Elevation with Steven Furtick

Episode: “I'm Confused About My Calling”

Date: September 26, 2025
Host: Pastor Steven Furtick

Overview

This episode kicks off a new series titled “Maybe God,” exploring the uncertainty and mystery around the concept of calling. Pastor Steven Furtick addresses the confusion many believers face as they try to discern God's purpose for their lives. Using the story of Samuel’s call from 1 Samuel 3, Furtick examines popular cultural misconceptions about “finding your calling” and shares practical wisdom about discerning God’s voice, the role of relationships and contacts in spiritual growth, and the difference between activity and genuine relationship with God.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Mystery of God vs. Cultural Certainty

• [02:06] Furtick introduces the series, observing that Christianity is rooted in mystery (“we worship a God who can best be explained as mystery”), while our culture craves certainty.
• This tension leads to confusion about hearing God’s voice and understanding one’s purpose.

2. The Narrative of Samuel’s Call

• [04:54] Reads 1 Samuel 3:1-10, noting “the word of the Lord was rare” and “the lamp of God had not yet gone out. There’s still time.”

  “If you're still breathing, there's still time.” — Co-Pastor, [04:50]

• Furtick relates this to the idea that God can call us at any stage, despite past mistakes or lost time.

3. Redefining “Calling”

• [07:45] Discusses the modern weariness with “finding your calling,” noting the pressure to discover a grand, unique purpose can be unrelatable and even paralyzing for many:

  “You’re trying to pay bills... I’m doing good to find my keys in the morning, and you want to talk about finding your calling.” — Steven Furtick, [08:26]

• He critiques the self-help-infused, ambition-driven view of calling that can lead to discontent.

4. The Rarity of God’s Word and Cultural Neglect

• [11:03] Links Samuel’s era with our own information-saturated but truth-starved age.

  “Would you agree with me that we are drowning in information, drowning in opinion, drowning in agenda... but starving for truth?” — Steven Furtick, [11:45]

• The problem is not access to God’s word but our attitude toward it:

  “When the Word of God becomes common to us, we will have access to the Word of God, but it will not have impact on our life.” — Steven Furtick, [13:19]

5. The Role of Relationships and Guidance (“The Contact”)

• [20:41] The story of Samuel and Eli illustrates that God’s voice is often mediated through people, even imperfect ones.
• Furtick emphasizes the need for older, wiser voices in our lives:

  “I'm really seeing the value in people who may not have the physical vision they used to have, but they can discern spiritual things.” — Steven Furtick, [21:15]

• The voices (contacts) we surround ourselves with influence our ability to discern God’s voice:

  “Whoever you put around you the most will start to affect the voice inside of you.” — Steven Furtick, [22:24]

6. Confusion as Part of the Process

• [18:03] Even Samuel, a great prophet, didn’t recognize God’s voice immediately.

  “Even this great prophet didn’t get it right the first time. I want to set you free today from the feeling that you have to find your calling.” — Steven Furtick, [18:20]

• The calling finds us as we serve faithfully where we are:

  “If I will serve the purpose of the season I’m in... my calling will find me.” — Steven Furtick, [19:23]

7. Wrestling with Multiple Callings and Conflicts

• [39:00] Furtick shares personally about the evolving nature of his callings—preacher, husband, father:

  “Sometimes they needed different techniques. What if I walked home and said, ‘Holly, give him a shout of praise?’ It’s different callings.” — Steven Furtick, [39:23]

• Life’s complexity often comes from the tension of overlapping responsibilities, not from lack of purpose.

8. The Critical Practice: Availability

• The core response is to present oneself as available—“Here I am”—rather than demand clarity or certainty.

  “The only thing God has ever wanted from you was all of you.” — Steven Furtick, [43:06] “When he said, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening,’ it created access not only for God's word to come to him, but for God's word to come through him.” — Steven Furtick, [40:33]

9. God’s Consistent, Patient Call

• [29:20] Encourages listeners with the patience of God:

  “How many are glad that God has called, waiting? That God will call you again? Ask Jonah.” — Steven Furtick, [29:20]

• Failure and confusion do not disqualify believers; God repeats his call.

10. God Seeks Relationship Above All

• [45:30] The will of God is not primarily about tasks, schools, jobs, or achievements:

  “We've made the will of God a resource. It's not a resource. It's a relationship.” — Steven Furtick, [45:43]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the difference between God’s will and God’s presence:

  “God does not want you to depend on his will. He wants you to depend on him. There's a difference.” — Co-Pastor, [33:40]

• On spiritual mentorship:

  “Eli wasn't even a perfect priest...yet God was in the process of moving him out. Even in that transition...God deals with Samuel, but he does it through Eli.” — Steven Furtick, [21:04]

• On the accessibility of calling:

  “You don't have to find your calling... If I will serve the purpose of the season I'm in... my calling will find me.” — Steven Furtick, [19:23]

• On the “gray and blue” iPhone analogy:

  “Our relationship with God is all gray to where he is speaking... But the breakthrough is in the blue. It's not just when God speaks, it's when you get in your place.” — Co-Pastor & Steven Furtick, [37:11]

• On managing competing callings:

  “I felt like I didn’t just have different hats, I had different heads. This is the conflict of calling. But the answer is always availability, presence, access.” — Steven Furtick, [40:47]

Timestamps & Important Segments

• [02:06] — Series intro and framing the mystery/certainty tension
• [04:54] — Scripture reading & “there’s still time” encouragement
• [11:25] — Cultural critique: Drowning in information, starving for truth
• [13:19] — Access vs. attitude toward God’s Word
• [18:03] — Samuel’s confusion and “finding your calling” debunked
• [19:23] — “My calling will find me” key insight
• [20:41] — The importance of contacts and mentorship (Eli/Samuel)
• [26:22] — Choosing relationships that strengthen your calling
• [29:20] — God’s persistence: “God will call you again”
• [34:06] — Ritual vs. relational knowing of God
• [37:11] — “Breakthrough is in the blue” metaphor
• [39:22] — Multiple callings and their tensions
• [43:13] — “Here I am” — the posture of availability
• [45:30] — God’s will as relationship, not just resource or certainty

Conclusion & Call to Action

Pastor Furtick concludes by praying that listeners make themselves available (“Here I am”), emphasizing that God’s voice most often comes not as a grand epiphany but in ordinary moments—through relationships, repetition, conflict, and stillness. The real breakthrough isn’t just in clarity or certainty, but in confident, humble presence with God—trusting that as you are faithful in each season, your calling will find you.

“God wants to get us to the place where we are not running around all the time talking about what we’re going to do one day...The only thing God has ever wanted from you was all of you.” — Steven Furtick, [41:30] & [43:06]