God always wants us to be growing.
— Joel Osteen
I'm honest enough to say I don't know everything. You know, I don't. I don't understand all of God. I don't understand, you know, some kind of why bad things happen.
To me, it's OK to have differences. But we don't have to be mad about it. You know? And I think that's where sometimes we get so passionate that we - you know, it turns into anger.
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 look on all the great things God's done, and not focus on the negative. It's a perspective.
Salvation and Christ's love is a gift. You don't earn it. You've got to receive that gift.
Any of us can be happy and have a good attitude when everything is going our way. But I believe it's the real test of your character and of your faith to say, 'Things are not going our way, but I'm still being good to people; I'm still attending church; I still have a good attitude.'
See, people are watching you. Especially your children. They're taking in every single thing you do. They are like video cameras with legs. And they are always in the record mode. They learn more from what you do than from what you say.
It doesn't matter who likes you or doesn't like you, all that matters is that God likes you. He accepts you, he approves of you.
I didn't try to copy my dad or fit into the pressure or the mold that everybody tried to make me fit into.
Let go of yesterday.
Mormonism is a little different, but I still see them as brothers in Christ.
I don't mind saying, you know, that I don't take a salary from the church, and God has blessed me with more money than I could imagine from my books.
The death of my father is probably the biggest thing that I ever faced. Daddy and I were best friends.
I'm not trying to follow a set of rules and stuff. I'm just living my life.
I believe God gives you the grace to do what you need to do.
I don't believe we are supposed to go through life defeated and not having enough money to pay our bills or send our kids to college.
You cannot let where you are today cause you to get stuck. I'm going to be my best right now. That's what faith is all about.
This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do.
For a while... to be an evangelical meant you were a white Republican, and you were against this and against that. I don't want to be put into that mold, because then people judge you before they even listen... I don't want to divide the very people I am trying to reach.
When I hear Mitt Romney say that he believes that Jesus is the Son of God, that He's the Christ, raised from the dead, that He's his savior - that's good enough for me.
I've always been very happy. I've always been easy going and I've always been very encouraging; it's just my personality.
It is a hard thing to let go of mistakes we've made and sins. God wants us to do that because He knows the guilt and the condemnation will keep us from becoming who He has created us to be.
I just think that trusting God means we're going to have unanswered questions, and God is so much bigger than us, we're never going to understand them all.
I don't think you should spend your life praying for things, but I do believe you should thank God for what He's given you... but I think the scripture teaches us that we can pray for our dreams, pray for the big things... he's not a small God; this God is incredible.
Life's a fight. It's a good fight of faith.
There's pros and cons of a big church. Cons is I don't get to know everybody, I don't get to go to their ballgame, I don't get to marry everybody, but the pros are you get all this community, 800 ushers come in to serve, getting there at 7 in the morning on their day off and coming in on Saturday to make all those wafers.
Well I think a lot of times we're putting things off and I'm going to do it later. I'm going to break this bad habit or I'm going to pursue this dream or I'm going to treat my spouse better.
My biggest hobby is hanging out with my family and kids.
My dad had a church of 90 people when I was born. It was just, over the years it continued to grow.
I don't argue when people say that my message is simple, but I believe Jesus' message was simple.
I'm a reverend and a pastor. A pastor of the church. I go by usually pastor.
You know, there is always times where you feel discouraged and things coming against you, but I don't know if I ever wanted to throw in the towel.
I'm not the judge. You know, God didn't tell me to go around judging everybody.
You'll never rise any higher than the way you see yourself.
We can be civil. We can still be friends, and be Democrats and Republicans, and have different views.
I believe God, Jesus, died that we not just go to Heaven but that we excel in this life. I never think you make money your goal... God wants you to excel. Just keep Him in first place, and God will open up doors you never dreamed of.
The older I get, the better I understand that every day is a gift.
A lot of preachers' kids are some of the most rebellious kids in the world. I never was like that.
Some people keep God in a Sunday morning box and say, 'Hey, I did my religious duty.' That's fine, but the scripture says to pray without ceasing. And I think that means all through the day you're talking to God. Even if it's in your thoughts.
The main rule to me is to honor God with your life. To life a life of integrity. Not be selfish. You know, help others. But that's really the essence of the Christian faith.
I believe that God breathed life into every person and that every person is made in the image of God and you have accept them as they are, on their journey. I'm not here to preach hate or push people down.
People in tough times - it doesn't mean they don't have a great attitude.
Sometimes what works 40 years ago doesn't work today.
The Hindus are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
I like sports, and I enjoy playing basketball and lifting weights.
You may never get to that perfect world that you're waiting for where everything's going to be perfect and you got that much money and your house paid off.
A lot of people have it a lot worse than you do.
My parents were the same in the pulpit as they were at home. I think that's where a lot of preachers' kids get off base sometimes. Because they don't see the same things at both places.
People define Christianity differently. I think a large portion of our population are Christians, they're not all growing in their faith, they're not all active, but I believe that a lot of people believe in Jesus and believe that he is their Lord and Savior.
