John Shirk

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Luke 18:9 to 14.

Jesus told this story to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else.

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

Jesus said, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

This Light Reflection inspires us to confess our need for God’s mercy in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is to delight in God’s Word.

Psalm 119 is considered the longest chapter of the Bible. It is filled with references to God’s Word in almost every one of the 176 verses.

In verses 127 and 128, the writer says, “Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.”

Our attitude toward God’s Word has a strong impact on the direction of our lives. If God’s Word is a treasure to our heart that outweighs the value of gold, then we are going to heed God’s Word carefully to live it out. God’s Word has value for guiding us in the pathway that leads to a thriving faith and true freedom.

Jesus said that if we hold to the teachings of Jesus, we are really His disciples. Then we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free.

Delighting in God’s Word is a Vital Step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Yn4KXxwzMLtwXEaYpj5gx?si=e803169c6df3468e

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is to acknowledge God’s gracious hand.

In Deuteronomy 8, Moses told the Israelites to remember God’s blessings with a grateful heart when they entered the Promised Land.

Verse 10 says, “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands.”

Moses went on to say that if they did not praise the LORD for His blessings, their heart would become proud and they would forget God.

James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from God. In the ways that we have been blessed by God, those are opportunities to thank Him and praise Him.

Acknowledging God’s gracious hand is a Vital Step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Second Chronicles 16:9.

“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

God sees the condition of our heart, whether or not we are loyal to Him and living for His glory. He does not probe our heart to accuse us or condemn us. He will sometimes show us things about ourselves that are not aligned properly to Him. He will convict us of our sin so that we change course and walk in obedience to His Word.

He seeks to strengthen our faith in Him with words of truth and grace. Those words lead us to Jesus for the forgiveness that we need and the hope to endure day after day.

This Light Reflection inspires us to be fully committed to God in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is to embrace the teachings of Jesus.

Jesus said in John 8:31, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

One definition of freedom is “the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.”

Jesus said that “everyone who sins is a slave to sin, so if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Jesus brings true and lasting freedom by His grace and truth. There is freedom from the guilt of the past, freedom from the control of sin in the present, and freedom from condemnation in the future.  We are set free by Jesus to live, thrive, and love others as He loves us.

Embracing the teachings of Jesus is a Vital Step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Isaiah 1:18.

The LORD says this to a nation whose sin was great. “Come now, let us settle the matter, Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be whiter than snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

God was telling the nation of Israel that even though they had been rebellious, it was not too late for them to change course. They could be made clean. They could experience God’s forgiveness. He said to them in verses 16 and 17-“wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right. Seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”

While we have breath, there is hope for forgiveness and reform by the blood of Jesus.  He went to the cross to purify us from sin and bring us into a right relationship with God.

This Light Reflection inspires us to find freedom from our past in the forgiveness of God in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is Godly Training in God’s Word.

One of the resources that God has provided for our spiritual growth is the Bible.

Second Timothy 3:16 says that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Filling up on God’s Word prepares us to do God’s will, not just because of what we learn in the Bible, but also, how the content changes us by the transforming love of Jesus. We learn to love Jesus and grow in His grace. God’s will becomes the desire of our heart.

Godly Training in God’s Word is a vital step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Ephesians 5:14.

“Wake up sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

This is an invitation for us to come out of the darkness of sin and shame into the light of God’s favor.

Jesus said to Nicodemus, “You must be born again.” Before coming to faith in Christ, we are living in spiritual darkness. We have physical life, but have not yet been born spiritually.

Awakening to God’s grace means that we recognize our need for a Savior. We become responsive to His voice and receptive to His love for us. We are convicted to renounce the fruitless deeds of darkness. In Jesus, we learn to appreciate the value of God’s grace exceeding all the treasures of this world.

This Light Reflection inspires us to wake up to the radiance of God’s favor in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6MEh20iwwzGyeUpaYVidCD?si=071309fc4ed44533