Hardwired with Jeff Wickwire

Have you ever been on an airplane and had to listen to the flight safety briefing? Even for a short, regional flight, you need to know where the life preservers and oxygen masks are located in case of an emergency. Well, Pastor Jeff teaches you today about how God used Noah to build the ultimate rescue device, the Ark. God told Noah to build a large ship, far from any major body of water, and it was because of Noah’s faith in God that he and his family were saved from the flood that destroyed mankind.

The great thing about Abel’s faith was that he recognized the significance of the shedding of blood. He recognized that sin had consequences and that the atonement of sin required a sacrifice. Pastor Jeff wants you to know today that from the dawn of history, mankind has carried the burden of the consequences of sin and that sacrifice is required. However, you can rejoice in knowing that your debt has already been paid by Jesus! His blood sacrifice can cover the sins of all humanity.

It’s safe to say that we’ve all drifted into sin at one time or another. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been a Christian for thirty seconds or thirty years, Satan’s temptations never cease. In today’s message, Pastor Jeff wants you to know that it’s impossible to be perfect and all you need to do is seek God’s grace. His mercies are boundless and your debt has already been paid by the sacrifice of His son on the cross. Wash yourself clean and start your day refreshed by accepting God’s forgiveness.  

We all face defeat. It doesn’t matter the amount of wins that we have, losing to our flesh stings worse and worse every time. Today in his message, Pastor Jeff wants you to know that if you want to buck the trend and live a life set apart from the pain of this world, give your heart to Jesus. There’s nothing that you have to do except simply accept His free gift of grace. Leave your burdens at His feet and kiss your mistakes goodbye. Stop trying to fix everything on your own and let God do the heavy lifting. 

When we get confused about what course of action to take, it can feel like the road ahead is cloudy and uncertain. But Pastor Jeff reminds us today that if we take the time to pray for guidance from the Lord, He will begin to remove the doubt and the possibilities that we’re not meant to pursue. Eventually, He will make the correct path forward clear and easy to follow. God doesn’t want us to take the wrong path, but He does want us to learn to be patient and trust in His timing, not our own.

Have you ever been stuck in traffic without knowing what caused the holdup? Maybe there is an accident up ahead, or a school bus dropping children off in their neighborhood. It can be easy to get impatient and frustrated, but you can also choose to be patient and trust that you will be on your way again soon. Pastor Jeff teaches you today that Jesus may have a good reason for making you wait. Sometimes waiting is part of the lesson that He is trying to teach you. He works on His own schedule.

The easiest way to know you are following God’s path for your life is when you see the obstacles in front of you fall away as if they were nothing. See, God isn’t just guiding your steps, He is also clearing the way ahead, like the leader of an expedition cuts away heavy brush with a machete. Pastor Jeff reminds you today that you can never venture too far away from God’s will. Oftentimes all you need to do is turn around and take a single step towards the straight and narrow path. God will do the rest.

When was the last time you drove somewhere new without using GPS or a map? If you know the area well enough, you can usually find where you’re going pretty easily. But if you’re in a new region, you need a guidemap to tell you where to go. Pastor Jeff reminds you today that God has given you the ultimate guidemap: His Word. If you want to know where you’re headed in life, you need to know the guidemap inside and out. You need to eat, breathe, and sleep with the Word of God on your heart.

Life is full of decisions. Modern society has given you so many options that even a simple trip to the grocery store can be overwhelming as you choose from thousands of products to find the right ones for you and your family. You can take on all of life’s decisions on your own, and risk making some mistakes along the way, or you can trust in the Lord to be your guide. Pastor Jeff wants you to feel at peace when you make your decisions, a peace that only God’s presence can provide.

Have you ever fallen from great heights? Have you ever been at the highest of highs in your life, only to see it all crumble away in an instant? Today, Pastor Jeff reminds you that while failure is unavoidable, there is a way to find hope no matter what storm you're facing: Jesus. If you want to be at the top of your game and remain the person you know you want to be, surrender yourself to Him. Leave your burdens at the foot of the cross and be set free. Give the keys to Jesus and experience renewal like never before. 

When’s the last time you let God open your eyes to His Word? It’s one thing to spend time in the Bible, but it’s another thing entirely to fully open your eyes to His truths. Today in his message, Pastor Jeff wants you to know that if you want to step into the glorious purpose that God has for your life, you need to fully consume His Word. Don’t take the Bible at face value, dig deep into its truths and let God guide you to what He has for your life. See the Bible in a whole new way and be renewed in your faith. 

Have you ever driven home on a foggy night? There are times when you can barely see ten feet in front of you, and you have to pull over for your own safety. Well, that’s how life works, too. You don’t know what is coming your way in the next few minutes, much less the next few days or weeks. Pastor Jeff says that’s why it’s so important to trust God because He can see the whole picture. He knows what is coming your way that you can’t see otherwise. You can trust him to guide your path.

Are you a wise person who seeks God’s guidance before making a decision? Oftentimes the decisions we are faced with seem like we need to make a choice immediately. But Pastor Jeff wants us to know that it’s always a wise choice to ask the Lord and wait for His counsel. We may not always get a firm “yes” or “no”, but the Lord can prompt us through the Holy Spirit on what way we should go. God doesn’t always respond when we want Him to, but He will always tell us what we need to hear.

One of the most common prayers a believer will pray is asking for God’s guidance. However, Pastor Jeff reminds you today that He has already given you a whole book of guidance in the form of the Bible! Even though the events of the Bible took place thousands of years ago, God’s wisdom hasn’t changed. What He said to Abraham still has an application to you today. The words of the Proverbs are still good advice to live by, even if King Solomon hasn’t experienced life in the 21st century.

How does your local church bring in the money to keep operating? Through faithful tithes and offerings. Many modern churches have amenities like coffee shops and new sound systems, but there are countless more that are getting by with the bare minimum, only because of their faithful members. Pastor Jeff encourages you today to remain faithful with your tithes and support the Kingdom work going on in your community. The world needs more healthy churches, not less.

Giving to the Kingdom of God is like investing in a long-term project where you don’t immediately see the result. Ministry is hard work, and even the early leaders such as Paul needed financial support in order to do the work that God had called them to do. That is why Pastor Jeff is teaching about generosity today: giving from the portion God has given you is an exercise in faithfulness, in believing that God will reward you and repay you in Heaven. His investments always have a return.

It’s safe to say that at one point or another, we’ve all experienced times of approaching our faith casually. We get so used to who God is and what He does in our lives that we turn on autopilot. In today’s message, Pastor Jeff wants you to know that there’s nothing more harmful to your faith than approaching it aimlessly. When you’re lukewarm and don’t make the decision to be fully in or out, it doesn’t benefit anyone. God doesn’t want His flock to be full of part-time Christian posers. Step up in your faith and be blessed. 

Do you know that when you accepted Jesus into your heart, you became a citizen of Heaven? Did you know that you’re part of a family of faith that extends far beyond what you could ever comprehend? Today in his message, Pastor Jeff reminds you that you are a child of the one true God and no one can take that away from you. You have a ticket to eternity with Jesus—how could you ever keep the good news in? Be a living example of who Jesus is and make a difference in His mighty name. 

What should the signs of true Christianity look like in today’s society? Well, in a world where everyone hates everyone, Jesus calls you to be a peacemaker. Pastor Jeff knows that so many of the world’s conflicts are caused by humanity’s sinful nature, and the blood of Jesus has the power to bring the peace that we long to see in the world. The world may be a place of darkness, but the Church is the light of the world, where people from all backgrounds, beliefs, and opinions come together in worship.

The hardest thing to do when building a healthy habit is taking the first step. Whether it’s getting up early to read Scripture, praying on your way to work, or even something mundane like brushing your teeth twice a day, habits become easier to maintain the longer you do them. Pastor Jeff wants you to know that it may be hard to make the choices to develop spiritually healthy habits, but that it will become easier over time. It will become second nature for you to spend time in God’s word

When Jesus died on the cross, He conquered death itself. In Matthew 16, He proceeds to pass down His authority over death to the early Church. Pastor Jeff wants you to know today that the strength of the Church is stronger than sin and death – you have the keys to freedom from sin. You have the ability to reach out and set people free from their bondage. God has given the Church all of the authority and the power it needs to complete God’s mission on earth – to spread the Gospel to all mankind.

Have you ever been indoors when the power goes out? Unless there are windows or other light sources nearby, you are plunged into darkness. It takes the power coming back on, or someone opening a door to the outside, to bring light back into the dark room. Well, Pastor Jeff teaches you today that the Church is meant to be the light of the world. By building a strong community of believers, you show the world what it really is to follow Jesus, and how people’s lives change when they allow Him to transform them from the inside out.

Why is it so important to be in fellowship with other believers? Pastor Jeff teaches you today that being in church is like being a log in a fireplace: if you’re apart from the other logs, you will burn out quickly, but together you burn bright. The body of Christ was made to be in community, to withstand trials together, and grow stronger because of them. By removing yourself from that equation, you rob yourself and others of the community that comes with true fellowship.

It doesn’t matter if we have Jesus in our hearts, being a loving person can be difficult. Whether we’re having a bad day, don’t have the energy, or simply dislike the person we’re conversing with, often times it’s easy to ignore others instead of love them. Today, Pastor Jeff wants you to know that the most important calling placed over your life is to share God’s love with the whole world. Don’t sell yourself short by making up excuses and let His divine power flow through you to make an impact for His kingdom. 

When was the last time you felt a fire in your faith? When was the last time you were energized to finish God’s work for His kingdom? In today’s message from Pastor Jeff, he wants you to know that there’s nothing more important to your walk with Jesus than remaining active. As soon as you lose your vigor for following His calling, you lose your connection to Him. There’s nothing worse than being on the fence. Don’t be lukewarm and experience a renewal in your faith like never before.  

How do you know that you have been on God’s mind? The fact that Jesus went to the cross to redeem all of humanity is evidence that He was thinking about you. Pastor Jeff wants you to similarly think of others when attend church. How can you serve someone else at church? What words of encouragement can you share with the person you meet in the lobby? If you attend church with a serving mindset, you will strengthen the body of Christ, and strengthen your own relationship with Him.

Have you ever messed up at a task so badly that you started over from scratch? Unfortunately, life doesn’t have do-overs, you need to get right with God the first time. Pastor Jeff doesn’t want you to be deceived by false teachings of reincarnation, because those take away the urgency for you to come to know Jesus in this lifetime. In fact, don’t wait until tomorrow to accept Him, because even tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Getting saved is a matter of urgency, you never know when it will be too late.

Have you ever heard something called a “dumpster fire”? Well, in Jesus’ time, there was a literal dumpster fire called Gehenna, where Jerusalem’s garbage burned with an endless fire, but where children were sacrificed in the worship of false gods. That is why Jesus used Gehenna as the framework to describe the horrors of Hell. Pastor Jeff doesn’t want you to be unclear after today’s message: Hell is real, and it is a fate worse than death for those who turn away from the love of Jesus.

People who struggle with gender dysphoria are confused about their identity. There are so many things that society says you have to be in order to fit into the box of “man” or “woman”, that when you don’t fit perfectly into your box, you start to doubt your entire identity. But Pastor Jeff wants you to know today that the only person who can tell you who you are is God. He made you, He knows you, and He has a purpose for your life. Come to the Lord with a humble heart, and He will tell you who you are.

There are countless people worldwide who have begun to identify with a gender that is different than the one they were born with. It’s a difficult issue for Christians to navigate, especially when you want to show Christ’s love towards them. But Pastor Jeff wants you to be clear about one thing: transgender people cannot change their genetic makeup, there is a part of yourself that you cannot change to resemble someone else. The DNA you were born with is the DNA you will die with.

Have you ever experienced false teachers in your walk with Jesus? Have you ever been unsure of what to believe in our rapidly evolving world? Today in his message, Pastor Jeff shows you the importance of weeding out bad teachings. When someone claims to be a prophet or have alternative knowledge beyond the Bible, it’s not a good sign. Turn to God’s Word first in everything you do and be reassured in its promises. People will always let you down, but God’s perfect grace never will.