John Shirk

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in John 8, verses 31 and 32.

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Jesus linked His teachings to truth, and He linked truth to freedom. This is the pathway, then, to true and lasting liberty-by following Jesus and living according to His teachings.

As we take the words of Jesus to heart, they will transform our heart and lead us in a life-giving direction. They will move us to express faith with love.

Jesus said in John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

The truth of God’s Word reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Romans 15:4.

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope.”

The words of the Bible have the power to provide us with hope and encouragement as we learn about Jesus.

The Bible is where we learn about His salvation for all who call on the name of the Lord. The Bible is where we learn about God’s love for us, and the demonstration of His love at the cross and empty grave.  The Bible is where we learn about the truth that sets us free. The Bible is also where we learn about heaven, and the eternal promises that God has planned for those who love Him.

The hope of God’s Word reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Psalm 119, verse 105.

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

There is a very good reason that we can trust God’s Word to guide us in the right direction.

Psalm 18:30 says, “As for God, his way is perfect: the LORD’s Word is flawless.” The prophet Jeremiah described God’s way as the good way that leads to rest for our souls.

Following the words of God will not always be easy. They are in conflict with the value system of the world, which is built on pride, greed, and lust. Not everyone will be pleased when we seek to follow the words of Christ. But we will have the applause of God and His peace as we walk by faith in Him daily.

The direction of God’s Word reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Second Timothy 3:14 and 15.

“As for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy, you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

The word of God has the power to lead us to faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible gives us the opportunity to open our heart to the Gospel.

This happened to an Ethiopian man in Acts chapter 8. He was reading from the book of Isaiah. At first, he did not understand the meaning, but when Philip used that passage to explain the good news about Jesus, that man put his faith in Jesus and got baptized into the Christian faith.

The power of God’s Word reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Isaiah 40, verse 8.

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.

We can easily get distracted by putting too much priority on temporary things, which are here today and gone tomorrow.  There is more to life than the stuff of this world. There is a heavenly place, where Jesus reigns on the throne. Jesus told us to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven. That is where His Kingdom lasts forever. Worship of His name lasts forever. His love lasts forever. His grace lasts forever.

The final verse of the Bible declares: “the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.” And so it will be for eternity. That is where God’s Word can be found on the heart of everyone who lives there.

The enduring word of God reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Psalm 97:11.

“Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.”

The light of God shines on the person who is fully devoted to the Gospel.

There is joy in walking in fellowship with God. There is joy in following Him with a faithful heart. There is joy in embracing His love for us. There is joy is sharing this good news with others. There is joy in pondering a glorious future with Him. There is joy in praising Him for who He is and the many ways He has blessed us.

Psalm 97, verse 12 says, “Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.”

The joy of knowing the LORD reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in John 6:11.

Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

Jesus demonstrated that He can do a lot with the little that we offer him. A boy offered 5 loaves and 2 fish, and it was multiplied into a feast for thousands of people.

Jesus started this miracle by thanking His Heavenly Father for the food that was offered to Him. Food is a precious source of nourishment for our bodies. Where God provides for our physical needs, that is a reason to offer Him thanks. Where we see the need around us, that is a reason to be generous with others.

The provision of food reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Romans 10:9.

If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

We are dead in our sins until we come alive to God. This transformation happens when we recognize our need for a Savior, and call on Jesus for forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. His resurrection is the defining moment in human history that makes eternal life possible.

The Apostle Paul reasoned in First Corinthians 15:17, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” But Paul affirmed that Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, and that means victory over death for those who follow Jesus as Lord.

The Resurrection of Jesus reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in First John 1:9.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

It’s incredible to think about God’s provision of forgiveness for our sins. That is why Jesus went to the cross, to extend mercy and grace to a world that needed a Savior.

Jesus is the only one qualified to save us from our sins, because of what He accomplished at the cross and the empty grave.  He invites us into an honest relationship with Him, where we can be open about our sorrows, our struggles, and our sins. He is able to not only forgive us, but also to make our heart clean again, so that we are considered pure in God’s sight.

Forgiveness for the contrite heart reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Focus on God’s Goodness is found in Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.

To understand the value of God’s grace, think about where we would be without God’s grace. There would be no Savior. There would be no hope. There would be no forgiveness. In this chapter, verse 3 tells us that we were by nature deserving of wrath.

But because of God’s great love for us, God is rich in mercy. He sent Jesus into the world to die for our sins and rise from the dead. That’s good news to embrace for our lives. Jesus is the difference maker who rescues us from the wages of sin.

The gift of grace reveals the goodness of God and is a reason to give thanks in the Year of Gratitude.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com