And here’s a video our team put together to celebrate what God has already done through the first part of 2012. This is not a highlight reel – it’s a preview of what God is going to do this year.

The Elevation Network is our gift to you, and is a free online network that will stream round the clock gospel preaching. When you tune into the network, you will see our current sermon of the week airing every four hours, past sermons from our archives, creative elements from our sermon series and worship songs that were birthed right here in our own church. It’s your channel for all things Elevation with the sole purpose of reaching people far from God all over the world.

The Elevation Network also gives us the ability to stream live events, so it is only fitting that we are launching it with Code Orange Revival. The network will be the only place you can watch the revival as it’s happening, and we hope that you take advantage of it and join us in the incredible things we are going to see God do over the next twelve days. It is built so that you can easily share with others, so we would love your help in getting the word out.

The network is broadcasting right now and goes live again tonight at 6:12 PM EST with our revival pre-show, and then Code Orange Revival begins at 7 PM EST. Join us at www.elevationnetwork.com.

Click on the banner to visit the Elevation Network now. Watch the video from the Network below to learn a little more about the vision behind the Elevation Network.

In September of this year, I’m planning to release my second book, Greater.
It’s getting hard for me to be patient, because now that the final edits are complete, I am bursting to get this message into your hands. I feel confident that it is going to help you ignite God’s vision for your life, whatever that vision may be. But production schedules are what they are, and we’ve got to wait a while.

So, in the meantime, I thought I’d give you another sneak peak into one of the chapters of the book.

It’s pretty special to me to hear from you when I share stuff like this, so please hit me on twitter @stevenfurtick and let me know what you think.

I hope this blesses you today, and I can’t wait to share the rest of the message with you. For now, the appetizer…

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For a lot of people, God’s presence is abstract and theoretical. Sure, God is everywhere, but it’s a different thing to believe that He’s personally watching over the intricacies of your life. Maybe you’re thinking there’s nothing of note about your life—certainly nothing worth God’s attention. The paparazzi aren’t exactly waiting in the bushes to see you in your workout clothes and sell the footage to TMZ. So, why should you believe that you have the undivided attention of the God who created the galaxies?

If that describes the way you feel, I want you to reflect on a few verses from one of my favorite Psalms. David penned these words of assurance at a time when God seemed distant to him. The first time I read them, God’s presence took on a whole new meaning to me. David writes:

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.…
Even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast. (Psalm 139:7-8, 10)

Fortunately, no matter how isolated you feel far out in the field, God is there. He has been with you all along. He has seen you punch the clock and stir the coffee and surf the web and return the calls.

It shouldn’t freak you out to realize that God’s eyes are on you. Because He doesn’t see you through eyes of disapproval or disappointment. His presence is not a sign of condemnation. It’s actually an invitation. God is present with you, through His Holy Spirit, because He intends to uproot you from the tyranny of the familiar, shatter the monotonous life you’ve had, and take you on an adventure.

He’s going places you’ve never been and doing things you’ve never done. And it all comes down to a question:

“Will you follow me into greater things?”

In the same way Elijah personally issued that invitation to Elisha, One greater than Elijah is issuing the invitation to you. Becoming aware of His presence is the first step to realizing His purpose.

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CLICK HERE to read the first sample I shared.

From my journal to your computer screen, here’s my short list. I blogged it in 2009, but felt like it may be appropriate to share as we begin this new year…to help somebody go forward in God.

1. Complacency
Change is hard. Positive change is just as hard as negative change. Sometimes it’s easier to stay stuck than to move forward. Often it’s more comfortable to stick with something that’s tolerable and familiar than to embrace something that’s preferable and unknown.

2. Regret
I really don’t know how to explain this, except to say that my regrets often overpower my ambitions, causing me to remain in a state of paralysis. But I’m learning that there’s nothing productive about what I wish I would have done then, unless I use it to inform what I’m doing now.

3. Distraction
It’s hard to tell how many major adjustments I’ve avoided making because I was busy tending to insignificant side items. It’s tempting to divert attention from the big thing that God wants me to change by obsessing over something that ultimately doesn’t matter at all.

I don’t want to stay stuck. I don’t want the storyline of my faith to be eclipsed by a shift I was unwilling to make.

If you’re feeling stuck, as I so often do, here’s a prayer to pray today…

God, help me move forward at the speed of your direction and intention,
no matter how painful the transition may be.

I sat down with our creative team a few weeks ago in a pretty special setting to share about my favorite ministry moments of 2011.

It was an exercise in gratitude for us, and hopefully it will be a shot of faith for you.