>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: AMEN,
I JUST WANT TO TALK TO YOU
TODAY ABOUT "BEING AN
EXTRAVAGANT GIVER."
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LIVE
A LIFE OF GIVING, YOU LIVE THE
BEST POSSIBLE LIFE THERE IS.
NOW, SOMETIMES WE THINK,
"WELL, I CAN'T GIVE
ALL THE TIME.
IF I GIVE ALL THE TIME, I
WON'T HAVE ANYTHING LEFT."
OR WE THINK, "IF SOMEONE ASKS
ME FOR SOMETHING THAT I DON'T
HAVE, HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME
TO GIVE?"
BUT CAN I TELL YOU
THIS TODAY?
THAT THERE IS NEVER A TIME
THAT YOU ARE EMPTY HANDED.
YOU ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING
TO GIVE.
IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, PETER
AND PAUL WERE WALKING TO
THE TEMPLE TO WORSHIP GOD.
IT WAS AT THAT TIME OF DAY
WHERE EVERYONE CAME
TO WORSHIP AT THE TEMPLE.
I CAN JUST IMAGINE THE CROWD
AND EVERYBODY TRYING TO GET
INTO THE TEMPLE SO THEY COULD
ALL GET A GOOD SEAT, KIND OF
LIKE THIS MORNING, YOU KNOW?
YOU GOT OUT OF YOUR CAR.
YOU WERE RUSHING HERE.
YOU WANTED TO GET YOUR SEAT
BEFORE SOMEONE TOOK IT.
YOU WERE ALL BUSY, AND SO
THEY CAME WALKING INTO THE
TEMPLE.
THEY WERE PASSING THE GATES
OF THE TEMPLE, AND THEY
PASSED A MAN WHO WAS
SITTING THERE BEGGING.
NOW, THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT
THIS MAN, AND THIS MAN HAD
BEEN CRIPPLED FROM BIRTH, AND
THE PEOPLE THAT TOOK CARE OF
HIM PLACED HIM AT THE GATE
EVERY SINGLE DAY.
OBVIOUSLY, IT WAS A GOOD
PLACE TO SIT FOR SPARE CHANGE
BECAUSE HE WAS THERE
EVERY DAY.
I'M SURE IF IT WASN'T A GOOD
PLACE, THEY WOULD'VE MOVED
HIM SOMEWHERE ELSE, RIGHT?
SO HE WAS THERE THAT DAY
BEGGING, BELIEVING THAT HE
WAS GOING TO GET WHAT HE
NEEDED FOR THAT DAY, HAVE
ENOUGH MONEY TO TAKE CARE
OF HIMSELF AND THE PEOPLE
WHO HELPED HIM.
WELL, THIS PARTICULAR DAY,
WHEN PETER AND JOHN WERE
WALKING PAST THE GATE,
HE HOLLERED OUT TO THEM
AND HE SAID,
"HEY, I NEED SOME MONEY."
HE WAS BEGGING FROM THEM,
AND I CAN SEE PETER AND JOHN.
THEY'RE PROBABLY HAVING A
GOOD TIME, A GOOD DAY.
IT WAS A GOOD DAY FOR THEM,
AND THEY KINDA FELT
THEIR POCKETS.
MAYBE THEY GOT THEIR MONEY
BAG AND THEY REALIZED,
"I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY,"
AND, YOU KNOW,
IT WOULD'VE BEEN EASY
FOR THEM TO SAY,
"WELL, BUDDY, YOU KNOW WHAT?
I'LL CATCH YOU NEXT TIME.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ANY
MONEY RIGHT NOW, BUT I'LL
CATCH YOU NEXT TIME."
HAVE YOU EVER DONE THAT?
SOMEONE ASKED YOU FOR
SOMETHING YOU DIDN'T HAVE,
AND YOU THINK, "WOW"?
WELL, I HAVE.
OKAY, I'LL ADMIT IT, I HAVE.
I WAS SITTING AT THE LIGHT,
PARKED IN MY CAR AT AN
INTERSECTION, AND I WAS JUST
SITTING THERE MINDING MY OWN
BUSINESS WHEN THIS MAN, I SAW
HIM WALKING TO ALL THE CARS,
AND HE WAS BEGGING FOR MONEY,
AND SO I REACHED INTO MY
PURSE AND I STARTED LOOKING
FOR SOME SPARE MONEY.
I DIDN'T SEE ANY MONEY,
NO CHANGE.
I BEGAN TO LOOK IN MY
CONSOLE, NO MONEY AT ALL, AND
I SAW HIM GETTING CLOSER AND
CLOSER TO ME, AND I FELT BAD
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS
WANT TO GIVE SOMETHING
TO THEM.
I DIDN'T WANT TO DENY
THE MAN.
SO I GRABBED MY PHONE
AND I STARTED TALKING ON IT.
I WAS LIKE, "YEAH, UH-HUH,
YEAH," YOU KNOW?
AND SO, WHEN HE PASSED MY
CAR, HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW
I SAW HIM.
I DIDN'T HAVE WHAT
HE WAS ASKING FOR
SO I JUST IGNORED IT.
YOU SEE, I AM SO GLAD THAT
DAY THAT PETER AND JOHN,
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE
MONEY, THEY DIDN'T IGNORE
THE MAN.
SEE, PETER REALIZED, "I
ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING TO GIVE
AS LONG AS I HAVE THE POWER
OF MOST HIGH LIVING IN ME."
HE LOOKED STRAIGHT AT THAT
GUY AND HE SAID, "HEY, BUDDY,
SILVER AND GOLD I DON'T HAVE,
BUT I DO HAVE SOMETHING, AND
HIS NAME IS JESUS," AND HE
REACHED OUT HIS HAND AND HE
SAID, "GET ON UP AND WALK,
BUDDY.
YOU'RE HEALED, IN THE NAME OF
JESUS," AND THE BIBLE SAYS
THAT, "THAT GUY JUMPED UP,
AND THERE WAS A MIRACLE
THAT EVERYONE SAW THAT DAY."
HE BEGAN JUMPING AND
LEAPING AND PRAISING GOD.
LISTEN, PETER REALIZED HE WAS
NEVER EMPTY HANDED.
YOU MAY NOT HAVE EXACTLY WHAT
SOMEONE IS ASKING YOU FOR,
BUT DO YOU HAVE A HAND TO
PICK UP YOUR NEIGHBOR?
DO YOU HAVE AN ENCOURAGING
WORD TO PUT SOMEONE
ON THEIR FEET?
YOU KNOW WHAT I LEARNED THAT
DAY THAT I GRABBED MY PHONE,
TRIED TO IGNORE THE FACT
THAT I DIDN'T HAVE WHAT
THAT MAN NEEDED?
I REALIZED I DO,
I DO HAVE SOMETHING.
I HAVE THE NAME OF JESUS,
AND NEXT TIME I RUN INTO THAT
SITUATION, I'M PRAYING, "GOD,
THANK YOU THAT YOU'LL GIVE
THAT MAN SUPERNATURAL
OPPORTUNITY, THAT, FATHER,
HE'LL UNDERSTAND HIS VALUE
AND HIS WORTH.
GOD, I THANK YOU THAT YOU'RE
DOING THINGS HE COULD NEVER,
EVER, EVER EXPECT, THAT ONLY
YOU CAN DO, FATHER.
BLESS HIM TODAY, FATHER.
ENRICH HIS LIFE."
YOU SEE, I HAVE A PRAYER,
AND THAT PRAYER IS POWERFUL
WHEN YOU GIVE IT IN LOVE.
WHEN YOU PUT IN THE HANDS
OF JESUS, IT HAS A RIPPLE
EFFECT.
IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
ON THIS EARTH.
YOU SEE, THAT'S EXTRAVAGANT
GIVING.
THAT'S A PERSON WHO KNOWS
THAT THEY'RE NOT LACKING
ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY SERVE
THE CREATOR OF THE WORLD.
I MAY NOT HAVE EXACTLY WHAT
YOU NEED TODAY, BUT I HAVE
SOMETHING BETTER.
I HAVE A PRAYER.
I HAVE A HAND.
I HAVE A WORD.
I HAVE SOMETHING
I CAN DO FOR YOU.
MAYBE IT'S JUST YOUR TIME.
SOMETIMES TIME CAN BE MORE
VALUABLE THAN MONEY.
HEY, DOES YOUR SISTER JUST
NEED AN ENCOURAGING WORD?
DOES SHE NEED YOU TO JUST SIT
DOWN FOR 5 MINUTES AND HELP
HER OUT WITH A SITUATION
THAT SHE'S GOING THROUGH?
MAYBE SHE JUST, SHE NEEDS YOU
TO NOD AND SAY,
"YES, YOU CAN DO IT."
WHAT IS IT THAT SOMEONE
NEEDS TODAY?
YOU HAVE IT BECAUSE YOU ARE
NEVER EMPTY HANDED.
A LOT OF TIMES, WE DON'T HAVE
ENOUGH FINANCIALLY.
IF YOU DO HAVE ENOUGH
FINANCIALLY, PRAISE GOD,
GIVE IT.
GOD ALWAYS GIVE BACK.
BUT SOMETIMES WE DON'T HAVE
ENOUGH TO SOLVE SOMEONE'S
PROBLEM.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO GET
THEM OUT OF THE SITUATION.
THERE WAS A YOUNG BOY
IN THE BIBLE.
HE PACKED HIS SACK LUNCH
ONE MORNING.
HE DECIDED HE WAS GOING TO GO
SEE JESUS.
HE PUT FIVE LOAVES OF BREAD
AND TWO FISH IN IT.
HE THOUGHT, "THIS SHOULD TAKE
CARE OF ME, AT LEAST FOR THE
AFTERNOON WHEN I GET HUNGRY.
I HAD A GOOD BREAKFAST,
BUT IT'LL TAKE CARE OF ME
THIS AFTERNOON."
SO HE WAS STANDING IN THE
CROWD, WATCHING JESUS, AND
ALL OF A SUDDEN HE GOT A TAP
ON THE SHOULDER, AND THIS
DISCIPLE CAME UP TO HIM
AND SAID, "HEY, YOUNG MAN,
CAN I HAVE YOUR LUNCH?
I SEE YOU GOT A LUNCH THERE."
HE SAID, "I'VE GOT TO FEED
ALL THESE PEOPLE," AND I'M
SURE THE BOY WAS LIKE, "I'M
SORRY, BUT THIS IS NOT ENOUGH
TO FEED ALL THE PEOPLE."
CAN YOU IMAGINE HIM
SCRATCHING HIS HEAD,
THINKING, "WHERE'D THIS GUY
COME FROM?"
YOU KNOW?
BUT THE BOY GAVE IT ANYWAY.
THE BOY SAID, "MAYBE I DON'T
HAVE ENOUGH, BUT LET ME JUST
SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN," AND
THAT DAY, THE DISCIPLES TOOK
THAT LUNCH AND PUT IT
IN THE HANDS OF JESUS.
THAT LITTLE BIT, IT WASN'T
ENOUGH, BUT IN THE HANDS OF
JESUS, IT FED 5,000 PEOPLE
THAT DAY.
YOU MAY NOT HAVE ENOUGH
TO MEET THE ENTIRE NEED.
YOU MAY NOT HAVE ENOUGH
TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
BUT CAN YOU SHARE YOUR LUNCH?
CAN YOU GIVE A LITTLE?
CAN YOU DO WHAT IT TAKES
TO HELP A FRIEND?
LISTEN, WE NEED TO HAVE THIS
ABUNDANT MENTALITY BECAUSE
I BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE
PUT OUR LITTLE, NO MATTER
WHAT IT IS--IS IT A SMILE?
ARE YOU HOLDING A DOOR FOR A
STRANGER WHEN YOU WALK
THROUGH THE DOOR FIRST?
ARE YOU JUST LETTING
YOUR LIGHT SHINE?
I BELIEVE WHEN WE BEGIN TO
PUT OUR LITTLE IN THE HANDS
OF JESUS, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE
GOING TO SEE MIRACLES.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING
TO SEE THE BLIND SEE, THE
CRIPPLED WALK, THE LAME JUMP.
WE'RE GOING TO SEE
RELATIONSHIPS MENDED.
WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE RIPPLE
EFFECT OF WHAT WE HAVE GIVEN
TO JESUS EFFECTIVE ON THIS
ENTIRE EARTH.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GIVE, NO
MATTER WHAT IT IS, HOW GREAT
OR HOW SMALL, THAT GIVING
SERVES AND HELPS OTHERS.
BUT DO YOU KNOW REALLY WHAT
THAT GIVING DOES?
IT POWERFULLY TRANSFORMS
THE GIVER.
DO YOU WANT TO TRANSFORM
LIFE?
DO YOU WANT TO LIVE AT YOUR
HIGHEST LEVEL?
DO YOU WANT TO SEE GOD DO
THINGS, NOT ONLY IN YOUR OWN
LIFE, BUT IN THE LIVES AROUND
YOU?
BE THAT EXTRAVAGANT GIVER.
HAVE THAT MENTALITY OF, "I'M
NEVER EMPTY-HANDED.
I'VE ALWAYS GOT SOMETHING TO
OFFER," AND WATCH GOD TAKE
YOUR LITTLE AND MAKE IT INTO
A LOT, MAKE IT INTO MUCH.
> JOEL: THANKS FOR
WATCHING THIS
MESSAGE. I HOPE
YOU ENJOYED IT.
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> 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!