Hardwired with Jeff Wickwire

There’s a saying that goes, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes”. What the speaker usually means is that there are patterns of human behavior that repeat across centuries, even in different historical contexts. Pastor Jeff teaches you today that the life of the prophet Elisha rhymed with Christ, who was yet to come to Earth. God uses patterns in the Bible to give His people a preview of the future. If you know how these patterns show themselves, you will recognize them as they happen later on.

Have you been on an airplane and heard the flight attendant during the safety demonstration saying, put your own oxygen mask on before helping others? It’s because you may lose consciousness while helping someone else unless you get your own mask on first. Pastor Jeff implores you today to remember that not only is it important to serve the Kingdom of God, but you also need to remember to care for your own spiritual growth. You can’t pour from an empty cup, you need God to refill you.

Pastor Jeff is wise to point out today that Godly life is always going to have its ups and downs. Your highest highs will likely be followed by your lowest lows. The way you can endure these waves is to be rooted in God’s Word. When you’re having a great time, on fire for God, and being successful in your labor, remember to be humble and recognize God’s sovereignty over everything. And when you are down in the dumps of depression, remember that God is the one who will lift you out of the mud.

In times of conflict, it can be difficult to find a source of peace. When the world is full of fire and pain, how do we overcome?  In today’s message, Pastor Jeff wants you to know that regardless of your circumstances, the freedom experienced through God's grace transcends the lies of this world. Through God's saving grace, your life becomes a testimony of liberation, unaffected by the chains of sin and full of the profound freedom of God’s mercies. Change your life trajectory and invest in eternity. 

Regardless of the challenges that may arise, nothing is more important to your testimony than keeping your witness pure. In today’s message, Pastor Jeff wants you to know that your witness should always stand as an unwavering testament to the integrity of the Gospel. If you want your words to pierce the hearts of those who don’t know Jesus, you need to rise above the world’s sin. Through a commitment to purity, let your proclamations of God's gospel usher in a new era of love in your life. 

What happens if you go on a long road trip but never stop for fuel? Eventually, you’ll end up on the side of the road with no way to travel further. But yet, that’s where Elijah finds himself in today’s message. Pastor Jeff teaches that after Elijah confronted and defeated the prophets of Baal, and ran through the fresh rain, he was physically exhausted. God doesn’t want you to wear yourself out by being overloaded with things to do, He wants you to have a healthy habit of hard work and deep rest.

There is a famous quote that says “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. Well, Pastor Jeff thinks today that there is some valuable wisdom in those words. The Old Testament is filled with guardrails of what kind of behavior is acceptable for God’s people, and where the line is between godly and ungodly behavior. By following God’s commandments as laid out in Scripture, you can be sure to live a life that will earn you a greater reward in Heaven, pleasing to the Father.

Have you ever seen what happens when a fire hydrant is opened? At full blast, water can shoot up to 400 feet away from the hydrant, soaking anything and anyone in its path. Well, Pastor Jeff reminds you today that God’s power is a lot like a fire hydrant. It’s always there, ready to be used, and when it is released, it makes a huge splash! Elijah called on the Lord to reveal Himself to the people of Israel, and the Lord’s power exposed Baal and his prophets as complete frauds.

The human body needs a variety of nutrients in order to remain healthy. If you don’t get enough water, or enough protein and vitamins, you become susceptible to all kinds of health problems. Well, human society without a steady intake of truth can also face serious problems, and Pastor Jeff reminds you today that this is exactly what the world is facing right now. By taking God out of society, people are left looking for sources of truth elsewhere, but there is no absolute truth apart from God.

If you’ve ever had a regular exercise habit but then stopped doing it for a while, you may lose some of the strength and endurance you had built. You may not be able to lift the same weight or run the same distance as you did before. Pastor Jeff reminds you today that faith is like a muscle, but the difference is that God won’t let you lose progress. Instead, He will place new challenges in your path not only so that you can use your new strength, but you can continue to grow even stronger faith.