Steven Furtick's Blog, page 56

Elevation Creative: Only King Forever Opener

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17. As our church gathered together for the live recording of our newest Elevation Worship album, Only King Forever, our Creative Team presented this video to open the night and prepare our hearts for worship by celebrate our Savior and King, Jesus Christ, and all He has done in and through our lives.

When Negative Voices Interfere With Your Faith

Praying boldly and running after God’s will for our lives is not easy. Not only does it stretch our faith, but when we ask God to show up in a big way, we also have to deal with the doubt and insecurity that come along for the ride. So how do we not let these negative voices keep us from God’s plan for us? In this clip from our series Sun Stand Still, Pastor Steven shows us how Jesus dealt with the objections that tried to interfere with Him accomplishing God’s greater purpose.

The Right Way to Fight The Enemy Inside Us

Some of the biggest battles we fight aren’t against others, but against ourselves. The battles we combat in our own head and heart. Our enemy will invade our thoughts and try to accuse, belittle, and provoke us – and if we don’t approach the fight in the right way, he can crush our spirit and derail our lives. So how do we defeat our enemies when they seems so much bigger and stronger than us? What is the right way to fight? In part 4 of our series Sticks and Stones, Pastor Steven teaches us the importance of approach, and why choosing the right weapon can ensure our victory and God’s glory.

This day is a decision.

“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

I’ve met a lot of people who take this verse to mean something like, “well, God has made this day and everything that is going to happen is going to happen. There’s nothing we can do about it. We may as well rejoice in it.”

But I don’t think that’s what this verse means and I definitely don’t think that’s the outlook of the Bible. We don’t serve a passive God and I don’t believe God desires a passive people who wait for life to happen to them.

This day is not a pre-determined, pre-programmed event. This day is a decision.

And for that I will rejoice and be glad in it.

This day is a decision of whether or not I’m going to come closer to fulfilling my divine destiny by the choices I make.

This day is a decision of whether or not I’m going to walk in greater obedience to Christ.

This day is a decision of whether or not I’m going to love my wife and kids as Christ loved the church.

This day is a decision of whether or not I’m going to breathe life into the people around me.

This day is a decision of whether or not I’m going to live a day worth rejoicing and being glad in.

Don’t hear me wrong. I’m not saying that we are writing the script of our lives by ourselves. God is the ultimate writer of our stories. Of all our stories, and of every day in our stories. God is sovereign and he is ultimately in control of the script of each day. There are certain things you can’t control. Certain things that God has written into your life and into this day that you’re going to have to embrace.

But I still believe God gives us enough ink to write our story in His Story. I still believe that He still wants us to proactively work with the unchangeable parts of the script He has given us to maximize the potential of every day we’re given.

This day is not set in stone. No day is. And there is never going to be a day exactly like this day again. Rejoice and be glad that God has given it to you. And now live a day worth rejoicing in.

This entry was originally posted September 27th, 2010

What To Do When People Cause Us Pain

We have all felt betrayed. A best friend turned their back. Someone we loved was not loyal. The person we thought would always be there didn’t show up when we needed them most. How can something that hurts so bad be used by God to do good? In this clip from our series Storytellers, Pastor Steven teaches us that our sovereign God is more powerful than any person’s potential to harm you. When we can’t see past the problem, God is looking forward to working everything into His great purpose.

Finding God’s Greater Purpose In Our Experiences

In the journey from pain to promises, we often find ourselves in the middle questioning the purpose of our experiences. Why is God having me go through this? What is He trying to prepare me for? In this clip from part 2 of our series Sticks and Stones, Pastor Steven uses Elevation Worship’s multi-talented Music Director, Lance Gatch, to illustrate how God stacks our experiences together to serve His plan and purpose for our lives. Just as layers of instrumentation create a song, God is weaving together the pieces of our lives for His greater glory.

How Do We Know If We’re In the Will of God?

As Christians, the will of God is something that has always perplexed us. How do we know when we’re following God’s will for our lives? What does He want us to do next? And do our bad decisions make it impossible to get back to the path God intended for us? In this clip from our series God’s Will Is Whatever, Pastor Steven shares the comforting truth that, no matter where life has taken us or where we have taken ourselves, we still have reason to hope – because one decision can redirect our hearts toward God and drop us right in the center of His will.

Fighting For The Relationships That Matter Most

We are all imperfect people. Which means our relationships with others will also have their imperfections. But what do we do when our most important relationships are on the brink of destruction? How does God want us to fight for the people in our lives that we love? In part 3 of our series Sticks & Stones, Pastor Steven sat down with Carolina Panthers All-Pro wide receiver Steve Smith and his wife Angie, taking a behind-the-scenes look at the strengths and pitfalls of passionate people and how God can redeem our broken relationships for His glory.

Stop Achieving. Start Receiving.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him-

-Colossians 2:6

To appreciate Paul’s point here, we have to clarify something first:

How did you initially receive Christ Jesus as Lord?

By working hard? By doing good? Getting it right? Hitting your mark?

Of course not. You didn’t achieve Him as Lord.

You received Him as Lord.

By grace.

Paul says:

The same way you received Him initially-by grace-

is the way you’re supposed to live continually from day to day.

Many people freely receive the forgiveness of Jesus at the point of salvation, then spend the rest of their lives trying to pay God back.

Like: “Thanks for the jumpstart of grace, God. I’ve got it from here.”

Stop trying to achieve His love, blessings, and favor through ridiculous, frantic, fleshly, performance based self-righteous rigmarole.

Continue to live in Him the same way you started your life in Christ.

Receive it. By grace.

This entry was originally posted January 28th, 2010

What Keeps Us From Trusting God

More today than ever before, our focus is pulled in so many directions. There are so many voices and opinions pushing for our attention. How do we know which ones to listen to? How do we know where to place our trust? Fortunately, as Christians we know a voice that pushes through the noise. A strong, unchanging, unwavering Father who’s commands and plans for us are so much greater than what the world can offer. But knowing this truth, why do so many of us struggle to trust and follow Him daily? In this clip from our series In•Fin•8, Pastor Steven explains that the real question is not whether we trust in God, but what is keeping us from fully letting go of the world.