Elevation with Steven Furtick – “This Isn’t What I Pictured”

Date: December 19, 2025
Host: Pastor Steven Furtick
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this Christmas devotional episode, Pastor Steven Furtick tackles the universal feeling of disappointment when life does not align with our expectations—when reality simply “isn’t what I pictured.” Using Hebrews 11:3 and the story of Jesus’ birth as his anchor, Furtick encourages listeners to reconsider where they get their image of how things “ought to be.” He challenges us to shift from our own limited perspectives to God’s greater vision, even when things feel confusing, disappointing, or completely different than what we imagined.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Carriage Ride Metaphor: “This Isn’t What I Pictured”

• Story: Pastor Furtick tells a story about a disastrous family carriage ride (03:17) where his young daughter Abbey, after begging to go, melts down mid-tour:
  • Abbey’s words: “But this isn’t what I pictured.” (06:12)
• Point: It’s easy to relate; we’ve all embarked on journeys—marriage, parenthood, careers, faith—with one image, only to experience something else.
  • Furtick: “Sometimes life takes you on a ride… and it didn’t look like the commercial.” (06:17)
• Insight: The pain of unmet expectations spans from trivial (a carriage ride) to life-altering (our deepest relationships, even with God).

2. Where Do You Get Your “Picture”?

• Furtick critically examines where we derive our expectations—social media, culture, filtered stories, TV shows (“This Is Us”), or someone else’s highlight reel.
  • Furtick: “If you have your picture for what life is supposed to be like from the little glimpses other people give you… you will always be frustrated.” (09:20)
  • Warns that comparing our messy reality to idealized images leads to disappointment.
• Spiritual Parallel: We’re cautioned to reflect on whether our idea of God or life comes from Scripture or the world’s projections.
  • Furtick: “Did you get your picture from the world or from the Word?” (34:07)
• Analogy: Building a puzzle with the wrong box top—a recipe for frustration.
  • “God says, I gave you the pieces for the picture I have in mind for your life…” (22:03)

3. The Birth of Jesus: Not As Pictured

• Scripture: Matthew 1 and Hebrews 11:3, emphasizing faith and God “framing” the world differently than we expect. (03:06; 11:18)
• Insight: Even the nativity story doesn’t match our Christmas card images—wise men arriving years later, Jesus not born in a quaint barn but possibly in a cave.
  • “How you pictured Christmas is probably wrong… What if it isn’t how you pictured it?” (18:52; 19:02)
• God’s Process: God often interrupts our plans. Joseph had “in mind” to quietly end things with Mary, but God’s angel told him the pregnancy was God’s plan.
  • “Why does God wait until after you have made a plan to interrupt it?” (16:40)
  • Key insight: The greatest hope—Jesus—came through the greatest disappointment for Joseph. (17:08)
• Message: God’s purposes may be hidden in situations that feel like letdowns. “The problem is not the situation. The problem is the picture.” (20:23)

4. Living with the Unseen: Faith over Sight

• Hebrews 11:3’s principle: God builds from things unseen; faith allows us to trust His process even when we don’t see or feel it.
  • “Faith enables us to understand that God is with us even if we do not see him in the picture.” (31:50)
• Joseph and Mary:
  • Mary knew God’s work in her body; Joseph had only his faith.
  • “He had to believe what he can’t see, what he can’t prove… Maybe that’s the hardest job of all.” (30:20)
• Visual Analogy: Camera shots during the sermon—sometimes God moves out of the “shot” we expected, but He hasn’t left. We have to rely on His voice, not just what we see. (37:07–39:07)
  • “The only way for you to know I'm still here is to go not by what you see, but by what you hear.” (38:18)

5. Reframing Life’s Disappointments

• Applying the Message:
  • “God isn’t building your picture. He’s building his purpose.” (41:52)
  • Let go of someone else’s expectations and embrace the unique “pieces in your box” for the picture God has in mind.
  • “Switch the picture… Be who God called you to be.” (43:04)
  • “Celebrate what he gave you. Pull everything close you still have left. Wrap your arms around it and make the most of it.” (43:20)

6. Three Truths About How Christ Came (44:21)

a. Insignificance

• “He came through someone everyone else thought was insignificant.” (45:27)
• God regularly works through unlikely people and situations; there’s nothing “insignificant” about your story.

b. Impossibility

• “Impossible situations are the places where faith is born… If it is impossible for you, it is fertile for God.” (46:13; 46:27)

c. Intimacy

• Christ enters personally and intimately into our story—not to fulfill tradition, but to be with us (“Emmanuel—God with us”). (47:01)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “But this isn’t what I pictured.” – Abbey Furtick (06:12)
  The phrase that sets the tone for the message.

• “How in the world are we supposed to feel fulfilled about our real lives when we spend so much time getting our picture from other people’s pretension?” – Steven Furtick (09:20)

• “God says, I gave you the pieces for the picture I have in mind for your life…” – Steven Furtick (22:03)

• “It’s hard to believe it’s God when it doesn’t feel good.” – Steven Furtick (23:02)

• “God isn’t building your picture. He’s building His purpose.” – Steven Furtick (41:52)

• “If you don’t see it but He spoke it, and you will believe it by faith, it will come to pass.” (46:31)

• “Celebrate what He gave you. Pull everything close you still have left. Wrap your arms around it and make the most of it.” – Steven Furtick (43:20)

• “The message of Christmas is about His presence, not my picture.” – Steven Furtick (33:55)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment / Content | |-----------|------------------| | 06:12 | Abbey: “But this isn’t what I pictured.” — Launching the sermon’s theme | | 09:20 | Furtick challenges where we get life’s “picture” | | 16:40 | Joseph’s plan, God’s interruption — the gap between our plans and God’s | | 18:52 | Nativity scene inaccuracies and the danger of clinging to idealized “pictures” | | 30:20 | The difficulty of believing without seeing (Joseph’s faith) | | 34:07 | “Did you get your picture from the world or from the Word?” | | 37:07–39:07 | Visual analogy: When God moves out of your “frame,” you must listen for His voice | | 41:52 | “God isn’t building your picture. He’s building His purpose.” | | 44:21 | The three ways Christ’s coming reframes our expectations: Insignificant, Impossible, Intimate | | 46:13 | “Impossible situations are the places where faith is born.” | | 47:01 | The intimacy of Christ’s coming and invitation to be personal | | 48:55 | Closing prayer for reframing expectations and embracing God’s presence |

Natural Flow and Tone

True to Furtick’s style, the episode blends storytelling, humor, audience interaction, and practical biblical teaching. Furtick’s candor—about his own parenting, ministry expectations, and even nostalgic jokes about “Joe Mama”—fosters authenticity and makes complex spiritual concepts relatable and accessible.

Final Takeaways

• Everyone deals with seasons or situations that aren’t what they pictured.
• Our frustration often comes from comparing our reality to a false, idealized “picture” instead of trusting God’s unseen purpose and presence.
• Faith is essential—God’s purpose will rarely look the way we expect, but it’s always ultimately better, deeper, and more meaningful.
• Especially at Christmas, it’s about embracing God’s presence (“Emmanuel”), not our plans or pictures, and allowing Him to work through the pieces we actually possess.

Listen if:
You need encouragement to embrace uncomfortable detours, are struggling with disappointment, or want to rediscover the meaning of Christmas beyond the expected trappings.

For Reflection:

• Where have you been frustrated because life isn’t “what you pictured”?
• Are you willing to “switch the picture” and allow God to build something new—even out of disappointment?
• Are you framing your story with faith or with fear?

Memorable summary quote:

“The message of Christmas is about His presence, not my picture.” (33:55)