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

Jesus talked about the birth of a baby as a moment that brings joy to a mother’s heart.

We can imagine the joy and excitement of God’s heart to see new life formed in people who come to faith in Jesus. This is what Jesus described as being “Born Again.”

This spiritual birth is a clean, fresh start for our heart. Our sins are no longer held against us by a holy God.  We are forgiven and welcomed into God’s eternal family.

First Peter 1:3 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.”

Find encouragement in experiencing the new birth of a living hope in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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

A strong foundation is necessary for any building to stand the test of time. We also build our lives on a certain foundation of beliefs or ideas. The Bible points us to the one sure foundation that is dependable for our faith.

In Isaiah 28:16, the Sovereign LORD says, “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.”

Later, in the New Testament book of First Peter, this statement was applied to Jesus, and says, “The one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” We can rely on Jesus Christ to be the sure foundation for our times. All other ground, in the spiritual sense, is sinking sand.

Find encouragement in building our lives on the grace and truth of Jesus for our firm foundation in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to run the race of faith with excellence.

To be excellent in our area of giftedness does not mean perfection. It means giving our best with what we have been given.

Athletes at the Olympics have been gifted in certain events. We will not see someone who trained in a swimming event competing in gymnastics. Each athlete will compete in the event where they excel.

First Corinthians 14:12 encourages us to excel in those spiritual gifts that build up the church. How do we find our place of service in the church? Find out how God has gifted us to serve where we can excel.

First Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

Take the daily challenge to run the race with excellence on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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

To be content is to be satisfied with what we have in our current circumstances.

In Philippians 4:11, the Apostle Paul said he learned to be content whatever the circumstances. He had learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

He also said in First Timothy 6:6 that “godliness with contentment is great gain.”

The secret to godly contentment is finding our source of help and strength in God. Through Jesus Christ, we learn that His grace is sufficient for our needs. That means that our happiness does not depend on the stuff that we own or how much money we earn. Our heart is greatly encouraged by the assurance that God knows us as His beloved child.

Find encouragement in the contentment of being in a day-by-day relationship with Jesus in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to run the race of faith with a forward focus.

If you ever watch a footrace, you rarely see athletes looking back. They know by doing so, their progress would slow down, and as a result, they could lose the race.

The Apostle Paul gives us direction for our focus by his example. He did not want to look back on his journey with regrets or with a sense of retreat. He was focused on moving forward with Jesus, step by step. He was on a journey. He had not yet arrived, but he was making good progress.

This is what he wrote in Philippians 3:13, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Take the daily challenge to run the race with a forward focus on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to run the race of faith with purpose.

Have you ever heard of an Olympic athlete who shows up at the games without training for their event?  In reality, each athlete has invested an enormous amount of time, energy, and training to fulfill their dream of representing their country, and to win a gold medal.

The Apostle Paul looked to the dedicated athlete and said to the church in so many words, “we can learn from their example as we apply it to the Christian life.”

He wrote in First Corinthians 9:24, “Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

If we keep our focus on Jesus, He will give us incentive to run a good race with every step we take.

Take the daily challenge to run the race with purpose on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7Fozgagpe4AopEhr3NJ1rA?si=a1bc96aef4e44966

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to seek the unity of Christ’s body, the church.

That is what Jesus prayed for in John 17:20. “I pray for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”

If we want to be instruments of unity in the church, we need to have God’s love motivating our actions. We need to be praying for each other, building up each other in the faith, forgiving each other as Christ has forgiven us, and serving each other with humility.

There is a warning for those who stir up division in the church. Galatians 5:15 says, “If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” Through Jesus, there is a way for us to be unified, because He is the head of the church, and His grace brings people together to share a common love and a common purpose.

Take the daily challenge to seek the unity of the Church on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com