Hardwired with Jeff Wickwire

Think of the cycles of life that you see in nature. As the seasons change, plants bloom in the spring and summer, then fade and die during the fall and autumn. And in the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon observes that human lives function in a similar cycle. Pastor Jeff wants you to realize today that there is something valuable to be gained, no matter what season of life you are in. The opportunities you have right now in your life won’t be around forever, so will you let them go to waste?

When firefighters rescue people from burning buildings, they don’t stop helping them once they reach the exit. Those people are still in danger while they’re anywhere close to the fire! Well, Pastor Jeff reminds us today that God doesn’t just free us from sin, but He places us in a new environment within His Kingdom. If we were rescued from sin but not given a new way to live, we would fall right back into our sinful habits. But in God’s Kingdom, we have the opportunity to live for something greater!

Have you ever watched a spy movie and wished you were given an important assignment of your own? Well, you may not be part of a secret organization like the ones you see in the movies, but you are part of God’s Church, and you are part of the Great Commission to reach people for the Gospel! Pastor Jeff teaches you today that the Great Commission is both a corporate and an individual mandate: everyone is responsible for playing their part in drawing people in to witness the glory of God’s Kingdom.

They say first impressions are everything. If your first interaction with someone goes poorly, there’s a chance that person won’t want to be around you in the future. But Pastor Jeff wants you to recognize today that you may also be the first representative of the Kingdom of God that someone will ever meet. If you are allowing the fruit of the Spirit to flourish in your life, you have a better likelihood of giving that person a good first impression of Jesus! Is your life a good reflection of His goodness?

It’s good for us Christians to be engaged in our society. While we don’t belong to this world, we are still living in it, and we should live lives that bring glory to God in our communities. However, Pastor Jeff reminds us that our citizenship in this world isn’t our priority! Scripture teaches that we are citizens of the Kingdom of God, which we received the moment we accepted Christ into our hearts. The kingdoms of this world will all crumble one day, but the Lord will reign forever and ever!

Following God requires you to be patient. It’s so easy to want to be in the right place right now and to try to rush God’s plans for your life. But Pastor Jeff teaches you today that there is value in the moment you are in. Life isn’t just about the destination; it’s also about the journey you take on your way to that destination. God can work in you in those moments of waiting, so that you can be better prepared to receive the blessing that is coming. But all of this requires you to be patient and to wait on the Lord.

When you get in your car, you need fuel in the tank to get going, and you need the key to start the engine. Without either of these vital components, the car won’t start. Pastor Jeff teaches you today that in order to endure and overcome the temptations of the world, you need God’s wisdom as your fuel, but you have also been given the key to unlock it as an adopted child of God. Because your sin has been covered by the blood of Christ, you have been granted access to the wisdom, knowledge, and joy that He provides.

When you visualize all of the choices you make in life, it can feel like an endless spiderweb of possibilities and hypothetical “what-if” scenarios for how your life will turn out. But in God’s eyes, those paths only have two possible outcomes: life with Him or life without Him. Pastor Jeff warns you today to prioritize your life with God while you still can, because all of the earth’s pleasures and treasures are temporary. When they all fade away, what will you be left holding at the end? Be sure you’re holding on to the Lord.

If you have a dog or a cat at home, have you ever wondered what they think when you leave for work? Some people will set up cameras in their homes and capture images of their beloved pets waiting by the door for hours for their owners to return home. But that pet cannot possibly understand why you are gone for so long! Pastor Jeff reminds you that mankind is incapable of fully understanding God’s plans. All you can do is be patient and wait on His timing to accomplish His Will.

Finding a river in the middle of a desert seems pretty unlikely! But so did the prospect of rebuilding Israel when the Israelites were returning from captivity. But just as God provided for the Israelites when they couldn’t see a way forward, the Lord can do the same for you today. In today’s message, Pastor Jeff encourages you to have faith in the impossible. Because if God is the one ordaining your steps, He will tear down the roadblocks in front of you. Faith in the Lord can accomplish the impossible.