Hardwired with Jeff Wickwire

There are some burdens that are simply too heavy for you to carry on your own. Unfortunately, since humanity lives in a world rife with sin and suffering, it is all too common for people to carry burdens greater than what they can bear. However, God is a merciful God. He will take whatever burdens you lay on Him and give you rest. Pastor Jeff encourages you today to cast every burden and anxiety at the feet of the cross, and leave them there. Don’t take them back with you into your normal life.

Have you seen how a group of fans react when their favorite film franchise releases a trailer for the next entry in the series? Even just a title and release date can cause cheers of joy and excitement. Well, shouldn’t Christians be just as excited to see God working in their lives? Pastor Jeff encourages you today to have a childlike faith, one that looks at the works of God with anticipation and excitement. The Lord never does things exactly the same way twice, and you’ll never know what to expect!

In ancient times, information was a valuable resource. Messengers were often instructed to guard messages with their lives, and some even resorted to clever methods to conceal the true contents of the messages they were carrying. As followers of Jesus, you and I are carrying messages that aren’t secret to anyone. But Pastor Jeff reminds us to hold that message, the hope of the Gospel, near and dear to our hearts, as precious cargo. You need to be a faithful steward of the Good News!

Sometimes life feels like drinking from a fire hose. You get immediately overwhelmed as soon as you try to process everything that is going on around you. Some of this is just because of the chaos of this world, but sometimes, that chaos can be a targeted attack from Satan. Pastor Jeff reminds you that you are a representative of Jesus wherever you go, and you never know when you may be called on to be the light of Jesus to someone who has never had a relationship with Him.

People have always liked to be prepared for the worst. Some spend their entire lives building stockpiles of supplies so that they can be prepared to endure all sorts of disasters. But when you put on the shoes of the Gospel, you aren’t preparing for disaster. Pastor Jeff teaches you today that having those shoes on and ready to go at all times means that you are ready to speak the truth of Jesus to someone who needs it. When you are prepared for anything, there’s no limit to what God can do through you.

When a city is under siege, it is difficult for supplies and information to get in and out of the city. The longest siege in recorded history lasted 26 years! Can you imagine being blockaded by the enemy for that long? Well, Pastor Jeff reminds you to never give up when it comes to intercessions for your brothers and sisters in Christ. Sometimes, all you need is to be persistent. You never know when the moment will be right for your prayers to break through the enemy’s blockade!

No matter what you do for work, there will be days when you struggle to find the meaning in your labor. You start to think that there’s no way that your work is making an impact for the Kingdom of God. But Pastor Jeff encourages you today by reminding you that being a faithful and good worker is the very action that brings glory to God! Submitting to your employer or your client shows humility, and that humility draws attention to the power of Christ that is within you.

If you keep a journal detailing how God has been working in your life, you’ll have a written account of God’s faithfulness to you! Whenever you get down and feel like help isn’t coming, Pastor Jeff reminds you today to look at God’s faithfulness like a history book: it can prevent you from making the same mistakes you have made before, but it can also give you a roadmap for how to act in the future. And once you’ve faced a trial once, you can be ready to face an even tougher challenge in the future.

The easiest way to fall into discouragement is to get tunnel vision. You get so caught up in the struggles you’re facing at the moment that you can’t turn around and see how far God has brought you. That’s exactly what the laborers were doing in Nehemiah chapter 4. But Pastor Jeff reminds you that when you take your blinders off and take the time to see how far you’ve come, you’ll see how God has been intervening on your behalf this whole time. He’ll help you see the task through to the end.

Is there a leader in life you disagree with? Whether it’s a boss at work who irritates you or a political leader whom you don’t like, everyone wrestles with honoring people who have been placed in authority over them. But Pastor Jeff reminds you today that Scripture’s guidance is to submit and honor your authority figures. You may not agree with all of their decisions or the way they choose to operate, but you are being obedient to God by honoring the authority that people have been given over you.