LCH Blog Feed

Your Compass for Life!

general@lakewood.cc (Joel & Victoria Osteen) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:33:00 GMT

Psalm 119:105 tells us that the Word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. His Word directs us in the way that we should go in life. When times seem dark and uncertain, we can turn on the light of His Word and find safety, hope, confidence and direction.

Our number one goal at Lakewood is to equip and empower you to live the life God has called you to. One way we do that is through our compass classes. We want you to understand God’s Word, learn to apply it, and connect and grow with other believers.

Victoria and I are so proud of our Compass Bible Study teachers and volunteers. Each week, they study, prepare, pray and present the truth of God’s Word in a clear, practical way. If you’re looking for direction, if you’re looking for a way to deepen your spiritual walk and connect with other believers, there’s a Compass Bible Study class for you! To choose the Compass Bible Study that fits your stage of life, click here.

Victoria and I love you so much and pray for you every single day. We encourage you to keep coming as often as you can. We want to see God’s Word renew and transform you to walk in the life of victory He has prepared for you!

Joel and Victoria

Find Yourself by Losing Yourself

general@lakewood.cc (Joel Osteen) — Fri, 10 May 2013 10:08:00 GMT

So many people today are on a journey of self-discovery. They want to 'find themselves' or find their significance in this life. They want to feel fulfilled and know their place in this world. If we turn to scripture, we see that in God's kingdom, things operate opposite our natural thinking. Scripture says to give in order to receive, to bless those who curse you, and if you want to find your life, you first have to lose it.

My friend, Richard Stearns is the President of World Vision. In his new book, Unfinished, he tells the story of how he 'found' his life.

'Rarely is the invitation to join God's rescue mission as direct and overt as it was for me in 1998. At the time, I was living my version of the American dream as the CEO of Lenox, the venerated American china company. I had one of those jobs that most people just dream of, leading a prestigious company with four thousand people working for me, a huge salary, and all the perks. It had taken me twenty-five years and a whole lot of long hours and hard work to get there. And on the day that I received this dramatic invitation from God, I certainly wasn't thinking about changing the world or building His kingdom. I was mostly concerned with my own success: my family, my career, my reputation, and my lifestyle. Oh sure, I was a Christian. I was one of those deciders who made the decision to accept Christ as my Savior while in graduate school. But I can't say I had truly become a disciple. I hadn't yet laid down my most precious possessions at Jesus' feet. I looked the part—went to church every Sunday, attended a weekly Bible study group, sat on the board of a Christian school, and had a big Bible sitting on my big CEO's desk for everyone to see. I had some glistening spiritual muscles. I had my fire insurance policy, and now I was just enjoying the good life. I hadn't really understood that Jesus had called me to enlist, to replace my agenda with His agenda, to repent, and follow him—until the phone rang.

The call was from an executive recruiter retained by the huge Christian relief and development organization, World Vision, to find their new president. On that morning, through that phone call, Jesus was inviting me once again to follow Him, to become His disciple. He was giving me an opportunity to partner with Him in changing the world by proclaiming the good news to the poor that 'the kingdom of God has come near.' World Vision, with its forty-five thousand staff members in almost one hundred countries, represents one of the great battalions in God's kingdom advance. I was being offered the astounding privilege of a command post at the front lines of the battle. There was only one problem: I didn't want to join the battle. I was enjoying civilian life far too much, and I didn't want to drop what I was doing, quit my job, cut my pay, sell my house, move my family, and go to the front lines. Jesus seemed to be asking me for the most valuable things I possessed.

Do you remember a similar 'phone call' about two thousand years ago that came to Simon Peter and Andrew as they were fishing on the Sea of Galilee? I try to imagine Peter and Andrew saying something like this to Jesus: 'We'd love to come, Jesus, but you need to understand that the fishing business is just starting to take off. We've found some new investors, and we're about to expand our fleet to four boats. We've rented some retail space and are planning to expand into ten new markets. Besides, Andrew has just broken ground on a brand new house and is carrying two mortgages. We'd love to join you, Jesus, but now is just not a good time. You understand.' That pretty much sums up what I wanted to say to that recruiter. In fact, I did say something similar—that I wasn't interested or available. But that's not what Peter and Andrew said. They immediately dropped their nets and followed Him. No hesitation and no questions asked. 'Jesus, we're all in. Just show us what you want us to do.'

Although I lacked the immediate enthusiasm of Peter and Andrew, I ultimately did make the difficult choice to surrender all to Jesus. I reluctantly quit my job. We sold our house, pulled our kids out of school, moved across the country, and began what would become the greatest adventure of our lives. After saying yes to God, I experienced the privilege of serving on the front lines of the kingdom, the satisfaction of joining God's great mission, the wonder of discovering gifts and talents I had never before used, and the joy of feeling for the first time in my life that I was doing what I was created to do. While it is trite to say I had 'found myself,' I had found myself by losing myself in God's service.

Today, if you've been holding on to your life's agenda, be willing to surrender it all to God. Trust that His best is far greater than anything you could ever imagine. Believe that He is good and desires the best for you. Surrender all to Him and watch Him use you and multiply you in ways you've never dreamed!

'For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.' (Luke 9:24, NKJV)

Girls With Swords

general@lakewood.cc (Joel & Victoria Osteen) — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:53:57 GMT

In this day and age, there’s such an emotional assault on our women and young girls. The enemy has targeted them and attacked their self-esteem, attempting to get them to shrink back from all that God has called them to.

Here in the Lakewood Women’s Ministry, the women are rising up in victory and standing their ground, equipped with the sword of the Word of God. Over the next couple of months, the Wednesday Women’s Workshop is doing a series, “Girls with Swords,” and you won’t want to miss it! Even if you’ve never been or haven’t been in a while, you are invited to attend this dynamic series and join anytime you can. Bring your daughters, mothers, sisters and friends because we are stronger together. With the Lakewood Women’s Ministry, you will be equipped to stand your ground and overcome in every area of life. For more information on Wednesday Women’s Workshop or other women’s events, click here.

Please know that we love you and pray for you every single day. We want to see you rise higher and reach new levels in your relationship with God. We believe and declare that this year you are coming into a shift of God’s favor as you keep Him first place in all that you do. Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you at one of our worship services!

Joel and Victoria Osteen

Shine Your Light

general@lakewood.cc (Joel & Victoria Osteen) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:00:00 GMT

In Mark 16:15, Jesus said that we are to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Of course, we can’t all travel the globe, but each of us can affect the world around us. There are plenty of opportunities for you to shine your light with the Lakewood Missions Department. You can share the love of Christ by volunteering at local shelters or participating in evangelistic outreaches. No matter what your interests or talents, there is a place for you.

Remember, we are the hands and feet of Jesus. When we reach out and help others in Jesus’ name, it’s as if we are reaching out to Him. Whatever we do for the least of these, Jesus said we’ve done to Him. For more information on how you can participate in local mission’s opportunities, click here.

Please know that Victoria and I love you and pray for you every day. We believe God has great things in store for your future. We declare that this is the year of acceleration—that as you put God first in every area of your life, a tidal wave of favor is coming your way!

See you at a service this weekend!

Single Parent Ministry

general@lakewood.cc (Joel & Victoria Osteen) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:20:52 GMT

No matter what’s happened in your natural family, you will always have a spiritual family at Lakewood Church. Psalm 68:6 says that God places the solitary in families. That means you will always be loved, you will always have a support system, and you will always have someone to walk beside you in this life. What a wonderful promise from our heavenly Father—He will never leave us nor forsake us, and we will always have a spiritual family!

At Lakewood, we do our best to provide you with opportunities to connect, grow, serve and give. Our Single Parent Ministry encourages the community of single parents and their children to live abundantly, grow spiritually, and thrive relationally like Jesus. Each month there are activities and events designed especially for you!

If you would like to learn more about the Single Parent Ministry at Lakewood Church, click here.

Please know that we love you and pray for you every single day! We believe this year is the year of the shift. We declare by faith that circumstances in your life are shifting in your favor! God bless you today, and we look forward to seeing you at a service this weekend!

Joel and Victoria Osteen

Build Your House on the Rock

general@lakewood.cc (Joel & Victoria Osteen) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:00:00 GMT

In scripture, Jesus talked about two men who were building houses. The first man built his house on sand. The storms of life came, the wind blew, and that man’s house collapsed. The second man built his house on solid rock. When the storms of life rolled in, this man’s house stood strong because it was built on the right foundation.

In the same way, a life built on the right foundation will stand strong no matter what storms, adversity or challenges life brings. When you come to Lakewood, we want to give you the tools you need to build that firm foundation on Christ. If you’ve been to our New Beginnings class, the next step is Foundations. Lakewood’s Foundations class is designed to give you a firm foundation of faith, teaching some of the more important fundamentals of scripture. The Foundations class is six weeks and rotates continuously, so you can start at any time. Click here for more information.

Please know that Victoria and I love you and pray for you every single day. We believe that a tidal wave of favor is coming your way. This is the year of the shift! Keep seeking Him, keep following His Word, and let Him lead you into victory in every area of your life. We look forward to seeing you at a service this weekend!

Joel and Victoria

Financially Faithful

general@lakewood.cc (Joel & Victoria Osteen) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Jesus told a story in scripture about a wealthy man who entrusted some money called talents to three of his employees. He instructed them to invest it and make the most of it while he was gone on a business trip. When he came back, he was pleased with the two who were faithful and wise stewards of the money, but he wasn’t pleased with the man who was not faithful with the money.

In the same way, God has entrusted each of us with a measure of gifts, abilities and resources. He’s watching to see what we will do with them. Are you being faithful with what He has given you? We want to help you learn to make wise decisions and make the most of the financial resources you have in your hand. When you honor God with your finances, He’ll honor you.

If you desire to know more about biblical financial principles, click here for classes and information offered by the Lakewood Financial Ministry. Remember, when you are faithful with what you have in your hand, God will bless it and increase it! Stay faithful, stay connected, stay in the Word and stay on the good path God has prepared for you. We love you and look forward to seeing you at one of our services this weekend!

Joel & Victoria Osteen

The Cross Gives Us Another Chance

general@lakewood.cc (Joel & Victoria Osteen) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:00:00 GMT

In scripture, when Jesus was about to be crucified, His disciple Peter denied Him three times. (See Matt. 26). You would think that Jesus would have given up on Peter. But that’s not His nature. When you make a mistake, God doesn’t turn from you, He comes after you!

They crucified Jesus on Friday. Sunday morning, Mary went to the tomb to check on His body. When she arrived, the stone had been rolled away. An angel appeared and said, “Mary, don’t be afraid. Jesus has risen. Now go tell His disciples and Peter that He is alive.” (See Mark 16)

Out of all the people in the world that could have been singled out at this historic moment, the only person specifically named was Peter. It was as if God was saying, “Peter, I’m the God of another chance. When you turn your back on Me, I don’t turn my back on you. When you fall, I come running toward you.”

Today, I believe God is saying to all the people who have fallen or made mistakes, “I’m not only alive but I still love you. Come to Me and let Me make you new.” If that’s you, there’s no better time to surrender your life to Jesus Christ than today. Click here for more information. Then, make plans to join us as we celebrate the resurrection this weekend. Bring a friend and come early. This will be a service you won’t want to miss!

Joel and Victoria Osteen

Iron Sharpens Iron

general@lakewood.cc (Joel & Victoria Osteen) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:07:00 GMT

Scripture tells us that iron sharpens iron. In other words, we are sharpened by the people we spend time with. That’s why it’s so important to get around people who will encourage you to rise higher in the things of God. We need each other to help each other become sharper, stronger, and better equipped for the things God has in store for us.

I’m so proud of our men at Lakewood who are sharpening each other and taking a stand in their families, on the job, and in their communities. This world needs godly men who will seek the truth; men who know how to lead by example, honorably and with integrity.

Each week, the Lakewood Men meet on Wednesday evenings for 20/20 which is a time of teaching and small group discussion; and on Sunday evenings, the Men’s Ministry has joined with the Young Adult Ministries for a generational compass class beginning at 6:00 p.m. This is an excellent time for the energy and enthusiasm of the younger men to unite with the experience and insights that the older men have to offer. For more information on the Lakewood Men’s Ministry and upcoming events, click here.

Please know Victoria and I love you and pray for you every single day. We believe and declare that a tidal wave of God’s blessing and favor is coming your way!

Joel and Victoria Osteen

Young Adults: The Great Exchange

general@lakewood.cc (Joel & Victoria Osteen) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:26:00 GMT

Victoria and I can already sensethe shift that God has for us in 2013. We are seeing growth and increase in so many areas and outreaches-God is taking us all to a new level together!

We are always so proud of our ministries and volunteers. Every week, thousands of people serve behind the scenes to make sure you and your family receive the support and guidance that you need to grow spiritually and connect with other believers.

We're so excited about the momentum that is building in our Young Adult service. Every Sunday night in our main auditorium, thousands of young adults come together to worship God and create a place for community and spiritual develpment. If you've never been, bring a friend and join us! This monthy, they are doing a series called, 'The Great Exchange.' Click here for more information on this series and other events in our Young Adult Ministry.

Please know that Victoria and I love you so much and pray for you every day. We believe that this year is going to be your best yet in every way. We believe a flood of God's favor is going to overtake you and move you forward in the plan He has for you. God bless you this week, and we look forward to seeing you at a service this weekend!

Joel and Victoria Osteen