Conversation with Pastor Joel Osteen

[Music] so good well how many of y'all are happy to be in the house of God tonight see some goodlook people raise your hand if it's your very first time here welcome welcome we're so glad that you're here all right I'm going to allow you to take your your seats well don't sit down just yet walk back towards your seats but stay standing because y'all know tonight is a special night how many of y'all know that yes as you are standing I just want to just stop and acknowledge you for being here thank you so much for being here we have I don't even want to say special guest but yes the most special guest that we've ever had at L with us in the building a legend a hero in our eyes he didn't even ask this but I'm going to do it um our pastor just dropped a new book this week y'all he would never ask this but it's called speak the blessing and it talks about how how your words can shape your future and so we're going to have it available in the cafe how many of y'all going to grab one afterwards but would you L would you stay standing give the warm welcome to the most amazing Pastor in the world Pastor Joel atin thank Serena hey thank you is he the best a you it's great to be here thanks so much y'all thank you Pastor we're we're a little bit of a Rowdy bunch here we're a Rowdy bunch I like it I like I like when y'all do it I like when y'all do it in the services in the at the 11 o' too I always like it see so he does like when we shout so many people have asked me they've said hey is it okay that we're yelling this loud when Pastor announces this I was like I think he likes it I think he likes it but Pastor it's it's such an honor to have you here so thank you for being here and how many of y'all love our pastor so much you do we have the very best and it means the world to us and I I just want you to hear that we have pastors that believe in us that believe in the Next Generation so the fact that you'd come on a Thursday night just means the world to us and we just love you and we honor you thanks for having me Serena how about how about Serena y'all love Serena and George man the the the worship was amazing tonight the worship team the band and all you guys we have the best again thank you again for being here pastor we had an incredible weekend this past weekend over a thousand baptisms just such an awesome weekend and uh Pastor you know I know you would never brag on yourself but we get to brag on you but you are just a a world class Communicator of the Gospel you are an amazing Pastor you Pastor the best Church in the world you're a wonderful father and you have a beautiful family you uh have a thriving marriage you're a New York Times bestselling author multiple times and I think the list could just go on and on and on so I wanted to just start off with asking you this did you ever imagine that you would be where you are right now you know I didn't Serena you know I didn't I I just y'all know my story I guess I grew up here at Lakewood and of course the other location but I never knew this was in me you know and and that's why it's so easy for me to encourage people that you know you don't know where God can take you because I I would be the least likely one to be up here I I was you know behind the scenes doing the television production my dad would you know ask me said Jo you seem like you'd make a good Minister but I always used to think you know I I don't that didn't even it didn't even come into my mind that this would happen but you know without going through the whole story it just I think my point is you keep keep honoring God you keep in first place and you don't know the doors God's going to open you don't know the gifts he's going to bring out of you you know again did I never thought I could be up here talking writing a book I didn't barely passed high school but you know what you you just you but I do and I'm not not bragging on me but you you do I know I'm saying you don't make mistakes but you do your best to keep God first place you keep honoring him I mean I grew up in the house of the Lord I grew up with parents I I saw modeled you know integrity and you know Holiness and loving people being good to people and I saw that model growing up and so you know I I recognize I am reaping a lot of the seeds that my parents have sown but you know and and we may get into this but you you may not have seen that growing up but you can be the one to start it maybe you did maybe you didn't but if you didn't you can be the one to start it but I just I would just encourage you that you know because listen when I when I was your guys's age I wasn't I wasn't secure I wasn't confident I was I was happy I could make people laugh and stuff but I was still very insecure and you know trying to figure out who you are and all that but um you know you just by the grace of God you keep growing you keep doing the right thing I only say that not to not to only to let you know that I didn't grow I I just being confident guy and all that stuff I wasn't that at all and so you just don't know where God can take you I I really believe you you hear me talk about you don't know what all's in you right now because there are some gifts that are going to open up at 30 or at 32 or at 35 or something or at 60 or things like that but God's put stuff in us all and so uh um again I just I never dreamed I would be here I mean seren I had season tickets to watch the Rockets play basketball all through my 20s and you know I used to come out here and see them play ball and but just you know the fact that man one day now we own the compact Center and just you know only only God can make this happen you know and and and I say that not just for my life but for your life you just don't know what God can do and again you keep in first place you believe big you take the limits off of him and believe a lot of times you just walk into blessing and favor and goodness it's it's the goodness of our God amen amen love that I think this question ties into and speaks into where a lot of people are even young adults and we we we're at that stage of life where you're discovering what your gifting is and wanting to walk in that and be who God has called you to be but then also knowing which path to take could you share a little bit about your experience of you know I know some of us know the story but not everyone knows all the you know details of the story which we love but how you became the pastor of Lakewood Church and then how you knew that it was the right time to step into it maybe you can even talk about some of the challenges as you had to face you know having a baby at the time and what that looked like navigating marriage and life and decisions yeah it was amazing Serena God knows how to give you the right he knows how to give you the right signs of what you're supposed to do I believe God won't if you know if you have a heart after God he's not going to let you miss your destiny he's not going to let you miss your purpose so so 17 years I was behind the scenes doing the production and all that and as I mentioned earlier my Dad tried many times to get me up to minister but I had no desire to minister you know it just wasn't in me I was you know a little intimidated too because my dad was a great pastor and I think I'd justed to tell them D they don't want to hear me they got you up there and you know I just I didn't have any of that in me but let's fast forward to my dad was 77 years old and and um I was 36 at the time my dad had had high blood pressure most of his life and it kind of ruined his kidneys he had to go on dialysis but anyway he was on dialysis for like a couple of months and he was still speaking every Sunday but I don't know it's it's you know things were beginning to change a little bit anyway I was at at my house one Monday night having dinner and my dad was at my sister Lisa's house and my mom was there too and he said to my mom and Lisa he said I'm going to call Joel and see if he'll speak for me this Sunday well I had told my no dad know for 36 years and my mom said John you're wasting your time Joel's not a preacher and he said I'm gonna call anyway so my dad called me I I was eating my dinner at home I remember like yesterday me and Victoria were eating and he said I answer the phone Hey Jo why don't you give me a break this Sunday and preach for me and my dad was always um he never pressured me he he loved me so much he thought I could do it but I didn't even have to think twice I said Daddy I I appreciate it I'm honored that you would think think of me that highly but you I'm just not a preacher and he said okay I just at least wanted to ask and and so we hung up the phone and so I I sat back down to finish eating my dinner and I felt it so strongly down in here I don't know how to explain it I just knew that I knew that I knew that I was supposed to do it I know now it was a holy spirit I didn't I didn't know that time I just thought I got to do this I told Victoria I said I want to tell my dad I'm going to do it so I picked up the phone and told my dad I said I'll speak for you this Sunday and Lisa and my mom nearly passed out because you know after 36 years I that was a Monday and I got to tell y'all that was the most miserable week of my life I I so dreaded I don't know if y'all ever had to get up and speak if you don't like it but I just so dreaded to having to get up there and I thought man even Victoria I said Victoria please don't talk to me until Sunday afternoon at 1 o'clock I said I'm gonna get through this week and I dreaded it and I sure didn't enjoy every day but anyway on that Friday my dad had some complications from the dialysis and he had to go into the hospital still doing fine but he had to go so he couldn't be at the service so we hooked him up that that Sunday by telephone It's 1999 so we didn't have the internet like today so we got I hooked him up by the phone because I was going to get up there and preach my first sermon and I wanted him to hear it and so I got up that Sunday and that's a funny video y'all because I had long hair and I I talk with the twne now but then I I'd say like welcome how are you when I go back listen to myself the man I I taught myself to speak English but any again better English but so I got up and I I was so nervous y'all I had to hold on to the podium my my first thought was what is everybody doing staring at me cuz I I had never seen it from that perspective but I don't know I did my best you know God gives you Grace and I told some funny stories about the family and I did that all so anyway I got finished with the service I told Victoria let's I said let's go to the hospital and see my dad and see what he thought well the nurses stopped me in the hall and they said Joel we've never seen your dad so proud he was just beaming from ear to ear well okay y'all I still cry [Applause] [Music] [Applause] all right oh I've told this so many times but I still cry but I don't think it's sadness I just okay but little did I know all right y I'm really happy y'all but anyway little did I know that would be the last Sunday of my Dad's life that next Friday he had a heart attack and went to be with the Lord and you know it was crazy Serena because like I said God gives you those signs I thought you know after my dad died on a Friday night my mom called me at 209 in the morning I still remember the callor ID and I went over there and my dad was you know in his house but I I knew he was gone the paramedics were there but anyway it's funny because I felt a Grace about it I was in a fog for like 24 hours thought man my dad died I did I thought he'd live to be hundred my dad and I were the best friends but it's funny after that day or so I felt that same desire to step up and Pastor the church and it didn't make sense to my mind I just knew that I knew that I knew I was supposed to do it and going back to those signs I think I said it already but you know I went back to thought you know what are the chances that I would in my 36 years that I would speak the last Sunday of my father's life and so you know that was just like okay God I know you're in control any everything in my mind says y you can't do it you're too shy your dad was powerful your dad went to Seminary your dad preached for 40 years but you know what I I I yall hear me tell it all the time you have to tune out that and you have to go back to who God says you are and I I said God I I believe I mean here's the thing Serena I I thought this we never dreamed the church would grow we thought if we could just maintain what my parents had built we would be doing really good but I mean look at the goodness of God I mean who would have ever thought that was that 25 years ago but who would have ever thought this would have happen so I don't know I don't I don't say that to you know brag on me but just to you know God will give you signs he'll give you the grace to do what youve called to do and I couldn't have made any of this happen it was just um I knew I was supposed to step up and so so Serena I may be answering all your questions here but I didn't know you know it was it was every Sunday I'd get through with one Sunday and i' get I'd drive home home and I think you know that thought would say what are you going to preach next week you know you're not going to have anything to say and you just you I had to I had to do what I tell you guys and you just have to keep talking to yourself the right way I just all through the day I'm strong in the Lord I'm well able to do what you called me to do father I thank you that you've Raised Me Up and you being for me is more than the world being against me because on Saturday night I would be talking myself out of it I thought oh no I'm going to get there I'm not going to know what to say and this is not going to be good and I'm going to bore people but you got to tune all that out and just got to you know here here's my thought too another thought too is I thought you know what I'm going to do I'm going to take this step of Faith because I I don't want to go to my grave not knowing what would have happened if I would have stepped out and and I I believe that we all we all face these Destiny moments where you know I was either going to step up and Pastor the church or Serena somebody else was and and here's my thing I thought you know what if I get up there and and try and I'm not any good or nobody listens or that's fine too because that's not going to be the first thing I failed at but I thought I'm not going to I do want to take that risk never dreaming that it would grow and and I realized as I you know as I stepped into it one you you guys I guess y'all weren't here but the people of Lakewood were so loyal they love my parents so much they wanted me to succeed I would get up there to to to to minister back then the first couple of months and people would cheer for like a minute and I thought I a't done anything you know and just they they just wanted me to win but you know what God puts the right people in your life that'll want you to win win that'll cheer you on and so you know it's just it's just the it's the grace of God again never dreaming it would grow but people started to come out and again I I go back to a lot of a lot of it too Serena it's the sovereignty of God you know was I the greatest preacher was all this it's not that it's just the sovereignty of God it's it's parents that have paid the way it's it's God's dream for your life being bigger than your own that's why I just encourage you you're going to you're going to see these you're going to step into some things you're going to think how did that happen you know how did I get here how did that door open how did that company choose me it's it's the hand of God and and I I know I've seen it and you've seen it in the past but you're going to see bigger things in the days to come as well amen so good how many El taking notes we're so glad that you did answer that call Pastor we're better for it well this month we are in a series where we're talking about the power of prayer and um we'll be talking about it all month long and and I just wanted to ask you is there any sort of disciplines that you have in your life spiritual disciplines that you have in your life that you would say you know what that's this has helped sustain me all along yeah it is I my my parents taught us from a you know from the time earliest I can remember it's to take time every morning to start the day off in faith and so I I do it more now I know I'm a pastor but I just encourage you because I did it when I wasn't but I just think it's important to take some time at the start of the day to put God first place and I I I do it I you know I read read my Bible I used to you know my anyway I read my Bible I take time to pray a lot of my prayer time now is just thanking God for what he's done you know I don't I don't spend time begging God I just Lord I Thank you that I'm strong I thank you that Lake that our family is healthy Lord I Thank you that your future for me is good and so I just take that time you know and you know some some people ask me how long you know it's it depends but I I just think it's important to take time every day I like this thought don't meet with anybody else until you first meet with God you know you're just saying God I'm going to put you for place and you know what some mornings we're traveling super early and I may get up and take three minutes and just start the day off and say God I commit this day into your hands and I honor you God and just you know it's the position of your heart I don't think it has to get routine and because I I am routine Victoria tell you I can quote my same prayer for an hour the same way but you know what I I make myself change up God knows your heart but I think that's that's one thing Serena is is just starting to day off in faith I think another thing and you you guys know all this but it's important the friends you choose to hang around I don't think you'll you you know friends friends are so important and so I just think you know choose some good friends choose some Eagles I mean you got great friends here in this place choose choose some choose some some Eagles and and I know you know I know that this can be hard because you know there I don't know I I know this that sometimes you know the number one thing I see holding people back are the friends are hanging around if they could get in a different friend group and and here's the thing you well Joel I've had these friends for a long time well maybe they're not going where you're going maybe God's taking You Higher and I don't I'm not a I don't mean you know go shun them and never talk to them and all that but you know you can just spend maybe less and less time but I just think it's important to even now in my life I I try to find some people that are far along more than me somebody that inspires in inspires me I I think you need people out there that are further along but I don't know I would think I think that's important and just um I don't know I could I could probably ramble a long time but I think that's the main thing so good so good so I want to talk about this especially the day and age that we live in Pastor it's within a moment people criticize and they compare and things can be spread within a second um just through the power of social media and Beyond but I noticed for you you have such a you have such a unique approach you have such a unique even style of speaking and communicating and you know how I'm sure it was a journey for you as well how how did you get to a place of of confidence rather than comparison what was that Journey like that's a good one Serena that was um that wasn't easy for me um I I'll answer this in a roundabout way because my personality is for to want people to like me and it's funny when I got up there you know the first you know six months everybody loved me the first year everybody loved me but then as you as God begins to take you higher you you get critics and you get people that don't and that I had to come to the point of everybody is not supposed to like you you're not going to win to reach your destiny man we wouldn't have salvation if Judas had not betrayed Jesus and I had to I had to come to the point where it's okay if somebody doesn't like me the main thing is if if we can you know to me if we can get up every morning and stand before God if if my heart is pure toward God I don't really I don't mean this in the wrong sense but I don't really care what other people think I got you we we have to run our race because what what I got into what I got into is seren I got hit from both sides people want you to be more of this or or less of that and it's just finally I thought you know what I told my team I said if I'm going to be criticized I want to be criticized for who I am for what I believe in not because somebody squeezed me into a box and so I think I think now I you know now it's it's important to me I'm real I'm real focused on the fact that I don't read anything negative about me I don't really I don't have time for that life is too good and God's been too good to me I don't even I don't I don't I think it's so important you know don't let that get down into your spirit because you know you're never going to win everybody over and I've seen Minister friends I see them up there ministering and I hear them and they're it's changing them because they're preaching to the critics they're trying to be something else and they're trying to PR prove to something but you know I I think it's important you you only have so much emotional energy each day and how much energy are we spending to what did they say about me at school and what did they do over there and what did that that's energy that you don't have for your dreams and for your goals and to be creative and to reach your destiny and so I you know y'all know it more than me because I didn't grow up in your day with social media but it's you know it's it's it's crazy these days because you know people will build you up to tear you down and all that stuff but you know what to me it's important to just don't let that bitterness get on the inside and keep your heart pure tune tune out as much of that as you can tune out and just um I don't know I think another thing Serena if while I'm rambling on all this stuff is you know when my dad died he'd Minister he' Pastor Lakewood for 40 years so when I got up to minister I knew everybody that had come that day or at least the first six months or something come because of my dad and so everything in my mind said Joy you got to be like your dad you need to preach like your dad you need to lead like your dad you need to you know and so and and I love my dad I still love my dad but I I I tried to preach my dad sermons the first few you know weeks and months maybe but and my dad was y'all y'all may not know my my dad was real powerful and real strong well I'm I'm not I'm more laid-back and easygoing and and it you know at some point about about six months into this when I was trying to think who am I what am I supposed to be am I pleasing these people am I enough of this about six months in I was reading the the Bible is in Acts and it said about David it said David fulfilled his purpose for his generation and when I read that I felt like God said to me joy your dad fulfilled his purpose now you go fulfill your purpose in other words I think it's it's the same goal we're leading people to Christ we're making disciples but I had to be comfortable to step into my own shoes and to be who God made me to be and and I feel strong about this because you're anointed to be you and there's no so anointing to be somebody else when we're trying to copy or to compare it's it's a struggle there's you know it's just it's it's difficult but you know like this tonight you know I had I I didn't have to prepare I don't I don't mean that wrong but you know what because I'm going to be me I'm not trying to be somebody else and it and it's so easy I think what was hard was you know what I got to be like my dad and I got to be like with these people over here want they want the church to go this way I go you know what finally I said God I'm going to be who you made me to be I'm going to you know my dad used to have a long opening scripture text a lot of times and I thought you know what I'm good at taking a little part of a scripture and just talking about life and forgiveness and how to reach a dream I said I'm want to do that and you know what that's when the church begin to grow when I stepped into who who God made me to be and so again I think it's it's important because now you know I I still get it too I'm sure you do you guys do too there's just pressure to become this and that and I just think it's important to just Search Your Heart what do God put on the inside doesn't mean don't take don't take it Don't Take Good Counsel but you know you know who God's created you to be and can I tell you nobody can beat you at being you I mean because you're anointed to be you and and really that's where the grace is to to step into to what God's called you to do amen amen Pastor you shared this actually a little bit in the beginning that you had talked about you you come from a great lineage of faith and a family of faith and I know in a room this size and even as we read scripture we see God uses people from all walks of life and it's such a beautiful thing but I would ask you you know to speak to someone in the room even tonight that that you might say you know maybe they don't have that lineage of Faith what what are some ways that we can live of Faith right now here and and how do we how do we set up our future Generations well yeah that's a great question and and you know it it's real true let me go back to my dad y so my dad was uh the first one in his family to give his life to Christ as far as we know my dad was 17 years old he knew nothing about God I mean my my grandparents I don't I didn't really know them that well on my dad's side but they were good people they were loving people they just they knew nothing about God and and so my dad was had a had a friend in high school Named Sam Martin and Sam was very outgoing about his faith and he bugged my dad and he bugged my dad and you know my dad was embarrassed by him because Sam would get to school early and write scriptures on the chalkboard and you know my dad being be Sam come on cool it a little bit but you know it it you know again God puts people in your life as a as a Divine connection and so one day my dad was leaving a nightclub at 2 o'clock in the morning Fort Worth Texas and he looked up at the stars and he began to think about God and it and it's it's it's the mercy of God I mean I I think about that scripture it talks about how how God chose us before we could choose him I mean I I wouldn't have this lineage of Fai it wasn't for Sam Martin and if it wasn't for God's mercy drawing my father and so my father they they grew up very poor and and he told me obviously you know he told me obviously later because they got the they got the Christmas basket they were so poor but at 17 years old he gave his life to Christ and and that at that same time he felt called to preach and his parents were like John we're Farmers we know nothing about God you're going to get out there and fail but he knew that's what God had called him to do and and he told me he said Joel I made a decision that day that my family was not going to be raised in the defeat and the poverty that I was raised in 17 years old so really I don't know God put that in him but Daddy took that step of faith and said I'm I'm gonna break this generational limitation I'm gonna break these things that are that are keeping our family down and you it wasn't easy my dad had to Hitch hike and he went out but you know what he he started that life of faith and he saw God you know open doors and he went on to Pastor great church and so I say all that to say I am blessed because I had that Heritage of Faith but you know you may be my dad you know you may be the one to start it in your family daddy started it at 17 years old and I look back now as you get older and you think golly at 17 he went out and started hitchhiking and preaching and you know he would you know not raised in faith I could barely do it and I had 36 years of training but you know what it's the grace of God but I I think the thing is that just what you guys are doing now you're in church on a Thursday night you're you're setting a new standard for your family just just know that God has raised you up as a Difference Maker God has raised you up as one that you know you can you can affect generations to come I mean people can look back a hundred years from now say man it was those people in 2024 in our family so I would just encourage you just to you know be a believer stay planted in the house of the Lord you know we need you here at Lakewood not not just we need you but it's it's good ground and it's how you grow and God honors you when you when you put in first place so you know again um y'all are raised in a different generation there's there's so much distraction these days but I know this God has given you the grace to be in this day and I just encourage it that you know sometimes you got to go against the trend and you know everybody's out doing this that and the other but you know what you got to say I'm not everybody you know be a Daniel be one that stands out and you know what God will honor you for that and it'll and your your you'll rise higher and you'll you'll make it easier on generations to come beautiful okay pastor this is a fun one if you could talk to your 20-year-old self what would you want to say to Joel if I could talk to my 20-year- old self I'd say hello good-looking thing but uh what would I say Serena seriously why do I say that Victoria says why do you say that I don't know why I say it I just I would say this I would say trust more and worry less you know because it's you know you worry who am I going to meet who am I going to marry and then you know just it continues on and even when I became Pastor oh my gosh you know is the church going to grow or are we going to make it and people come against you in the compact Center are we going to get this but and I'm not saying I was a lot of I wasn't a big worrier but I realize now you know what God has you in the palm of his hand God is ordering your steps God is going to open right doors and he's going to close wrong doors God is not going to let you miss your destiny when you have a heart after him he's going to give you Mercy for mistakes as well and so I think there were plenty of times I may not have enjoyed the day as much as I could have because I was waiting for the next thing or just wondering what was going to happen but I would just now I've learned and I'm not perfect but I've just learn I live from a place of peace I live from a place of trust said God it's in your hands and not not meaning that we don't have to do our part but I just think you can save yourself a lot of time if you'll live from a place of rest and trust and belief again doing your part working hard being excellent and all that but you don't have to you know I I think maybe a better way to put it is you know don't try to control things you can't control I I've learned this you can plant you can water you can fertilize but only God can bring the sunshine only God can open the right door so you do your part and you know the the more you live from a place of peace and trust and not worry the more you're going to enjoy your life and it's really showing God you trust in y'all hear me say this all the time but it's it's what I live by it's it takes the same amount of energy to worry as it does to believe in other words oh man what am I going to do and how's this going to work out or you know it takes the same to turn that around and say Lord I Thank you that you're in control of my life Lord I Thank you that you're fighting my battles Lord thank you that you have Divine connections Lord I Thank you that you'll open right doors so you're just using that same energy to thank him that he's working in your life let me tell you all the forces of Darkness cannot stop what God has purposed for your life PE I can tell y'all because you know what I have more critics than anybody but the critics have never stopped me people that don't like me have never stopped me or or you know bad breaks have not stopped me God knows how to turn those around so you live from that place of peace and trust and keep God first but Pastor I just would like to ask you you know what do you have on your heart for just the young adults of Lakewood Church and Beyond what do you what would you want to speak to the young adults of our house I would just want to speak I think I've said it that you know what we need you guys you are people of Destiny you are here for a reason and I really believe God has awesome things in store for each one of you as you just continue to honor him and keep in first place stay planted in the house of the Lord I think the other thing that I was good at too Serena not not not trying to brag but you gota you have to also take the limits off of God it's a lot of thoughts you know they they came to me they probably come to you Joel you're not smart enough talented enough strong enough that all this stuff but you got to turn all that tune all that out and say God I I know you've made me who I am and I can do all things through Christ and just you know have a big Vision you know I I think many times we are limited my dad used to always say you'll never rise any higher than the way you see yourself and so I had to start seeing myself differently even just believing for things you know when when the compact Center came along you know God will put the faith in you the belief in you but you have to tap into it and I knew it was supposed to be our Serena I look back now at you know 39 years old what made me think I could get the the finest building in all of all of Houston but you know what something will rise up in you when something's supposed to be yours and you will have a god-given faith but you have to tap into it everybody told us how we couldn't get it I mean the main lawyers the main people we work with Y we're not they're not going to give it to you they not going to let church I thought see you we I want you on my team I'll get somebody else but you know what you got to go back to say God you put this dream in my heart I'm not going to be talked out of it I'm gonna believe you for big things and I think you know you take when you take the limits off of God it allows him to to bring you compact centers and to bring you influence and Destiny in new ways so just again keeping in first place be a big believer you know not not just limited by my circumstan es my education my you know I had all that stuff that could have disqualified me but you know what people don't call you God calls you God qualifies you God's anointed you God's raised you up for this time and so you know walk humbly before God treat other people right do the right thing when nobody's watching and I'm telling you you're passing the test one last thing I know I hear the music I'm so start but here well you know here's the thing too all those years behind the scenes 17 years I would I would listen uh to my Dad's messages uh when he would speak I'd have to edit them so Daddy would speak like 40 minutes aren and we'd have to cut it down to like 25 minutes and so every week for 17 years every time I edited the program I would hear his message about three or four or five times I'd have to figure out his train of thought what do I need to cut out and all that stuff well I didn't realize back then that God was getting me trained for what I'm doing today I didn't even know it I mean sometimes well I'm going to say sometimes God is getting you prepared right right now for greater things and you may not even know it and I I think kind of Serena God's kind of I was going to say funny but God's God's God but you know if he would have told me Joel I'm doing all this because in when you're 36 years old you're going to pass to the church I wouldn't have liked it but you know what God just discreetly got me prepared I got all those stories in me all that you know all those scriptures and then at the right moment there was a des if I don't have anything great in me you have something great in you God's already put part of himself in you so you keep honoring God you're being prepared right now and I think the other thing too and I'll stop but you know you you you be faithful where you are now Joel I'm not getting any recognition nobody celebrating me I don't get to be on the stage you know pass the test behind the scenes and so God you know you pass that test then God God will trust you with more I like this you know if you're not faithful in the wilderness how can God trust you in the promised land so you be faithful where you are doing the right thing you're not working under people you're working under God God's keeping all the records and when it's time to be when it's your time to be promoted God knows how to promote you he'll have Samuel come looking for you he'll he'll open the right door so that's the last thing y'all thank y'all [Applause] so good pastor would you would you mind just praying a blessing over everyone here in the room I imagine there's dreams there's purpose there's future I like you said those Destiny moments that are here in the room and so would you just pray blessing stand Lord I Thank you for all of our friends here tonight Lord you see their hearts and Lord you know the goal goals the dreams the desires the passions the seeds of greatness that you put in each one of them and Lord I Thank you that they will continue to rise higher that they will become all that you've created them to be I thank you Lord that the fire shut up in their bones will come out to the full Lord that you would take them places that they've never dreamed and Lord I just pray for your wisdom for each one of them Lord that you're putting your desires in them Holy Spirit help them to do what they can't do on their own Lord I think you that they'll make decisions that honor you Lord that you'll make the path clear for them I think you that your their spiritual ears and eyes are open sensitive and responsive to your voice Lord I think that they can clearly hear what you're saying and Lord I Thank you that you're taking them to from Victory to Victory Lord bringing the right people across their path I thank you Lord that you have those Divine connections and Lord any changes they need to make with wrong friends Lord just I thank you for the grace and just to supernaturally to weed out the wrong people and but I just think you that you're at work in their lives and Lord that they would discover gifts and talents that they didn't even know they had Lord like you did for me I thank you Lord that confidence will rise up and boldness and faith and favor and ideas and creativity and skill and expertise and anointing and Effectiveness Lord they would have some of those who would have ever thought blessings in their lives that you would accelerate them Lord and cause them to be leaders Lord full of influence with resources and Lord uh your great favor upon their lives Lord those that have it's been broken and Lord that they are the difference makers they are the the Daniels they are the ones that stand out in the crowd and Lord I just speak your blessing and favor and wisdom healing over them over their seed over their over their family over their parents as well Lord we speak your Victory and I believe and declare you're blessed you're prosperous redeemed forgiven talented disciplined focused confident secure prepared qualified motivated valuable free determined equipped empowered anointed accepted and approved not average not mediocre Children of the most high God Victors and never victims in Jesus name amen and amen amen can you give it up again for our pastor thank you Pastor Joel as he exits we love you so much again o for our pastor woo w

Channel: Lakewood Young Adults

Views: 14,506

Keywords: Lakewood Church, Lakewood Young Adults, Houston Church, Jesus, God, Next Gen, NXT, Lakewood, Youth, Youth Adult, High School, Junior High, Joel Osteen, Sermon 2024, Conversation with Joel Osteen

Id: AMTFYrNBANE

Length: 39min 28sec (2368 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 17 2024