Podcast Summary: Elevation with Steven Furtick

Episode: "Win Before You Begin" (Guest: Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr.)

Release Date: October 26, 2025
Host: Pastor Steven Furtick
Guest Speaker: Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr.

Episode Overview

In this dynamic episode of Elevation with Steven Furtick, guest Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. (Voo Church, Miami) delivers a faith-charging, practical message titled “Win Before You Begin.” Drawing from Deuteronomy 20, Pastor Rich unpacks how to develop a victorious mindset before stepping into life’s battles. He explores the power of internal victory, the importance of community, and practical strategies to anchor faith above fear and anxiety—delivered with humor, stories, and reminders of God’s steadfastness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Perspective and Community (02:00–06:12)

• Pastor Rich welcomes all listeners, stressing the impact of magnifying God’s name in our lives.
• Theme: “Whatever you magnify gets bigger.” Bringing attention to how we must focus on God, especially amid problems.
• He honors Pastor Steven Furtick and encourages the congregation to celebrate their pastor’s global influence.

Notable Quote:

“Proximity brings perspective... For me, as I come here year after year, I get excited to share the word, but equally, I get excited to take a moment just to put honor where honor is due.”
— Rich Wilkerson Jr. (05:00)

2. Win on the Inside First (07:49–09:52)

• Christian life isn’t a dance, it’s a battle—the most crucial one is internal.
• “You don’t change your life by changing your life. You change your life by changing your mind.”
• Observes cultural busyness and restlessness, emphasizing the need for peace only God can give.

Notable Quote:

“You can be warring on the outside, but you can still have peace that passes all understanding on the inside.”
— Rich Wilkerson Jr. (09:11)

3. Battle Briefing: Fight From Victory, Not For Victory (11:07–14:35)

• Moses’ “battle briefing” in Deuteronomy 20 prepares Israel not just with weapons, but with set mindsets.
• We do not fight for victory, but from a place of victory because “God is for you.”

Notable Quote:

“God wants you to win on the inside before you ever see a win on the outside.”
— Rich Wilkerson Jr. (10:00)

4. Don’t Let What You See Shake What You Know (14:13–16:17)

• Life’s battles are inevitable; you can’t choose your fight, only how you show up.
• Fear often starts through what we see, then gets amplified by the stories we tell ourselves.

Notable Moments:

• Illustrates with relatable life scenarios—overreacting to ignored texts or bills.
• “It’s not just what we see, we script things.”

Notable Quote:

“Faith doesn’t deny what you see. It’s just confidence in what you already know.”
— Rich Wilkerson Jr. (15:58)

5. Let God’s Word Be Louder than Your Worry (20:08–28:16)

• In Moses’ instructions, the priests—not generals—are sent before battle to speak God’s word.
• “Every warrior needs a preacher before the war.” Church and the spoken Word prepare you to face your week.
• Worry “strangles”; to counter, what you repeat in times of peace becomes your reflex under pressure.

Memorable Illustration (25:57):

• The “flip and read” method for finding a word from God is unreliable—real strength comes from rootedness in Scripture.
• Fruit of the Spirit (“believer juice”) sees faith, love, peace squeezed out under pressure.

Notable Quote:

“If you don’t train in the Word, you won’t triumph in the wilderness.”
— Rich Wilkerson Jr. (25:02)

6. Shape Your Environment, Shape Your Mindset (29:55–34:02)

• People tend to shape their external world to match their internal state; maturity is reversing that, letting external cues—like worship music or scripture—reshape your heart.
• Practical advice: Don’t sleep with your phone, place your Bible on your nightstand as a reminder.

Memorable Moment (32:33):

“You can't defeat the enemy if you’re sleeping with the enemy.”
— Rich Wilkerson Jr.

7. Order is the Antidote to Anxiety (35:55–41:53)

• God doesn’t just raise up fighters; He values families, enjoyment, and order.
• True victory happens when your life becomes whole and integrated—mind, body, spirit in alignment.
• Set priorities: God, spouse, children, then ministry/work.

Notable Quote:

“Order is the antidote to anxiety. We don’t serve a God of disorder, but of peace.”
— Rich Wilkerson Jr. (39:31)

8. Fear is Contagious: Check Your Circle (41:53–44:27)

• Those full of anxiety or fear were removed from Israel’s ranks to protect others from catching it.
• What we “catch” from others—fear, worry—did not originate with us, nor does it belong with us.

Notable Quote:

“Some of the things that you’re carrying, you didn’t start with that, you caught that along the way.”
— Rich Wilkerson Jr. (43:06)

9. Growth Through Repetition: Keep Facing the Battle (44:27–49:15)

• Victory isn't about removing all battles, but maturing in them.
• Shares a personal story about his son’s fear of Space Mountain and how facing the fear led to joy—it wasn’t the battle that changed, but his son.

Notable Quote:

“It didn’t get easier, you got stronger. The battles won’t get lighter, you’ll just get wiser.”
— Rich Wilkerson Jr. (48:29)

10. Tag God In: Victory Through Christ (49:15–51:38)

• As the message closes, Pastor Rich urges the congregation to “tag God in” like a wrestling match—let God fight on your behalf.
• Faith means facing your challenges, expecting God’s active involvement.

Notable Quote:

“All you gotta do is tag God in. Because when that partner gets in the ring, momentum is about to shift. A miracle is on the way.”
— Rich Wilkerson Jr. (51:03)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:00 | Opening reflections, honoring Elevation leadership | | 06:14 | Main text — Deuteronomy 20:1; setup for the sermon | | 07:49 | Christian life = battle; internal victory first | | 14:13 | “Don’t let what you see shake what you know” | | 20:08 | The priests’ battle briefing; power of the spoken word | | 25:02 | The word as a weapon in spiritual battles | | 32:33 | Practical advice on habits and external environment | | 39:31 | Godly priorities and order as peace’s foundation | | 43:06 | Contagious nature of fear and anxiety | | 48:29 | Growth and wisdom through repeated battles | | 51:03 | “Tag God in” metaphor wraps up the message |

Additional Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On handling technology and anxiety:
  “You can't defeat the enemy if you’re sleeping with the enemy.” (32:33)
• Faith under pressure:
  “When you squeeze a believer, you ought to get believer juice... Believers ought to have fruit.” (27:43)
• Re: the cross and our battles:
  “While I was stuck in my sin, Christ died for me. When I couldn’t get to Him, He came to me and He reached out. All you gotta do is tag God in.” (51:03)
• On facing, not fleeing, challenges:
  “He didn’t give you armor on the backside... He never meant for you to turn from this thing—He meant you to face it. And God says, if you’ll face it, I’ll fight for you.” (50:09)

Episode Summary Statement

This episode is a powerful call not just to prepare for life’s battles but to win them by securing the inside—your thoughts, your faith, and your confession—before the external challenge begins. Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. encourages listeners to magnify God, embed Scripture deeply, reorder priorities, and bravely “tag God in”—reminding us the battle may not get easier, but we get stronger, wiser, and more victorious when we face it anchored in Christ.