>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: I WANT TO
ENCOURAGE US TODAY ABOUT
REMEMBERING, REMEMBERING THE
GOOD, REMEMBERING THE THINGS
THAT ARE HELPFUL TO US.
YOU SEE, SO MANY TIMES IN
LIFE, THERE'S NEGATIVE THINGS
THAT HAPPENED TO US.
MAYBE A BAD CHILDHOOD, MAYBE
A DIVORCE, SOME NEGATIVE
WORDS HAVE BEEN SPOKEN IN
YOUR--IN YOUR LIFE, AND THOSE
ARE THE THINGS WE DON'T WANT
TO REMEMBER.
WE WANT TO REMEMBER WHAT IS
BENEFICIAL AND WHAT IS GOOD.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN MOWING THE
LAWN OR MAYBE WASHING THE
DISHES, DRIVING DOWN THE
STREET, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN A
MEMORY FROM THE PAST HITS
YOUR THOUGHTS?
MAN, IT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE.
OR MAYBE SOMETHING THAT HAD
HAPPENED 2 WEEKS AGO AT WORK
JUST KIND OF RUNS RIGHT INTO
YOUR THOUGHT LIFE, AND IT
MAKES YOU FEEL SAD, OR
LONELY, DEPRESSED.
MAYBE THOSE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
MADE YOU EVEN FEEL FEAR FOR A
MOMENT, FEAR OF WHAT WOULD
HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
YOU SEE, THAT'S WHAT NEGATIVE
THOUGHTS DO TO OUR LIFE, THEY
STOP US.
THEY'RE INTENDED TO CAUSE US
TO PAUSE, TO NOT WALK IN
FAITH AND VICTORY, SO THAT'S
WHY I WANT TO ENCOURAGE US SO
MUCH TO REMEMBER WHAT WE'RE
REMEMBERING.
LET'S REMEMBER THE GOOD.
THE APOSTLES WROTE MANY TIMES
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THEY
WROTE THINGS LIKE THIS, "I AM
WRITING TO REMIND YOU.
I AM WRITING TO REMIND YOU
AGAIN.".
PAUL PUT IT THIS WAY, HE
SAID, "I NEVER GET TIRED OF
REMINDING YOU.".
IN 2 PETER, PETER SAID THIS,
HE SAYS, "I'M WRITING YOU TWO
LETTERS, TWO LETTERS TO
REMIND YOU.".
YOU SEE, THEY KNEW THE POWER
IN REMEMBERING THE RIGHT
THING.
THEY KNEW THAT IT COULD
TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU
REMEMBERED WHAT GOD HAS SAID
AND WHEN YOU REMEMBER WHAT
GOD HAS DONE.
SEE, WE NEED TO REMEMBER.
IT'S EASY TO PUT OUR MINDS ON
AUTOPILOT, BUT WE HAVE TO
KNOW THAT THERE'S
TRANSFORMING POWER, AND IT'S
WORTH USING OUR TIME AND
ENERGY TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE'RE
REMEMBERING.
THE OLD TESTAMENT, GOD
COMMANDED HIS PEOPLE, THE
CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, HE
COMMANDED THEM TO TAKE TIME
OUT FROM THEIR BUSY SCHEDULES
SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR TO
CELEBRATE.
FESTIVALS HE CALLED THEM,
TIMES OF REMEMBRANCE.
SEE, HE WANTED THEM TO STOP,
TO CELEBRATE WHAT HE HAD
DONE.
NOW, CAN I TELL YOU THIS?
THIS WASN'T A SUGGESTION BY
GOD.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS
OPTIONAL.
GOD REQUIRED THEM TO TAKE
TIME TO STOP AND REMEMBER THE
MIRACLES, HOW HE PARTED THE
RED SEA, HOW HE BROUGHT WATER
OUT OF THE ROCK, HOW MANNA
CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN.
HE WANTED THEM TO PAUSE AND
REMEMBER THE WONDERS THAT HE
HAD DONE, THE MARVELOUS DEEDS
THAT HE HAD PERFORMED.
YOU KNOW WHY HE WANTED THEM
TO DO THAT?
BECAUSE THEY'RE A LOT LIKE US
TODAY.
THEY GET BUSY DOING LIFE, AND
SOMETIMES, WHEN WE'RE SO BUSY
DOING LIFE, WE HAVE A
TENDENCY TO FORGET, AND IN
THAT BUSYNESS, AND IN THOSE
STRUGGLES, AND IN THOSE
PLACES THAT'S TRYING TO MAKE
THINGS HAPPEN, WE FIND
OURSELF THINKING, "IF I DON'T
MAKE THIS HAPPEN, IT'S NOT
GOING TO HAPPEN.
I GOT TO GET THIS DONE, I GOT
TO DO THIS, I GOT TO DO
THAT," AND WE STRUGGLE AND WE
STRUGGLE, AND WE FORGET.
WE FORGET WHO'S IN CONTROL.
WE FORGET WHO WE CAN DEPEND
ON.
WE FORGET WHO CAN DO THINGS
THAT WE CAN'T DO.
WE FORGET THE MIRACLES THAT
GOD HAS DONE IN OUR LIFE.
SO OFTEN, WE FORGET WHAT WE
SHOULD REMEMBER, OUR
VICTORIES, OUR SUCCESS, THE
GOOD TIMES.
YOU SEE, SOME PEOPLE FEEL
GUILTY IF THEY'RE HAVING FUN.
SOMETIMES WE REMEMBER WHAT WE
SHOULD FORGET, THE PAIN, THE
HEARTACHE, THE LONELINESS.
YOU SEE, WE CAN'T ALLOW THE
THINGS OF THE PAST TO CONTROL
OUR LIFE.
GOD DOESN'T REMEMBER THOSE
PAST MISTAKES.
HE DOESN'T EVEN REMEMBER THE
THINGS THAT PEOPLE SPOKE INTO
YOUR LIFE.
ALL HE KNOWS IS HE WANTS YOU
TO MOVE FORWARD TODAY.
HE WANTS YOU TO REMEMBER THE
GOOD, REMEMBER WHAT HE HAS
DONE.
SEE, WHEN WE DON'T USE THE
POWER OF REMEMBRANCE FOR OUR
FAVOR, THEN IT WEAKENS OUR
LIFE.
LET'S REMEMBER THE GOOD SO
THAT WE CAN STRENGTHEN OUR
LIFE.
WE NEED TO CHOOSE TO REWRITE
OUR HISTORY.
NOW, YOU SAY, "HOW DO WE DO
THAT?
THESE THINGS REALLY HAPPEN,
AND VICTORIA, YOU'RE SAYING I
SHOULD BE IN DENIAL?"
NO, I'M NOT SAYING YOU SHOULD
BE IN DENIAL.
I'M SAYING YOU SHOULD CHOOSE
YOUR PIECES TO CREATE YOUR
GOD STORY.
YOU CREATE YOUR GOD STORY.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO LET YOUR
PAST CREATE THE STORY AND A
HISTORY FOR YOU.
GOD HAS ALREADY DONE AWAY
WITH YOUR PAST.
THE ONLY WAY NOT TO LET THAT
PAST BE THE PAST IS TO NOT
LIVE IN THE PAST.
YOU SEE, YOU CAN'T LIVE IN
THE PAST IF YOU WANT TO GET
AWAY FROM YOUR PAST.
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND TODAY
IS YOUR FUTURE.
THE PAST IS THE PAST, BUT
TODAY IS YOUR FUTURE.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO
REMEMBER?
WHAT STORY ARE YOU CREATING
FOR YOUR LIFE?
SEE, THE PSALMIST SAID, "I
REMEMBER WHAT THE LORD HAS
DONE.
I REMEMBER HIS MARVELOUS
WORKS.".
WHY?
BECAUSE HE HAD TO BRING
SOMETHING THAT WAS FROM THE
PAST, WHICH WAS A MIRACLE,
HOW GOD HAD HELPED HIM
BEFORE, HE HAD TO BRING IT
INTO THE FUTURE SO THAT HE
COULD GET THROUGH THE
DIFFICULT TIME HE WAS GOING
THROUGH, SO HE COULD GET
THROUGH ANY DOUBT OR ANY
UNBELIEF THAT WAS TRYING TO
STOP HIM.
SEE, THAT'S OUR CHOICE TODAY.
WE CAN EITHER TAKE A PIECE OF
THE GOD STORY AND BRING IT
INTO OUR FUTURE, OR WE CAN
TAKE A PIECE OF SOMETHING
THAT'S NOT GOING TO HELP US
THAT GOD'S ALREADY TAKEN CARE
OF AND BRING IT INTO OUR
FUTURE.
SEE, WHAT ARE YOU REMEMBERING
IS SO VERY IMPORTANT TODAY.
THE BIBLE RECORDS HOW GOD
ALSO TOLD HIS PEOPLE TO PUT
DOWN MEMORIAL STONES, STONES
OF REMEMBRANCE.
HE SAID, "PUT THESE STONES
DOWN SO YOU CAN REMEMBER THE
SPECIFIC VICTORIES THAT I
HAVE GIVEN YOU, THE THINGS
THAT I HELPED YOU WITH.".
SEE, THESE WERE SO THAT THEY
COULD REMEMBER AS THEY PASSED
BY.
AS THEY LIVED THEIR LIFE,
THEY PUT DOWN THOSE MEMORIAL
STONES NOT ONLY FOR
THEMSELVES, BUT GOD SAID, "I
WANT YOU TO PUT THESE DOWN
FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
I WANT THEM TO SEE HOW I WORK
IN YOUR LIFE.".
DO YOU HAVE ANY MEMORIAL
STONES?
DO YOU HAVE SOME THINGS IN
YOUR LIFE?
'CAUSE I CAN TELL YOU THIS
TODAY, YOU WOULDN'T BE
SITTING HERE IF GOD HADN'T
DONE GREAT THINGS IN YOUR
LIFE.
YOU HAVE MEMORIAL STONES.
YOU HAVE VICTORIES.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S A JOB
THAT YOU'RE GOING TO EVERY
SINGLE DAY AND YOU CAN
CERTAINLY SAY, "GOD, I
WOULDN'T HAVE THIS JOB IF IT
WASN'T FOR YOU.".
MAYBE YOU'VE HAD STUDENT
LOANS THAT YOU'VE BEEN PAYING
ON FOR A LONG TIME, AND IT'S
BEEN DIFFICULT AND IT'S BEEN
ROUGH, BUT YOU FINALLY GOT
THEM PAID OFF.
MAYBE YOUR CAR IS A BIG OLD
MEMORIAL STONE, AND YOU'RE
SAYING, "GOD, THANK YOU FOR
THIS CAR.
THIS IS MY MEMORIAL STONE OF
YOUR GOODNESS, OF YOUR MERCY
AND YOUR FAVOR IN MY LIFE.".
SEE, WHEN WE LOOK AROUND, WE
CAN SEE THESE PLACES AND
SPACES IN OUR LIFE THAT GOD
BROUGHT US VICTORY, BROUGHT
US SUCCESS.
THAT'S WHY HE WANTS US TO
REMEMBER THE GOOD THINGS.
HE WANTS US TO MOVE THEM
FORWARD AND CREATE OUR GOD
STORY.
THE MAYOR OF HOUSTON,
SYLVESTER TURNER, TELLS A
STORY ABOUT HOW HIS FATHER
DIED WHEN HE WAS 13 YEARS
OLD, AND HOW HIS MOTHER
RAISED 9 CHILDREN ALL BY
HERSELF, AND HE TELLS ABOUT
HOW SHE BROUGHT THEM TO
CHURCH AND RAISED THEM IN
CHURCH, AND HOW IT WAS VERY
IMPORTANT TO HER THAT THEY
GOT IN SCHOOL, AND SO SHE
MADE SURE THEY WERE IN SCHOOL
BECAUSE AN EDUCATION WAS VERY
IMPORTANT TO HER.
HE TELLS HOW IT WAS ROUGH,
TIMES WERE TOUGH.
THEY COULDN'T ALWAYS HAVE
WHAT THEY WANTED OR EVEN
SOMETIMES WHAT THEY NEEDED.
HE SAID, "BUT THE THING I
REMEMBER ABOUT MY MOTHER IS
THIS.
SHE NEVER COMPLAINED, SHE
NEVER TOLD ME HOW HARD IT
WAS.
SHE ALWAYS SAID THIS,
'SYLVESTER, TOMORROW WILL BE
A BETTER DAY THAN TODAY.'".
TOMORROW WILL BE A BETTER DAY
THAN TODAY.
YOU KNOW, SYLVESTER TURNER IS
A HARVARD GRAD.
WHEN HE BECAME MAYOR OF THIS
CITY, HE GAVE HIS INAUGURAL
ADDRESS, AND THIS IS WHAT HE
SAID.
HE SAID, "TODAY IS EVIDENT
WHAT MY MOM ALWAYS SAID WAS
VERY TRUE.
TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER THAN
TODAY.".
YOU SEE, SYLVESTER'S MOTHER
LAID DOWN A MEMORIAL STONE OF
FAITH TO HER CHILDREN.
YOU SEE, WITH HER WORDS AND
WITH HER ACTIONS, SHE ERECTED
GOD'S GOODNESS IN THEIR LIFE.
SHE LAID DOWN A MEMORIAL
STONE OF HOPE FOR HIS FUTURE
THAT HE ALWAYS REMEMBERED.
YOU SEE, OFTENTIMES WE WANT
TO TELL OUR CHILDREN HOW HARD
IT IS, AND WHY THEY CAN'T
HAVE THIS, AND HOW THEY
SHOULDN'T DO THAT BECAUSE
THEY MAY END UP LIKE THIS.
BUT CAN I SUGGEST TO US TODAY
THAT WE BEGIN TO BRING THOSE
GOD PIECES AND LAY THEM AT
THE FEET OF OUR CHILDREN?
LET'S CREATE A GOD STORY FOR
THEIR FUTURE.
LET'S TELL THEM HOW GOD GOT
YOU THROUGH AND HOW HE'S
GOING TO GET THEM THROUGH.
YOU SEE, THOSE STONES WILL
CREATE STEPPING STONES FOR
THEIR FUTURE.
WE NEED TO ERECT SOME
MEMORIAL STONES.
WE NEED TO REMEMBER WHAT
WE'RE REMEMBERING.
BRING YOUR GOD STORY FORWARD
SO THAT IT'LL ENERGIZE AND
INFUSE YOUR LIFE.
YOU SEE, WHEN YOU TELL THE
NEXT GENERATION OF THE DEEDS
OF THE LORD AND HIS MIGHTY
POWER, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
IN YOUR FAMILY LINE.
IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE FOR
YOUR FUTURE.
REMEMBERING GOD KEEPS US
HOPEFUL, AND IT ENCOURAGES
US, AND IT SHAPES OUR
THOUGHTS, AND PREPARES US FOR
THE FAITH TO ALLOW GOD TO
BRING THOSE GOOD THINGS IN
OUR LIFE, AMEN?
AMEN, HE'S AN AWESOME GOD.
YOUR PARTNERSHIP MAKES
THIS MINISTRY POSSIBLE.
YOUR FAITHFUL AND
CONSISTENT MONTHLY SUPPORT
MAKES YOU A CHAMPION OF
HOPE.
THE VISION OF JOEL OSTEEN
MINISTRIES IS TO USE EVERY
AVENUE AVAILABLE TO PRESENT
THE HOPE OF JESUS CHRIST TO
PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.
WE KNOW IT IS THIS HOPE
AND THE TRANSFORMING
POWER OF THE GOSPEL THAT
MAKES AN ETERNAL DIFFERENCE
IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.
TO PARTNER WITH JOEL OSTEEN
MINISTRIES, VISIT
JOELOSTEEN.COM/PARTNER
TODAY.