Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Word
Today’s Scripture

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.
Romans 12:2, MSG

Jesus dealt with this question simply by asking another question: “If earthly fathers, imperfect as they are, know how to give good gifts to their children, don’t you think that your loving Father who is in heaven will be even better?”

Set a New Standard
So often we let our environment, how we were raised, and other people’s expectations of us set the limits for our life. We adapt to what’s around us. If you take an oak tree seed and plant it in a two-foot pot, that oak tree will never become what it was created to be if you leave it in the pot—not because there’s something wrong with the seed, but because of the environment that it’s in. It’s so easy to just fit in and be like everyone else. But God didn’t create you to be average. He created you to stand out, to go beyond the norm, to leave your mark on this generation. You have seeds of greatness inside. You’re supposed to go further than the people who raised you and set a new standard. You may be in an environment where people have addictions, low self-esteem, depression, and poverty. You can’t stop that. But here’s the key: Don’t let that become the norm in your thinking. If you accept that as who you are, it will keep you from your destiny.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that I don’t have to let society squeeze me into its mold. Thank You that my life can stand out as uncommon for You. I’m not going to be pressured into compromising, and I’m not going to live like everyone else. I’m going to live by a higher standard. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

How do we know that God is a good God and a good Father?

My friend, if your child asks you for bread, would you give him a stone? Certainly not. You would give him the best bread you can find. How much more then, will your heavenly Father give good things to you when you ask Him!

Beloved, know in your heart that God is a good Father to you. So if you need something today, just ask Him for it. And as you ask Him, believe that you have received it from Him, and you will have it (Mark 11:24)!

Gospel Corner

13/10/25

Learning to see what God sees is a powerful key in right believing. It involves replacing your wrong beliefs with right beliefs based on God’s Word.

When Jesus saw the man with the withered hand, He didn’t just see the withered hand, He saw that there was more than enough grace for that hand to be made completely whole. Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” The man did as told, and his hand was completely restored and made as whole as his other hand (Mark 3:1–5).

Now, you don’t say “stretch out your hand” to someone whose hand is obviously shriveled and disabled unless you see differently. Jesus sees differently from you and me. That’s why we need to go back to God’s Word and learn to see what He sees.

When Jesus sees a disease, a lack, or someone trapped in fear, guilt, addiction, and sin, He doesn’t just see the problem. He sees God’s healing, grace, and power superabounding in that area of weakness.

You too can change what you believe by seeing beyond what your natural eyes see. Press in to see what God sees. In your very area of lack, struggle, or challenge, see His superabounding grace all around your current situation.

Jesus says to you today, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Give all your weaknesses, failings, and mistakes to the Lord Jesus and see Him transform your weaknesses into strengths.

What you believe is powerful, so are you going by what you see or what God sees? You may not be able to stop negative thoughts from passing through your mind or unhealthy emotions such as fear gripping your heart, but you can definitely anchor your thoughts and emotions on the unshakable Word of God. You can certainly ensure that you believe right regarding what God says about you in His Word, which contains His precious promises to you.

The more you learn and believe right about His love and what His Word says about your situation and your life, the more your thoughts will line up with His thoughts about you. You’ll begin to develop thoughts of peace and not of evil, thoughts of hope and a bright future (Jer. 29:11). And you’ll be transformed!

Gospel Corner

09/10/25

Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Word
Today’s Scripture
The LORD will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.
Isaiah 42:13, NIV

Like a Warrior
You may feel overwhelmed by a bad medical report, by a broken relationship, or by being cheated in a business deal. In tough times, you have to realize you’re not alone. The Most High God is fighting for you. He’s got your back. He’s brought you through in the past, and He’s going to bring you through in the future. God looks at your enemies and says, “If you mess with them, you have to first face Me.”

Now you have to do your part and get your fire back. You can’t sit around in self-pity and think about what you lost, who hurt you, and how unfair it was. That’s going to keep you down. Shake off that weak, defeated mentality and have a warrior mentality. Your attitude has to be that no matter what comes against you, it cannot defeat you. A warrior doesn’t complain about opposition; a warrior loves a good fight. It fires him up. If you have a warrior spirit and start doing what you can, God will help you do what you can’t.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that You, the Mighty Warrior, the all-powerful Creator of the universe, are with me. Thank You that Your power to strengthen me in the difficult times is greater than any force that comes against me. I believe that You are transforming me into a mighty warrior. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

SECTION TWO

What has a right understanding of your righteousness got to do with expecting good to happen to you today? Everything!

Many believers associate righteousness with a list of things that they have to do, and if they fulfill this list, they feel “righteous.” Conversely, when they fail in terms of their behavior, they feel “unrighteous.” But this is the wrong definition and understanding of righteousness.

Let’s go back to what the Bible has to say. Look at 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For He [God] made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [Jesus Christ].” We are not righteous because we do right. We became righteous because of what Jesus did for us at the cross.

“Righteousness,” therefore, is not based on our right doing. It is based entirely on Jesus’ right doing. Christianity is not about doing right to become righteous. It is all about believing right in Jesus to become righteous.

Do you realize that we have been conditioned to associate being blessed with doing right? Most belief systems are based on a system of merit whereby you need to fulfill certain requirements—give to the poor, do good to others, and care for the underprivileged—to attain a certain state of righteousness. It all sounds very noble, self-sacrificial, and appealing to our flesh, which likes to feel that our good works have earned us our righteousness.

But God is not looking at your nobility, sacrifices, or good works to justify you. He is only interested in Jesus’ humility at the cross. He looks at His Son’s perfect sacrifice at Calvary to justify you and make you righteous!

Attempting to be justified by your good works and trying your best to keep the Ten Commandments to become righteous is to negate the cross of Jesus Christ. It is as good as saying, “The cross is not enough to justify me. I need to depend on my good works to make myself clean and righteous before God.”

The apostle Paul said, “I do not frustrate the grace [unmerited favor] of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” My friend, consider carefully what Paul is saying here. He is effectively saying that if you are depending on your good works, your doing, and your ability to keep perfectly the Ten Commandments to become righteous, then Jesus died for nothing! That’s what “in vain” means—for nothing!

So don’t frustrate the grace of God by depending on your good works to make yourself righteous and put God on your side. Jesus’ sacrifice is more than enough to justify you! And when you know that you are justified, you can be confident that the unmerited favor of God is on your side and expect good to happen to you today.

08/10/25

Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Word
Today’s Scripture
What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?
Romans 3:3, NASB
So What?
One of the biggest battles that we all face is the battle of containment. The enemy can’t do anything about the ground you’ve already gained, but he’ll do everything he can to try to keep you from going forward. His goal is to convince you to settle where you are. He’ll use other people to tell you that you’ll never be successful, that you can’t break an addiction, and they’ll throw water on what you’re passionate about. You have to quit letting people pull you down.

The apostle Paul says, “So what if they don’t believe?” Just because somebody doesn’t believe that you can do what God put in your heart doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change the faithfulness of God to bring it to pass. Your attitude should be that you don’t need other people to cheer you on and support you. You and God are a majority. If God is for you, who dare be against you? Start encouraging yourself: “I’m strong. I’m talented. I’m well able. I will start living large. I will not be contained.”

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that I can take control of my thought life and stop allowing negative thoughts to enter. Thank You that I can be deaf to the unbelief that comes my way from other people. Help me to get rid of any lies before they infect my thinking and keep me contained. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

The name “Jesus” is Yeshua in Hebrew, which contains an abbreviation for Yahweh, the name of God in Hebrew. So the name “Jesus” literally means “Yahweh is our Savior” or “The Lord is our Savior”! What a beautiful name!

Every time you call the name of Jesus, the name that is above every other name, you are calling God Himself to save you. Saving you is Jesus’ job description! Whatever the challenge or circumstance, whatever crisis you are in—physical, financial, or emotional—you can call on the name of Jesus and Almighty God Himself will save you!

My friend, you can take time to know the names of God, which He revealed under the old covenant, such as Elohim, El Shaddai, El Elyon, Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Rophe, and Jehovah-Nissi. You can do a complete study on the names of God. I am not against that at all. I teach on the names of God in my church as well, but all these names will mean nothing to you if you don’t know that God Almighty Himself, Jesus, wants to save you first from all your sins, then from all your challenges.

God can be all powerful, but if you are not confident that He is interested in your success, His power would mean nothing to you. So, you don’t have to memorize all the names of God from the old covenant. What you need is a full revelation that Jesus, in the new covenant, is your Savior! What is Tiger Woods famous for? Golf! What is David Beckham famous for? Soccer! (He’s also famous for product endorsements!) What is Jesus famous for? Saving you!

What do you need saving from today? See Him in your situation, rescuing, protecting, and providing for you!

Gospel Corner

05/10/25

A warning is issued in 1 Peter 5:8—”Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

I know that a lion roars to intimidate and to bring fear, but I used to wonder what kind of fear the devil tries to instill in the believer. We must let the Bible interpret the Bible. We can’t base our interpretations on our denominational backgrounds or our experiences.

One day, I was reading Proverbs 19 when I came across verse 12: “The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.” Who is the king that this verse refers to? It is our Lord Jesus!

So when the devil goes about like a roaring lion, he is trying to impersonate the King. He is trying to make you feel as if God is angry with you. Every time you hear preaching that leaves you with a sense that God is angry with you, guess what? You have just been roared at!

But know this, beloved: God will NEVER be angry with you ever again. He only has to tell us this, but He wanted us to be so sure that He swore in His Word that He would never be angry with us again.

Today’s verses are from Isaiah 54, which is right after the famous messianic chapter of the sufferings of Christ in Isaiah 53. Therefore, Isaiah 54 is spelling out the triumphs and spoils of His sufferings.

Do you know why God will never be angry with us again? It is because of what Christ has accomplished for us! On the cross, God poured out all His anger on the body of His Son. Jesus exhausted all the fiery indignation of a holy God against all our sins, and when all of God’s judgment of our sins had been completely exhausted, He shouted, “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

And because our sins have already been punished, God, who is a holy and just God, will not punish us today when we believe in what Christ has done. God’s holiness is now on your side. His righteousness is now for you, not against you. You are His beloved, in whom He is well pleased because of Jesus’ finished work!

The next time the devil tries to rob you of your sense of being beloved by making you think that God is angry with you, just ignore him. Ignore him when he says, “How can you call yourself a Christian?”

You are a righteous, accepted, and beloved child of God! When you believe this, you will have the confidence to face every challenge with boldness, knowing that you have God’s unmerited favor on your side!

04/10/25

Gospel Corner

Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Word
Today’s Scripture
“The highways were deserted, and the travelers walked along the byways. Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel.”
Judges 5:6–7, NKJV

Arise
During the period of the judges, the Canaanites had oppressed the people of Israel for twenty years. God raised up a prophetess named Deborah to judge Israel at this time in history when women were not in leadership, but were pushed down and seen as secondary. She was Israel’s only female judge. God put a dream in her heart to free her people from the Canaanites. Sometimes God will ask you to do things that seem way over your head. But deep down she understood this principle: “I’m not on my own. The Lord my God has made me powerful.” She stepped out in faith, and God caused things to fall into place, everything turned around for the nation.

A lot of times we discount ourselves. You have to change your thinking. You have to know who you are as a child of God. You have to know that He has made you powerful, not limited. What addictions can you break, what barriers can you overcome, what dreams can you accomplish, if you start seeing yourself the way God made you to be?

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for the favor on my life, thank You for breathing in my direction, thank You that You are taking me where I couldn’t go on my own. Thank You that You are calling me to do things that are way over my head. I declare that I will step out in faith because You are making me powerful. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

SECTION TWO

Wake up every day expecting good. Keep your thoughts and mind positive, full of joy, full of hope, and full of anticipation of all the good things God has in store for you, His beloved!

Spring up from your bed, stand in front of your mirror and boldly declare, “I am the disciple whom Jesus loves. I am the apple of His eye. Everything I do and touch shall be blessed! The Lord’s wisdom, favor, and provision flow mightily in and through me. Amen!”

When you do this, you are accessing the Lord’s abundant provision for you, and all the stress, worries, negative emotions, and anxieties will fade away.

Perhaps today, you have to make an important presentation to your biggest client, or go for the final interview for a job you really want. Perhaps you are way behind the curve in completing an important project at work. Whatever the demands on you, start the day expecting good and to see His provision flow!

Gospel Corner

03/10/25

Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Word
Today’s Scripture
“Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”
Exodus 17:6, NKJV

Water Out of a Rock
When God freed the two million Israelite slaves from Egypt and was leading them through the desert toward the Promised Land, there were no grocery stores or water faucets. They began to complain, but God didn’t deliver them only to let them die of thirst. He had Moses take his staff and strike a rock, and water poured out. It was a supernatural provision.

Don’t be surprised if you face times when all the facts say, “You’ll always struggle, have debt, not enough.” God will allow situations where it looks impossible so He can show you His supernatural provision, but you have to trust Him. The Scripture says, “He makes streams in the barren places, rivers in the desert.” There may be some things barren in your life. You don’t see how it could ever change. No, get ready. God’s about to strike the rock. You’re going to see provision you can’t explain, good breaks that don’t make sense, increase that defies the odds. The same God who brought water out of a rock can cause abundance to come knocking on your door.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that no matter if my situation looks impossible, no matter what seems delayed, You will do what You have promised. Thank You that I can get my hopes up and know that You make streams to flow in the barren places. I will not be afraid. I will believe. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

When I was the president of my youth ministry, I used to preach hard and strong messages, telling my youths, “You’ve got to love God! You’ve got to love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul!” All that time, when I was preaching this to the young people, I was wondering to myself, “How in the world do I do that?”

I would look at myself and check my heart, mind, and soul—did I really love the Lord that perfectly? How could I expect my youths to love the Lord that way when I knew that I myself had failed?

At that time, I was not established in the new covenant of grace yet. I did not know that by preaching that way, I was actually placing all my youths under the law because the sum total of the law is to love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength (Matt. 22:37–40, Mark 12:29–30).

Let me ask you this: Has anybody ever been able to love the Lord with all his heart, mind, and soul? No one. Not a single person has been able to do that.

God knew all the while that under the law, no one could love Him that perfectly. So do you know what He did? The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” I love that little word “so.” It speaks of the intensity with which God loves us.

When God sent Jesus, He was effectively saying this to us: “I know that you can’t love Me perfectly, so watch Me now. I will love you with all My heart, all My soul, all My mind, and all My strength.” And He stretched His arms wide and died for us.

This is what the Bible says about what Jesus did on the cross: “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Rom. 5:7–9).

My friend, the cross is not a demonstration of our perfect love and devotion to God. The cross is God’s demonstration of His perfect love and His perfect grace (unmerited favor) toward us, for it was while we were still sinners that Jesus died for us. He did not die for you and me because of our perfect love for God. He died for you and me because of HIS perfect love for us!

Let me give you the Bible’s definition of love to make this even clearer for you: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Beloved, that’s the emphasis of the new covenant of grace (unmerited favor)—HIS love for us, not our love for Him!