JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is to wake up to the voice of grace.
Ephesians 5:14 says, “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
The voice of God’s grace is calling us out of a place of spiritual slumber into the light of God’s glory. That is where we can truly shine in this generation with His goodness, righteousness, and truth.
The voice of grace calls us out of apathy into the way of love.
The voice of grace calls us away from the deeds of darkness into the light of God’s pleasing will.
The voice of grace awakens our hearts to seek God’s Kingdom and righteousness as the top priority of our lives. Jesus becomes the focus of our faith and our ultimate treasure. The joy we have from His love overflows into our relationships.
Waking up to the voice of grace is a vital step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
September 15th, 2023
john
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Psalm 89, verses 35 to 37.
The LORD says, “Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness-and I will not lie to David-that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun; it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.”
Indeed, there is a spiritual heritage coming through David’s line that shines forever. Jesus came through David’s line. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. He is known by His love and faithfulness. God is true to His promises.
The brilliance of His reign is compared to the likeness of the sun. And the establishment of His kingdom is compared to the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.
Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, so, God’s people are called to reflect the light of God’s One and Only Son-Jesus.
This Light Reflection inspires us to be a faithful witness for Jesus in the Year to Shine.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from John 12:46.
Jesus said, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”
Jesus fulfilled the words of the prophet Isaiah who said, “the people walking in darkness have seen a great light.”
We are walking in spiritual darkness until we step into the light of God’s grace, and the way to cross over from darkness to light is to put our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
To believe in Jesus as Lord is to embrace Him for who He is. He is the Son of God, the Anointed One, the Lamb of God, sent from heaven to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. That was the meaning of His death on a cross.
To believe in Jesus as Savior, is to embrace what He is able to do for us. Because Jesus was obedient to His mission, He is able to completely forgive our sins and lead us to a faith that glows with His love. We can trust Him to do this for us.
This Light Reflection inspires us to believe in Jesus in the Year to Shine.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Revelation 21:23 and 24.
The Apostle John was describing the new Jerusalem which will shine with the glory of God.
“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.”
Many people wonder what heaven is like. The book of Revelation describes heaven as a beautiful place. Nighttime does not exist in the New Jerusalem. Jesus is the source of light for this coming Kingdom. The great street of the city is of gold as pure as transparent glass. The city sparkles with brilliance like a precious jewel. And those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will be there.
This Light Reflection inspires us to live with the hope of heaven through faith in Jesus in the Year to Shine.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Light Reflection is from Psalm 27:1.
The LORD is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?
The light of God’s favor on David made a difference in his life. In the presence of dangerous circumstances, he was able to go forward with confidence and courage in the LORD rather than shrink back in fear.
The LORD’s salvation is a comfort for the person who follows Jesus. He is our source of security. His grace has a firm grip on us. We can live with the confidence that He is able to protect us from the schemes of our spiritual enemies. Nothing in all creation is able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus. If God is for us, who can be against us?
This Light Reflection inspires us to keep our focus on Jesus as the stronghold of our lives 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 compassion.
Recently, our family of listeners participated in a Compassion event to help kids in Kenya and in other parts of the world. Kenya has experienced some disasters in recent years that have led to malnourishment among many children.
But you responded to the need. 124 listeners became sponsors with Compassion International. Now, many children will face a brighter future because of the support of their new sponsors.
Isaiah 58:10 says, “If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday.”
Compassion is a vital step to a radiant faith that makes a difference in our world.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is a good deed for God.
According to Jesus, this is how we let our light shine. In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:14 to 16, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
So, what can we do today to shine our light for Jesus? Look for opportunities, let love be the motivation, and watch how God works through those simple steps of obedience to encourage someone with the reality that they are loved by God.
A good deed for God is a vital step to a radiant faith that makes a difference in the world.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Isaiah 9:2.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
New hope was born for us at the birth of Christ. Jesus fulfilled this Old Testament prophecy in His ministry.
He is the great light that we need to find our way out of spiritual darkness. The message of Jesus was to repent-to turn from selfish ways and false beliefs and turn toward Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life. That is where the real hope for a brighter day can be found-following in His footsteps.
Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to walk into the light of God’s grace by following Jesus in the Year of Relationship.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is John 12:46.
Jesus said, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”
One of the reasons for Jesus coming to the earth was so that we might not remain in the darkness of our own sin. The light of Jesus brings the hope of a new day for our souls. We can begin again, change direction, and walk with Jesus in the light of His grace and truth.
By following Jesus, He will help us to see ourselves and others more clearly with value and dignity.
He will also give us clarity for going forward in God’s will. A prophecy in Isaiah 2:3 says that He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.
This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to come out of darkness into the radiant light of following Jesus in the Year of Relationship.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
This week’s Praise & Worship Playlist has a Marvelous Light Theme tying all the songs together. It’s a lineup airing on Halloween, during that time of the year when there’s less sunlight in the day, and we’re still in a heavy season. I want to remind us that God is Light and darkness cannot overcome it. He is the Light of the world and we are called children of the light. There’s a lot of good songs to sing over your situation in this lineup, including “Let The Light In” by Cody Carnes, “Running To The Light” by Brandon Lake, “Shake The Dust Off” by Sean Curran, “Let There Be Light” by Bryan & Katie Torwalt, “Shine On Us” by Cory Asbury and more.
Kristi Leigh, WJTL DJ
Kristi@WJTL.com
| Song Title |
Artist |
Album |
Year |
| 6AM |
|
|
|
| Let The Light In |
Cody Carnes |
Run To The Father |
2020 |
| Shake The Dust Off |
Sean Curran |
1,000 Names |
2021 |
| Brighter Than the Sun (feat. Lucy Grimble) |
Rivers & Robots |
Discovery |
2018 |
| Let It Be So |
Kirby Kaple |
Single |
2021 |
| The Light Will Come |
Phil Wickham |
Cannons |
2007 |
| Songs In the Night (Live) |
Matt Redman |
Unbroken Praise (Live) |
2015 |
| Strike the Dark |
Caleb & Bethany Kuenzli |
Strike The Dark EP |
2020 |
| Running To The Light |
Brandon Lake |
House Of Miracles |
2020 |
| Freedom (feat. Kim Walker-Smith) [Live] |
Jesus Culture |
Living with a Fire (Live) |
2018 |
| Heaven Invade (Live) |
Kari Jobe |
The Blessing (Live) |
2020 |
| Light Of Your Grace |
Citizens |
Single |
2021 |
| Sunrise |
Meredith Andrews |
Deeper (Deluxe Edition) |
2016 |
| 7AM |
|
|
|
| Let There Be Light (Live) |
Hillsong Worship |
Let There Be Light (Deluxe) |
2016 |
| Heres My Heart |
I Am They |
I Am They |
2015 |
| Light Breaking Through (feat. Lauren Lee) |
North Point Worship |
Single |
2020 |
| Shine On Us |
Cory Asbury |
Immersed |
2007 |
| Let Me Feel You Shine |
David Crowder Band |
Give Us Rest-A Requiem Mass In C (The Happiest Of All The Keys) |
2011 |
| Father of Lights |
Jesus Culture |
Jesus Culture Awakening: Live From Chicago |
2011 |
| Children Of Light |
Kristian Stanfill |
Passion: Let The Future Begin |
2013 |
| The Cross Has the Final Word (Live) |
Cody Carnes |
The Darker the Night / The Brighter the Morning |
2017 |
| Now I See (Live) |
The McClures |
The Way Home (Deluxe) |
2019 |
| Marvelous Light |
Charlie Hall |
Flying Into Daybreak |
2006 |
| Light of the World (feat. Chris Quilala) [Live] |
Jesus Culture |
Unstoppable Love (Live) |
2015 |
| Echoes (Till We See the Other Side) [Live] |
Hillsong UNITED |
People (Live) |
2019 |
| 8AM |
|
|
|
| Step Into the Light (feat. Sean Curran) |
Passion |
Single |
2019 |
| Into The Light |
SisterBrother |
TBD |
2013 |
| Shining |
Phil Wickham |
Cannons |
2007 |
| Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (Amazing Grace) |
Shane & Shane |
Hymns, Vol. 2 |
2019 |
| Let There Be Light |
Bellarive |
Before There Was |
2014 |
| In Your Light |
Jeremy Riddle |
For The Sake Of The World |
2012 |
| See the Light |
Hillsong Worship |
Awake |
2019 |
| Live in the Light |
Rita Springer |
Light |
2020 |
| Into the Light |
Red Rocks Worship |
Into the Light |
2015 |
| Free, Amen (Live) |
We The Kingdom |
Live At the Wheelhouse – EP |
2019 |
| Oh How I Need You |
All Sons & Daughters |
The Longing |
2012 |
| Lamp |
Charlie Hall |
The Rising |
2010 |
| Lord Youre Beautiful |
Shane & Shane |
The Worship Initiative, Vol. 3 |
2014 |
| Joyous Light |
Chris Tomlin |
Passion: Hymns Ancient and Modern |
2004 |
| 9AM |
|
|
|
| Bright as the Sun |
Hillsong Worship |
Awake |
2019 |
| As Sure As The Sun |
Ellie Holcomb |
As Sure As The Sun |
2015 |
| God of Our Yesterdays |
Chris McClarney |
Glimpses of Worship |
2009 |
| When You Walk Into The Room |
Bryan & Katie Torwalt |
Kingdom Come |
2013 |
| Light |
Rita Springer |
Light |
2020 |
| Let There Be Light |
Bryan & Katie Torwalt |
Champion |
2016 |
| Take Heart (MMXX) |
Hillsong Worship |
Take Heart (Again) |
2020 |
| Joyful, Joyful |
Laura Hackett |
Joy (LIVE) |
2010 |
| Standing in Your Light |
Sarah Kroger |
Light |
2020 |
| Shine a Light |
Elevation Worship |
Here as in Heaven |
2016 |
| King of Heaven |
Mack Brock |
Covered – EP |
2019 |
| Spotlight (feat. Amanda Lindsey Cook) |
Rita Springer |
Light |
2020 |
| Praise The Lord (Brighter The Morning) |
Sean Curran |
1,000 Names |
2021 |
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is light.
Light has a way of breaking the darkness, just as the power of God is dependable for breaking the power of sin. John 1:5 says that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
We can trust in Jesus to overcome the forces of darkness because He is the light of the world. He made this claim in John 8:12.
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
If we feel surrounded by darkness, whether it be the pressures of this world or the temptations by our own sinful desires, there is a light to lead us out of darkness. His name is Jesus. He is the source of light to shine on our hearts and give us the hope of an abundant and eternal life with Him.
Find encouragement in the light that Jesus provides to lead us out of darkness in the Year of Endurance.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
