The Question That Changes Everything

Summary

Elevation with Steven Furtick

Episode Title: The Question That Changes Everything
Date: February 6, 2026
Host: Pastor Steven Furtick
Podcast by: iHeartPodcasts

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode, “The Question That Changes Everything,” explores the foundational question behind personal and collective spiritual journeys: “Why are you here, and what do you want God to do through you?” Pastor Steven Furtick pivots from his planned series to focus on vision—both for the church and the individual—revealing a new articulation for Elevation Church’s purpose and challenging listeners to examine their motives, desires, and expectations in their walk with God.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Importance of Vision and Motive

• Furtick opens by reflecting on how difficult it is not only to have a vision but to articulate it (02:06).

• He shares a story where a seatmate on a plane asks, “Why do people come to your church?”—a question that leads to deep introspection about motives and vision (04:23).

• The problem isn’t just knowing what you want, but understanding and communicating why you want it.

  “A lot of people spend their whole lives figuring out what. But when he asked me why, it got me remembering why we started the church.” – Steven Furtick [08:00]

2. Personalizing the 'Why'

• Listeners are encouraged to consider their reasons for coming to church—prompted to share with someone next to them (06:54).

• Furtick emphasizes that each person's why may be different—community, family legacy, music, or even relationships, but finding intention is crucial (07:59).

• He warns against making the church experience transactional or entertainment-driven.

  “If I don’t tell you why, I just leave it up to you to figure out why.” – Steven Furtick [08:30]

3. Biblical Examples: The Questions of Jesus

• Furtick draws from two stories in the Gospels:

  • Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10) — Bartimaeus cries out to Jesus despite being told to stay quiet, and Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” (11:42)
  • John’s Disciples (John 1:38) — Jesus notices two disciples following him and asks, “What do you want?” (19:06)

• These stories underscore the importance of motive—not just what we want, but why we want it.

  “It is faith that God is interested in, and not perfection, but participation that attracts the presence of God.” – Steven Furtick [17:18]

4. From What God Can Do For You to Through You

• Furtick traces the evolution of the church’s vision, highlighting its mission statement:

  “So that people far from God will be raised to life in Christ.” [25:16]

• However, he seeks a memorable, everyday language for this vision.
• After months of searching, he realizes that the essence is:

  “I want you to see what God can do through you.” – Steven Furtick [29:54]

5. Encounter, Participation, and Purpose

• Furtick emphasizes that the journey begins with what God can do for a person (healing, direction, encouragement) but should evolve to what God can do through that person in their community and relationships (33:29).

• He uses Bartimaeus’s story to illustrate this transition: Bartimaeus receives sight and then follows Jesus—his life becoming part of a bigger story (39:35).

  “It’s okay to start with what God can do for you… but it’s a terrible place to stop.” – Steven Furtick [33:29]

6. Vision for the Future: Ephesians 3:20

• Furtick repeatedly references Ephesians 3:20—God’s ability to do “immeasurably more than we ask or imagine”—as the foundational scripture for Elevation Church’s next decade (09:18; 36:55).

• He connects the potential of the church community to God’s power “at work within us,” challenging listeners to become participants in God’s mission (37:21).

  “God has a job to do… but he’s going to do it through you.” – Steven Furtick [37:56]

7. Personal Testimonies & Application

• Toward the end, Furtick tells the story of Fergie, a once-reluctant teenager now working on the church’s media team, to show tangible examples of what God can do through someone (43:35).
• He urges listeners not to settle for stories of what God could have done, but to pursue seeing what God will do through them.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On defining vision:

  “I said, if you come to Elevation Church, what I want for you is I want you to see what God can do through you. When I said it like that, I knew it.” – Steven Furtick [29:54]

• On Bartimaeus’s transformation:

  “The greatest miracle in Bartimaeus’s life was not that he got to see what God could do for him. It’s that he made the decision to follow Jesus and see what God could do.” – Steven Furtick [39:35]

• On communal purpose:

  “We have so elevated the platform of the preacher. The preacher has no platform if the people have no sense of mission.” – Steven Furtick [42:25]

• On shifting mindset:

  “It’s okay to start with what God can do for you… but it’s a terrible place to stop.” – Steven Furtick [33:29]

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Important Timestamps & Segments

• [02:06] – Furtick opens and pivots from the planned series to discuss vision
• [04:23] – Airplane story: The question “Why do people come to your church?”
• [06:54] – Listeners told to discuss why they came to church
• [09:18] – Introduction of Ephesians 3:20 as guiding scripture
• [11:42] – Story of Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10)
• [19:06] – Jesus’s question in John 1:38: “What do you want?”
• [25:16] – Elevation Church’s mission statement discussed
• [29:54] – “See what God can do through you” revealed as the phrase
• [33:29] – The journey from “what God can do for you” to “what God can do through you”
• [36:55] – “Nothing is impossible to him who believes.” Community call to embrace vision
• [43:35] – Practical testimony: Fergie’s story
• [44:35] – Concluding prayer and challenge to commit to seeing what God can do through each person

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Flow & Tone

The episode maintains Steven Furtick’s energetic, encouraging, and conversational preaching style. It mixes humor, storytelling, biblical references, and personal anecdotes to break down complex spiritual ideas into relatable, actionable concepts. By speaking as though each listener is “on staff” at the church, Furtick brings an inclusive tone, challenging every person—not just leaders—to own the church’s vision and mission.

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Summary Table

| Timestamp | Segment/Quote | Focus | |---------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------| | 04:23 | “Why do they come?” | The core question of motivation | | 09:18 | “My favorite scripture is Ephesians 3:20…” | Biblical foundation for vision | | 11:42 | Story of Blind Bartimaeus; “What do you want me to do for you?” | Personal needs and motives | | 19:06 | John 1:38: “What do you want?” | Motives as spiritual starting point | | 29:54 | “I want you to see what God can do through you.” | Articulation of vision | | 33:29 | “It’s okay to start with what God can do for you… but it’s a terrible place to stop.” | Shift from receiving to participating | | 43:35 | Fergie’s story and practical transformation example | Testimony, real-life application |

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Takeaway

The question that changes everything isn’t just “What do you want God to do for you?” but “Are you ready to see what God can do through you?”
This episode challenges listeners to examine their motives, embrace their unique place in God’s story, and become active participants in His transformative work. The call is to not merely receive but to be a channel for what God wants to do in the world—through you.

Transcript

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[Steven Furtick]

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[Steven Furtick]

Hey this is 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. God has really been speaking to me this week. It's for that reason I wanted to interrupt the series and the message I was going to bring from this stage and just talk to you. I told Wade I was going to talk to you today like you were on staff at this church. I said, I'm going to talk to the whole church like they are on unpaid staff. Clarify that. I want to speak to you about vision. About vision. How many of you have a vision for your life? Now, how many of you could explain your vision for your life? That's kind of the problem sometimes. I know it, but I can't explain it. My job is to figure out a way to explain some things that sometimes we intuitively know. Earlier this year, you may be watching this at a later time on the Archive, but it was at the beginning of 2016 I began to ask God to give me fresh language for our vision as a church. A way of expressing where we've been, where we're going and who God has called us to be that everybody could understand, relate to, and even explain to their friends. I guess it kicked off when I was on an airplane as all great preachers stories start. The guy next to me asked, what do you do? I told him I was a preacher. He said, really? You don't look like a preacher. I said, well then what do I look like? He looked at me really hard. He said, I don't know either some kind of fighter or musician. I said, well, I fight the devil with my praise. I said, no, I pastor a church. It's great. He's from Charlotte. I was like, you should try it. I want you to come. Because I was trying to explain to him, you could watch it online, here's the website. But you really have to come. I know it's a little inconvenient sometimes and you feel like I could just click on. But you really have to come to experience it. I said, because I think my preaching is okay, but it's really the people. I can prove that to you. Because a lot of times when I get an email, they'll say, we knew from the moment we rolled up on the parking lot, this was our church. We knew when we saw people smiling, excited, happy, enthusiastic and joyful that this was our church. They hadn't heard a sermon yet. It wasn't what happened behind the pulpit, but it was what was happening as they parked their car. I said, you really have to come. He said, well, I may sometime. He said, how many people come? I said, well, I'm going to tell you. It's a lot of people. I want you to know. It's a lot of people and it's different locations. It's a lot of people. He said, how many? I said, Thousands of people. He said, you have thousands of people? How many thousands of people? I said, well, bro, it's like over 20,000. I'm not trying to be something, but if you just want to ask, it's over 20,000. He cussed when I said that because he was not a Christian. You know, people who aren't Christians don't talk like Christians, he said. The non Christian equivalent of, well, praise the Lord. Glory to God. His next question floored me. And this is where I want to go today. I won't be long. I just want to say something really simple to you. He asked me, why do they come? Now, that's complicated. I know what the answer to that is supposed to be, but I don't always know what it is. I said, man, I've asked myself that question a lot. I think some people might come because they heard the girls are hot. I think some people might come because their grandmother told them if they didn't go to church, they'd go to hell. And this is a more enjoyable option than certain other churches. I think some people come because they like the music. Some people come because of social reasons and friendships. Some people come because their parents gave them no option on that particular morning or evening. But it got me thinking. Why did you come? Would you take a moment and just tell the person next to you why you came to church today? Just. If you could do that real quick. Why did you come at every campus? Yes, you too, Blakeney. Yes, you, too, Rakhill. Why'd you come? You didn't have to come. You could be washing your car, cleaning your closet.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

I'm really glad you came, by the way.

[Steven Furtick]

It's better when you're here. I prayed that you would come. I started praying over 10 years ago. Okay, the exercise is over. I don't know.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

I'm trying to figure that out myself.

[Steven Furtick]

Why?

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

It's a good question.

[Steven Furtick]

I may as well draw on this thing. They brought it up here. Why not? A lot of people spend their whole lives figuring out what. But when he asked me why, it got me remembering why we started the church. There are thousands of new people here who weren't here just even a few weeks ago because the church is growing. I needed you to know.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Why?

[Steven Furtick]

Because if I don't tell you why, I just leave it up to you to figure out why. You might think we put this thing on to entertain you, like a spiritual VMAs, But we didn't. Or you may think we started the church or have the church or something like that. To build buildings. Let me tell you something. I have no passion for construction. The first time I saw this building where I preached from was a couple of weeks before we opened it. I'm not into building buildings. They're cool. I thank God for them and they're expensive.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

But why?

[Steven Furtick]

My favorite scripture is Ephesians 3:20. Ephesians 3:20 describes the experience I have had over the past 10 years as a pastor. God is about to do something awesome, and I'm trying to get as many people ready for it as I can.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Paul says now to him, who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. The biggest thought you can think up would make God laugh. When you go to imagining what could be possible through your life if God got ahold of it, even your best imagination is pale in comparison to the reality of God's ability now to him who. Who is able to do immeasurably more.

[Steven Furtick]

Than we ask or imagine according to his power. I don't know why I brought a stool out. I'm too excited to sit on this stool today, touch your neighbor and say.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

God is about to do something. God is about to do something. I mean, we're about to go into revival season. Needs are going to be met. God is going to be glorified. Hell is going to be popping Prozac pills, 10 Nights of Glory to be awesome. We have thousands of people signing up in egroups, strengthening their relationships, getting accountability. God is doing something in our church. I mean, there are things going on you don't even know about. There are ministries that are going on that you don't even know about. And yet there are thousands of people who aren't even in on it. And I don't want it. I was asking God, what, what can I tell the people before this season takes off so fast? They're trying to merge into traffic and they can't get on. What can I tell the people who don't even know why we do it.

[Steven Furtick]

Why we do what we do? He said, now unto him is able to do measurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Here's a Bible story for you. When you talk about, why did you come? What are your motives?

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Why, why, why?

[Steven Furtick]

Why would you put yourself through the Ballantine parking lot exit?

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Because people ask you.

[Steven Furtick]

They'll be like, you go to elevation. Why do you go there? Why? You tell them, oh, it's the water slide. I go for the water slide. They Might ask you that. So one day, Jesus, can I talk to you like you're on my staff today? If I were talking to the staff, I would tell them about blind Bartimaeus. Blind Bartimaeus was begging by the roadside in Mark, chapter 10. Mark records this miracle as follows. He said they came to Jericho as Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city. This blind man, Bartimaeus, which means son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside begging. All of a sudden he heard it was Jesus of Nazareth. Remember, he couldn't see, but he could hear. He couldn't see, but he could hear.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

His.

[Steven Furtick]

Auditory senses picked up that this miracle worker, who has been rumored to be able to heal deaf ears and make the lame to walk and open blind eyes, is passing by. So he takes a chance. He does something. He's not just going to sit there and just sit there and just sit there like some people do in church every week. Just sit there, touch somebody and say, don't just sit there.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

This is how I used to preach.

[Steven Furtick]

When the church was 121 people. It's kind of rough, so I might get it back down to 121 people.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

But I used to tell the people.

[Steven Furtick]

Because they would come and they would.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Go, well, are you going to have.

[Steven Furtick]

A program for women and for men?

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

I like this type of Bible study. I like to study in the Greek and the Hebrew and the Aramaic.

[Steven Furtick]

And I like the Book of Revelations. They put the S on the end, made it a plural book.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

They said, you're going to do that? I want a book, a study on the end of times. And this is my favorite preference. Early on we would get up and just tell the people, you know, it's not about what you can sit and receive. There is something in you. God wants to stir up. This man was not willing to be inactive when Jesus passed by, when the opportunity of a lifetime was headed his way, when it was possible that everything could change in a moment, this man shouts from his spot on the side of the road, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.

[Steven Furtick]

Now. The crowd did what the crowd always does. They told him to shut up. What dispassionate people always do when someone gets passionate, Try to keep you in the corner because your passion is proof of their apathy. It makes them feel bad, so they call you a fanatic. Because if they can label you as a fanatic, then they don't have to deal with the fact that they're kind of struggling. But that did something inside of Him. The more they told him to shut up, the more the devil was telling them they couldn't. This is what happens inside of a person whose passion has been awakened. Something awesome is going to happen in church today. I feel God on this message.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

He shouted all the more, shouted jesus.

[Steven Furtick]

Son of David, have mercy on me. Now let me ask you a question, and it's not a trick question. Who is this man interested in? I know a Sunday school answer. Jesus. Why are you coming to church today?

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

To worship Jesus.

[Steven Furtick]

Yeah, sure. Why did you really come here? This guy is interested in himself. Bartimaeus loves him some. Bartimaeus.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

They said, shut up.

[Steven Furtick]

But Jesus stopped in his tracks. And creation's king takes a break on.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

His journey to Jericho. For one man who everybody else was trying to push to the side. I always felt like that was happening when I preached. I never felt like I was preaching to crowds. No matter how many people would come to the church, I would always feel like I was preaching to one. I never knew who the one was. But I always felt like every time I opened God's word, there was somebody God was speaking to. In that moment, Jesus stopped. And everybody else said, shut up. But Jesus said, call him. That's the one I want. I came to preach to somebody who everybody else might have given up on. You life might not be where you want it to be, and you might not have been what you could have been. But it's not too late to become who you are. So Jesus is like calling.

[Steven Furtick]

They told him, hey, man, it's your turn. Cheer up on your feet, because there's nothing wrong with your feet.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Notice this.

[Steven Furtick]

This is just free. This is not doing my message at all. He used his mouth and his feet to affect what wasn't working. It is faith that God is interested in, and not perfection, but participation that attracts the presence of God. Our church has always been about participation. This man does what he can and God does what he can't. So he throws his cloak aside and.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Jumps to his feet. Because you can't wait around.

[Steven Furtick]

When the possibility of a miracle is imminent, you can't procrastinate. When the possibility of a miracle is imminent, he gets up, jumps up, and came to Jesus. When he came to Jesus, Jesus asked him a question. Kind of like the man on the plane asked me a question. The question goes like this. What do you want me to do for you? Reminiscent this question of John. Chapter one. When Jesus was first coming on the scene, John the Baptist was the man. When Jesus came on the scene, John the Baptist Pointed at him and said one day, look, there's the Lamb of God. That's the one I've been telling you about. Maybe the whole purpose of our life isn't about us, but to point to someone who is greater than us. He says, that's the one. When he said, that's the one, the two disciples that were following him transferred their church membership to Jesus, and they started following Jesus. John was cool with that because he's the one it was always about. So they started following Jesus. This is funny, though. When Jesus noticed he had some stalkers, he turned around and asked them a question. The question you would think would be, can you explain the theological concept of sanctification? That's the kind of questions churches usually ask before people can join, and can you explain the doctrine of the Trinity? But Jesus turns around and asks something very simple. He breaks it down so simply, he just turns around and this is so simple. This is the first question recorded Jesus asked in John's Gospel. It's a question I ask my kids a hundred times a week, although probably not in as loving of a tone as Jesus asked it here in John 1:38. He asked them, what do you want? Why are you following me? What do you want? What do you want?

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

What do you want?

[Steven Furtick]

Elijah, I'm busy.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

What do you want? What do you want? Abbey?

[Steven Furtick]

What do you want? How do you say it? What do you want? What do you want? What do you. I don't know. The point is, he starts with their motive. God has been dealing with me about my motives. To say not only to you, why did you come here? But to challenge me as a pastor. What is it that you want for these people? What is it that you want for these people? Not, what is it you want from these people? Maybe I've spent too much of my ministry trying to figure out what I wanted from people. But maybe a better question is, what does God want for these people?

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

What do you want for these people? That's a good question.

[Steven Furtick]

For every campus pastor at our church.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

When you stand up and say, hey, sign up to volunteer today. What is it that we want for the people who volunteer? When we're telling people, hey, give to the work of God, what is it we want God to do for you as you give? What is it you want God to do for you today? You say, well, no, that's not a good question. No, it's not. It's exactly the right question. It's the question Jesus asked Bartimaeus, what do you want me to do for you the audacity that you would get to have a moment of FaceTime with the creator and he would want to know about little old you, pitiful you, blind you, weak you, dysfunctional you. What do you want me to do for you?

[Steven Furtick]

That's the starting place. James and John heard the same question. In fact, Mark is kind of clever because when you read a gospel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, it's not putting everything exactly when it happened. So if it's three verses later, that doesn't mean it was three minutes later. It could have been days later, weeks later.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Added to that, each gospel writer chose.

[Steven Furtick]

How to organize their material so that it would get across the theme of their gospel record. Mark is telling about blind Bartimaeus. But before he tells about blind Bartimaeus, if you back up a few verses, he tells about James and John. Now, these were two disciples of Jesus. They had been following Jesus. Jesus explains to them that this does.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Not end with a crown, but it.

[Steven Furtick]

Ends with a cross. In other words, ultimately, for me to.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Be glorified, I have to suffer.

[Steven Furtick]

When Jesus explains that, they don't really want to hear it too much. James and John sneak up behind Jesus.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Just after he shares, they're going to spit on me. Just after he shares, they're going to mock me. And just after he shares, they're going to beat me. Just after he shares that he's going.

[Steven Furtick]

To have to die at the hands of sinful men to redeem them from the very sin that caused them to kill him.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Just after he explains this to them.

[Steven Furtick]

They come up and they want a favor.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Look how they said it.

[Steven Furtick]

Look how bold they are. Jesus said, what is this verse? That's not the right one. Yeah, here it is.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.

[Steven Furtick]

Are you seven? Jesus asks, okay, what do you want.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Me to do for you? There it is again. There must be something to this question. What do you want me to do for you?

[Steven Furtick]

They say, well, listen, what we'd like is we'd like some VIP seating in heaven.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Let one of us sit at your.

[Steven Furtick]

Right and the other at your left. We're good. Because, you know, Peter and John.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Jesus.

[Steven Furtick]

Is not indignant about it.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

He just tells them, you don't know what you are asking.

[Steven Furtick]

You have the question wrong. Have you gotten the question wrong? What are you here for? Not just here in the church. What are you here on the earth for? What are you put here for? See, God has been giving me some vision. I bet I've filled up maybe four, five Six legal pads, just writing down, scribbling since January of this year, what God was speaking to me. We're going on a 10 year anniversary thing and we're doing all this amazing stuff to celebrate it. And I said, God, for the next 10 years, for all these thousands of people you sent, some of them come once every seven weeks and some of them are faithful every week. Some have been around a long time. Some of them are brand new, some of them are black, some of them are white, some of them are young, some of them are old. Some of them came from Catholic church, some of them came from no church. Some of them are kind of Baptist. We're going to pray for them. I was Baptist. I'm just kidding. What do you want to do for them? How can I put it to them?

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

I wanted a phrase everybody could know and say.

[Steven Furtick]

Our church mission is so that people far from God will be raised to life in Christ. That's who we reach. In other words, we're saying it's not the healthy who need a doctor, it's the sick. In other words, we're saying if we ever shut our doors and decide this is as big as we want to get because it's comfortable for us and our families, God will take his hand of favor off this ministry. And that isn't going to happen.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

We're always going to fling our doors wide open.

[Steven Furtick]

We're always going to build new churches.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

To the brother who wants to know, when is it going to be enough?

[Steven Furtick]

It will never be enough.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

It will never be enough. As long as there's one person to.

[Steven Furtick]

Reach, it will never be enough.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

We're never going to stop. As long as there's one blind Bartimaeus by the roadside begging who might have given up on himself. But when Jesus passes by, something awesome can happen. We're going to keep building and keep growing. It will be a blessing.

[Steven Furtick]

That's our mission. It doesn't change. But it's like I wanted a way to say the vision. So the first phrase I wrote down while I was doing on my legal path, I wrote down this phrase. Everybody ready? Come on. Isn't that fancy? I didn't have that capability. Ten years ago, I wrote down this phrase. I was like, okay, here's what we do as a church. What do we do as a church? When you come here, what happens? I wrote down this phrase. I was really proud of it because it rhymes. See, that's kind of why I didn't choose that one. Because see how you were just like, fine. I was so Excited about it, I came over to Chunk. I said, I got rhymes. They both start with the same vowel.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Encounters it in power. That's what we do. You know, Like Isaiah, he saw the Lord high and lifted up. When people come in our church, we want them to see the Lord high and lifted up. The train of his robe fills the temple with glory. Then when God says, whom shall I send? Who will go for us? He touches your lips and he cleanses.

[Steven Furtick]

You of your sin.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Because you're an unclean person and you live amongst a people of unclean people, God empowers you. And Isaiah went on to prophesy, that's what we want. We want people to have an encounter with God that will empower them for their lives.

[Steven Furtick]

I looked at Chunks, and he said, that's cool.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

It's right. That's what we want to happen.

[Steven Furtick]

But I didn't feel like you would say that to your friend. Come with me to church for an encounter that empowers.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

So I said, okay, well, that's the right idea.

[Steven Furtick]

It's not the right way of saying it necessarily. Then I came up with an even worse one. I was like, all right, when people come to this church, what is it they're looking for?

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

What do they want?

[Steven Furtick]

I put down this phrase, which is phonetically impressive. I said, they want audacious inspiration.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

That's what they want.

[Steven Furtick]

Yes. That's exactly what I woke up thinking about today. Pastor Steven, I. I need some audacious inspiration in my life. There's all these preacher terms. This week, I was with our team, and we had meetings all day about this.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

I want to tell the people. I want them to know. I want that dude in the back row of the church who keeps sneaking in and out. I want him to know what we want for his life, because that's what God wants for his life. We're going to figure it out.

[Steven Furtick]

And we can't figure it out.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

We're going to shut the church down. It's been nice.

[Steven Furtick]

We shut the door and stayed up kind of late and went home with nothing. The next day, I was standing up, because sometimes the breakthrough comes when you've given up on it. I've been like, eight months looking for this. I was talking to this guy, and I was like, I don't know. I'm looking for phrases in eight months. I can't figure out how to say it where everybody can get around it. Then I just said it. This is it. This is why you came. This is what we want for you. I finally figured out how to answer the guy on the plane's question. It took me eight months, But the way I said it, I said, if you come to Elevation Church, what I want for you is I want you.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

To see.

[Steven Furtick]

What God can do through you. When I said it like that, I knew it.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

That's it.

[Steven Furtick]

Whether you know it or not, that's what brought you here. Sometimes you don't even know why you came. When you come, what do you want.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Me to do for you?

[Steven Furtick]

Blind Bartimaeus had an answer to that question.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

He said, I want to see. And Jesus opened his eyes. I want to see.

[Steven Furtick]

So he got his vision.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

That's where it all starts. Just to see. That's one of the greatest ways you can invite someone to church. By the way, hey, just come and see. When they told Jesus, we want to see where you're staying. Because he turned around to those two guys and he said, what do you want? They said, well, we want to see where you're staying. You know what he said? Come and see. That's the first part. Just to see. Because people are wandering through life, blind to opportunities, blind to potential, blind to new beginnings. The first thing God will do in transforming your life is open your eyes so you can see. You have to just come and see. How many of you have said that to somebody? You just have to see. You've said it before. You've said it before. You have to see for yourself. See. I believe God wants you to see what he.

[Steven Furtick]

This is important. Changing colors.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

What God.

[Steven Furtick]

Apologize for my handwriting can. Apologize for my spelling. Apologize for not knowing how to erase this board yet.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Can do is to see what God can do. Up until this point in your life, you've seen what you can do. Isn't it time for you to throw your cloak to the side of the road and see what God can do, not what people can do, not what your mom can do, not what a Democrat can do or a Republican can do, but to see what God can now unto him who is able to do immeasurably more. Your eye has not seen. Your ear has not heard. Neither has it entered into the heart of a man. Come on, touch five people. Tell them, I want to see what God can do. I want to see what God can do. I've taken my life as far as it can go. I slept with a lot of different people. I still feel empty. I earned some money. I still feel empty. I got a job. I still feel empty. I'm ready for purpose now. I'm ready for meaning now. I'M ready for a well that won't run dry.

[Steven Furtick]

I'm ready for bread that satisfies. I told you this message is going to be a shift. I was so excited to preach it. I thought, well, I'll share that later in the year. God said, you'll share it when I tell you to share it. I said, when am I going to share it? He said, share it now because somebody is sitting by the roadside and the opportunity is passing by. Don't you want to see what God can do as a church? Wouldn't you? Or do you want to be telling the story to your kids one day of what God could have done? Do you want to lay there one day on some bed? I know you're going to be 120 when you die because you eat kale and not gluten, but you want to be laying there at that point thinking about what God could have done, would have done. Or do you want to see? I'm sorry, I know the crowds are telling me to shut up. But I have to see what God can do. What God can do for you. That's where it starts to see what God can do. For you. That's a great place to start because you need a touch from God and it's by grace. We're saved through faith. I can't do it for myself. I want this to be a place where you can come and God can do for you what you need done. Because some weeks you're going to need direction and encouragement. You have a business decision and this thing with your kids. I want you to come here to see what God can do for you. It's a great place to start, but it's a terrible place to stop. When God spoke the vision of this church to me for the next 10 years and the vision he has for each and every life that's represented within this body of believers. He didn't say for you to see what God could do for you. He said, it's time. For you to see. Let's use the blue. What God can do. I'm excited about this. Now. To him who is able to do, give him 320 again. What time is it? It's 3:20. Ephesians 3:20. Time. It's 3:20. Whenever you're watching this, it's 3:20. Set your watch 320. Who is able to do God See what God can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. According to his power. Your potential is equal to God's power. Nothing is impossible to him who believes.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Oh, I feel the Holy Spirit of God stirring something up in this place in your life. In our communities in Raleigh, North Carolina. In Gaston, North Carolina, Gaston County. Don't you want to see what God can do?

[Steven Furtick]

According to the power.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

That works.

[Steven Furtick]

This is the key within us. God has a job to do in the earth. He's about redeeming. He's about restoring. He's about reclaiming. He's about replenishing. God has a job to do. Touch the person next to you. Tell them God has a job to do, but give them the part B. Give them the part B. Because if you just tell them that, they'll wait for him to do it. Tell them again, God has a job to do, but he's going to do it through you.

[Elevation Church Assistant/Volunteer]

Through you.

[Steven Furtick]

Point at somebody and say, through you. Put your finger right in their face unless it's going to cause trouble at home and tell them, through you, through you, through you.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Notice there is no clause following this sentence.

[Steven Furtick]

That's where the period goes right there. Not what God can do through you when.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Not what God could do through you. If I want you to see what God can do, do through you now. Yeah, but I'm a murderer. I hear you, Moses. It's all right. Take off your shoes and take the next step. The place you are standing on is holy ground. I have a job to do and I want to do it. Through you.

[Lowe's Advertiser]

Through you.

[Elevation Church Assistant/Volunteer]

Through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through you, through.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

You, through you, through you, through you, through you. God wants his power to flow through you.

[Steven Furtick]

Stand on your feet. I've said what I came to say that's what you came for. It needs to shift in your heart today. It's okay to start with what God can do for you. The cool part about Bartimaeus is what happened after his eyes were open. He saw what God could do for him. This is the cool verse. I don't think people preach about this because if you're doing it, you want the climax to be and he could see. But the really important part is what happened next. And it's going to come right there on the screen. It says that Jesus told him to go. He said that his faith had healed him. And then it said that immediately he received his sight. See what God can do for you. And then this is the part. He followed Jesus along the road. Now, the greatest miracle in Bartimaeus life was not that he got to see what God could do for him. It's that he made the decision to follow Jesus and see what God could do. What could God do through you? I don't know. I don't just mean in the church. By the way, I hope you volunteer. I hope they swarm the tents when they're leaving today and just volunteer. I'm not doing a volunteer push. This isn't a giving sermon. Nothing like that. This is what's in my heart for you. If you're part of this ministry in this movement, whether online or. Or on television or locally here at one of our campuses, I want you to see not what God can do through me. We have so elevated the platform of the preacher. The preacher has no platform if the people have no sense of mission. I wish I knew your name. I'll call it out. I'll just call your name straight out. I'm not a prophet, so I can't do that kind of stuff. I could make something up. I could call you Doug. You might not be Doug. Through you, through Fergie over here. Fergie wasn't always running a camera in the church. Fergie was a mess. Teenager. Little punk teenager. Came over to the church 10 years ago. Been with me almost the whole time. My first capital campaign where I raised money in the church. We didn't have a building yet. We were praying for a building. But we wanted to have the money ready when we had it. Because we wanted to raise money for a building. We wanted to raise money for a vision. When I would raise money, I had a picture of Fergie getting baptized on my wall. When donors would come in, they'd say, what are we giving to? I'd point to Fergie getting baptized. I say, that's our mission. That boy, he's a man now. He has some traps and some triceps. Big old camera, runs his jib camera. There's only three people in the state of North Carolina license to run one of these. I made that part up. But he does run it.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

He puts me on tv.

[Steven Furtick]

He puts me on TV every week. Half a million people watch on tv, Thousands online. All that. Every week. Every week he shows that. Show them the crowd real quick if you can. I don't know if they have it set up for that, but just show them, Fergie. Look what God is doing through you. That's only a part of It. That's only a part of it. That's only a part of it. We can't show everything. He wrote me a letter last year when we were opening our Ballantyne campus and said, if I get to open, I'm in your way. I'll step out the way. He has to do his job. He said that I prayed that God would let me be a part of opening every Elevation church this teenage. He could have said I'm too young. He could have said I'm too messed up. He would come in on Sundays, smell like cigarette smoke every Sunday. He could have said, no, not me. But now look what God is doing through him. I just want to ask the question, are you ready to see what God.

[Elevation Church Assistant/Volunteer]

Can do through you?

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Lift your hands, Father. Father, I thank you in this moment.

[Steven Furtick]

That lives are being surrendered, that hearts are being opened. I thank you that imaginations are being.

[Elevation Church Co-Speaker]

Excited and instigated by the possibilities of faith. We want to see as a church, you continue to move mountains, but it's only going to happen if the people speak. It's only going to happen if the people move. So God, we commit in this place to see what you can do through us. I want to see what God can do through me. I'm lifting my hands because I want to see what God can do through me. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, in my life, as it is in heaven now, unto him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to the power that works in in you. That works in you. It's working in you. It's working in you. To him be glory through Christ Jesus in the church now and forever.

[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 elevationchurch.orgpodcast 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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[Steven Furtick]

Me.

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