Elevation with Steven Furtick: "Pivotal Decisions"

Date: October 3, 2025
Podcast Host: Steven Furtick (with interjections by co-hosts and congregation members)
Episode Theme/Purpose:
In this motivational and faith-building episode, Pastor Steven Furtick explores the idea of "pivotal decisions"—those choices, large and small, that shape the direction of our lives. Drawing from Judges 13–14, the story of Samson’s birth and early life, Furtick unpacks how God works both through wise choices and even our mistakes. He encourages listeners to find purpose in uncertainty and to trust God’s sovereignty, especially when life doesn’t unfold as planned.

Main Themes and Concepts

1. What Are Pivotal Decisions? (Starts [01:40])

• Not all “big” decisions are truly pivotal; sometimes, small choices have the greatest impact on the direction of our lives.
• Steven Furtick:

  “A lot of the decisions you make, you don't know if they're big or not when you're making them. This is why I need God so much. Because not only can I not make the big decisions right without him, but I don't even know which ones are big unless he tells me.” [02:44]

2. The Difference Between Big and Pivotal Decisions

• People often stress about major life choices (career, marriage, location), but Furtick points out the real pivots are often in the habits and relationships we prioritize.
• Example: Where Steven and his wife got married felt huge at the time, but how they resolved conflict was far more pivotal. [04:01]
• Emphasizes being “planted” before you can “pivot”—using sports metaphors about basketball players.

3. Biblical Example: Judges 13 and the Birth of Samson ([06:57] – teaching begins in earnest)

• Israel’s pivotal moment: delivered into the hands of their enemies, not out of them.
• God’s “pivots”: Sometimes He uses circumstances—including those we’d avoid—to fulfill His purposes.
• Stigma of barrenness and the astonishing promise to Manoah’s wife (Samson’s mother).
• God’s interventions initiate new directions in life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Power of the Pivot ([04:14], [06:38], [21:13])

• Pivoting isn’t just for athletes; it’s a crucial part of faith.
• “The only way they can pivot is if they’re planted... when I watch them pivot, I notice, whoa, that's pretty important.” [04:38]
• God often redirects us not by changing our location, but by changing our perspective.

God’s Sovereignty Over Decisions ([07:13] onward)

• We are responsible for decisions, but God is bigger than our choices—including our mistakes.
• Steven Furtick:

  “It's not like God is just a synonym for good decisions being in the will of God. I want to ask you this question. Is your view of the will of God big enough to accommodate even your bad decisions?” [08:21]

The Desire for a Plan vs. God’s Actual Guidance ([12:09], [16:02], [18:16])

• Manoah doesn’t ask for the promise, he asks for the plan—a relatable moment for all planners.
• Sometimes God responds to our need for assurance, but delivers something unexpected or incomplete.
• God pivots the conversation: not giving all the details, but focusing on obedience in the present.
• Memorable metaphor: “Sometimes when you pray to God, he's going to pivot... I mean, this angel would have made a great politician or preacher or basketball player. He could have been in the All Star game because watch how quick he pivots.” [20:57]

Trusting When You Can’t Understand (The Parentheses Principle) ([26:04], [27:06], [40:14])

• Manoah wants to know the angel’s name; the answer: “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.” [26:53]
• God’s identity and plans are often “beyond understanding”—what can’t be named or explained is often where God is uniquely present.
• Parenthesis Principle: In Judges 14:4, the Bible inserts—“his parents did not know that this was from the Lord.” Life makes sense in hindsight because God is writing in the margins, adding information we can’t see yet.
• Steven Furtick:

  “Everything you can't name, that's God. We've been looking for a name for God... when you get past the point of your ability to reconcile your situation, when you get beyond your ability to work it out, that's where I am. That's where I dwell—in the mystery.” [27:06–27:23]

Human Mistakes Within God’s Plan ([33:34] – [41:57])

• Samson’s poor choices (desiring a Philistine woman) threatened his calling, but the Bible notes, “this too was from the Lord” [40:23]:

  “God wanted to set his people free from the Phoenicians, from the Philistines. And he was going to do it, but he wanted to do it not through a good decision, but through a bad decision. Watch what he does because he's sovereign and almighty… he uses Samson’s dumb decision to deliver a nation.” [41:17]

• God uses even “dumb stuff” to accomplish his will—a point of comfort for anyone anxious about their past or their children’s choices.

The Ripple Effects of Small Decisions ([33:34], [44:19])

• Seemingly minor decisions—whether to speak kindly, be on time, tithe, prioritize family—set a direction for your day, decade, or future generations.
• “It's the little things you do that set the direction for your day and for your decade. And even for generations to come.” [33:27]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [02:44] On why we need God in decisions:
  Steven Furtick: “A lot of the decisions you make, you don't know if they're big or not when you're making them.”
• [08:21] On God's sovereignty:
  Steven Furtick: “Is your view of the will of God big enough to accommodate even your bad decisions?”
• [16:02] On desiring a plan:
  Steven Furtick: “I need to know the plan. What is to be the rule that governs the boy’s life and work?"
• [21:13] When God pivots:
  Steven Furtick: “The pivot from what you think you need to know to what you really need to know. God, just watch his footwork. See, we always want to see God’s hand, but sometimes you have to watch his feet…”
• [26:53] On the mystery of God:
  Steven Furtick: “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding. That's the pivot. That's where you find God, beyond what you can understand.”
• [41:17] Bad decisions in God’s hands:
  Steven Furtick: “He uses Samson’s dumb decision to deliver a nation. Now if he did that for Samson, won’t he do it for you?”
• [44:19] A prayer for redemption:
  Steven Furtick: “God, would you use even the dumb stuff I did to deliver your purpose? This is bigger than me. ... God, use the dumb stuff too. That’s maybe the best prayer I ever pray. God, use the dumb stuff too.”

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |---|---| | 01:40 | Introduction to “pivotal decisions” | | 04:14 | “The power is in the pivot” — basketball analogy, small moves create big change | | 06:57 | Transition to teaching from Judges 13 (Samson’s story) | | 12:09 | God’s promise to Samson’s mother and the quest for a plan | | 16:02 | Manoah seeks clarity, “I need to know the plan” | | 18:16 | God answers prayer—but pivots from the expected answer | | 21:13 | The angel pivots the conversation from details to obedience | | 26:53 | The mystery of God: “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.” | | 33:34 | The small decisions that shape decades and generations | | 40:14 | Judges 14:4—life’s parentheses, “they did not know this was from the Lord” | | 41:17 | God uses bad decisions | | 44:19 | Prayer: “God, use the dumb stuff too” |

Actionable Takeaways

• Recognize the pivotal—not just “big”—decisions in your daily life.
• Embrace the mystery: God’s purposes are often beyond your current understanding.
• Trust that God is working, even through your mistakes or circumstances you can’t control.
• When you don’t know the plan, pivot to discern or seek God’s purpose.
• Offer up even your regrets and failures to God, believing He can use them for your good and His glory.

Episode Summary

Pastor Steven Furtick’s sermon challenges the conventional ranking of decisions as “big” or “small.” Instead, he urges listeners to identify and embrace pivotal decisions—the tiny pivots of attitude, obedience, and faithfulness that shape our lives’ trajectory. Anchoring his message in the story of Samson’s surprising origins (Judges 13–14), Furtick demonstrates how God’s hand is evident not only in our successes but also in our failures, disappointments, and even catastrophes. When life doesn’t make sense and we face mystery or regret, the call is to “pivot to the purpose,” trusting that God uses even “the dumb stuff too.” In moments of confusion, weakness, or missed expectations, there is always an opportunity to say, “This is from the Lord”—and find new direction and hope.

Shareable Soundbite

“When I don't know the plan, I pivot to the purpose and he's working it all in. God help me make better decisions in the future, but use the dumb stuff too. That’s maybe the best prayer I ever pray.”
— Steven Furtick [44:19]

For more from Elevation Church or Pastor Steven Furtick, visit elevationchurch.org or find the Elevation App.