>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: YES,
THANK YOU, LORD.
WE DO BELIEVE, FATHER,
SHOWING UP HAS MADE A
DIFFERENCE.
AS WE SING THAT SONG, I JUST
WANT TO REMIND US ABOUT
SOMETHING.
SEE, GOD HAS GIVEN US HIS
GRACE.
HE'S COVERED US, ALL OF OUR
FAILURES AND ALL OF OUR
MISTAKES, HE'S NEVER GOING TO
FAIL US.
HE'S ALWAYS GOING TO LOVE US.
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL POSITION TO
BE IN, SUCH SECURE POSITION
TO BE IN.
IN FACT, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
THAT, IT MAKES YOU WANT TO DO
BETTER.
IT MAKES YOU WANT TO RISE
HIGHER.
IN FACT, THE SCRIPTURE SAYS
IT'S THE GOODNESS OF GOD THAT
LEADS US TO REPENTANCE.
YOU COULD SAY IT LIKE THIS:
IT'S THE GOODNESS OF GOD THAT
WORKS IN US AND MAKES US
BETTER, MAKES US INTO THE
PEOPLE HE'S CALLED US TO BE.
SEE, THE SAME GOODNESS, THE
SAME LOVE, THE SAME UNFAILING
LOVE, IT NOT ONLY IS FOR US,
BUT IT'S FOR THOSE AROUND US.
IT'S FOR OUR FAMILY.
IT'S FOR OUR SPOUSES, OUR
CHILDREN, OUR RELATIVES, OUR
NEIGHBOR.
YOU SEE, GOD BLESSES US AND
GIVES US THIS NOT TO HOLD
ONTO IT FOR OURSELVES, NOT TO
SAY, "OH, THIS IS SO GREAT,
GOD."
NO, HE BLESSES US SO THAT WE
CAN SPREAD THE BLESSING, SO
THAT WE CAN GIVE THE FAVOR,
SO THAT WE CAN BE THAT
CONDUIT ON THIS EARTH.
IT'S CALLED THE HANDS AND
FEET OF JESUS, AND I WANT US
TO BELIEVE WITH ALL OF OUR
HEART THAT WE ARE SO COVERED
AND SO LOVED THAT WE ARE ABLE
TO DO THE SAME FOR OTHER
PEOPLE.
I WANT TO TALK TODAY ABOUT
OUR FAMILIES, MAKING SURE WE
ARE COVERING OUR FAMILIES,
MAKING SURE WE ARE LOVING
THEM, CONSIDERING THEM, NOT
JUST PUTTING THEM ON OUR
TO-DO LIST, BUT PUTTING THEM
ON OUR TO-LOVE LIST.
EVERY DAY, ARE YOU LOVING THE
GIFTS THAT GOD IS GIVING YOU?
YOU SEE, CHILDREN, THE BIBLE
SAYS, THEY'RE OUR HERITAGE.
THEY'RE A GIFT FROM GOD.
SEE, WE'RE NOT JUST SUPPOSED
TO WORK FOR THEM.
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO ENJOY THEM.
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO CELEBRATE
WITH THEM.
OUR SPOUSES, THEY ARE A GIFT
FROM GOD.
THEY ARE SOMEONE TO HELP US
GROW AND LEARN AND LIVE LIFE
TOGETHER.
ARE WE PUTTING THEM ON OUR
LOVE LIST EVERY SINGLE DAY?
I'VE BEEN MARRIED TO JOEL FOR
30 YEARS, AND I'VE GOT TO
TELL YOU THIS: I STILL HAVE
TO REMIND MYSELF.
IS HE ON MY LOVE LIST?
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S FINE
AT FIRST.
YOU CAN GET ALL EXCITED.
YOU HAVE A LITTLE GOOSE
BUMPS.
EVERYTHING IS SO WONDERFUL,
BUT AS YEARS GO BY, YOU HAVE
TO CONTINUE TO STIR UP THE
LOVE AND THE EXCITEMENT.
I HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF.
I CANNOT QUIT BEING JOEL'S
BIGGEST CHEERLEADER.
I CAN'T QUIT TELLING HIM HOW
PROUD I AM OF HIM, HOW
EXCITED I AM THAT I'M HIS
WIFE.
I CAN'T QUIT BEING MY VERY
BEST SO THAT I'LL REFLECT THE
VERY BEST ON HIM.
YOU SEE, ONE OF THE GREATEST
WAYS TO LOVE EACH OTHER IS TO
LIVE AT OUR VERY BEST, TO SET
THE TONE FOR THE LIFE WE WANT
TO LIVE.
YOU SEE, YOU SET THE TONE AND
THE ATMOSPHERE FOR YOUR LIFE.
YOU'RE NOT A THERMOMETER.
A THERMOMETER MEASURES THE
TEMPERATURE, BUT A THERMOSTAT
SETS THE TEMPERATURE.
IT SETS THE TONE, AND GOD HAS
EMPOWERED EVERY ONE OF US
THROUGH HIS LOVE, HIS GRACE,
HIS MERCY, TO SET THE TONE
AND THE TEMPERATURE FOR OUR
LIFE AND FOR THE LIVES OF
OTHERS.
IT SAYS IN HEBREWS 10:24,
"LET US CONSIDER HOW WE MAY
SPUR ONE ANOTHER ON TOWARDS
LOVE AND GOOD DEEDS."
YOU SEE, IF YOU CAN SPUR
SOMEONE ON IN GOD'S LOVE,
LISTEN, THOSE GOOD DEEDS WILL
FOLLOW.
IF YOU CAN STRENGTHEN THEM IN
GOD'S LOVE, THEN THEIR LIFE
WILL BECOME BETTER.
YOU SEE, IT WAS THE LOVE THAT
RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD.
LOVE IS POWERFUL.
LOVE COVERS ALL.
LOVE IS THE END-ALL, BE-ALL.
WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO
DO, GOD IS SAYING, "LOVE THEM
ANYWAY."
JUST LOVE THEM ANYWAY BECAUSE
IT'S A POWERFUL FORCE.
HE FIRST LOVED US SO WE CAN
LOVE OTHERS.
SO I THINK ABOUT THAT
SCRIPTURE, AND I THINK TO
MYSELF, "HOW CAN I SPUR MY
FAMILY ON?"
I HAVE TO CONSIDER IT.
THAT MEANS I HAVE TO MEDITATE
ON IT.
I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT.
I CAN'T DO IT THE SAME WAY
ALL THE TIME.
I DON'T PUT IT ON AUTOPILOT.
I CONSIDER.
I MEDITATE.
I DWELL.
WHAT WORKS BEST IN THIS
SITUATION?
YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT
HOW TO SPUR OR CHEER SOMEONE
ON, I THINK ABOUT THE
ATTITUDE OF A CHEERLEADER.
OKAY, I WAS NEVER A
CHEERLEADER IN HIGH SCHOOL
ALTHOUGH I WISH I WOULD'VE.
I GUESS I MISSED MY CALLING,
BUT I CAN BE A CHEERLEADER
RIGHT HERE TO MY FAMILY.
I CAN CHEER THEM ON, AND IT'S
NOT SO MUCH ABOUT
RAH-RAH-RAH.
IT'S ABOUT AN ATTITUDE.
YOU THINK ABOUT BEING AT THE
HIGH SCHOOL GAME, AND THERE'S
THE CHEERLEADER ON THE
SIDELINES.
WHAT'S THE ATTITUDE OF THOSE
CHEERLEADERS?
THE ATTITUDE IS A WINNING
ATTITUDE.
YOU SEE, WHEN THE SCOREBOARD
IS IN THEIR FAVOR, POM POMS
ARE UP, AND THEY ARE CHEERING
THEIR TEAM ON.
WHEN THE SCOREBOARD IS DOWN
AND THEIR TEAM IS FUMBLING
THE BALL AND THEY DON'T SEEM
TO BE ABLE TO GET IT
TOGETHER, THEIR TONE NEVER
CHANGES.
THEY HAVE A WINNING TONE,
JUST A DIFFERENT CHANT.
THAT'S WHEN YOU'LL HEAR,
"DEFENSE, DEFENSE," BUT THEIR
TONE IS STILL POINTING THE
TEAM TOWARDS WINNING.
IT'S SAYING, "HEY, WE CAN
SCORE.
LET'S KEEP OUR SPIRITS
HIGH."
I HAVE NEVER, EVER SEEN THE
SCOREBOARD DOWN ON THE TEAM
THAT THE CHEERLEADERS WERE
ROOTING FOR: MAN, THE GUYS
ARE FUMBLING THE BALL.
IT DOESN'T LOOK.
THE CHEERLEADER PUTS HER
POM-POMS DOWN, SHAKES HER
HEAD, SAYS, "I'M OUT OF
HERE."
I'VE NEVER SEEN IT.
THAT'S NOT THE ATTITUDE OF A
CHEERLEADER.
A CHEERLEADER KNOWS HOW TO
KEEP THE SPIRITS UP, BUT MAY
CHANT A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHEN
NEED BE, BUT ALWAYS POINTS
THEIR TEAM TO THE WINNING
GOAL, AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT
US TO THINK ABOUT.
WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS
THOSE DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
WHEN MAYBE YOUR HUSBAND, YOUR
WIFE, YOUR CHILDREN, THEY
DON'T SEEM TO BE ABLE TO GET
IT TOGETHER.
MAN, THEY KEEP FUMBLING THE
BALL.
WHAT'S GOING ON?
WHAT DO YOU DO?
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THEY DO
SCORE?
DO YOU TAKE TIME TO
CELEBRATE, TO SHOUT, TO TELL
THEM HOW PROUD YOU ARE OF
THEM?
YOU SEE, YOU GOT TO KEEP THIS
ATTITUDE IN THE GOOD TIMES
AND IN THE BAD TIMES.
IT'S CALLED "CONSISTENCY,"
AND IF WE'RE GOING TO SET THE
TONE FOR OUR FAMILY AND WE'RE
GOING TO CREATE THE LIFE THAT
WE WANT TO LIVE WITH OUR
FAMILY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
TO BE CONSISTENT.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO KEEP
THE TONE OF A WINNER.
LISTEN, THE LAST THING I WANT
TO HEAR WHEN I'M FUMBLING THE
BALL IS "WHAT'D YOU DO THAT
FOR?"
"LOSER."
I KNOW THAT I'M FUMBLING THE
BALL.
I KNOW THAT I HAVEN'T DONE
WELL.
I'M TRYING.
I NEED SOMEONE TO SUPPORT ME,
TO PROP ME UP, TO DIRECT ME
TOWARDS THE GOAL.
I NEED TO KNOW THAT I CAN
SCORE.
I DON'T NEED TO BE TOLD THAT
I'M FUMBLING THE BALL.
I NEED SOMEONE THERE FOR ME.
IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE THE
BIBLE SAYS, "GIVE TO OTHER
PEOPLE WHAT YOU WANT."
THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO KEEP IT
ALL INTO PERSPECTIVE WHEN
YOU'RE FACING DIFFICULTIES,
WHEN YOU'RE FACING DIFFICULT
SITUATIONS WITH FAMILY
MEMBERS, AND I KNOW THERE ARE
SOME FAMILY MEMBERS THAT SEEM
TO NEVER BE ABLE TO GET IT
RIGHT, BUT CAN I TELL YOU, IF
YOU GET IT WRONG, IT'S NOT
GOING TO CHANGE A THING.
IF YOU DECIDE TO TELL THEM
HOW BAD THEY ARE, THAT'S NOT
GOING TO CHANGE A THING, BUT
IF YOU'LL GET THIS TONE, THIS
WINNING TONE RIGHT, YOU HAVE
A BETTER CHANCE OF PROPPING
THEM UP AND HELPING THEM.
YOU SEE, IT'S OUR RESPONSE.
ARE WE WALKING IN A PLACE OF
PEACE?
WHERE DO WE GET THAT PEACE?
WE GET IT FROM GOD.
YOU KNOW WHAT I SAID BEFORE?
WE GET EVERYTHING FROM GOD.
WE CAN ONLY LIVE THIS LIFE IN
VICTORY BY GETTING IT FROM
GOD.
YOU SEE, HE'S GIVING IT TO US
SO THAT WE CAN GIVE IT TO
OTHERS.
I REALIZED, WHEN MY DAUGHTER
WAS ABOUT 8 YEARS OLD, HOW
IMPORTANT MY RESPONSE WAS,
THAT IT SET THE TONE FOR WHAT
WOULD GO ON.
JOEL, I THINK IT WAS HIS,
MAYBE HIS FIRST BOOK OR
SECOND BOOK, AND WE WERE, AS
A FAMILY, TRAVELING ALL OVER
THE COUNTRY.
THE PUBLISHER HAD SET ALL OF
THESE BOOK SIGNINGS UP AT
DIFFERENT DATES, AND SO THEY
HAD CHARTERED US A LITTLE
PLANE, AND WE WERE GOING ALL
OVER THE COUNTRY.
SOMETIMES WE WOULD BE IN
THREE DIFFERENT STATES IN ONE
DAY, AND SO WE HAVE ALWAYS
DONE THIS MINISTRY AS A
FAMILY, SO I HAD MY LITTLE
8-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND MY
LITTLE--MY--PROBABLY ABOUT
11-YEAR-OLD SON, AND SO WE'D
PROBABLY GO INTO OUR SECOND
STATE, AND IT WAS THE MIDDLE
OF THE DAY, AND WE WERE GOING
IN THIS LITTLE PLANE, AND MY
8-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER,
ALEXANDRA, WAS SITTING ACROSS
FROM ME, AND WE WERE JUST,
KIND OF, HANGING, CHILLING A
LITTLE BIT, WHEN ALL OF A
SUDDEN, THE OXYGEN MASK FALLS
FROM THE CEILING, AND I JUST
PANICKED: BIG-OLE EYES, HUGE
GASP--
[GASPING]
I WAS LIKE, "WE'RE DEAD,"
YOU KNOW?
MY LITTLE 8-YEAR-OLD GIRL
DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING
ON, BUT THE TONE-SETTER WAS
PANICKING.
THE MOM IN THE BUNCH WAS
FREAKING OUT, SO SHE
IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO CRY,
JUST BAWL ALL OF A SUDDEN.
SHE SAW ME, AND IT JUST LET
GO AN EMOTION OF, "THIS IS A
BAD SITUATION," AND I
REALIZED, "WOW, I JUST SET
THE TONE FOR HER."
SHE WAS LOOKING AT ME, AND I
SET THE TONE FOR PANICK, FOR
FEAR, FOR DIFFICULTY, FOR
DOUBT, FOR UNBELIEF.
IF I WOULD'VE SAT THERE AND
KEPT MY COOL AND THOUGHT,
"YOU KNOW WHAT?
IF I SCREAM, IT'S NOT GOING
TO KEEP THIS PLANE IN THE
AIR.
IF I FREAK OUT, IT'S NOT
GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING."
IF I COULD'VE JUST REALIZED
THAT MY RESPONSE MADE ALL THE
DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD--NOW,
NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE PILOT
CAME UP AND SAID, "SORRY, A
LITTLE BIT OF A MALFUNCTION,"
AS HE CRAMMED THE THING BACK
UP IN THE CEILING.
THANK GOD IN HEAVEN, I WAS
LIKE, "WOOH."
BUT IT SHOWED ME MY RESPONSE
IS POWERFUL, AND I TELL THAT
LITTLE STORY TO SAY YOUR
RESPONSE IS POWERFUL.
WHETHER YOUR CHILD IS 8 YEARS
OLD, 18 YEARS OLD, OR 38
YEARS OLD, YOUR RESPONSE, YOU
SET THE TONE.
IT'S POWERFUL.
WHEN I CALL MY MOM ON THE
PHONE, TO THIS DAY, SHE
LITERALLY HAS THE POWER TO
SET THE TONE FOR ME.
WHETHER I LIKE IT OR NOT,
THERE'S A POWERFUL THING
BECAUSE IT'S CALLED THE
ANOINTING OF BEING A PARENT.
IT'S JUST THE WAY GOD MADE
IT.
SO I WANT TO REMIND YOU TODAY
AND MYSELF, ARE WE GOING TO
CELEBRATE IN THE GOOD TIMES,
AND ARE WE GOING TO KEEP THAT
WINNING SPIRIT IN THE
DIFFICULT TIMES?
SEE, IT'S ALL ABOUT OUR TONE.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE
TEMPERATURE.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE WINNING
SPIRIT, AND I BELIEVE, IF WE
WILL DO THAT AND WE GET THAT
FROM GOD, WE GOING TO SET THE
TONE AND HAVE A GREAT LIFE,
NOT ONLY FOR OURSELVES, BUT
FOR OUR FAMILIES.
LISTEN, IF YOU WANT TO PRAY
RIGHT NOW, PUT YOUR HAND UP
IN THE AIR BECAUSE I'M GOING
TO PRAY FOR OUR FAMILIES HERE
AT LAKEWOOD CHURCH.
I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE GOING
TO HAVE STRONG FAMILIES, THAT
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO
HAVE STRONG FAMILIES.
FATHER, I THANK YOU FOR EVERY
HAND THAT'S RAISED, ALL THOSE
WHO ARE LISTENING ONLINE,
FATHER, ON SIRIUSXM, I THANK
YOU, FATHER, YOU KNOW YOUR
PEOPLE, AND YOU KNOW THEIR
DESIRE TO HAVE STRONG
FAMILIES, LORD.
FATHER, I THANK YOU THAT
THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING IN
OUR FAMILY RIGHT NOW, THOSE
WHO ARE FUMBLING THE BALL AND
ARE LOSING THEIR WAY, GOD,
THAT YOU WOULD HELP THEM
RIGHT NOW, IN JESUS' NAME,
THAT YOUR STRENGTH WOULD COME
IN, FATHER, THAT YOU'D SEND
LABORERS ACROSS THEIR PATH,
THAT WE COULD LIVE AN EXAMPLE
AS A LIGHT TO THEM, FATHER.
LORD, I THANK YOU, GOD, THAT
YOU WILL HELP THEM, AND,
FATHER, GROW OUR FAMILIES
STRONG TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER,
TO BE THERE FOR ONE ANOTHER,
TO STICK TOGETHER.
FATHER, I THANK YOU WILL
NEVER GIVE UP ON THEM, WILL
NEVER RUN OUT OF LOVE FOR
THEM, GOD, BUT WE WILL KEEP
THAT WINNING TONE AND THAT
WINNING ATMOSPHERE, EVEN IF
THE CHANT SOUNDS A LITTLE
DIFFERENT.
GOD, I THANK YOU WILL
CONTINUE TO POINT THOSE WE
LOVE TOWARDS YOU, TOWARDS THE
HIGH ROAD, AND TOWARDS BETTER
DAYS.
THANK YOU, FATHER, THAT YOU
WILL ALLOW US TO LIVE
BALANCED LIVES, WHOLE LIVES,
THAT, FATHER, WE WOULD BE
ABLE TO DRAW FROM YOU WHAT WE
NEED SO THAT WE CAN GIVE TO
THOSE AROUND US.
THANK YOU, FATHER, THAT YOU
ARE WORKING IN THE LIVES OF
THE FAMILIES HERE AT LAKEWOOD
CHURCH.
YOU ARE BREATHING IN THEIR
DIRECTION, FATHER.
THEY ARE RECEIVING IT EVEN
NOW, FATHER, IN JESUS' NAME,
AMEN AND AMEN.
THANK YOU, LORD.
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.