JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is Remembering those in poverty.
The Gospel reveals a loving God who sent Jesus to us in our spiritual poverty. We needed a Savior, and God provided what we needed.
This kind of love compels us to reach out to those who are struggling to put food on the table for their families. There are practical ways we can help such as giving care packages or providing meals for friends and neighbors in need. We can also sponsor a child in another country.
In the early church, leaders were called to different missions, but they all had a heart for those in poverty. In Galatians 2:10, the Apostle Paul said, “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.”
Proverbs 19:17 says, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.”
Remembering those in poverty is a vital step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
We invite you to join us as a golfer or sponsor at our 23rd annual golf tournament on Thursday, September 14, at Turf Valley Golf Resort, and Friday, September 15, at Iron Valley Golf Club and Wyncote Golf Club to help us raise $1,100,000 to invest in the dreams of 40,000* families around the world through discipleship, biblically based training, a safe place to save, and loans. We equip men and women with Christ-centered financial services that are extended to their children and communities, breaking the cycle of poverty and changing the future for the next generation.
This year, we are thrilled to announce our expansion to Wyncote Golf Club, which is nationally ranked as one of the finest golf courses in the country!
Following each round of golf, we will be hosting a networking reception at the golf course.
Learn more about sponsorship opportunities and benefits: hopeint.cc/3qzE5FX
Please register by Sept 1.
JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to remember those in poverty.
In Galatians 2:10, the Apostle Paul acknowledged that different church leaders were called to different mission fields.
But there was one group of people that all the leaders agreed to remember-those in poverty.
Not everyone has the same amount of resources to relieve people from poverty, but we can do something. Mother Teresa said “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”
Moses said in Deuteronomy 15:11 “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”
Take the daily challenge to remember those in poverty and respond with a generous heart on the journey of faith.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Relationship-Building Principle comes from Jeremiah 22:15.
Josiah was the last righteous king in the land of Judah before their captivity in Babylon. The LORD said this about King Josiah:
“He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the LORD.
His example was very different from his successor whose heart was set on dishonest gain, the shedding of innocent blood, oppression, and extortion.
Whatever platform God gives us, that is an opportunity to use our influence for good or evil. Having a relationship with God will move us to use that influence for good. In Josiah’s case, he defended the cause of the poor and needy, whereas his successor exploited them.
Helping those in poverty was a cause that united the early church, and it can be an effort that unites the church today.
Upholding the cause of the poor is a vital relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Relationship-Building Principle comes from Proverbs 14:21.
“He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.”
To despise our neighbor would violate the second greatest commandment in all of Scripture, which is to love our neighbor as ourselves. God calls His people to live with neighborly love-the kind that seeks God’s blessing on their lives and treats them with respect and consideration. Building relationships with our neighbors is a significant step to demonstrating the love of Jesus to them. Our neighbor might be considered the family that lives next to us, but they also might be whoever happens to be next to us at a given time.
A blessing is granted from the Lord for the person who is kind to the needy. We have opportunity to do this in various ways. Proverbs 22:9 talks about the generous man sharing his food with the poor. Proverbs 31:9 promotes defending the rights of the poor. Psalm 15:5 promotes lending to the poor without charging excessive interest. The general idea is to be openhanded and not tightfisted toward the poor.
Loving our neighbors and being kind to the needy are vital relationship-building principles to take to heart in the Year of Connection.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
