It’s LOVE Week at Elevation Church! Join me as I chat with my good friend, Christine Caine. She leads A21, one of our amazing Outreach Partners fighting to end human trafficking.

❤️ Holly

How to get involved:
- Watch the movie "Coercion"
- Sign up for a Freedom Walk near you on October 16
- Visit www.a21.org and click “Join the Fight”

Lunchtime Live with Christine Caine - LOVE Week

Lunchtime Live

Have you ever felt like something is not at all what you pictured? I always wanted to be a mom, but the reality of motherhood did not measure up to the picture-perfect image I had in my mind. Parenting is not for the faint of heart, but I am learning that what I do is not nearly as important as Who I know.

❤️ Holly

What Matters in Motherhood

Sermon Clips

Have you ever wondered if God is speaking to you, or if it's just your imagination? This past week, I got to spend some time with the youth of Elevation Church, to talk about how hearing God's voice begins with knowing His character. When we live in tune with God, we can trust Him to guide us towards the next right thing.

❤️ Holly

Hearing God's Voice

We all experience seasons of emptiness. It’s hard to keep pouring when you feel like you have nothing left to give.

In “When You Feel Empty,” Holly teaches us that the miracle we need happens when we move.

This is an excerpt from “Running On Empty.” Watch the full message [here](/sermons/running-on-empty).

When You Feel Empty

Join me as I sit down (virtually) and get to know my good friend, Sarah Jakes Roberts. We chat about ministry, family, and also I was excited to chat with her about her new book, “Woman Evolve.”

❤️ Holly

Conversation with Sarah Jakes Roberts

I loved chatting with my friend, DawnCheré. We got to chat about all things books, cooking, parenting, preaching and having faith in the midst of difficult seasons. She is the best. She is a ray of positivity in my life.

❤️ Holly

Lunchtime Live with DawnCheré Wilkerson

Super fast and easy, this is one of my favorite recipes to whip up after a busy day. All you need is 3 ingredients: pulled rotisserie chicken, ghee, and hot sauce!

I like to serve this over a baked potato or sweet potato and drizzle with ranch dressing. It sounds weird, but I promise it’s so good! If you have people who are sensitive to spicy food, sub out the hot sauce for barbecue sauce. 

❤️ Holly

Buffalo Chicken

Cooking With Holly

Happy LOVE Week 2021! One of the best ways I know to show people I care is to share a delicious meal with them. Today, Abbey and I prepped a basket full of goodies for one of my friends — we even added some chocolate chip cookies from our LOVE Week kit. The star of the show was a yummy chicken soup, so I’ve included the recipe below so you can make it for your family or someone you love (even my husband likes it, so it’s sure to be a hit).

❤️ Holly

Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
- 3 stocks celery, finely chopped
- 1 bundle carrots, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped (optional, can substitute 1 tbsp onion powder)
- salt & pepper to taste
- 64 oz chicken broth
- 2 cups of water (if needed)
- 2 rotisserie chickens, chopped
- noodles (optional, can substitute cauliflower rice for low carb)

Instructions:
- Chop celery and carrots. Mince garlic.
- Heat oil in your pan over medium heat.
- Add celery, carrots, and garlic to your pan and let them soften.
- Add in seasonings, chicken broth, and chopped chicken.
- Bring to a boil.
- Add noodles and boil as directed, or add cauliflower rice and let soften.
- Enjoy!

Chicken Soup & Cookies: LOVE Week Edition

Join me LIVE as I chat about life and ministry with one of my really good friends, Adrienne Houghton, as she's on the road (literally on the bus) for their pop-up worship coffee shop, Cafe New Breed.

❤️ Holly

Lunchtime Live with Adrienne Houghton

It’s LOVE Week at Elevation! If you know anything about our church, you know we love serving people and communities around the world. It’s at the heart of everything we do. As we were approaching LOVE Week 2021, I got to speak with Jeremy Courtney, the CEO of Preemptive Love, and we had a wonderful conversation about being an active participant in peacemaking wherever we go.

To learn more about the incredible work Jeremy and his team are doing, visit PreemptiveLove.org. And to sign up to serve at LOVE Week 2021, go to ElevationOutreach.org.

❤️ Holly

Refugee Relief: An Interview With Preemptive Love

Abbey took over the kitchen to teach Elijah how to make Johanna Gaines’ After School Banana Bread. I love how much fun these two have together, and I love this banana bread a lot too. See below for the recipe and get to baking!

❤️ Holly

After School Banana Bread (by Joanna Gaines) - [https://magnolia.com/create/recipe/1851038e-498f-4e7c-8a4e-941e5e636492/after-school-banana-bread/ ](link)

Ingredients:
- Nonstick baking spray, for the pan
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted and cooled, plus softened butter for serving
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 to 5 very ripe bananas, mashed (I like to leave them a little chunky)
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (we used chocolate chips)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar as needed

Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch pan with nonstick baking spray or line it with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer), beat together the butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Add the bananas and mix until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined. Add the pecans (if using) and mix until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the granulated sugar over the top. I like to cover the whole surface completely with sugar; use as much as you’d like.
- Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let the bread cool slightly in the pan on a rack. Slice and serve warm with butter.
- When completely cooled, cover the pan with foil and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Abbey & Elijah Make Banana Bread

We are getting ready for the Elevation Nights tour and I interrupted rehearsals the other day to ask our worship team the things we all want to know, like what tour life is really like, what song is the most fun to lead, and who is likely to go the longest without showering. What they didn’t know is that I was after some jump scares 😂.

Make sure you watch all the way through for a chance to win some giveaways in the comments ANDDDDD most of all, join us if we are coming to a city near you. We can’t wait to see you there. Go to ElevationNights.com for tickets. See you out there!!!!

❤️ Holly

Elevation Worship Scare Pranks

Elevation Nights

Join me LIVE as I try to keep up with Danielle Walker in the kitchen! We are making her Real Deal Chocolate Chip Cookies and I’m asking her all the questions about healthy cooking and her new book, Food Saved Me. See below for a link to purchase the book and the recipe we are making.
Book: Foodsavedmebook.com
Recipe: https://againstallgrain.com/2012/08/2...

Ingredients:
- ¼ cup palm shortening, ghee, or grass-fed butter
- ¼ cup coconut palm sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1½ cups blanched almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup dark chocolate pieces (just chop up a dark chocolate bar)
- ¼ cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a food processor, cream the palm shortening, coconut sugar, honey, egg, and vanilla for about 15 seconds until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt and mix again until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed in order to incorporate all of the flour. Pulse once or twice more.
- Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Place golf-ball sized balls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a SilPat. Using another sheet of parchment on top of the dough, flatten them slightly with the palm or your hand or a spatula. The cookies don’t spread much so create the size and thickness you want prior to baking them.

Cooking with Danielle Walker

It’s Pastor Appreciation Month and I can’t let it go by without celebrating my favorite pastor. I got to walk around our offices here in Charlotte and ask some staff members what message from Pastor Steven impacted them the most this year.

Thank You Pastor Steven

Pastor Appreciation

Join me LIVE as I chat with Jenn Johnson from Bethel Music about her brand new book, All Things Lovely.

❤️ Holly

Lunchtime Live with Jenn Johnson

The Elevation Nights Tour has been unreal! Abbey and I are taking you backstage at our Orlando stop as we get ready for the night with our teams.

I will never get over seeing this many people coming to worship together, singing these songs that are so special to my family, and experiencing a word from God from my favorite preacher. The Elevation Family is a rowdy one. It did get loud.

❤️ Holly

Elevation Nights Backstage Tour

It's finally actual fall here in Charlotte. The seasons here are a little different. Usually, it goes something like this: Summer, Extra Hot Summer, False Fall, Second Summer, Actual Fall, Winter, Fool’s Spring, Second Winter, Spring of Deception, Third Winter, The Pollening, Actual Spring.

Anyways, it's finally kinda cold and it's time for pumpkin before all the Christmas starts! I have been making this recipe for like 20 years (I feel really old for admitting that) from Southern Living Magazine (who still reads magazines and tears out recipes?) and it is always a huge hit if you are lucky enough to get a piece. We hope you love it as much as we do! Hint: the mini loaves make great teacher gifts (if you are not into the whole sanitation thing :)).
See below for the recipe.

❤️ Holly

Ingredients:
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 (15 oz) canned pumpkin
 
Instructions:
- Mix everything together; add in flour gradually at the end.
- Pour into 3 greased 9 x5 loaf pans (or substitute 3 mini loaves for one of the large loaf pans). 
- Bake at 350° for 50 minutes to an hour (less time if using mini loaves).

Notes: - I like to dust the pan with cinnamon/sugar mixture after greasing to give the crust extra sweetness.

Pumpkin Bread

No matter what situation you are facing right now, God is with you, He is speaking to you, and He has what you need. But it may not look how you expect. In this season, can you be open to God providing for you in a new way? Can you stay open to hearing His voice however it may come to you?

How God Speaks

“Christmas Shopaholic” by Sophie Kinsella was the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit during Book Club the other night. This was not only a hilarious and heartwarming read, but I think we can all agree that Becky Bloomwood is truly one of the best characters ever written. (SPOILERS AHEAD!)

Make sure you join my Book Club on HollyFurtick.com to find out what book we are reading this month and to be a part of the live discussion in the future.

♥️ Holly

Christmas Shopaholic

Book Club Live

Have you ever been angry because something didn’t turn out the way you hoped? Expectations can get us in a lot of trouble especially when God doesn’t just show up and fix everything for us. God requires my participation. Will you allow Him to include you in your own healing today even if it looks different than what you expected?

It's Not What I Thought

In celebration of Elevation Church being 16 years old today, Elijah and I sat down to look at some old pictures and talked about some amazing things that he has gotten to be a part of through the years of our church! These are such sweet memories to me and I’m so proud of the man he is becoming. I hope you enjoy this look back at the past 16 years!

❤️ Holly

Happy Sweet 16 | Holly Furtick

What a special time we had with Abi Daré discussing her novel, “The Girl With The Louding Voice.” This book helped raise my awareness of the way others live and are treated in our world today — and I hope it will do the same for you. (SPOILERS AHEAD!)

Make sure you join my Book Club on HollyFurtick.com to find out what book we are reading this month and to be a part of the live discussion in the future.

♥️ Holly

The Girl With The Louding Voice | Holly Furtick Book Club

I interrupted our eFam run-through to give you a sneak peek of what is to come on our upcoming tour. Elevation Nights has easily become one of my favorite things –– Pastor Steven and I get to hit the road with Elevation Worship to bring our worship experience to brand new cities.

(And if we’re coming to a city near you, there may still be time to grab your tickets! Just head to ElevationNights.com to find out more)

♥️ Holly

eFam Sneak Peak: Elevation Nights Tour | Holly Furtick

Our first response when we hit something hard in life can often be to isolate ourselves and think nobody needs to know. But we aren’t meant to go through life alone. God has given us the gift of friendship but it’s our responsibility to let people in. Who’s in your corner?

This is an excerpt from “Support System”, a message I preached at Reflect a few years ago. To watch the full message, click here: https://youtu.be/FG6t4A9Nav8

♥️ Holly

Who's In Your Corner? | Holly Furtick

When you only have 30 min to make dinner and you have some leftovers but you need to stretch them, I got you. This recipe is more of an outline, fill in whatever is in your fridge, keep a few of the staples (broth, meat, veggies) and you will have a great dinner in no time. I’ve included the “recipe” below for you, but I didn’t use exact measurements. Happy cooking!

❤️ Holly

Ingredients:
- 2 32 oz cartons of beef broth
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 cups of water
- Leftover Brisket
- 3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 can Lima Beans
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 cup Barbecue Sauce (whatever kind you like)
- Roasted Sweet potatoes
- Spaghetti Squash
- Collard Greens

Instructions:
- Heat the first three ingredients in a large stockpot.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (add any pre-cooked vegetables last) and bring to a boil. Enjoy!

Brisket Soup | Level Up Your Leftovers | Cooking with Holly & Abbey

Recently I got to preach at my good friend Julie Richard's Fearless Mom Conference, and I had way too much fun speaking to just moms. How cool would it be if moms got to have sashes like Girl Scouts with all the badges they've earned?

In this message, "Surviving Motherhood," I share on the 3 badges we all need in order to survive this thing called motherhood.

♥️ Holly

Surviving Motherhood | Fearless Mom Conference | Holly Furtick

Prayer is one of the most powerful tools that God has given us — it helps us connect with Him. I have been learning that prayer is less about bringing my wishlist to God, and more about seeking Him out in my everyday life. God often has so much more for me than what I am asking for. Check out this clip from our Essentials Study to learn more about how to make prayer a priority in your life.

♥️ Holly

Unlock The Power of Prayer | Holly Furtick

Sarah Penner created something special with her novel, “The Lost Apothecary” — I mean what’s not to love about a good story with an element of mystery set back in time? It was so fun getting to discuss this one and hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. (SPOILERS AHEAD)

As promised, here are Sarah’s top book recommendations (I have not read these):

Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings edited by Miriam Schneir
The Maid by Nita Prose
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
The Moon Stone by Wilkie Collins
Other Favorite Authors: Fiona Davis, Ken Follett, Philippa Gregory
If you haven't officially joined the Book Club yet, head to HollyFurtick.com to do that, find out what book we are reading this month, and be a part of the live discussion in the future.

♥️ Holly


The Lost Apothecary | Holly Furtick Book Club

Join me LIVE as I chat with author Ann Voskamp about her brand new book, Waymaker.

❤️ Holly


Lunchtime Live with Ann Voskamp | Holly Furtick

What better way to celebrate the release of Elevation Worship’s new album, LION, than by singing around the office while holding a baby lamb?! My friend Jonsal and I had too much fun getting some of our staff to play Finish the Lyric with us.

If you haven’t heard it yet, check out the album anywhere music is streamed, and head over to www.youtube.com/elevationworship to watch the live recording videos as they are released over the next few weeks.

❤️ Holly

Finish the Lyric with Jonsal Barrientes

I have always wanted to be able to make real biscuits and dumplings from scratch and Chef Lisa Brooks, who was recently on Chopped, is literally a pro at it. She was able to join the first all-black cast on a historic season for the show. 

Her new cookbook, The Joy of the Feast, is full of all those home-cooked southern recipes that you can’t get at a restaurant. In order to purchase her cookbook go to cheflisabrooks.com and follow along on Instagram at @cheflisabrooks. 

Also make sure to check out her episode of Chopped that aired on February 15th on the Food Network: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/cho...

❤️ Holly

Chicken and Dumplings Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken 
- 6 in. water 
- 4 tsps granulated chicken bouillon
- 1  bay leaf
- 3 stalks of celery 
- 2 carrots 
- 1 yellow onion 
- 1 stick of butter 
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 tsp of salt 
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper

Chicken and Dumplings Instructions:
Place chicken in a large stockpot with all ingredients except flour. Place on medium-high heat and let come to a boil. Boil chicken for about 45 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from water; place pieces in a pan to cool. Do not discard the broth in the pot. Turn the heat off the pot while the chicken is cooling. Allow chicken to cool enough to handle, and then remove chicken from the bones. Remove ¾ cup of broth from the pot and set aside in the fridge. This will be used to make dumplings. Place the bones back in the pot and add enough water to be sure they are covered by about 2 inches. Add one bay leaf. Let simmer on medium-low heat while you make the dumplings.

In a medium bowl, add the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add ¾ cup of cold chicken broth. Mix together until you have a slightly moist dough ball. Generously flour your countertop. Knead the dough on the flour two to three times and form it into a ball. 

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into strips about 1 inch wide, and cut each strip into sections about 2 inches long. 

Remove the chicken bones and bay leaf from the stockpot. Bring the chicken stock to a low boil and drop the pieces of dough one by one into the boiling stock. Try not to add too many pieces on top of each other, and do not stir. Let the low boil move around the dumplings. After 5 minutes, add the shredded pieces of chicken back to the pot. Add black pepper to taste. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until dumplings are fully cooked and tender. The sauce should have thickened from the flour on the dumplings. Serve immediately. 

Makes 4-6 servings 

Buttermilk Biscuits Ingredients :
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 
- 1 tbsp baking powder 
- 1/4 tsp baking soda 
- 2 tsp sugar 
- 1 tsp salt 
- 6 tbsp butter, cold unsalted, cubed 
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, cold, plus more for the tops of the biscuits 

Buttermilk Biscuits Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set it aside. 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt until well combined. Add in the cubed cold butter and cut into dry ingredients using a pastry cutter until you have small, pea-sized pieces of butter. Pour the cold buttermilk into the mixture and gently work it together until the dough starts to come together.

Scoop the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently work it together with your hands. Pat the dough into a rectangle and fold it in thirds. Turn the dough, gather any crumbs, and flatten back into a rectangle. Repeat this process two more times. 

Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it down into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Using a floured 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits. Continue to gather any scrap pieces of dough, patting the dough down to 1/2 inch thickness, and cutting it until you have 10-12 biscuits. I suggest trying to get as many as you can the first time because as you continue to work the dough, the biscuits won’t be quite as good. 

Arrange the biscuits on the baking sheet, making sure the biscuits touch each other. Brush the top of each biscuit with a little bit of buttermilk. 

Bake at 450 degrees for about 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter if desired. Allow to cool for a few minutes, serve, and enjoy! 

Buttermilk Biscuits and Chicken & Dumplings | Cooking with Holly

My friend Will Wilson came on my Book Club the other night and said he was an elite Tetris player, so of course I challenged him to a game. I am pretty confident in my long standing Tetris skills. I think anyone who learned on the original Gameboy device has superior skills. It’s time to settle the debate in this Tetris Challenge! (****Spoiler alert**** I may be considered an old lady to some but I still got it.)

❤️ Holly

Holly Helps: How to Win Tetris | Holly Furtick

Holly Helps

Abbey’s back in the kitchen to help me make the best strawberry cake ever for her birthday (and of course, we made the frosting pink just for her). If you love real strawberries and a moist, fluffy cake, this one’s for you. Grab the recipe below and enjoy with friends!

❤ Holly

Cake Ingredients:
-1 box white cake mix
-1 3oz package strawberry gelatin
-1/2 cup buttermilk & splash of regular milk to thin
-3/4 cup vegetable oil
-4 large eggs
-1 cup strawberry puree (I used an immersion blender)

Strawberry Frosting Ingredients:
-1/ 1/2 cups butter, softened
-6 cups powdered sugar
-2 tsps vanilla extract
-1/3 cup heavy cream
-1/2 cup strawberry jam (I used a whole 6oz jar)

Instructions:

-Preheat oven to 325 degrees
-In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake ingredients and beat on low speed until mixed, then beat on medium speed for 2 min
-Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans & divide the batter evenly between each
-Bake at 325 for 29 min, or until the top of the cake bounces back when you touch it.
-Allow the cakes to cool for 10 min, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely (I put mine in the freezer to make them easier to frost)
-In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream the softened butter
-Add 2 cups powdered sugar and the vanilla extract. beat on low for 1 min. Scrape down sides of the bowl
-Mix in the heavy cream and another 2 cups powdered sugar. Beat on low for 1 min. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
-Add the last 2 cups powdered sugar and the jam. Beat on low speed until mixed, then beat on medium speed for 1-2 min, until frosting is creamy and smooth.
-When cake has cooled, add frosting.

*To make a 9x13 cake, prepare the cake as described above. Pour the batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 for 35 min. You won't need quite as much frosting.

Strawberry Cake | Cooking with Holly & Abbey

It’s our mom’s birthday, so we’re taking over to play a little game to see who knows her best. Happy birthday, mom!!!

Who Knows Mom Best? | Kid's Takeover! | Holly Furtick

In honor of Father’s Day, I wanted to share with you one of my husband’s favorite snacks. Whether you call them PEEcans, PihCAHNS, or Peecahns…..I can promise you this will be one of the easiest, most delicious recipes you can make. Thanks to my big sis Emily for teaching me to make these! Enjoy!