The Power Of Potential

Summary

Podcast Summary: Elevation with Steven Furtick – "The Power Of Potential"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Elevation with Steven Furtick
• Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
• Description: Welcome to the weekly podcast of Elevation Church led by Pastor Steven Furtick. To learn more visit our website at Elevation Church or download the Elevation App. To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here.
• Episode: The Power Of Potential
• Release Date: January 10, 2025

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Introduction

In the episode titled "The Power Of Potential," Pastor Steven Furtick delves deep into understanding and harnessing human potential through the lens of biblical scripture. Drawing from 2 Kings 13, Furtick explores how individuals can recognize, nurture, and utilize their God-given potential to overcome personal and communal challenges.

Opening Remarks

At the outset (01:18), Pastor Furtick sets the tone by thanking listeners and expressing hope that the message will inspire faith and provide new perspectives on God's movement in one's life. He emphasizes the simplicity of the scripture passage, noting, "This passage of scripture might seem simple. I'm learning that God speaks through simple."

Main Message: The Power of Potential

1. Work Your Window

Furtick begins by analyzing 2 Kings 13, focusing on the instruction given to Jehoash: "Open the east window" (01:18). He interprets this as a metaphor for confronting personal oppression rather than evading it. By facing challenges head-on and taking action, individuals can unlock their potential.

• Key Insight: "What if God won't open the window for you, but he'll show you which one to open?" (02:10)

2. Elements of Potential

Furtick outlines four critical elements necessary to release one's potential:

• Patience
• Perseverance
• Persistence
• Purpose

He asserts, "These are the elements that release potential" (04:15).

3. Potential is Unpredictable

Addressing the unpredictability of potential, Furtick shares personal anecdotes illustrating that potential does not always manifest as expected.

• Notable Quote: "Potential is unpredictable." (05:58)

He cautions against judging others solely based on their potential, emphasizing the importance of recognizing underlying patterns of behavior.

4. Potential is Limited

Contrary to popular belief, Furtick suggests that potential has its limits, often tied directly to one's purpose.

• Notable Quote: "Potential is Limited. If you think about it real quick, you can remember several times in your life where you came face to face with the limits of your potential." (17:52)

He uses the analogy of a microphone, explaining that while it can amplify sound, it cannot perform unrelated tasks like building a house.

5. Potential Has Potential

Furtick explores the dual nature of potential, where it can lead to both positive and negative outcomes depending on its application.

• Notable Quote: "Potential has potential. If not correctly appropriated for a purpose to become poisonous, Potential can make a strong man who could have been a defender of the weak, abusive of his wife..." (26:19)

6. Process Reveals Potential

Emphasizing the importance of the journey, Furtick asserts that the process of striving and struggling is what brings potential to fruition.

• Notable Quote: "Process reveals potential." (35:09)

He shares the story of Elisha, highlighting how being involved in everyday processes prepared him for greater responsibilities.

Practical Applications

Furtick encourages listeners to:

• Embrace Challenges: Face personal "Arams" (oppressions) directly.
• Utilize Every Resource: Use all available "arrows" (resources and talents) to their fullest potential.
• Understand Purpose-Potential Alignment: Ensure that their potential aligns with their divine purpose to avoid stagnation or negative outcomes.
• Commit to the Process: Recognize that perseverance through the process is essential for unlocking true potential.

Conclusion

In wrapping up (43:55), Furtick reiterates the importance of not stopping short in utilizing one's potential. He urges listeners to continue striving, saying, "The limit to your potential is your purpose and your perseverance."

• Final Encouragement: "Shout potential. Shout potential. Power of potential."

Furtick closes with a prayer, declaring blessings over the listeners and reinforcing the message that their potential, when aligned with God's purpose and pursued with perseverance, will lead to remarkable outcomes.

Notable Quotes with Attributions and Timestamps

• [01:18] Steven Furtick: "This passage of scripture might seem simple. I'm learning that God speaks through simple."
• [02:10] Steven Furtick: "What if God won't open the window for you, but he'll show you which one to open?"
• [05:58] Steven Furtick: "Potential is unpredictable."
• [17:52] Steven Furtick: "Potential is Limited. If you think about it real quick, you can remember several times in your life where you came face to face with the limits of your potential."
• [26:19] Steven Furtick: "Potential has potential. If not correctly appropriated for a purpose to become poisonous..."
• [35:09] Steven Furtick: "Process reveals potential."
• [43:55] Steven Furtick: "The limit to your potential is your purpose and your perseverance."
• [43:58] Steven Furtick: "Shout potential. Shout potential. Power of potential."

Key Takeaways

• Facing Challenges: Embrace and confront personal and external challenges as opportunities to unlock potential.
• Alignment with Purpose: Ensure that your potential aligns with your divine purpose to prevent misuse or stagnation.
• Embrace the Journey: Understand that the process of striving, facing setbacks, and persevering is essential for realizing true potential.
• Utilize Resources Fully: Like Elisha was instructed to use every arrow, individuals should utilize all their talents and resources to their fullest extent.

Final Thoughts

"The Power Of Potential" serves as an inspiring reminder that while potential is a powerful force within each individual, its true impact is realized through purpose-driven action and unwavering perseverance. Pastor Steven Furtick's message encourages listeners to actively engage with their potential, ensuring it serves a meaningful and divine purpose in their lives and communities.

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Note: Timestamps correspond to the podcast transcript to facilitate easy reference.

Transcript

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[Steven Furtick]

I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope it gives you perspective to see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. This passage of scripture might seem simple. I'm learning that God speaks through simple. We want it deep. You know why we want it deep sometimes, so we don't have to do anything with it. Let's talk about the angels. How many wings does a seraphim have? I can study about the wings on a seraphim and still treat my wife like a dog. But once we get into the practicality of taking aim and taking action, that's kind of what we mean by work your window. You'll see it in the passage. If it's your first time here or you haven't been here for the series, you're walking into something. Hopefully you feel like a fresh wind of God's spirit blowing in the church today. I hope you do. I certainly feel it on the inside. If you're not excited, I'm excited enough for all of us today. I want to go right back to my epic scripture passage in 2 Kings 13. What appears to be an archery lesson on the surface is really loaded with spiritual principles. This little scripture has been our window to see some precepts and principles that are changing our lives. Picking up in verse 17, where Elisha the prophet tells Jehoash the king, open the east window. Open the east window. What if God won't open the window for you, but he'll show you which one to open? What if God won't do the work for you, restore the relationship for you, but he will show you what to say to begin the process of restoration and what to do to rebuild trust? That's what we're trying to look at this year, work your window, emphasis on work. We're not saved by works, but we work out what God has worked in us. Salvation is not a stopping point, it's a starting line. We want to see God do great things, not just for us, but through us. It's kind of like a vision statement around our church. See what God. Seven people helped me finish the church mission statement that'll make you want to resign. See what God can do through you. Look at your neighbor, say, yes, you, even you, you too. Open the east window, which is facing Aram, which was that confederation of territories that was oppressing the nation of Israel. And God tells him to open the window facing in the direction of his oppression. He does not tell him to turn his back on it and run and pretend like it doesn't exist and deny it by faith, but to face it. Not only to face it, but he told him to take the bow and the arrow. He instructed him to grab. In verses 15 and 16, he said, after you've opened it, shoot. And he shot. And then he proclaims prophesies and declares the Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram. Everybody has an Aram. Everybody has an arrow. Which one are you watching today? Are you watching the possibility of victory, or do you have your eyes on your problems to the point where you see no way to win? Just trying to be really practical in this series about facing your Aram, launching your arrow, and seeing the salvation of God in your situation in 2017, 18, 19, 2020. Whenever you're watching this on TV, they play these things for a long time. He said, you will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek. But he didn't.

[Unknown Speaker]

How is it possible that God could.

[Steven Furtick]

Announce the potential for victory but the king not experience it?

[Unknown Speaker]

How is it possible that God could.

[Steven Furtick]

Announce the potential for freedom and his children live in bondage how is it possible that God could announce the potential of peace by sending the Prince of Peace and his people live in inner turmoil?

[Unknown Speaker]

How is it possible that Jesus could.

[Steven Furtick]

Pray, father, make them one, even as we are one and a nation be divided.

[Unknown Speaker]

I want to speak to you today.

[Steven Furtick]

About the power of potential.

[Unknown Speaker]

We've talked about the power of precision.

[Steven Furtick]

Aim at something, shoot directly in the sphere.

[Unknown Speaker]

God has called you to take your next step. We talked about the power of preparation. How God is getting you ready, how he's preparing you for what he has prepared for you. Are you getting this on Snapchat?

[Steven Furtick]

You might want to get this because I'm preaching. It's my introduction, but I'm preaching pretty good.

[Unknown Speaker]

We're talking about aiming in the direction of your destiny, not in the area of distractions, not this year.

[Steven Furtick]

We're taking aim. We're taking action. Amen. He said, you will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek. Then he said, see, it's not complete yet, just because God announced it. It's not complete yet just because you believed it. Patience, perseverance, Patience, perseverance, persistence, purpose. These are the elements that release potential. We talked about the power of precision. We talked about the power of preparation. I made a statement last week that most of us are not living at the level of our potential. We're living at the level of our preparation. Then he gave him some preparations to make. The victory is won. You will prevail. But the preparation still has to be made. Then he said, take the arrows. And the king took them. So far, so good. Elisha told him, strike the ground. He struck it three times and stopped. He stopped short. The man of God was angry with him and said, you should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have. That construct is sad to me. You should have, then you would have. When? That would be a horrible place to live this year. Wouldn't that be a horrible place to live your life? You should have, then you would have. I've told you before that my dad used to always say, I could if I would. Well, God flips that and says, you could if you would. I've preached about this before. It's nothing new. It's a passage really, about unfulfilled potential. The man of God was angry with him because he saw what it could have been. He knew how much more was in store. I need you to lean into this word today. There is potential in this moment. The word of God is alive and active. The potential is limitless for what God can Do through the power of his word. It's funny because anytime you talk about potential, you have to clarify a little bit. Here's what I mean. I have four points for you about potential today. Number one, potential is unpredictable. Potential is unpredictable. Even the prophet, seeing what could have been the Lord's arrow of victory over Aram, was not able to predict the ultimate outcome. Here's a dating don't pick your mate according to their potential. You are not Joanna Gaines. And this is not fixer upper. But he has potential. Yes, but he also has a porn addiction. His porn addiction is called a pattern. Here's a marriage tip. Don't pick according to potential. Pick according to patterns.

[Unknown Speaker]

I'm preaching Lord Jesus and they won't say nothing. Did you turn this church into a presbytery overnight?

[Steven Furtick]

But he has so much potential. But he also has terrible spending habits. So you have the potential to be.

[Unknown Speaker]

Poor if you don't understand and uncover what is behind his habits that have caused him to be so broke.

[Steven Furtick]

But he has potential. But he has a bad temper. Watch how he treats his mom. Do you think he's going to treat.

[Unknown Speaker]

You like he's treating you right now for 35 years? Watch the patterns of how he treats his parents. It will tell you a whole lot more than what's his potential.

[Steven Furtick]

I'm not saying they have to be perfect. I mean, it took Holly a whole year to see my potential. Look, you always can't see potential in people. They missed Jesus. They missed him because he looked like them.

[Unknown Speaker]

They missed him because they could not see the Messiah.

[Steven Furtick]

They missed him. They missed his potential. January 1, 1962, a guitar group walked into a North London recording studio called.

[Unknown Speaker]

Decca Studios to audition for three executives.

[Steven Furtick]

He's already telling her he knows the story. They walked in, auditioned 15 songs in.

[Unknown Speaker]

Less than one hour, and they were summarily rejected by the record executives at Decca Records. The Beatles went on to sell a few albums even though they were told guitar groups are on the way out. Even though they were told they had.

[Steven Furtick]

No potential in show business.

[Unknown Speaker]

Touch somebody and say, don't judge me by my audition. This is not even the show. I'm just EQ'ing it right now. You have no idea. You see? Would you help me preach? I feel like a funeral at Ballantine just broke out and nobody told me. You have no idea my full potential. Here's the thing.

[Steven Furtick]

You don't know my full potential. Look at your neighbor and say, you don't know my full potential. Be honest with them. Tell them I don't either. I live with my problems. I live with my pain. Sometimes I live in my past. It makes me unable to predict my potential. So what I've learned to do, I've learned to stop short. I've learned how to only strike with three arrows rather than five or six. I'm going to tell you why I do it.

[Unknown Speaker]

I do it because my fear of.

[Steven Furtick]

Falling short.

[Unknown Speaker]

My fear of failure.

[Steven Furtick]

Do you remember, Greg, when the man with one talent buried it and didn't invest it and the master was angry.

[Unknown Speaker]

The assumption would be he didn't invest it because he wasn't smart enough or.

[Steven Furtick]

Maybe because he didn't care enough. But do you remember what the man who buried the one talent said as.

[Unknown Speaker]

A reason why he didn't invest it?

[Steven Furtick]

He said I was.

[Unknown Speaker]

I used to assume that people who.

[Steven Furtick]

Didn'T give it their all, people who didn't persevere and people who didn't try, didn't care.

[Unknown Speaker]

I would preach to people like the reason you don't try enough is because you don't care enough. But I found out that sometimes the reason I don't try enough is because I care so much. The fear of finding out that I don't have what it takes causes me to keep something in reserve. It's not that I don't care, it's just that the last time I cared, I got crushed. The last time I tried, I got hurt. The last time I loved, they used my love as leverage. And I'm scared to go again. The Bible gives no insight into the.

[Steven Furtick]

Motivation of Jehoashin as to why he stopped striking the ground. But I want to take up for him for a moment. Maybe he wasn't lazy. Maybe he was afraid. Because Aram is pretty scary. Potential is unpredictable. You might give everything you have to raising those kids and they end up on drugs. It's happened. You might bring them to Elevation Church every weekend and serve on the parking team with them. Stand out there in orange vest with your kids and smile through it all. They might still end up a little off, might still end up on Dr. Phil. They might. You never know. There are no guarantees. You know, I might give everything I have to this church. I don't know if you want to hear this or not. I might give everything I have to this church. And one year we don't grow. I don't know. But at least I'm here. Here's what I've decided. I've decided that the pain of falling short is nothing compared to the shame of Stopping short. So I'd rather go all in, give it all I have and find out that wasn't enough. Then wonder what if.

[Unknown Speaker]

I'd rather strike the ground as many times as I can, I'd rather throw myself at this.

[Steven Furtick]

Sermon and three people listen to it.

[Unknown Speaker]

And the rest of y'all look at me crazy. But I know when I walk off that stage, that was all I had. I left it all with those people. If they weren't listening, there's nothing I could do about it. I preached to the full extent of my. I'd rather leave it all out there because at least I could lay down on my pillow tonight and know God, that was all I had. If you would have wanted me to be smarter, funnier, more insightful, more motivational, you should have given me different genetics. But here's my gift, Lord, what can you do with it? Here's my five loaves. Here are my two fish. If you would have wanted me to have a cooler with more food, you should have told me before we got to the picnic. Look at your neighbor and say, elise, I'm trying.

[Steven Furtick]

No shame in that. There's no shame in falling short. Not a bit. But stopping short, that's a different thing altogether. I'm going to stop short because that's a long term pain. Failure hurts for a minute. Regret stays with you for quite a while. Should have. Then you would have. That can stay with you for a lifetime. The good news is the window is still open. The good news is if you stop striking, there's nothing to stop you from picking up the next arrow. Today, that's the good news.

[Unknown Speaker]

How many are grateful for the grace of God?

[Steven Furtick]

Me too, because I missed some opportunities. I feel like I'm not living at my full potential. But here's the crazy thing about it. I simultaneously feel. Please. If you feel this way too, just respond. Some kind of grunt, some kind of something, just a little. Raise it up all the way. Just one of these. How many of you have ever sat next to somebody in worship? They do the kind of hand raise thing.

[Unknown Speaker]

Just do that.

[Steven Furtick]

I feel simultaneously like I'm giving it all I've got. And what more do you want from me? And I'm not doing enough.

[Unknown Speaker]

At the same time.

[Steven Furtick]

You know why? Potential. Point number two. I'm flying. Potential is limited. I know the poster with the eagle and the sunset with the eagle carrying a trophy into the sunset over the coffee maker in the break room said you had unlimited potential. But look at somebody and say you don't. Potential is Limited. If you think about it real quick, you can remember several times in your life where you came face to face with the limits of your potential. I remember the moment at Somerville Baptist when I realized on the court in the gym of the Family Life center, basketball is not my sport. I can still wear J's, but basketball is not my sport. I remember the moment. This is not for me. I don't understand this game. It does not make sense to me. It does not compute. I play baseball. I remember the moment when I realized that construction or really anything with my hands was not my gift. It kind of hurt my feelings because people say talk is cheap. What I do well is talk. So what does that make me? I have potential. Isn't even just the sound of that. Don't you get tired of hearing that? Oh, you have potential. One of the first times I preached, George Haltawonger got up and closed after I preached. And he said, boy, Steven sure has potential. I felt good about it. Jamie told me afterwards, Chris, he said, you know that wasn't a compliment, right? I said, he thought I had potential. He said, yeah, that's right. Potential means it hasn't yet been matured into purpose yet. He said, you said crap three times while you spoke. And you were speaking in a Baptist church of the average age was 67 on a Sunday night. But I have potential. I have my own church. I can say whatever I want up here.

[Unknown Speaker]

Oh, you rebels.

[Steven Furtick]

So go with me. Santee Circle Community Church, the church I served as youth minister is building a building. Pastor Mickey said, you have to be out there. You're the youth minister. I want you to show your face. I knew I wasn't very good with anything mechanical, but I showed up. Wayne all never should have trusted me with his nail gun. That's my defense. I broke it. Not on purpose. They sent me home. Mr. Wayne said, you stick to preaching. So I did. I preached to those four people every time they would listen. Holly found some old VHS tapes the other day, and I told her, statute of limitations. I don't want to see that. Thank God we don't have a vcr. It's frustrating because when people say you have potential, it doesn't feel like a compliment. After a while, it starts to feel like a judgment, like an indictment, because you already know you're not doing all you can do. And at the same time, you feel like you couldn't do any more. But it's not enough. But it's all I got. But it's not enough.

[Unknown Speaker]

But it's All I got, but it's not enough.

[Steven Furtick]

But it's all I got, but it's not enough. Into that. God wants you to know and be set free by the fact that your potential is relative to your purpose. Maybe you've been tormenting yourself over potential you haven't reached because you are judging yourself against a purpose that isn't yours. For example, this microphone is a top quality Sennheiser microphone. It is about the best wireless microphone you can buy. It even has a special capsule on it. So when I feel the anointing of Drake coming upon me and grab it up here, it still sounds relatively decent. It is an expensive microphone. It is a pristine microphone. But this microphone cannot build a house. It wasn't made to.

[Unknown Speaker]

To discard the microphone because it cannot.

[Steven Furtick]

Fill a purpose it was not created.

[Unknown Speaker]

For would be to miss the potential. I'm not going to miss my potential because I was trying to fulfill somebody else's purpose. I can't be. You don't need to. Don't have to. I was born to do what I was born to do. When I do what God made me to do, like God made me to do it. Purpose.

[Steven Furtick]

Somebody shout purpose. Potential is designed and custom fit for purpose. You can't put in what God left out. That's true. I read that from an author named Douglas Wilson. He wrote a book about writing. He said, it's true that you can't put in what God left out. He said, but it is also true. Jonathan, when you preach, always remember the truth is in the tension. The reason some sermons feel kind of trite and they don't hit deep is because we resist the tension that would release the truth.

[Unknown Speaker]

When we just say God is good.

[Steven Furtick]

It sounds good, but it's kind of like cotton candy. A little sugar high. Doesn't carry me until Tuesday.

[Unknown Speaker]

When you say God is good, life is hard. Life is hard, but God is good.

[Steven Furtick]

Now there's a tension. God is good when life is hard.

[Unknown Speaker]

The harder life gets, the better God looks. Because your soul longs for something that is not of this world.

[Steven Furtick]

The truth is in the tension.

[Unknown Speaker]

Here's the tension. You can't put in what God left out.

[Steven Furtick]

But it is also true that most of us have far more to work with than we are currently using. Most of us have more arrows than we are employing, more faith and gift than we are activating. Because potential point number three has potential. I think we need to give Pastor Steven a little more study time. This point seems rather obvious. Let me explain. I promise you, Saul had potential to be a great king, but the same potential that could have made him a great king, made him a jealous, bitter old man, throwing spears at the very successor God gave him to extend his king. Potential has potential. I can use this microphone to bring people together or tear people apart. Potential has potential. Potential has potential. If not correctly appropriated for a purpose to become poisonous, Potential can make a strong man who could have been a defender of the weak, abusive of his wife, an ambitious man who is frustrated about where he is, take out his frustration on his kids and perpetuate a cycle of domestic violence. Potential has potential. Potential is like milk. If you drink it and pour it out in time, it can be provision.

[Unknown Speaker]

But if you let it sit.

[Steven Furtick]

How many want to drink it after it's been sitting out for a month?

[Unknown Speaker]

It does a body good if you.

[Steven Furtick]

Drink it in time.

[Unknown Speaker]

But if you let it get past that date that was put on the jug. That's why some of us are miserable because of unlived potential that has been sitting in the jug, sitting on the shelf. I'm afraid to fail, so I won't try. Now my potential has become poisonous and I'm miserable because I'm not living my potential. See, the secret is I don't really want to reach my potential. If I ever reach my potential, that means it's my funeral.

[Steven Furtick]

So I don't want to reach my potential. What do I want to do? I want to do what Paul did. He said, forgetting what is behind me. This is Philippians 3 and straining toward what's ahead.

[Unknown Speaker]

I have to forget about the past. My potential is not back there straining to toward what's ahead. I have to persevere. My potential won't come to pass if I play with it. I can't strike three times. I have to strain toward something. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God.

[Steven Furtick]

He said Philippians 3, verse 15. This is cool. He said, all of us then who are mature should take such a view of things. What? Such a view of things. A view of things that knows you.

[Unknown Speaker]

Have not arrived yet.

[Steven Furtick]

A view of things that knows that.

[Unknown Speaker]

What'S behind you can't hold you. And what's ahead of you is greater.

[Steven Furtick]

Than what's against you. God helped me preach this message for.

[Unknown Speaker]

Three people who feel like it's all I have, but it's not enough. But it's all I have, but it's not enough. He said all of us who are.

[Steven Furtick]

Mature should take such a view.

[Unknown Speaker]

And if on some point you think differently that too, God will make clear to you. In other words, if you think you've reached your full potential, if you think you've arrived, God will leg sweep you to make sure you don't strut around.

[Steven Furtick]

In circles helping somebody.

[Unknown Speaker]

I'm helping somebody.

[Steven Furtick]

I'm helping you. But this one confused me. He said, only let us live up to what we have already attained.

[Unknown Speaker]

What?

[Steven Furtick]

Live up. That means I'm not there. Attained. That means I've arrived. Potential has potential. Keep preaching. Wayne all told me building houses is not your thing. He was kind of right, because my hands have never built a house. I grabbed my microphone in 2010 and I told the whole church about Love Week. I said, we're all going to surf. You know, I got to visit five different Habitat for Humanity sites where we were building houses. And it hit me.

[Unknown Speaker]

If I use what I have, God will be what I am not. Help me. Stop. High five. Your neighbor. Say, working. Work it. Work it. Work it. Work your window. Work your gift. Work your potential according to his purpose. I wish this was the rowdy crowd. I wish this was the rowdy crowd. I wish y'all knew how to respond when the word of God hits your life. Potential. Potential has potential. How did a microphone build a house?

[Steven Furtick]

It's the power of potential.

[Unknown Speaker]

How did a stick part the Red Sea? It's the power of potential. How did a mustard seed become the kingdom of God? How did a baby become the savior of the world? It's the power of. Of potential.

[Steven Furtick]

Only let us live up to what we've already attained. It's funny, because the English translators didn't know how to translate what Paul said.

[Unknown Speaker]

What he said is, let us live toward.

[Steven Furtick]

I don't want to reach my potential. I want to run after him. My potential is what gives me the possibility of progress.

[Unknown Speaker]

If I was there, I wouldn't have anything to run for. That's what makes me get up in the morning. The possibility that I could be a better man today than I was yesterday. The possibility that I can fulfill. I preached this sermon on Saturday night. Some of my staff said, play it back.

[Steven Furtick]

It was good.

[Unknown Speaker]

I said, I think I can preach it better. Reach. I know I could quit, but I have some arrows left. Don't play with me. This is the kind of preaching that will mess you up. This is the kind of preaching that will stir up your gift. This is the kind of preaching that will light a fire. Somebody shout like you have potential. Like your praise has potential. Like your gift has potential.

[Steven Furtick]

It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. It's in you. Potential. Initiative. Potential. Now I know why God was speaking to me before I came out. He's doing something. Before I came out, I kept thinking, initiative. Initiative. There's a guy here at the church. You might meet him if you stay around a little while. He is the campus pastor of our University City campus. His name is Larry Bry. Larry Bry is from Minnesota. I met him in Shelby, North Carolina. I asked him to come help me start the church. He was up at our revival. He turned over to me, and he was on stage here at Ballantyne. He said, thank you, Pastor, for seeing my potential. I never told him this until this moment, but I want to tell him right now. I didn't see potential in you. I don't have that power. I don't see potential in you. You can't see potential. None of us know if they couldn't see it in the Beatles, if it took Holly a full 12 months to get her act together and be interested in me. What I saw was patterns. I saw patterns of initiative. I saw that when the pastor of the church we were serving at said he wanted something before he could get it out of his mouth what he wanted built. Larry Bride was at Lowe's with his pickup truck. I saw when a room needed painting, Larry Bry was out in the lobby, and instead of drinking coffee over there, just talking about the good Lord, he was recruiting volunteers to paint a classroom. I said I could use a guy like Bry.

[Unknown Speaker]

Jesus saw Peter fishing, said, I see potential. The way you throw that net is the way you're going to preach my word. And the way you throw that net is the way you're going.

[Steven Furtick]

Come on.

[Unknown Speaker]

I see potential. God looked at David, said, I see potential. The way you tend those sheep is the way you're going to be king over my people. I see potential. Potential is revealed through patterns. How will you know your full potential if you don't give yourself to the process? Point number four, and I'm closing with this process. Process reveals potential. Write it down. Process reveals potential. You will never know what the relationship could have been if you do not embrace the process. It is in the process of trying. That potential to continue is released. It is in the process of getting down to the bottom that you find out how to make it to the top. Process reveals potential. That's why God chose Elisha. He was plowing in the field faithfully. He was involved in the process. God picks people who aren't afraid of process. God uses people who don't run when the ground is hard. God uses people who plow in obscurity. God raises up people who have their hands dirty, their sleeves rolled up, and embrace the process.

[Steven Furtick]

You will never know your potential if you keep resisting the process by which God is trying to reveal it. You never know what your mic can do. You never know what your marriage could be. You never know what you could be as a dad if you just keep stay stuck in the fact you didn't have one. Your past is not your potential, nor is it the best predictor of it. The limit to your potential is your purpose and your perseverance. Your purpose. You can't do what he didn't assign you to do. And your perseverance. He told him you should have struck five or six times. My oldest son loves to argue. You could see that as a problem. I see it as potential because I feel like if we can get it applied to the right purpose. I don't have time to preached this whole sermon. But something you've been calling a problem is actually your potential in a different dimension. That boy might make $10 million as a lawyer by the time he's 25 and tithe to me personally. Stephen Furtick Incorporated Ministries of Jesus Christ. It's not a real thing. He was kind of arguing with me. He said, this is the most epic text in the Bible. But he said, why not nine or ten times? Why not 15 or 16? The Prophet was angry because here's a man named Elisha who one day, just going about the process of his life, a mantle falls on him. You can stay with me, lj. I'm closing. When the mantle falls on him, his potential, his potential is revealed with a glimpse. It's just a glimpse. He did not fully realize his potential until 14 years later that he was standing at the Jordan with the mantle that hit his shoulders while he was plowing. Because process reveals potential. God will give you a glimpse of the arrow and then he will call you to strike the ground. Process reveals potential. Why not nine times? Elijah said, that's a good question. Why not 15? I mean, if we're just striking the ground. But I had an answer because I'm not going to be out argued about the Bible by my 11 year old. Not a chance. There is no potential for that to happen. Touch somebody and say you have potential. You have potential. I know you have potential. Because if you didn't, God would have killed you by now. We'd be at your funeral. If you didn't have potential, what you do with it is up to you. You let it sit, it will be poisonous. You should have than you would have. Why five or six times? Here's my theory. It's just a theory, but it's absolutely true. The man of God was angry. You know why? He said five or six times. Remember when he told him to shoot out the window, he said take the arrow. Singular. What was the verse? Was it 17? Was it verse 17? Give it to me on the monitor here. Everybody shout Potential. You mumbled whispered potential. I wanted you to shout potential. Shout potential. Power of potential. You let it sit, it will become poisonous. You'll start projecting onto other people the potential you didn't fulfill. But if you release it in the process, it will become your provision. Here's what the man of God said. He said, open the east window, shoot the Lord's arrow of victory. You will completely destroy the Arameans. You will completely destroy. You are pressed towards the mark. You will. You're going to do it all. Then he said, take the arrows. Plural. For some reason when I used to visualize this story in my mind, I had the king with one arrow striking it over and over again. But now I realize all the prophet wanted him to do was use every arrow arrow that was available. Why six arrows? You only did half of what you could have done. The only type of person I've ever found God can only use in a limited measure is one who is half hearted. I've met addicted people God used. I've met discouraged people God used. I've met mean people God used. Elisha was mean. One time he was. He was walking back from healing the waters of Jericho. He had thrown some salt in the water, just like the church needs to heal the toxic waters of our nation.

[Unknown Speaker]

Elisha took the salt. We are the salt of the earth. He threw the salt in the water.

[Steven Furtick]

The waters became pure. It remains pure to this day, the Bible says.

[Unknown Speaker]

And the next thing he did, he's walking along and some boys come out.

[Steven Furtick]

Of the woods and they start calling him Baldy.

[Unknown Speaker]

It's in your bible. Read it. 2 Kings 2, verse 19:25.

[Steven Furtick]

They said, Go on up Baldy. Go on up Baldy.

[Unknown Speaker]

The Bible says he called down curses.

[Steven Furtick]

In the name of the Lord.

[Unknown Speaker]

When he called down curses, bears came.

[Steven Furtick]

Out of the woods and killed 42 boys. You didn't learn that in Sunday school. It wasn't on your flannel graph.

[Unknown Speaker]

Because we don't know what to do with that.

[Steven Furtick]

The same words that had the potential.

[Unknown Speaker]

To heal had the potential to kill. If your potential does not find its purpose, I'm telling you, the pain of stopping short, the shame of stopping short is worse than the pain of falling short. Why don't you press? Why don't you run? Why don't you go? Why don't you strike every arrow? Every arrow. Stand to your feet. I'm closing every arrow. I'm using every arrow. I'm using every arrow. I'm not leaving any arrows on the ground.

[Steven Furtick]

The man of God was angry. You should have. You could have. You should have. You could have. Then the Bible says Elisha died and was buried. It seems to be the end. Then the Bible tells a strange tale about how one day they were having a funeral procession. I need you to do me a favor. Look at the person who had the pleasure of standing next to you, sitting next to you, this whole worship experience, and tell him it's not over. He dies, and they're carrying out a body. Watch this. They were in a rush to throw the body because some raiders came. When they threw the body, they accidentally hit Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came to life, stood on his feet. Now, I could preach that two ways. I could preach that to say, whatever is buried in your life, whatever failure you've been through, becomes your lesson for the next season.

[Unknown Speaker]

And nothing is dead. When God speaks to dry bones, they come alive. I could preach it like that.

[Steven Furtick]

But maybe Elisha's bones are a lesson in unfulfilled potential. Maybe he died with one more miracle still in him. Maybe the king isn't the only one who stopped short. I'm just asking you today, have you stopped short? I know it's not because you don't care. I used to preach like that. You bunch of complacent, lazy, coward Christians. You have to be legalistic in your 20s. But now I'm starting to see I get to know people. I realized you're holding back parts of yourself and you're giving a percentage of yourself to your purpose because you're telling yourself, here's the way. One comedian said it. He was up in front of a crowd and he said, I didn't Prepare tonight. So I have no idea what I'm going to say. They laughed. He said, no, I'm serious. It's my strategy. I never prepare. They laughed a little less, but they were still laughing. He said, no, I'm serious. He said, because if I don't prepare and I bomb, I can tell myself it was because I didn't prepare. I'm preaching right to somebody right now. I'm not in your zip code. I'm in your living room. I have my shoes off. I have them up on your coffee table. I'm asking for another Diet Mountain Dew. That's what I like to drink. Don't send me a link about aspartame. I don't care. It's my shop. Potential. He said, if I don't prepare and I bomb well, I didn't prepare. Try harder next time. Go get them. If I don't prepare and it goes well, hey, it's a miracle. I'm a genius. If I prepare and fail. So I didn't prepare. He said, they laughed, but it's not funny when you live that way, when you don't love. If I love. If I give them all I am and then they reject me. They reject me. I'd rather send my representative. I'd rather stop short. I'd rather stop short than give it all I got and find out it wasn't enough. I declare in the name of Jesus, whoever this is for, lift your hands and receive it. You are enough. Say it. I love Christ. In me the hope of glory. Father, I thank you for the potential that is in this place today. Your word has been released. I've spoken it to the best of my ability, but it's going to take a response. It's going to take perseverance. It is going to take a commitment to purpose to see it fully come to pass. I declare over this word I've spoken. As the rains fall from the heaven.

[Unknown Speaker]

And do not return without making it bud and flourish, so shall your word be. That came forth out of my mouth today. It will not return to you. You for it. It will accomplish the purpose for which it is set. Somebody shout, christ in me the hope of glory. I thank you for the potential of your word. I thank you for your presence in this place. I thank you for the power of your spirit, the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead. The spirit of Elijah's bones be upon your people in the name of Jesus.

[Steven Furtick]

Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of you who give generously to this ministry. It's because of you that this ministry is possible. You can click the link in the description to Give now or visit Elevation Church for more information and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can share it with your friends. You can click the share button, take a screenshot and share it on your social stories and tag us evationchurch. Thanks again for listening. God bless you.

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