brought to the Lord.” That is what can happen when God’s Spirit directs our words to build up others in the faith.

Take the Daily Challenge to build up others with wholesome and encouraging words on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3oanEeZ54I2nodaNrcr65E?si=28ec6646881048b2

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

When we read the Psalms, we find many words of praise that express the joy of knowing God. Many of us relate with the Psalms, because we can put those words into the context of our relationship with God and personal experiences.

When we express praise for God, we invite others to celebrate God’s goodness and greatness with us.

David wrote in Psalm 34, verses 1 through 4- “I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

Take the Daily Challenge to express praise for the Lord on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com