Joel Osteen Podcast - Continual Joy | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: October 15, 2025

Outside circumstances don't have to dictate your happiness. God's continual joy is available for you to access. Your best days are still ahead, and together we can make a difference in this world with the message of God's hope and love.To give, visit JoelOsteen.com/GiveHope Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of the Joel Osteen Podcast ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. It's always a joy to come into your homes. And if you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right at home.

But thanks so much for tuning in. And thank you again for coming out today. I like to start with something funny. And I heard about this middle-aged woman. She had a heart attack. On the operating table, she asked God if this was it. God said, no, you have 40 more years. Upon recovery, she decided to stay in the hospital,

have a facelift, tummy tuck, lipostuction, extreme makeover. Two months later, as she is leaving the hospital, she was hit by a car and killed. She got to heaven and said, God, I thought you said, I had 40 more years. God said, I'm sorry. I didn't recognize you. Hold up your Bible.

Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess, my mind is alert, my heart is receptive.

I will never be the same. In Jesus' name. God bless you. I want to talk to you today about having continual joy. We all face difficulties in life, challenges at work, people that are hard to get along with, their stress, traffic, disappointments. If we're not careful, we'll let the pressures of life weigh us down. It's easy to complain, talk about our problems, become negative, discouraged. But we weren't created to endure life. We were created to enjoy life.

and we can't control what happens on the outside, but we can control what happens on the inside. And happiness for a lot of people is based on their circumstances. It's the weekend. I'm happy. My spouse is treating me better. I'm happy. Traffic wasn't too bad. I'm happy.

But joy is not dependent on what's happening around you. Joy is deep down within you. Doesn't mean we'll be jumping up and down every day, but there's a cost. calm delight, you're content, you're at peace, you know God's fighting your battles, you could be upset, but you have a smile on your face. Things are tough, but you're not complaining. Your attitude is, life is good. I'm thankful to be alive. When you live like that, you're tapping into the joy that's on the inside. John chapter four, Jesus said to the woman at the well, if you drink of this water, you'll thirst again. But I will give you,

you living water. He described it in verse 14. It says this water will become a spring, welling up, bubbling continually within you. There is a well of joy in you right now, a spring that's supposed to bubble up and continually flow. Why don't we all have joy? There's something we have to do. Ephesians 5 says, be ever filled with the spirit. No, you don't get filled one time and then you're done. It says be ever filled. This means on a regular basis we have to keep filling ourselves up. How do we do it? The next verse says by speaking to yourself in songs, making melody in your heart, and by being thankful. The way to have continual joy is to keep a song of praise in your heart. All through the day on the inside we should,

should be singing. This means in our attitude, we're grateful. In our thoughts, we're always thinking about God's goodness. Cooking dinner, you're humming the tune to a song. Mowing the lawn, you're whistling as you go along. Driving to work, this is going to be a great day. Lord, I'm excited about my future. In some way, you're always making melody in your heart. Thinking about God's goodness, thanking him for your life, your family, your job. Every time you do this, something is happening. You're not just being positive, just having a good attitude. You're being filled back up.

God is pouring into you peace, strength, favor, victory. See, life takes things out of us. Stress, disappointments, traffic. We have to develop this habit of being ever filled. Well, Joel, I went to church on Sunday. I got filled up for the week. That's good, but one time is not going to last all week. When you get stuck in traffic on Monday morning,

a coworker aggravates you Monday afternoon, your child gets on your nerves Monday evening, all that was poured into you on Sunday is going to be used up. If you're not making melody in your heart throughout the day, keeping this song of praise on the inside, then the pressures of life are going to push you down, steal your joy. It's like a helium balloon. If you've ever gotten one for your birthday,

the first few days the balloon flies high, and it goes to the end of the stream. In fact, if you went outside and let it go, it go way up in the air. But in a few days, the balloon starts to sink down a little, get a little smaller. Day after day, it goes lower, lower. Eventually, it's on the ground.

It won't rise at all. There's nothing wrong with the balloon. It's just out of helium. If you were to refill it, it would be just as good as it was when it was new. In the same way, every time we complain, we're leaking. Every time we get stressed out, we're leaking. Every time we worry, we're leaking. Before long, we have no joy, no passion.

That's why we have to become ever filled. Next time you get stuck in traffic, try a new approach. instead of complaining, Lord, I want to thank you that you're directed my steps. I believe I'm at the right place at the right time. Instead of leaking, you just got filled back up. You got stronger. Maybe your child is causing your trouble. Instead of worrying, thinking about how it's never going to work out all through the day,

Lord, thank you. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Lord, you said the seed of the righteous, my children will be mighty in the land. What could deflate you instead will inflate you. Perhaps the medical report wasn't good. You could easily be depressed, live in self-pity. But instead, in your thoughts, you're constantly thinking, Lord, you are good.

Thank you that you're my healer. Thank you that nothing can snatch me out of your hands. Because you're making melody in your heart, you're going to stay encouraged. That well of joy will keep bubbling up, giving you the strength to fight the good fight of faith. But too many people had developed a habit of being negative, seeing the worst, worrying. You can develop this new habit of keeping a song in your heart.

You have to look for ways you can be grateful. In your everyday life, brushing your teeth in the morning, Lord, thank you for this day. Getting dressed for work. Lord, thank you that I'm healthy. Cooking breakfast. Lord, thank you for my children. Driving to work. Lord, thank you that I have a job.

in your thoughts, you're always meditating on God's goodness. It's easy to do just the opposite. Focus on what's wrong. It doesn't take much effort to go toward the negative. Well, Joel, I don't like my job. These people get on my nerves and traffic was terrible today. I don't feel like cooking dinner for my family. Nobody appreciates me. All I do is work around here. Can I tell you, you're making yourself miserable. You're deflating your own balloon. Turn it around. and start making melody in your heart. You may not like your job, but why don't you thank God that at least you have a job. If you'll be grateful where you are, God will get you to where you're supposed to be. You may have some big obstacles, people, circumstances coming against you,

but you don't have to live upset and worried. You can thank God that he's fighting your battles, thank him that he's making your crooked places straight. You can go through the day, with expectancy saying, I don't see a way, but God, I know you have a way. You've done it for me in the past. I know you'll do it for me again. This is how you have continual joy. When you have joy, you have the strength you need to overcome the obstacles, to outlast the attack, to accomplish your dreams. I learned this principle from my father. Everywhere he went, under his breath, he was always either singing, praying, or he would be whistling. He loved to whistle the tune from the Andy Griffith Show.

I heard that hundreds and hundreds of times. You know, it wasn't anything spiritual, but he had a joyful attitude. When he was whistling, he was saying, God, I love you. Thank you for what you've done in my life. That was his way of making melody in his heart. Vacuuming the house. you can do it thinking I can't stand to clean this place, or you can do it humming the tune to,

I am a friend of God. Going to the grocery store, you can dread it, go there sour, or you can go there whistling with a song of praise in your heart. My brother Paul, every time he comes in the back door of the church, I hear him whistling just like my father. He's never in tune, but he's happy.

My grandmother used to do. this same thing. We'd go over to her house a lot growing up and every time I saw her, she would be humming a tune, real low, unless you were right up to her, you couldn't hear it, but ironing the clothes, cooking us dinner, coming to church with my grandfather, she was always making melody in her heart. I can't remember one time ever seeing my grandmother upset, worried, frustrated, even when things didn't go her way, she'd just kind of laugh at all. Her attitude was, I'm not going to worry. I know everything's going to be all right.

One time my grandparents came over to our house for Thanksgiving dinner. My grandmother forgot the turkey, the main dish. Didn't ruin her day. Did mine. Not hers, but she just laughed and said, can you believe I did that?

Nothing took her song. No wonder she was always happy. No wonder she lived so long, so healthy. she was constantly making melody in her heart. I wonder how much more we'd enjoy life, how much longer and healthier we would live if we would do like her and keep that song of praise on the inside.

I'm not talking about being musical. I'm talking about a lifestyle of being thankful, seeing the best, always thinking about what God has done, how blessed we are, how good things are in store, even in difficulties. We're not complaining. We're thinking God that he's bigger than our problem. We're thanking him that what he started, he'll finish in our lives. At our house, we have a lot of

birds on the outside, especially at certain times a year, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Robbins. Early in the morning, usually about a half hour before sunrise, they start singing and singing. It sounds like a symphony. There are so many different kinds of birds, different sounds. It's right outside our bedroom window. Many mornings they are singing so loud that they wait me up. They are

so full of joy, they're almost annoying. As I listen to those birds singing back and forth, fill in our backyard with beautiful music, those birds don't seem like they have a care in the world. Don't

they know the price of oil has gone down? cost of living is gone up traffic's gotten worse trouble in the middle east they just sing like life is good like everything's going to be all right like their creator is watching after them the other morning there was this big storm lightning thunder the rain was coming down so hard i was lying in bed listening to it all thinking boy this is a good time to be sleeping about that time outside my window i heard those birds start to sing. I thought you have got to be kidding. I wanted to say birds, don't you realize you're getting wet? It's storming. There's lightning. You're supposed to be miserable. Why are you singing in the midst of this turmoil? See, nobody told the birds to quit singing when it rains,

to be depressed when they have a bad break, to be sour when somebody does them wrong. They just sing like they don't care. If we were birds, we would think it's sprinkling today. I'm taking the day off. No singing for me. My nest got a little wet. I'm out for three months. Cover for me. We need to learn a lesson from the birds. Don't complain when it storms. Don't be sour when things don't go your way. Just keep singing. Keep making melody. Keep being grateful. It may be rough on the outside, but stay full of joy on the inside. Keep that song of praise in your heart. Paul said in Philippians, do all things without complaining. That means do the dishes without complaining. Drive in traffic without complaining.

Sit where the ushers ask you to sit without complaining. Watch the Texans without complaining. Sometimes we complain about the very thing that we asked God for and he gave it to us. You prayed for that bigger house. Don't complain that you have more to clean. You prayed for that wife. Don't complain that you have to work seven jobs to afford her. You prayed for that baby. Don't complain that you have to get up sometimes in the middle of the night.

For three and a half years, we prayed and believed for this place, the former compact center. When God gave it to us, it was a dream come true. First year, we were here. They showed me the utility cost for a year, $1 million. I thought, God, can we go back to our old place? It's easy to complain. It's always some reason to be sour, upset, complain about the traffic, playing about the city, complain about the church. I didn't get anything out of that message

today. We complain about a message on complaining. Here's a good phrase to remember. When you complain, you remain, but when you praise, you'll be raised. When you have that song in your heart, you're always thinking about God's goodness. You're going to rise higher. You're going to see more of God's favor. One time Victoria and I were at an amusement park when our children were small. And we've been waiting in line for about 45 minutes for this very popular ride. It was a beautiful day.

We were enjoying our time together. This lady came off the ride with her two children. and she was headed toward the rest of her family, they were in line right behind us. Before she even got close, she started saying, it wasn't worth it. They didn't let us sit together.

That's not right. I can't believe we waited on and on, complaining so loud, so everybody could hear. After a couple of minutes when she finally stopped, I just kind of joking and having fun. I said, well, was there anything good about the ride? She looked at me and said,

are you that guy on TV? I said, no, ma'am, I'm a dentist. I wasn't about to tell her, she lit into me. But forgive me, Lord, for line. But here's my point. Here it was a beautiful day. She's at the amusement park with her family. Her kids were healthy and strong.

But she found some reason to complain. We create much of our own unhappiness. How we respond to negative things, how we approach life. When you develop this habit of seeing the good and meditating on God's goodness, making melody, life goes so much better. That's how you have continual joy. Joy despite what's happening around you. After Hurricane Katrina, I saw a news report where they were interviewing people that had made

it through. And person after person came up and told their story. And most of them were very negative, upset, discouraged, blaming others. then this one young lady came up and you could tell there was something different about her. She had a smile on her face. She was radiating joy and peace and victory. The reporter asked her almost sarcastically, okay, tell us your story. Tell us what's wrong. She said nothing's wrong. I'm not here to complain. I'm here to thank God that I made it out alive. I'm here to thank God that my children and I are still healthy and whole. This reporter,

was taken aback, pleasantly surprised. Everyone had been complaining about having no power, no air conditioning, and how hot it was. He asked her, what about you? Do you have your power? You have your air conditioning? She said, no, I not only don't have air conditioning, I don't have my house. It was blown away in the storm. But she said, I'll tell you what I do have. And she pulled out this little pocket Bible. She said, I have my hope. I have my joy. I have my God. Jesus said, no man can take your joy. No storm, no bad break, no traffic, no disappointment. There is a well in you that will never run dry.

When you keep this song of praise, making melody, focusing on what's right, then that well of joy is going to keep bubbling up, keeping you strong, keeping you encouraged, keeping you moving forward. The scripture says, speaking to yourself in songs. You have to talk to yourself the right way. There's an internal dialogue taking place in you all through the day. You can't have a negative mentality and expect to live in victory. Well, I can't believe I had this bad break.

I'll never get out of this problem. What if the medical report is not good? That's letting yourself talk to you. You need to start talking to yourself. You have to take control of your thought life. every morning when you wake up this is going to be a great day I have the favor of God

no weapon formed against me will prosper I'm strong I'm healthy I'm blessed every time you do that you're getting filled back up if you'll keep speaking to yourself the right way you'll tap into that well of joy peace

favor victory that God put in you David did this in the scripture one time he was very depressed discouraged he didn't think he could go on. And at one point, he realized nothing was going to change until he did his part. He said, why are you cast down, oh, my soul, hope in the Lord? He said to himself, David, get your hopes up. Get your dreams back. Start believing again. Get your joy back. When he started talking to himself the right way, that's when things begin to turn around.

I heard about this little bird. He lived in a bird cage his whole life. All All through the day, he would sit on his swing and sing and sing from morning to evening. He was as happy as can be, not a care in the world. One day his owner was cleaning the bird cage like she did every so often. She had the vacuum cleaner hose vacuuming out the bottom of the cage when the telephone rang. She leaned over to try to reach it with her left hand, while her right hand accidentally went up too high. while she wasn't looking, it sucked the little bird down through the vacuum cleaner hose. She finished her call and thought, where's my bird?

She started looking all over her house, searching room after room, looking behind the curtains. Finally, it dawned on her that the unthinkable may have happened. She ran over to the vacuum cleaner, opened the bag. Sure enough, there he was, all dishevelled looking. She felt terrible. She dusted him off. cleaned him up the best she could, put him up on his swing. But she said the most interesting thing happened he didn't sing anymore.

He just sat there and stared out into space. He lost his song. Sometimes we're going along great in life. Everything is fine, but then we hit some turmoil. Go through a disappointment. Friend betrays us. The medical report wasn't good. We get sucked down the vacuum cleaner hose.

so to speak. Thankfully, we make it out. But too often, like this little bird, we've lost our song. We have no joy, no passion. We're not pursuing our dreams, making the most of each day. We're just enduring life, going through the motions. And that well of joy that's supposed to be bubbling up, keeping us ever filled, has become clogged up with disappointments, discouragement, stress, self-pity. But God did not bring you this far to leave you. You have to get your song back. If one dream dies, dream another dream. If life knocks the wind out of you, don't stay down.

Get back up and go again. It may not have been fair, but God is fair. He's a God of justice. He knows how to take what was meant for harm and use it to your advantage. If you'll get your song back, God will make the rest of your life better than it would have been had that not happened. David said, God lifted me out of the pit. He was saying, in effect, my translation, God brought me out of that vacuum cleaner bag. What did he do? He put a new song in my heart. Not a song of defeat. Not a song of you won't

believe what I've been through. I've had so much heart. No, he put a song of praise and Thanksgiving in my heart. You may have gone through difficulties, but that well is still in you. God has a new song, but it's not going to do any good if you go around dwelling on your disappointments, negative, complaining. You have to start making melody in your heart. Quit thinking about what you've lost and start thanking God for what you have left. Start thanking him for the new doors that are going to open, for beauty, for ashes, that your best days are still ahead. when you get your song back, you'll feel the joy start to bubble up. Your dreams will come back to life.

Your passion will be restored. That's when God can pay you back for the negative things that have happened. This is what Habakkuk did in the scripture. He said, although the fig tree shall not blossom and there be no fruit on the vine, yet will I rejoice in the Lord in the God of my salvation. He was saying, my crops have dried up. My business have gone down. In the natural, there's no reason to be happy.

No reason to make melody in my heart. Nothing's gone my way. I got sucked down through that vacuum cleaner hose. He could have lived depressed, bitter, but he understood this principle of having continual joy. He said, all these things have come against me, yet will I rejoice in the Lord? He was saying, when I love,

look at my circumstances, there's no reason to rejoice. So I'm going to rejoice in the Lord. I can hear him all through the day. Lord, you are good. God, I praise you for your greatness. I know you're bigger than this financial difficulty, bigger than this cancer, bigger than this problem. I rejoice in the God of my salvation. In the midst of his trouble, in the midst of the struggle, he wasn't complaining, wasn't talking about his problems. He had a song of praise on the inside. That's what not only keeps us ever filled, keeps us strong and full of faith, but that's what allows God to turn things around. You may have gone through disappointments, or maybe you're in a tough time right now. I'm asking you to get your song back.

If you can't find any reason to be grateful, do like Habakkuk and rejoice in the God of your salvation. Go through the day thanking God for who he is. Lord, thank you. Lord, thank you. that you're my Savior. Thank you that you're my healer, my restore my deliver, my provider, my protector, my waymaker. He's called the great I am. He is whatever we need.

Friends, life is too short to go through it negative, worried, weighed down by pressure. There's a well on the inside of you. It's supposed to be bubbling up, continually flowing. All through the day, make sure you keep the song of praise in your

heart. Remember, it's not enough to do it one time. You have to be ever filled. If you'll develop this habit of making melody in your heart, I believe and declare your well is going to keep bubbling up with joy, peace, strength, favor, healing. You will overcome every obstacle, defeat every enemy, and become everything you were created to be. In Jesus' name, If you receive it today, can you say amen? We never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins.

Come into my heart. I make you, my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible-based church. Keep God first place. He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed. Are you in a situation where you feel lost, afraid, hopeless, where there seems to be no solutions, no answers, no way out.

It's time for your turnaround. We all face situations that look like they'll never change. It's easy to get discouraged. I'd love to send you my book, Turnaround, How God Can Take You from a Setback to a Comeback, where you'll discover how God can turn sickness into health, lack into abundance, addictions into freedom. It'll inspire you to keep believing and have an expectancy for things to turn in your favor.

Recent weeks, we've been celebrating the incredible life of my mother. Her miraculous turnaround story of overcoming terminal cancer over 40 years ago, it's a testimony of the power of God's promises. Just because you don't see a way doesn't mean God doesn't have a way. Stay in faith. Your turnaround is on the way. As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount this month, we would like to send you a copy of Joel's brand new book,

Turnaround, how God can take you from setback to comeback. Through biblical examples, real-life applications, and practical encouragement, you'll learn to see challenges through a faith-filled perspective. Each section highlights a faith turnaround point to help you see a positive change in your life. As you meditate on His promises, you'll begin to see your greatest challenges turn around. These power-packed life-transforming stories

will shift your mindset, strengthen your faith, and turn your trials into triumphs. Request your copy today and see the turnaround and breakthrough you've been waiting for. God won't let you get in a problem that he can't bring you out of. there are turnarounds in your future.

Thanks so much for being with us today. Victoria and I pray for you and your family, and we sure appreciate your prayer and support. Your generosity is helping bring hope to people around the world. Special thank you to our Champion of Hope Partners for your monthly gifts. If you're not a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one. Remember, you can watch the services online every Sunday morning. Download our daily podcast, watch on YouTube, the new Joel O'STE,

Network, social media, because you can listen to Sirius XM 24 hours a day. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired. Until we see you next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you. Be sure to request your copy of Turnaround, how God can take you from setback to come back. Visit Joelosteen.com or call 888-567 Joel. For an additional donation this month, we are also offering the Turnaround Faith Duo, One for you and one to share with a friend or family member to encourage them. You can also request the turnaround victory collection. It includes two turnaround books and the beautiful set of three wooden encouragement blocks.

Happy, healthy, and free, each featuring an uplifting scripture. You can request these inspiring resources by calling 888-567, Joel, or logging on to Joel Osteen.com today. Call or click anytime, 24 hours a day. Your life is about to turn around. Request these resources today.