Steven Furtick's Blog, page 81

Your Excuses Are Stupid

Sorry. But there is really no nicer way to say it. Your excuses are stupid. Especially when it comes to your relationship with Christ. Yes, you may have had a rough childhood. Yes, you may have a busy schedule. Yes, you may think you’re giving up too many opportunities and experiences. But in this clip from our series The Invitation, Pastor Steven reminds us of what we really give up when we offer up our excuses to Christ.

The Danger In the Devil’s Questions

There is a very real and present Enemy lurking in our lives. He wants to destroy us and our relationship with God. But Satan is crafty in his deception. Instead of showing us how he wants to ruin us, he asks us questions that cause us to doubt the instructions, intentions, and promises of God. In this first part of our series IN•FIN•8, Pastor Steven looks at the story of Adam & Eve to help us understand the questions Satan asks us – and the questions God asks us in return.

God Isn’t Trying to Pay You Back

Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” For what son is not disciplined by his father?….No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:5-8,11

Many people have a warped view of God’s reaction to our sin.

They think that if God is disciplining them, He’s out to get them. They’ve walked away from God, so now He’s paying them back. Getting even. Settling the score.

This misses the whole point of God’s discipline.

God doesn’t discipline us to pay us back but to bring us back.

To our senses.

To the life we were saved for.

To Him.

One of the most unloving things God could do would be to allow you to live in sin and operate under the illusion that you’re still close to Him. Conversely, one of the most loving things God can do is to bust you in your sin. To make you realize just how far away you are from him. To get you to see just how far you’ve drifted, and how desperately you need to come back.

And so sometimes God will discipline us. He will accept your momentary pain for your eternal pleasure. He doesn’t have a vendetta. He’s not trying to settle scores. He’s not trying to pay us back.

God’s wrath is satisfied.

The score was settled on the cross.

What payment does He have to gain from us that Jesus hasn’t already given to Him?

If you’re a Christian, there is absolutely no wrath left for you. The only thing remaining is God’s loving discipline. If you’re experiencing that right now, God doesn’t hate you. He is just trying to bring you back to Him.

God’s children don’t need to be worried about His discipline.

In fact, they should only ever be worried if they never experience it.

If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.

Hebrews 12:8

This blog post was originally published on July 5, 2011

Fixing Your Frustration

We are all wired for frustration. It’s our natural reaction when our experiences fail to meet our expectations. But there’s another way. In this clip from our series How to Hug a Vampire, Pastor Steven teaches us how to change our response in the face of frustration.

Elevation Creative: The New Rules of Resolution Recap

For each of the five parts of our series The New Rules of Resolution, our creative team developed motion graphics pieces to help remind our church of the new rule from the previous week and reinforce the themes and icons from the series. Here are all five fun reminders of the New Rules of Resolution.

Download helpful resources like this for your church or ministry for free at resources.elevationchurch.org.

Why Your Identity Means Everything

God’s will. We are constantly wondering and praying about what God’s will is for our lives. Who are we supposed to marry? Where are we supposed to work? What are we supposed to do? But before we asking these questions, we first need to ask ourselves about our own identity. In this clip from our series Grapes and Giants, Pastor Steven teaches us how knowing our identity influences our activity.

How to Discover and Understand Your Calling

Calling. It’s a vague word and it looks different for all of us – but we all want it. What is God’s purpose for us? What does He want us to do with the time we’ve been given? But many of us have the wrong idea about our calling. Our calling is not some distant future dream we’ll chase and champion when our situation allows it. It’s not what we would do, it’s what we can do. In the final part of our New Rules of Resolution series, Pastor Steven shows us how to walk in the calling God has planned for us – while tearing down some preconceived notions that can limit our impact and role in God’s will.

No I’m Not

When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior…Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand.”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

Judges 6:12, 14-15

When God shows you who you are, your first reaction will be no I’m not.

I’m not a mighty warrior.

I’m not called to do that.

I’m not good enough.

I’m not capable.

I’m not worthy.

I’m not beautiful.

I’m not lovable.

I’m not…

But how God sees you isn’t based on your pedigree or performance.

It’s based on the potential He’s placed inside of you.

God does not measure you based on your lowest moments.

He measures you based on your high calling.

God does not define your life based on what you have done or who you are.

He defines your life based on what Jesus has done for you and who Jesus is in you.

And that’s the only thing that matters.

Long before God ever showed you who you are or what you’re here to do, He knew who you were and what you had done and would do. In other words, God isn’t shocked by our protests or feelings of inadequacy.

Abraham didn’t shock God when he told Him he was old.

Moses didn’t shock God when he told Him he was a stutterer.

Gideon didn’t shock God when he told Him he was the most insignificant person in the most insignificant clan.

And they didn’t change God’s mind either.

When God has spoken, you don’t get to seek a second opinion. Including your own. Especially your own.

You’re not the world’s leading expert on yourself. The One who custom-designed you from before your conception is. You’re not the world’s leading expert on your worth before God. The One who has made you worthy in and through His Son is.

When God shows you who you are, your first reaction will be no I’m not.

Luckily your first reaction isn’t the final word.

This post was originally published on December 21, 2010.

How Will They Know Jesus?

You can sugarcoat it all you want, but we are living in a fallen world that is hurting and dying without the life-saving message of Jesus. And not just in remote villages on the other side of the world. In your city. In your office. In your home. And as Christians, we are commanded in scripture to show Jesus to our world. In this clip from our series One Generation Away, Pastor Steven reminds us of this responsibility we have been given by Christ.

Elevation Creative: When You Favored Me

The Favor of God: It’s a phrase we’ve heard before – but what does it look like? And how do we find favor? For our series, Found Favor, Our Creative team developed this video using Psalm 30 and three different stories to weave a visual metaphor for the found favor of God in our lives.

Download this video, and other helpful resources for your church or ministry for free at resources.elevationchurch.org.