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 Faith-Building Verse is First John 4:18.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

God’s plan for our lives is to be motivated by His love, not to be motivated by fear.  Verse 19 tells us that we love because He first loved us. As we step into God’s grace, we realize that we do not have to fear judgment or condemnation.

God’s love is secure and assures us that nothing in all creation is able separate us from His unfailing love. So, we can go forward today with the confidence that through faith in Christ, we are accepted by God. That will make a strong impact on how we relate with the people that God has placed in our lives.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to be motivated by the perfect love of God in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Psalm 23:6.

With the LORD as my Shepherd, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

As we follow Jesus as our Good Shepherd, His goodness and love follow us every single day, step-by-step, moment-by-moment.  That’s because we have the presence and peace of God surrounding us. His grace blesses us today and saves us for eternity. We were made to worship God, and His dwelling place will be filled with the redeemed who love Him and have been saved by His grace.

In John 10:27, Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to experience the joy of following and worshipping Jesus in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Second Timothy 1:7.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

This is how God’s Spirit works in our lives to make us bold witnesses for Jesus.

God’s Spirit gives us the power to testify of God’s saving grace in a life-changing way.

God’s Spirit gives us the power of love to share with the world.

God’s Spirit gives us the power to exercise self-discipline that says “yes” to God and “no” to temptation.

God’s Spirit helps us to live out the Christian life as a testimony of grace. In light of the Spirit that God gave us, Paul said to Timothy, “Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord.”

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to live with confidence under the influence of God’s Spirit 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 Verse is Ephesians 5:1.

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children, and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

The good news of Jesus fills our lives with love for God and for all kinds of people.

God’s love enables us to walk in love so that we can enjoy a meaningful relationship with Him and with those people that God brings into our lives. This is how we know that God’s love is having an impact on our lives-when we share His love with others simply because we care about them, and we know that God loves them too.

Hebrews 13:6 reminds us, “Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

This faith-building verse inspires us to walk in the way of God’s love in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is Protection.

According to First Corinthians 13:7, “Love always protects.”

One of the vivid examples of this occurred when Jesus was born. Even as Joseph and Mary were celebrating His delivery, an angel warned Joseph in the middle of the night to get up and take the child and his mother to Egypt. The situation was urgent. Herod was searching for the child to kill him.

Without delay, Joseph got up and took his family to Egypt until the danger had passed.

Joseph serves as an example for us today, to be aware of dangers that threaten the safety of our loved ones, and to take action to protect them. That includes influences that would attempt to lure our loved ones away from God.

Protection is a key element to thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is love.

First Corinthians 13 is often cited as the love chapter in the Bible. It gives an in-depth description on the nature of love-what it is, and what it is not. The chapter begins by talking about its importance for the Christian faith.

Verse 1 says, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

For all of the ways we can exercise our faith in service and sacrifice, love is the purest motivation and highest expression. Christ died on a cross. His love held Him there, and His love is reliable to save us, transform us, and draw us to a personal relationship with Him.

Love is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verses are Psalm 18:1 and 2.

“I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

This is a window into the heart of David who loved God in a real and personal way. We might often think of prayer as a time to ask God for help. That is certainly a noble prayer. But there is more to prayer than making petitions. Prayer is also an opportunity to tell God that we love Him and to tell Him what He means to us.

David was a man after God’s own heart, who sought Him in times of need, trusted God in times of uncertainty, and praised Him in times of victory.

These faith-building verses inspire us to tell God how much we love Him and what He means to us in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is Fruit.

Most of us have a favorite fruit that is pleasing to our tastebuds, whether they are oranges, apples, or strawberries.

There are different kinds of character qualities that make our faith more fruitful, such as love, joy, and peace. These qualities are found in the fruit of the Spirit.

When we live by God’s Spirit, He builds godly character qualities on our foundation of faith. This is what enables us to be an effective witness to the world of God’s saving grace. Jesus said in John 15:8, “This is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Through the faithful witness of believers, the words of Colossians 1:6 are still true today. “The gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the world.”

Find encouragement in the fruitfulness of walking in step with God’s Spirit in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to rely on God’s love.

First John 4:16 says, “we know and rely on the love God has for us.”

To rely on God’s love is to lean on Him with all our weight. We trust His grace to be sufficient for us and to save us from our sins.

What are some reasons that we have to rely on God’s love? Here are a few ways that His love is described in the Bible. In First John chapter 3, God’s love is described as great.Jesus implied His love was the greatest, and that it would find ultimate expression at the cross when He laid down His life for us.  Psalm 136 describes God’s love as enduring forever. It never ends. And Psalm 86 describes God’s love as abounding. It overflows from His heart into the world.

Look into the ways that God’s love is described in the Bible and find encouragement by the nature of His love.

Take the daily challenge to fully rely on God’s love on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com