Elevation with Steven Furtick
Episode: "Not Here"
Date: September 29, 2025
Host: Pastor Steven Furtick
Guest/Co-Pastor: Pastor Mickey
Episode Overview
In this episode, Pastor Steven Furtick continues the "Same Lies, New Loops" series, diving deep into Psalm 120—one of the Songs of Ascent. The central theme, "Not Here," challenges the belief that God’s presence is only in the ‘mountaintop’ moments, emphasizing that God is equally present in the lows, and that spiritual life is full of both ascent and lament—sometimes in the very same moment. Furtick encourages listeners not to wait for perfect circumstances to praise or connect with God, but to recognize His faithfulness "in the millisecond" and to trust that He both hears prayers and holds their burdens, even before circumstances change.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Welcoming the Congregation & Setting the Scene
(Timestamp: 02:20)
- Pastor Mickey invites online and in-person attendees into a spirit of fellowship and worship, highlighting Elevation’s worldwide community.
- Light-hearted moments about seating arrangements (Ray in the "wrong" seat), setting an inclusive, energetic tone.
2. Glory, Weight, and Giving Credit to God
(Timestamp: 03:46)
- Steven shares: “I have a tattoo on my back that says kavad. It’s the Hebrew word for weight. W-E-I-G-H-T. And it also means glory. I found out when I try to take the glory for myself, I have to carry the weight myself. But when I give God the glory, I feel like I can move better. I feel like I can stand longer. I feel like I can make it.”
3. Introducing ‘Same Lies, New Loops’ & The Need for Mental Renewal
(Timestamp: 05:56)
- The cycle of negative, recurring thoughts—“loops”—is addressed.
- The renewal of the mind is described as a continual, "moment-by-moment decision," not a single transformative event.
4. Psalm 120 and the Songs of Ascent
(Timestamp: 07:53)
- Furtick unpacks Psalm 120, emphasizing the dual themes of "distress and ascent," and the tension of journeying upwards towards God while carrying real burdens.
- “This is a song of ascent...God has given us a song for every season.”
- Encourages the congregation: “You’re going up today.”
5. The Reality of Simultaneous Highs and Lows
(Timestamp: 14:04)
- Shares a personal parenting story with his son, Graham, whose 18th birthday inspired Furtick to cancel a planned Sunday off.
- Describes wrestling with anxiety over Graham’s future, until experiencing God's reassurance: "I’ve got Graham."
- Parallel is drawn between spiritual highs and lows, both in parenting and faith.
Quote:
“If you can look for God in the lows, you can only go so low. Because one psalm says, if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.”
— Steven Furtick (15:56)
6. Ascent and Lament—Life’s Dual Realities
(Timestamp: 17:20)
- Furtick reflects: “While we are on our way up, we are weighed down... It’s the ascent and the lament all in the same song, all in the same room, all on the same row, all in the same mind.”
7. The Lie of ‘Not Here’—God’s Presence in All Places
(Timestamp: 20:40)
- Uses the illustration of a heartbeat (EKG) to show life is made up of peaks (mountains) and valleys—"Both of them are necessary for life to be present."
- Invites the congregation to see life as comprised of rapid shifts rather than neat seasons—encouraging, “Think seconds, not seasons…God can do a miracle in a millisecond.” (30:20)
- “You keep trying to handle things a season at a time when God says, I am the God who beats inside your heart.”
8. Navigating Spiritual Ups and Downs—Faith in the Middle Spaces
(Timestamp: 25:43, 28:13)
- Moving from spiritual mountaintops to valleys in a moment (e.g., joyful worship interrupted by a hurtful text).
- “In between the prayer and the answer is faith.” (26:06)
9. Trusting That God Hears & Holds You
(Timestamp: 34:01–45:53)
- Drawing from Psalm 120: “In my distress, I called to the Lord, and he answered me.”
- Explains that sometimes the "answer" is not an immediate solution but assurance that God hears—even if the "problem is still waiting at home."
- Introduces the concept of the "season called heard": “There is a space between prayed and answered called ‘heard.’”
- 1 John 5:14–15 is quoted as assurance that God hears prayers according to His will.
Quotes:
- “He heard me when I prayed, he heard me. He’s not hard of hearing.” — Steven Furtick (39:30)
- “Sometimes you keep asking him to take things away and he leaves them. He heard you. He just isn’t going to take it away right now because he’s going to teach you something with it.” — Pastor Mickey (40:37)
10. God Holds Both the Problem and the Answer
(Timestamp: 46:02–48:22)
- God keeps prayers and tears, even those unspoken, in His care: “The proof that he answered is that he came. He didn’t just give the answer—he is the answer.”
- Encourages trust even when “left on hold.”
11. Daily Practice—Praising God in Every Breath and Moment
(Timestamp: 48:22–53:53)
- Tells a story about comforting someone through grief: “One job—next breath.”
- The “God of Seasons is the God of seconds and milliseconds.”
- “As long as you’re breathing, I want you to know, God has Graham. God has you. God has this.”
12. Invitation to Worship in Every Circumstance
(Timestamp: 55:16)
- “What good is it for you to go to Jerusalem for a minute if you’re not going to invite God into the low places too?”
13. Resurrection Story—Finding God Where You Least Expect
(Timestamp: 56:51)
- Parallels Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb (John 20:11–17) to moments when God feels absent; encourages seeking God in unexpected places.
14. Illustrative and Relatable Stories
- Multiple personal and humorous stories (e.g., deciding not to respond with anger on the road, the middle finger story) make the message tangible, highlighting the challenge and opportunity of moment-by-moment mental renewal.
15. Key Takeaways—Summary Points
- He hears: God always hears prayer, even before we see results.
- He’s holding: God holds both our problems and our answered prayers.
- It’s Him: In every moment—high, low, or in between—God Himself is the answer.
Quote:
“Not only am I saying to every person who’s praying about a situation, he heard—everybody shout, he heard. And not only am I saying, he’s holding—everybody say, he’s holding it. He holds it all together, not you.” — Pastor Mickey (46:25)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On renewal: “The renewal of your mind is not a one-time event...You have to walk this out one moment at a time.” (27:00)
- On the everyday struggle: “Most of us are one spilled cup of coffee on our khaki britches away from saying the name of the Lord in a different way.” (32:43)
- On faith over certainty: “If you can go from the mountain to the valley in a millisecond, I wonder, can God bring you from the valley?” (33:08)
- On parenting and trusting God: “What else are you going to do with your kid but give them back to God?” (44:24)
- On Christ as the answer: “The proof that he answered isn’t that the problem went away. The proof that he answered is that he came. He didn’t just give the answer. He is the answer.” (47:00)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 02:20 — Welcoming congregation and setting an inclusive tone
- 03:46 — "Kavad": glory and weight, giving God the credit
- 05:56 — Introducing mental loops and mind renewal
- 07:53 — Psalm 120 and the Songs of Ascent
- 14:04 — Story about Graham, parenting, and trusting God
- 17:20 — Understanding ascent and lament in the Christian walk
- 20:40 — The ‘heartbeat’ metaphor—mountains, valleys, and spiritual rhythm
- 25:43 — Spiritual highs and lows—navigating transitions
- 30:20 — "Think seconds, not seasons": the God of milliseconds
- 34:01 — Psalm 120: God hears prayers before the answer comes
- 39:30 — Assurance that God hears (1 John 5)
- 46:02 — God holding both problems and prayers
- 48:22 — Pastoral advice in grief: "one job—next breath"
- 55:16 — Invitation to worship regardless of circumstances
- 56:51 — Mary at the tomb—finding God in unexpected places
Conclusion & Call to Action
Steven Furtick closes by reminding listeners that God’s presence is constant, not just at the mountaintops but in every valley, every breath, every moment—He hears, He’s holding, and above all, it is Him who is with you. Listeners are encouraged to abandon the lie that God is only present when life is good ("not here") and instead adopt a new loop: unwavering confidence that God hears and holds—always, everywhere.
For further inspiration, listeners are encouraged to revisit Psalm 120 and 1 John 5:14-15, examine their own "loops," and invite God into each millisecond—trusting that both ascent and lament are sacred ground.