Elevation with Steven Furtick: "The Power Of The Pull" – Comprehensive Summary

Release Date: January 31, 2025
Host: Steven Furtick
Guest: Jonathan Josephs
Podcast Series: Elevation Church
Title of Episode: The Power Of The Pull

Introduction to the Message

In the episode titled "The Power Of The Pull," Pastor Steven Furtick delves deep into the biblical narrative of the prophet Elisha and the King of Israel, drawing powerful metaphors to illustrate the dynamics between human effort and divine intervention. Alongside Jonathan Josephs, the campus pastor, Steven explores how understanding and embracing God's pull can lead to victory and purposeful living.

The Bow and Arrow: A Divine Metaphor

Steven opens the discussion by referencing 2 Kings chapters 13, 14, and 20, highlighting Elisha's use of a bow and arrow as a sermon prop to convey a profound message to the king. He reflects on his own use of props in preaching, initially feeling they might indicate a lack of substance. However, Steven realizes that like Jesus, who used everyday objects to illustrate His teachings, these props serve as powerful tools to communicate divine truths.

"Sometimes actions speak louder than words. Sometimes it's not in what we understand or declare, but in what we do that our measure of success is determined."
— Steven Furtick [00:01]

Persistence in Faith: Striking Until Victory

A key moment in the episode focuses on the moment Elisha instructs the king to shoot arrows to secure victory over the Arameans. The king's premature cessation after three strikes frustrates Elisha, teaching a lesson about perseverance.

"You quit when you don't feel it."
— Jonathan Josephs [06:15]

Steven emphasizes that true victory often requires persistent effort, aligning with God's instructions until the objective is achieved. This persistence is not about human strength but about trusting and acting upon divine guidance.

"The man of God was angry with him and said, you should have struck the ground five or six times."
— Jonathan Josephs [06:06]

Push vs. Pull: Understanding Divine Guidance

The central theme revolves around the contrast between pushing through challenges with human effort and allowing God to pull us towards our purpose. Steven illustrates that relying solely on personal strength ("push") is insufficient compared to embracing God's pull.

"The power of God is not in your effort, it is not by your might nor by your strength, but by His Spirit."
— Steven Furtick [13:14]

Jonathan adds that being pulled by God involves an internal inspiration, a connection that doesn't require external prodding.

"You don't have to prompt me. I don't need you to tell me to lift my hands. My hands are lifted up, my mouth is filled with praise."
— Jonathan Josephs [14:19]

Personal Reflections: God's Pull in Our Lives

Both hosts share personal anecdotes illustrating how God's pull has guided their lives, often in ways that transcended human understanding or effort. Steven recounts visualizing the arrow of victory and recognizing the importance of being aligned with God's purpose rather than relying on his own methods.

"He was drawing him. He was pulling him."
— Steven Furtick [22:45]

Jonathan reflects on how God's pulling led him to his role as a campus pastor, emphasizing that divine direction often comes unexpectedly and without self-promotion.

"God knew I needed to pastor a multicultural church. How can I pastor a multicultural church if I can't step into the church?"
— Jonathan Josephs [26:34]

Embracing Purpose: Alignment Over Effort

The discussion underscores the necessity of aligning one's life with God's intended purpose. Steven explains that merely pushing against life's challenges without divine alignment results in ineffective efforts, whereas being pulled by God ensures purposeful and victorious outcomes.

"A sense of purpose will pull you. If you change your patterns, it will change your pull."
— Steven Furtick [28:21]

Jonathan reinforces that embracing God's pull involves letting go of self-driven patterns and allowing divine purpose to steer one's life.

"If you let the purpose of God pull on your life, I'm telling you, God's purpose has been pulling on you."
— Jonathan Josephs [28:06]

Invitation to Faith: Responding to God's Pull

Towards the episode's conclusion, Steven and Jonathan extend an invitation to listeners to respond to God's pull. They emphasize that this divine pull is personal and not something that can be forced, urging individuals to embrace the grace and guidance offered.

"God is drawing you to himself, on this day, for all who are far away from God and desire to be brought near by the blood of Jesus Christ, cleansed and forgiven, redeemed and renewed, restored and made righteous in the presence of God."
— Steven Furtick [30:31]

Listeners are encouraged to participate in a communal prayer, symbolizing the acceptance of God's pull and the beginning of a transformative journey.

Conclusion: The Power of the Pull

The episode wraps up with a reaffirmation of the central message—the transformative power of being pulled by God rather than relying solely on personal effort. Steven and Jonathan highlight that embracing this divine pull leads to victory, purpose, and a deeper connection with God.

"The power of the pull."
— Steven Furtick [14:19]

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "Sometimes actions speak louder than words. Sometimes it's not in what we understand or declare, but in what we do that our measure of success is determined."
  – Steven Furtick [00:01]

• "You quit when you don't feel it."
  – Jonathan Josephs [06:15]

• "The power of God is not in your effort, it is not by your might nor by your strength, but by His Spirit."
  – Steven Furtick [13:14]

• "You don't have to prompt me. I don't need you to tell me to lift my hands. My hands are lifted up, my mouth is filled with praise."
  – Jonathan Josephs [14:19]

• "He was drawing him. He was pulling him."
  – Steven Furtick [22:45]

• "A sense of purpose will pull you. If you change your patterns, it will change your pull."
  – Steven Furtick [28:21]

• "If you let the purpose of God pull on your life, I'm telling you, God's purpose has been pulling on you."
  – Jonathan Josephs [28:06]

• "God is drawing you to himself, on this day, for all who are far away from God and desire to be brought near by the blood of Jesus Christ, cleansed and forgiven, redeemed and renewed, restored and made righteous in the presence of God."
  – Steven Furtick [30:31]

Final Thoughts

"The Power Of The Pull" is a compelling exploration of faith, purpose, and divine guidance. Steven Furtick and Jonathan Josephs effectively use biblical narratives and personal stories to convey the profound impact of allowing God to direct one's life. Listeners are left with a clear understanding that true victory and purpose are attainable through embracing God's pull, rather than relying solely on personal efforts.