JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Good News Focus is on Acts 17, verses 24 and 25.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.”

God did not create us because He needed us. He was doing fine before He made the world. After He made the world and placed humanity in the Garden of Eden, He delighted in what He made.

He is our Creator. We are His creation. He does not need us, but we certainly do need Him. And He places us where we live at this point in time so that we might seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him.  He is not far from any one of us. He is just a prayer away, and is able to give us a new life that is built on the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is our Source of Good News, leading us to a place of depending on Him for life and breath and everything else in the Year of Vision.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Here is the Playlist that was featured at Noon on Friday, July 10th. These were the top 12 songs as they appeared 15 years ago in July 2005. How many of these songs are familiar to you? Enjoy the Playlist.

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Vision, today’s 20/20 Insight focuses on the freedom of serving in a spirit of love.

Along with freedoms come responsibility for the actions that we take. The opportunity to use our freedom for good or evil is found in Galatians 5:13 to 15-“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

This is a good word for us today. We can use our freedoms and opportunities for selfish gain or we can use our freedoms and opportunities to represent Jesus.  Selfish ambition leads to prideful actions that tear people apart. Love leads to humble service that inspires faith, hope, and love in the lives of others.

Focusing on the freedom of serving others gives us greater clarity for living out the Christian life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – My thanks to Quinn for filling in for me to present the Friday Time Capsule from early July 2012. Here is the playlist of that Retro-Countdown. To clarify the order, the first song on the Playlist was at number 12 on the Countdown and the last song was number 1.

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Vision, today’s 20/20 Insight focuses on the wisdom of God’s ways.

Proverbs 4:25 says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”

We can learn a lesson from the train, which operates most freely and effectively when it stays on track under the supervision of a conductor. Similarly, we are freest and most effective in our faith when we remain on track with God and stay aligned with His will. The way of wisdom is to guard our heart and watch our ways, so that we can openly walk in the goodness of God.

Focusing on the wisdom of God’s ways gives us greater clarity for living out the Christian life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Vision, today’s 20/20 Insight focuses on Jesus as the Savior of the world.

First John 4:14 says, “We have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so, we know and rely on the love God has for us.”

God’s love is very big-big enough to reach the whole world. God’s love is also very strong-strong enough for us to lean on with all of our weight. We can bring our burdens to Him in prayer. We can bring the weight of our guilt before Him in confession. He is faithful and able to cleanse us from all of our sin, so that we are declared “not guilty” in His eyes. The invitation is open for anyone to come. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Experiencing this reality will turn us into witnesses of this good news for our generation.

Focusing on Jesus as the Savior of the world gives us greater clarity for living out the Christian life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – If you missed the Friday Time Capsule this week, or wanted to hear the songs again, now you can hear the top 12 songs from late June 2004 on Spotify. Here is the list:

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Good News Focus is on Matthew 5:9.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Conflict and division threaten to tear apart meaningful relationships. The influence of Jesus invites peace into our relationships. His Gospel is the way of love, which moves us to bless those people in our sphere of influence. 

Jesus calls His followers to be peacemakers in the world while we have opportunity. Peacemaking leads to reconciliation where there was once division and conflict. There is no greater peacemaking mission than to be an influence for the Gospel. The Apostle Paul said in Second Corinthians 5:20, “We are Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

Jesus is our Source of Good News, leading us to places of reconciliation and peacemaking in the Year of Vision.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Good News Focus is on Acts 3:19.

“Repent then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

In the New International Version of the Bible, the word “Repent” appears 78 times.  It is an important word in the Gospel, which means to change one’s mind. We were going in the wrong direction, but we changed our mind about God and changed course.

God’s grace allows U-turns. And what a refreshing relief to walk in peace with God-to know that our sins are not leading us to captivity, but that His grace is leading us to freedom in Christ. Our sin is not leading us to isolation from God, but His grace is leading us to a meaningful relationship with Christ. Our sin is not leading us to condemnation, but His grace is leading us to salvation.

Jesus is our Source of Good News, leading us to a place of pure refreshment in His saving grace in the Year of Vision. 

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK -Today’s Good News Focus is on Romans 5, verses 6 to 8.

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

It is hard to fathom a love that is willing to go the extra mile like this. Jesus did not die for those who were righteous, because there were none righteous except for Him. Jesus died for us in our sinful condition. His motive for going to the cross was love, which moves us to receive His gift of forgiveness.

Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Jesus is our source of Good News, leading us to a place of redemption in the Year of Vision.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com