Elevation with Steven Furtick

Episode: "Stop Staring At That Stone"

Date: April 5, 2026
Host: Pastor Steven Furtick
Podcast: Elevation Church / iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this powerful Resurrection Sunday message, Pastor Steven Furtick delivers the final sermon in the "See King Jesus" series. Centering on John 20 and Mary Magdalene's encounter at the empty tomb, Furtick invites listeners to reconsider the meaning of the "rolled stone." He challenges the audience to stop fixating on their disappointments, failures, or obstacles (“stones”), and instead embrace the new perspectives, possibilities, and resurrection power that Jesus brings. The tone is energetic, personal, and filled with relatable stories and practical encouragement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction and Biblical Foundation

• Scripture Focus: John 20:1-18 – Mary Magdalene’s visit to the tomb, her encounter with angels, and meeting the risen Jesus.
• Main Message: “Stop staring at that stone.” Furtick emphasizes that we often fixate on barriers and loss, missing what God is doing beyond them.

Quote:

“The Lord said today, stop. Stop looking. Stop staring. Stop standing at that stone.” – Steven Furtick (08:11)

2. Mary Magdalene: Pain and Perspective

• Mary’s Past: Mary Magdalene’s transformation—delivered from seven demons—makes her grief at the tomb deeply personal.
• Contrasting Reactions: The angels see the rolled stone as a sign of victory; Mary interprets it as loss.
  • To us, the stone rolled means praise; to Mary, it’s a problem.
• Faith in the Dark: Despite heartbreak, Mary approaches the tomb. Her willingness to move forward “while weeping” is highlighted as real faith.

Quote:

“You judge her because she wept and did not believe in the Resurrection. I celebrate her because she walked in in the dark to the tomb while weeping.” — Steven Furtick (12:50)

3. Problems to Praise: Perspective is Everything

• Time and Distance: We read Mary’s story 2,000 years later, knowing the outcome, but in her moment of loss, the empty tomb feels like defeat.
• Perspective Shift:
  • What we see as a “problem” today may become a “praise” tomorrow.
  • The very things we mourn may be the catalysts for God’s greatest work.

Quote:

“Some of the things you see as a problem today will be a praise tomorrow.” — Steven Furtick (14:00)

• Personal Illustration: Furtick shares a family Easter photo where each family member has a different reaction, likening it to how we interpret life's circumstances differently.

Quote:

“One is happy. Holly’s happy. Holly, she rigged this whole thing... Abbey is brokenhearted about the bunny she was never going to get.” — Steven Furtick (16:50)

4. Looking at the Same Stone, Seeing Different Stories

• Audience Participation: Furtick has attendees declare, “the stone is rolled away,” provoking different reactions based on perspective.
• Lesson: Two people can look at the exact same situation—one sees loss, the other victory. The difference is not the “stone” but the angle from which we view it.

Quote:

“It is not what you are looking at; it is what you believe about what you are looking at that determines how you feel when you see it.” — Steven Furtick (19:17)

5. Tears, Transition, and Traps

• Three Barriers to Recognizing Jesus:
  1. Tears: Grief can blind us to what God is doing.
  2. Transition: Change and uncertainty make it hard to see God’s work.
  3. Trapped by the Past: We look for Jesus as He was, not as He is now, missing His new movements.

Quote:

“Sometimes you can’t see the truth through your tears. If the enemy gets you so discouraged that you believe this is all it’s ever going to be, you’ll never see what God is doing because you can’t see the truth through your tears.” — Steven Furtick (21:10)

6. From Problem to Platform

• Misplaced Blame & Credit: Mary assumes “they” moved Jesus, forgetting He said He would rise on His own.
• Breaking the Power of ‘They’: Stop giving others or the enemy credit for what only God can do.

Quote:

“Stop giving the enemy credit for stuff God is doing… Jesus got up. Nobody moved him.” — Steven Furtick (30:12)

7. Recognizing Jesus: “He Wasn’t Lying, He Was Standing”

• Turning Point: Mary recognizes Jesus only when He calls her by name.
• Call to Action: To encounter Christ, stop staring at the disappointment (the stone) and turn toward Him.
• Symbolism: Jesus was not lying down in defeat, but standing in victory.

Quote:

“When she saw him, he wasn’t lying. He was standing. I came to announce on Easter Sunday — he wasn’t lying when he said, I’m going to the cross. He wasn’t lying when he said, after three days, I will rebuild this temple and rise from the dead...” — Steven Furtick (31:00)

8. The Pivot: Turning from the Stone to the Savior

• Spiritual Practice: Let go of the past, regret, and misinterpreted events—turn away from the “stone” and toward Jesus.
• Assignment: Like Mary, stop clinging to the old and carry the message of resurrection.

Quote:

“Stop staring at that stone. When she turned to face Jesus, the stone was behind. I came to tell you, put it behind you — what you did, what they said, what you didn’t get, what it was, what it could have been. Put it behind you, like Mary.” — Steven Furtick (36:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He wasn’t lying, he was standing and he’s still standing. And so am I.” (32:32)
• “God can still be winning while you’re weeping. The two are not mutually exclusive.” (39:10)
• “Your tears are not telling you the truth.” (40:26)
• “She had to pivot from her past. She had to turn around and put the past behind her. All seven devils are gone now. There are two angels in this tomb and there is a Savior who loves you.” (41:35)
• Call to Action: “Bye bye stone. Come on, say bye bye shame. Say goodbye fear. Goodbye grief. Goodbye bondage. Can we take four minutes and say together as a church? Goodbye yesterday?” (41:46)

Important Timestamps

• [02:07] – Steven Furtick intro & passage reading
• [08:11] – Main idea: “Stop staring at that stone”
• [12:50] – Mary’s faith & pain
• [14:00] – Problems today, praise tomorrow
• [16:50] – Furtick’s family photo illustration
• [19:17] – Perspective determines reaction
• [21:10] – Tears, transition, and not recognizing Jesus
• [30:12] – “He got up. Nobody moved him.”
• [31:00] – “He wasn’t lying, he was standing…”
• [36:13] – The pivot: leaving the stone behind
• [41:35] – Stepping out of the past
• [41:46] – Church-wide declaration: “Bye bye stone”

Conclusion & Takeaway

Pastor Steven Furtick’s message is a stirring call to stop fixating on the obstacles, defeats, or dead dreams (“the stone”) in our lives. Like Mary Magdalene, we’re invited to move from grief to gratitude, from staring at the past to meeting the risen Savior. Every “stone” blocking our hope can become a testimony of God’s power if we’re willing to change our perspective and turn toward Jesus.

Final Challenge:

“Stop staring at that stone. Put it behind you. Say goodbye to yesterday, and turn fully to the living Christ.” (41:46)

For the full message and more resources, visit elevationchurch.org.