Joel Osteen
Joel Osteen
Joel Scott Osteen is an American preacher and televangelist. He is the Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church, the largest Protestant church in the United States, in Houston, Texas. Osteen's televised sermons are seen by over 7 million viewers weekly and over 20 million monthly in over 100 countries. His sermons also broadcast 24 hours a day on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, Channel 128. Osteen has written seven New York Times Bestselling books. He has been widely nicknamed "The Smiling Preacher"...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionClergyman
Date of Birth5 March 1963
CountryUnited States of America
I like to start my day off every morning, take the first half hour and just search my own heart, see if I'm on the right course, try to be honest with myself - am I doing this for the right reasons?
There's a lot of negative things trying to pull people down, and I think people respond when you tell them that hey, there are good things up ahead.
I always try to put a seed of hope into people's hearts. I'm not there to teach them doctrine necessarily, but to let them know that God is a good God, and has a plan for their lives. Hopefully, that will restore their faith, or draw them into faith.
Sometimes when you take strong stands, if you're not called to do it, you're dividing the audience you're trying to reach.
I'm not trying to follow a set of rules and stuff. I'm just living my life.
I'm trying to throw a big broad net to try to get people interested in God and believe that He's for them and has a purpose.
I try to live what I teach. A lot of things come against us in life, but we should try to find something to be grateful for, and see each day as a gift.
Don't use your faith to try to get rid of problems. Use your faith to remain calm in the midst of your problems.
I guess no matter how hard you try, you can't escape your past.
I'm not a big believer in trying to jam stuff down somebody's throat: 'You're going to do it my way.' I'd rather show by example and live my life and have people say, 'You know what, I want to live like Joel has. He's got peace and joy, and he seems content.'
I say, don't try to fight your own battles because God will do it.
I didn't try to copy my dad or fit into the pressure or the mold that everybody tried to make me fit into.
I try to look on all the great things God's done, and not focus on the negative. It's a perspective.
So many people are looking at what's wrong, and I try to encourage them to look at what's right in their life. A lot of people have it a lot worse than you do.