JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Relationship-Building Principle comes from James 5:19 and 20.

“My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”

The Gospel is a message of restoration. We have kept God at an arm’s length by our sinfulness, but God pursues us to save us from our sins and restore us to Him. God’s grace is the remedy for this separation.

Whenever we see someone wander from God, that is our opportunity to reach out to them with God’s love. Sometimes, a person who wanders away feels judged by the church. They might feel the sting of gossip or the weight of condemnation. What they need is grace that extends patience and kindness. Henry Ward Beecher said that “compassion will cure more sins than condemnation.”

Is there a person you can identify who needs the pursuit of grace?

Pursuing the spiritual drifter with God’s grace is a vital relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Tonight’s big show kicks off at 8!  Here is your playlist for September 13, 2015:

Hour 1

It Was You – The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Skeleton – LoveLike Violence

Live On Forever – The Afters

Oxygen – We Are Leo

Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains) – Crowder

Forget And Not Slow Down – Relient K

Something to Say – The Red Airplanes

The Worst Kind of Gods – House of Heroes

Promises – 7eventh Time Down

Leaving Here Someday – Me In Motion

Safety – Fireflight

Start the Dance Again – The Birdsongs

Sweep the Leg – Family Force 5

Replace Me – Family Force 5

Gallows – Dustin Kensrue

Something Made To Last – Remedy Drive

Perfect Life – RED

Hour 2

Hey – Scarlet Raven

Breathe Again – Spoken

Say It Like You Mean It – Switchfoot

The Reckoning – Needtobreathe

Move – Audio Adrenaline

Your Love Is A Mystery – Hawk Nelson

Brace For Impact – Above The Fall

One Day Too Late – Skillet

Phenomenon – Thousand Foot Krutch (TBT-03)

Mercy – Ravenhill

Feel It – TobyMac

Throw It Away – Manafest

Radical – Disciple (CL)

Without A Fight – Lybecker

Aftermath – Fever Fever

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Connection, today’s Encounter with Jesus examines the appointing of His disciples.

In Mark 3:13 and 14, we gain insight into Jesus’ purpose for appointing certain men to be His disciples.

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve-designating them apostles-that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.

There is a process involved in the making of a disciple to become a disciple-maker. An effective leader in the church learns to follow Jesus. This is more than just the initial experience of accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord. This is a moment-by-moment walk with Him, where He leads us with His wisdom, and we say yes to His plan for our lives. The disciples underwent a few years of spiritual training, learning the ways of God’s Kingdom as they got to know Jesus personally. After spending considerable time with Him, and witnessing His resurrection from the dead, they would embark upon the next chapter of their calling, which was to be witnesses of the Gospel and leaders in the early church. They were faithful to the task and were used of God in extraordinary ways to persuade people to follow Jesus.

A daily connection with Christ is the key to being an influence for the Gospel.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Five Fun Free Family Things To Do This Weekend – September 11-13, 2015

5. Atglen Community Day – tomorrow (Saturday, Sept 12) at Penningtonville Presbyterian Church, Main Street, Atglen from 10am-4pm. Car Show, Craft Fair, Carnival Games, Apple Festival, Live Music, Food, Raffles, and much more. More Info: www.penningtonvillechurch.org

4. Jam in the Grove – tomorrow (Sept 12) at Ruhl’s UMC picnic grove in Manheim beginning at 4pm. Music from THE STARS ARE SPIES, His House Band and BLUEGRASS REDEMPTION. There will also be a POTLUCK picnic. More Info: at the Jam in the Grove Facebook page.

3. Covenant Christian Academy free Slugs and Bugs concert – tonight (September 11) at 6:30pm. “Tractor Tractor”, “Under Where”, “I’m Adopted” and many other Slugs and Bugs favorites.  More Info: www.discovercovenant.com

2. The 27th Annual Rubber Duckie Race & Festival – Sunday (Sept. 13)  at Lancaster County Central Park. Festival begins at 2pm. The Race begins at 5pm. Pony Rides, Games, Clowns, Face Painting and More!
Watch 20,000 rubber duckies float down the Conestoga River. RAIN or SHINE! More Info: SchreiberPediatric.org

1) Landis Homes Fellowship Day, Auction, Barbecue and Grandparent’s Weekend – tomorrow (Saturday, Sept 12) at Landis Homes in Lititz. Auction, Barbecue, and Childrens Activities. Lisa and Kids Cookie Break Broadcasting Live.  Hear Lisa’s Grandma Landis play the harmonica, see the Cookie Car, and enjoy Chick-fil-A Cookies. More Info: landishomes.org

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Relationship-Building Principle comes from Second Timothy 1:16:

“May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.”

These were the words of the Apostle Paul concerning someone who was a consistent friend. In life, there are fair weather friends and true blue friends. Fair weather friends stay for a season, but tend to bail out when life gets hard. Their friendship might be conditional on what we can offer them. When we can no longer offer what they seek from us, the relationship drifts apart.

That is not the way of the true blue friend. Onesiphorus was that kind of friend for Paul. Not only did he stand by Paul in the midst of his imprisonment, he actively searched for Paul when he was in Rome. A true blue friend will move closer when we face times of adversity such as sickness, weakness, depression, temptation, or persecution.

A true blue friend is a reliable friend who refreshes the spirit.

Being a true blue friend is a vital relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Happy Labor Day Weekend!  Here is your playlist for tonight’s big show which kicks off at 8pm:

Hour 1

Lightning – Fireflight

Into Your Veins – Five Iron Frenzy

I Believe (ft. Mattie of For Today) – KB  ft. Mattie of For Today

Sweep the Leg – Family Force 5

Here Waiting – Abandon

Aftermath – Fever Fever

Hey – Scarlet Raven

Promises – Thrice

Wasteland – NEEDTOBREATHE

I Am – Crowder

Yours Again – RED

Facemelt – KJ-52

A Fire Only We Know – House of Heroes

The Invisible Hook – House Of Heroes

Never Going Back To OK – The Afters

Hour 2

Let You Drive – Manafest

We Are Destroyer – Anberlin

Porcelain (feat. Jonathan Thulin) – Bread of Stone

Beautifully Broken – This Beautiful Republic

Destruction of Kings – Devin Williams

My Allegiance – ILIA

Your Love Is Enough – Jon Foreman

Come Back Home – Kutless

Down With The Ship – Seven Day Jesus

Something to Say – The Red Airplanes

More of You – Matty Mullins

Unbroken – Disciple

Broken Lines – Foreverlin

Take a Bow – Flagship Armada

Disconnected – VERIDIA

Brand New Day – The Boiling Point

Five Fun Free Family Things To Do This Weekend (Sept 4-6, 2015)

5) Lego Bulding Party at Hammel Associates Architects, Grant Street in Lancaster, tonight (Friday, September 4) 5-8:30p. Over 40,000 bricks, plates and specialty peices to build freestyle, trains, architecture and more. For all ages. More info: hammelarch.com

4) First Friday Lancaster tonight (Friday, September 4) 5-9pm in downtown Lancaster. Music, Galleries, museums, artist studios, artisans, exhibits, and special openings. More Info: visitlancastercity.com

3) Outbreak Festival – tomorrow (Saturday, Sept 5) 10am-6pm at East Petersburg Park, Pine Street. Music by Matt Wheeler and others, food, kids games, Jugglers, Martial Arts Demonstrations, and more.More Info at the Outbreak Festival Facebook Page.

2) 28th Annual Heart of Lancaster Arts & Craft Show tomorrow & Sunday (Sept. 5 & 6) from 10am-4pm both days at Roots Country Market in Manheim. 200 Juried Artists and Craft Persons from Pennsylvania and nearby states displaying their work. Variety of foods & live entertainment too.  More Info: HeartofLancasterArtsandCraftShow.com

1) The annual Whoopie Pie Festival tomorrow (Saturday, Sept 5) 11am-4pm at Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn in Strasburg featuring more than 100 different Whoopie Pie flavors, Whoopie pie making for kids, pony rides,face painting, train races, prizes and more! More Info: Whoopiepiefestival.com

RADIO FRIEND PHIL – WJTL is always looking for feedback regarding the music we play. Please take the new http://www.radiotraks.com/wjtl090315/index.asp?js=1 RadioTraks Music Survey. (Everyone who takes the new survey qualifies to win free music.) Thanks!

phil@wjtl.com

@radiofriendphil