Podcast Summary: "It's Worth The Dirt"

Podcast: Elevation with Steven Furtick
Host: Pastor Steven Furtick
Date: January 25, 2026

Episode Overview

In this message, Pastor Steven Furtick challenges listeners to reconsider how they interpret the "dirt"—the messy, difficult, and unseen parts—of life. With references to Matthew 13’s parables, he encourages the church to recognize that growth, breakthrough, and true treasures are often found in what seems insignificant or undesirable. The central theme: God's greatest works often begin in small, hidden, or uncomfortable places—“it’s worth the dirt.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Setup: Overcoming Challenges Just to Gather

• A significant storm is forecasted, causing uncertainty about holding church.
• Technical difficulties: The sound system repeatedly fails during worship.
• Furtick reframes these obstacles as signals not to quit, but to press forward, saying:

  "Maybe God didn't want me to bring this message today. All these distractions and all these hindrances… Maybe the devil didn't." (11:45)

2. Scripture Foundation: Parables from Matthew 13

• The Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32):
  A small seed grows into the biggest plant, sheltering birds in its branches.
• The Treasure in the Field (Matthew 13:44):
  A man finds hidden treasure, sells all he has—not to buy just the treasure, but the whole field (dirt and all).

3. Interpreting “Worth”: Knowing When to Press On or Let Go

• Maturity is defined as discerning what is truly worth effort and what isn’t.
• Practical personal anecdotes:
  • Sacrificing work to attend his son’s wrestling match, realizing his presence made the victory possible.
  • Deciding to stop “leg day” at the gym after acknowledging the pain outweighed the benefits.

4. The Principle of Small Beginnings

• The Kingdom of God often starts with something overlooked or dismissed—a seed, a habit, a choice.

  "It's little until it isn't." (37:10)

• Small acts of obedience or faith can become significant over time.

5. Recognizing the Hidden Value of the “Dirt”

• "Dirt" is the context for growth, both for seeds and for treasures.

• Churches, relationships, and individuals all have “dirt”—imperfections, problems, unresolved issues.

• Growth requires being planted, not just moving from place to place seeking pristine circumstances.

  "You grow in the dirt. You grow in community. You grow when you have to work through conflict. Quit switching people and start letting God change you." (54:00)

6. Treasure Is Found in the Field—Not Just the Treasure

• In the parable, the treasure is bought by buying the whole field—the good and the bad.

• Marriage, ministry, and faith are about embracing the whole “field,” dirt included.

  “When I put the ring on Holly’s finger…she didn’t say I do to the diamond, she said I do to the dirt.” (1:08:45)

• Applies this insight to relationships and church life: choosing to stay and grow, not chasing perfection.

7. God’s Perspective: God Does Dirt

• God made humanity from dirt (Genesis 1:7).

• God’s transformative work doesn’t avoid broken, messy lives—He “does dirt.”

• The battle of life isn’t just over the seed, but the branches—the generational impact and legacy.

  “The battle is not over your seed. The battle is over your tree. The battle is over your branches.” (1:19:00)

8. Making It Personal—Application and Encouragement

• Embrace the process, even if it feels dirty or hidden.

• Don’t run from “dirt” (difficulties, imperfections, conflict)—that is often where transformation happens.

• Choose to be committed, even when it’s messy.

  “Stop looking for God to put stuff on the surface. This one he dug for, it was hidden. If it isn’t buried, it probably isn’t treasured.” (1:12:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Discernment:

  “Maturity is learning to see when something will be worth it and embrace it, and when it’s not worth it to walk away.” (24:35)

• On Small Beginnings:

  "It’s little until it isn’t." (Multiple times, e.g. 37:10, 44:05, 1:00:20)

• On Embracing Imperfection:

  “This church has dirt. The person you’re sitting next to has dirt. The person you’re sitting next to has some things they carry with them that they’re not proud of…” (55:05)

• On Commitment in Marriage and Life:

  "She didn’t say ‘I do’ to the diamond, she said ‘I do’ to the dirt." (1:08:45)

• On God’s Heart:

  “God does dirt—not only in creation, but in incarnation.” (1:15:00)

• On Legacy:

  “The battle is for the branches.” (1:19:00)

Key Timestamps

• Gathering Amidst Storm & Technical Failures: 08:30 – 15:00
• Introduction of Scripture and Theme: 15:00 – 19:00
• The Value of Presence and Knowing What’s Worth It: 20:00 – 30:00
• Learning from Small Beginnings and Dismissing Smallness: 37:00 – 45:00
• The Power and Necessity of “Dirt”: 52:00 – 58:00
• Treasure Hidden in the Field & Marital Application: 1:08:00 – 1:12:00
• God Does Dirt & The Branches Analogy: 1:15:00 – 1:21:00
• Personal Family Story—Shoes, Teens, and Worship: 1:22:00 – 1:25:00
• Closing Prayer, Salvation Invitation: 1:27:00 – end

Final Takeaways

• Embrace the Dirt: Don’t avoid challenging or messy circumstances. God’s work often happens there first.
• Celebrate Even the Smallest Seeds: What feels insignificant today may be the root of great growth tomorrow.
• Commit to the Whole Field: In relationships, callings, and communities, recognize that treasure is only found by taking on the “dirt” as well.
• God Specializes in the Messy: The story of redemption is written in "dirt."

  "Everybody does the diamonds. God does the dirt." (1:25:00)

Conclusion

This episode invites listeners to a deeper maturity that’s unafraid of difficulty, discouragement, or the process of growth. You can’t avoid dirt—nor should you try. Whether it’s in faith, relationships, or personal development, “it’s worth the dirt.”

For those moved by the message, a prayer of salvation closes the episode, with encouragement that “you don’t have to clean yourself up to come to God. That’s why God came to you. He does the cleaning, you do the coming.” (1:28:20)