Elevation with Steven Furtick

The weekly podcast of Elevation Church, led by Pastor Steven Furtick.

In life, what we see on the outside doesn't always match up with what's happening on the inside. We long for acceptance and achievement, but we look in all the wrong places to find them, leaving us disappointed and rejected. How do we find purpose in these frustrations? And how can God use us in spite of our misguided priorities? In part four of our sermon series #DeathToSelfie, Pastor Steven focuses on the story of Jacob's wives - two very different sisters struggling with the very same things, to show us how God can take our pain of rejection and disappointment and turn them into unexpected blessings for His glory.

The weekly podcast of Elevation Church, led by Pastor Steven Furtick.

Sometimes we get so caught up thinking about where we'd rather be and what we'd rather be doing, that we forget all the places God has already been with us. But there is a way we we can experience God's presence wherever we are, wherever we go.

The weekly podcast of Elevation Church, led by Pastor Steven Furtick.

As believers in Christ, we have a birthright -- a spiritual inheritance received through the Holy Spirit. But sometimes, we turn our focus on the immediate gratification of momentary pleasure. In part two of #DeathToSelfie, Pastor Steven uses the story of Esau to show us how often we choose to trade our future for something fleeting and worthless. Yet through the grace of Jesus, we can be restored as firstborn children in our Father's eyes, no matter what we've chosen in the past.

The weekly podcast of Elevation Church, led by Pastor Steven Furtick.

Our 'Me-First' culture may seem like a modern problem, but since the beginning of time, we have been consumed by the internal struggle between who we really are and who we pretend to be. While we can't fool God with our disguises, we can easily lose sight of our true selves while chasing after who the world says we should be. In Week 1 of our series #DeathToSelfie, Pastor Steven shows us, through the life of Jacob, that the identity we all long for can only be given when we come to God as we really are.

Because you say so, I will... Obeying God may sometimes be uncomfortable, exhausting, or awkward, but every time we take God at His Word and act in faith, He always does more than we can imagine. In this sermon, Perry Noble, Pastor of Newspring Church, examines the story in Luke 5 when Jesus calls His first disciples, and challenges us with three simple points to help inspire a new season of growth in our church.

If moving on were easy, everyone would do it. But many of us are stuck hanging on to past mistakes or disappointments, letting our imperfection hold us back from the future God has for us. In this message, Clayton King, founder of Crossroads Ministry, examines the life of Paul, showing us that when Jesus calls us to follow Him, it's always for our good – and only by letting go of our past and moving forward in faith can we experience God's best for our lives.

Purpose. We all want it. We want to matter. We want to have meaning. The world has a clear definition what it means to matter - whether in business or finance or achievement. But what do we do after we've achieved all the world has to offer and we are left wanting more? As Christians, how do we find our true purpose and stay focused on it? In part four of our series Your Verse, Matthews Campus Pastor Chris Allen shares with us how to find true meaning in the meaningless and maintain a meaningful relationship with Christ.

We tend to like when our lives play out exactly like we think they should. Our effort gives us the outcome we expect. Predictable situations give us structure we can count on. But as Christians, there's an exception. When we put God in control of our lives, the results are beyond what we could ever expect. In part three of our series Your Verse, our GTA Campus Pastor John Bishop teaches us three concepts that show, no matter who we are, where we've been, or what we've done, the rules are not the same when we come to Christ. He accepts us just as we are, with no exceptions.

Most of us keep a mental balance sheet of what's good and bad in our life. And it's tempting to use that list to decide how well we are living. But the Bible teaches us, "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him." So where does that leave us when bad things happen that we can't control? In part 2 of our series Your Verse, Rock Hill Campus Pastor Tim Fara explains how Jesus' death has already determined the value of our lives - and because of that, our value can never be dictated by our circumstances.

As humans, we tend to make a lot more promises than we actually keep. Fortunately, God's promises are radically different than ours. They are guaranteed by His presence and His Word, and they are available to all believers, all the time, in all situations. In part 1 of our series Your Verse, University Campus Pastor Larry Brey explains how recognizing the presence of God in our life and focusing on His past faithfulness can immediately change the way we respond to any situation we're currently facing in our lives.

God's power is unlimited, and as Christians we know there is nothing too big or difficult for Him. Yet, when we call on God, pleading with Him to fix that thing that's broken or hurting in our lives, we have a hard time believing our own prayers. But God knows our deepest needs, and when He answers our prayers in His way, He does more than change our lives - He heals our hearts. In this sermon, Pastor Steven uses a profound event in Jesus's life to teach us that, even when our faith is shaken, God is not. And when we bring our most desperate prayers to Christ, His answers are greater than we could imagine.