Steven Furtick's Blog, page 93

A Better Way To Grow Up

As parents, we always want the best for our children. We want them to be kind and do well and follow the rules. But is that the best we should hope for? Have we set the standard too low for the next generation? In this clip from Student Takeover 2009, Pastor Steven shifts the perspective of what we should hope and pray for our children to become, while also challenging our students to take hold of God’s vision for their own lives.

What Every Student Should Know Before Going Back to School

At Elevation Church, we do student ministry a little different. We don’t have a “youth group” in the traditional sense of the word. Instead, we encourage our students to be a part of the weekend worship experience, join student small groups and serve in their church and the community. Why wait for them to grow up to be a part of what God is doing? Every year we take a weekend to celebrate our students as the men and women of God they are becoming in Christ. We call it Student Takeover. In part 3 of our sermon series I Know He Is, But What Am I?, Pastor Steven uses this year’s Student Takeover to speak directly to our students, encouraging them that no matter what they go through this school year, their identity is secure – when they know who they belong to. Click here to watch this entire sermon from I Know He Is But What Am I?

From The Archive: I Am… I Serve

Once, in the middle of a life threatening storm, Paul spoke up with courage:

“Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul.’”

Acts 27:23-24

I like the way Paul ordered that:

1. Whose I am

2. Whom I serve

Identity (whose I am) comes before activity (whom I serve).

I need to remember that when I’m heavy with inadequacy and uncertainty.

Who I am in Christ comes before what I do for Christ.

God the Father said He was well pleased with Jesus before Jesus ever performed a public miracle.

Identity supersedes activity every time. Remember that next time you feel like you don’t have what it takes to do what God has called you to do.

And let what you do flow from who you are.

(originally posted July 07, 2008)

When You Can’t Find Your Joy

Anger. Despair. Hopelessness. Depression. These are terms we have all defined at some point in our lives. Even the most optimistic people in the world can’t avoid seeing the glass half-empty sometimes. So how do you get back your joy in these moments? And if our joy is so valuable, why are we so easily derailed in the first place? In this clip from our series, The Joy Genome, Pastor Steven uses a misplaced wallet and keys to illustrate where true joy can be found, time and time again.

Elevation Creative: Who Am I?

“Who Am I?” is a motion graphics piece we recently showed in our weekend worship experience during our series I Know God Is But Who Am I? This project from our Creative Department stemmed from a common problem we all face – where do we find our identity? Often times we look to the world to measure and define who we are and the value we carry. But God defines who we are much differently. This piece explores this challenge and helps to answer the question we all ask: Who Am I?

What We Add to Our Lives When We Lose

Think about everything valuable you’ve lost in your lifetime. Jobs. Relationships. Dreams. Years. Where did it all go? And why does God allow these things to leave? How can we trust a God who seemingly shakes up our lives, often when it seems like everything is falling into place? In this clip from our series Hebrews 12, Pastor Steven explains why as Christians, when we’d rather be constantly growing and flourishing, our lives are often marked by seasons of painful pruning.

In this life, struggle is inevitable. But we must endure. We must not lose heart. Strengthen yourselves, for our God is a consuming fire. In this series we study the powerful words of Hebrews 12 and get challenged to be all that Christ has created us to be. We are a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. Watch the entire Hebrews 12 series.

For 24/7 inspirational content from Pastor Steven and Elevation Church, visit the Elevation Network.

When Who You Are Isn’t Who You Want To Be

We all, to some extent, live in “the gap.” Whether you are a lead pastor with a lifetime of experience, or a brand new believer in Christ – “the gap” exists. On one side is who God says we are and His commands for our lives. And on the other side is how we actually feel and what we do instead. Here’s the good thing – this isn’t a new struggle. Peter. Paul. Jonah. David. Adam. Over and over again throughout scripture you can see this schizophrenic juxtaposition. What God says. What we do instead. Repeat. So how do we fix “the gap”? In part 2 of our sermon series I Know He Is, But What Am I, Pastor Steven teaches us that closing “the gap” has less to do with our activity and far more to do with our identity. Watch this entire sermon from I Know He Is But What Am I?.

For 24/7 inspirational content from Pastor Steven and Elevation Church, visit the Elevation Network.

It’s in the Cloud

Strong. Patient. Loving. Just. These are the kind of words that God uses to describe Himself. But what about the words God uses to describe us? Why do we struggle to believe Him when He calls us loved, wise, chosen, and blameless? How do we reconcile God’s identity with our own? Join us for our new series and discover how to re-imagine yourself in the image of God.

What Your Pastor Can Never Do For You

There’s a myth that exists in many Christian circles today. It says that the Pastor of the church is the only one who can ever get anything done. It begins and ends with him. Our recent generations grew up in an age of the church where the Pastor was expected to do it all and be the man. He married you and buried you. He visited you at your house if you were a first time guest and he visited you in the hospital if you were sick. And for many of us, he was our only source of spiritual connectivity to Jesus. But in this clip from our series, E, Pastor Steven explains that when we turn our Pastors into superheroes, we are robbing ourselves of something greater God has planned for our own lives.

What is your super power? What if you could change the world? You’ve got it in you. It’s your gift. It’s your calling. And now it’s time to use it. Watch the entire E series.

For 24/7 inspirational content from Pastor Steven and Elevation Church, visit the Elevation Network.

The Other Side of Condemnation

We are all condemned. That’s the clear and simple truth. Before Jesus died for us, the condemnation of sin was on all our lives. We were far from God and without hope in the world. But that was then. In Christ, we are new creations. The old has gone. The new has come. But the Devil likes remind us about our past condemnation. And for some reason, if we allow it, we let him talk us down and we forget who we have become in Christ Jesus. In the clip from our series Christ Alone, Pastor Steven teaches us a strong response to the Enemy when this word of condemnation begins to creep back into our thoughts.

“My identity is not in what I see.” “My identity is not in my future accomplishments or my past failures.” “I do not live a life of fear or anxiety.” Most people want these statements of faith to be true in their lives. But they can’t be without Christ. In this series we study Romans 8, and discover how our faith is defined by one thing – CHRIST ALONE. Watch the entire Christ Alone series.

For 24/7 inspirational content from Pastor Steven and Elevation Church, visit the Elevation Network.