Hardwired with Jeff Wickwire

In my adult life, I’ve learned to be grateful for the discipline I received not just from my parents, but from other leaders and mentors who were placed over me. While I may not have enjoyed being disciplined, even when I knew I had done something wrong, that discipline made me into a better person today. Pastor Jeff reminds us today that the Lord also subjects us to discipline because the constant refinement that takes place in our souls will make us into better reflections of Christ in this world.

The next time you watch a tightrope walker, take a second to notice where their eyes are. They’re not looking down at the view below them, or at other things in their surroundings. They have their eyes set on the other side of the tightrope because that is how they maintain their focus on the task at hand. In today’s message, Pastor Jeff reminds you that this life is like a very long tightrope that all of us are walking on. If we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we won’t be distracted by the things of this world.

In 1873, Horatio Spafford wrote the words to the hymn, It Is Well With My Soul, in response to a tragedy that resulted in the death of his four daughters as they journeyed across the sea to England. Even though he was a faithful man, Spafford faced great tragedy! In today’s message, Pastor Jeff reminds you that your faithfulness to God doesn’t make you immune from difficult situations in this world. But your faithful attitude enables you to seek Jesus in your trial, so that you don’t get lost in the waves.

Abraham Lincoln’s presidency was defined by his leadership of the Northern states during the Civil War. But five days after the Confederate generals surrendered, President Lincoln was assassinated. He didn’t get to see the states reunited, but that doesn’t mean that his leadership wasn’t worth it! In today’s message, Pastor Jeff tells you that the heroes of the faith did not live to see all of God’s promises fulfilled. But He still used them to do great things in this world for centuries to come!

When we get into an emergency situation, we know that the first number to call should be 911. The longer we wait, the longer it will be before help arrives. Well, in today’s message, Pastor Jeff reminds us that the same thing happens when we face a storm in this life. God is ready to guide us through the storm, but we need to keep our focus on Him to make it through. The sooner we can fix our eyes on Him, the sooner we can get out of the troubled waters. God is always ready to guide us to safety.

The Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit is our constant guide and counselor. He is the one who speaks to us in the quiet and still moments of our lives. But today, Pastor Jeff reminds us that He is also there to help us in times of trouble. When we are facing a difficult storm, we are supposed to focus on what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us. If we can drown out the noise and listen to His still, small voice, we will be able to resist fear. We won’t get lost in the turmoil and chaos of the storm.

We don’t have a lot of time in this world. In the scope of the universe, our lives are little more than a flash in the pan. That’s why, in today’s message, Pastor Jeff encourages us to make an impact for God’s Kingdom with the time we have. If you only had one chance in your whole life to change the world, would you use it to bring glory to yourself? Or would you rather use your one shot to point people towards Jesus? The Bible teaches that if you glorify God with your actions, He will reward you in Heaven.

Following God is hard! He carries a high standard for His servants, and you will have to say “no” to things you used to enjoy in your past life in order to remain faithful. But in today’s message, Pastor Jeff reminds you that all of that effort is worth it. You can’t take the riches of this world with you when you leave it, so you should set your heart on things that will last forever. Enoch had faith that following after God would earn him far more in the long term than what he could gain in this world.

Sometimes, we can think of Jesus as our magical genie in a bottle. We think that if we just fold our hands, close our eyes, and ask nicely enough, He will give us anything we want. Well, Pastor Jeff teaches us today that Jesus doesn’t grant our every wish like that! The Lord answers us when our prayers are in alignment with His Will. Something that happens when we grow closer to Jesus is that our desires begin to look more like His, and that is when our prayers of faith begin to have an effect.

Some people think they can buy their salvation. They believe that by giving enough money away and doing enough good deeds in this world, their good works will cover up the pain and the shadow of their sin. But Pastor Jeff reminds you today that sin corrupts even the most well-intentioned of people, and the greatest philanthropists of our time will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven if they don’t receive Jesus’ gift of salvation. That’s the only surefire way into God’s Kingdom!