Elevation Church Podcast

Chances are most of us aren't hearing from God with an audible list of instructions when we are seeking direction for our next steps. We want to trust Him and step out in faith, but there's no burning bush or blinding light. So how are we supposed to hear from God when it comes to the important decisions in our life? In part two of our series God's Will Is Whatever, Pastor Steven uses the life of Jacob to explain the different channels God can use to reveal His will to us.

When we accept Christ as Savior, we make the single most important decision of our lives. But once we make that choice, we open ourselves up to endless new decisions, all centering on one over-arching question: what does God want us to do with our lives? Trying to decipher the will of God can be a frustrating prison of fear and second-guessing. But in the first part of our new series, Pastor Steven explains a life-altering perspective shift that changes the way we approach our place in God's will.

All the best stories have it. The right setting. The climactic action. The memorable characters. And the greatest story forever told is no exception. For our Easter Worship experiences, we closed out our IN•FIN•8 series by looking throughout scripture – from Genesis to the Gospels to the book of Revelation – using worship, creativity, and preaching, and connected the dots of a plot of weaved together from the dawn of time. A story centered around one perfect character and one climactic event – the death and resurrection of Jesus.

In part seven of our IN•FIN•8 series, our Creative Pastor Larry Hubatka walks us through the parable of the prodigal son. It's a story of a redemption. A lost son restored. And through his story, we are reminded of just who Jesus came to save - sinners like him. Sinners like you. Sinners like us.

We all want a strong faith. We feel like if we had "better faith" we'd make it through the storms of life in one piece. If we had "more faith" our marriage would improve, our kids would be better behaved, we'd get that promotion we want. But in part six of our series IN•FIN•8, Pastor Steven uses the story of Peter walking on water to show us that the point of the storm isn't to prove our faith, it's to prove God's faithfulness.

For part five of our series IN•FIN•8 our Family Pastor Frank Bealer, with help from our eKidz children's ministry, used the story of Daniel in the lions' den to teach us how to trust God in any situation.

We all want to know what God wants us to do with our lives. We want Him to clarify our calling. Where do we go? How do we do it? But our calling is much more than just a set of directions. And it rarely caters to our convenience and comfort. In part 4 of our series IN•FIN•8, Pastor Steven uses the story of Jonah to help us understand our calling, how to respond to it, and the ultimate purpose of what God has called us all to do.

God did not bring us into existence so that He could only reign over certain areas of our lives. God did not send Jesus to rescue a sinful, broken world so that He could just be one of our options. So why do we treat Him that way? Why, as Christians, do we want God to reign over our spiritual lives, but then often choose to follow other options when it comes to our job, our relationships, or our finances? In part three of our series IN•FIN•8, Pastor Steven shows us, though the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel, the problem with keeping our options open.

If all we want is a life of convenience and only convenience, then God's way is not the best way. Because when it comes to God's will and His plan for our lives, His way is not always the shortest way or the easiest way. It's better than that. In the second part of our series IN•FIN•8, Pastor Steven uses the the story of Moses and the Red Sea to show us that God's way is the way that causes us to press in towards Him, stretching our faith and increasing His glory.

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.

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.

Who has the better job. Who has the better kids. Whose recipe is better on Pinterest and whose sunset looks better on Instagram. It's all around us. We are slaves to a constant and endless cycle of comparison. But why? What are we trying to prove? And to who? And ultimately, for what? In the fourth part of our series The New Rules of Resolution, Pastor Steven addresses the harmful effects our culture of competition, and the only way to truly break free from it.

We all experience moments of doubt and defeat in our relationship with God. Why am I not growing? How does the Enemy keep backing me into a corner? Where is the victory over my flesh? As it turns out, it has a lot to do with our approach. To introduce part three of the New Rules of Resolution, Pastor Steven sat down with his friend, and former UFC champion, Vitor Belfort, as they discussed the parallels between MMA training and the Christian life Christ called us to live.

In the world's economy, we are taught that you first achieve, then receive. You don't get your yearly bonus in January. You don't get your college degree before you take the classes. You have to do the work before you get the reward. This model is true in all areas of our lives. Except one. Because God's economy works in a different way. In the second part of our series The New Rules of Resolution, Pastor Steven explains the life-changing implications of God's exception to the rule.

One of the most discouraging times every year is the moment you realize that you didn't keep some, if not all, of your new year's resolutions. What's wrong with us? Maybe we are too weak and undisciplined. Maybe we're making the wrong goals. Or maybe we're just going about it all the wrong way. In the first part of our series, The New Rules of Resolution, Pastor Steven explains to us why God is more interested in our process than our projects.