JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is helping people in need.

Helping people does not always mean a hand-out. Sometimes, it means a hand-up, helping someone to their feet who is in a state of distress.

The Good Samaritan did that for a man who was beaten after a robbery. Victims of crime often need to go through a healing process. The compassionate outreach from a believer shows the love of Jesus for that person.

James 1:27 talks about the importance of looking after orphans and widows in their distress.

This can happen in practical ways for orphans through mentorship, foster parenting or adoption. This can happen for widows through care-giving, visitation, and checking in on them.

Helping people in need is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Hebrews 11:23.

By faith, the parents of Moses hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

There was a law in Egypt forbidding Hebrew baby boys to live at the time when Moses was born. But the parents of Moses were guided by their faith to protect his life. In the book of Acts, Stephen recalled that for three months, Moses was cared for by his own family.

Faith seeks to preserve life in the midst of a culture that promotes death. Faith also sees God’s extraordinary plan in the life of each precious child. That is what the parents of Moses did in preserving the life of their son. Their faith overcame any fear of the king’s unjust law so that Moses could live to lead God’s people out of slavery in Egypt.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to uphold the precious value of human life in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is Sharing.

One definition of sharing is to let someone else have or use part of something that belongs to you.

This happens when we have a giving spirit. Needs are met and people are helped when we share with others.

Ephesians 4:28 talks about doing something useful with our own hands, so that we may have something to share with those in need. That may mean sharing something we made with our hands. In the book of Acts, Tabitha was known for helping the poor with the clothing she made. Or it may mean using money from our income to help someone in need.

Hebrews 13:16 gives us this word of instruction: Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Sharing with others in need is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Hebrews 11:22.

By faith, Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.

He gave these instructions just before dying in Genesis 50. He said to his brother Israelites, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

The reason this was a statement of faith was because Joseph knew the promises of God to provide land for His people. He made known the boundaries of this land for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So, Joseph fully anticipated a day to come when the Israelites would leave Egypt and begin their journey to the Promised Land.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to believe the promises of God in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

This week’s lineup includes brand new songs from Chris Tomlin, Cody Carnes, Ryan Ellis and more! Plus, mini themes based on Lamentations 3:23 (“His mercies are new every morning”), Psalm 30:5 (“Joy comes in the morning”) and Psalm 118:24 (“This is the day the Lord has made”)!

Song Title	Artist	Album	Year
6AM
Come Now	Mack Brock	SPACE	2020
I Believe (Live)	Jonathan & Melissa Helser	Homecoming (Live)	2021
Jireh (feat. Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine)	Maverick City Music	Old Church Basement (Radio Edit)	2022
Simple Kingdom (feat. Cody Carnes)	Bryan & Katie Torwalt	Ive Got Good News (Live)	2022
My King Forever (Live)	Josh Baldwin	Live at Church	2020
Better Word (Live)	Leeland	Better Word (Live)	2019
Worthy Of My Song	Phil Wickham	Single	2022
Hallelujah, Christ Will Come Again	Shane & Shane	Psalms, Hymns, And Spiritual Songs, Vol. 1	2021
Homecoming (feat. Cory Asbury, Gable Price)	Bethel Music	Homecoming (Live)	2021
Christ Be Magnified	Cody Carnes	Single	2020
7AM
Jesus Over Everything (feat. Andrew Holt)	The Belonging Co	See The Light (Live)	2021
Reign Above It All	Paul McClure	Revivals In The Air (Live)	2020
Rule (feat. Hillsong UNITED & Crowder) [Live]	Passion	Worthy of Your Name (Live)	2017
Return to You (feat. Luke Hellebronth)	Gas Street Music	Single	2021
Holy Forever	Chris Tomlin	Always	2022
Upon Him (Live)	Matt Redman	Let There Be Wonder	2020
Way Maker (feat. Kristian Stanfill, Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes)	Passion	Roar (Live From Passion 2020)	2020
Praise Upon Praise (Live)	Pat Barrett	Canvas and Clay (Live)	2019
Praise The Lord (Brighter The Morning)	Sean Curran	1,000 Names	2021
Reason To Praise (feat. Cory Asbury & Naomi Raine)	Bethel Music	Homecoming (Live)	2021
Hallelujahs Song (Psalm 103) (feat. Caleb Chapman)	JUDAH.	3 + 7	2021
8AM
Glory Hallelujah	Canyon Hills Worship	Single	2022
All My Praise	Ryan Ellis	Single	2022
This Is My Song (feat. Mac Powell)	North Point Worship	Single	2022
Man of Your Word (feat. Chandler Moore & KJ Scriven)	Maverick City Music	Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 1	2020
Goodness of God (Live)	Bethel Music & Jenn Johnson	Victory (Live)	2019
Raise a Hallelujah (feat. Jonathan David Helser & Melissa Helser)	Bethel Music	Victory	2019
When Your People Sing (Live)	North Point Worship	Our God Will See Us Through (Live)	2022
Joy Comes	Tasha Layton	How Far	2022
Time and Time Again	Local Sound	To the King – EP	2022
Brand New	Naomi Raine	Journey	2022
Joy In The Morning	Tauren Wells	Joy In The Morning	2022
Over and Over	Chris McClarney	Breakthrough	2018
9AM
On Repeat	Hillsong UNITED	On Repeat – Single	2022
Be Glad	Cody Carnes	Single	2022
This Is the Day (Live)	Pat Barrett	Canvas and Clay (Live)	2019
Gratitude (Live)	Brandon Lake	House of Miracles (Live)	2021
Sing His Praise Again (Oh My Soul) (feat. Jenn Johnson)	Bethel Music	Revivals In The Air (Live)	2020
So Good (feat. Chris McClarney)	Rita Springer	Light	2020
Remember	Bryan & Katie Torwalt	Remember – Single	2019
Great Are You Lord	All Sons & Daughters	All Sons & Daughters	2014
Sing Wherever I Go (Live)	We The Kingdom	Live At the Wheelhouse – EP	2019
My Hands Are Open (Live)	Josh Baldwin	Revivals In The Air (Live)	2020
The Lords Prayer (Its Yours)	Matt Maher	Single	2022

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/70OnoTjz1qM7DvR2Wa8nTS?si=b63355ac789f4355

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Hebrews 11:13.

Speaking of the patriarchs in the Old Testament, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.”

The Old Testament characters in Hebrews 11 all had something in common. They were living by faith when they died. They finished strong in the Lord with a heavenly hope. The Bible tells us that God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared a city for them.

We can take courage in the faith of those who walked before us. They were tried, tested, and truly devoted to God.  Their example motivates us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus through this journey called life.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to run the race with endurance in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is Seeking Common Ground with others.

The Apostle Paul sought to convince people of their need for Jesus. He said in First Corinthians 9:22, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

Paul wanted people to know Christ, and looked for ways to establish common ground with them so that he might share the reason for his extraordinary hope in Christ. He looked for all possible means to save some.

This does not mean that we have liberty to compromise Biblical convictions. But at the same time, God can take our common interests or concerns with others to build meaningful connections.

Seeking Common Ground with others is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is Starting a Conversation.

Every relationship has to start somewhere, but where? How do we start a conversation? Perhaps through a good question.

In Acts chapter 8, one of Jesus’s followers named Philip started up a conversation that was life-changing for an Ethiopian official. He was moved by the Holy Spirit to move near him while he was sitting in his chariot reading the Bible.

Verse 30 records that Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. That is when he opened up a conversation with this question “Do you understand what you reading?

The Ethiopian official replied, “How can I unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Philip was able to tell that man the good news about Jesus.

Starting a Conversation is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Hebrews 11:8.

“By faith, Abraham when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

If there is one word we associate with Abraham, that word would be faith. Galatians 3:6 tells us that God counted him righteous because of his faith. That is also true for those who put their faith in Jesus.

Abraham did not know his destiny, but he was in relationship with the One who was guiding his destiny. God’s promises are true and trustworthy. His provision of heaven is secure for those who love Him. We can trust God to take us to a glorious destiny someday, and we can trust Him to guide us right now on this journey through life. It is not the easiest road or the most popular road, but it is the best road for a life that is blessed by God.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to trust and obey the Lord in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com