>> VICTORIA: WE HONOR YOU
TODAY, AND WE THANK YOU FOR
EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE.
WE THANK YOU, YOU ARE A GOOD
GOD, AND WE WILL WORSHIP YOU
ALL THE DAYS OF OUR LIFE.
IN JESUS'S NAME, AMEN.
YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING
ABOUT THIS EARLIER, AND I
JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU
WITH THIS THOUGHT.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IN LIFE
WE TRY TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN
ON OUR OWN.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR OUR GOOD
BREAKS, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE
RIGHT PEOPLE, WE'RE LOOKING
FOR OPPORTUNITIES, AND THAT'S
ALL GOOD.
BUT WHEN WE'RE STRUGGLING TO
MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, I BELIEVE
THAT THAT IS NOT GOOD FOR US,
SO LET'S TAKE ANOTHER
APPROACH, AND THAT APPROACH
WOULD BE ALL THROUGH THE DAY,
JUST UNDER YOUR BREATH, WHEN
YOU'RE FEELING LIKE YOU'RE
STRUGGLING, WHEN YOU'RE
WONDERING WHEN YOU'RE GOING
TO GET THAT GOOD BREAK, WHEN
ARE YOUR PRAYERS GOING TO BE
ANSWERED, IF YOU'LL JUST STOP
AND SAY, "GOD, I RECEIVE
EVERYTHING YOU HAVE FOR ME.
GOD, YOU'VE GOT GOOD THINGS
STORED UP FOR ME TODAY, AND I
AM NOT GOING TO STRUGGLE, AND
I'M NOT GOING TO WORRY, BUT
I'M JUST GOING TO BE IN A
RECEIVING MODE."
WHEN YOU GO INTO A MEETING,
"THANK YOU, FATHER.
I RECEIVE EVERYTHING I NEED
FOR THIS MEETING."
WHEN YOU GO IN TO SEE YOUR
FAMILY AFTER A LONG DAY'S
WORK, TAKE ONE DEEP BREATH
AND SAY, "GOD, THANK YOU I'M
RECEIVING EVERYTHING I NEED
TO BE A GOOD HUSBAND, A GOOD
WIFE, A GOOD MOTHER.
THANK YOU, FATHER, THAT I
DON'T HAVE TO STRUGGLE, BUT
I'M JUST RECEIVING."
YOU SEE, THE BIBLE SAYS NO
GOOD THING WILL HE WITHHOLD
FOR THOSE WHO WALK UPRIGHTLY.
GOD'S NOT WITHHOLDING YOUR
ANSWERS.
GOD'S NOT WITHHOLDING THOSE
GOOD BREAKS.
HE'S NOT HOLDING ON TO THOSE
PRAYERS, WAITING FOR YOU TO
GET IT RIGHT.
IF YOU SEE IT OR YOU DON'T
SEE IT, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE
RECEIVING WHAT GOD HAS FOR
YOU.
I BELIEVE THAT'S HOW WE'RE
GOING TO LIVE THAT
EXCEPTIONAL LIFE.
YOU KNOW, SOMEONE ASKED ME,
"WHY DID YOU NAME YOUR BOOK
'EXCEPTIONAL YOU'?"
SEE, IT IS BECAUSE I BELIEVE
THAT EACH ONE OF US HAVE BEEN
CALLED TO LIVE THIS
EXCEPTIONAL LIFE THAT JESUS
CAME TO GIVE US.
I BELIEVE THAT GOD IS AN
EXCEPTIONAL GOD, AND HE
FASHIONED AND FORMED US AND
CREATED US INTO HIS
EXCEPTIONAL IMAGE.
HE FILLED US WITH GIFTS AND
TALENTS.
HE GAVE US QUALITIES SO THAT
WE COULD PRODUCE THE
EXCEPTIONAL IN OUR LIFE.
YOU SEE, WE'RE NOT COMMON.
WE'RE NOT ORDINARY.
WE'RE EXCEPTIONAL.
YOU ARE FEARFULLY AND
WONDERFULLY MADE, AND GOD HAS
YOU ON A PATH THAT IS
UNIQUELY YOUR OWN.
WE'RE ALL IN A DIFFERENT
PATH, BECAUSE NO TWO PATHS
ARE ALIKE, BUT GOD'S GOT US
ALL ON THE ROAD TO VICTORY.
YOU SEE, WE CAN'T LOSE SIGHT
OF WHOSE WE ARE AND WHO WE
ARE.
YOU SEE, WHEN WE LOSE SIGHT
OF WHO WE ARE, WE TAKE THESE
GOD-GIVEN ATTRIBUTES AND WE
HAVE A TENDENCY TO REDUCE
THEM DOWN IN OUR OWN MINDS.
WE THINK WE'RE NOT GOOD
ENOUGH, WE'RE NOT QUALIFIED
ENOUGH, BUT YOU HAVE TO LIVE
THIS TRUTH TODAY: YOU ARE
EXCEPTIONAL BECAUSE GOD MADE
YOU THAT WAY.
SEE, GOD FORMED YOU, AND HE
FASHIONED YOU, AND HE SAYS
YOU ARE EXCEPTIONAL.
IN EPHESIANS 1:4, IT SAYS
THAT GOD CHOSE US BEFORE THE
FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.
HE ADOPTED US TO BE HIS VERY
OWN.
NOT BECAUSE HE HAD TO, BUT
BECAUSE HE WANTED TO, AND IN
THAT ADOPTION, HE BROUGHT US
IN TO A FAMILY, HIS FAMILY.
HE NOT ONLY PLACED TREMENDOUS
VALUE AND WORTH ON OUR LIFE,
BUT HE LABELED US "PROPERTY
OF GOD."
YOUR IDENTITY TODAY IS A
CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH GOD.
WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND WHO YOU
BELONG TO AND YOU REALLY
VALUE WHAT GOD HAS PLACED ON
THE INSIDE OF YOU, THAT'S
WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE
TO STAND UP AGAINST
CHALLENGES, OVERCOME
OBSTACLES.
SEE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE
TOSSED TO AND FRO WONDERING
IF YOU'RE GOOD ENOUGH.
"IS GOD HELPING ME?"
NO, YOU KNOW THE CREATOR OF
THE UNIVERSE IS IN FULL
CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE, AND HIS
THOUGHTS ARE--FOR YOU ARE FOR
GOOD AND NOT EVIL, TO GIVE
YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE.
DON'T DISQUALIFY YOURSELF
WHEN GOD HAS ALREADY
QUALIFIED YOU.
SOMETIMES WE DISCOUNT WHAT WE
HAVE, BUT GOD WILL NEVER
DISCOUNT US.
IN MATTHEW, IT TELLS A STORY
ABOUT JESUS.
HE HAD FASTED 40 DAYS AND 40
NIGHTS.
HE WAS LED INTO THE
WILDERNESS, AND HE CAME UPON
THE ENEMY.
NOW, HE WAS WEAK.
HE WAS HUNGRY.
HE WAS TIRED.
HE WAS VULNERABLE.
SEE HOW I SAY THAT WORD?
VULNERABLE.
MY KIDS MAKE FUN OF ME SO
MUCH BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW
TO SAY THAT WORD, VULNERABLE.
OKAY, LET'S MOVE ON.
HE WAS FACING THE ENEMY AND,
YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING
BECAUSE THE FIRST THING THE
ENEMY DID WAS CHALLENGE HIS
IDENTITY, CHALLENGE WHO HE
WAS AND HIS WORTH.
HE WAS HUNGRY, SO THE ENEMY
OFFERED HIM SOME STONES AND
SAID, "IF YOU ARE THE SON OF
GOD, TURN THESE STONES INTO
BREAD."
"IF YOU ARE THE SON OF
GOD."
SEE, QUESTIONING WHO HE WAS,
CHALLENGING HIS WORTH, HIS
VALUE, HIS CAPABILITY.
SEE, WE KNOW THAT JESUS COULD
TURN STONES INTO BREAD,
BECAUSE WE SEE LATER ON IN
THAT CHAPTER THAT HE TOOK A
LITTLE BOY'S SANDWICH, AND HE
FED 5,000 WITH IT.
SEE, HE COULD MAKE SOME
BREAD, BUT HE WASN'T GOING TO
MAKE ANYTHING THAT THE ENEMY
TOLD HIM TO MAKE.
HE WASN'T GOING TO ANSWER TO
THE ENEMY.
HE WASN'T GOING TO ACCEPT HIS
CHALLENGE.
YOU KNOW WHAT HE DID?
HE ANSWERED HIM WITH THIS:
"IT IS WRITTEN, 'MAN SHALL
NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT
BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS
OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"
YOU SEE, THE ENEMY IS STILL
ROAMING AROUND.
HE'S STILL TRYING TO
CHALLENGE AND DISQUALIFY US.
WE DON'T HAVE TO PROVE OUR
SELF.
WE DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER TO
HIM.
SEE, JESUS WASN'T GOING TO
GET OUT OF HIS TIMING.
IT WASN'T YET HIS TIME.
GOD HADN'T TOLD HIM TO
MULTIPLY THE BREAD.
GOD DIDN'T TELL HIM TO TURN
THOSE STONES INTO BREAD.
THE ENEMY WAS TRYING TO GET
HIM TO STEP OUT OF HIS TIME
AND DO SOMETHING TO PROVE WHO
HE WAS.
YOU SEE, YOU AND I DON'T HAVE
TO PROVE WHO WE ARE TO ANY
ENEMY, TO ANY OPPOSITION, TO
ANY CIRCUMSTANCE THAT WE'RE
FACING.
YOU MAY BE FACING A CHALLENGE
RIGHT NOW.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO PROVE
YOURSELF.
THE ENEMY MAY BE SAYING, "IF
GOD LOVES YOU, THEN WHY ARE
YOU GOING THROUGH THIS?
IF GOD LOVES YOU, IF YOU ARE
A CHILD OF GOD, WHY ARE YOU
DIVORCED?"
YOU SEE, HE WANTS YOU TO TAKE
OFFENSE AND SAY, "GOD, WHY AM
I DOING THIS?"
BUT WHEN YOU KNOW WHO YOU
ARE, YOU CAN SAY, "GOD, I
KNOW I'M GOING TO GET THROUGH
THIS, AND I'M GOING TO COME
OUT OF IT BETTER, MORE
QUALIFIED THAN I WENT IN."
YOU SEE, DON'T FORGET WHO YOU
ARE AND WHOSE YOU ARE.
YOU ARE EXCEPTIONAL.
I LOVE THIS STORY I HEARD
JOEL'S FATHER TELL.
IT WAS A STORY ABOUT HE AND
HIS FRIEND, JESSE, AND THEY
WENT TO A HIGH SCHOOL
FOOTBALL GAME, WHERE JESSE'S
SON WAS PLAYING BALL, AND SO
JESSE WAS SO EXCITED TO TAKE
DADDY O, THAT'S WHAT I CALL
HIM, TO SEE HIS SON PLAY
FOOTBALL.
SO, THEY'RE SITTING IN THE
BLEACHERS, AND THIS YOUNG MAN
WAS HAVING A BAD DAY OUT ON
THE FIELD.
EVERY TIME HE WOULD GET THE
BALL, HE WOULD JUST FUMBLE
IT.
ANY TIME HE TRIED TO GET IT
DOWN THE FIELD, HE JUST
SEEMED TO DROP IT, OR SOMEONE
WOULD JUST TAKE IT FROM HIM,
SO HE HAD ONE MORE CHANCE,
AND THEY'RE SITTING ON THE
EDGE OF THEIR SEATS, AND HE
GOT THE BALL UNDER HIS ARM,
GOING TO TAKE IT DOWN THE
FIELD.
HE STEPPED TO THE RIGHT, AND
HE STEPPED TO THE LEFT.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, THESE TWO
BIG, OLD GUYS CAME AND JUST
TACKLED HIM, JUST TOOK HIM TO
THE GROUND.
WELL, MY FATHER-IN-LAW WAS
LIKE, "OH, WHAT DO I DO?
WHAT DO I SAY?"
HE'S SITTING THERE SO QUIET,
A LITTLE BIT EMBARRASSED FOR
JESSE, AND THEN A FEW MINUTES
LATER HE FELT THIS ELBOW
GOING IN HIS RIBS, AND HE
LOOKED AT HIS FRIEND JESSE,
AND JESSE SAID, "JOHN, DID
YOU SEE MY SON'S TWO GOOD
MOVES?"
YOU SEE, THAT WAS A PROUD
FATHER, A FATHER WHO WAS
CHEERING HIS SON ON EVEN ON A
BAD DAY, AND SOMETIMES WE
THINK THAT GOD IS SITTING IN
THE BLEACHERS JUST WATCHING
US FUMBLE THROUGH LIFE, JUST
SAYING, "WHY CAN'T THEY GET
IT RIGHT?"
ALMOST HANGING HIS HEAD IN
EMBARRASSMENT, BUT CAN I TELL
YOU, YOU SERVE A GOOD GOD?
YOU HAVE A LOVING HEAVENLY
FATHER WHO NOT ONLY CHEERS
YOU ON, WHO NOT ONLY SUPPORTS
YOU, BUT HE CAME DOWN FROM
HEAVEN TO HELP YOU ALONG THE
WAY.
IT'S UP TO US TO MAKE A
DECISION.
WE ARE EXCEPTIONAL.
HEY, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE
EXCEPTIONAL DOESN'T MEAN
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FACE
CHALLENGES, BUT THROUGH THOSE
CHALLENGES YOU CAN DEVELOP
THESE EXCEPTIONAL ATTITUDES,
THESE EXCEPTIONAL CHOICES,
BECAUSE REALLY, TO PRODUCE
EXCEPTIONAL IS ALL ABOUT YOUR
CHOICES, AND IT'S ABOUT YOUR
ATTITUDE.
YOU SEE, GOD WANTS YOU TO
HAVE AN ATTITUDE OF VICTORY.
HE DOESN'T WANT YOU TO HAVE
AN ATTITUDE OF DEFEAT.
SEE, EVERY DAY WE HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO HIT THE RESET
BUTTON.
GOD'S MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY
SINGLE DAY.
WE CAN ADJUST AND WE CAN
ALIGN OUR SELF TO GOD.
HEY, IF YOU FEEL YOURSELF
GETTING OFF COURSE, JUST MAKE
THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO
GET RIGHT BACK IN LINE WITH
GOD.
HE'S RIGHT THERE.
HE'S CHEERING YOU ON.
HE IS SAYING, "GET UP AND GO
AGAIN."
YOU SEE, YOU CAN'T FAIL
UNLESS YOU QUIT.
DON'T DISQUALIFY YOURSELF.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WALK IN
THIS EXCEPTIONAL, THIS
EXCEPTIONAL LIFE, WE ARE
GIVING AN INVITATION FOR
THOSE AROUND US TO COME IN
AND BE EXCEPTIONAL.
WE'RE GIVING THEM PERMISSION
TO BE EXCEPTIONAL.
WHY IS THAT?
BECAUSE WHEN WE KNOW WHO WE
ARE, WE REFLECT WHO WE ARE ON
OTHER PEOPLE.
THAT MEANS WE DON'T JUDGE.
THAT MEANS WE HAVE MERCY.
WE EXTEND GRACE.
THEY SEE OUR INFLUENCE, AND
IT ALLOWS THEM TO HAVE A
PICTURE OF EXCEPTIONAL THAT
THEY CAN FOLLOW.
YOU SEE, I BELIEVE THAT OUR
FRIENDS AND OUR FAMILY ARE
WATCHING US, AND WE HAVE A
TREMENDOUS INFLUENCE, SO KNOW
THIS TODAY: YOU ARE
EXCEPTIONAL BECAUSE GOD MADE
YOU THAT WAY.
IN FACT, I BELIEVE I'M
LOOKING AT EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE
RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE IF YOU
WEREN'T EXCEPTIONAL, YOU
WOULDN'T BE SITTING HERE
TODAY.
YOU WOULDN'T BE PRESSING
THROUGH THOSE OBSTACLES AND
THOSE CHALLENGES YOU'RE
FACING.
YOU WOULDN'T BE COMING TO
THIS ALTAR BELIEVING THAT YOU
SERVE A GOD THAT CAN HELP
YOU.
YOU SEE, IF YOU WEREN'T
EXCEPTIONAL, YOU WOULD HAVE
ALREADY QUIT, AND YOU WOULD
HAVE ALREADY GIVEN UP, SO I
JUST BELIEVE TODAY BECAUSE
YOU ARE EXCEPTIONAL, GOD IS
HELPING YOU PRODUCE THAT
EXCEPTIONAL LIFE.
YOU WILL OVERCOME YOUR
CHALLENGES.
YOU WILL DEFEAT EVERY ENEMY.
YOU WILL GO TO NEW LEVELS,
BECAUSE IF GOD IS FOR YOU,
WHO DARE BE AGAINST YOU?
AMEN?
AMEN.
HE'S AN AWESOME GOD, AND WE
LOVE HIM SO MUCH TODAY.
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.