Lesson 1—He who is faithful with little will be made faithful with much
Pastor Furtick and I have been close friends since the days of our youth growing up in the bustling metropolis of Moncks Corner, SC, and since those days, one of my very favorite things in life has been to accompany him on the many adventures the ministry has taken him on.
As a preacher of the gospel, you don’t always know where your travels will take you, what pitfalls lie before you, and everyone needs a sidekick! The Lone Ranger had Tonto… Batman had Robin… and Pastor Furtick has me.
Being on the road with Pastor for so long has given me an opportunity to see him in a lot of different settings and to get a behind the scenes look at how God uses his life.
One of the greatest principles that I witnessed illustrated through his life during our travels is that “he who is faithful with little, will be made faithful with much.”
You see, I vividly remember Pastor and I traveling 4 plus hours to be with a church in the backwoods of South Carolina that had promised “no less than 100 students” would be attending the youth rally they were putting together. And I remember the sense of disappointment I felt when we found out that only 23 students had actually registered for the event, and by Friday night only 9 had shown up. If this news wasn’t disheartening enough, it was usually followed with a comment like, “by the way, hope you don’t mind sleeping in the same the same room with the kids… they just got finished bobbing for Baby Ruths in a bathtub full of Mountain Dew, so they will probably be ready for bed in a few minutes.”
I don’t know about you, but the above description doesn’t sound like a very glorious ministry experience to me. But Pastor was faithful with what he had been given. I remember being in awe as he poured himself out for these 9 students as if they were his own family. I remember the impact that he had on each and every one of their lives and how he was always committed to each and every soul, truly desiring for each one of them to change the world with their love for Jesus.
Now, because he was faithful with a little, I see that God has made Pastor Furtick faithful with much, as he ministers to 2,500 plus each and every weekend at Elevation. It is remarkable to have seen firsthand God use the times at the youth retreats in backwoods churches to make Pastor Furtick into the dynamic minister that he is today.
Want more? Be faithful with what you’ve got, and see what God will do.
Eric Phillips
Elevation Church Core Team Member, Senior Roadie to the Pastor