Hardwired with Jeff Wickwire

What should the signs of true Christianity look like in today’s society? Well, in a world where everyone hates everyone, Jesus calls you to be a peacemaker. Pastor Jeff knows that so many of the world’s conflicts are caused by humanity’s sinful nature, and the blood of Jesus has the power to bring the peace that we long to see in the world. The world may be a place of darkness, but the Church is the light of the world, where people from all backgrounds, beliefs, and opinions come together in worship.

The hardest thing to do when building a healthy habit is taking the first step. Whether it’s getting up early to read Scripture, praying on your way to work, or even something mundane like brushing your teeth twice a day, habits become easier to maintain the longer you do them. Pastor Jeff wants you to know that it may be hard to make the choices to develop spiritually healthy habits, but that it will become easier over time. It will become second nature for you to spend time in God’s word

When Jesus died on the cross, He conquered death itself. In Matthew 16, He proceeds to pass down His authority over death to the early Church. Pastor Jeff wants you to know today that the strength of the Church is stronger than sin and death – you have the keys to freedom from sin. You have the ability to reach out and set people free from their bondage. God has given the Church all of the authority and the power it needs to complete God’s mission on earth – to spread the Gospel to all mankind.

Have you ever been indoors when the power goes out? Unless there are windows or other light sources nearby, you are plunged into darkness. It takes the power coming back on, or someone opening a door to the outside, to bring light back into the dark room. Well, Pastor Jeff teaches you today that the Church is meant to be the light of the world. By building a strong community of believers, you show the world what it really is to follow Jesus, and how people’s lives change when they allow Him to transform them from the inside out.

Why is it so important to be in fellowship with other believers? Pastor Jeff teaches you today that being in church is like being a log in a fireplace: if you’re apart from the other logs, you will burn out quickly, but together you burn bright. The body of Christ was made to be in community, to withstand trials together, and grow stronger because of them. By removing yourself from that equation, you rob yourself and others of the community that comes with true fellowship.

It doesn’t matter if we have Jesus in our hearts, being a loving person can be difficult. Whether we’re having a bad day, don’t have the energy, or simply dislike the person we’re conversing with, often times it’s easy to ignore others instead of love them. Today, Pastor Jeff wants you to know that the most important calling placed over your life is to share God’s love with the whole world. Don’t sell yourself short by making up excuses and let His divine power flow through you to make an impact for His kingdom. 

When was the last time you felt a fire in your faith? When was the last time you were energized to finish God’s work for His kingdom? In today’s message from Pastor Jeff, he wants you to know that there’s nothing more important to your walk with Jesus than remaining active. As soon as you lose your vigor for following His calling, you lose your connection to Him. There’s nothing worse than being on the fence. Don’t be lukewarm and experience a renewal in your faith like never before.  

How do you know that you have been on God’s mind? The fact that Jesus went to the cross to redeem all of humanity is evidence that He was thinking about you. Pastor Jeff wants you to similarly think of others when attend church. How can you serve someone else at church? What words of encouragement can you share with the person you meet in the lobby? If you attend church with a serving mindset, you will strengthen the body of Christ, and strengthen your own relationship with Him.

Have you ever messed up at a task so badly that you started over from scratch? Unfortunately, life doesn’t have do-overs, you need to get right with God the first time. Pastor Jeff doesn’t want you to be deceived by false teachings of reincarnation, because those take away the urgency for you to come to know Jesus in this lifetime. In fact, don’t wait until tomorrow to accept Him, because even tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Getting saved is a matter of urgency, you never know when it will be too late.

Have you ever heard something called a “dumpster fire”? Well, in Jesus’ time, there was a literal dumpster fire called Gehenna, where Jerusalem’s garbage burned with an endless fire, but where children were sacrificed in the worship of false gods. That is why Jesus used Gehenna as the framework to describe the horrors of Hell. Pastor Jeff doesn’t want you to be unclear after today’s message: Hell is real, and it is a fate worse than death for those who turn away from the love of Jesus.