Monday Morning Commentary

Well today is an odd commentary because I was the preacher this weekend.  My husband has been preaching his heart out in Australia this week.  He comes home tonight and my children and I cannot wait to see him.  It has been a long 7 days.

I held down the fort at church this weekend (I said in my sermon that I took over the fort because of what I did to my husband's backstage bathroom.  Picture make-up everywhere and a cloud of hair spray.) as we began our new series, Waiting Room, which is all about waiting on God.

My sermon was about how to turn your waiting room into a work room.  I am going to skip the commentary because it feels too weird.  You can listen to the message (or watch it) at our website, the Elevation Network and our podcast.

I would like to say that I wish every pastor's wife and church staff member could have the opportunity to preach one Sunday.  Every time I do this, it gives me a renewed perspective and sense of empathy for what my husband goes through every single week.  The pressure to prepare a message and basically speak on behalf of God to a group of people is more than you could ever imagine.  And it never really goes away, even if you do it every single week. 

So it is a great thing for me to preach at our church every couple of months even if the only thing that comes of it is a renewed vision to pray for my husband each weekend.  I truly do not know how he delivers such an incredible message every single week!

I hope you have a great Monday.  This week I will finally be sharing some of Abbey's birthday pictures as well as a great giveaway and of course great stories of life change too! 

 

Comments

[Jameka Haynes]

Hi Holly,

I just want to say THANK YOU for allowing God to use you in this message. It was on time and much needed! I appreciate your genuine spirit and for just keeping it real. You have a true gift and thanks for sharing!

[Tamika Duley]

Pastor Holly,

I just listened to your message from Sunday and ir touched me so much. I am a Pastor's wife in Durham NC and i have been in a season that has been difficult for me. I had our third daughter a year ago at 23wk 4days while having two little ones at home ages 3,20months as well as trying to maintain my role as a wife. The nicu experience was something that i didn't realized had affected me the way it has. Some days just being a mom and wife is overwhelming never mind the healing i'm walking through from my unexpected NICU experience. I could go on and on but i'm not.

Thank you for being obedient and allowing God to use you. Your transparency is such a blessing.

Thank you!

Thank you

[Gui]

You should really preach more often.

[Gui]

Hi, I really enjoyed this weeks' sermon. You rocked.

[Tina]

Great Word!!!! Thank you for impacting my life on the understandings "Waiting"

[Lisa Jeffery]

Hi Holly, as a mum with 4 young children, I would like to extend a huge heartfelt thank you for holding the fort so we could have the privilege of sitting under your husbands teaching and annointing in Sydney. One week on, and the impact has been monumental. So many people set free! His voice will resonate for a long time yet, and from the comments I have read, looks like you have got it all going on too :) Deeply thankful to God for all that HE is doing. Big hugs from Aus!

[Heather L.]

My oldest daughter, Sydney, watched your message today on her iPod all on her own. (She's 6 years old.) She then came and told me all about it. I asked what she learned from what you said... She said, "I just want to be a Mommy." I have already seen the frustration in answering the question about what she wants to be when she grows up... always presented with "typical" professions of nurse, teacher, etc being the choices she's given. I think that this somewhat "validated" her desire. This "just a mommy" supports her whole heartedly. (As with any direction she ultimately chooses, graduating college will be the only requirement. ha!)

PS She was really grossed out by the doctor's office story. ;)

[Amanda Stone]

Holly, I just wanted to thank you for sharing and being open to the Holy Spirit's guidance. I randomly checked the Elevation website for some inspiration. I had just gotten off the phone with a dear friend, and I had been talking about the lack of "fire" I have been experiencing since I quit my job to stay at home with my son. You put words to the way that I feel. I am in a waiting room that I can not afford to NOT turn into a work room! When you were speaking, I got teared up thinking about how it was as if God was answering the questions that I didn't even know to ask!

Be blessed my friend! I am off to my "work room!" :)

[Shawna Wagener]

Holly, Your message was dynamic! This past Sunday was our first visit to the Ballantyne location and when we left not only was I uplifted by your message but my 15 year old son was on fire! My mom asked him what he learned from church and it was as if he'd taken notes through the whole service and yet his hand never touched a pen. He has been teetring on the edge with his walk with the Lord over this past year but after your message he was renewed and on fire. We went to visit a friend Sunday evening and my son asked them if they'd like to attend service with us next week. Thank you for allowing the word of God to flow through you!

[Ellie Carpenter]

Holly, I can't even begin to tell you how blessed I was by your message this weekend! I just finished listening to your mothers day sermon a few years back. Your an amazing woman of God and being a stay at home/new mom, I find it so relieving to know that other women feel or have felt what I do at times. I think we should hear from you more often!!! Your awesome'

[Danielle Moore]

You did a wonderful job! I loved the message, and as a mom, it was so relatable! I really liked your bracelet idea, think maybe I might try that with my family. I see this happening a lot not only with myself, but my child as well. She is only 8 and I try not to let her be full of negative thoughts. This would be a GREAT idea to turn those negatives into positives. Its always so nice to hear a woman's perspective :) We love your husbands word but it was also refreshing to hear a woman's perspective on the word of God! I can only imagine the work your family puts into our church every day but it is most appreciated!

[Chelsea WIlson]

Hello Holly.
Wow - to stumble across your blog this week is truly God lead - so I suppose not really stumbling :-)
My husband and I are the ministers of a Salvation Army Church in Australia - and this weekend I am holding down the fort for our church as he travels away :-) Watching you preach and reading your blog is such encouragement as I don't do it very often. I agree - that even if all that comes from is it is learning to understand all that my husband goes through each week to prepare God's Word for his people.
We first heard Steve preach from the Global Leadership Summit last year and we have not been the same since!!! We are believing God to double our church this year - we were aberaging 50 last year and we had 70 people at our service last Sunday!!!! Maybe we need to believe for bigger :-)
I have just read SUn Stand Still and will be preaching on part of it this week!!!! Your message on the waiting room has spoken to me about not grumbling and keep working!!! Thank you!! Bless you and your fam :-) enjoy your family time together!! Many blessings...

[Kelly]

Hi Holly! I never comment, but had to thank you for your message yesterday. I love when you preach! It's nice to hear a mom's perspective, and I appreciate you being so "real". God used you to speak to me yesterday. Thank you for being you!

[Karen]

Hi Holly, I'm blown away by your sermon and how every area spoke directly into my life at this point in time. Going to do the braclet AND turn my waiting room into a work room! Truly phenomenal message, thank you! Karen

[Erica Potter]

LOVED the message this weekend!

I have been challenged to not look pass this "stage" of having a fun loving (never sleeping) awesome 2 and 1/2 year old plus a supper adorable (projectile vomiting) sweet baby girl =)

You are amazing Mrs. Holly! Thanks for speaking to my heart. Can't wait till next time!

[Deidre Dickey]

Ps. Holly....you are truly inspiring and I thank God for such a Godly role model. You encourage me often through your blog in my role as a wife and as a mother of three girls..6,3 and 1 :) The way you and your husband- Ps. Steven and your staff lead Elevation with such excellence and integrity has truly ministered deep to myself and my hubs, James. Thank you so much for trusting God and letting Him guide y'all's course.

We are so very honored to travel 3 and a half hours every other wknd so we can volunteer at Elevation- our family is so honored to be a part of what God is doing through Elevation. And we're most thankful for Elevation Network so we can tune in on the wknds we can't be there:)

We truly feel wanted and needed and so LOVED! Your message yesterday was so timely in this season of our family's journey. We are done complaining...we will PRAISE!!

Thank you for your obedience! Praying for you and your family always...Lord, just continue to shower upon the Furticks-more abundantly than they could ever think or imagine:strength, perfect health, favor and increase-in every area! We love you Lord, the Furtick fam, the staff and Elevation dearly! Thanks so much Lord, for guiding our paths to cross:)

Be Blessed, Ps. Holly!

[cindy]

First time seeing you preach. You did great and I took so many notes. Thank you for the timely Word.

[Sonya]

Holly, I just want to thank you for your message this weekend. I have two teenage daughters who love when you preach, because they know that there is something in your message that will speak to them. Thank you for being an amazing example of a Christian woman!

[Crystal Needham]

Holly you were magnificent! I also took alot of notes! The sound of your voice in itself is just so amazing - its very tranquil - you could hypnotize someone with your voice! God has definitely blessed you and Pastor Steven with all of your gifts and talent! I'm so gratefull to be a part of your church! It makes me very proud to wear the shirts, sport the Elevation sticker on my car and tell everyone about Elevation! From the bottom of my heart - THANK YOU !

[hayley parker]

You brought down the house this weekend! Such a good message. Blessed to be under your leadership!

[Rick Dreibelbis]

Congrats Holly on an awesome job speaking on behalf of God this weekend! As much as I love Pastor Steven and his anointed messages, I cherish the times when he is away and you get to preach, bringing your unique gifting and special anointing to the word of God! Thanks so much for your dedication to The Lord and His Call on your life!

[Kimberli Fancher]

Your message was fantastic. I took lots of notes and then took the phone when I got home to tell others about it!

My son are I are going to do the bracelet exercise. My first thought was boy does he need that, but my second thought was so do I. :)

You did a great job and I appreciate all you and Pastor Steven do. I know it takes a lot to do what you guys do even once but to do it repeatedly and with excellence is phenomenal.

Thank you!