Elevation Church Podcast

When we think about our future, what keeps us from moving forward? And what is limiting us in our lives today? The irony is that often the answer to these questions is rooted in our past. Failure. Disappointment. Shame. We feel chained to these failed past performances and broken dreams. In part three of our series "(This is Your) Permission Slip," Pastor Steven teaches us that when we accept Christ, God has given us permission to let go of our past as He takes us into the future He has planned for us.

Most non-believers see Christianity as a burdensome religion, leaving its people bound with rules and regulations. And for good reason. Throughout scripture, God gives extensive commands for His people to follow. And often times, it's these rules that many people use as their proof that God is a punishing taskmaster. So how do we reconcile the freedom that Christ promises, with a God who seems to say 'No' so much? In part two of our series (This is Your) Permission Slip, Pastor Steven shows us the deeper response God gives when He commands 'Thou shalt not' and what this reveals about His heart for us.

If we ask the average non-believer what a relationship with God looks like, what would they say? For many, a life in Christ looks like a life of restriction. Rules. Regulations. "Here's a list of the fun things you can't do anymore - welcome to Christianity." But this is not the heart of Jesus. He did not leave heaven and come to earth to enforce limitations - he came to liberate. To rescue us from ourselves and our sinful state. In part one of our series (This is Your) Permission Slip, Pastor Steven introduces a paradigm-shifting concept about the true purpose of scripture and how Jesus changed the way we approach God.

We all start out so strong. Passionate with the message of Jesus and and driven by the mission God has given us. But inevitably, it begins to fade. We start to slow down. We grow weary of the struggle and begin justifying an easier life; settling for simply surviving. How did we get here? And what are we missing out on in the life God planned for us? In the sermon, pieced together from clips of Pastor Steven teaching at conferences from around the world, we learn that through the life of Elisha, that there are still victories left to be won – if we are willing to keep pounding.

Our bags are packed and we're hitting the road. It's a Super Summer Elevation Family Road Trip and we're bringing you along. We love seeing all the lives changed by Jesus across our eight different locations. And we jump at any opportunity we can to stand together as a church. In this series, see our eight campus pastors unite our church family together and bring the road trip to you.

Our bags are packed and we're hitting the road. It's a Super Summer Elevation Family Road Trip and we're bringing you along. We love seeing all the lives changed by Jesus across our eight different locations. And we jump at any opportunity we can to stand together as a church. In this series, see our eight campus pastors unite our church family together and bring the road trip to you.

Our bags are packed and we're hitting the road. It's a Super Summer Elevation Family Road Trip and we're bringing you along. We love seeing all the lives changed by Jesus across our eight different locations. And we jump at any opportunity we can to stand together as a church. In this series, see our eight campus pastors unite our church family together and bring the road trip to you.

Frustration is found in the gap between expectation and experience. Frustration with others. Frustrations with God. But what about when we've frustrated ourselves? When we're the ones who have disappointed our own expectations? To close out our series The Expectation Gap, Pastor Jonathan Martin, Lead Pastor of Renovatus Church, teaches us how our greatest disappointments can become the source of our greatest encounter with Jesus.

Most of our frustrations are born out of our own personal experiences not meeting our expectations, but what about when the tables are turned? What do we do when we are the ones not living up to the expectations of others? How do we avoid the weight of disappointment when we don't measure up? And what should our response be to the negative opinions in our lives? In part 3 of our series The Expectation Gap, Pastor Steven teaches us the proper position to take when the expectations of others get between us and who we are in Christ.

Frustration is born when our expectation doesn't match our experience. But what happens when God is at the center of our expectation - and He doesn't come through? When our prayers seem to fall flat. When it seems like the God who loves us didn't provide for us in the way we had hoped. But God doesn't share our perspective. And His plans won't always match up with our plans. And in part 2 of our series The Expectation Gap, Pastor Steven teaches us, through the story of Lazurus, how to realign our expectations with a new perspective on who God really is.

Frustration. It's born in the space between our expectations and our actual experiences. "This isn't what marriage was supposed look like." "I thought this job was going to be different." "I never thought my kids would act that way." We have all been there. Overcome with frustration and left with nothing but unmet expectations. How are we supposed to respond? Do we suck it up and get on with life? Do we just lower our expectations? Or is there another way? In the first part of our series The Expectation Gap, Pastor Steven uses Mary and Martha to teach us about the source of our greatest frustrations, and what our response should be, in light of who Jesus is.

For Mother's Day this year, we had the privilege of hearing an inspiring message for Mother's Day from our very own Lysa TerKeurst, the President of Proverbs 31 Ministry and the New York Times best-selling author of Made to Crave and Unglued.

There is a big difference between hearing a sermon on Sunday and applying it to our lives on Monday. What happens when what we hear doesn't fit neatly into our life circumstance? What if we still have questions? To close out our series God's Will Is Whatever, Pastor Steven sat down with our church and answered specific questions about God's will, covering everything from dating to finances to finding God's will when He closes doors in our lives.

The Biblical truths we learn at church each weekend are intended to not just be heard on Sunday, but put into practice Monday through Friday. We should be weekly seeking to put handles on what God teaches us and begin to practically apply it to our daily lives. For part four of our series God's Will Is Whatever, we watched the testimonies of several people in the church, showing how they seek God's will everyday in the workplace.

It is not enough to just to discover the will of God. That's just the first step. Besides, many of us are educated well beyond our level of obedience. So what do we do once we understand God's will for our situation? And how do we do it the next time? And the time after that? In part three of our series God's Will Is Whatever, Pastor Steven teaches us how over time, the will of God can become the desire of our heart.