JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Ephesians 6:14.

Stand firm then…with the breastplate of righteousness in place.

The breastplate of righteousness is part of the armor of light that is given to us to fight the good fight of faith.

The breastplate of righteousness guards our heart. That source of righteousness is Jesus Christ, and is given to us through faith in His name. In First Thessalonians 5:8, we are instructed to put on faith and love as a breastplate. These are the qualities that protect our heart from corruption and compromise, and give us the ambition to do what is right in the eyes of God. Faith, expressing itself in love, is how we can live out a fruitful life devoted to God.

This Light Reflection inspires us to stand firm in the faith with the breastplate of righteousness in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Romans 10:17.

Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

The Bible is a light that guides our way, leading us to faith in Jesus. God’s Word has value for revealing Jesus as the light of the world who gives salvation to all who believe in Him.

An example of this is the Gospel of John. Near the end of this book of the Bible, John said this: “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

The book of John is one of many books in the Bible that encourages us to believe in Jesus.

This Light Reflection inspires us to place our faith in Jesus to save us from our sins in the Year to Shine.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is to be a voice of faith in times of fear.

By bringing the influence of Jesus into our relationships, we can be there for someone who is overcome by fear. We can give hope to those who are discouraged. We can be a friend to the lonely.

Isaiah 35:3 says, “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas spoke words of encouragement to a trembling jailer who was desperately seeking life. He asked them, “What must I do to be saved?” They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” That is what this man did, and he was filled with joy because he came to believe in God. Faith replaced fear. Life overcame death.

Being a voice of faith in times of fear is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Acts 16:31.

The jailer asked Paul and Silas, who had been prisoners under his watch, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household.”

Their direct reply to the jailer highlights the significance of faith to the Christian life. They were talking about the kind of faith that trusts Jesus to save us from our sins. He has the power to free us from guilt and give us a new life that is pure and holy in God’s sight. That happens by faith. The jailer was receptive to the words of Paul and Silas and was filled with joy, because he had come to believe in God.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to trust in Jesus to save us from our sins in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is growth into spiritual maturity.

God’s will for our lives is to grow in His grace and become mature in our character. That does not mean having a holier-than-thou attitude. It means living out the words of Galatians 5:6, which says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

When we turn to Second Peter 1:5, we see the writer urging us to grow in several character qualities including Goodness, Knowledge, Self-Control, and Godliness. That list starts with faith and ends with love. Faith is at the foundation of our relationship with Jesus. Love is the expression flowing out of our relationship with Jesus.

Verse 8 says, “If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Growth into spiritual maturity is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verses are Ephesians 2:8 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.

Grace reflects the outpouring of a generous God toward us.

God’s grace is the gift that is a life-saver for us. We cannot earn this grace on human merit. We cannot buy this grace with all of our money. But we can receive this grace through faith in the name of Jesus. He came to save us from our sins. That mission was accomplished at the cross and empty grave.

John 1:11 says about Jesus, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to receive God’s grace as the most valuable gift we could ever have in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Mark 9:23.

Jesus said to a desperate father, “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Every loving parent wants to see their sons and daughters living in blessing and freedom. This father, who came to Jesus, was desperate for his son who was possessed by a destructive spirit.

The father said to Jesus, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Jesus then uttered these words, “If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes.”

The father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Jesus then commanded the spirit to come out of the boy.

The more our faith in God grows, the more we realize that nothing is too hard for Him to accomplish. He is the Creator of this world, the Savior of our souls, and the healer of troubled hearts.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to believe in God’s power to break the strongholds of darkness in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verses are Psalm 9:1 and 2.

I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

The wonderful deeds of the LORD can have a strong impact on our lives in the following ways.

They lead us to faith. When we ponder His love for us at the cross, His power of life over death at the empty grave, and His life-changing grace, our trust and confidence in Him grows stronger.

The deeds of the LORD also lead us to gratitude. We recognize that by His grace and mercy, we don’t get what we deserve by our sins. Instead, He has made a way for us to be forgiven and redeemed.

The deeds of the LORD also lead us to praise. He puts a song of joy in our hearts to express our love for Him.

These Faith-Building Verses inspire us to places of faith, gratitude, and praise in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Hebrews 11:30.

“By faith, the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.”

This marked the fulfillment of God’s Word for the Israelites to enter the Promised Land. It happened after Joshua’s army marched around the city for seven days. The priests would blow their trumpets, the army would give a loud shout, and the wall of the city would collapse.

The LORD said to Joshua in Joshua 6:2, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands.”

Faith manifests itself in various ways. In this case, we see faith accompanied by the courage to step forward in God’s timing.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to be strong and courageous to follow God’s Word in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Hebrews 11:29.

“By faith, the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.”

The Egyptians were pursuing the Israelites to return them to slavery, but God set them free. The Red Sea was their breakthrough moment once and for all.

Exodus 14:29 records that the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians.

Sin is like a harsh slave master that seeks to control us with addictions, false beliefs, and selfish pride.  God’s grace is the way forward to set us free. We can trust Jesus to lead the way.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to walk in the path that leads to freedom in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Hebrews 11:13.

Speaking of the patriarchs in the Old Testament, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.”

The Old Testament characters in Hebrews 11 all had something in common. They were living by faith when they died. They finished strong in the Lord with a heavenly hope. The Bible tells us that God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared a city for them.

We can take courage in the faith of those who walked before us. They were tried, tested, and truly devoted to God.  Their example motivates us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus through this journey called life.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to run the race with endurance in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com