The Guided Mind and The Guarded Heart

Steven Furtick opens with an unusual confession: about ten years ago, he went to a consultation for liposuction. He wanted abs but also wanted to keep eating fried rice. The doctor told him, essentially, "Come see me after you've changed your processes—your diet, your exercise. Don't ask me to fix what you were unwilling to change." Furtick left and never had the procedure. But the interaction stayed with him as a spiritual analogy. He sees many Christians doing the same thing with God: bringing him the consequences of their choices and asking him to surgically remove them, without ever involving him earlier in the process—at the level of their thoughts.

The agreement you didn't know you made

The sermon's anchor text is 1 Kings 20, a passage most listeners probably haven't heard preached. King Ahab of Israel is under attack by Ben-Hadad, who leads a coalition of 32 kings. Ben-Hadad's messengers deliver escalating demands: first your silver and gold, then your wives and children, then everything you value. Ahab's response is startling. He agrees immediately. "Just as you say, my lord the king, I and all I have are yours." He doesn't consult a prophet. He doesn't ask what the Lord says. He just capitulates.