I Thought It Was Through

Summary

Elevation with Steven Furtick: Episode Summary – "I Thought It Was Through"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Elevation with Steven Furtick
• Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
• Description: Welcome to the weekly podcast of Elevation Church led by Pastor Steven Furtick. To learn more visit elevationchurch.org or download the Elevation App.
• Episode: I Thought It Was Through
• Release Date: July 20, 2025

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Introduction

In the episode titled "I Thought It Was Through," Pastor Steven Furtick delves deep into the human psyche, exploring the detrimental impact of negative thinking patterns rooted in the phrase "I thought." Drawing inspiration from Psalm 77, Furtick guides listeners through a transformative journey from despair to hope, illustrating how misunderstood thoughts can hinder personal and spiritual growth.

Personal Reflections and Background

[02:01]
Steven opens the episode by sharing a deeply personal narrative about his oldest son, Elijah, who underwent a significant surgery followed by a severe infection that landed him in the ICU. Reflecting on this challenging period, Furtick emphasizes the importance of rest, study, and songwriting during times of hardship. This personal struggle sets the stage for his exploration of Psalm 77 and its relevance to overcoming despair.

Notable Quote:
"He’s doing all better now. In fact, the Lord healed him and he's clipping my sermon for TikTok right now as I preach it in a back room somewhere. So let's give God praise for that."
[02:09]

Scriptural Foundation: Psalm 77

Furtick introduces Psalm 77 as the cornerstone of his sermon, highlighting its profound message of lament transitioning into wisdom. He reads Psalm 77:19, which becomes the focal point for his discussion:

Psalm 77:19:
"Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen."
[05:58]

Notable Quote:
"Just turn to the person next to you and tell them, even if you don't see it, God is working. Tell them, even if you don't feel it, God is working."
[05:58]

The Core Theme: "I Thought It Was Through"

Furtick unpacks the pervasive issue of being trapped in negative “I thought” cycles—thoughts that are personal, permanent, and pervasive. He identifies these patterns as major obstacles not stemming from external enemies or personal failings but from misguided internal beliefs.

Key Points:

1. Confidently Wrong:
   Furtick discusses how individuals often hold onto beliefs they are certain are true, only to discover later that they were mistaken. This cycle prevents growth and acceptance of truth.

   Notable Quote:
   "I'm stuck in an I thought... It's the biggest obstacle to God doing what he wants in my life over and over again."
   [08:00]

2. Three Ps of Negative Thinking:

   • Personal: Taking things personally, leading to isolation.
   • Permanent: Believing situations or feelings will last forever.
   • Pervasive: Assuming that negative feelings affect every aspect of life.

   Notable Quote:
   "When it becomes personal, the Lord rejected me. There's something wrong with me."
   [27:28]

3. Distress vs. Despair:
   Furtick differentiates between transient distress, which is manageable with hope, and despair, which signifies lost hope and perpetual negativity.

   Notable Quote:
   "Despair is dangerous. Despair is hurt minus hope."
   [30:33]

Illustrations and Examples

Family Interactions:
Furtick shares humorous and relatable anecdotes about his family's inability to recall times when they were confidently wrong, highlighting the universal struggle of admitting mistakes.

Song Reflection:
He recounts a moment where he and his wife Holly doubted the quality of a song they wrote for the church, only to recognize its value after presenting it to others. This example underscores the theme of overcoming initial misconceptions.

Notable Quote:
"I'm glad I was wrong because it means there might be something else in my life right now that I think sucks, but it's actually going to be an amazing thing."
[14:11]

Biblical Example: The Israelites at the Red Sea

Furtick uses the story of the Israelites fleeing Egypt as a biblical illustration of "I thought it was through." Faced with an overwhelming Egyptian army and the seemingly insurmountable Red Sea, the Israelites believed their situation was dire. However, God's timely intervention led them to safety, transforming their initial despair into a song of praise.

Key Lessons:

• Perspective Shift:
  Just as the Israelites focused on the immediate threat rather than trusting God's plan, individuals often fixate on present hardships without recognizing divine intervention.

• Memory as a Tool:
  Reflecting on past blessings and God's faithfulness can alter one's perception of current struggles.

Notable Quote:
"Suddenly my hands go up in worship because I remember that the battle is not mine, but it belongs to the Lord."
[41:11]

Practical Applications

1. Identifying Negative "I Thoughts":
   Furtick encourages listeners to recognize and circle their negative "I thought" statements, bringing awareness to recurring negative patterns.

2. Scriptural Meditation:
   By meditating on God's past deeds and promises, individuals can break free from cycles of negative thinking and despair.

3. Embracing Hope:
   Transitioning from distress to hope involves trusting in God's plans, even when current circumstances seem bleak.

Notable Quote:
"God didn’t bring us out here to drown us. He didn’t bring us out here because the enemy can’t swim."
[52:25]

Conclusion

In "I Thought It Was Through," Pastor Steven Furtick masterfully intertwines personal anecdotes, biblical narratives, and practical advice to address the crippling effects of negative thinking. By grounding his message in Psalm 77, he offers a roadmap from despair to hope, encouraging listeners to trust in God's unseen yet powerful workings in their lives.

Final Quote:
"If there is an attack against your life, if there is an attack against your family, if there is an attack against your mind, there is something in your future that hell has recognized. Think it through."
[50:38]

Furtick wraps up the sermon by reaffirming that God's faithfulness surpasses any moment of doubt or despair, urging listeners to "think it through" with a perspective aligned with divine truth.

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Notable Timestamps for Quotes:

• 02:09: Praise for Elijah's healing.
• 05:58: Introduction of Psalm 77:19 and its significance.
• 08:00: Discussing the cycle of "I thought" as an obstacle.
• 14:11: Realizing the benefit of being wrong.
• 27:28: Explanation of the Three Ps of negative thinking.
• 30:33: Distinguishing between distress and despair.
• 41:11: Transformation through remembering God's deeds.
• 50:38: Confronting attacks and encouraging "think it through."
• 52:25: God's purpose in leading through trials.

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Final Thoughts:

This episode of "Elevation with Steven Furtick" serves as a powerful reminder that our perceptions are not always accurate reflections of reality. By re-evaluating our "I thought" statements and anchoring our beliefs in God's truth, we can overcome feelings of despair and embrace a journey of faith and resilience.

Transcript

[Steven Furtick]

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[Unknown]

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[Steven Furtick]

Hey, this is Steven Furtick.

[Unknown]

I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and.

[Steven Furtick]

This is our podcast.

[Unknown]

I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you.

[Steven Furtick]

Hope it builds your faith.

[Unknown]

Hope it gives you perspective to see God is moving in your life.

[Steven Furtick]

Enjoy the message. I want to let you know if you don't live near Charlotte, but you've always wanted to come to Elevation church, We figured out a way to come to you.

[Unknown]

Elevation. Tonight's fall tour, 2025 coming up October 21st through October 30th.

[Steven Furtick]

St. Paul, Minnesota, Omaha, Nebraska, St. Louis, Missouri, Louisville, Kentucky.

[Unknown]

Duluth, Georgia.

[Steven Furtick]

We might as well say Atlanta. If some of you from Charlotte want to drive to Atlanta, that'll be great. There will be no traffic. There never is any traffic on I85. It'll take you nine hours to drive there, but you should do that. Tampa, Florida, Miami, Florida, where my beautiful wife grew up. Y' all give it up for Holly and Orlando, Florida, go to elevationnights.com Happy.

[Unknown]

11Th anniversary to our Raleigh campus. Help me celebrate them better than that. Come on.

[Steven Furtick]

Happy 11th anniversary. Raleigh. Raleigh campus. We're praying for a great next year of ministry. It's our 20th year of ministry as a church. We'll continue the celebration all year. Thank you to all the wonderful guest preachers who filled this pulpit and preached and all of our home team that preached. My middle son, Graham looked at me the other day and he said, it is time. We want you back. All these speakers have been great. We want you back. I'm back. I want to share with you today a scripture the Lord gave me during our break. Our break was very unusual this year. Part of the time is just rest. Part of the time is study, songwriting and all of that. The first half we spent in an unusual way. Our oldest son, Elijah, had a surgery and he was recovering from that. It was a pretty major surgery. Then he got infected and we ended up back in the ICU for quite a while after that. He's doing all better now. In fact, the Lord healed him and he's clipping my sermon for TikTok right now as I preach it in a back room somewhere. So let's give God praise for that. I told him before I came to preach to. I said, I'm going to be very clippable today. I'm going to say, good stuff. I'll make your job easy. In our Bible reading, as we were going through some of that for the better part of a month as a family, we came across Psalm 77. There was a verse I knew I wanted to share with you when I got back with you. Going to lead us into a series today. Remain standing for just when I read this one verse. Can you stand for one verse? It's in Psalm 77. 19. I'll read this and then work backward from there to give you the message for today. The Lord is going to help us in some remarkable ways. Psalm 77:19. The Psalmist says to God, your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. Isn't that a beautiful scripture? The Lord really used that in my life. I believe he wants to use it in yours. Really underrated scripture, too. Maybe it'll be your favorite at the end of today. He says, your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. Just turn to the person next to you and tell them, even if you don't see it, God is working. Tell them, even if you don't feel it, God is working. Let's put our hands together and praise the Waymaker in this place. Come on.

[Unknown]

Praise the Waymaker in this place. God, I thank you for every mountain you brought me over, every valley you've brought me through. It was nobody but you. And I praise you today.

[Steven Furtick]

Speak now through your word. Use me as a vessel. I'm willing and available and open. Give me the courage, give me the clarity, the confidence to speak to your children today, and may they receive it and obey it, for it is in Jesus name that I pray and believe and call it done. Amen. You may be seated.

[Unknown]

Well, boys, bring out my teaching screen.

[Steven Furtick]

Let's get this series started properly as I announce to you our title for the next six weeks at least, and maybe even beyond that, because this is such a big topic that we're going to talk about. The title of the series doesn't come exactly from the verse that I read you, but I'll show you where it did come from in a moment. Before you judge my handwriting, just know that Abbey has made fun of my handwriting so much today, I made her try to write on the screen before we came out here. She said, this is harder than it looks like. I'm so sorry for how I spoke of you, Father. What I want to talk to you about for the next few weeks, the title of the series is. And you're going to like this phrase because you could say it with attitude. Okay, going to talk about. That's what I thought. You know, you have to look at your neighbor and say it like, you were just right and they were just wrong and you tried to tell them, but they wouldn't listen. Tell them that's what I thought. Like, you were certain and you were proved to be correct. There is no better feeling than that's what I thought. Or that phrase is so elastic. We use it also to mean that our bias was confirmed. Like, no, that's what I thought. I was checking, making sure, that's what I thought. But we want to really use that phrase today to deal with the thoughts that we think. Because honestly, not only pastorally, but personally, 90% of the problems I have faced in my life have not come from what the devil did to me or from what others said about me. The biggest problem I have over and over again trying to do what God wants or the biggest obstacle to God doing what he wants in my life over and over again seems to be this tricky little thing called my bracelets are catching the screen.

[Unknown]

Oh, Lord.

[Steven Furtick]

I apply for this. It's right over here. Better. The biggest problem for me over and over again, it just happens over and over again is that I get trapped in what I thought. This is going to drive me crazy over here. Welcome back. Furtick. Who sabotaged my screen while I was on break?

[Unknown]

Was it Robert Madue?

[Steven Furtick]

Did he mess up my screen? Was it Torrin Wells? Who messed up my screen? The biggest obstacle. Somebody shout if you know what I'm talking about. When I say the biggest problem I seem to have over and over again, it's not necessarily the enemies I face, but it's what I thought. It's not necessarily what my life is at this moment that's making me sad. It's what I thought my life was going to be at this season. It's not necessarily who I am as a person that makes me insecure. It's what I thought I was supposed to be based on what I saw that other people showed me from who they are, but I didn't see their flaws. So now I'm comparing my future to somebody whose flaws I have never seen. Now I'm frustrated about where I am, not because of where I am, but because of what I thought. I'm not frustrated because I'm not married at this age. I'm frustrated because I thought I would be. I'm not frustrated because I'm dealing with this situation. I'm frustrated because I didn't have the chance to prepare for it over and over again in my life. The biggest enemy to what God wants to do is what I thought he was going to do. I want you to get a time in your mind where you were what I like to call confidently wrong. I don't know if you can think of one or if you've blocked all of that out. Selective memory. I asked everybody in my family and if y' all know any way to fix that while I'm not using the screen, that would be awesome. If not, we'll all work around it and all of the OCD people will ignore that part of the screen that is not supposed to be like that. Now listen, I asked everybody in my family, I said, I need an opening illustration for my new series called that's what I Thought. I need you to tell me a time when you were so wrong and you were so sure you were right. Everybody in my family said, I can't think of one. Everybody in my family, I'll have to get back with you. And none of them got back to me. Which either means they can't remember one time where they were completely wrong and assured they were completely right, or it means there's nothing really harder in life than to going back and admitting and remembering when you were wrong. You just hit the lead on those times in your life like no one remembered them. The problem with that is then you can't grow from them as you go forward in the future. Now, when we say that Jesus takes away our shame and our sin, that doesn't mean he wants to cancel out the lessons we learn from our mistakes. It means he frees us from the penalty of it and the bondage to it. But it doesn't mean Jesus wants us to live our lives just to continue to be wrong in all the ways we were wrong a year ago, five years ago, 10 years ago. There's almost nothing more difficult than than remembering and admitting when you were just so wrong. I had one this week. I have fresh examples of being confidently wrong. I did it at the dinner table. One of our kids said something and I just came back with something. I didn't listen to the rest of their sentence and I completely missed the spirit of what they were trying to say. Just confidently wrong. I have about a 12 hour expiration dosage cycle on the dumb things I do. It takes that long for me to digest my dumb and then apologize. So 12 hours later I found myself saying I was so wrong for that. Now that's hard, isn't it? That's hard, isn't it, to say I was wrong to talk to you like that. I was wrong to assume that about you. I was wrong to judge you like that. I was wrong to put you in that position, even to admit dumb things. Like I was wrong when I said that song sucked. The first time I heard it, I thought it sucked. Now I realize it's a bop and I feel dumb because I like it. But I can't admit I like it because the first time I heard it, I thought it was silly.

[Unknown]

That actually is a banger.

[Steven Furtick]

I've been wrong about songs I've written before.

[Unknown]

We wrote a song in this church one time, and I thought it was good.

[Steven Furtick]

And then we went to record it.

[Unknown]

And after the recording, I turned to.

[Steven Furtick]

Holly and I said, well, I thought that song was good, but it's not good.

[Unknown]

She said, I thought it was pretty good.

[Steven Furtick]

I said, it wasn't good. You could tell the people didn't like it, the people didn't care about it.

[Unknown]

And it's not going to go anywhere.

[Steven Furtick]

After we recorded oh, come to the altar. That's how wrong I can be about a song. I'm glad I was wrong because it.

[Unknown]

Means there might be something else in.

[Steven Furtick]

My life right now that I think.

[Unknown]

Sucks, but it's actually going to be an amazing thing. If I'm wrong about that, then I might be wrong about this.

[Steven Furtick]

It is the utter relief of realizing you were wrong and admitting it and growing from it. But the only thing more difficult than remembering when you were wrong and admitting you were wrong, which I know isn't a very good way to start a sermon. None of us want to talk about that. The only thing more difficult than remembering and admitting I was wrong is to realize I am wrong.

[Unknown]

If it's that hard for everybody in my family and everybody watching this sermon to go back and remember I was so wrong, how could I have been so wrong to think what I thought or to say what I said, or to believe what I believed or to assume what I assumed? The only thing more difficult than remembering it because it doesn't feel good is realizing that I am wrong right now. If we don't even want to admit that we were wrong, how much less do we want to realize that we are wrong or might be wrong or could possibly be wrong? Just see if you can get it.

[Steven Furtick]

Out of your mouth. I may be wrong about that.

[Unknown]

When you get to that point in your life, you realize a lot of.

[Steven Furtick]

Us in here have iPhones. How many of you have iPhones? Hold up your iPhone right here at this part of the sermon. IPhones.

[Unknown]

I want you to realize that not.

[Steven Furtick]

Only do you have iPhones, but you also have I thoughts.

[Unknown]

It's possible that the devil has you.

[Steven Furtick]

Trapped in an I thought right now.

[Unknown]

In your life and I thought in.

[Steven Furtick]

The psalm we just read, the psalmist says something so incredibly miraculous and wonderful. He says, God's path led through the sea and his way through the mighty waters, though his footprints were not seen. But to understand the process by which he arrived at that thought, I want to take you all the way Back to the beginning of Psalm 77. Journey with me now for a moment while I build this thought out for you. That's what I thought. The psalmist is lamenting here. There are four different types of psalms in your Bible. There are Psalms of Praise, songs of Thanksgiving, Psalms of Wisdom, and Psalms of Lament. Lament is where they're just telling God their trouble. Lament is where they are being honest with God, Realizing that, why would you hide it from him? It's not like he didn't see the whole thing. Realizing that you can say something to God and he's big enough to handle your brokenness. This is a psalm of lament, but I want to show you how it goes from a psalm of Lament to a Psalm of wisdom. Over the course of the next several weeks. I want to help you with your thoughts. Some of your I thoughts are wrong. Some of your I thoughts about people are wrong. Some of your I thoughts about what is still ahead of you in your life are wrong. You could be confidently wrong, and you can be completely trapped. That's the situation for the psalmist in Psalm 77. It's not David writing this time. It's one of the sons of Asaph, the musical leaders, and he's pouring out his heart to God. He says, I cried out to God for help. I cried out to God to hear me when I was in distress. I sought the Lord at night. I stretched out untiring hands and I would not be comforted. I remembered you, God, and I groaned. What a strange thing to say. I thought it was, I remember you, God, and I was grateful. I remember you, God, and I praised. I remembered you, God, and I was encouraged. I remembered you, God, and I rejoiced. He said, it was so bad. I remembered you, and I groaned. The reason Psalm 77 is special and you might want to study it is because a lot of times when they wrote psalms, they were asking God to deal with external enemies. We have this giant facing us, this army coming against us, this sickness we're dealing with. It was an external enemy. Or in the case of Psalm 51, David is praying about his own sin. He's saying, create in me a clean heart, O God. I did something horrible and I need you to make me new. I need you to raise me up, and I need you to give me a second chance. But this is not a psalm about enemies, and this is not even a psalm about sin. In this psalm, the primary problem for the psalmist is not an external enemy or even his own sin. His Problem is God. His problem is God. And more specifically, his problem is God. Where did you go? His problem is God. When are you going to help me feel something again, God? When are you going to answer this? I'm holding out my arms to you, and you seem to be standing at a distance. I'm not even sure you're in the room. I'm not even sure you hear this.

[Unknown]

As he's recounting this.

[Steven Furtick]

I want you to understand the heaviness.

[Unknown]

Of it so that when I encourage.

[Steven Furtick]

You, in just a few moments, like.

[Unknown]

I plan to do with God's help.

[Steven Furtick]

You will understand the place this psalm starts at.

[Unknown]

He has a problem with God.

[Steven Furtick]

When you have a problem with bills, somebody can pay them for you. When you have a problem in your body, you can go to a doctor about that.

[Unknown]

When you have a problem, even in.

[Steven Furtick]

Your mind, you can have a therapist for that.

[Unknown]

But what do you do when your problem is with the one who has no boss? What do you do when your problem is with the one who has no.

[Steven Furtick]

Supervisor you may ask to speak to?

[Unknown]

What do you do when you're in a situation where what God did is so much different than what you thought he should do?

[Steven Furtick]

That is Psalm 77.

[Unknown]

I remembered you, God, and I groaned, not shouted. Groaned, not clapped, groaned, not danced. Groaned. I remembered you, God, and I groaned.

[Steven Furtick]

I meditated and my spirit grew faint. People will tell you all the time how much they've grown, but they won't tell you how much they groaned so they could grow into the place where they are today. This is the process of becoming a person God can use, and it is not easy.

[Unknown]

He said, my spirit grew faint.

[Steven Furtick]

You kept my eyes from closing. I was too troubled to speak. Then verse five gives us the entire problem, not only with the psalmist, but with ourselves. I thought. I thought about the former days. Justin, Do I even have to say it?

[Unknown]

Circle. I thought. Circle it.

[Steven Furtick]

For everybody in here who's having doubtful thoughts.

[Unknown]

Circle it. For everybody in here who's having fearful thoughts. Circle it. For everybody in here who's having jealous, petty, jelly thoughts, we're calling them right now. Circle it. For everybody in here who is dealing not with an external threat and maybe not even a personal sin, but with an. I thought. Now when I read this, at first, you're going to be like, he did the right thing. This is what you're supposed to do. This is what we teach in church, that you're supposed to go back and remember if you're in a season right now where you don't know what God is going to do. Just remember what he did. That's what it sounds like on the surface, but I want to dig a little bit because I've been waiting two months to preach this message and I'm going to preach it today. I thought about the first former days when my jeans fit a little looser. I thought about the former days when my hamstrings weren't so. I thought about the former days when I didn't need these readers to look at my Bible and this size 67 font in order to preach it to you. I thought about the former days, the years of long ago. I remembered my songs in the night. My heart meditated and my spirit asked, what's wrong with any of this?

[Steven Furtick]

Yes, it's an I thought I remembered my songs in the night. My heart meditated and my spirit asked. Now watch what happens when it starts with me. Verse 7. This is what you get back when you send out an I thought this is what you get back. And you know what? You can't block an I thought not with your fingers. You have to deal with it. The psalmist is putting it all out there for us today, which gives us permission to know that we can feel emotionally confused and still get spiritually strong. Watch what he says. It gets worse before it gets better. Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion? I thought, and that's what came back, what I heard the psalmist saying today, and I wonder if it's true of you. He says, I thought I suffered and I thought. I thought it was through. I thought back over the best days of my life and I thought they're behind me. I thought about the things I would love to see God do for me, that he has done for others. And I thought, well, I guess he just doesn't want to do it for me. I thought. I thought it was through. I thought that my experience of God had completely dried up. I thought he didn't love me anymore. The psalmist said that I didn't. So if you've ever felt that, you're in the Bible. I thought God had taken his hand off my life. I thought he had just given up on me because others did. I thought it was through. You see in this passage what they call the three P's of negative thinking. I'm going to be talking to you over the next six Weeks about. I thought, I'm going to be talking to you about three ways of negative thinking you may recognize in your life. They're all here in the psalm. We'll come back to them a few times, but I just want to point them out to you. He says, will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? I thought it was through. I thought it was gone. I didn't see his footprints in the sand. Y' all ever seen that little poster on the thing? Did you ever see butt prints in the sand? That's another one. You can look that up another time. He says, I felt rejected. I thought it was never going to come again. Now that's strong saying never. That's strong when you think he will never show you favor again. He said, I thought his love had vanished. They call these the three Ps of negative thinking because they're traps. It's when you take something that happens to you and you make it personal rejection. It's when you make it permanent. Never. And it's when it becomes pervasive. Vanished everywhere. It took everything away. It's completely ripping through your whole life. It's one thing to have a problem and you've got it in a corner. And this is the one thing I'm dealing with in my life. But you know the enemy has you in. And I thought, when it becomes personal, the Lord rejected me. There's something wrong with me. It's fine to be disappointed because somebody didn't want to be your friend. It is another thing to assume they are worthy to be the Olympic figure skating judge of your life. And then you stop putting yourself out there because you think somehow they have the stamp of approval to give the human race and that they know just from the virtue of their own goodness.

[Unknown]

Whether or not you're worthy.

[Steven Furtick]

Now you've got yourself isolated because you took it personal. There may have been something they were.

[Unknown]

Going through that was so dark. If you would have known that, you would have given them a hug and said, I'll send you a Christmas card. But now you have it. Personal, permanent.

[Steven Furtick]

It's never coming back. It's always going to be this way. It will never change. I'm never going to be able to go a week without doing this. I am never going to find anybody who gets me.

[Unknown]

It's permanent. It's going to stay this way forever. And it's pervasive. It's when you can't celebrate the kid.

[Steven Furtick]

Who'S doing good because of the one you're worried about.

[Unknown]

It's when you can't celebrate the health in your body because of the hell in your mind. It's because you're in an I thought he said. I thought it was through. I thought the dream was through. I thought the vision was through. I thought my joy. I thought my very joy in life was through. It's an I thought if you're there today, let's start there. I thought it was through. There are some things in your life that may very well be through. That's why you can't dwell on. I thought about the former days. That's why you can't watch Andy Griffith reruns and wish again for wholesome entertainment and curse this love island that this crap these kids are watching and the devil is taking over a generation. This is an I thought but the Lord, y' all are laughing like y' all have been watching it too. I thought it was through. I thought the best days were behind me. I thought I want to show you.

[Steven Furtick]

Something that's really helped me. It's something he said in verse two. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He said when I was in distress.

[Unknown]

Distress is a normal part of the.

[Steven Furtick]

Christian life, just like it's a normal part of the human experience.

[Unknown]

Distress in and of itself is not a problem.

[Steven Furtick]

When I was in distress. The promise God makes is not to protect us from distress. The promise God makes is not to keep all pressure from coming on our lives. The promise that God makes is not to make sure he always takes us the long way around any problem. The problem is when the distress becomes despair. There's a difference. Distress is this hurts, but I have hope. Despair is this hurts and I have no hope. Despair is dangerous. Despair is hurt minus hope. Despair is looking at the situation, saying never vanished, rejection, personal, permanent, pervasive. I thought the psalmist said not that this is just a difficult season and I have to get through it because.

[Unknown]

We all have those not. This is just a bad day and.

[Steven Furtick]

If I can make it till 5 o' clock without cussing anybody out, I can keep bringing home a paycheck and not get kicked out of this house. I'm behind a month on anyway. It's not if I can get through this.

[Unknown]

Is this all there is?

[Steven Furtick]

Despair is it's never going to get better. That's where the devil wants you. It's never going to get better and you'll always lose your temper. It's never going to get better. You will always be a failure and it's never going to get Better. You are always going to be too loud. You are always going to be too quiet. And you are always going to be too short.

[Unknown]

Did you ever think maybe God made.

[Steven Furtick]

You short so you could fit through little doors?

[Unknown]

Now, if this is where the psalmist starts, we have to do something today to get you out of this. If despair is dangerous and distress isn't dangerous, you can go through a lot of things. You've been through a lot of things, you've put up with a lot of things. Tell your neighbor I'm tougher than I look. Tell them again, I'm tougher than I look. Don't let my pretty smile fool you. I'm tougher than I look. I'm tougher than I look. I took a licking and kept on ticking. I'm tougher than I look. I'm like a weevil. I wobbled, but I didn't go down. I'm tougher than I look. I've had some challenges to my faith. I've had some questions about God. I'm still here praising. In fact, that's my two word testimony when I can't think of anything else to praise him for. Still here in a funk. Still here down in it. Still here wondering about it. It's still here. Peace isn't so what you have to do, child of God, is never allow distress, which is temporary, to become despair which says forever.

[Steven Furtick]

The devil specializes in turning distress into.

[Unknown]

Despair to get you so clouded by.

[Steven Furtick]

One conflict you have forgotten your calling.

[Unknown]

Who am I preaching to today? God sent this word to disrupt your despair. Hear me. God sent this word to disrupt your despair. Every I thought that has been telling you you will not make it. Every I thought that has been telling you you are not worthy of God's love.

[Steven Furtick]

The cross.

[Unknown]

Cross made you worthy. What does it have to do with your behavior? What did it ever have to do with your behavior? It's about his blood. I call you worthy in the name of Jesus. I call you healed by his stripes. I call you forgiven. And his favor is coming to your situation right now. Into your room, into your home, into your wound, into your family, into your business, into that thing that the devil told you.

[Steven Furtick]

It's through.

[Unknown]

Give up.

[Steven Furtick]

It's through.

[Unknown]

Quit fighting.

[Steven Furtick]

It's through.

[Unknown]

Don't go back to rehab.

[Steven Furtick]

It's through.

[Unknown]

Give up on it. Just manage the addiction.

[Steven Furtick]

It's through. Just walk away from it. It's through.

[Unknown]

Just move to another city and start over the same stuff all over again.

[Steven Furtick]

Until it catches up with you. It's through.

[Unknown]

Leave.

[Steven Furtick]

It's through. But I found something for the trap. I found a truth for the trap, for everybody who has been in an I thought, and I know you know the one I'm talking about. Don't make me start prophesying the I thought the one that starts with you and ends with misery. You know, every thought that starts with me ends in misery eventually, if it doesn't involve God. What I noticed from what I read from Brueggemann and some of the other theologians I was looking up. He said, I thought about the former days and I thought it was personal, permanent, pervasive. I would ask God to help me with the problem. But God was the problem. I didn't know where to go. I kind of lied to you. When I set the sermon up, I said I was going to share a verse I read that meant a lot to me right after Elijah got out of the hospital. I am, but it wasn't the one I read you when I started sermon. It's a little sniper verse. You could just gloss right over it. But remember how bad of a state this guy was in. What's going to turn it around for you? What's going to turn it around for us? What's going to break us out of these patterns and traps of thinking the devil says never?

[Unknown]

What's going to break us out of.

[Steven Furtick]

This limited view of your situation that can't find God in it because you have gotten so blurry in the battle? I told my mom I'm going to be reading from Psalm 77 to preach this week. She likes. I'll give her a little head start. She sent me back a picture of her Bible open to Psalm 77. She's like, I already beat you to it, preacher. I'm trying to do her voice when I do that. It was a text, but that's how she would have said it. I said, bring that Bible because I want to show you something. Give me my camera. This psalm, it's not Psalm 23. Everybody knows Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not whine. It's a relatively obscure psalm.

[Unknown]

You see how she had that circled?

[Steven Furtick]

Sometimes it takes a minute to see it. That's like the Lord. Well, this illustration isn't really working too well either. But what I wanted to show you that I can show you. Direct me, man. Do I need to stand somewhere different? I'll do whatever I need to do. That's better. She has that Psalm 77 circled like a serial killer.

[Unknown]

I realized why she's got it all.

[Steven Furtick]

Underlined I said, bring the Bible to church. I've got to show the people something. She was circling everything in this Bible all the way down to has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?

[Unknown]

Then on her Bible, that's the part.

[Steven Furtick]

Where that page ends. I told her, I was like, that's not the best part of Psalm 77.

[Unknown]

She's like, yeah, that's what I was.

[Steven Furtick]

Reading right after your dad died. Thanks a lot. I was like, yeah, no, that's a good part of Psalm 77 too, obviously, when you're going through things. I said, read the rest and hit me. A couple hours later, my dad died of ALS. It was over 10 years ago. It was in June of 2013. This Psalm meant a lot to her during that low time of her life. She was reading it like we do and we come to this place. I thought it was through and she had just lost her husband. She had just lost him after caring for him. It was an atrocious, atrocious disease. But what I want to show her and you today from Psalm 77 is in verse 10, May this change your life. May this break your pattern. May this bring you out of the trap. He said, I was stuck in an I thought. Then I thought, that's the whole sermon. Then I thought, circle it on the screen, Justin. Then I thought, no, circle. Then I thought, because the first thought wasn't the right thought. Then I thought, I thought, I thought, I thought. And I got stuck in a loop of I thoughts. Then I thought, verse 10 is the hinge where everything changes for this Psalmist. Verse 10 is the hinge where everything can change for you and I. Verse 10 is the hinge depression doesn't want you to know about. Verse 10 is the hinge the devil wants to hide and delete off of your Bible app. Verse 10 is the hinge the devil doesn't want you to turn to. Because after all of that, which is real, after all of that, which is a part of being you, after all.

[Unknown]

Of that, I thought it was through.

[Steven Furtick]

After all of that, he says, Then.

[Unknown]

I thought, let's see what he thought next to this. I will appeal the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. I will remember the deeds of the Lord. Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and.

[Steven Furtick]

Meditate on all your mighty deeds. Go back to verse 10.

[Unknown]

Then I thought to this I will appeal the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. Go back to verse two. When we started with these I thoughts he was saying, when I was in distress, I sought the Lord. At night, I stretched out untiring hands. Who stretched out, I stretched out. I can't do this much longer. I don't care how many interior raises you do in the gym for your shoulders. You can only do this so long. Is it possible that the reason you are so faint in your faith and so weary in your worship and so discouraged about your destiny, the reason you think that it's through is because you have been so focused on this? God, I can't give anymore. I can't do anymore. I already feel so stretched. God, I feel so empty. I feel so unseen. I feel so uncelebrated. I keep stretching out my hands. I keep putting myself forth. I keep taking my next step. But you're not there.

[Steven Furtick]

Then.

[Unknown]

Then I thought, I'm going to appeal to a higher court. Instead of thinking about how I'm doing this, let me think about the years when God stretched his hand. When I start thinking about how he stretched his hand and I forget about my hands. Suddenly my hands go up in worship because I remember that the battle is not mine, but it belongs to the Lord. 15 seconds of praise for everybody who needs a thin eyeball. Then I thought, oh, that's anointed. Yeah. High five. Your neighbor say. Then I thought. I thought over and over I thought. Then I thought, oh, yeah. Then I thought, I thought it was through. Then I thought, I might as well throw in the towel. Then I was very focused on all the reasons I had not to go forward.

[Steven Furtick]

Y' all slow.

[Unknown]

Y' all are real slow. Y' all are slow like molasses in the South. Then I thought, let me think about his hand.

[Steven Furtick]

Let me remember his deeds.

[Unknown]

He does it in a quartet. He talks about the mighty deeds of God, the works of God, the awesome deeds of God, the deeds of God. He lists them off and rattles them off. Because he said, I thought it was through.

[Steven Furtick]

Then after I had gotten done with all of my questions. Then after I had poured out all my complaints.

[Unknown]

Then after I had considered all the reasons I had to be afraid, I.

[Steven Furtick]

Thought it was through. But then.

[Unknown]

I felt thought it through. I thought about saying, all right, devil, I quit. Then I thought it was through. But then I thought it through and I decided I wouldn't despair unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. High five. Why seven people say I thought it through. Now let me tell you what I mean in verse 19, let's go right back to the top of the sermon. He said, when I thought about the way God works. Don't sit down, you're about to shout again. You might as well just save yourself a calorie burn. You might as well just save yourself the cardio. Just go ahead and jump up now by faith and get ready to celebrate. He said, you path led through. Circle the word through. Let's do Bible study. I wanted you to take me around it. I wanted you to carry me over it. I wanted you to give me a boat. But instead of a boat, I have a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Your path, your path led through. Tell your neighbor I thought it through your way through the mighty waters. Through the mighty waters. Though your footprints weren't seen. Why didn't I see see God's footprints? Because he was working with his hand at a higher level. He was driving back waters. I didn't know he needed to part so he could drown. Egyptians who were chasing me and trying.

[Steven Furtick]

To bring me back into captivity. What am I trying to say? Think it through. You just keep thinking the same I thoughts and you're like, I do think it through. I'm an overthinker. Just because you think it again doesn't mean you thought it through.

[Unknown]

You underthinker. You, you think like this.

[Steven Furtick]

Oh well, the devil is attacking me. I guess God is not with me.

[Unknown]

What if you thought that through God.

[Steven Furtick]

Must be so with me.

[Unknown]

This is how you think it through God. I went to my in laws 50th.

[Steven Furtick]

Wedding anniversary the other day. Clap your hands for that.

[Unknown]

And it survived betrayal and it survived.

[Steven Furtick]

Addiction and it survived special needs.

[Unknown]

There were times where they thought it wouldn't make it. Then I thought the challenge is you can't see the path in the present. It's only in retrospect that the Red Sea looks like a blessing. I'll show you what I mean. Go to Exodus 14. When the Israelites came up on the Red Sea. They came up on the Red Sea. They were leaving Egypt.

[Steven Furtick]

They had been slaves for 430 years.

[Unknown]

And God was leading them out. They were happy. They were ready to dance.

[Steven Furtick]

They even packed their tambourines.

[Unknown]

As the tambourines are jingling in their suitcase. Oh no, here comes trouble. What is the sound of that very high pitch? It doesn't sound like a tambourine. It's an Egyptian chariot. Oh no, the Egyptians are coming after us. So watch what they thought because I'm trying to get you to see that you might be wrong. You might think the Attack means it's through. That's an I thought. They thought.

[Steven Furtick]

Watch this. Exodus 14. The Lord said to Moses, stretch your hand over the sea, that the waters may go full back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen. Most church has hand over sea daybreak. The Egyptians are fleeing toward it. The Lord swept them into the sea. Oh, so the Israelites didn't die, the Egyptians did. Go to verse 28. The water flowed back and covered all the chariots and horsemen. Now that all sounds so wonderful. God drowned their enemies. I know, I'm rushing this. I don't have time. You go. Come back next week for part two of this. What's crazy to me about this scripture is the scripture says that when they got to the edge of their escape route in Exodus 14:11, they said to.

[Unknown]

Moses, was it because there were no.

[Steven Furtick]

Graves in Egypt that you brought us.

[Unknown]

To the desert to die? They thought that water was going to kill them. That's what they thought. Now look at chapter 15, verse 1.

[Steven Furtick]

When they got to the other side and the Egyptians were all dead behind them and the thing they thought was going to kill them. Exodus 15:1 Circle the word. Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord.

[Unknown]

I will sing to the Lord.

[Steven Furtick]

That's fine. But you have to sing that same song on the other side so you can get through this.

[Unknown]

Somebody say.

[Steven Furtick]

Then I thought, it is the hinge of the scripture for the people of God. They remembered their Exodus.

[Unknown]

This deliverance motif sets the entire story.

[Steven Furtick]

For Jesus, who would be the greater Moses, who would bring us out of the slavery to sin.

[Unknown]

It's all set up here. The psalmist is looking back and saying, when I could not see your footprints.

[Steven Furtick]

I remembered that your hand was working in the night.

[Unknown]

You have been looking at the wrong level. And you have been thinking at the wrong level. God's thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways are not our ways. What if the attack that is against.

[Steven Furtick]

You is actually sent to remind you.

[Unknown]

How valuable what you carry actually is? Think it through. The devil is not omnipresent. The devil does not have unlimited ammunition. So if there is an attack against your life, if there is an attack against your family, if there is an attack against your mind, there is something in your future that hell has recognized. Think it through. What is it? What is it that hell knows about my family? That I forgot about my family? Then I thought it through.

[Steven Furtick]

And even more, what is it that God knows? I need to learn that he would let me go through this. If you really want to get out of the I thought, what is it he's going to use this for in somebody else's life? Did I really suffer this much to stay silent about what he taught me as a student? So the word of the Lord is think it through. Think it through. It never comes like you thought it would come, not when it comes from God. Because if it came like you thought it would come, then your thoughts would be God. He says, my ways are not your ways. Neither are my thoughts your thoughts. It just blessed me to think about all of the people in here who instead of giving up on this pursuit of Jesus, instead of giving up on your purity, instead of giving up on the impact God has called you to make, instead of thinking it was through, you're going to think it through today so that the song you have to sing on the other side reflects the faithfulness of the God who split the sea. One moment it looked like the sea was going to kill them, the next minute they realized, wait, God didn't bring us this far to drown us. He didn't bring us out here to leave us.

[Unknown]

He didn't bring us out here because.

[Steven Furtick]

He'S not with us. He brought us out here because the enemy can't swim.

[Unknown]

Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of you who give generously to this ministry. It's because of you that this ministry is possible. You can click the link in the description to Give now or visit elevationchurch.orgpodcast for more information and if you enjoyed.

[Steven Furtick]

The podcast podcast you can subscribe.

[Unknown]

You can share it with your friends. You can click the share button, take a screenshot and share it on your social stories and tag us evationchurch. Thanks again for listening.

[Steven Furtick]

God bless you.

[Unknown]

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[Steven Furtick]

This is an I Heart podcast.