Steven Furtick's Blog, page 57

Your Next Move When You’re Fighting a Losing Battle

We will all face challenges in life that, even though we’re giving it all we’ve got, we just don’t feel like we’re going to win. And sometimes we’ve been fighting so long and so hard that we don’t if we have the energy to keep pushing. What’s our next move when we don’t feel like we can even take the next step? In this clip from our series Hebrews XII, Pastor Steven reminds us that if we can fix our eyes on Jesus, that is all the hope we need to move forward.

Elevation Worship: Only King Forever

Today is the release of the brand new Elevation Worship album, Only King Forever. You can find it in stores, on iTunes, and anywhere music is sold. The central theme of this album is the declaration of who God is as King, and who we are as children of the King. Our hope is that these songs minister to you in a profound way, and that they will reveal to you and remind you of the gracious and glorious character of Jesus.

We invite you to join us throughout the day on the Elevation Network, where we will be streaming songs from the album, videos from the live recording this past summer, as well as other behind-the-scenes content from Elevation Worship. And tune in tonight at 8:00PM ET for our album release party featuring live acoustic performances. We’re excited to share this album and its message with you.

Click here to purchase the new album on iTunes.

Why It Matters How You Do What You Do

As we set goals for a new year, we pray for God to give us chances to grow and increase in our gifts – make the team, get the promotion, become better at what we do. We can trust in the power of prayer, but there is more than just asking God to use the talents He’s put inside us. In part 2 of our series Sticks and Stones, Pastor Steven gives us a new perspective on maximizing our unique talents, and teaches us four tools we can use to develop all that God has entrusted to us.

Well, what if?

I was swimming with Elijah this past summer and he started getting really brave and jumping off the ledge of the pool. To make it safe, I would stand in the pool and catch him.

But then he got real cocky and started jumping before I was looking. There was no danger. I was right there to pick him up, which is why he was doing it in the first place. But still, it was the principle.

So I warned him, “Elijah, you’ve got to stop that. What if you fall in the water and daddy didn’t tell you to jump yet?” He looked straight at me and said, “well, what if?”

He had me. The truth is I wasn’t going to let him drown, and he knew it. His faith in my love and my ability to save him compelled him to be bold and take a risk. He wasn’t testing my willingness or power to save him. He was jumping because he knew they were already there.

This is the essence of childlike faith. It sets you free to risk, to say well, what if. Even to the point of coming off as cocky in your faith. You’re not testing God or trying to prove His power or love towards you. You’re taking bold steps because His power and love have already been proven.

Peter had well, what if faith.

What if you sink into the water when you try to walk on it? Well, what if? Jesus is there.

Peter’s faith wasn’t that he could walk on water. It was that Jesus could catch him if he fell. And so he became one of two men in history to walk on water. The other was God in the flesh. Not bad company.

Paul had well, what if faith.

What if you’re beaten and tortured for your faith? Well, what if? I consider that my present sufferings aren’t worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in me.

What if they kill you? Well what if? To die is gain.

What if they let you live and put you in prison? Well, what if? To live is Christ. I’ll convert the guards.

See why he turned the world upside down?

There is always going to be a what if standing in the way of your dream or your desire to radically obey God. Resolve yourself to respond with a well, what if of your own.

What if you’re wrong and you’re not supposed to take that risk for Christ? Well, what if? I think God would rather me take a sincere risk for Him and be wrong than sit safely in the comfort of my own complacency.

What if you fail? Well, what if? As others have said before, I’m much more afraid of succeeding at something that really doesn’t matter.

What if you ruin your life? Well, what if I waste it?

What if… Well, what if?

This entry was originally posted December 9th, 2010.

What To Listen For When You Pray to Hear From God

When we pray for God to speak to us, we want to see it in a big way to know that it was from Him. We want to know that it wasn’t just an accident or coincidence. But often, when God wants to announce something to us, He doesn’t always deliver His message this way. In this clip from Room 101, Pastor Steven looks at a time when God spoke to Elijah on the mountain, and explains the surprising way God shows us His power and peace through how He communicates.

Elevation Worship: Last Word

On January 14, 2014, Elevation Worship will release their sixth album, “Only King Forever.” The album was recorded live from a night of worship this past summer. Along with recording the album, our video team was also able to capture many of the songs from that night. This video for the song ‘Last Word’ and other helpful resources like lyrics, chord charts, tutorial videos, and loops, are available for free at ElevationWorship.com.

When We Hope For What We Don’t Have

Even those of us with the deepest faith in Christ can struggle when we look around and see things we want but don’t have. Most of us would happily accept blessings of additional talent, success, or resource. But maybe we already possess more than we realize. In this clip from our series Grapes & Giants Pastor Steven teaches us that, as Christians, God has given us his Kingdom and every blessing we desire has been fulfilled through Christ – the key is learning how to take hold what is already ours.

Elevation Creative: I Will Fight

This Christian life is not easy.

I have an Enemy that is real.

I face battles that feel overwhelming.

There are times when I’m tired and I want to give up.

I will fight.

I Will Fight is an audio track recorded by Pastor Steven Furtick to help you get focused and to prepare you for the challenges ahead. Download the free track and build it into your daily rhythm. Whether you’re getting ready to work out, to suit up for your next game, or you’re in the car in need of a quick lift, you have an unstoppable God whose strength and power can help you push through and continue the fight – no matter what you’re facing.

Click here to download the FREE MP3.

What To Do When We Want Something Else To Do

In the new year, it’s natural for us to want something new for our own lives. New resolutions. New endeavors. New circles of influences. We pray for God to gives us new areas of lives where we can make an impact. But what if something new isn’t what God wants for us? What if He simply wants us to continue doing what we were already doing – but experience His anointing in a fresh new way? In part 1 of our series Sticks and Stones, Pastor Steven teaches us what it means as Christians to be anointed by God, and why where we’re at right now could be exactly where God wants us.

Sticks and Stones

What if there was a way to keep all your New Year’s resolutions? What if you didn’t have to wave the white flag of surrender to the giants in your life? If you’re tired of losing the same battles over and over again, join us this January for our new series “Sticks and Stones” as we learn five secrets to make our resolutions more than words.

Click here to find a location near you. Click here to invite your friends and family.