JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Wisdom from the Red Letters is found in Matthew 23:25 and 26.

Jesus
said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean
the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and
self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish,
and then the outside also will be clean.”

It may
be surprising to learn that Jesus used some of his harshest words for the
religious leaders of His day. He called them hypocrites because they were
acting a part, but not living the life of someone who truly loved God. Jesus
revealed their desperate condition apart from God and challenged them to
change.

The
Christian life is an experience of transformation from the inside out where we
are growing more and more into the likeness of Jesus. Out of a pure heart, our
motives will be in the right place for honoring God in our actions.

The words of Jesus inspire us to come clean with God and enjoy the freedom of integrity in the Year of Redemption.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Hello!  

It’s quite a lineup this morning: brand new songs from Matt & Kim Goss, Vintage Worship feat. Brenton Brown, new artist Josh Gauton and more. Plus, the 8:00 hour features songs by worship leaders who participated in yesterday’s The Send event in Orlando Florida: Lindy & The Circuit Riders, Jeremy Riddle, Steffany Gretzinger, Jesus Culture, Hillsong Young & Free and more.

Kristi Leigh – WJTL DJ

Kristi@WJTL.com

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JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Romans 12:21.

Do not
be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The
crucifixion of Jesus is the most vivid way this verse has been lived out. Jesus
was using the hatred of humanity against Him to offer the gifts of forgiveness
and eternal life to those who would put their faith in Him.

God’s
love is the inspiration for us to seek the well-being of our enemies. Romans
12:20 says, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him
something to drink.”

The way
of Jesus shows us a better way to respond to hatred than through revenge.  Offer kindness and respect. Serve them and
pray for them. Leave room for God’s wrath rather than taking matters into our
own hands.

Through Jesus, we are set free to overcome evil with good.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Here is today’s lineup, featuring brand new singles from Christy Nockels, Sean Curran, Hillsong United and more—and a bunch of tracks from the new Shane & Shane Hymns Live record.  

I hope these songs get stuck in your head and heart today.

Kristi Leigh – WJTL DJ

Kristi@WJTL.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Wisdom from the Red Letters is found in John 10:11.

Jesus
made the claim,  “I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the
shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he
abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters
it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the
sheep.”

One of
the functions of a shepherd is to protect their sheep from predatory animals.
In the spiritual realm, that predatory animal is the devil, who prowls around
like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. But Jesus cares personally
for His followers and is able to protect us from the attempts of the devil to
deceive and destroy us. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was necessary for
us to find protection in His grace.

The words of Jesus inspire us to trust Him as our Good Shepherd in the Year of Redemption.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on First John 4:16.

“And
so, we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in
love lives in God and God in them.”

The
reason why we have the capacity to love God and other people is because God
loved us first. If we want to know what the true nature of love is, we can look
to Jesus who demonstrated God’s love for us in this way: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us. The worthy Savior gave His life for unworthy sinners.
He loved us in our worst moments, not just our best.

His
example can help us to love our children in the midst of their temper tantrums,
to offer hospitality to someone who cannot return the favor, and to overcome
hatred with love.

Through Jesus, we are set free to love people as God loves us.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Good morning!  

We’re singing love songs from grateful hearts this morning.  The playlist is below!

Have a wonderful Sunday. Stay warm!

Kristi Leigh – WJTL DJ

Kristi@WJTL.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on First John 2, verses 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.”

Jesus
took our sins upon Himself when He went to the cross. That makes a big
difference in the courtyard of God.  The
devil is our accuser. He is quick to pounce on our lawless deeds and pick apart
our flaws and failures before God. But those who trust in Jesus for forgiveness
have a strong defender. He is able to state the case for our innocence on His
merit, not ours. When we trust in Jesus to save us, we become aligned to Him,
and His righteousness is applied to our account before God.

Through Jesus, we are set free from the accusations of the enemy. 

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Psalm 107, verses 1 and 2.

“Give
thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed
of the LORD tell their story-those he redeemed from the hand of the foe.”

Those who
are redeemed of the LORD have a story to tell of God’s power to free us from
the chains of darkness and bring us into His wonderful light. 

God
continues to work through testimonies today that tell of His amazing grace to
set the captives free.

Through Jesus, we are set free to share our story of God’s transforming love.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Wisdom from the Red Letters is found in John 12:49 and 50.

Jesus
said, “For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father, who sent me
commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to
eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

When
using words, Jesus was following His Heavenly Father’s directions. In this way,
He sent a message to the world from the Father’s heart, and it was a message
that offered eternal life to all who would embrace His message.

There
is a Biblical standard for how we use our words. Ephesians 4:15 instructs us to
“speak the truth in love.” If we have that commitment to the Biblical standard,
we will learn to reflect the heart of God with the words that we say.

The words of Jesus inspire us to trust the words of Jesus and to build our lives on them in the Year of Redemption.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com