JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is grace.
We can be useful instruments of God’s redemptive plan as His grace flows through us in our relationships. Here is how:
Grace can flow through us in a friendly greeting. The Bible is filled with greetings extending the grace and peace of God to someone else.
Grace can flow through our generous spirit. Second Corinthians 8:7 challenges us to excel in the grace of giving.
Grace also flows through acts of service. First Peter 4:10 instructs us to use whatever gift we have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
God also works through our gracious conversation to be voices that reconcile people to God and build meaningful relationships.
Grace is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to persevere in love.
God’s will for our lives is to express our faith in love. He wants us to have thriving relationships.
In First Thessalonians 4:10, the Apostle Paul commended that church for loving God’s family throughout Macedonia, and then said, “Yet, we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more.”
When it comes to sharing God’s love with others, there is always room for us to grow.
First Corinthians 13:6 tells us that love always perseveres.
It shows in the form of showing compassion to one another, forgiving one another, being kind to one another, offering encouragement to one another, and serving one another. There are many opportunities to demonstrate God’s love every day.
Take the daily challenge to persevere in love on the journey of faith.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Good News Focus is on Mark 10:44 and 45.
Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
James and John were two of Jesus’ disciples who were seeking a place of honor when Jesus’ reigns in His glory. Jesus showed the path to greatness through service and humility.
If we want to know anything about being great in the kingdom of God, we need to look at the example of Jesus. The king of heaven became a servant on earth. He washed His disciples’ feet using a basin and towel. Then, He went to the cross and gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins. He pursued the needs of others at a high cost. That is the expression of love to a great measure.
Jesus is our Source of Good News, leading us to a place of humble service in the Year of Vision.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Wisdom from the Red Letters is found in Mark 9:33.
Jesus asked His disciples, “What were you arguing about on the road?”
They had just arrived in Capernaum. On their journey, the disciples had been arguing about who was the greatest. But when Jesus asked the question, no one answered Him.
Sometimes, a timely question is a good conversation starter to bring spiritual issues into the light. That is when we have opportunity to deal with sinful habits and ambitions with honesty and humility.
Through this simple question, Jesus was providing an opportunity for the disciples to learn about true greatness in the kingdom of God. He said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, the servant of all.”
The words of Jesus inspire us to a life of true greatness through the path of serving others in the Year of Redemption.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Luke 9:16 and 17.
One of Jesus’ miracles involved the feeding of the five thousand from a small amount of food. Good things can happen when we offer to Jesus something that seems small and insignificant to us.
“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.”
Notice, that Jesus included the disciples in the distribution of the food. In much the same way today, Jesus has abundant grace to pour out on people in need, and works through His followers to reach them.
Through Jesus, we are set free to serve others in ways that meet their needs.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Trust, today’s Focus on God examines the attitude of Jesus.
According to Philippians 2:5, our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross!”
What we see in the attitude of Jesus is a humble servant who was willing to empty himself of His glory in heaven to display His love sacrificially for us on the earth. He did it by laying down His life for us to experience an extremely painful form of death.
Having the attitude of Christ will move us in the direction of humble obedience to the call of God on our lives.
The attitude of Jesus is a reason to trust in God for today and forever.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
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
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Q and A Segment explores the question, “How did Jesus define greatness?”
An argument developed among Jesus’ disciples on the question, “Who was the greatest?”
Whenever people start asking this kind of question, either privately or out in the open, you can anticipate arguing and dissension to follow.
Jesus used this argument as a teachable moment. He said to them in Mark 9:35, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last and the servant of all.”
Jesus defined greatness in terms of serving others. He encourages us to think in terms of giving, generosity, sacrifice, and love. Jesus is the greatest of all, and He set an example of service and sacrifice for us to follow. He said in Matthew 9:26, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
According to Jesus, service is the pathway to greatness in the Year of Exploration.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – This week’s Relationship-Building Principles examine how inviting God’s presence into our lives is healthy for our relationships.
Where God’s Presence is welcome, there is love.
First John 4, verses 7 and 8 are all about love, and how God’s love motivates us to reach out to others.
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
Then we learn what kind of love the Apostle John is talking about. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”
The love of Jesus was demonstrated through His service and sacrifice. There was no doubting that the expression of His love at the cross was authentic. God was demonstrating his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Having faith in Jesus gives us access to this power to love others selflessly and sincerely, with the heart of service and sacrifice.
Having the love of God is a vital relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
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
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Moment Of Celebration reflects on the joy of working together for a sacred purpose.
The church is compared to a body, which consists of many connected members who have different functions. Yet as their different functions work compatibly with each other, the body works according to its design.
Each part is significant enough to be a vital part of the team. No part is so important that it does not need the contribution of the other parts. God calls us to appreciate the contributions of others and to do our part in building the strength of the church for God’s glory.
Romans 12:6 says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”
The joy of working together for a sacred purpose is a reason to be glad in the Year of Celebration.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
