Episode Summary: "Expecting Change" (Jonathan Josephs)

Podcast: Elevation with Steven Furtick
Host: iHeartPodcasts
Guest/Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Josephs
Date: January 4, 2026

Main Theme and Purpose

This episode, led by Pastor Jonathan Josephs, centers on the idea of "Expecting Change"—not just superficial or self-willed New Year’s resolutions, but deep, lasting, God-orchestrated transformation as exemplified in the story of a lame man healed in Acts 3. Jonathan explores how encounters with God can bring extraordinary change to ordinary days and how individual change is meant to flow outwards, impacting others and communities.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Change in the New Year: God’s Way vs. Our Way

• Jonathan distinguishes between typical New Year’s resolutions and the profound transformations only God can bring.
  • “This is not a New Year’s resolution message. I want to talk to you more about the God changes that you need to see happen in your life.” — Jonathan (09:20)
  • Notably, congregants’ prayers for the coming year focus on “restoration,” “healing,” and “forgiveness”—not diets or workout plans.

2. Ordinary Days, Extraordinary Miracles

• The Acts 3 story is set on a mundane day—emphasizing that powerful change can occur anytime, not just on symbolic dates.
  • “Everything about his language is indicating there’s nothing special about today. One day, Peter and John are going to the temple... and yet something extraordinary happens in the middle of an ordinary day.” — Jonathan (12:45)
• God often leverages natural transitions, like the New Year, to invite us into supernatural shifts.

3. The Power and Pain of Waiting

• Jonathan raises the tension of God’s timing: “Why now?” after 40 years of the man’s suffering.
  • The healing seems “sudden” to onlookers but was anything but for the man himself—mirroring the long-awaited, hard-earned nature of many God-changes in our lives.

4. Expectancy and Disappointment

• The lame man expected to receive money ("change"), not a miracle. Jonathan reflects on how prolonged disappointment can shrink our expectations from God.
  • “Some of us get stuck in a condition for so long... we’ve even given up on expecting anything to change.” — Jonathan (18:42)
  • However, God is a God “who exceeds our expectations”—often giving more than we dare to hope.

5. The Purpose of Miracles: Restoration, Not Just Fixes

• The healed man’s first act is to enter the temple—a place he’d been denied for years due to his condition. The miracle is not just about physical healing but full restoration to worship and community.
  • “When God brings about a change in your life, it’s not just to fix you. It’s to restore you.” — Jonathan (23:15)

6. God’s Change Agent: Peter’s Transformation

• The text’s real focus is as much on Peter’s change as the man’s. The story traces Peter’s journey from impulsive, self-focused disciple to compassionate, faith-filled leader.
  • “He’s somewhere between Fisherman Peter and St. Peter. He’s not there yet, but he’s certainly not who he used to be.” — Jonathan (29:43)
• Three signs of Peter’s (and our) change:
  • Learning to See: Peter truly notices and engages the hurting, echoing Christ’s compassion (31:04).
  • Giving More Than Asked: Instead of meeting people’s requests at face value, Peter offers what God has given him—even if it’s unrequested or unexpected.
    • “People will rarely ask you for what they actually need. They just ask you for what they want.” — Jonathan (34:50)
  • Acting in Jesus’ Name, Not Our Own: Peter’s authority comes from Jesus—he acts “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.”
    • “He’s not trying to do it in his own strength. He’s doing it in the strength and in the name and in the authority and in the power of Jesus.” — Jonathan (39:00)

7. Your Change Is For Others

• Your transformation isn’t just for you; God blesses you to be a blessing.
  • “God has given you so much. And what God has done in your life is not just meant for you. It’s meant for other people around you.” — Jonathan (36:05)
• Our faith and actions catalyze change in others—like Peter’s faith healing the man, not the man’s own (Acts 3:16).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Expectation:
  "[The lame man] is just expecting some money. He’s just expecting change. And yet what he got was so much greater than even what he was expecting." — Jonathan (18:00)
• On Restoration:
  “The things that God wants to bring about in your life...are meant to restore you in worship and restore you in community. That’s the most significant change.” — Jonathan (23:37)
• On Hidden Labor:
  “For this man, this miracle is anything but sudden. It’s been 40 years. Often the God changes that happen in your life look sudden to others, but you know all the labor and prayer it took.” — Jonathan (26:57)
• On Ministry and Scarcity:
  “He says, I don’t have what you’re asking for, but what I do have, I want to give it to you. I know God is changing me when I begin to give more than what people ask for.” — Jonathan (33:12)
• On Self-Consciousness vs. Christ-Consciousness:
  “One of the changes that God wants to bring about in our life is taking us from being self-conscious to Christ-conscious.” — Jonathan (40:25)
• On Acting in God's Strength:
  "When you stand up in front of someone to minister or to be used, you’re not doing it in your name. You’re doing it in the name of Jesus." — Jonathan (40:57)
• On the Prayer of Activation:
  “God is getting ready to do amazing things in your life, things that will exceed your wildest imagination. But it’s not just what he wants to do in you. It’s what he wants to do through you.” — Jonathan (42:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:00] – Jonathan Josephs introduces himself and frames the message for the new year.
• [09:20] – Difference between resolutions and “God changes”; examples from congregants’ year-end prayers.
• [12:45] – Emphasizing the ordinary setting of Acts 3; God moves in the mundane.
• [18:00] – The significance of expectation; God often exceeds what we’re looking for.
• [23:15] – Full restoration through God’s change; more than just fixing problems.
• [29:43] – Peter’s transformation; moving from impulsive disciple to changed leader.
• [31:04] – Learning to truly see and act with compassion, like Jesus.
• [33:12] – Shifting from scarcity to generous, proactive ministry.
• [36:05] – The purpose of your blessing—impacting others.
• [40:25] – From self-consciousness to Christ-consciousness; permission to act on Christ’s authority.
• [42:00] – Corporate prayer of activation; calling for God to work through us in the new year.

Flow and Tone

Jonathan’s delivery is casual, relatable, and laced with humor (“We’re talking to a cynical church today. That’s amazing. Oh, good.” at 08:50). He often uses stories from personal life, the church community, and biblical accounts with warmth and honesty—sharing his fears, doubts, and joys in ministry. The entire message challenges listeners to expect more from God and step out in faith for the benefit of those around them, not just themselves.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Enter every season, even ordinary days, with expectation for God to move.
• Seek transformation that restores community, not just solves your problems.
• Share what God has done in your life; your faith and story can ignite change in others.
• Act with Christ’s authority, not your own insecurity or ego.
• This year, let your change become the catalyst for the change in those around you.

For full impact, listen from [03:00] – [42:00] to follow the journey of expectancy, transformation, and missional living as laid out by Pastor Jonathan Josephs.