Joel Osteen Podcast
God calls us more than conquerors! We are not slaves to circumstances. We are not captive to our thoughts, but we can choose our thoughts and choose to think the thoughts of heaven.
Are you living a life of peace? To live in peace is to live a life of rest. Hebrews 4:11 tells us to make every effort to enter into the rest of God. What this means is that we have to actively guard our peace.
You see, life is full of peace stealers. Every day there are people and circumstances that can pull you out of rest. But Joel will show you in this message how to put up boundaries and not allow everything in. You’ll identify the peace stealers in your life and learn how to take care of your emotional energy. Even in the midst of difficulties and trials, learn how God wants to fight your battles for you! All you need to do is rest in Him!
The good news is that God doesn't need you to put a filter on your life. He doesn't need you to download an app that makes you look better. He doesn't just call us when we are perfect or when we have ourselves looking just right. His acceptance isn't based on our performance. He calls us and loves us just the way we are.
Has someone judged you, spread rumors or hurt you?
Our human nature naturally wants to set the record straight and prove that those who’ve wronged us are wrong. But all this does is take up valuable energy and can keep us from being everything God has created us to be.
Instead, God wants to be your defender. In Jeremiah 51:36, God says to us, “I will defend you. I will be your lawyer. I will plead your case.” Let Joel teach you how to let things bounce off of you. You don’t have to defend yourself. You have a defender. The Most High God said He will settle your cases. Live with more freedom, joy and peace as you let God fight your battles and trust Him to protect your reputation against every unfair word.
Finding contentment is a goal we should strive for every day. A lot of people get confused about the concept of contentment because they think it means they have to settle for where they are. However, there's a huge difference between being content and being complacent. When you are content, you are satisfied; you're full. It's not that you aren't pursuing your goals or striving to reach new levels, you are just able to enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going.
Are you discouraged today because you’re facing a difficult battle? We all have things that come against us in life and encounter unfair people and situations. But just because you have opposition doesn’t mean you’re not in God’s will. God is in control, and He’s directing your steps. What’s meant for your harm, God is going to use to your advantage.
Joel will show you how to stay encouraged and gain a fresh perspective of trials. Setbacks are setups in our lives for God to do something greater. With God on your side, you can rest assured that when adversity arises, a new level is on the way.
God has a great purpose for your life! He has marked you as a person of influence on this earth. Just by you being the best you can be, you are making an eternal difference. You are part of God’s plan and you are helping to move the kingdom of God forward.
At times, we can’t necessarily see our gifts and talents. We don’t understand how we can be used to influence others. I think about Moses in the wilderness for 40 years. He was raised as Egyptian but as a young man he made some mistakes and acted out of anger. He ended up fleeing to the wilderness where God appeared to him as a burning bush and said, “I have an assignment for you.” Moses was afraid and felt unworthy but God knew exactly who Moses was. He said, “I’m doing a work and I want you to lead it. I choose you to lead my people.” Moses literally pleaded with God. He didn’t think he could carry out the assignment. He was thinking about his past. He focused on the fact that he stuttered. He didn’t feel equipped at all. But God said, “I’ve been shaping you from the beginning.” Moses ultimately surrendered to God and God used Moses in a powerful way.
Even though Moses couldn’t see what God had placed in His life, Hundreds of years later after Moses died they said, “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action” (Acts 7:22, NIV). That was a far cry from the way he saw himself!
This is an excellent reminder to us that it’s up to us to mix our ability with faith and let God have His way even when we don’t understand how He can use us. We have to put one foot in front of the other and let Him lead us into His plans and purposes. You may not see what’s in you right now, but just like Moses, God does. He is at work in you! Remember, you are a person of purpose and influence and God is using you in powerful ways in the earth!
Where we are in life is a direct result of someone’s unseen prayers. Behind the scenes, these intercessions have strengthened us in our times of need and lifted our faith when discouraged.
Just as others have paved the way spiritually for us, God has placed people in our lives that need our prayers.
Learn about the principle of standing in the gap for others found in Ezekiel 22:30.
Your prayer can be the difference maker in someone’s life! As you pray for others, God will always make sure someone is praying for you.
Did you know God has a commanded blessing for your life? When we honor God with our lives and do our best to keep Him first place, Deuteronomy 28:8 says, “The Lord will command the blessing on you.” God’s commanded blessing on your life will make things happen that you cannot make happen on your own and break barriers holding you back.
Many people feel limited today by their environment, how they were raised, who they know, and what others have said about them. But Joel wants to show you that no person or thing has the power to change God’s commanded blessing on your life. With God’s commanded blessing, you’re going to go further than you’ve dreamed, accomplish more than you thought possible, and become all God created you to be.
In the Bible, God instructed his people to put up memorial stones so that they and their descendants would be reminded of the good things He had done.
What are you remembering today? I want to encourage you to put out memorial stones in your own life. Allow those remembrances of the good things God has done to shape your thoughts, strengthen your faith, and make a difference for future generations.
