Hope Is In Our DNA | Lisa Harper | Elevation Church

I am truly amazed by how God speaks to me every single time His Word is preached, especially here on this stage. Today is no exception, and I’m thrilled to have my dear friend, Lisa Harper, sharing the Word with us. Lisa is a powerful preacher, and I’ll be honest, I absolutely love a great woman preacher, and Lisa is one of my favorites. Lisa and her daughter, Missy, live in Nashville, Tennessee, and they’ve made the trip here to be with us this weekend. Get ready because Lisa knows God’s Word deeply, and every time I’m around her, I feel inspired to dive deeper into my Bible and become a better Christian.

I’m going to stop talking now, but I hope you’re having an amazing weekend. It’s a beautiful weekend here in Charlotte, and I’m so excited for you to join us. Please help me welcome Lisa Harper to the stage!

Lisa Harper:

We’re really trying our best to hug responsibly, especially after our drive here from Nashville yesterday. I’ve been thinking about the incredible impact Elevation Church has had in such a short time, spreading the gospel worldwide. It’s truly miraculous, and God has truly blessed this ministry. I believe that such rapid growth is rooted in deep foundations. I admire the woman sitting right there because she has deep, unwavering roots. You may only see Holly on a screen, but I’ve had the privilege of going through tough seasons in the past decade, and Holly Furtick was one of the first people to reach out with prayers and encouragement.

It’s such an honor to be back here. I always come with a bit of nervousness because I, too, watch Pastor Steven Furtick every weekend. So, some of you may think, “Are you kidding me?” Holly made me sound amazing, but let’s be honest—I’m no Steven Furtick! This might feel like a mule at the Kentucky Derby, but hang in there with me because I believe God has something for us today. At the very least, I know He has something for me.

Chris, I’ve been eagerly looking forward to being led in worship by all of you. As Pastor Steven said last week, as Christ followers, we carry the church in our hearts and minds. The church is always open as long as we remain open to the Holy Spirit’s work. But I’ll be honest—my heart has been going through a tough, prodigal season lately. Whenever I see the Zoom logo, it crosses its arms and refuses to listen. I’ve missed corporate worship so much, and as soon as you started leading, I felt this deep desire to sink into this moment and just marinate in it. Being here with you all has been such a blessing.

This has been a difficult season for many of us, and I don’t need to remind you why, but I’ll start with homeschooling. For those who don’t know my story, I became a mother the same year I went through menopause at age 50, through the miracle of adoption. My child is incredible, of course, but homeschooling full-time when schools in Tennessee closed during COVID was a true test of faith. I confess I even counted watching Tiger King as biology for her. But I have proof we actually did have real classes, and I’ve brought a short, two-minute video of one of our “outdoor” lessons—proof for any truancy officers out there.