Elevation with Steven Furtick – "On My Way Back" (Chad Veach) Episode Date: March 8, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special episode, Pastor Chad Veach delivers an encouraging message at Elevation Church, celebrating the church’s 20th anniversary. Drawing from Numbers 21, he uses the Israelites’ journey and struggles to explore themes of discouragement, confession, obedience, and the steadfastness of God’s timing. Throughout, Pastor Chad shares personal stories, humor, and biblical insights, exhorting listeners that it’s never too late to come back to God. The tone is uplifting, relatable, and full of practical wisdom for anyone feeling distant from God or facing discouragement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Celebration and Gratitude for Elevation Church and its Leaders (02:04–06:29)

• Chad opens by thanking God for 20 years of Elevation Church and leading a prayer for those in need of miracles: finances, healing, needing God to move in their family.
• He honors Pastors Steven and Holly Furtick:

  “Anybody can say yes for one year or maybe 10. But 20 years of faithfulness, serving, giving, preaching, writing. Oh, come on, let's give honor where honor is due to our pastors today.” (05:00)

• Prays for the pastors’ continued vision, encouragement, and divine protection as they sow into other cities.

2. Introduction: "On My Way Back" – No One is Too Far Gone (06:29–09:50)

• Reading from Numbers 21, Chad sets up the key message:

  “I just want to tell you today, I don't know how far you drifted away from God. It's never too late to come back to Jesus.” (09:05)

• Personal anecdote about attempting (and repeatedly failing) to restart a workout routine:

  “Every Monday morning, I start my diet again. Who am I preaching to right now?” (09:41)

• Draws a parallel between returning to God and returning to the gym: God always welcomes us back, no matter how many setbacks.

3. Four Ways God Works as We Return

a) Faith in God’s Timing (09:50–19:35)

• The Israelites become impatient as God takes them “the long way” to Edom; Chad likens this to modern frustrations when God’s timing doesn’t align with ours:

  “Have you ever felt like God's timetable is different than your timetable? I want to remind you today that our God is never too early and he's never too late.” (11:46)

• Uses Isaiah 40 and Lamentations 3 to illustrate how waiting on God develops our character and reveals our trust in Him.
• Encourages listeners to “wait with expectation, not resignation.”

Notable Quote:

“Nothing reveals more about what you believe about God than the way that you wait.” (14:24)

b) Discouragement and the Importance of Gratitude (19:36–34:37)

• Chad shares how discouragement can creep in when life doesn’t go as planned, using both biblical references (Psalm 3:3, Proverbs 17:22) and personal stories (his bout with shingles during COVID in 2020):

  “You gotta be careful with discouragement. Because if you're not, discouragement will result in rebellion.” (26:45)

• Warns against comparing oneself to others on social media, reminding listeners to “get your eyes off them. Put your eyes on Him.”
• Emphasizes thanksgiving and praise as antidotes to discouragement:

  “The Bible says, ‘bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me. Bless his holy name.’” (29:30)

Notable Quote:

“Sometimes the things that once caused you to shout for joy are now just meaningless in the presence of God—you've got to get your eyes back, your heart back, your faith back.” (28:06)

c) Confession Brings Healing (34:38–43:29)

• Highlights the Israelites’ confession after the snake bites, emphasizing the biblical call to acknowledge where we’ve sinned:

  “If you can name it, God can heal it. But until you can come clean… how could God touch what you're not willing to reveal?” (36:16)

• Shares a humorous story about a pastor who confessed to breaking a vow not to eat Oreos as an illustration of being quick to confess and keep short accounts with God.
• Stresses the importance of keeping conviction alive through regular confession.

Notable Quote:

“You are only as sick as your secrets. Your authority is in your authenticity. And when you get real with God, God already saw it. God already knows.” (37:45)

d) The Power of Obedience (43:30–52:45)

• God tells Moses to place a bronze serpent on a pole: an unconventional instruction that brings healing when obeyed.
• Draws the connection to the New Testament—just as Israelites looked to the bronze serpent to live, believers look to Jesus.

  “In the Old Testament, it's look and live. In the New Testament, it's believe and live. But in both cases, I've got to obey.” (47:02)

• Testimonies of obedience leading to miracles and breakthroughs, including a story of a church that received unexpected financial provision after prayer and fasting.

Notable Quote:

“Obedience precedes blessing. Obedience unlocks miracles. Nothing will unlock the kingdom of God in your life like obeying the voice of the Lord.” (48:00)

4. Encouragement to Worship, Be Grateful, and Return to God (52:45–End)

• Leads a time of worship and personal reflection, encouraging gratitude for the “long road” and God’s development process.

  “Thank God today for the path that he's got you on. Thank God for the long road.” (53:25)

• Reiterates: “God has not quit on you. God's not mad at you. He's madly in love with you. God has no plan B for your life.”
• Concludes with a pastoral call to “come back to the heart of worship” and embrace God’s grace, forgiveness, and restoration.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s Welcome:

  “God never turns away those that come to him empty. He only turns away those that come to him full of themselves.” (10:30)

• On Social Comparison:

  “You ever get on social media and it look like God's blessing everybody else but you? Sometimes you just scroll like this. Wow. They're in Italy again. Wow.” (25:16)

• On Discouragement & Confession:

  “I'm just telling you, guard your heart when you feel discouraged.” (33:18) “The moment you confess it to God, it loses all its sting, it loses all its power.” (38:50)

• On Obedience:

  “Sometimes God doesn't give you something new to do until you go back and do the last thing he told you to do.” (48:40)

• Testimony on Obedience:

  “When he finished the fast, on the last day, his phone rang... The Lord spoke to my heart and told me to wire you $250,000 to your church.” (50:21)

• Closing Encouragement:

  “I was wrong, I'm forgiven. I'm restored. I was wrong. I'm forgiven. But thank God I'm restored today.” (54:44)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:04 – Opening prayer for miracles and gratitude for Elevation Church
• 06:29 – Introductions, humor about family and Numbers 21 context
• 09:50 – Message title: "On My Way Back" and God’s open invitation
• 11:46 – Faith in God’s timing
• 19:36 – Discouragement and keeping gratitude, story of COVID and discouragement
• 34:38 – The importance of confession and authenticity
• 43:30 – The necessity of obedience, parallels between Old and New Testament healing
• 50:21 – Testimony of financial provision through obedience
• 52:45 – Worship, gratitude, and closing spiritual call

Summary Takeaways

Chad Veach’s message is a heartfelt, practical reminder that no one is ever too far gone to return to God. Through lessons about patience, gratitude, confession, and obedience, he encourages listeners to face discouragement honestly and find hope in God’s grace and timing. The recurrent closing call: embrace confession, renew obedience, and trust God’s process, for restoration and blessing are always possible on the way back to Him.