Joel Osteen Podcast - Celebrating the Heart of the Mother! - Victoria Osteen

Episode Date: March 15, 2017

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Mother's Day, honor the faith of all the mothers in the house and all those who are viewing or listening on radio today. We just want to honor you and tell you that you're amazing. Thank you for your great faith. And I was reading in 2 Timothy, and the Apostle Paul recognized a mother's faith. Now, you think about this. In the days that the Apostle Paul lived, women weren't recognized very often. In fact, they were rarely recognized.

But I want to read a letter to you that he wrote to a young man named Timothy. Now, he loved Timothy like his own son. And he was writing a letter to Timothy, and some of the churches were Timothy. was because he wanted them to know that there was a lot to do, there was a lot of reasons to move forward. But this is how he started his letter to Timothy. And this is found in 2 Timothy 1.5. He said, I'm remembering and reminding you, Timothy, of the sincere faith that I see in you that lived first in your grandmother Lois and now in your mother, Eunice. That's amazing. when you think about it, he started that letter saying, I want to recognize the influence

and value of your mother and your grandmother's faith. And I want to say that I now see it living in you. He said, I'm persuaded now that I've been around you and I've spent time with you that you've got this same faith. To me, that's incredible because these two women were able to influence Timothy. with such an amazing faith that Paul picked up on. Now, I can't think of a greater compliment to give a mother than to say, I see the sincere faith in your child, and I see the same faith that you have now in them. See, that's a beautiful compliment, and that was astounding that Paul would

recognize that. But one thing I love was the fact that he said, a sincere faith. faith. That's how he described it. Sincere, authentic, real. A faith that was lived out to the best of those women's ability. He didn't say a perfect faith. He didn't say, you know, because they were perfect women and they had the perfect faith, guess what? And now it's been passed on to you. No, he said, it's a sincere faith. It's a real faith, Timothy. See, I'm pretty much sure that these women weren't perfect. I'm sure that they didn't always do things the best way. I'm sure they made some mistakes. But it wasn't because of their perfect faith. It was because of the sincerity of their heart, doing what they knew to their very best ability to raise this child in the ways and the

things of God. And that's why I'm encouraged this morning. And I hope that you will be encouraged with this exhortation from Paul saying, you don't have to be perfect, you just have to have a sincere faith towards God. See, that's what made the impression on Timothy's heart. It wasn't perfection, it was sincerity. And I want to encourage all the mothers in here today to keep living out your faith. Keep living it out in the best possible way that you know how. Because your faith will be caught by your children, and they'll build upon that faith. Your faith is transferable. And you know what? I think that's so impressive that God would give us the influence to transfer such a powerful force. Now, God gives every one of us a measure of faith, but it's what we do with that faith that makes the

difference. You know, I'm sure that Timothy's mother and grandmother got up some warnings, just like you and I, and we think, do we even have any faith? I mean, God, help me increase my faith. I don't even know if I have enough faith to do what I'm called to do. But can I tell you, small faith, lived in a big way, makes a huge difference in your life? You just got to live it in a big way. Don't shrink back. You've got enough faith to move mountains. The disciples ask Jesus, increase us in our faith. They felt just like we did also, and they walked with Jesus. They said, how do we increase our faith, Jesus? And Jesus used this example.

He said, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, which is one of the smallest seeds around, he said, then that faith has the potential and the strength to move a mountain. He was comparing these tiny little bitty seed to a huge mountain. That's powerful. He was saying don't shrink back because of how you feel. Take that mustard seed, that little bit that I've given you, and invest it. And it will be mighty in your life. It'll be mighty.

Some of you today, you're looking at your life and you're thinking, how can I possibly, how can I possibly send my children to college? Maybe you're a single mother. Can I tell you, use your faith. Don't look at your circumstance. Don't allow that circumstance to dictate to you. Don't allow that circumstance to say, you don't have enough. It'll never happen.

Take that mustard seed faith and you throw it at that circumstance. And you tell that circumstance the way it's going to turn out, okay? You don't let that circumstance talk to you. You begin to take your faith and begin to speak to that circumstance and say, I will send my children. into college, they will be successful. I'm not going to let what God's given me lie dormant, but I'm not only going to stir it up, not only am I going to use it, but this faith that I have is going to be passed on. See, living your faith out daily will cause your faith to increase

because you'll have more experience with God. And that increased faith is what passes on. There's a story in the Bible about a woman who was raising her. her son. She was all by herself. There was a great famine in the land. Everyone had no food. They were starving to death. This woman had a little bit of flour and a little bit of oil. She looked at her son and she thought, I'm going to make a cake. The very last cake that I can make, we're going to share it, we're going to eat it, and then we're going to die. A prophet came to her home, the prophet Elijah. And you know what she did? She said, I don't know, but this has got to be God. This has got to be my last hope. She took.

took that flour and she took that oil and she made that cake and she gave it to the prophet. And can I tell you that from that moment forward, she didn't hunger for anything else because she trusted God. She gave. She took that little bit of faith and she said, I'm using it. I'm not going under, but I'm going to go over. Maybe today you don't know what to do. You say, I just, I've done everything I know to do.

but I'm just here. I'm just here and I just got to make it. Well, can I tell you to hold fast your profession of faith? The Bible says if you'll just hold fast, hold on to it, guard it. Timothy was actually, Paul was actually reminding Timothy to guard what had been entrusted to him, to hold onto it so that he could do everything that he was supposed to do for the kingdom of God. If you'll just stand strong, hold on to your faith.

God said, I will reward that faith. I will reward you. God is still rewarding sincere faith today. Faith is just the assurance that God will get you through, knowing that he will do what you can't do. Do what you can do. But don't shrink back because you know God can do it all. He can do it all. Maybe your child isn't serving the Lord today.

Listen, don't look at the fact that he's not serving. or she's not serving the Lord. Look at the scripture that says, for me and my house, we'll serve the Lord. You know what? If someone says to you, has your son and daughter straightened up yet? Say, for me and my house, we are serving the Lord. It's only a matter of time before God goes and gets them. See, don't let that situation dictate to you.

You begin to tell that situation what's going to happen. You begin to tell that situation that my child's coming in. You do your part. Love them unconditionally. Because there's nothing that you can say. There's no reprimanding. There's nothing that you can say except for loving them that's going to bring them back anyway. So just let your love work and let God go get them.

All right? Just God is a God that will not fail us. Live your faith, big and bold. Know that you have tremendous influence. The Apostle Paul recognized it in Timothy's life, and I can tell you that people will recognize it in your children's life. You've done the best you can do. You're here today because of your incredible faith.

Now move forward into tomorrow and believe God for great things because of your incredible faith, that sincere and honest faith lived out before Almighty God. Amen. He's an awesome God. As a thank you for your support of our ministry this month, Joel and Victoria would like to send you a copy of Joel's new three-message series, Victory in the Storm. In this new series, you'll learn you don't have to stay stuck in defeat when the winds and storms come.

You have the power to stay strong, regardless of what comes against you. Request your copy of Victory in the Storm today at Joeloesteen.com. Or call 888-567, Joel. We can't control everything that happens to us, but we can control how we respond. In difficult times, we don't have to get upset. We can stay in peace, knowing that God promised all things are going to work out for our good. That difficulty is not going to defeat you, it's going to promote you. Request this resource, it will help you live the victorious life that belongs to you.

Several years ago, I was diagnosed with what's called a goiter that's an extremely enlarged thyroid. It was the size of both of my surgeon's fists. I had to have surgery, and they told me I'd never sing again, and I felt hopeless. But you know what? This ministry teaches us that we're never victims, but we are always victors. And that is what gave me the hope and the faith to be able to press on. I had that surgery, but now I'm singing like I could before, and my life has never been the same. Your support is changing lives.

Thank you so much for your prayer and your generosity. If you'd like to partner with us to take hope around the world, we'd love to have you do it. Go to the website and find out how. Victoria and I pray for you and your family every day. 2017 is going to be a blessed sphere for you. Keep believing, keep expecting. We just declare right now you're going to have a blessed, prosperous week. We love you very much.

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