Hi friends! Below you’ll find my notes for Pastor Steven Furtick’s sermon It’s Hard to Hear God. This message is from Elevation Church on July 19, 2026.

Please keep in mind that these are only my notes that I took while speaking, so you’ll definitely need some context. Click here to watch It’s Hard to Hear God on YouTube.

I’ve also linked the bible verses, so you can click on them to read.

Be sure to leave a comment below with your favorite takeaway from this sermon.

As always, thanks for reading.

Sermon Notes : It’s Hard to Hear God

• 1 Samuel 16:1-4
• He will show me. 
• It’s not that simple anymore. 
• We can’t hear God because we are in anxiety. 
• We have to hear God in our hearts, and it’s hard to hear God in my heart because he’s not the only one talking, (shame, greed). 
• It all sounds the same sometimes. 
• Although we know nothing separates us from God
• I’m having to hear him through my dysfunction. 
• Through past decisions too. 
• Romans 7
• Be careful what you ask for without consulting God – you might get it. 
• Nothing like praying for someone you see potential in but they can’t see it in themselves. 
• Expect God to give direction in times of disappointment. 
• The Lord is still speaking to Samuel even though the problem is not solved. 
• God will give you a word in your weeping. 
• You don’t have to feel it to fill it. 
• God doesn’t have to confirm to me to do something that I’ve already committed to do. 
• Don’t wait til you feel it to do it. 
• The challenge of faith is to fill your horn with oil and move forward before you’ve even found what you’re looking for. 
• Fill
• Forward
• Found
• Sometimes we’re waiting for God to show us what to do next when we haven’t done what he told us to do last. 
• You’ll find it when you fill it. 
• Become the person you need to be to do the things you’re called to do. 
• We want to tell God where we want to end up and expect him to choose the route. 
• But he doesn’t give details unless he selects the destination. 
• Some of the reasons we are confuse is because we set the destination to something God never destined us to do. 
• We can’t hear God because we’re comparing. 
• He sets the direction and time and purpose. 
• The stakes are not always as high as the enemy would like you to believe. 
• We want him to tell us things about situations that he just wants us to use wisdom for. 
• If you want to see something out the bible are you will to do something in the bible?
• It’s hard to hear a God speaking specifically who you will not obey generally. 
• Sometimes the verse is his voice. 
• When I have God’s word I have God’s voice. 
• 1 Samuel 3:10;19-21
• The more I’m flowing in what he’s spoken the more I can hear what he speaks. 
• Colossians 3:9
• Philippians 2:14
• Your grumbling is the grave for every good thing he’s trying to do in your life. 
• James 4:11
• 1 Corinthians 6:18
• You’ve gotta run from some stuff in order to receive some stuff. 
• Exodus 20:12
• Better to walk in 1 than only quote 100. 
• We confuse correction with condemnation. 
• Even though Samuel had been doing it for decades he still found it hard to hear from God. 
• Sometimes your grieving period is over even though your grief is still real. 
• How?
• We all have a how and we all have an if. 
• Everyone there is an anointing there is a sacrifice. 
• A difficult act of obedience. 
• Sometimes it’s hard to know how you’re going to do what he said. 
• He won’t show us what to do there, here. 
• He’ll show us what to do for today. 
• He has a problem but he comes in peace. 
• It can be amazing when you have a problem and peace. 
• Don’t know how, but know Who. 
• 1 Samuel 16:5-13
• God can’t show you what he wants because we are so focused on what we thought. 
• I’m done with the past, doing a new thing. 
• Stop thinking everything you see and feel is true. 
• No toxic person can talk you out of what God says. 
• It’s hard to hear God speaking of your future when you keep focusing on the past. 
• You’ve got to have God’s values so you know what to do. 
• Listening to god is a life long skill. 
• You need the grace for this season of your life. 
• Saw and thought surely…
• God measures faith by your correctability. 
• John 10:27
• Even though you can’t always feel him you can be filled with him. 
• Do you really think the God who knows your destination doesn’t know how to reroute you when you take a wrong turn?

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