Brian & Jenn Johnson of Bethel Music are my latest guests on the Praise & Worship Podcast! This convo is packed with all the latest details: on their song “God Of Revival”, Jenn’s forthcoming book “All Things Lovely”, their encouragement to worship leaders these days and most recent finds, foods, hunts and more! Plus, track Jenn’s brilliant strategy for keeping the kids happy during a Zoom interview. Watch below, on WJTL’s YouTube Channel or my Instagram page–or find the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud and more.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6kb6vnnmlazjiO4imO6dr0?si=JlHtdzLxQmOPToYKOecjyg

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is “Pray.”

Author Ray Stedman has said that when you take the whole range of Bible teaching on the subject of prayer, you will find that prayer is simply conversing with God. As the famous hymn declares, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!”

Jesus taught us to how to pray in Matthew chapter 6, verse 9.

“Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be your name,

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts and we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

Find encouragement in prayer to the God who made us and loves us in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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

There are two common meanings of mercy found in the Bible. One way to define mercy is the withholding of punishment for the sins we have committed.  Another meaning of mercy refers to compassion.

Both meanings describe God’s heart for those who follow Jesus. He withholds punishment and is deeply compassionate.

God’s mercy is life-changing, taking hatred and bitterness from our heart and replacing those attitudes with love and forgiveness.

Consider the difference that God’s mercy made in the life of Paul the Apostle. He said in Titus 3:3, “At one time, we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”

Find encouragement in the mercy of God to rearrange our lives in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to accept Jesus as the Bread of life.

One of the ways that God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness was to send them manna from heaven. Without food, our bodies cannot survive. In the spiritual realm, our souls would not survive without the grace of the Lord Jesus.

That is why we need Him. Our souls are dependent on Him for survival. We need Him for every breath, and we need Him beyond our last breath to receive eternal life.

In John 6:35, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” His grace will forever sustain and satisfy our soul.

Take the daily challenge to embrace Jesus as the Bread of Life on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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

One of the definitions of worthy is “deserving of honor or respect.”

When we worship God, we are really celebrating His worthiness to be praised and honored and adored.

One of the activities that makes heaven so heavenly is the unhindered worship that happens there.

In Revelation 5:11, the Apostle John heard the voice of many angels, encircling the throne along with the living creatures and elders. In a loud voice they were saying, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

Find encouragement in the worthiness of Jesus to receive our worship in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6I5bUsYotiAppVZKB6dgul?si=2bItbw6cSJu_Z3XiLWsoFg

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

Whenever snow is in the forecast, different people have different reactions. Some people immediately start to adjust their travel plans. Others look forward to sledding while others dread the thought of shoveling snow. Regardless of what we may think about snow, there is a lesson of faith that we can learn from it.

In the Bible, snow sometimes symbolizes purity. As David was confessing his sin in Psalm 51, he prayed, “wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”

David recognized that God had the power to make his heart clean again.  If our heart is polluted by sin, God can give us a pure heart again that is refreshed in the glow of His grace. We can turn to Jesus for His forgiveness, and He will be faithful to make our heart clean.

Find encouragement in the grace of God to make us whiter than snow in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is “Blessing.”

One definition of this word is “God’s favor.”

If we look at the life of Abraham, we see that one of the reasons that God blesses us is to make us a blessing. If we are blessed with material wealth, He wants us to be generous. If we are blessed with a job, He wants us to bless others with faithful service.

In Genesis 12:2, the LORD said to Abraham, “I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.”

The ultimate blessing that comes from God is His forgiveness. Without forgiveness of sins, there would be no hope for us to be restored to God. Forgiveness is a gift of God’s grace that becomes our reality when we put our faith in Jesus Christ to forgive us.

Romans 4:7 says, “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”

Find encouragement in the blessings that come from God in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com