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Posts Tagged ‘serve’

Vital Step to a Radiant Faith-Honor God in Workplace

November 10th, 2023 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is to honor God in our workplace.

Work has been part of the human race, even before sin entered the human race. God created Adam and gave him the task of taking care of the Garden of Eden and naming the animals.

Work is an opportunity for a productive day. Through work, we can provide a service that helps other people and provide for our own families. Our faith has a thriving influence when we serve others with a generous attitude. Ephesians 2:10 says that we are God’s workmanship. The way forward is to do the will of God with the skills He has provided for us. Then, reach out to customers, clients, and co-workers with the question,  “What can I do for you today?”

Colossians 3:23 says, “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Honoring God in our workplace is a vital step to a radiant faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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Word of Encouragement-Ministry

February 9th, 2021 No comments

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

To have a ministry is to have some form of service that meets people’s needs for the glory of God.

Many times, we might think of pastors and evangelists as having ministries. But there are others in the body of Christ with a vibrant ministry too, such as greeters, worship leaders, small group leaders, and the set-up crew.

In the early church, Tabitha helped the poor by making clothing.  Barnabas had a ministry of encouragement. Epaphras was faithful in prayer. Aquila and Priscilla had the ministry of hospitality as they opened their home to believers for times of worship.

Effective ministry reflects the attitude of Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote in Second Corinthians 5:18 that God “reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”

Find encouragement in the ministry that God entrusts to you in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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20/20 Insight-Freedom To Serve With Humility

July 6th, 2020 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Vision, today’s 20/20 Insight focuses on the freedom of serving in a spirit of love.

Along with freedoms come responsibility for the actions that we take. The opportunity to use our freedom for good or evil is found in Galatians 5:13 to 15-“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

This is a good word for us today. We can use our freedoms and opportunities for selfish gain or we can use our freedoms and opportunities to represent Jesus.  Selfish ambition leads to prideful actions that tear people apart. Love leads to humble service that inspires faith, hope, and love in the lives of others.

Focusing on the freedom of serving others gives us greater clarity for living out the Christian life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Current Opportunities To Support Our Community

May 1st, 2020 No comments

Looking for ways to support our community during our current pandemic?

Check out this list of opportunities:

Give Blood
Help save lives by donating blood through the American Red Cross. Please schedule an appointment to donate.
Click Here to find a Blood Drive

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Donate Supplies to LG Health
A community drive-through COVID-19 Donation and Materials Center is in operation at Clipper Magazine Stadium, 650 N. Prince Street, Lancaster, every day, 7am – 6pm, until further notice.

At this time, LG Health is accepting these items only:

  • Masks: N95 surgical masks; paper masks (ear loop or tie) in original carton*
  • Eye protection, including face shields and safety goggles
  • Gowns: disposable water-resistant cover gowns in original carton
  • Gloves, non-latex, all sizes, in original carton
  • Head covers, disposable bouffant type with elastic band
  • Shoe covers, disposable
  • PAPRs (powered air-purifying respirators) and PAPR hoods
  • Wipes, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide
  • Bottles of bleach (not splash-less)
  • Hand sanitizers
  • Nasal swabs

*If you are interested in sewing masks, please reach out to us for additional details at LG Health Covid Donations.

Click Here for Details

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Donate to or Volunteer with New Hope Ministries
New Hope Ministries is in need of financial support and healthy volunteers. They have a new Emergency Housing Assistance fund for people struggling during this crisis and in need of help with paying rent.

Click Here for Their Needs and Program Updates

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Sew Masks for Mennonite Disaster Service
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is seeking to have 100,000 masks made per week for the next 8 weeks to meet the requests of local hospitals and other organizations. All masks are donated.

The Amish and Old Order Mennonite communities have partnered and are preparing kits. Each kit contains pre-cut material, elastic for ear pieces, and directions to make 50 masks. You provide the thread and your own sewing machine at home.

Please call Bill and Betsy Longenecker (717-627-6868 or 717-799-3647) to request a kit or two. They will drop off on your porch. Call again when finished and they’ll pick up and take to the MDS command center in Bird-In-Hand where they will be distributed to local hospitals and other organizations. Social distancing will happen as we ring the doorbell and leave the kits. There is no pressure, you can work at your own pace.

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Donate to Central Pennsylvania Food Bank
Help Central Pennsylvania Food Bank ensure that their network of partner agencies remains strong and they are able to distribute healthy, nutritious food to some of the most vulnerable populations, including children and seniors throughout our 27 central Pennsylvania counties. 
Click Here for Ways to Give

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Volunteer or Donate To Lancaster Meals On Wheels
At Meals on Wheels of Lancaster it is their mission to alleviate the challenges associated with aging and disabilities by providing home-delivered meals. They serve clients who are especially vulnerable to Cover-19.
Click Here to Give or Volunteer

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Donate to Blessings of Hope to help with Food Distribution
Community Blessings Food Boxes: Blessings of Hope
You are not buying food – You are simply making a tax deductible donation to help cover the costs associated with distributing this box of food. Each box has approximately 35-40 lbs of food inside.
Click Here for Details

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Donate to Lancaster Cares Fund
Lancaster County Community Foundation and the United Way of Lancaster County are supporting Lancaster’s families and their most critical needs including food security, housing support, as well as other emerging needs. Consider supporting these essential services and supporting the families they work with, live among, and play beside across Lancaster County.
Click Here to Donate

Eye On Integrity-Good Deeds to Glorify God

June 28th, 2018 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Matthew 5:16.

Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

There is a way that practicing good deeds does NOT honor God. Jesus talked about the Pharisees praying, fasting, and giving their offerings to God in order to be seen by others. But there is a way that practicing good deeds DOES honor God. It happens when our motivation is prompted by God’s love and overflows into our actions.

God uses our good deeds to serve people and meet them at their point of need. As they benefit from our generous gifts or labor of love, they will see the extension of God’s love flowing through us. What opportunities are before you today?

Glorifying God with good deeds is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Q and A-What does the Bible say about work?

October 27th, 2016 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Q and A Segment explores the question, “What does the Bible say about work?”

In the beginning of the Bible, we see a description of God at work in the world. For six days, He created the world, and on the seventh day, He rested from all his work. The Sabbath-rest followed this pattern of six days of work and one day of rest.

God gave work for man to do, even before sin entered the human race. Genesis 2:13 says that the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

The thorns and thistles came to the workplace after sin entered the human race. Frustration from work was what resulted from the fall.

The good news about Jesus is that His resurrection provides purpose for the labor that we do for Him. First Corinthians 15:58 encourages us to always give ourselves fully to the Lord, because we know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain.

God uses work in our lives in various ways: to give us satisfaction, provide for our families and others in need, serve others, and bring glory to Jesus. Work is a gift from God that gives us the opportunity to serve Him productively in the Year of Exploration.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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Service Evangelism

March 4th, 2015 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – In our Relationship-Building Principles, we are examining some of the ways Jesus’ followers can be effective witnesses for the Gospel.

One way is to take the service approach.

In Acts 9, Tabitha is a good example of someone who demonstrated her love for God through acts of service. She was always doing good and helping the poor.

All over the world, Christian organizations reach out to children in poverty. Churches send out people to serve on mission trips. Disaster relief organizations help people in crisis situations to rebuild their lives. These forms of service are giving Christians opportunities to share the love of Jesus, as we represent Him in various forms of service.

Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Taking the service approach of sharing the Gospel is a vital relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Relationship Building Principle-One Another Commands

January 23rd, 2015 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – God’s people are called to live in community. The evidence of that can be found in the “One another” statements of the Bible. This week’s relationship-building principles have been taking a look at some of these “one another” statements to better understand how God wants us to relate with other members of God’s family.

First John 3:11 says, “This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.”

Love is at the heart of the “one another” commands in the Bible. These specific commands scattered throughout the New Testament include: “Encourage one another, serve one another, forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another, accept one another as Christ accepted you, spur one another on toward love and good deeds, honor one another above yourselves, live in harmony with one another, offer hospitality to one another without grumbling, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, instruct one another. Be kind and compassionate to one another.

These specific “one another” statements are useful to help us examine whether or not we are walking in love as God calls us to love.

Loving God’s family with a godly attitude is a vital relationship-building principles to take to heart in the Year of Connection.