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 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 Titus 2, verses 11 and 12.

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”

Here we see the power of God’s grace to save us and transform us through Jesus Christ. He gave Himself to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.

Jesus is our Source of Good News, leading us to places of freedom and pure devotion in the Year of Vision. 

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Good News Focus is on Romans 3, verses 22 to 24.

“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

This is the miracle of amazing grace-even though we have missed the target of God’s will, God has provided a way for us to be made right with Him. The guilt of our sin is removed by faith in Jesus to forgive us and save us. His grace is at the foundation for our lives. There is nothing we can do to earn it. He freely gives it to all who will receive Him as Savior and Lord. His blood shed at the cross was the sufficient payment for our sins. Now we can be set free from the control and penalty of our sin and live in the liberty of Christ.

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

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK -Today’s Good News Focus is on James 4:6.

“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’”

These are some of the qualities of a humble person. One quality is gratitude. A humble person acknowledges God as the source of blessing. Every day is an opportunity to give thanks to God for His good and perfect gifts from above.

Another quality of humble person is that they are teachable. They are open to the counsel of God and are willing to be corrected when they have made wrong choices.

Yet another quality of a humble person is that they respect God’s authority. James 4:7 instructs us to “submit ourselves to God.” This is a recognition that God’s ways are higher than our ways.

Jesus is our source of Good News, leading us to places of humility and grace in the Year of Vision.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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

What we choose to see through the eyes of faith can really make a difference in how we relate with others.

An example of that can be seen in Barnabas who went to Antioch. Acts 11:23 says, “When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain to true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.”

This is what the ministry of encouragement can do in the church when prompted by the evidence of God’s grace.

Focusing on the evidence 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 Romans 6:23.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God’s grace is a gift extended to sinners. Instead of despair, we can live with hope, because God has remembered our desperate situation in our sinful condition, and provided a remedy through Jesus Christ.  

Just as employees earn wages by their work in the positive sense, so in the negative sense, we deserve death because of the sins we have committed. But when we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, God no longer holds our sins against us for judgment. He sets us free from condemnation and releases us from guilt. God’s grace is the ultimate gift to save us from our sins.

Jesus is our source of good news, leading us to live with hope on the road that leads to heaven in the Year of Vision.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Galatians 3:13.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”

That is what Jesus did for us when He died on a cross. He took the curse of our sin upon Himself so that we might be blessed with His righteousness. 

We can respond to this historical moment with gratitude. This was a sacrifice that Jesus endured voluntarily, because He loves us. We can say thank-you by trusting Him to forgive us and to lead us every day for the rest of our lives. It will not be the most popular path nor the easiest path. But His way will prove to be the only path forward in His grace and mercy.

Through Jesus, we are set free from the curse of the law to experience the blessing of His grace.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Luke 8:39.

Jesus said to a man who was delivered from demon possession, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.”  The man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

The Redeemed life is not a perfect life, but it is a transformed life by the power of Jesus Christ. This man was changed by God’s grace. He was bound by evil, but Jesus freed him to have a testimony of God’s power working in his life. Our story may have a similar pattern, stained by a sinful, self-destructive past, but cleansed and set free to live for God today. That’s amazing grace, and it is a story worth telling.

Through Jesus, we are set free to share our testimony of God’s amazing grace. 

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Romans 5, verses 1 and 2a.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”

In the presence of violence and conflict, many of us crave peace. We want wars to end. We want crime to stop. We want the arguments and disagreements to disappear from our relationships. There are some types of conflict that we cannot control, but there is a pathway provided by Jesus that leads us to peace with God. That way is the good news of His grace, which we can receive as the ultimate gift.

He will be faithful to bring us into a peaceful relationship with God and to separate us from the guilt of our sins. There is no more war with God when our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus.

Through Jesus, we are set free to have peace with God forever.  

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Wisdom from the Red Letters is found in John 14:27.

Jesus told His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

The peace of God is a wonderful treasure and is available for those who trust in Jesus completely. Just before Jesus died, He was talking about peace that was better than anything this world could give.

With faith in Jesus, we are able to rest in God’s grace. We don’t have  to prove our worth to Him. He has proved His love for us.

With faith in Jesus, we have a secure relationship that is built on sure promises of blessing.

With faith in Jesus, we have a Savior, who does not count our sins against us. We are forgiven and reconciled to God through Jesus.

The words of Jesus inspire us to embrace the peace that Jesus offers us in the Year of Redemption.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com