Feelings Come, But They Don't Come First | Steven Furtick | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Feelings Come, But They Don't Come First

Elevation Church • Jul 3, 2026 • 83 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

Pastor Steven Furtick teaches that while feelings inevitably come, they must not be allowed to lead our lives or dictate our obedience to God. Drawing from the scriptures, he encourages believers to act in faith, recognize God's strategy in life's surprises, and remain pulled by divine purpose even during seasons of breaking and uncertainty.

Themes

Faith over FeelingsTrusting God in Hard PlacesDivine PurposeEndurance and HarvestGod's Sovereignty in SurprisesClarity vs. Trust

Key Points

1.
Feelings come, but they do not come first; spiritual obedience and right actions must lead our emotions.
2.
Reverse journaling is the practice of asking each morning, 'How do I want to feel when this day is finished?' and acting intentionally toward that outcome.
3.
God is often working most strategically in the moments when we are most surprised or facing unexpected situations.
4.
Sowing to please the flesh brings destruction, while sowing to the Spirit reaps eternal life and lasting spiritual fruit.
5.
Living with pattern recognition and consequence-consciousness helps prevent temporary emotions from leading us into damaging choices.
6.
David ran toward Goliath when everyone else fled, demonstrating that faith enables believers to run toward challenges that intimidate others.
7.
God does not always grant complete clarity about the future, but He provides the courage and trust necessary to take the next step.
8.
When faced with difficult choices, believers must allow themselves to be pulled by divine purpose rather than choosing what is simply easy.
9.
Spiritual revelation and opened eyes often follow times of breaking, proving that a painful season is not the end of God's story.

Sermon Moments

“Reverse Journaling: Asking 'How do I want to feel when this day is finished?' before your day begins.”

“The core truth: 'Feelings come, but they don't come first.'”

“Understanding that God is often most strategic when you are most surprised.”

“Watching the Olympic relay runners and recognizing the power of running with purpose and running together.”

“David running toward the battle line to face Goliath while the rest of Israel fled in fear.”

“Mother Teresa telling John Kavanaugh, 'I've never had clarity. What I've had is trust.'”

“Paul in prison modeling what it means to be pulled by purpose rather than driven by ease.”

“The Emmaus road revelation: 'After the bread had been broken, then their eyes were opened.'”

This Week

Practice reverse journaling in the morning by asking how you want to feel at the end of the day and aligning your choices accordingly.

Take an action of faith or worship even when you do not feel like it, trusting emotional feelings to follow spiritual obedience.

Before reacting out of anger or frustration, pause and ask what long-term harvest your words will sow in that relationship.

Identify a current situation that caught you by surprise and pray for eyes to see God's underlying strategy in it.

Stop waiting for complete future clarity before taking the next obedient step God has placed right in front of you.

Choose the option that fulfills God's purpose and serves others over the option that is merely comfortable or easy.

Reframe a current season of trial or breaking by thanking God in advance for the revelation and breakthrough He is bringing through it.

Remember This

Feelings come, but they do not come first—when you lead with obedience and stay pulled by God's purpose, emotional breakthrough and divine revelation will follow.

A Challenge for You

Do not look at a season of breaking or hardship as the end of your story, because with God there is always a 'then' waiting on the other side.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.