Podcast Summary: Elevation with Steven Furtick

Episode: "It Can't End Like This..."
Date: April 10, 2026
Host: Pastor Steven Furtick (Elevation Church)
Duration: ~37 minutes (content)

Main Theme & Purpose

This Easter episode centers on the profound theme: "It can't end like this." Pastor Steven Furtick explores Mark 16’s account of the resurrection, focusing on the seemingly abrupt and unsatisfying ending of Mark’s gospel, and how—despite fear, failure, or frustration—God is enacting hope, grace, and new beginnings. The message offers encouragement for anyone facing "dead ends" in their lives, ensuring listeners that God works beyond what is seen and that every story, by God's grace, continues past apparent endings.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Easter Text: Mark 16 and an Unexpected Ending

• [03:18] Pastor Steven reads from Mark 16:1–8, recounting the story of Mary Magdalene, Mary (mother of James), and Salome visiting the empty tomb.
• He notes how Mark’s gospel ends abruptly, with the women fleeing the tomb in fear and silence:

  “On that note, Mark's Gospel ends. It's an anticlimactic ending. It's not how we would expect it to end, but that's how it ends.” (03:50)

2. Personal Anecdotes: Movies, Endings, and Family

• Shares a story about watching the movie Rudy with his son and wife, using their reactions as a metaphor for how we process endings in our own lives.

  “I wanted Elijah to see Rudy because he's playing football and...he’s starting to understand that his genetics aren't necessarily on his side...” (05:55)
  “She likes the ending where they end up together on a beach. I like the movie where everybody is dead in the end.” (07:45)

3. Mark’s Ending vs. Other Gospels: Absence and Faith

• Mark’s account uniquely lacks an appearance of the risen Jesus—only an announcement and empty tomb.

  “When Mark gets ready to end his gospel, there is no appearance of Jesus. There is only an announcement.” (13:45)

• Highlights the nature of faith:

  “Faith for me is not a matter of imagination. It's a matter of interpretation.” (14:20)
  “The greatest demonstration of God's power came in the moment when Jesus wasn't there.” (15:18)

4. The Hidden Strength of the Women at the Tomb

• Celebrates Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome’s courage and “quiet strength” to go where others wouldn't.
• Points out the absence of Peter and other male disciples—often the loudest are not the most loyal.
• Identifies “the stone” as both a literal and metaphorical obstacle—mirroring personal burdens like depression or past trauma.

  “Upon realizing we have the spices, watch this. But we don’t have the strength to roll the stone away.” (22:30)

5. God Works On What Worries Us: Faith In Action

• Emphasizes that while the women worried, God had already provided—mirroring how often God works “in the dark.”

  “God is already working out what you're worried about. God already has your miracle in motion, if you will take a step in faith.” (25:00)

• References Matthew's version, where an angel rolls away the stone, signifying God's intervention is already underway.

  “While they were walking, God was working.” (27:20)

6. Failure Isn’t Final: The Story of Peter

• Highlights verse 7: “Go tell his disciples... and Peter.”

  “That hit me hard that the one who disappointed Jesus the most deeply was the one he singled out by name for redemption.” (31:45)

• Encourages listeners that personal failure is not final; it’s the turning point where grace takes over.

  “I know that my story can't end in failure because God has already promised me his grace for every failure I would face in this life.” (33:10)

7. Resurrection as an Ellipsis, Not an Exclamation Point

• Rethinks the resurrection not as an exclamation—“It is finished”—but as an ellipsis (...), an open invitation to trust and continue beyond fear.

  “Now I see Easter, those three days, as three dots to see whether or not your story is going to end here in your fear.” (34:20)

8. Fear Is Never The End: Biblical Examples

• Cites individuals in Mark’s gospel who feared but found, on the other side of fear, hope and restoration (the woman with an issue of blood, Jairus’ daughter, the disciples in the storm).

  “When Mark says fear, something follows. It's not the end. Touch somebody and say, it's not the end. It's a new beginning.” (36:00)

• Asserts that the starting point of faith is often fear and uncertainty.

9. Grace Is the Endgame: Salvation Invitation

• The episode culminates in an invitation for listeners to receive grace, accept new beginnings, and move forward from places of shame, fear, and perceived finality.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Faith:

  “Faith for me is not a matter of imagination. It's a matter of interpretation. Not a denial of reality, but a deeper reality.” (14:20)

• On God’s Work:

  “While they were walking, God was working.” (27:20)

• On Failure:

  “Failure is not the end. It's the hinge on which the doors of God's grace swing wide open for you to experience his forgiveness at a greater level.” (33:55)

• On the Resurrection:

  “Now I see Easter as the ellipses of heaven... three dots to see whether or not your story is going to end here in your fear.” (34:20)

• On Grace:

  “God has brought you to this moment to receive his grace. Right now it's my privilege to pray with you—for every Peter, for every Mary, for every Salome who has been in a season of disappointment.” (35:45)

Important Timestamps

• 03:18 – Opening scripture reading (Mark 16:1–8)
• 05:55 – Rudy story and analogy about expectations and endings
• 13:45 – Comparison of Mark’s gospel ending to others
• 14:20 – Explanation of faith as interpretation, not denial
• 22:30 – The women at the tomb; practical obstacles and what they represent
• 25:00 – God works while we walk; worry vs. faith
• 27:20 – “While they were walking, God was working.”
• 31:45 – “And Peter”—grace for the most disappointed
• 33:10 – Personalization of grace after failure
• 34:20 – Resurrection as God’s ellipsis, not an end
• 36:00 – Fear being the start of faith, not its end
• 35:45–37:03 – Invitation to salvation and new beginnings

Conclusion: Key Takeaway

Pastor Steven Furtick’s Easter message challenges listeners not to see fear, frustration, or failure as the end of their story. The abrupt ending of Mark’s gospel is not a void, but an invitation into faith—a faith that trusts God is working behind the scenes, especially in uncertain times. The assurance: “It can’t end like this,” because in Christ, every apparent ending becomes a new beginning.