>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: WE BLESS
YOU IN THIS PLACE.
YOU GUYS SOUND AND LOOK
AMAZING.
YOU MAY BE SEATED.
I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE ALL
OF US TODAY WITH THE
SCRIPTURE THAT'S FOUND IN
ROMANS, ROMANS 12, AND THIS
IS PAUL TALKING TO THE
ROMANS, AND HE'S ENCOURAGING
THEM AND URGING THEM, WITH
GREAT FERVOR, TO CHANGE THEIR
MINDS, TO BE MORE LIKE GOD,
AND HE SAYS THIS.
HE SAYS, "DO NOT BE CONFORMED
TO THIS WORLD, BUT BE
TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING
OF YOUR MIND."
SEE, HE KNEW THAT GOD WANTED
TO DO SOMETHING IN HIS
PEOPLE, BUT THEY COULDN'T
KEEP THINKING THE OLD WAY AND
HAVE THE NEW THINGS THAT GOD
WANTS TO DO.
YOU'VE HEARD IT SAID LIKE
THIS.
THEY COULDN'T PUT NEW WINE IN
OLD WINESKINS.
THEY HAD TO CHANGE THEIR
MIND, AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
THAT'S THE SAME WITH US
TODAY.
WE CAN'T BE CONFORMED TO THIS
WORLD'S CULTURE.
WE CAN'T BE CONFORMED TO THE
WRONG TYPES OF THINKING.
WE HAVE TO BE TRANSFORMED BY
THE RENEWING OF OUR MIND.
YOU SEE, OUR SALVATION ON
THIS EARTH STARTS IN OUR
MIND.
IF YOU'RE BORN-AGAIN TODAY,
IF YOU'VE GIVEN JESUS YOUR
LIFE, YOU'RE A NEW CREATURE
IN CHRIST JESUS.
AND SO, YOUR SPIRIT HAS BEEN
MADE NEW.
IT HAS COME ALIVE IN CHRIST
JESUS.
THE PROBLEM IS OUR MIND NEEDS
TO CATCH UP WITH WHAT'S GOING
ON IN OUR SPIRIT, ALL RIGHT?
BUT WE CAN DO THAT BY NOT
CONFORMING TO OUR OLD
THINKING, BUT SUBMITTING
OURSELVES TO THE WORD OF GOD,
TO THE TEACHINGS OF GOD.
YOU SEE, WE ARE SO BLESSED,
BECAUSE WE CAN GET THE WORD
OF GOD AT OUR FINGERTIPS.
WE CAN GOOGLE THE WORD OF
GOD.
WE CAN TAKE OUR PHONE AND GET
OUR BIBLE APPS.
WE CAN LISTEN TO PODCASTS.
WE CAN TURN ON THE INTERNET.
WE CAN TURN ON THE TV.
LISTEN, WE CAN PUT OUR MUSIC
ON, OUR CHRISTIAN,
FAITH-FILLED MUSIC THAT
DECLARES THE GOODNESS OF GOD.
WE ARE SO BLESSED.
WE HAVE TO SUBMIT AND STAY
UNDER THIS WORD OF GOD SO
THAT IT CAN CHANGE OUR
THINKING.
YOU SEE, SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT
HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP IN
CHURCH.
I WAS BROUGHT UP IN CHURCH,
BUT YOU MAY NOT BE--HAVE
BEEN, SO MAYBE YOU HAVE SOME
THINGS THAT ARE CONTRARY TO
WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO THINK
TODAY.
SOME OF YOU HAVE ADDICTIONS.
IT'S CONTRARY TO WHAT GOD HAS
FOR YOU TODAY.
YOU SEE, GOD IS SAYING DON'T
BE CONFORMED BY HABIT.
DON'T BE CONFORMED BY AN
ADDICTION.
DON'T BE CONFORMED BY THE
CULTURES OF THIS WORLD, THE
WAY THIS WORLD THINKS, BUT BE
TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING
OF YOUR MIND.
YOU HAVE THE CHOICE OF WHAT
YOU LISTEN TO, OF WHAT YOU
PUT YOURSELF UNDER, AND GOD
IS SAYING RENEW YOUR MIND.
CHANGE YOUR MIND.
GET INTO WHAT I HAVE FOR YOU.
YOU SEE, I TALK TO PEOPLE ALL
THE TIME WHO HAVE AN
ADDICTION, AND THEY ARE
STRUGGLING TO BREAK THE
ADDICTION, AND WHAT I TELL
THEM IS, "JUST DON'T STAY
DOWN.
GET BACK UP."
PUT YOURSELF UNDER THE WORD
OF GOD, AND THOSE
STRONGHOLDS, THOSE THINGS
THAT ARE TRYING TO HOLD YOU
BACK, THEY CAN'T STAND UP
AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD.
IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME
BEFORE YOUR MIND CATCHES UP
WITH WHAT THE SPIRIT IS
DOING.
IN EPHESIANS, THE BIBLE SAYS,
"TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO DO
EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE
ALL WE CAN ASK, THINK, OR
IMAGINE."
I LOVE THAT.
GOD CAN DO ANYTHING, BUT
LISTEN TO THE SECOND PART,
"ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT
WORKS IN US."
SEE, GOD IS SAYING WHEN YOU
TRANSFORM YOUR MIND, YOU LINE
YOUR MIND UP WITH THE POWER
THAT'S IN YOU.
SEE, THERE IS POWER IN A
MADE-UP MIND.
THERE IS POWER IN A MIND THAT
SAYS, "NO, I'M NOT STAYING
HERE.
I'M ON MY WAY TO GREATER
PLACES.
I'M ON MY WAY TO GOD'S
DESTINATION.
I'M NOT GOING TO BE HELD DOWN
BY OLD WAYS AND OLD PATTERNS
OF THINKING."
YOU SEE, I THINK ABOUT THE
APOSTLE PAUL, AND HE WAS SO
PASSIONATE TO LET THEM KNOW
BY THE MERCIES OF GOD, BY THE
GRACE OF GOD, THIS CAN HAPPEN
FOR YOU.
YOU SEE, PEOPLE, THEY DRINK
DRINKS TO DETOX THEIR BODY.
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD SOMEBODY
SAY, YOU KNOW, "DRINK THIS
FOR 5 DAYS, AND IT WILL GET
ALL THE JUNK OUT OF YOUR
BODY," YOU KNOW?
THEY SAY THAT THE STUFF WE
EAT, EVEN THE WATER WE DRINK,
YOU KNOW, HAS TOXINS IN IT,
SO PEOPLE WANT TO BE HEALTHY.
THEY WANT TO DETOX THEIR
BODY.
LISTEN, WHEN YOU READ THE
WORD OF GOD AND PUT YOURSELF
UNDER THE WORD OF GOD, YOU'RE
DETOXING YOUR MIND.
YOU'RE DISLODGING
STRONGHOLDS.
YOU'RE WEAKENING THEIR GRIP
ON YOU.
LISTEN, YOU'RE IN A BATTLE.
YOU'RE IN A BATTLE, AND IT'S
TIME TO STAND UP AND FIGHT.
IT'S TIME TO SAY, "I'M NOT
GOING TO LET THE WRONG WORDS
COME OUT OF MY MOUTH.
I'M NOT GOING TO LET MY OLD
WAY OF THINKING STOP ME."
I'VE HAD PEOPLE WHO ARE
FIGHTING ILLNESSES, AND THEY
LISTEN TO THE WORD OF GOD
CONSTANTLY.
THEY'VE CONSTANTLY GOT IT
GOING, WHETHER THEY HAVE THE
WORD OF GOD, WHETHER THEY
HAVE A GOOD TEACHING, WHETHER
THEY HAVE JOEL, WHETHER THEY
HAVE PRAISE.
THEY ARE CONSTANTLY BATHING
AND SANCTIFYING THEIR MIND IN
THE WORD OF GOD.
SEE, WE'RE JUSTIFIED IN OUR
SPIRIT, BUT WE HAVE TO BE
SANCTIFIED IN OUR MIND.
THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO SET OUR
MIND APART FROM THE OLD WAY
OF DOING AND BEING, AND WE
HAVE TO GET IN GOD'S WAY OF
DOING AND BEING.
YOU SEE, IF WE WANT TO KNOW
GOD'S WILL, WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE TO KNOW GOD'S WAY.
NOW HE WAS TELLING THEM,
"DON'T BE CONFORMED, BUT BE
TRANSFORMED," AND HE WAS
SAYING THIS IS A PROCESS.
DON'T GET DOWN ON YOURSELF.
IT'S A PROCESS, AND THEN HE
WENT ON TO SAY THIS.
HE SAYS, "DO NOT BE CONFORMED
TO THIS WORLD, BUT BE
TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING
OF YOUR MIND, THAT BY TESTING
YOU MAY BE ABLE TO DISCERN
THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOUR
LIFE, WHAT IS PLEASING,
RIGHT, AND INACCEPTABLE."
HOW MANY OF YOU WANT TO KNOW
THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOUR
LIFE?
I WANT TO KNOW THE WILL OF
GOD FOR MY LIFE.
I WANT TO KNOW THE WILL OF
GOD FOR MY LIFE, AND GOD IS
SAYING THROUGH THIS
TRANSFORMATION, THROUGH THIS
NEW WAY OF THINKING, YOU CAN
TAKE ALL THESE CHOICES, AND
YOU CAN PUT THEM UNDER THE
SCRUTINY OF WHAT YOU KNOW.
YOU CAN TEST IT AND SEE,
"SHALL I MAKE IT OR SHALL I
NOT?
SHALL I CHOOSE IT, OR SHALL I
GO THE OTHER WAY?"
SEE, YOU CAN PUT THE CHOICES
YOU MAKE EVERY DAY UNDER THE
SCRUTINY OF THE WORD OF GOD.
SEE, GOD WANTS US TO WALK IN
CONFIDENCE BEFORE HIM.
HE WANTS US TO KNOW WHAT HIS
WILL IS, SO WE'LL KNOW WHAT
WAY TO GO.
IT'S, KIND OF, LIKE TAKING A
TEST.
HAVE YOU EVER GONE IN WHEN
YOU'RE IN SCHOOL TO TAKE A
TEST OR FOR YOUR JOB?
THE BETTER YOU KNEW THE
MATERIAL, THE MORE CONFIDENT
YOU WERE, THE MORE ANSWERS
YOU GOT RIGHT.
IT'S, KIND OF LIKE THAT.
GOD IS SAYING THIS
TRANSFORMATION COMES LITTLE
BY LITTLE, BUT KEEP GAINING
KNOWLEDGE.
KEEP TESTING YOUR CHOICES BY
WHAT YOU KNOW TO BE RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, WE MAKE
CHOICES EVERY SINGLE
DAY, AND THOSE CHOICES MAKE
US, SO IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT
WE PUT OUR CHOICES UNDER
GOD'S AUTHORITY.
NOW, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE
DON'T WANT TO PUT EVERY
CHOICE UNDER GOD'S AUTHORITY,
BECAUSE SOME CHOICES WE JUST
WANT.
THEY LOOK SO GOOD.
"GOD, I CAN FIX THIS WITH YOU
LATER.
LET ME GO AHEAD AND MAKE THIS
CHOICE."
YOU KNOW WHAT, AND GOD KNOWS
THAT.
I MEAN, WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE.
WE'VE ALL DONE THAT, AND THE
GOOD THING ABOUT GOD, HE CAN
TAKE OUR BAD CHOICES AND
BRING HIM GLORY AND US GOOD,
ALL RIGHT?
HE CAN.
HE'S A GOOD GOD, AND HE LOVES
US, AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT
HE'S NOT JUDGING US.
THE POINT IS, IS THAT WE NEED
TO NOT BE AFRAID TO TAKE OUR
ATTITUDES, OUR UNFORGIVENESS,
OUR HABITS, EVERYTHING ABOUT
US, AND PUT IT UNDER THE
SUBMISSION OF GOD.
SEE, PAUL WAS SAYING BE A
LIVING SACRIFICE, IS HOW HE
STARTED THAT.
BE A LIVING SACRIFICE.
WHAT HE WAS SAYING, HE WAS
GOING GO ALL IN.
GO ALL IN.
DON'T HOLD BACK CERTAIN AREAS
OF YOUR LIFE.
YOU HAVE A BAD HABIT?
PUT IT UNDER GOD'S AUTHORITY.
DON'T HOLD ON TO IT AND SAY,
"GOD, I'LL FIX IT, AND AS
SOON AS I FIX IT, THEN I'LL
COME OVER HERE AND GIVE IT TO
YOU."
GOD IS SAYING, "GIVE IT ALL
TO ME: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE
UGLY.
PUT IT UNDER MY WORD.
LET ME BREAK THOSE THINGS OFF
OF YOUR LIFE."
SEE, JESUS CAME AS THE LIVING
WORD, THE BIBLE SAYS.
HE CAME AS THE WORD MADE
INCARNATE MAN, MADE FLESH,
AND HE WALKED AMONG THEM.
DO YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU
READ THE WORD OF GOD, YOU GET
GOOD TEACHING?
YOU'RE WALKING WITH JESUS,
AND HE'S STILL DOING WHAT HE
DID THOSE DAYS IN THE BIBLE.
HE'S STILL HEALING.
HE'S STILL DELIVERING.
HE'S STILL SETTING FREE.
HE'S STILL RESTORING.
TAKE HIS HAND AND PUT ALL OF
IT UNDER HIS AUTHORITY.
WE CAN'T BE AFRAID.
LISTEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BIG
DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TO
MAKE IN OUR LIFE.
I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, "I
WANT TO KNOW THE WILL OF GOD.
SHOULD I TAKE THIS JOB?"
"SHOULD I START THIS
BUSINESS?"
"SHOULD I GO BACK TO
COLLEGE?"
"IS THIS THE PERSON I SHOULD
MARRY?"
THOSE ARE ALL VERY IMPORTANT
DECISIONS, BUT WE NEED TO PUT
EVERY DECISION UNDER THE WILL
OF GOD, BECAUSE THE BETTER
CHOICES WE MAKE, THE CLOSER
WE ARE TO THOSE BETTER
DECISIONS ON THOSE BIG ISSUES
OF OUR LIFE.
WHEN I WAS A YOUNG GIRL, I
REMEMBER MY HEART.
I WOULD JUST SAY TO GOD,
"GOD, WHEN I GET MARRIED
SOMEDAY, ALL I KNOW IS THIS:
I WANT A MAN WHO LOVES YOU
MORE THAN I DO."
YOU SEE, MY HEART SAID THIS,
"GOD, I DON'T WANT TO BE
DRAGGING ANYBODY UP.
I DON'T WANT TO BE CONSTANTLY
PUSHING THEM UP.
GOD, I WANT HIM TO SHARPEN
ME.
I WANT US TO BE BETTER
TOGETHER.
I WANT US TO DO GREAT THINGS
FOR YOU."
NOW, GIRLS, I JUST WANT TO
TELL YOU THIS.
DON'T SAY THIS PART, BUT THIS
IS LITERALLY WHAT I SAID,
BECAUSE IF I WAS YOU, I WOULD
FIND A MAN WITH A JOB.
BUT I SAID, "GOD, HE DOESN'T
HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF MONEY,
YOU KNOW, AND HE DOESN'T HAVE
TO BE RICH.
GOD, I JUST WANT HIM TO LOVE
YOU," BECAUSE MY HEART WAS
LIKE THIS, "GOD, YOU CAN DO
ANYTHING IN OUR LIFE IF WE
SERVE YOU."
WE CAN RISE HIGHER.
WE CAN DO ANYTHING, BUT THE
BOTTOM LINE IS MY GOLD
STANDARD IS THAT HE LOVES YOU
A LOT.
SO WHEN I MET JOEL, HE LOOKED
GOOD ON THE OUTSIDE.
IN FACT, FROM THE OUTSIDE, HE
LOOKED LIKE HE WAS PERFECT,
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
I DIDN'T WANT TO JUST JUDGE
HIM FROM THE OUTSIDE.
I WANTED TO JUDGE MY--WHO I
WAS GOING TO MARRY BY THE
WORD OF GOD.
ALTHOUGH HE LOOKED GOOD, HE
SEEMED TO HAVE THE RIGHT
CREDENTIALS, YOU KNOW, THAT
WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH.
I WATCHED HIM.
I STUDIED HIM.
I SAW IF HIS BELIEFS LINED UP
WITH HIS ACTIONS.
I WATCHED HOW HE TREATED HIS
FAMILY, WHAT HE SAID ABOUT
HIS FRIENDS, HIS GENEROSITY
TOWARDS OTHERS.
SEE, I LET THAT CHARACTER
LINE ITSELF UP WITH THE WORD
OF GOD, THEN I COULD MAKE AN
EDUCATED, GODLY DECISION.
YOU SEE, GOD WANTS US TO BE
CONFIDENT IN OUR DECISIONS.
AS OUR MINDS ARE GAINING MORE
KNOWLEDGE AND BEING
TRANSFORMED, THEN WE CAN TEST
OUR CHOICES AND MAKE THE
RIGHT DECISIONS.
WELL, I HAD THE PEACE OF GOD.
HE ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM, SO
I DID.
THIRTY YEARS LATER, IT'S BEEN
A WONDERFUL DECISION.
IT'S BEEN A GREAT DECISION.
CAN I TELL YOU, GIRLS?
DON'T JUDGE FROM THE OUTSIDE.
MAKE SURE THEIR CHARACTER
LINES UP.
YOU'RE FAR TOO VALUABLE TO
GET TOGETHER WITH SOMEONE WHO
DOESN'T APPRECIATE YOU AND
KNOW HOW TO BRING OUT THE
BEST IN YOU, WHO DOESN'T
SERVE THE LIVING GOD.
YOU SEE, I MADE MY DECISION
I'D RATHER BE HOME WITH A
PEANUT BUTTER-AND-JELLY
SANDWICH THAN WITH A MAN THAT
WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME AND
GOD, ALL RIGHT?
IT'S NOT WORTH IT.
EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE, USE
THE WORD OF GOD AS YOUR GOLD
STANDARD.
KEEP CONFORMING TO GOD'S WORD
AND HIS LIKENESS.
DON'T CONFORM TO THE WORLD.
DON'T CONFORM TO HABIT.
YOU MAY BE FIGHTING SOMETHING
RIGHT NOW, AND I JUST WANT TO
ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET
YOURSELF--SUBMIT YOURSELF
UNDER THE WORD OF GOD.
DON'T LET ANYTHING COME OUT
OF YOUR MOUTH THAT DOESN'T
LINE UP WITH WHAT YOU WANT.
LISTEN, WHEN YOU'RE IN A
FIGHT, YOU'VE GOT TO FIGHT TO
THE END.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE SERIOUS
ABOUT WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
GOD'S WORD WILL RENEW YOU,
STRENGTHEN YOU, AND REFRESH
YOU.
IT WILL DETOX ALL THOSE OLD
WAYS, AND IT'LL BRING YOU
INTO THE NEW WAYS OF GOD.
WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
YOU'RE AWESOME.
GOD IS A GOOD GOD.
> JOEL: THANKS FOR
WATCHING THIS
MESSAGE.
I HOPE
YOU ENJOYED IT.
WE UPLOAD NEW
VIDEOS EVERY WEEK
TO KEEP YOU
INSPIRED AND
ENCOURAGED.
SO DON'T FORGET
TO HIT THE LIKE
BUTTON AND MAKE
SURE YOU SUBSCRIBE
TO OUR CHANNEL.
> VICTORIA: LET US
KNOW IN THE
COMMENTS BELOW HOW
THIS MESSAGE HAS
ENCOURAGED YOU.
WE WOULD LOVE TO
HEAR FROM YOU.
WE'RE PRAYING FOR
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
WE'LL SEE YOU
NEXT TIME!