en-us Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:31:57 -0400 http://www.joelosteen.com God is constantly trying to plant new seeds in your hearts, telling you that you can accomplish your dreams, you can break any addiction, and overcome the past. But too often, because of the “wrong software” in our minds, those seeds cannot take root. Instead of agreeing with God and thinking positive, empowering thoughts, we do just the opposite. We think, “I can’t do that. I’m not talented. I’m too old. I’ve been through too much.” Our “mental software” is contaminated. Have you allowed strongholds to convince you that this is as good as it gets and you’re never going to go any further? Quit listening to those lies that are telling you you’ve reached your limits. There is still time for you to fulfill your destiny and leave your mark. You wouldn’t be here today if God didn’t have something else for you to accomplish. You have an assignment, you have someone to impact, you have a new mountain to climb…you are a person of destiny. You were created to make a difference! If you’ll learn to get rid of these wrong mindsets and start thinking thoughts of possibility, positive thoughts of faith, then your life is going to follow your thoughts. That’s when God is going to pour out His blessings and favor on you. You’re going to overcome every obstacle and defeat every enemy, and you’re going to see every dream, and every desire God has put in your heart, come to pass! Joel Osteen Wed, 28 May 2008 16:56:46 -0400 1176946 http://www.joelosteen.com Joel Osteen Wed, 28 May 2008 16:56:35 -0400 1196638 http://www.joelosteen.com The Scripture says in Psalm 24, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” God wants us to live a full life�'a life where we’re continually exploring new things, new hobbies, new cultures, new personalities, and new ways of thinking. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut to doing the same thing again and again�'eating the same foods, listening to the same music, hanging around the same type of people. If we’re not careful life can become very narrow. The reason many people have lost their enthusiasm and excitement for each day is because they are underexposed. They won’t try anything new. They won’t go anywhere different. There’s no freshness to their life. But when you get outside of your community, when you get outside your culture you open the door for God to reveal Himself to you in a fresh, new way. When you get around people that are not just like you: people that don’t have your sense of humor, people that have different interests, people that grew up in another environment, people that don’t have your same skin color, it makes your life broader. New experiences make your life richer, fuller, and more enjoyable. When you open yourself to new things, you open the door for God to bring you new opportunities, and you open yourself to enjoy the full life the Lord has prepared for you. Joel Osteen Wed, 28 May 2008 16:35:49 -0400 1183422 http://www.joelosteen.com Success is not accidental. You don’t accidentally have good relationships. You don’t accidentally accomplish your dreams. You won’t accidentally lose twenty pounds. If you’re going to get to your desired destination, you have to know where you are going and how to get there. You have to have a plan. What are you doing to bring your dreams to pass? Are you getting prepared? Do you have clear direction? Are you taking steps of faith? Success is intentional. You may not know what steps to take right now, but God knows the plan, and if you’ll do your part to seek Him and begin to make plans to succeed, God will guide you. It says in the scriptures, “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” You don’t have to vaguely go through life. God wants to direct your steps. He wants to show you His plan. Decide today to make plans to succeed. Write down your goals. Make time to evaluate where you are in life. Evaluate your finances, your career and your relationships. Don’t go another week without having a plan for your future. Evaluate how you're spending your time and money. If you’ll go beyond dreaming, and start making plans to succeed, God promises He’s going to direct your steps. He will lead you down the path of His favor. He’ll lead you into increase. He’ll lead you into promotion, and you’re going to see your dreams come to pass and walk in success in every area of your life! Joel Osteen Sat, 03 May 2008 08:53:48 -0400 1028565 It’s important to develop good habits in life. A habit is something that you do without thinking about it and you may do it for so long that it almost becomes involuntary. Studies say that ninety percent of your normal behavior is based on your habits. For example, you have habits that determine how you treat people, how you spend money, what you watch and what you listen to. Some people have developed habits that are keeping them from God’s best. But, you can learn how to develop God honoring habits that will help you live the kind of life that God intended. Joel Osteen Sat, 03 May 2008 08:42:17 -0400 478945 Everybody wants to make good choices. Should you take that new job? Should you go further in this relationship? How should you deal with a particular problem? But to make the best choices we need God's wisdom. Someone once said, \"You make your decisions and then your decisions make you.\" If you allow your choices to be guided by the wisdom of God, the direction you get from reading His Word and spending time in prayer, then you're going to experience true success. I have good news for you today! God wants to give you wisdom. Proverbs says that He will help you find the right course of action every time. Not some of the time; all of the time. Take time each day to listen to what God is saying to you. As you do, you'll make better decisions and you'll live the life of victory that God has in-store for you. Joel Osteen Sat, 03 May 2008 08:40:56 -0400 381351 The words respect, honor, duty, integrity - we don't hear them much anymore. The Bible says, "He who pursues righteousness and loyalty finds life." We need to learn to be loyal to our spouse, to our family, our friends and even to our country. When we honor them with our loyalty, God will honor and bless us. Joel Osteen Sat, 03 May 2008 08:40:30 -0400 457192 2006-09-08 06:00:00 Joel Osteen Sat, 03 May 2008 08:37:37 -0400 216310 http://www.joelosteen.com Have the words and opinions of other people caused you to water down your dreams? One of the most important things you can learn is that other people don’t set the limits for your life. Other people don’t have to believe in you in order for your dreams to come to pass. There will always be critics and naysayers. The negative voices come at everyone. But other people don’t determine your destiny, you do. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 3:3, “What if they don’t believe? Will their lack of faith make the faith of God of no effect?” This verse is saying, “It doesn’t matter if other people don’t believe. Their unbelief is not going to keep me from believing in my dreams.” When God puts a promise in your heart, it’s not up to other people to bring it to pass, it’s up to you! You don’t need everyone to validate you. You don’t need to get confirmation from all your friends. You have to follow the voice of God for yourself and allow Him to order your steps. God sees the hidden treasures that you’ve had buried on the inside of you. He wants to bring those treasures out and make your dreams reality! As you stir your faith up and water those seeds they will take root, and you will accomplish things that you never even thought possible! It doesn’t matter what negative things have been spoken over you in the past, God’s blessing is greater than any curse! Begin to speak words of life and faith over yourself. As you get rid of those old, defeated thoughts, and replace them with what God says about you, you will rise higher and live the abundant life God has in store for you! Joel Osteen Sat, 03 May 2008 08:35:54 -0400 898896 God is interested in every area of your life. Not just the big things, but the smaller things as well. God wants to help you be more productive at the office, help you raise your children, give you favor with your clients and protect you on the freeway. The key is that God will only be involved in as much of your life as you allow Him to be involved in. Proverbs 3:6 says to "...acknowledge God in all your ways." If you do this, then He will guide and direct your path. Joel Osteen Fri, 02 May 2008 10:11:25 -0400 443023 Not only did Jesus die for our sins, but He also died so that we may live abundantly. Too many people go around with a weak defeated mentality. Instead, we need to understand the power of our covenant relationship with God means we have His protection, wisdom and favor. Joel Osteen Fri, 02 May 2008 09:56:47 -0400 406706 http://www.joelosteen.com Everyone has times in life when they receive criticism from others. Someone may be talking about you, trying to make you look bad or blowing things out of proportion. Don’t sink down to their level, become defensive and try to prove that you are right and they are wrong. When you encounter criticism, shake it off and let it go. This is what Jesus told his disciples. He sent them out to different towns to teach people and care for their needs, but Jesus knew they would suffer rejection. In Matthew 10:14, Jesus said, “When you go into a town, whoever will not receive and welcome your message, when you leave that place, shake the dust off of your feet.” In other words, let God be your vindicator. Everyone will not understand you or accept you so just run your race and stay focused on what God has called you to do. Joel Osteen Fri, 02 May 2008 09:56:23 -0400 520582 Marcos Witt Fri, 02 May 2008 09:53:11 -0400 674605 A little over two thousand years ago they crucified Jesus on the cross, buried Him in a grave and thought that was the end of it. But, on the third day He arose and said, "Because I live, you will live also." Jesus was not just talking about breathing and merely existing. He was talking about living an abundant life. Not a barely get by life or a life filled with bad habits, addictions, lack and mediocrity. Because of the price He paid, we can live a life of victory. Some people are living with things that are far less than God's best. Let me encourage you today to draw the line in the sand and say, "That's it. This is a new day. I'm going to take hold of everything Christ died and rose again to accomplish." Make up your mind not to settle for partial victory. Rise up and have faith! As you do, God will help you overcome any obstacle standing in your way. Joel Osteen Fri, 02 May 2008 09:52:30 -0400 609914 http://www.joelosteen.com Joel Osteen Fri, 02 May 2008 09:51:57 -0400 884526 You and God are a majority! Instead of looking at what you cannot do, begin to look at what God can do. All Moses had was a rod and God used it to part the Red Sea. All David had was a slingshot and God used it to defeat Goliath. All one little boy had was a fish and a few loaves of bread and God used it to feed thousands. When we come to the end of our natural ability, that's when God's supernatural ability kicks in. Take your eyes of your circumstances and focus on the One that can turn everything around. If you want to see God take you to places you've never dreamed of and if you want to see him work supernaturally in your life, then you need to step out of your comfort zone. Dare to take a step of faith and follow God where He is leading you. Joel Osteen Fri, 02 May 2008 09:51:03 -0400 199459 http://www.joelosteen.com Ephesians 2:10 says that “We are God’s masterpiece.” That means you are not average. You are not ordinary. You are one of a kind. When God created you He went to great lengths to make you exactly the way He wanted. You didn’t just happen to get your personality. You didn’t just accidentally get your nose, your skin color, your gifts or abilities. God designed you the way you are on purpose, for a purpose. The Apostle Paul said, “We should be to the praise of God’s glory.” In this passage, he’s not talking about giving God praise with our words, although that is important. He’s encouraging us to make our lives a living praise to Him! When you understand your value, and not only who you are but Whose you are, then your very existence will give God praise. When you are secure in who God made you, and you go out each day being your best, your life will give God praise. In other words, driving to work you’re giving God praise. Mowing the lawn you’re giving God praise. Going to the grocery store you’re giving God praise. Walking through the mall you’re giving God praise! Honor God today by accepting who you are. Make the decision to be the best you can be. Get up every morning and set your mind in the right direction by making positive affirmations over your life: “I’m the apple of God’s eye. I’m His masterpiece. His fingerprints are all over me.” If you will learn to accept and approve yourself and have a right opinion about who you are then you’re going to rise higher. God is going to pour out His blessings and you will live that life of victory that God has in store! Joel Osteen Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:31:45 -0400 932394 http://www.joelosteen.com God’s dream for your life is so much bigger than your own! God wants to bless you indeed and enlarge your territory. When you prayer bold prayers you open the door for God’s plan to unfold in your life. The Scripture says, “You have not because you ask not.” In other words, if you want God’s favor, blessings, and increase, you have to release your faith through prayer. Jesus put it this way, “According to your faith it will be done unto you.” That means if you pray little you’ll receive little. If you’ll learn to pray boldly, and have a bold expectations, your faith will allow God to do big things in your life. Will you be bold enough to ask? Wake up every morning and ask for more influence. Ask God to help you be a greater blessing. Ask Him to bring your dreams and desires to pass. That’s not being selfish. We have not because we ask not. Make the decision to take a step of faith towards the dreams in your heart. If you’ll learn to pray bold prayers and ask God for big things, your faith will be released and God will pour out His blessings and favor. You’ll rise higher and higher and you’ll see every dream and desire, come to pass in your life! Joel Osteen Sun, 06 Apr 2008 08:55:05 -0400 1108392 http://www.joelosteen.com Your imagination is extremely powerful! God created you as a visual being. Choosing the right images in your mind’s eye is important because your life will move in the direction of your thoughts. Visualization is simply seeing yourself the way you want to be. It’s creating a picture in your mind of you accomplishing your goals, overcoming obstacles, and fulfilling your God-given destiny. The Bible says in Proverbs that “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” The way you see yourself in your mind’s eye, over time, will drop down into your heart. If you’ll create a picture in your imagination of something you want or a dream coming to pass and keep it in front of you, then you will move in that direction. Get up every morning and picture yourself succeeding! Picture yourself healthy and whole! Picture yourself and your family not only being blessed, but being a bigger blessing to others. If you’ll keep the right images in front of you and always submit them to the Lord through prayer and thanksgiving, God promises that nothing will be impossible to you! Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 08:04:24 -0400 758665 http://www.joelosteen.com God has already released good things into your future. When God laid out the plan for your life, He lined up the right people, the right circumstances, and the right breaks. In your future, He's already released favor, supernatural opportunities, and divine connections. The breaks you need in life have already been preordained to come across your path. If you will stay in faith and go out each day and be a person of excellence, you'll walk into these appointments of favor. It will be just as if you stumbled into God's blessings! When you really understand this principal, you'll begin to get excited about every sing day! You'll have a spring in your step as you think about what blessing is coming next! It could be today. It could be tomorrow. It could be next week. Keep expecting. Keep believing. Stay focused on the fact that God has already released into your future everything you need to fulfill your destiny. Start declaring seasons of increase over your life. Declare that the favor is on you and opportunities are coming. As you do, you'll move forward into the favor and blessing God has ordered for you! Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 07:53:04 -0400 843390 God's great plan for each of our lives is that we continually rise to new levels. We can grow to new heights by listening and being obedient to His Word. Ask the Lord if there are areas in your life that keep you from experiencing the very best He has for you. Then, listen carefully to see what changes He may be asking you to make. As you live according to His Word He will pour out blessings and favor in your life and He will take you places that you've never even dreamed of. Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 07:42:34 -0400 185360 How you begin your day usually determines the kind of day you experience. If you begin your day in a hurry, rushing from one task to another or stressed out, often you will become uptight and stay on the edge the rest of the day. In the Bible, David says, \"Early in the morning, my song will rise to You.\" If you're going to be your best and live life to the full, then God needs to receive the first part of your day. Before the stress and busyness comes, before you read the newspaper and before you think about all you have to do, take time to thank God for His goodness. Read the Scriptures, meditate on His promises and speak words of victory over your life. When you do this, you're giving God your first fruits and he'll walk with you the rest of the day! Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 07:41:23 -0400 497021 Ephesians 5:18 says to If you knew God was preparing to turn around a situation you're worrying about right now, then you would probably let out a big sigh of relief. You would relax and let go of all the pressure. Why don't you go ahead and do that now? Turn it completely over to God and stop trying to figure it all out. David said, \"I was young and now I'm old and I have never seen the righteous forsaken.\" Let God take care of it His way and He'll not only bring you out, but He'll bring you out better than you were before! Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 07:38:37 -0400 274801 http://www.joelosteen.com It’s easy to get stuck in a rut in life�'to stop expecting things to improve, to quit growing or pressing forward. That’s when negative thoughts come that say you’ve reached your limits, or you’re never going to accomplish your goals. But you don’t have to accept those lies. Our God is a God of increase. He never wants us to go backwards, only forward. Sure, there are seasons when you may not see a lot of growth. There are seasons when you have to dig your heels in and fight the good fight of faith. Stand and believe that no matter what’s come against you, no matter how unfair something was, things are shifting in your favor. Every setback is simply a setup for a comeback! God not only wants to bring you out, He wants to bring you out better off than you were before. Begin to declare this over your life today. Declare that you are walking into new seasons of increase, new seasons in your health, new seasons in your finances, new seasons in your relationships. This is your set time for favor. You may have been rejected in the past, but you’re going to be accepted in the future. You may have been pushed down in days gone by, but in this season, you’re going to be lifted up. God is going to make your enemies your footstools. Thank Him that your set time for favor is here. Thank Him that your hour of deliverance has come. As you do, you’ll rise out of mediocrity. You’ll defeat every enemy, overcome every obstacle, and you’ll live that life of victory God has in store! Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:50:47 -0400 829170 http://www.joelosteen.com God has equipped each one of us with specific gifts and talents. When God made you He knew how high you could jump, how fast you could run, and how much you could accomplish. He put inside of you a specific set of skills and it’s up to you to not only to identify those gifts, but to be disciplined to develop those gifts. You have to learn to stay in your “strength zone.” What is your strength zone? It’s different for each person according to the gifts and abilities God has placed within. What are you naturally good at? What do you do well? Take the time to identify your strengths and weaknesses and as the Scripture says, give yourself to your gifts. In other words, don’t spend all your time trying to improve your weaknesses. Don’t waste valuable days pursuing things that are outside your main gifting. Focus on your strengths. There is something that you’re good at naturally�'something you can do that comes easy to you. If you have a gift of communication, you shouldn’t be sitting behind a desk all day not interacting with other people. Step out into your area of gifting. Are you good with your hands? Do you have a great voice? Find ways to develop those gifts. Know that your gift’s and talents are a part of your divine destiny. Remember, you are one of kind. If you will stay in your strength zone and develop your gifts, God has promised your gifts will make room for you. Tap into the potential inside of you. Stay focused and work on the things that you’re already good at. If you’ll be comfortable with who God made you, and thank Him for your unique giftings, you’ll not only enjoy your life more, but you’ll be ready to receive the abundant blessing God has in store for you! Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:50:24 -0400 921939 http://www.joelosteen.com God has equipped you with everything you need to fulfill your destiny. The Scripture tells us that as believers in Jesus Christ, we are anointed. The word “anointing” is the power of God which gives you courage, strength, and ability. That means you are well-able to do what He has called you to do. You can accomplish your goals. You have the ideas, the creativity and talent to be successful. You can overcome any obstacle! You’ve been armed with strength for every battle! The forces that are with you are greater than the forces that are against you! Being anointed means that you are fully equipped for everything God has called you to. God has already lined up the right people to come across your path. He’s already lined up the right breaks. You have everything you need to live a victorious life. You were created to excel! You have seeds of greatness on the inside of you. You may not have seen it in the past but if you’ll stay in faith it’s just a matter of time. It’s on its way. Don’t settle where you are. Don’t have weak, defeated mentality. No, put your shoulders back. Have the attitude, “I am anointed. I can accomplish my dreams. I can overcome any obstacle. I’ve been equipped and empowered by the Creator of the universe! I am fully equipped to live the abundant life God as in store!” Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:50:11 -0400 885400 The people you choose to associate with and the people you choose as friends have tremendous impact on whether or not you fulfill your God-given destiny. You will become like the people you continually spend time with. If you associate with successful people, you increase your chances of being successful. If you associate with people who have a big vision, people who have big dreams, and people who are going places, they will inspire you to accomplish more than you ever thought possible! But remember, just the opposite is also true. If you hang around lazy, undisciplined people who are negative and critical, then their defeated mentality will affect you. That’s why it’s so important that you choose the right people to associate with. If you’ll be selective about whom you associate with, you will rise higher and higher. God will pour out His blessings and favor, and you’ll live the life of victory He has in store for you! Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:49:15 -0400 770120 http://www.joelosteen.com It’s easy to get stuck in life thinking you’ve reached your limits, or that you’ve gone as far as you can go. But the truth is, as long as you’re breathing, you have potential inside of you that you haven’t tapped into yet. There are gifts and talents that you haven’t discovered. You can rise higher in life! You can go further in your career. You can have better relationships. You can experience greater success in every area of your life. When God created you, He not only breathed His life into you, He deposited a part of Himself inside of you. He placed within you everything you need to fulfill your destiny. Right now you have seeds of greatness inside waiting to take root and blossom. In order to tap into this hidden treasure, you have to have a pioneering spirit. It doesn’t matter where you were raised, or what anyone in your family has accomplished�'you can rise higher! You can accomplish things that you once thought were impossible. You have talent and ability that has not yet come to fruition. Don’t die with the treasure still buried inside! Start taking steps of faith and believe that you can rise higher. Get up every morning and declare that your best days are ahead of you. As you develop an attitude of expectancy, the seeds of faith inside will grow stronger. You will begin to accomplish things you never thought were possible. You’ll tap into that potential inside and live the life of victory God has in store for you! Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:48:39 -0400 1053537 http://www.joelosteen.com 2008 Joel Osteen Ministries Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:48:38 -0400 1000379 We all have dreams and desires that we believe God will help to come to pass. These dreams are like seeds planted in the soil of our hearts and most of the time, they do not bloom overnight. Often, there is a period of waiting involved and this is when it is so easy to give up, become discouraged and to settle for mediocrity. But God never gives up on a dream. Once the seed is planted and the promise takes root, we may give up, but the seed is still in us. If you'll stir your faith up and start believing once again, then God can begin bring it to pass. Every time you give God praise, keep pressing on or have a smile on your face, you will water that seed. And if you do this, you'll allow God to give birth to your dreams and you'll live the life of victory He has in store. Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:47:52 -0400 439725 Do you know that you have a God-given destiny? You are not an accident. God ordained before the foundation of the world that you would be here at this particular time. Jeremiah 29:11 says, \"These are the plans I have for you,' says the Lord, 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.\" All through Scripture, you can read how God had a specific plan and purpose for each person's life. He told Elizabeth that she would give birth to John and that he would pave the way for Christ. He told Samson's mother that she was going to have a baby and gave her a specific plan for his life. In the same way, God began thinking about you long ago. He was planning out good things for your life, where you would be, what assignment you would have and the opportunities to bring across your path. As you continue to put your faith and hope in the Lord, there is nothing that can keep you from becoming all that God created you to be. You have a bright future ahead! Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:47:31 -0400 576601 Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:45:39 -0400 434791 If you knew God was preparing to turn around a situation you're worrying about right now, then you would probably let out a big sigh of relief. You would relax and let go of all the pressure. Why don't you go ahead and do that now? Turn it completely over to God and stop trying to figure it all out. David said, \"I was young and now I'm old and I have never seen the righteous forsaken.\" Let God take care of it His way and He'll not only bring you out, but He'll bring you out better than you were before! Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:45:27 -0400 296436 Too often, when we have a need, we focus on it. It's all we talk about, all we think about. My problems, my bills, my health, my hurt, my pains. Rather than turning inward, we need to turn outward. If you're in tough times today, don't sit around depressed, go help somebody else. If you want God to solve your problems, go help solve somebody else's problems. Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:45:23 -0400 390398 You have the potential for greatness on the inside of you, but you will never rise above the image you have of yourself. When you start speaking words of victory, the power of those words will produce a new image in your mind and allow you to go even higher. Use your words to bless your life! Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:43:48 -0400 105907 Are there people in your life that you just can't make happy? You are not responsible for other people's happiness. While we should be givers, we shouldn't allow others to control us. Learn to set boundaries in your relationships so you can be all that God intended you to be. Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:43:44 -0400 111004 http://www.joelosteen.com Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:43:16 -0400 1015179 God has given you the potential for greatness. When life is unfair and pushes you down, you have to get back up, brush yourself off and let the past be the past. Then you can give new life to the dreams God has put in your heart. Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:42:56 -0400 417824 One of the greatest attacks we face in the 21st Century is the attack on our homes. We need to stand up and fight for our families. To do that, we have to first commit our families to God, and then commit to our spouse to stay together. As parents, our children's future relies on the character they see in us. Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:42:49 -0400 260178 http://www.joelosteen.com Everyday there are opportunities in life to get upset and loose your joy and peace. There are many things that can steal your joy �' people, traffic, disappointments. But if you are going to live in victory you have to have to choose the right approach to life. It’s good to have plans, but submit your plans to God and decide in advance to stay in peace no matter what happens. The Scripture says, “No man can take your joy.” That means no person can make you be unhappy. No circumstance can force you to get upset. It’s totally up to you. You have complete control of how peaceful and happy you want to live. When those inconveniences come, when your plans don’t work out or when somebody irritates you, you can decide, “I am not going to get upset. I am not going to lose my joy. I have the power to stay in peace.” Jesus put it this way in John 14:27, “Stop allowing yourself to be upset and disturbed.” Notice it’s a decision you have to make. Decide today to keep your joy and peace. Change your approach and believe that God is directing your steps. Believe that you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. As you do, you’ll keep your joy and you will experience God’s blessing, and favor, and live the life of victory He has in store! Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:42:02 -0400 972164 http://www.joelosteen.com Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:33:46 -0400 908350 http://www.lakewood.cc God wants you to burn up without burning out through supernatural living. Acts 1:8 says, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses." When you begin to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, you're character will become more like Jesus' character. You'll talk like Him, think like Him, and act like Him. Let your life be changed by His consuming fire and live the life God always intended for you to live. Marcos Witt Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:32:53 -0400 587790 God has a certain place where you are going to thrive under His blessings. He has a company picked out for you, a special neighborhood for you to live in and specific friends for you to be around. In the book of Acts, Jesus instructed five hundred people to go to the upper room to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit, but only one hundred and twenty showed up. Although many had the opportunity, only a small group was in the right location. Don't miss out on you're opportunity for a blessing. Pay close attention to where you are, who your with and the places you are going. Ask yourself, \"Is this where God is guiding me to be?\" Then, move where the Holy Spirit leads you and you'll find God's best in your life. Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:32:22 -0400 561938 Too often we expect the people in our lives to perform perfectly, to never disappoint us and to always be there for us. But no one is perfect and those are unrealistic expectations. There is no such thing as the perfect spouse, boss or friend. No matter how much others love you or how good they are, at some point, they are going to disappoint you or hurt your feelings. Instead of becoming resentful or bitter when others do not measure up, give them grace and understand that it is simply a part of life. Romans 12:16 says that we need to \"adapt and adjust in order to keep the peace.\" If you'll have the right expectations in your relationships and give others mercy, your relationships will begin to grow and God will honor you for doing your part. Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:32:21 -0400 533503 God is interested in every area of your life. Not just the big things, but the smaller things as well. God wants to help you be more productive at the office, help you raise your children, give you favor with your clients and protect you on the freeway. The key is that God will only be involved in as much of your life as you allow Him to be involved in. Proverbs 3:6 says to "...acknowledge God in all your ways." If you do this, then He will guide and direct your path. Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:31:05 -0400 274802 Do you know that you can be someone else's miracle? Galatians 6:10 says, \"As occasion and opportunity arise, let us do good for all people.\" This means that whenever you have the opportunity to do good or whenever you're able to be a blessing to others, don't pass it up. When you wake up each morning ask God to show you someone you can bless that day. Ask Him to bring somebody across your path that has a need and then walk out of your home looking for ways to do good. It may not be something big - just a smile here, an encouraging word there, buying somebody's dinner or giving somebody a ride. Choose to focus on living to give. When you do, you'll find that it's one of the most rewarding and God honoring ways for you to live. Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:30:07 -0400 647241 Too often we only associate with people just like us, people that look like us, that have our same interests or have our same personalities. It's easy to include them because we feel comfortable. But what about the people that don't dress like us, the people that don't come from our same background or neighborhood? All too often we write them off and think, "They're not like me. They don't believe what I believe, they don't do the things that I like to do." I firmly believe that God put these people in our life for a reason. His love is inclusive, not exclusive. The Bible says that the same amount of mercy we show to other people is the amount of mercy God will show back to us. When you enlarge your circle of love to include all types of people, you are being merciful. Give people the benefit of the doubt. When they seem to shut you out, simply draw a larger circle and include them. When you do, you will be expressing the unconditional love of Jesus and God will make sure His mercy and compassion is extended back to you. Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:30:06 -0400 627094 We all have good intentions. We may want to give up an addiction, a bad attitude or being impatient and do what we know is right. But, it's not enough to simply have the desire to do something. Matthew 26:41 says, \"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Pray that you don't come into the temptation.\" One of the keys to controlling your weaknesses and overcoming temptations is to learn to pray so that you will become strong in your weakest areas. Ask God to help you with your temper, your thought life and your relationships with others. If you do, God will give you the strength you need to overcome any obstacle! Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:27:33 -0400 479942 Every day, the opportunity to get upset and offended presents itself. In the Bible, the word “offense” comes from the Greek word that means, “bait.” When you’re tempted to be offended, when someone is rude to you or inconsiderate, recognize that the enemy is offering you bait. He knows that if he can steal your peace, he can steal your victory. The good news is that you don’t have to take the bait! You don’t have to go around upset, bitter, and offended�'even when someone wrongs you. Keeping peace in your heart is more important than holding on to anger and bitterness. You can wake up every morning and decide to live free from offenses. You can choose to live in God’s peace. When offenses do come, learn to forgive quickly. Don’t allow the offense to take root in your heart. If you’ll do your part and keep your heart free from offenses, you’ll not only enjoy life more, but your relationships with others will improve. God will pour out His abundant blessing and favor in your life and you’ll live in freedom the way God intends! Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:22:45 -0400 790289 When you look at situations in your life that you want to change or dreams that you want to come to pass, you probably begin putting together a plan to make it happen. But, if you're not careful, you can put God in a box and tell Him how, when and where to achieve those dreams. The Scripture says in Isaiah 55, \"God's ways are not our ways. They are higher and better than our ways.\" Instead of trying to make your plan work, remember that God already has a better way mapped out. Begin to trust God and know that He has your best interests in mind. And, even when things don't seem to be going according to your plan, stay open and believe that He is directing your steps. Joel Osteen Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:09:38 -0400 693140 http://www.joelosteen.com 2008 Joel Osteen Ministries Joel Osteen Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:59:52 -0400 1000534