Joel Olsteen on "Larry King Now" - Full Episode Available in the U.S. on Ora.TV

on Larry King now America's favorite Pastor Joel Osteen I know I'm not a traditional pastor in terms of I'm just going down teaching scripture by scripture because what I would teach was just be more how to live a great life there's that feeling that you're supposed to be poor and humble to show God that you're humble be to be sort I call it being defeated I think as a representative Christ I'm supposed to Excel what do you make of a new pope I like his fact that he's you know he's reaching out for the Catholic Church and he made a statement about you know what we're turning into a little bitty chapel because we're pushing everybody away plus it's doing marriage in or you know it doesn't annoy me from a scriptural point of view I don't think it's you know what my faith would teeth but doesn't annoy me it's all next on Larry King now [Music] great pleasure welcome to Larry King now an old friend frequent guests with us on our previous show Joel Osteen he's been hailed as the most watched inspirational figure in America he's pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston hugely popular televangelist and a New York Times bestselling author his latest book is break out 5 keys to go beyond your barriers and live an extraordinary life we will ask about the book in a little while a couple of facts about mr. Osteen pastor what is now the largest church in America weekly sermon watched by more than 10 million viewers on television seen in a hundred countries he has a podcast that averages tend to have million downloads a week the church has 16,000 seats did you ever think early on you'd have all this I never your father was a preacher and my father was a preacher and I worked behind the scenes for him and I didn't want to preach I didn't want to get out in front of people because it just I didn't think it was in me but when my dad died in 1999 suddenly I stepped up to pastor the church but never dreamed it would grow I thought I'd just try to maintain what my daddy did what was it sighs when your father died it had about 6,000 people on a Sunday women is still a large church but but never dreamed of well how did it grow what what happened well you know it's it's interestingly like I don't know how to put my finger on it you know I was 40 years younger than my dad and I think all of a sudden young minister was up in front of the large congregation my dad had a local television program and then I was on there and you know it just seems like people took on me maybe it's just coming through a younger voice did you have once it started a natural affinity for preaching I think that I was you know even though I was nervous and not you know I didn't really know a lot what I was doing I somehow I had a I had a connection with the audience that's all I can say not bragging on me but it's just something I didn't know I had it but I think I thought you know the church is growing people are coming so I don't know what it was how would you classify your type of event our good friend Billy Graham I've been close to for years he preaches you know come down be saved turn yourself over to the Lord give yourself up for that you don't do that well I do it some but he did that full-time like we'd call it in our circles and we're not event no no I'm we're a pastor because I'm talking a lot of times to the same people so what I talk about is how do you live the Christian life in other words how do I forgive or how do I have a good attitude or how do I have how do I reach my dreams I like to talk about you know how do we live out the Christian faith and not just you know doing the revivals no not necessarily now your fan base is not just Christian right I understand you have Muslims even atheists how to explain that you know why would an atheist be of wellness I think what they like Larry is when you know the principles that we teach you from the scripture but they help they can help anybody you know to reach dreams or to forget ever to add to have a healthy you know good self-image so you know I know I'm not a traditional pastor in terms of I'm just going down teaching scripture by scripture because you know a lot of my you know what I would teach would just be more how to live a great life how do you plan your speeches are you calling big old speeches well growing up we call them sermon people sermons people call them speeches I just I have no set you know routine I just see what I feel you write them out I write them out myself what day of the week well I start on Wednesday so I'll uh I'll take Wednesday and just study and try to figure out what I want to say you know if I want to talk about whatever it may be then Thursday and Friday I'll write it out I type it out a lot of people turned off by religion yeah why well I think in the past you know we're just in general sometimes religion is about you're doing this wrong and you're doing you know you can't measure up and you know I get people criticize me because I want people to leave Church feeling better than they were before I think people already have enough guilt and condemnation or beaten down by life so you know I think a lot of people at least the ones I talk to that grew up in a church with its you just felt more guilty you could never measure up I think - Larry it's some of it is even it's it's it's Polly sometimes it's political they see you know for a while evangelicals which you know technically I guess I am one you know that was a white Republican against this against that and people people weren't for that the religious right yeah takes a bad rap do you consider yourself in the religious right I don't I don't I don't get political with it all but I mean our church is filled with Democrats Republicans why it's blacks I mean you know they're all good people they all love God as much as you know each other but they have different political views I stay out of it as we know we've done this many many times you know their own kind of agnostic issue when you talk of god yes who what is that a person listening to you like my wife she prays every night she talks to Heavenly Father - who is she talking well there's nobody up there come on there's nobody up there well you know Larry it's all about faith and you know we talked before but yet you know what I just a lot of his way I was raised but you know what I believe there's a creator of the universe I call him God or by my heavenly father and it's just it's the faith that you believe that what way is someone there someone listening yes I believe I believe God's always listening in you know it even gets more confusing because I believe God can live in you that the Holy Spirit lives in you a part of him lives in you so yeah I believe that though that God's there and he hears you and you know the scripture talks about he knows your thoughts he knows your words and so there's billions of people on the planet how does he keep up with all that well that's the best done you know the magnificence of God and my belief is that God is concerned about each one of us got a plan for our life and you know that's what takes faith because you know he died to make sense always do you mind are you what do you make of a new pope I like him I want some people up I know well I like it I like it fact that he's you know he's reaching out for the Catholic Church and he made a statement about you know what we're turning into a little bitty chapel because we're pushing everybody away and that's been a big part of our ministry that's you know again that's what people some people don't like but I'd like to have a big wide net what are your views on homosexuality you know they're the same that they've been did I don't I believe the scripture says that it's a sin but I always follow that out by saying you know what we're not against anybody of you calling it a sin how could it be a sin if we don't know what causes it we don't know why you don't know why your head trisexual no you don't know why your head - awesome no and there's a lot of things Larry that I don't I don't understand so you know I don't want preach on it no about it it's only comes up during the interviews I stay on the things that I'm doing marriage and or you know it doesn't annoy me I just I don't you know from a scriptural point of view I don't think it's you know what my faith wouldn't teach but it doesn't annoy me I mean when you read the Bible what is what is fact and what is parable you know if you believe elijah rose up well do you believe that's know well i believe that you know there are some I do but I believe you know I believe it is literal but you know there are parables in there as well you know I'm not I wouldn't say I'm not a scholar on at all but I try to stick with the things I do believe do you do you interpret it literally though I do I do and that's hard some days some days for you isn't it yeah it's hard cuz I don't understand it all you know but you're reaching it and so if I'm questioning it shouldn't you have answers for me well I think I can have answers on the thing to understand so then that's what I try to stay in my lane if here's what I can you know certain things that I believe it that I'm good at and that I do understand I don't know that anybody understands it all but maybe somebody does when we come back we'll talk about Joel's new book which is not so much in the religious theme it's called break out five keys to go beyond your barriers and live an extraordinary life we'll be right back the back with joel osteen the book is breakout you've written this your sixth book yes sir are you writing the same thing over and over again well I think a lot of my a lot of my theme comes out and it's God's good it's half faith it's move forward so some of it is but you know I've been doing this for 14 years and you grow you learn more you mature and I think I'm better than well I believe I'm better than I was you know years ago so I feel like it's my best book who's it for it's pretty anybody that wants to just move forward it's I call it a a faith building book it's easy to get stuck in a rut and think well you know this is as good as it gets so it's just really a something to give a boost in our faith and when I say faith you don't have to be a religious person it's it's principles in there that'll help you to think bigger they have the right perspective things like that so I someone can use this book without being a church go without being religious I think so many people watch that are like that the book deals with self-imposed limitations you put limitations on yourself I think we all do I mean when my dad died Larry I thought I could get him a pastor of the church I've never been to seminary I've never spoken in public before so I had to say you know what I don't feel like I can do it but look but I believe that I have what it takes and you know you have to change your thinking or I wouldn't be here today what do you think your father would say if he saw you now and he saw the church and he saw all that's happening he's looking at this program yeah well I think my dad would be very proud I'm sure he'd be smiling down my dad loved watching you it's one of his favorite things to do he'd be proud of very proud of you huh thank you now with your success in you've heard this before has come considerable money how do you relate that to Lenny Bruce my old friend did Lenny Bruce told me once any leader any religious leader who speaks the Word of God who has more than one suit while someone has no clothes is a cop-out yeah you know I just don't see it that way you know obvious like that I don't see it that way I just how do you answer it how do I answer it is that you know what I believe but first off I'll say this I believe we are blessed to be a Lessing to help others and that's what Victorian I do and that's what we teach our church but I just don't think that we're supposed to there's that feeling that you're supposed to be poor and humble to show God that you're humble be to be sort I call it being defeated via I don't think I think as a representative Christ I'm supposed to excel not necessarily be rich but look good and think right and be a leader in what I do and so you know you go back and we you make arguments both ways but God started you know the whole covenant with Abraham and it says he was the richest man in the East and I think well God why didn't you choose the poorest man but he didn't I don't think it's about money has never been our goal I never I never knew I was gonna write a book that sold millions and millions of copies and so I don't take a salary from the church now but it's about you know money is simply a tool to fulfill your destiny but I teach people you give money away do you help we give millions of dollars in victory net now I'd never dreamed that we'd be able to do to be able to bless people like this so it's never been about you know how wealthy can we become you say that God has already written all of our days God has a plan and he knows the plan do I have any control of the plan well I believe you do I believe God is all-knowing but I believe that you know we have to each day be our best honor God be good to other people move forward I think that's how you can I think you can't limit yourself you cannot reach your full potential do you ever doubt your faith never do no I never do no see some things in the world I know they say that a free will but how about things that are not free will Katrina's not free will ya oh and kids born you know we have you know I'm dealing with kids that are born with diseases and all that you know free will no it's not you know I don't doubt it I go back to this that you know we're not in the perfect world I believe heaven will be a perfect world but we're not we're in a fallen world is what the scripture teaches and so there are things that we don't understand and so I just come back to the fact that you know I have to tell my congregation all the time members that have lost a loved one or a teenage were killed in an accident I don't understand it but I believe God can give you the grace and the peace and the strength to get through it is that the hardest thing for a preacher to do when you deal with the death yeah it's very hard and because you know my heartbreak I cry more than they do cuz you know you got you got parents down there with a little girl that's got cancer and going through treatment and you know I have no explanation except that you know what God can give you peace and we're gonna pray we're gonna believe and I don't think anybody has all the answers what do you think happens when you die what do you think happen you don't you can't no no you you can't no but what I believe again being a you know a person of faith I believe that there's there's a heaven and then there there's there there's a hell as well there's an afterlife I believe that you know are the real person inside here lives on forever I mean the scripture it really gets confusing I don't understand it says that God knew us before we were formed before we were born in our mother's womb so I don't know that I understand it all but I do believe you know that you're a spirit that you're going to live on and you've had people on - it's I've talked to as well that you know had a heart attack and they're looking at themselves outside their body so you know that's I'm a believer in their up that's he's seen by millions each week what's it like when he is in preaching Joel talks about life away from the pulpit next move back with Joel Osteen the new book is break out on Asha but what do you make of call let's this different kind of pastor you know I like Carl he's a friend of mine I've known him for years and you know he'll reach people that I won't reach I mean he's not he's not in a certain time he's got a mohawk and tattoos but you know what I'm for everybody you know do you ever break away from being Joel Osteen what does Joel Osteen do when he's not doing doing Joel you know I'm still I don't feel much different than I did 14 years ago I still like to play basketball and hang out with my family ride bikes I don't I don't live a very pressured life and just what's been yeah I love sports what do you do for fun well for fun I like to I like hanging out with my family my son and I we lift weights and play basketball together Vic - and how would ya vote you don't discuss your politics though no I never did I never do but I always vote encourage people to voting how do you handle people you don't like you can't like everyone no but you know what I'm I was gonna say an odd times I I don't know I tend to see the best in people and there are people I don't care for but you know what I I feel like my philosophy is life is too short to live it negative and depressed or discouraged or let somebody else take your joy so I don't I don't really give it much time what are you those who sook you feel being soft on theology you've been accused of getting the gospel wrong you didn't go to seminary a fellow pastor Rick Henderson of the South Mountain Community Church and Draper Utah isn't one of the critics how do you respond well again I don't think much about it I just believe that you know God it was God's plan for my life for me to do be doing what I'm doing as far as soft on theology I feel like I stick with things that I really know I'm making the making God good and relevant and the coming past if you didn't go to seminary well you can become a pastor I mean now trained under my father for many years so you can be ordained from a church I'm ordained from Lakewood so there's not you can be like you ever feel you miss something by not going to seminary well I feel like I have friends that go to seminary and I encourage people that want to get into ministry to go but I feel like for my for my life it was the right thing you know it just sometimes you can I don't come at it from a theological point of view and I think that's part of my success and that I'm not trying to just explain scriptures or you know sometimes you can know things that would would taint how how I would minister and so I like the fact that I believe it was God's plan for me to not go to seminary so you believe there are plans for people no one plans go astray well they do yeah a child dies yeah you know it's hard we don't understand it all but I do you know I believe the scripture says what's meant for harm God can use to your advantage you can come out of that you can you can you know God can use what you've been through to help others you know I was even you know reading you know mothers with Against Drunk drivers that was born out of a lady that lost a lost a loved one and so you know I'm a big believer in that God can take what you know what came against you and use it to your advantage the big big thing what we teach is you know you can't get bitter and that's what I see people doing they get negative jaw came to church I loved God I did the right things but I didn't get the job or I got cancer or my my see my mother was healed from cancer 30 years ago and you know some people you know obviously they die of cancer now I have to look at people and say well I don't know but don't get bitter keep moving forward don't you ask why him and not him why did your mother live when that mother didn't you know what I don't I don't drive me nuts I know well you know I guess it's because they're just things you don't there's things we're not gonna understand in the scripture David said you know these matters are too great for me to understand basically I'm paraphrasing but you know they're just there's too many things we don't understand and if you get bogged down in that you you won't have faith you ever think maybe there is no God and the reason you don't understand it is there is no understanding you're born you live you die that's it and it's the brakes of the game she is dope hey Hitler lifter 66 and a kid died at 5 yeah that don't make sense to me no I just I don't I don't reason it like that I feel like I've experienced God I feel like he's in my heart I feel like I've seen too many too many things that just couldn't be a coincidence in my own life and in other people's life how you know just how God has connected dots here and there and so just to me being a person of faith I just I feel like God is real in my heart you're a good-looking guy you're wealthy you dress super blue you know how do you deal with temptation and don't say it doesn't come well it comes to every person but you know just what I teach you you get up every day and you say God help me to honor you and my thoughts and in my life and you just you know it's is I think it's a part of discipline I think it's a part of staying grounded and you know one thing I've been good at because there's been a lot of ministers like me and you know well that haven't made it long term but I'm good about getting up every day and searching my own heart and saying am I on the right track and I - I think about temptation I realize you know you've come down a lot faster than you went up and we've seen all that so just thinking it comes from keeping your own heart pure where does your money come from it comes from book sales oh yeah the people don't pay to go to church they don't you don't ask for contributions well well there there are contributions for church but that goes to run the ministry so it costs you know you make pitches for money on the TV show no I don't we never have my dad didn't either and we did that on purpose Larry because you know there's there's so much that televangelists or ministers on television has to overcome I mean I realize you know most people are skeptical and think hey he's after my money so even start sending you this gold doubloon people do it people have different ways I'm not I'm not the judge of them but mine is to keep it clean I'm not asking for your money people send money that I think they see the sincerity of our of our heart of what we're doing but I just chose to stay away from that that because you know it lessens your influence and I'd rather be able to get into people's homes fifty percent of people watch don't go to church they weren't raised in church like me that's why we get an atheist and Buddhist and just just good people that say hey I don't want to be religious but I love God can you be spiritual and not be religious I think you can I think that's like a lot of people that you know I've been turned off by the religion but like I said they want a relationship with God they feel that connections but they think you know what I don't get involved in a certain church the book is break out in our final segment Joel will answer your questions and we'll play a little game of if you only knew stay with us be back with Joel Osteen his new book is break out five keys to go beyond your barriers and live an extraordinary life we discuss salvation on my own show you still believe it's up to God to decide who goes to heaven is there a decision point do you think although you don't well I believe that yeah I don't believe that's true ultimately but of course it has something to do with us too but you know God is the ultimate judge you fear death I don't fear death you've gotta be kidding well I don't really don't I don't I don't fear it I don't I don't want to die now but I don't I don't know that I fear it you know I just I don't I don't feel like I fear don't wonder about it no I don't I don't wonder about it I don't I really believe in but you do believe you go somewhere I do believe I believe yeah we have some social media questions for you P holla tweets do you consider yourself a leader and how do you define leadership well I would consider myself a leader just because there's a lot of people watching and following me I think a leader is somebody that you know that leads others that people look up to it that carries a high standard you know defining leadership I guess would be doesn't have to do with success but it's how you carry yourself your character and you know how other people see you and CJ Miller wants to know what you think about Obama care up till the Obamacare we were the only industrialized nation in the world without a health care plan yeah you know I don't know that I understand at all I like the fact that you know obviously as a person of compassion we want to see people have health care I don't know if I understand it all but try not to get very involved in there certainly covering pre-existing conditions is a pretty good idea I like the fact that you know people being helped at SLB g50 via Twitter wants to know how in the world you managed to say so positive in a world filled with hate violence and negativity it's a good question for all of us but I think you have to you know focus on the good things I have to think you you can't let that overwhelm you or else you become a part of the problems and your negative and bitter and hateful to so I think you have to get up every day and find some reason to be grateful I believe how you start the day helps determine how the day is going to go do you wonder when you see things like Syria do you wonder why people kill people violence yeah I do it's it amazes me in the day that we're living in that you know we can be over here just live in life and they're over there killing each other so it does it you know it bothers you it thinks you know I often think I think like a lot of people you know what can we be doing you know personally and it sometimes it's overwhelming but you can pray and in any way you can help I think but it does bother me what do you think prayer does I think prayer is what helps you know move the hands of God you know when when you ask god I believe things can happen it's it's a it's your faith being released saying you know God I believe you're up there and I'm asking you to help me in this situation or a help our friends in Syria but I believe it helps move the hands of God when you say up there up up is where well I considered heaven being up you know in in in the heaven somewhere so you don't believe you go up into the sky though do you I believe heaven is a is a physical place somewhere they just assume it's up yes we'd like to finish the show was just some silly if you only knew okay remember the first girl you ever kissed I do it was her name well it was Victoria come on Joel other than my family but it was Victoria she's a first girl ever dated how old were you I was in the early 20s I was playing baseball every night explain that to me okay I was playing baseball every night well through my late teens and I was that's my sons play baseball they're 14 or 13 but they kiss girls when they were 10 well how it's probably way too stiff but no I was too shy to I never dated anybody I never really I really didn't so you sure remember the name of the first girl you can't remember remember where's that what's a guilty pleasure you have are you'd be like chocolates oh yeah I ate a piece of chocolate cake almost every night yeah yeah favorite song favorite Psalm I think Psalm 23 you know touch about the Lord is my shepherd and surely goodness and mercy will follow me and things that keep you up at night well I think what we're talking about the injustice that kids in Africa the Syria this you know here here I'm happy and healthy and got a great family and you wonder about that why me yeah I do I do and we could have you know it's just you know I say it's the goodness of God that we were born here now how can we help somebody else TV shows your fans would be surprised to know you watch hey you know I like dynasty I like dynasty I like the voice what's the boys with my kids you're on a desert island what three things would you take well that's probably cheating bad take Victorian my two children favorite band favorite band is probably you know my band at Lakewood I like this my church fan they are square yeah do you have a role model who's not Christian I have not thought about it I'm sure I'm sure there are people that inspire me but nobody's coming to mind right now I'm sure there are I was one first thoughts of Christianity is forgiveness right that's right are you good at that I'm good at forgiveness well I feel like I'm good at forgiveness turn the other cheek turn the other cheek and not carrying things from yesterday into today even you know even forgiving yourself because there's always the things we think I shouldn't I should have done better yesterday I shouldn't have said that oh she don't hold a grudge don't hold it let it go you have a hidden talent now I don't know I don't think I don't think if you weren't a pastor or a minister what would you be I would be it I would work in television production I would bet on that tell me something no one knows about you come on Joel there's gotta be something that no one knows about me um I don't know Larry I don't know anything specific oh I learned something tonight what's it your wife was the first girl you kissed yeah you were too busy playing baseball yeah thank you so much thanks Larry it's great being with you thanks to my guest Joel Osteen break out five keys to go beyond your barriers and live an extraordinary life is in bookstores now remember you can find me on Twitter at Kings things I'll see you next time you

Channel: Larry King

Views: 254,823

Keywords: Larry King, joel osteen, preacher, televangelist, author, pastor, lakewood church, houston texas, texas, houston, christian, evangelical, john osteen, christ, god, religion, break out! 5 keys to go beyond your barriers and live an extraordinary life, break out, book, podcast, evangelism, christian life, faith, muslims, atheist, sermon

Id: oWnOIlVhnqw

Length: 27min 54sec (1674 seconds)

Published: Tue Jan 14 2014