Elevation with Steven Furtick: "Your Next Messy Step"

Podcast: Elevation with Steven Furtick
Host: Pastor Steven Furtick
Date: November 16, 2025
Episode Theme:
In "Your Next Messy Step," Pastor Steven Furtick explores the reality of faith as a journey filled with uncertainty, messiness, and unexpected twists. Drawing from Genesis 28 and the story of Jacob, Pastor Furtick encourages listeners to embrace the uncertainty and surrender involved in taking their next step—even when it feels anything but perfect or clear.

Main Theme & Purpose

Pastor Furtick addresses believers who find themselves in confusing, uncertain, or "messy" situations—just as Jacob did when he fled his home. Through scripture, personal reflection, church anecdotes, and a moving listener story, he aims to show that God often meets us in the midst of our mess, not in our moments of perceived perfection. The focus is on surrender, not strategy—moving forward in faith even when the way is unclear or difficult.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jacob’s Story: Blessing Amid the Mess

• Scripture reference (Genesis 28:10–22): Jacob, running from his mistakes and family conflict, encounters God in a dream. Despite his flawed choices, Jacob receives a promise for the future.
• “I like that God is above. Whatever I'm going through, that's just a good reminder or refresher for my faith and encourages my heart.” (Steven Furtick, 03:42)
• Pastor Furtick emphasizes that many of God’s greatest moves come at the lowest, most uncertain points in our lives—not our highlights.

2. Embracing the Messy Reality of Faith

• Church "highlight reels" don’t show the hardships, doubts, and "mess" behind each victory.
• “A lot of the things I can clap about now, I cried through then.” (Steven Furtick, 05:07)
• The progression of faith is not always a clean, logical sequence; more often, it's chaotic and requires continual surrender.

3. Strategy vs. Surrender

• We like to explain our paths strategically after the fact, but in the moment, progress felt more like surrender than planning.
• “You explain things as strategic, but you experience them as surrender.” (Steven Furtick, 12:54)
• Parenting and church leadership, like faith, isn’t a series of easy steps but a process of continually seeking God.

4. Uncertainty is the Norm, Not the Exception

• Jacob arrived at a “certain place” in deep uncertainty (Genesis 28:11). The same is true in real life: we want clarity, but usually it's messy.
• “Isn't that ironic that the Bible calls it a certain place? And Jacob's life has never been more uncertain?” (Steven Furtick, 14:42)
• Even mature faith is full of “zigs and zags”—wrong decisions, repentance, and continual growth.

5. Mistakes, Middles, and Moves

• Our journey often involves all three: a mistake (bad choices), a middle (the uncertain in-between), and a move (taking action or moving forward).
• God is present through it all—even when our situations result from our own actions.
• “How can grace come until the mistake is acknowledged and accepted?...The devil didn't make Jacob dress up and take his brother's blessing. He decided to do it.” (Steven Furtick, 24:36)
• God can meet us even when we’re lying in the bed we’ve “made” by our own choices.

6. God in the Middle of the Mess

• God doesn’t require us to complete a checklist before showing up; Jacob didn’t pray, repent, or make amends before God appeared in his dream.
• “God gets in the middle of Jacob's mistake. Well, that really blessed me because you would think if you got yourself here, you have to get yourself out of this.” (Steven Furtick, 28:39)
• The promise is not that God will be with you, but He already is with you, right where you are.
• “He didn’t say, I will be with you. He said, I am with you. Which one would you rather have?” (Steven Furtick, 20:57)

7. Listener Story: “Lish’s Zigzag Journey”

• Pastor shares the testimony of Lish, who, despite repeated cycles of running and hardship, was met by God unexpectedly through an Elevation Worship song on a clock radio.
• “After years of running, God found her....The Lord is in this place. It's messy. I know it is.” (Steven Furtick, 38:50–40:34)
• Her story illustrates how being found by God is not the result of a straightforward path, but often a winding, messy journey.

8. Theological Reflection: God in the Dust

• God often does His greatest work beginning with dust and mess, referencing not just Jacob but the entire biblical motif from Genesis to Jesus.
• “God does stuff in dust.” (Steven Furtick, 43:52)
• Miracles often birth from mess—like Jesus’ birth in a manger.

9. Application: Taking the Next Messy Step

• The next step is rarely clear, often not glamorous, sometimes simply getting help or continuing faithfully in the mundane.
• Surrender, not a perfectly crafted strategy, is what moves us forward.
• “Just your next messy step, because God has already done the real work.” (Steven Furtick, 48:28)
• The most important move isn’t ours—it’s God’s move toward us.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 05:07 | Steven Furtick | “A lot of the things I can clap about now, I cried through then.” | | 12:54 | Steven Furtick | “You explain things as strategic, but you experience them as surrender.” | | 14:42 | Steven Furtick | "Isn't that ironic that the Bible calls it a certain place? And Jacob's life has never been more uncertain?" | | 20:57 | Steven Furtick | “He didn’t say, I will be with you. He said, I am with you. Which one would you rather have?” | | 24:36 | Steven Furtick | "How can the grace come until the mistake is acknowledged and accepted?...The devil didn't make Jacob dress up and take his brother's blessing. He decided to do it." | | 28:39 | Steven Furtick | “God gets in the middle of Jacob's mistake. Well, that really blessed me because you would think if you got yourself here, you have to get yourself out of this.” | | 38:50 | Steven Furtick | “After years of running, God found her....The Lord is in this place. It's messy. I know it is.” | | 43:52 | Steven Furtick | “God does stuff in dust.” | | 48:28 | Steven Furtick | “Just your next messy step, because God has already done the real work.” |

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Scripture Reading and Jacob’s Context: 02:34–08:55
• Faith’s Messiness & Personal Leadership Reflections: 08:55–13:47
• Uncertainty and Steps of Faith: 13:47–20:46
• Mistake, Middle, and Move: 20:46–28:15
• God in the Middle; Surrender over Strategy: 28:15–34:02
• Listener Story, “Lish’s Zigzag Journey”: 34:02–40:34
• Application of “Dust” Metaphor & Linking OT/NT: 43:52–45:29
• Final Application and Prayer of Surrender: 45:29–54:52

Final Reflection & Challenge

• Embrace the mess. God works in and through the uncertain times—He meets us in the chaos and calls us forward, not through perfection, but through surrender.
• “It’s not strategy that blesses your life. It is surrender.” (Steven Furtick, 51:04)
• The greatest next step you can take might feel uncertain, unglamorous, and “messy”—but God is with you in it. Trust in His presence, even if you can’t see the full path ahead.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Heard the Episode

This sermon is deeply encouraging for anyone feeling lost, unsure, or stuck due to their own regrets or confusion. Pastor Furtick uses scriptural narrative, authenticity about his own journey, and a real listener’s testimony to dispel the myth of the “perfect path.” He offers practical hope: you don’t need a flawless record or five-year plan to be close to God. Your next messy step is enough—and God will meet you in it.

For more from Elevation Church or to support this ministry, visit elevationchurch.org.