Filled by Faith | Steven Furtick | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Filled by Faith

Elevation Church • Sep 8, 2026 • 25 min

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

Summary

In this powerful teaching on 1 Samuel 16, Pastor Steven Furtick explores how God uses us in every season of life—whether we feel experienced like gray-haired Samuel or young and inexperienced like David. Even when life feels mixed with grief, anxiety, and uncertainty, God's filling and purpose are greater than our conflicting emotions. True spiritual growth happens when we choose to keep moving forward in faith despite how we feel.

Themes

Faith over FeelingSpiritual GrowthGod's AnointingPerseverance in GriefSurface vs. Heart Interpretation

Key Points

1.
God does not look at outward appearances or age; He evaluates and fills the heart.
2.
Samuel was gray with experience and David was green with youth, but God was greater than both.
3.
It is not the feelings that matter most in our walk with God, but the spiritual filling that sustains us.
4.
Being squeezed and used by God can feel exhausting, like a tube of toothpaste being emptied, but it releases the precious oil inside.
5.
Knowing that God is speaking does not mean you will know how He will accomplish His promise.
6.
Grieving what was lost while continuing to obey God's command to go is the very definition of spiritual growth.
7.
The holy anointing oil contained both sweet cinnamon for celebration and myrrh for burial, proving that God's assignment in life is often mixed with both joy and pain.
8.
You do not have to be completely over a painful season to move forward into what God has next.

Sermon Moments

“Samuel was gray, David was green, but God was greater than both.”

“Don't believe everything you see, don't believe everything you hear, and don't believe everything you think.”

“It's not the feelings that matter; it's the filling that matters.”

“What does it feel like to be used by God? It feels like a tube of toothpaste being squeezed to release what is inside.”

“When you know who is speaking to you but you don't know how He will do it, you move from Hallelujah to How-lelujah.”

“When you are grieving and going at the same time, that is called growing.”

“The anointing oil contained sweet cinnamon for a wedding and myrrh for a burial—life will always be mixed.”

This Week

Refuse to let surface interpretations or physical appearances dictate how you value yourself or others this week.

Identify an area of grief or disappointment and commit to moving forward in obedience even while holding those feelings.

Pray for wisdom and spiritual maturity to recognize when you are experiencing anxiety rather than ungratefulness.

Take actionable steps in faith when God prompts you, even if you do not yet know how the outcome will unfold.

Encourage someone younger or older than you, remembering that God uses people in every stage of life.

Stop waiting for every circumstance in your family or career to be perfect before choosing to give God praise.

Fill your own spiritual horn through personal prayer and God's Word rather than expecting others to supply your strength.

Remember This

Your life may feel mixed with both joy and grief, but when you step forward in faith, God's spiritual filling will carry you through every season.

A Challenge for You

Move forward in obedience even when your life and emotions feel mixed, trusting that God is actively growing you as you keep moving.

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