Elevation with Steven Furtick

Episode: It's Mine To Manage

Date: December 5, 2025
Host: Steven Furtick (Pastor, Elevation Church)

Main Theme / Purpose

This episode centers on the principle: "It's Mine To Manage.” Pastor Steven Furtick explores the biblical story of the Israelites crossing the Jordan (Joshua 4:1-9), drawing parallels to how God gives us blessings, opportunities, and miracles—but it’s our responsibility to manage them. The talk delves into stewardship, gratitude, how we “manage the middle” seasons of life, and the critical importance of sharing our testimony and stories of faith with future generations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Scriptural Foundation: The Israelites and the Jordan Crossing

• Scripture Read: Joshua 4:1-9 – God instructs Joshua to have 12 men carry stones from the Jordan as a memorial.
  • “They're coming to realize what God has already revealed.” [03:00]
• Furtick encourages listeners to look beyond the literal event to see how God’s promises and moments of transition relate to personal and church life [03:20].

2. It’s God’s to Give, Ours to Manage

• Core Principle:
  • “God made it, but I get to manage it.” [07:37]
  • “Say it out loud: It’s his to give, mine to manage.” [09:11]
• Practical Applications:
  • Parenting analogy: Giving his son a phone—he owns the phone, but his son manages its use [08:00].
  • “The more of a privilege you see something to be, the more of a responsibility you feel toward it.” [06:13]
• Furtick connects managing day-to-day life, emotions, and especially joy as a matter of stewardship [09:40].
  • “My joy is my job. No matter what happens when I get to my job, no one can steal my joy because my joy is not under anyone else’s jurisdiction.” [09:53]

3. Managing the Middle

• Transition Challenge: The Israelites moved from wandering (manna provided) to self-management in the promised land —a mental and spiritual shift [12:00].
• “God did not carry his people across the Jordan. He enabled his people to cross.” [15:55]
• Relates this to modern life:
  • Many wait for God to do everything, but responsibility and faith in action are required [16:01].
• “Managing the middle” is the hardest part—not the start or end, but persisting and staying faithful during transitions and uncertainties [17:17-18:28].
  • “The challenge isn’t believing that he knows how this is going to end. My challenge is...standing in the middle.” [18:19]

4. The Power of Remembrance and Testimony

• The 12 stones represented remembrance—a physical testimony for future generations [23:11].
  • “Show them the stones and tell them, ‘We didn't know if we were going to make it through—but God did something only He could do. We made it.’” [23:58]
• The risk: memorials (stones) can remain, but the story/testimony can fade [26:31-27:48].
  • Reference to Judges 2:10: “Another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.” [27:48]
• Modern Implications:
  • Busy lives and ongoing struggles can lead us to focus on battles, not blessings, letting current “battles” eclipse past testimonies [32:36-32:59].
  • “Sometimes when you don’t go back where you started and remember what God did...you lose perspective when you get where you’re going.” [33:19]

5. Your Testimony Matters—Big or Small

• Encouragement that stories of God’s faithfulness today are necessary, not just those from decades past [34:24].
  • “You can fight today’s devils if you have today’s testimony. There needs to be a current work God is doing in your life.” [34:31]
• Your testimony doesn’t have to be sensational—little testimonies still defeat giants (cf. David and Goliath) [34:57].
  • “You can fight depression with a little rock if you know how to throw it.” [35:03]

6. Personal Story: When You Need Your Own Testimony

• Furtick recounts a recent Saturday night when he felt discouraged and unsupported, seeking prayer [36:13-37:56]:
  • Tried to call friends (Judah Smith, Craig Groeschel)—neither answered.
  • Prayed a reluctant, “fine, faith” prayer—phone immediately rang, it was Bishop T.D. Jakes calling to pray for him.
  • “Moments where I called His name and there was nobody there to answer—and then all of a sudden, something from heaven with no caller ID…God reached out and strengthened me.” [39:46-40:26]
• Lesson: Be vigilant to tell these stories, to self and others, to counter negative internal narratives [41:15].

7. Corporate and Generational Application

• Concern for church: Are we only consumers of “spiritual food,” or are we stewards and storytellers? [42:45]
• “The gospel is God’s story, but it’s ours to manage. We are stewards of the story God is telling in the world today. What a privilege it is.” [43:09]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with timestamps)

• “God made it, but I get to manage it.” [07:37]
• “My joy is my job. No matter what happens...no one can steal my joy because my joy is not under anyone else’s jurisdiction.” [09:53]
• “The water didn’t stop flowing until the people started walking.” [17:11]
• “Isn’t that the hardest thing in life—to manage the middle?” [17:40]
• “Show them the stones and tell them...we didn’t know if we were going to make it through—but God did something only He could do.” [23:58]
• “Joshua’s generation set up the stones. The next generation didn’t even know the story. What happened?” [27:48]
• “The gospel is God’s story, but it’s ours to manage.” [43:09]
• “This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.” [43:44]

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment | Content | |---------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:38 | Scripture Read | Joshua 4:1-9, introduction of “It’s mine to manage” theme | | 07:37 | Core Distinction | “God made it, but I get to manage it.” | | 09:53 | Personal Responsibility for Joy | “My joy is my job...” | | 14:07 | “How many...has God brought you through?” | Call to praise for God’s faithfulness | | 16:01 | Self-Action Required | “God did not carry them—He enabled them.” | | 18:19 | Managing “the middle” of challenges | | | 23:11 | The 12 Stones: Remembrance | Symbolism and parallel to months/tribes/disciple patterns | | 27:48 | Generational Disconnect | “...Another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done”| | 34:24 | The Need for a Current Testimony | Testimony not just for the past | | 39:46 | Bishop T.D. Jakes’ Unexpected Phone Call | God’s surprising encouragement | | 43:09 | Stewarding God’s Story | Call to action for the church | | 43:44 | Hymn: “This is My Story, This is My Song” | Worship and reflection moment | | 45:08 | The Jordan as End & Beginning | Managing transitions determines the outcome | | 47:17 | Prayer: “The victory is Yours to give...” | Surrender and appeal for grace and faith | | 49:31 | Corporate Prayer for Salvation | Invitation to new and renewed faith |

Structure of the Episode

00:00 – 01:36

Commercials/Intros (skipped; not summarized)

[01:53]

Opening and Setting the Theme

• Furtick sets up the Game Changer series and moves into Joshua 4.

[03:38]

Scripture and Initial Reflection

[05:24]

Introduction of Main Theme

• “It’s Mine to Manage”—personal, practical introductions via parenting metaphor.

[06:13 – 13:00]

Theology & Stewardship

• Privileges bring responsibility, “God’s to give, ours to manage,” joy as a managed attribute.

[14:07 – 21:17]

Transitions and “The Middle”

• Symbolism of Jordan, what it means to stand in faith in uncertainty, the challenge of “the middle.”

[21:37 – 29:56]

Remembrance, Testimony, and Generational Transfer

• Importance of physically and verbally reminding ourselves and others of God’s acts.

[30:27 – 35:18]

Ongoing Testimony and Applications

• Testimonies need to be alive and current, not just historical; little miracles matter.

[36:13 – 41:15]

Personal Story and Application

• Furtick’s own moment of discouragement, God’s unexpected provision.

[41:23 – 49:31]

Church, Generations, and Corporate Application

• The story the church tells, call to stewardship and remembrance, corporate prayer for salvation.

[43:44, 47:17, 49:31]

Worship & Closing Prayer

• Hymn, call for faith, invitation for salvation.

Final Encouragement

Pastor Furtick closes with an altar call, reminder that salvation is by grace, and a prayer asking God to help listeners “manage the middle,” to steward both burden and blessing—all from a posture of gratitude and faith. The episode ends with collective prayer and worship.

For Listeners:
This episode is a stirring call to recognize how what God entrusts to us—time, emotions, testimony, family, and resources—is a privilege and an assignment. It’s a reminder not to lose or minimize our testimonies, but to keep telling and living the stories of God’s faithfulness—because “it’s mine to manage.”