This Is Then (God Uses Stupid)

Summary

Elevation with Steven Furtick – "This Is Then (God Uses Stupid)"

Date: November 24, 2025
Host: Steven Furtick
Guest Contributor: Eric Phillips

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Overview

In this episode, Steven Furtick digs deep into Genesis 28, exploring the story of Jacob’s encounter with God and the transformative power of trust and surrender. Centered on the theme “This Is Then (God Uses Stupid),” Pastor Furtick challenges listeners to move past conditions and bargaining with God (“If you bless me, then…”) to embrace faith in the present moment, recognizing God’s provision, protection, and presence—even when the way forward seems unclear or the steps seem "stupid" by worldly standards.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Worship, Thanksgiving, and Perspective

• The episode opens with a spirit of gratitude, emphasizing the importance of both praising God for tangible blessings and recognizing His presence, even in times of challenge.
  • Eric Phillips opens with a prayer of thanksgiving, listing everyday blessings—health, family, provision—and declaring God’s faithfulness. (03:00–04:00)
  • Steven Furtick:

    “It won’t do any good for us to sing all this beautiful music...if [our] heart isn’t open. So I thank you that heaven is open—may our hearts be too.” (04:03)

2. The Jacob Narrative: Blessed, But…

• Pastor Furtick walks the congregation through Genesis 28:10–22, focusing on Jacob's flight from Esau, his unlikely encounter with God, and his iconic dream.
  • Jacob is "blessed but”—blessed, yet alone, afraid, and uncertain about the future.
  • The Lord promises Jacob inheritance, descendants "like the dust of the earth," and global impact (09:00–10:20).
  • Steven Furtick:

    “Have you ever been blessed, but…?” (07:35)
    “God will speak about things that have not even started yet in the natural, and He’ll speak it supernaturally.” (10:21)

3. The If-Then Mindset: Bargaining or Surrender?

• Furtick zeros in on Jacob’s vow: “If God will be with me … then the Lord will be my God.”
  • The biblical text offers two pivot words: “If… then…”
  • Furtick reframes Jacob’s vow not as an act of doubt or bargaining, but as a humble admission of need—asking for God’s presence, provision, and protection for the journey ahead (21:45–22:42).
  • Notable Quote:

    “Sounds like the boy thinks he can bargain with the Most High. ... At this stage in my life, I think Jacob is saying it doesn't take much for me to trust you. … If you'll do that much, then you'll be my God.” (22:42–23:13)

4. Surrender vs. Strategy: The True Path of Faith

• Furtick shares personal anecdotes and ministry history, highlighting how what appears as "strategy" in hindsight was experienced as "surrender" in the moment (13:52–16:20).
  • Modern church practices and growth—often seen as carefully planned—were actually born out of necessity and surrender, not calculated business principles.
• Steven Furtick:

  “Many of the things in our ministry that felt very strategic … were actually things that at the time just felt like, what do we do next, God? ... You experience a lot of things as surrender in real time.” (13:52–16:06)

5. “God Uses Stupid”: Embracing Risk, Obedience, and Trust

• The message repeatedly emphasizes that God can use actions that seem foolish by worldly standards—moments when obedience or generosity feels "stupid" but actually becomes the basis for blessing.
  • Early "stupid" decisions in both his personal life (giving away an emergency fund, only buying what could be afforded) and church planting (refusing a seemingly smart fundraising strategy) ultimately led to breakthrough and growth (38:40–43:48).
  • Steven Furtick:

    “What the world calls wise, what the world calls strategic, God calls stupid. And what the world calls stupid, God calls strategic.” (40:41)

  • God’s ways of working—through surrender, small beginnings, and unlikely means—are highlighted with biblical connections (Jacob’s stone becomes Bethel, the “House of God”).

    “You say it’s stupid to call a rock the house of God. Not when God spoke to you there, stupid!” (41:45)

6. “This Is Then”: Don’t Postpone Trust and Obedience

• Furtick flips the conditional “If… then…”—urging listeners to stop postponing surrender, joy, and obedience until after God proves Himself yet again.
  • “This is then” means recognizing that God has already done enough to deserve our trust right now (45:14–46:39, 51:03–51:44).
  • Steven Furtick:

    “You don’t need more proof to trust Him. You just need more practice.” (51:44)

7. The Call to Action: Trust, Surrender, and Giving

• Tying the message to tithing and generosity, Furtick aligns financial faithfulness with the broader journey of trust.
  • He challenges listeners to respond—especially in the area of giving—reminding them that all they hold is from God, and the practice of tithing is foundational (54:00–55:28).

8. Invitation and Prayer:

• The episode closes with a heartfelt altar call, inviting listeners to surrender fully to Christ, not just in general but in every specific area of life (56:00–63:10).
  • Steven Furtick leads prayer:

    “Heavenly Father, I am a sinner in need of a savior. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Today I make Jesus the Lord of my life.... This is my new beginning.” (62:29–63:10)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You experience a lot of things as surrender in real time. … The strategic explanation often camouflages the surrendered experience.” (13:52–16:06)
• “After all I've seen, I'd be stupid not to [praise God]. After all he does for me, I'd be stupid not to say thank you.” (30:55–31:10)
• “You call it stupid. I call it surrender.” (44:14)
• “You don’t need more proof to trust Him. You just need more practice.” (51:44)
• “What is your if? Hasn't He already done it? Hasn't He already proven to you His love? What more would God have to do to get you to trust Him? I’m telling you, this is then.” (59:50–60:30)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:28] – Invitation to praise and open one’s heart
• [05:38] – Genesis 28: Jacob’s story and context
• [13:52] – Surrender vs. strategy: Lessons from ministry and life
• [22:42] – The “If… then…” moment and its spiritual meaning
• [38:40] – Testimonies of “stupid” faith steps
• [45:14] – “This is then”: Stop waiting, start trusting
• [51:44] – “You don’t need more proof, you need more practice”
• [55:28] – Call to give, foundation of tithing
• [62:29] – Salvation prayer and final invitation

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Recap and Application

Main Takeaway:
Pastor Furtick’s message is a call to trust God now, not after the next answered prayer, not after every “if” is satisfied. He challenges the audience to recognize God’s faithfulness in the everyday (food, clothing, presence, protection), to see the value in perceived “stupid” steps of faith, and to move from bargaining and postponing to radical present-moment obedience.

Final Challenge:

• Consider—where are you living in “if… then…”?
• What have you called "stupid" that might actually be the place of your greatest blessing?
• What does trusting God look like for you, today?

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“This is then.”

Transcript

[Steven Furtick]

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[Eric Phillips]

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[Steven Furtick]

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[Steven Furtick]

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[Eric Phillips]

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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.

[Eric Phillips]

Nothing like the Lord. Nobody beside him. Nobody like him.

[Steven Furtick]

Can't contain him, can't describe him. You. You know I can tell you about the river or we can just step right in. That's the way it is with the Lord. I can tell you. But sometimes you have to taste and see that the Lord is good.

[Eric Phillips]

Open your mouth wide and let him fill it today. Come on, open your mouth wide and let him fill it today. Glory, glory Glory, glory. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for my health. Thank you for my strength. Thank you for my salvation. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for keeping me. Thank you for my sanity. Thank you for clothes on my body. Thank you for food in my belly. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for my wife. Thank you for my three kids. Thank you for my mom. Thank you for this church, God. Thank you for the ministry that goes forth from this place. This is holy ground. You're a worthy God. You're a mighty God. You're a magnificent God. You're an all sufficient God. You're a wonder working God. You're a way making God. There's nothing too hard for you. I trust you. You're God. I love you. You're God. I worship you. I believe you. Take you at your word. I respect you.

[Steven Furtick]

I need you. Come, Holy Spirit, for the moments we share together. Speak to every heart. I give you all the credit in advance. I know that anything good that happens today won't be because of an idea I had from my human mind. It will be because you used to. My vocal cords and my lips of clay. But God, they have to have an open heart. It won't do any good for us to sing all this beautiful music and say all the profound words with all of the correct theology if their heart isn't open. So I thank you that heaven is open. May our hearts be too. Every distraction, every disappointment. You have to go out the room right now because Jesus is here. You have our attention. Lord. Have your way in Jesus. Name all God's people said together. Come on. From Ballantine to Riverwalk. All God's people said together.

[Eric Phillips]

All over the world, our Efam. We want you to know you're welcome here. Welcome to church. Come on, Ballantyne. Let's set the atmosphere for all of those who are joining us today. I want to go back to Genesis.

[Steven Furtick]

Chapter 28 as we study God's word together. Today. I'm so excited about the word the Lord has given me to give to you. I pray that I won't mess it up. I don't want to dilute it. I don't want to pollute it. I don't want to take from it. I don't want to add to it, just what he said. I pray that in these moments you would just create that quiet place inside of you, away from all the noise. I know you have three people you need to text back. I know you have somebody you don't want to see that you have to meet up with at 2:45 today. None of that matters right now. The Lord is in this place, wherever you are. I say it with equal confidence. You say, well, I'm not in a church building. The Lord is in that place. You say, well, I'm not in a really good place right now. I really haven't been doing good. I've really just been struggling back with some old things again. The Lord is in that place. As we receive God's word and we stand on God's promise and we thank him for his presence. Let's study together in Genesis, chapter 28:13. Y' all think when I preach a scripture two weeks in a row, it's because I didn't want to study the second week. It's really just because I didn't get it done the first week. I'm going to read some of the first half where Jacob is running from his brother Esau, who wants to kill him. Esau is good with a bow and arrow, by the way. Jacob is good with kitchen utensils, and Esau is good with weapons. So when Jacob steals the blessing from Esau, he gets blessed. But have you ever been blessed? But that's why Thanksgiving is a complicated holiday, man. It's such a blessing to have all of our family together. I'm going to let y' all sort that out on Thursday. This is the day the Lord has made everybody put in the chat. Blessed. But tell your neighbor real quick. I'm blessed.

[Eric Phillips]

But.

[Steven Furtick]

He'S blessed. But he's also in a time of isolation, and he's on his way 400 miles from his father's house to stay with his Uncle Laban for a little while until he figures out exactly what he's going to do next. I preached last week on your next messy step just to let you know that it's not always clear. And that's okay if you just be strong and courageous. Every place you set your father foot, God will give it to you as you go. But you can't get paralyzed now. You can't let the fact that you can't see the next 500 steps keep you from taking the next one. Now, as Jacob is trying to get some sleep on the hard ground with a pillow made out of a rock under his head. The Bible says there was a ladder that came from heaven, and there above it stood the Lord. And he said, I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham, and the God of Isaac. Notice he does not yet say, I'm the God of Jacob, because Jacob has not made that decision yet for himself. That's what we're going to find out. Is he going to be your God too? He told him, I, the generational God who made a promise to your grandfather and your father, I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. It makes me think chunks about all these campuses God has given us all over the place. The Lord even gave us one in Canada.

[Eric Phillips]

Happy month.

[Steven Furtick]

Late Canadian Thanksgiving to our Toronto campuses. But just God is going to do something so mind blowing, something so much bigger than just our church or our campuses. This is God's original promise to his people, to his nation, Israel. Now, of course, we're standing in that promise today, as most of us who are maybe Gentiles by birth are grafted in through Christ. That promise is being spoken over. Jacob, he said, you're going to spread out like dust. It's going to be messy, but I'm going to do it. It's going to be dirty, but I'm going to do it.

[Eric Phillips]

All peoples on earth will be blessed through you. When are you going to stop just coming to church to be blessed and start asking God, make me a blessing. I want to be a blessing today.

[Steven Furtick]

To somebody, God, he said, all the.

[Eric Phillips]

Nations of the earth will be blessed.

[Steven Furtick]

Through you and your offspring, even though you don't have children yet. God will speak about things that have not even started yet in the natural, and he'll speak it supernaturally. This is the promise I want you to receive for yourself today. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.

[Eric Phillips]

I'll bring you back to this land.

[Steven Furtick]

I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you. When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, surely the Lord is in this place. It just took me a while to catch up with it. He was afraid and said, how awesome is this place?

[Eric Phillips]

This is none other than the House of God.

[Steven Furtick]

This is the gate of heaven. Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. We didn't talk about any of this last week. We're going to talk about all of it today. He called that place Bethel, which means House of God. There's not just a worship ministry out there in California. That's in the Bible. The place was called the House of God. That's what it's named after. It's not just in one location. It's anywhere God visits. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. Luz means almond tree. Wow, that's a big jump from a nut tree to the house of God.

[Eric Phillips]

Tell somebody next to you this is crazy. This is crazy.

[Steven Furtick]

This is crazy now. Verse 20.

[Eric Phillips]

Then Jacob made a vow saying, if God will be with me and will.

[Steven Furtick]

Watch over me on the journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's household, then the Lord will be my God. And this stone I have set up as a pillar will be God's house. Of all that you give me, God, I know you're my source. Of all you give me, I have nothing without you. Of all you give me, I will give you a tenth. Amen. Verse 11 is where I want to take my title from so that I return safely to my father's household. Then the Lord will be my God. Then the Lord will be my God. Then the Lord will be my God. The Lord told me to preach to you today. 3 this is then. This is then. I could tell that's a little bit mystical or whatever, so just turn to your neighbor, give them my subtitle. Tell them God uses stupid. Yeah, tell them this one might be for you. Because, God, I have a strong feeling.

[Eric Phillips]

Father, if you can speak through a donkey, speak through me in Jesus name. Amen. Touch. Three people say, this is your word today. This is then.

[Steven Furtick]

God uses stupid.

[Eric Phillips]

Now, Pastor Steve, I wish you wouldn't.

[Steven Furtick]

Say words like stupid up there in the pulpit. That's not a sanctified word, and I don't appreciate it. I bring my kids into service. Well, you ought to drop them in E kids.

[Eric Phillips]

We have excellent volunteers and juice boxes.

[Steven Furtick]

Do we give them juice boxes in E kids? I don't know. I hadn't checked. You know how our ministry seems so strategic when you see it up there on the screens? We have E groups and ekids and E teams and E bikes and no E cigarettes yet in the church. But it sounds so strategic. I said something last week, and I got a testimony of a miracle from one of our campus pastors. So I want to say it again to you because miracles are already happening in this season. Miracles are already happening in this season. He was telling me a very difficult season he has been through. And then God began to bring some resolution, and he saw it. The thing I said that helped him for his faith is a lot of times what you explain later as Strategy you experience as surrender. How many heard me say that last week from this very pulpit. I'm going to say it again. You experience a lot of things as surrender in real time. What do I mean by surrender? You don't know what else to do. Then when you get through it, you look back and you start saying, well, step one, step two, step three, step four, somebody else might struggle with an addiction. You came through and you're kind of coaching them later. And now you're kind of arrogant because you got nine or 10 years under your belt. You're like, well, the first thing you need to do and then the second thing, I found it very helpful. You may mean well, but just make sure you tell them that the first thing you do is help God, I need you. I don't know what to do without you. Some of the things that look strategic in your life you actually stumbled into, if you'll be honest about, was the hand of God guiding you. It was the voice of God calling you. It was his net that caught you, it was his word that kept you. Many of the things in our ministry that felt very strategic in year five and in year ten were actually things that at the time just felt like, what do we do next? God, we are a multi site church.

[Eric Phillips]

Let's welcome all of our locations today, all 20 locations, our EFAM all over the world. We strategically placed these locations on a multi site church with the campuses we have and the model we have so.

[Steven Furtick]

We could reach people.

[Eric Phillips]

It was strategic.

[Steven Furtick]

No, it was surrender. We were out of space, no more room to put people.

[Eric Phillips]

What can we do?

[Steven Furtick]

Well, maybe we can get another high school auditorium down the road. It was surrender.

[Eric Phillips]

What do we do?

[Steven Furtick]

Who do we bribe?

[Eric Phillips]

Who do we pay off? How can we get that other auditorium? Why isn't the video working?

[Steven Furtick]

Why isn't the video working again the next week? It's messy like that and it steps like that and it's trusting like that and it's falling like that and it's standing like that and it's waiting like that and it's moving like that and it's zigging and it's zagging. Remember, it's zigging and it's zagging and it's halving and it's losing and it's getting back. This is what growth feels like. More like surrender, less like strategy later. You can explain it as strategy. You can write your book seven steps to a healthier marriage. But the truth is you got down on your knees that third month of marriage. And said, God, I don't believe in divorce, but I don't know where I am on murder. And if you don't help me with this white man. The strategic explanation often camouflages the surrendered experience. Why are you telling me that? Because I know right now you don't know what to do about this thing in your life yet. I would suggest to you personally and pastorally that God has already done enough for you to trust him. I met with a financial advisor and the first time I met him, he said, I just need you to trust me. I said, whoa, buckaroo, we ain't about to build a trust off of one meeting. When you get paid on commission, the only way trust is going to be built in this relationship is through results. That's going to take years, not months. If you need me to trust you from this meeting, just know I don't trust you one bit. I don't trust you. I don't get paid to trust you. As a matter of fact, I want you to know that I am operating from a fundamental distrust of you because I am not going to work this hard to provide for my family. Then just because you have a nice smile and a button down shirt, I'm supposed to just trust you? I have button down shirts. Serial killers have button down shirts. I don't trust you. You have to show me something to trust in. Is that good wisdom for business? Is that good wisdom for faith? Jacob seems to be saying here at this threshold of his own journey, I don't know if I can trust you yet. God, I don't know you like that. I don't know yet if I can fully believe what you say to me. Oh, Jacob, how dare you doubt the sovereignty of God. People, he's far from home. He doesn't have a Bible to read. He just had a dream or a vision in which he saw a staircase that went from earth to heaven. He's supposed to just wake up and say, let's go God, wherever you take me, I'm with you. So he does something very interesting and I want to show it to you because as I studied it, two words stood out to me in the text. A lot of you have been listening to me preach for a long time. Show of hands or just put a raised hand in the chat? How many of you have been listening to me preach for at least one year? How many of you have been listening to me preach for about three years or more? Raise your hand, keep them up. Five years or more. How many of you started listening to me preach before, you wanted to, but somebody in your house had me preaching, and you had to listen to them because they wouldn't turn it off. That's all right, too. I am not going to take this a step further and ask if you even want to be here today. I'm drawing the line.

[Eric Phillips]

But by the.

[Steven Furtick]

Time you've heard me preach, maybe you can pick up my rhythm. There's something Jacob says, I want you to catch it. It's two words. It's kind of like a continuum that he establishes here. And I believe it's the continuum that we're living in as well. In verse 20, Jacob makes a vow. And in that vow, he said, if God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's household, then the Lord will be my God. The two words are in those two verses. I wonder if you've been listening to me preach Jim and libby for like, 13, 14, 18 years. Can you guess which words just went to me? Because I'm picturing this congregation I'm preaching to Remember, some people lost their job this week. Some people got a promotion. Some people are complaining about their job. Some people would love to snatch up the job that person is complaining about. Somebody right here this week is saying, I have to lose some weight. Somebody is trying to put on some weight, drinking all the protein they've got. Somebody is wishing they were single again. Somebody is saying, God, rescue me from this season of singleness. Somebody is saying, God, I don't know what to do. Somebody is saying, God, I know what to do, but I don't want to do it. So I'm going to pretend like I don't know what you want me to do so I can continue to pretend like I'm waiting for direction, when really I'm procrastinating my faith and calling it patience. Everything is happening in this room. What I saw in the text, it was just two little words. Let's read it again. He said, if that was the first.

[Eric Phillips]

One, if God will be with me.

[Steven Furtick]

And will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give.

[Eric Phillips]

Me food to eat and clothes to wear.

[Steven Furtick]

Now, remember, God just told him, I'm going to give you the north, the.

[Eric Phillips]

South, the east, and the west.

[Steven Furtick]

But that's going to come later.

[Eric Phillips]

Jacob says, I don't even need you.

[Steven Furtick]

To give me real estate right now.

[Eric Phillips]

If you will just give me food to eat and clothes to wear if. If you will do that for me? If you will be with me and give me food to eat and clothes to wear, if you will be with me, give me food to eat and.

[Steven Furtick]

Clothes to wear so that I return.

[Eric Phillips]

Safely to my father's household, then.

[Steven Furtick]

The Lord will be my God. The second word is then.

[Eric Phillips]

If.

[Steven Furtick]

Then, if, then. Sounds like the boy thinks he can bargain with the Most High.

[Eric Phillips]

Sounds like the boy thinks God is.

[Steven Furtick]

Trying out to be his financial advisor. Here's what we're going to do. We're going to sit down and have a quarterly meeting. And if you're profitable to me, then I'll serve you.

[Eric Phillips]

I don't read it that way at all.

[Steven Furtick]

At this stage in my life.

[Eric Phillips]

I think Jacob is saying it doesn't.

[Steven Furtick]

Take much for me to trust you.

[Eric Phillips]

I just need you to show me enough that I'll know three things. One, that you're with me. One, that I have something to eat.

[Steven Furtick]

And something to wear.

[Eric Phillips]

I can't run through this desert naked. I can't go to the next stop hungry. So I need you to be with me. I need you to feed me. And I need you to watch over me.

[Steven Furtick]

I need you to be with me.

[Eric Phillips]

I need you to watch over me. I need you to feed me. If you'll do that, that much.

[Steven Furtick]

If you'll do that much, then you'll be my God. If you'll be with me. That's a prayer for God's presence when you pray your Thanksgiving prayer this week. Thank God for his presence when you sit down to eat a big old ham. What are you going to have this week? You know, by coming to church the Sunday before Thanksgiving, your calories are automatically divided by three.

[Eric Phillips]

Give the Lord a praise for that fake word I just gave you. I say that every year on this Sunday.

[Steven Furtick]

Every year on this Sunday, for every.

[Eric Phillips]

Amen. You say all of the sugar is translated into protein to build your.

[Steven Furtick]

Wouldn't that be cool if it worked like that? When you sit down to pray, whoever is going to pray, say, lord, I want to thank you first of all for your presence. You've been with me. How many know the truth? That God has been with you when nobody else was? You might be there right now. It might have been last night. You were saying, God, I sure am lonely. But even in your greatest loneliness, there was light, wasn't there? Come on. Even when you were a little girl and you were 12 or 13 years old, and you just felt so weird and so strange, there was something inside of you that you knew you weren't alone. Even though you felt alone, even though you didn't get invited to the parties, there was something in you that knew that I have a purpose. You were never alone. Not for any of it. He is present. I don't need a feeling to prove his presence. I don't need more proof of his presence than I already have. He told me he was with me, so he is with me. It's just a matter of me becoming aware of it. Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it. So thank God for his presence. Number two, thank him for his protection. His protection. He said, lord, if you'll be with me and if you'll watch over me, if you'll protect me. God, what does it mean that God protected me? It doesn't mean you never broke your toe and said ouch. It doesn't mean he kept every weapon from being formed. It means that in spite of whatever weapon was formed, you had the faith to endure it. I want you to thank him for your shield and your buckler. I want you to thank him that there have been angels around you that kept you from car accidents you didn't see coming. I want you to thank him for slow drivers that got in front of you and you cussed at them and they kept you from getting to the next intersection where there was going to be a drunk driver, but you were too busy cussing at the slow driver to know about the drunk driver. So I want you to thank God for the protection that you haven't even recognized yet.

[Eric Phillips]

I want you to just go back.

[Steven Furtick]

Over your life and realize that there were some things God did. I want you to praise him for the crazy person you asked him to make fall in love with you because you had not turned the corner and seen they're crazy, yet. You found out four years later that when God said no, when you said please, God was doing you the greatest.

[Eric Phillips]

Favor of your life, he was protecting you. Don't you see that? He wasn't punishing me because he hated me. He was punishing me to protect me. There is a punishment, a discipline that.

[Steven Furtick]

Comes from God that is meant to protect.

[Eric Phillips]

If God is convicting you right now of a sin in your life, I want you to praise him for his protection. He's looking out for you. He hasn't given up on you. He's not going to let your heart get so hard that you keep on doing it until you die from it. I want you to praise God for his protection. I want you to thank him that he kept Your mind from going absolutely buck wild over 20, 25. Your mom lost her mind. You didn't lose yours. You kept your sanity. He brought you here. He woke you up, look at your neighbor and say, you know what's crazy? I woke up this morning, food on my table, clothes on my back. I thank God for his presence. I thank God for his protection. And I thank him for his provision. How many know God to be a good, good father? Rains on the righteous and the unrighteous, the just and the unjust. He blessed me when I did it right. He blessed me when I turned left. He provided for me.

[Steven Furtick]

He me gave.

[Eric Phillips]

He gave me some things. He opened some doors that nobody could shut. He closed some doors that nobody could open. He provided for me. He didn't always give me what I wanted, but he gave me what I needed. He is my Jehovah. Jireh. I had the blade in the air, but there was a ram in the bush. God made a way for me. Didn't look like it would work. Felt like it shouldn't work. Probably wasn't going to work. I already planned out my speech, but he met me in the middle of the road and he gave me a ring and he gave me a robe. So I praise him for his oh yeah, I'm trying to get you to praise God. I'm trying to get you to praise God. You know how they use rage bait to try to get you you to go off and crash out? Do you know that? Rage bait? How my kids will rage bait each other? Well, the Lord told me today I have an assignment for you, furtick. I want you to praise bait my people and try to find if you can finally push the button. Some of them are waiting like they don't have anything to praise me for. But if you can get them to look back, don't even have to look back that far. Just look back over your your last stop and you'll see that if it had not been come on, high five three people and say I'm past due. I'm past due. I'm past due. What you mean I owe God this praise? I'm a praise baiter. Trying to get you to think about how good he is. Trying to get you to think about the mercy he showed you. Trying to get you to think about what you have left. Trying to get you to think about how the rain came and the wind blew and the storm rose, but my house didn't fall. I'm a survivor. I'm made it by faith, grace. And now I praise you, You know, somebody probably thinks you look stupid praising him like that. Somebody probably thinks you look stupid praising him like that. But look at your neighbor and say, after all I've seen, I'd be stupid not to. After all he does for me, I'd be stupid not to say thank you. Be stupid not to get him. I'd be stupid. Looks pretty stupid if you hadn't seen him make a way. But if you were coming up on something and you didn't see sea away.

[Steven Furtick]

And all you had in your hand was a staff, you saw him take something as stupid as a staff and split something as big as a sea.

[Eric Phillips]

It'Ll make you shake your tambourine when you get on the other side. By the way, one time, the Lord really struck spanked me. The Lord really checked me.

[Steven Furtick]

The Lord really corrected me. Yeah, he has a rod and a staff. One is to comfort and one is to confront. I was telling the Lord, one day, I'll be so thankful when I get through this. When I get through this, then I'll be so thankful. The Lord said, switch it. When you get thankful.

[Eric Phillips]

You'Ll get through this. Because the way you're thinking right now, you aren't going to make it. You're not going to make it unless you get a little crazy, get a little stupid, start thanking God for stupid stuff.

[Steven Furtick]

I want to take it a little bit further. Not only did the things in my life that now looked the most strategic at the time seemed the stupidest, but some other people said they were stupid. I told my friends, I want to name the church Elevation. You know, now we got a lot of cool church names, but there weren't churches called things like Elevation. Not that many. There were some. I'm not saying I'm the originator, but I just thought, wow, it would be great to call it Elevation, you know, Lift up, Jesus. Lift up, people. You're going high. You know, Elevation. I remember one dude looked at me and said, sounds stupid. Sounds like the name of a youth group. It sounds like if you too had a youth group. That's what he said. It's a fine line. I said, oh, I like it, I like it, I like it. That's a stupid name for a church. Elevation. That'll never work. I had a flashback the other day. I don't know if y' all remember this. Janet, this dude, think about it. Now you have Jacob, and he says this thing. I'm going to take this rock and I'm going to pour oil on it. He's just freaking out. Man, this rock is going to be your house. God, I'm going to turn this stone into your house of everything you give me. I mean, he's just disoriented. He doesn't know what to do. So he just says, if you will show me enough, if you give me your presence, your protection, your provision, I will trust you. He pours this oil on a rock. Well, it made me think about some of the things we did that seemed stupid at the time when the church was young. Because I want to share it with these lovely people. Because God still wants to use stupid today. In your family, in your athletic career, in your business, in your spiritual life, in your emotions, God wants to use what people call stupid. One of the first things I remember was when the man came to give us a strategy on giving. He said, the strategic move when you're starting a church. Now listen to this. Tell me if this doesn't sound strategic on the surface, because the world's wisdom sounds strategic on the surface. This is how you do it, and this is what you get. Then you'll be blessed. But. So here's what he said to do to me. It felt like a compromise of my integrity. He said, you're not going to have any money. That was true. He said, you don't have that many members. And that was true. He said, so each of you knows somebody who is a member of another church. Ask them for the next 24 months to redirect their tithe they would give to their church and give it to you instead. Their church won't miss it and it'll make or break you. I thanked him for his time. At the time, we were so broke, I didn't even have any money to pay him to come and give us the speech. So I gave him a Chili's gift card. I said, thank you for coming. That's how broke we were. So in a way, what he said sounded really good. I do know some people. I've been traveling, doing ministry. I've got some contacts. Maybe I should reach out and do it that way. But the spirit of the Lord wouldn't let me do it like that. Have you ever had the spirit tell you to do something that seems stupid? See, that seems smart. But here's what the Lord told me to tell our team. Instead, I shut the door. I let him leave. What he just said, if we do it that way, it might work for a while, but it's going to set up a pattern where we did not build it on the rock. We have to trust God. Tell your neighbor I got to trust God. So I asked them, didn't I said, so can we do this instead while we're still at this church waiting to go start our church? We were being sent from a church with permission and blessing. I said, while we're still under the covering of this church, let's keep giving 10% of our income to this church and let's give an additional 10 to the 1 we're starting. And they all did it, as far as I know. I didn't check the W2s to do the math, but they all did it. When I say to you today that it is my desire as a pastor that every single family in this church, every single individual in this church would put God first through the tithe and give 10%, I'm not telling you that because of a need we have. I'm telling you that because it's the foundation that everything you see today was built on. I say it with confidence and I say it with clarity. I like that first part of the sermon you were preaching, Pastor Steven. That was really good and fun. I like that calorie cancellation blessing. Can we go back to that? No, we can't, because now I have to talk to you. We all love the part where God said to Jacob, I'll be with you, but what about the part where Jacob said to God, if you'll be with me, then I'm with you? I always thought 10% sounded like a lot until I figured out it all came from God. Maybe the 90 he lets me keep is a lot, and maybe the 10 he asked me to give isn't that big. I'm just talking to you about trust in God. Trust in God is not because you sang the chorus really loud. Trust in God is not because you clapped your hands on the beat. Trust in God is not because you have a good feeling about this. Trust in God is when you say, I'm in. And I know it looks stupid.

[Eric Phillips]

But.

[Steven Furtick]

You gave it all to me. You gave it all to me. Anyway. Another stupid thing. Can I just tell you a little bit of a testimony of stupid stuff God used in our life? This might help you. How many of y' all are kind of newly married? You say, like a year or two or something like that? Just raise your hand at me real quick. Newly married. How many of y' all hope to be raising your hand when I ask that question in three years from now? All right. Check out the market research in here. This is a great place to come to meet all of your life needs I came to her and I said, woman, the Lord doesn't want us to be in debt. The Lord doesn't want us to have cars we can't afford. The Lord doesn't want us to have furniture we haven't paid for yet. What's the thing they have where you can pay for a jacket and put it $18 a month and be paying for it for 18 years? Klarna. It says call klarna. Karl, you said karma. I said we're not klarna. We're not laying away. The only way we're going to buy for something is if we can afford it. And that meant that our house was filled at the beginning of our marriage with furniture that came from Eric's dad's trailer. And he was over the trailer park, so he would repo people's furniture and save it. Our marriage was built on the foundation of furniture from the trailer park that was repoed from people who didn't pay the rent. That's who your pastor is.

[Eric Phillips]

That's how smart I am. Follow me as I follow Christ. That's who I am, buddy.

[Steven Furtick]

I paid for everything we ever put in our house. I don't mean that to say, if you're in debt, you did it wrong. I'm just telling you. As a matter of fact, it would feel stupid sometimes when I knew we could just put it on a card, see. What the world calls wise, what the world calls strategic, God calls stupid. And what the world calls stupid, God calls strategic.

[Eric Phillips]

Isn't that crazy?

[Steven Furtick]

As a matter of fact, once brother Dave Ramsey got me convinced on the emergency fund. How many of y' all did the emergency fund that Dave Ramsey talked about? It's a great practice. It's like save three months to six months of your living expenses and put it away so that when the tire goes flat, you don't have to go in debt to replace it. We did that in our first two years of marriage. I was so proud when that number hit. I figured out what the number would be.

[Eric Phillips]

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

[Steven Furtick]

This is how much we need to save. Saved it up, got to the level that night when I went to tell her in the kitchen that we've hit our emergency fund goal. I felt a prompting from the Lord that I tried to rebuke as Satan, the prompting said, give it all away. I said, that's stupid.

[Eric Phillips]

Not to the Lord. I thought it was the devil. I thought it was the devil because Dave said I had to save it.

[Steven Furtick]

Now, many times over, the Lord has blessed us. I have not kept my savings at zeros every time since that day. But I remember walking in and saying, you know that emergency fund? It's about to be a missions gift. Stupid, isn't it? I don't know. You tell me. Because when we wrote those checks at that kitchen table, I remember the place. See, you never forget the place where God makes you a promise. That's why Jacob named the place Bethel. He said, this is God's house. You say it's stupid to call a rock the house of God. Not when God spoke to you there, stupid. Unless you've had God speak to you there. The Lord spoke to me. Two sentences. He said, if you keep your hands open to me, then you will always have everything you need. You will always be able to do everything I've called you to do. He spoke that to me at that kitchen table that came from the trailer park. Repossessed furniture that was scratched up and dinged up. I had money to buy a new one. The Lord said, this time I want you to give it. We didn't have kids yet. It wasn't like we were being irresponsible. You're like, I can already see people misapplying this message. Do you know what I mean? The Lord said he would use stupid.

[Eric Phillips]

Baby, that's the word I've been waiting for. Did you hear what pastor said today? I'm getting a boat. The man of God said I could get a boat. Don't pervert this word. You know what I'm talking about.

[Steven Furtick]

Keep me in context. I want to ask you a question. Was it stupid? I don't know. One of the things we gave to was this. Look around.

[Eric Phillips]

Some of your kids have been baptized here. I don't think it was stupid. Some of you had your life put back together here. I don't think it was stupid. Some of you prayed to receive Christ here. I don't call that stupid. He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. You call it stupid.

[Steven Furtick]

I call it surrender. Jacob takes the oil. Remember? He has very little with him. He's on the run. He takes the little bit of oil he has and pours it on the rock.

[Eric Phillips]

The rock?

[Steven Furtick]

Rock is stupid. The oil is stupid. The whole thing is stupid unless God is in it. But God uses stupid. He says this. He says, I'll trust you and I'll give to you if you will be with me and if you will give me food and if you will give me clothes.

[Eric Phillips]

And if you will watch out for me. And watch over me, if you will.

[Steven Furtick]

Then you will be my God.

[Eric Phillips]

I want to ask a question, and.

[Steven Furtick]

I need some participation on this.

[Eric Phillips]

How many of you? If we take Jacob's rubric, if we take Jacob's grid, if we take Jacob's prayer, if we take Jacob's. Not negotiation, but if we take Jacob's surrender to the Lord as a template, how many of you would say that.

[Steven Furtick]

God has been with you, make some noise.

[Eric Phillips]

How many of you would say God put food on your table? Y' all are cheering a little soft about that one. Maybe you're hungry right now, but I'm saying you're going to have something to eat before the sun goes down. How many of you have clothes on your body? Even if the waist fits a little tighter in November than it did in January. Come on. I have clothes on my body, food on my table. How many would say God has kept me alive? Jacob said, if you will be present, if you will protect and if you will provide, then. Then you will be my God. The Lord said to tell you if he has been with you presence, if he has provided for you food and clothing, if he has watched out for you protection, if he has done that for you, then this is then. You don't need more proof. This is then.

[Steven Furtick]

Say it.

[Eric Phillips]

This is then. I know you've been postponing your joy. Oh, I'll be happy then. No, this is then. When my kids come back to God, I'm going to throw a big party and celebrate. No, no, no. God is working in their life right now. I'm going to go down this road with a praise for the prodigal, because this is then. When I get this amount in the bank, I'll be secure. No, you won't. You'll pay taxes. So the fact that you have enough. You had gas in the tank to get here. You had energy in your body to get here. This is then. You better take that rock that you.

[Steven Furtick]

Got and that oil you got and pour what you've got on where you're at and praise God at a kitchen.

[Eric Phillips]

Table that was repoed from somebody's trailer.

[Steven Furtick]

Park and ask God, what would you have me to do next for you? This is then. The Lord made Jacob a promise. I'm going to bring the blessing of the Lord through your offspring. He had no kids, but then he had 12. And then those 12 had some, and those became nations, and the nations became a tribe. Each of the nations became their own tribe. Then those tribes took the land God had promised to Jacob that he had promised To Isaac that he had promised to Abraham. God is a promise keeper. He's a promise keeper in your life. He's not just getting started in your life.

[Eric Phillips]

It's already in progress.

[Steven Furtick]

The thing you're praying about is already in progress. The thing you're worried about. He's already working on the thing you need. He already knows it. The thing you lack.

[Eric Phillips]

He already supplies the thing you're not. He already is.

[Steven Furtick]

God is already working on this because then that nation gave birth to to a savior. Jesus came from the tribe of Judah and the Messiah was born and the Messiah died on a cross. The Bible says something very interesting from Jesus own mouth. In Matthew 21, 43, 44, he said to them, have you never read in the Scriptures? 42. The stone, what did Jacob lay his head on? The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

[Eric Phillips]

Somebody shout, the Lord has done this.

[Steven Furtick]

And it is marvelous in our eyes.

[Eric Phillips]

I see it now. I see that Jacob's rock was pointing to Jesus. I see that Jacob, who was the second born, not the chosen one, was.

[Steven Furtick]

The one who was blessed, was pointing.

[Eric Phillips]

To Jesus, who was born of a virgin, who became the rock on which the church was built. Now I see what Jesus means when.

[Steven Furtick]

He says God selected what man rejected.

[Eric Phillips]

Because Jesus was what the people rejected. But it's what God wanted all along. So Jesus is saying that the thing you need is right in front of you, but you are rejecting it. And you cannot expect the blessing of God and reject the way he sends it. God says, I know you're in a hard place right now, a rocky place right now, a place you can't fully call home right now. I understand that.

[Steven Furtick]

Look at me. Look at me. Look at me.

[Eric Phillips]

I've been praying for you this week. I've been praying again. God would say what it is right now. He wants you to anoint. Because you can anoint a rock and it can become a place where God meets with you. That means you're anointed for the hard place. That means you're anointed for the difficult thing. That means God is teaching you to.

[Steven Furtick]

Trust him in transition. I hear the spirit of the Lord saying, what more do I have to do to get you to trust me? When is it going to be then for you?

[Eric Phillips]

If experience was going to teach us.

[Steven Furtick]

To trust God, we would have trusted him by now. He has done enough for you to trust him.

[Eric Phillips]

He has done enough for you to trust Him. He can be trusted. The fact that he put you on this planet, the fact that he kept you to this day, the fact that he provided for you through every, every season of your life. He has done enough. If he never does anything else, I trust him. If he never does anything, he died for me. He forgave me. He cast my sins from the east to the west.

[Steven Furtick]

You don't need more proof to trust him. You just need more practice. You need more practice saying, God, I trust you. You know how we get through something really hard and we get through it and then we forget that we told God if we got through it, we would serve Him. No, no, not this time, baby.

[Eric Phillips]

This is then.

[Steven Furtick]

You said if God would give you the responsibility, you would shoulder it. Well, this is then. You got it, baby. You're the one for the job.

[Eric Phillips]

You said that if God would give.

[Steven Furtick]

You the blessing, you would take care of it.

[Eric Phillips]

This is then.

[Steven Furtick]

And God is calling you to trust him with it because it didn't start with you and it's not on you to sustain it. I'm praying that you would show up with oil to every hard place in your life this week. I'm praying that you would do something stupid to see God do something supernatural.

[Eric Phillips]

That is the word of the Lord. Give him praise and glory in this house. Give him praise and glory. Thanks. If he has been good to you, then lift up a shout of praise for your own self, for your own journey.

[Steven Furtick]

Everyone standing, no one moving. We'll dismiss altogether. This is then. This is then. Jacob said, if you'll just be with me, watch over me and provide for me, then you'll be my God. I'm here to tell you he has done all three for me. Thank him for his prayer presence. Thank him for his protection. Thank him for his provision. Everybody in this church that isn't a tither ought to be online setting up your tithing when I finish this message. And I ought not have to beg for it. God has been too good to you.

[Eric Phillips]

What would it take?

[Steven Furtick]

How much more would God have to do to get you to trust Him? I can't afford not to trust Him. He's my God. He's my God.

[Eric Phillips]

I've seen too much. This is the Lord's doing.

[Steven Furtick]

Aren't you glad God uses stupid? That I don't have to figure it out, just have enough faith to move forward. I want to pray. I was thinking about how do I close this message? This is such a personal thing to. To talk about. It's such a festive season to be in. It's festive, it's fun, it's all that. But it's also so full. Start getting panic attacks just seeing Rudolph. You know what I mean? I just want to shoot Rudolph and be like, leave me alone. Come back next December. I'm not ready for you yet. I know we're all feeling all those different things here. I am challenging you. You're like this. This dude, this preacher coming up here talking about giving to God. Doesn't he understand how stretched we already are? Exactly. That's why you need God in this situation.

[Eric Phillips]

Until you put him first.

[Steven Furtick]

You'Re never going to figure it out. I think it's significant that Jacob had to anoint what he had before God could give him what he promised. Even if all you have isn't that much, what did Jesus say when the disciples said, we don't have enough food to feed all these? What do you have? Bring them here to me. When they brought him the fish and the loaves, he took it, he blessed it, he broke it, he gave it to them. And the Bible says then they gave to the people as much as they wanted. The Lord said, this is. Then on December 14th, we'll be taking an offering for our expansion and our outreach, and it'll be wonderful. We're really taking an offering for your faith. Don't wait to do tomorrow what God is telling you to do right now, whether it's in the area of your finances, which is thousands of you. There are thousands of people connected to this ministry who do not yet trust God in this way. Today is your day. But as I was praying how to close it, the Lord said, don't pray about the money. Pray about the trust. Pray about the trust. You've seen God do enough to trust him. What else would he have to do? Come here, Eric. This is my best friend since high school. Y' all give him a hand. Eric Phillips. When we were boys, I gave my life to Christ. He was still building his testimony. I love him to death. He was wild, buck wild. I sat down with him, and this was on Black Friday. We were 16 years old. I remember I was a very, very passionate evangelist even before I had a church. Always telling everybody they needed to get right or get left, turn or burn. I'm telling this guy right across the table. I'm like, you know, the Lord wants you to get saved, and you can't keep living like this. I said, what is it going to take for you to give your life to the Lord? What's it going to take for God to get your attention? He said, I don't know. I'm having a lot of fun living my life. I think he's going to have to do something pretty dramatic. I said, if he does something dramatic, then will you give your life to Christ? If then. The next night he went out and got so drunk he had to go to the emergency room. He almost died of alcohol poisoning. The next Monday, we were sharing a testimony at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes where everybody was crying about how God came into his life. A week later, he was back running from God again because the temptation was too strong. Two or three years later, he came and said, I'm finally ready now. I'm finally ready to give my life to. To Christ. I'm finally ready. I said, I've seen this song and dance before. You have to prove it to me this time. So I'm really ready now. I'm really ready. I'm really ready to receive Jesus. And we prayed. He was one of the first people who came here to start the church with us. And he's still here. But I heard the question, what's it going to take for you? What's it going to take? How much more will God have to do? I'm asking you now. How much more is God going to have to do to get your attention? How much more is God going to have to show you that he can be trusted and others cannot? How much more is God going to have to do to get you to see that he has you where he wants you and you are the one he chose for that situation? How much more? More is God going to have to do? What is your if? Hasn't he already done it? Hasn't he already proven to you his love? Hasn't he already shown you through every season of your life that he's enough? Didn't you have warmth in the winter? Didn't you have cool in the summer? Didn't you have his hand undergirding you? Didn't you have his love calling you back home? Do you not have the forgiveness of your sins? Do you not have the assurance of your salvation? What more would God have to do to get you to trust Him? I'm telling you, this is. Then bow your head and close your eyes. Thank you. I wanted to give that picture because there's somebody who's there right now. You need to give your life to Jesus. You need to trust him with your life. Some of you have trusted him with your life, but you're just not trusting him, trusting him with this part of it. I'm going to say that again. That was the word of the Lord to Somebody's heart. You've trusted him with your life, but not this part of it. How much more is he going to have to do to show you? He's the God of every season, the God of every generation. I pray that you would trust God. Why don't you just lift your hands to him right now? You don't have to. I can't make you. Nobody can make you surrender. But if you will, if you give it to God, he'll tell you what he told me. If you'll keep your hands open to me, you will always have everything you need to do. Everything I've called you to do for every season of your life. I speak that over over you right now. In the name of Jesus, Father, here we are, rich and poor, great and small, happy and sad, gathered together against all odds. Built on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, the one foundation the storm can't shake. The foundation of your name. We came to say that this is. Then we're not going to trust you and rejoice in you and praise you and worship you and serve you when everything looks good, sounds good, feels good, good. No, no, no. Right now. Not when we see how it turns out. Right now you're good. I give you this right now, and tomorrow I'll give it to you again. And five minutes later, I'll give it back to you. Surrender. With every step you can put your hands down, but keep your head bowed and your eyes closed. I want to pray for somebody who needs to give your life to Jesus Christ. Please, right now. Don't let this moment pass you by. What is God going to have to do to get your attention? What is God going to have to do to show you how much he loves you? He brought you here. Right now, I want to lead you in a prayer. This prayer is you expressing to God your faith in Jesus Christ. It's not a magical prayer, but a miracle happens when you pray it. For the Bible says if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It will happen. Right now, this is your. Then this is the moment for you to give your life to Christ. Stop running and believe. Stop doubting and have faith. God is here and he loves you so much.

[Eric Phillips]

We're going to pray out loud as.

[Steven Furtick]

A church family for the benefit of those who are coming to God or coming back to God. Heavenly Father, I am a sinner in need of a savior. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior. Of the world. Today I make Jesus the Lord of my life. I believe he died that I would be forgiven and rose again to give me life. I received this new life. This is my new beginning.

[Eric Phillips]

I am a child of God. On the count of three, shoot your hand up. 1, 2, 3. If you prayed that prayer, praise the Lord. I knew it would be a lot today. I could feel it when I preached this. Your homecoming, man. This is your homecoming. I praise God for you. So do all of these people. We welcome you to the family of God. Come on, give the Lord a great shout of praise. Hallelujah.

[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 LevationChurch. Thanks again for listening. God bless you.

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[Steven Furtick]

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[Eric Phillips]

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[Steven Furtick]

Venmo Stash on your favorite brands when you pay with your Venmo debit card. From takeout to ride shares, entertainment and more, pick a bundle with your go tos and start earning cash back at those brands. Earn more cash when you do more with Stash. Venmo Stash terms and exclusions apply. Max $100 cash back per month. See terms@venmo me stashterms it's back to school time again and you know you can count on Dietz and Watson for all your favorite lunchtime needs. Cuz we got your back and your backpack. Dietz and Watson has all the meat and cheese to make those sandwich masterpieces. All made the right way with no fillers or msg like Virginia brand ham that's twice spiced and twice baked and baby Swiss cheese that's rbst free. Dietz and Watson. It's a family thing since 1939. This is an iHeart podcast.