John Shirk

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is “Approach.”

One of the definitions of “Approach” is to draw near.

Through Jesus, we have the opportunity to draw near to God and live in relationship with Him. Ephesians 3:12 says, “In him and through faith in him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” And Hebrews 4:16 invites us to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” As we draw near to Him, God promises to draw near to us.

Jesus is the way to the Father. He has a generous supply of grace to offer those who seek Him.  The cross proves His love for us, so we can trust Him confidently with whatever we confide in Him. He is the way to a meaningful relationship with our Heavenly Father forever.

Find encouragement in the opportunity to approach God with our joys, concerns, and confessions in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Challenge motivates us to step toward the counsel of the Lord.

This starts with an attitude of a teachable spirit to the ways of God.

Psalm 1 starts with a word of blessing to anyone who delights in God’s Word. “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-whatever they do prospers.

Take the daily challenge to delight in the counsel of God’s Word and find spiritual growth on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4hQ0aC385iKzR3SqCPGCaU?si=idQTMJYnTuWtJgVTGGdQ-A

It’s 2021, the Year of Endurance at WJTL. Listen for devotionals throughout the year designed to motivate and encourage you to stay true to God on the journey of faith.

Today’s word of Encouragement is New.

Second Corinthians 5:17 tells us that if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!

The new year reminds us of the opportunity to have a fresh start.  Following Jesus is the way we can become a new person.

He gives us a new birth in His grace.

He gives us a new priority to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness.

He gives us a new attitude to think more like Jesus.

He also gives us a new perspective that looks to Jesus for the strength we need to do God’s will.

Find encouragement in the new things God is doing in your life in the Year of Endurance.

JOHN SHIRK – It’s 2021, the Year of Endurance at WJTL. Listen for devotionals throughout the year designed to motivate and encourage you to stay true to God on the journey of faith.

In the Year of Endurance, today’s Challenge motivates us to step toward integrity.

First John 1:5 says, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

A life of integrity does not mean that we live a perfect life, but it does mean that we live with honesty-acknowledging our failures before God while living with honest intent to walk in the direction that Jesus leads us. His grace and truth will move us to meaningful relationships with others and keep us moving in the right direction.

Take the daily challenge to walk in the light of integrity on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Vision, today’s 20/20 Insight focuses on the purpose of Jesus to be our Prince of Peace.

One of the reasons that Jesus came to earth 2,000 years ago was to remove our hostility toward God. Adam and Even disobeyed Him in the Garden, and we have been living with the fallout ever since.

Then came the birth of Jesus. God was making a way for us to live at peace with Him. Listen to the chorus of the angels when the birth of Jesus was announced to the shepherds:

“Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” That’s good news of great joy for the world.

Romans 5:1 tells us how we can live in peace with God. “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The grace of Jesus is able to bring us peace with God, peace with others, and peace within ourselves.

Focusing on Jesus as our Prince of Peace 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 the purpose of Jesus to enrich our lives.

Second Corinthians 8:9 says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor, so that you, through his poverty might become rich.”

Jesus left His place of honor and glory in heaven to become the suffering servant on earth. This was for our benefit, not for the purpose of giving us material riches, but to give us God’s grace. That is the richest place for us to be. That is where we have the favor of God. That is where we have peace with God. That is where we experience the joy of the Lord. That is where we live with the hope of moving forward in God’s plan until we reach His glorious destiny. We gain access to these treasures through faith in Jesus to save us from our sins.

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

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Good News Focus is on First John 3:1.

“See that great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

That word “lavish” is a rich word, meaning that God’s love was expressed to us generously and extravagantly. He did not withhold His very best from us, but offered Jesus to be a sacrifice for our sins at the cross. That was the purpose for Jesus’ birth 2,000 years ago. He came as God’s gracious and generous gift to the world.

One of the benefits of knowing God’s love is to be included in His family as a child of God. Speaking of Jesus, John 1:12 says, “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Jesus is our Source of Good News, leading us to a place of being identified as a child of God in the Year of Vision.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Good News Focus is on John 10:28 and 29.

Jesus spoke of His followers this way, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

The grace of God is firm and secure. He will not let go of those who belong to Him. Today, we can live with the confidence that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Tragedies may shake our world, but they do not have the power to shake us from God’s love. We don’t have to be paralyzed by fear of what the future holds when our hope is in Christ. The people of God are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. His promises are true and reliable. Jesus will keep His followers close to His heart forever.

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

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Good News Focus is on Mark 10:44 and 45.

Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

James and John were two of Jesus’ disciples who were seeking a place of honor when Jesus’ reigns in His glory. Jesus showed the path to greatness through service and humility.

If we want to know anything about being great in the kingdom of God, we need to look at the example of Jesus. The king of heaven became a servant on earth. He washed His disciples’ feet using a basin and towel. Then, He went to the cross and gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins. He pursued the needs of others at a high cost. That is the expression of love to a great measure.

Jesus is our Source of Good News, leading us to a place of humble service in the Year of Vision.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com