Hardwired with Jeff Wickwire

Are you the kind of person that puts on a radio program or a podcast to just listen passively? Well, Pastor Jeff wants you to really pay attention to today’s message. Because there are so many people that have claimed to follow Jesus, but because of apathy, or the temptations of the world, they let their passion for Jesus fade away, and they stop following Him. But Pastor Jeff desires for you to build a solid foundation in God’s Word, so that when the way gets tough, you can return to the presence of the Savior.

Do you remember where you were when you accepted Jesus into your heart? When you said those words and believed in your heart that Jesus is Lord, a change took place within you! The Lord poured His Holy Spirit into your heart and changed you from the inside out forever. Pastor Jeff wants you to understand that there is a difference between saying that you’re a believer in Christ and experiencing the transformative power of the Holy Spirit that works within you, changing you from the inside out.

Satan and his demonic forces aren’t just a fairy tale to scare us into good behavior; they represent a real enemy in the spiritual realm! But the battleground that we are fighting on isn’t in public spaces, or even in the material world at all. Instead, Pastor Jeff teaches us that the battles we fight are in the spiritual world and in the strongholds that the enemy has in today’s society. Don’t be afraid, because no matter what comes against you, remember that you have the power of Jesus on your side!

For someone who has been reading Scripture for a long time, it can become a passive habit to get into God’s Word. But Pastor Jeff encourages you today to take an active approach as you dive into the Word in your daily devotions! You may have been reading the same passages over and over for years, but it’s in those times when you think you have learned everything you can that the Lord speaks to you. He can breathe new life into the words that you’ve grown accustomed to over the years.

Did you know that the first thing you do in the morning has a big impact on the rest of your day? If the first thing you do is grab your phone and check the news, you’ll immediately fill your mind with thoughts of what is going wrong in the world. But Pastor Jeff reminds you that if you make the effort to make time with God a central part of your day, you will be more and more blessed by the Lord. Spending time with your heavenly Father should be as natural to you as eating your first meal of the day.

Don’t let doubt become an obstacle that hinders your relationship with God! Instead, Pastor Jeff tells you today that it should just be a step on the journey, a small part of a bigger story of faith. When you are faced with doubt, the Bible tells you that you should confess it to Jesus and place them at His feet. Allow Him to calm your fears and anxieties, and live in the freedom that His love provides. God will always be there for you, so long as you don’t give up on His love for you.

Every believer is going to doubt God at some point. There will be times where your faith in Him wavers, even just for a moment. That isn’t sinful behavior, and God isn’t going to look poorly on you because of it. But Pastor Jeff warns you to not confuse doubt and unbelief, because unbelief is the thing that can begin to rot away at your relationship with God. You don’t sin when you doubt God’s goodness or doubt God’s word. You sin when you hear God’s word proclaimed and reject it completely.

If you were accused of a crime and had to go to court right now to be put on trial, would you defend yourself? Or would you seek after someone to represent you, to speak up on your behalf? Pastor Jeff reminds you today that when you accept Jesus’ gift of forgiveness, He becomes the advocate that intervenes for you! While your sins would condemn you to an eternity without God, Jesus has taken the penalty of all of your sin so that you can live a life free of guilt, and be in the presence of God forever!

The great thing about Jesus’ gift of salvation is that it isn’t a one-time purge of your sin record! In fact, Jesus’ forgiveness applies to all the sins of your past, your present, and even your future! But there is a caveat to this truth. While your sins are covered and forgiven by the blood of Jesus, you still have a mandate to turn away from your sin, and to seek a life of righteousness. Pastor Jeff warns you not to be complacent in sin, but to instead repent from your sin and find a new life as you follow Jesus.

Any structure that exists in the world today is only as strong as its foundation. Whether it’s a building with a physical foundation, or an organization or institution with a set of values as its foundation, having a weak foundation can spell disaster for the long-term health of the structure. Pastor Jeff reminds you today that the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation that the Christian faith is built on. The disciples even doubted the Resurrection at first, but when they laid eyes on Jesus, they truly believed.