JOHN SHIRK -In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Lamentations 3:22 and 23.

“Because
of the LORD’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

God’s
faithful love for us is written in the sky each morning with the reliable
appearance of the sunrise. Even as the sunrise breaks the darkness of the
night, so the grace of God has the power to break the spiritual strongholds in
our lives that keep us in the darkness.

While
his people were living in captivity, the writer of Lamentations was comforted
by the compassion of God to be their source of light and hope.

Through Jesus, we are set free to receive a new start for a brighter day.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Ezekiel 36, verse 26.

“I will
give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your
heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you
and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

The
Gospel is a message of hope for change. This change begins in the heart to
recognize the value of God’s grace to save us from our sins and transform us
into His likeness.

He
gives us new ambitions, so that our ultimate desire becomes pleasing God with a
faithful heart. Flowing out of that faithfulness is a willing heart to serve
God and to obey His Word. His love will compel us to express our faith in love.

Through Jesus, we are set free to receive a new heart that is focused on following Him.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Second Corinthians 5:17.

If
anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is
here.

A
relationship with Jesus begins our journey of a redeemed life. 

We
become a new person with a fresh hope and a greater purpose beyond ourselves. God’s
love moves us to a place of forgiveness.

Before
Christ, we were lost without clear direction. After coming to faith in Christ,
we are found in His grace. 

Before
Christ, we were enslaved by sin. But after coming to faith in Christ, we were
set free.

Before
Christ, we were condemned without Jesus. But after coming to faith in Christ,
we were saved to be with Jesus.

Through Jesus, we are set free to become a new creation in relationship to Him.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on First Corinthians 6:19.

“Do you
not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom
you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”

This
was a message to the church. The bodies of believers are compared to a temple,
which is a house of worship. When we look at our body this way, it makes a
difference how we use the various parts of our body to please God.

With
our mouth, we express devotion to God.

With
our ears, we are receptive to hearing the words of God.

With
our feet, we take the Gospel with us in our travels.

With
our hands, we serve others in Jesus’ name.

And
with our heart, we love God with sincerity.

Through Jesus, we are set free to honor God with our bodies.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Wisdom from the Red Letters is found in Luke 6:41.

Jesus
said, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no
attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother,
‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye’ when you yourself fail to see
the plank in your own eye?’ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your
eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s
eye.”

Jesus
was talking about the danger of using a double standard with this statement. It
would be hypocritical for us to look past our own flaws to see the smaller
flaws of another person.  Dealing with
the speck in someone else’s eye diverts attention away from the plank in our
own eye. Jesus wants us to examine the sin in our own lives and remove it first.
Then, we will be in a better place to help our friends to overcome their issues
that hinder spiritual progress.

The words of Jesus inspire us to live out our faith with integrity and mercy in the Year of Redemption.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Philippians 2:13.

“For it
is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good
purpose.”

After we come to faith in Jesus, we will come to realize that God has a good purpose for us while we live on the earth.  We are not left alone to figure it out all by ourselves. God is right there with us. He offers His Word to equip us, and His Holy Spirit to guide us. He is our motivating force and our power source. His love mobilizes our faith into action and inspires our purpose to bring glory to God.

Through Jesus, we are set free to live out the good purpose that God has for us.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Matthew 25:22 and 23.

Jesus
was telling a Parable that revealed how three different people handled the
wealth that their master gave them. The master gave them different amounts.

“The
man with two bags of gold came and said, “Master, you entrusted me with two
bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.”

His
master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful
with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your
master’s happiness.”

This
servant did not receive as many bags of gold as another servant in the story
who received five bags. Nor did he produce as much as that servant. But
he managed what he was given faithfully. What has God entrusted with us? Those
are opportunities to invest in His Kingdom and to make a difference in this
world for the Gospel.

Through Jesus, we are set free to share in the labor of the Lord, and to share in our Master’s happiness.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Titus 3, verses 3 through 5a.

The
Apostle Paul said, “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.”

When we
hear testimonies from believers, we hear of the various ways that God can
change a heart. In the case of Paul the Apostle, his transformation was
dynamic. The kindness and love of God changed him from the inside out. Instead
of being foolish without Christ, he became wise in Christ. Instead of being
disobedient to the Gospel, he became obedient to the Gospel. The hatred and
hardness that he once harbored in his heart were replaced by love and
tenderness toward God and His church. Today, followers of Jesus also have a
story to share of transformation.

Through Jesus, we are set free from the strongholds of our past to enjoy God’s love in the present.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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

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