Joel Osteen Podcast - Finishing Grace | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: January 29, 2025

Don't let discouragement stop you from pursuing your dreams. Let God's grace empower you to finish what He started.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.Start every day with faith to move mountains and peace that surpasses all understanding. Our 2025 Today's Word Daily Devotional includes 365 days of Scripture, inspiration, and prayers. Let this January offer encourage you all year long,https://bit.ly/3ZWYzX5. 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 so much for listening to the podcast, and thanks for supporting the ministry. We believe you're going to have an awesome 2024, healthy, productive, and favor-filled. God bless you today and enjoy the message. 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. Thanks so much for tuning in, and thank you again for coming out today.

I'd like to start with something funny. This was sent to me from an attorney. I heard about these two men, the Pope and a lawyer. They died on the same day. St. Peter met him at the pearly gates. Said, follow me, men. I'll take you to your homes. Peter first dropped the Pope off at this small wood frame house,

just one bed and one desk. He then took the lawyer to this magnificent house. It was huge. Had a big swimming pool, a beautiful view out back. The lawyer was overwhelmed. He said, St. Peter, what did I do to manage to get this magnificent place when the Pope only got that small place? Peter said, we have dozens of popes. You're the first lawyer. Hold up your Bible. 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 finishing grace. It doesn't take a lot of effort to start things. Start a diet, start school, start a family. Starting is easy. Finishing is what can be difficult. Any young lady can have a baby,

but it takes a mother to really raise that child. any two people can get married, but it takes commitment to stick with it for the long haul. Anyone can have a dream, but it takes determination, perseverance, a made up mind to see it come to pass. The question is not will you start, but will you finish? Will you finish the diet? Will you finish school? Will you finish raising your children? Too many people start off good.

They have big dreams. They're excited about their future. But along the way, they have some setbacks. It's taken longer than they thought. Somebody didn't do what they said. And over time, they get discouraged. Think, well, what's the use? It's never going to work out.

But God is called the author and the finisher of our faith. He's not only giving you the grace to start, he's given you the grace to finish. And when you're tempted to get discouraged, give up on a dream, give up on a relationship, give up on a project, you have to remind your, self, I was not created to give up. I was not created to quit. I was created to finish. You got to shake off the discouragement, shake off the self-pity, shake off what somebody said. If you will keep moving forward in faith, honoring God, you will come into a strength that you didn't have before. A force pushing you forward. That's finishing grace. That's God breathing in your

direction, helping you to become who he created you to be. This grace is available, but you have to tap into it. It's not going to do us any good if we sit around in self-pity, thinking about how difficult it is, what didn't work out. Well, Joel, my college professor, he's so hard, I'll never pass his course. No, you have the grace to finish. Quit talking defeat and start talking victory. I can do all things through Christ. I am full of wisdom, talent, creativity. I will pass this course. When you do that, finishing

grace will help you do what you could not do on your own. Even in simple things, you start cleaning your house. Five minutes later, I don't feel like doing this. I am so tired. This is so boring. No, turn it around. I am strong in the Lord. I am full of energy. I am healthy.

This is no match for me. If you'll tap into this finishing grace, you'll vacuum your house like you're on a mission from God. Vacuuming up dirt, coins, socks, children, anything that gets in your way. Maybe you're tempted to give up on a dream. Things haven't turned out the way you planned. It was going fine at first. But then you had some obstacles and you think, hey, man, it just wasn't meant to be.

Here's what I've learned. The enemy doesn't try to stop you from starting. He's seen a lot of people start. That doesn't bother him. But when you have a made-up mind, you keep pushing forward, doing the right thing, taking new ground. When he sees you getting closer, he'll work overtime to try to keep you from finishing. When you have setbacks, disappointments, people come against you, a negative medical report, don't get discouraged. That's a sign that you're moving toward your finished line.

He was fine when you got started. He was fine when you were way back. No big deal. But when you began to make progress, that got his attention. That's when he threw some obstacles, some challenges. Where you confused him is he thought you would give up after the first few difficulties. He thought you would get discouraged when that friend turned on you, when you lost that client, when your child got in trouble.

But instead, you kept moving forward. Thanking God that he's in control. Thank in him that he's fighting your battles. thinking him that no weapon formed against you will prosper. What were you doing? Tapping into finishing grace. When you should have gotten weaker, you got stronger. When you should have been depressed, you had a smile on your face.

When you should have been complaining, you had a song of praise. Instead of talking about how big the problem was, you were always talking about how big your God is. And when you should have gone under, God caused you to go over. When you didn't see a way, he made a way. when people came against you, he fought your battles, and you came out better than you were before. Now, you may be up against challenges right now. It's because you're moving forward. You're making progress. Keep reminding yourself, he's the author and the finisher of your faith. God helped you to get started. That's great. But something more important, he's going to help you to finish.

He didn't bring you this far to leave you. Says in Philippians, God began a good work in you and he will continue to perform it until it's complete. One translation says he will bring you to a flourishing finish. Not a defeated finish. Will you barely make it, beat up, broke? No, you are coming to a flourishing finish. A finish more rewarding than you ever imagine. This is what happened to a man in the scripture named Joseph. As a teenager, God gave him a dream that one day he would rule a nation. his father Jacob loved him very much. Everything started off great for Joseph. He had a big dream, a supportive family, life was good.

But along the way, things started to go wrong. His brothers, who loved him very much at one time, this was their little brother Joseph. They were always taken up for him, making sure nobody harmed him, but these same brothers turned on him. They were jealous, they threw Joseph into a pit, left him there to die. They eventually changed their mind and sold him

into slavery to a man named Potterfer. And here Joseph hadn't really done anything wrong, yet his whole world had been turned upside down. Looked like his dream was done, betrayed by his family, a slave in a foreign country. If that wasn't bad enough, they put him in prison for 13 years for something that he didn't do. Surely Joseph was depressed, angry, bitter, upset. Nothing had turned out right. No, Joseph understood this principle. He knew he had the grace not only to start,

but to finish what God put in his heart. He knew the enemy wouldn't be fighting him if he wasn't heading toward his destiny. So he stayed in faith. He kept doing the right thing when the wrong thing was happening, not working under people, but working under God. One day, the Pharaoh, the leader of the nation, had a dream that he didn't understand. Joseph was able to interpret the dream.

Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph, he brought him out of prison and put him in charge of the whole nation. Joseph's dream came to pass. God has put something on you that will override people being against you. It will override bad breaks. injustice, you have the grace not to just start, you have something even more powerful, the grace to finish. When you have an attitude like Joseph, you cannot stay defeated. Life may push you down, but God will push you back up. People may do you wrong, but God will be your vindicator. Situations may look impossible, but God can do the impossible. When you have finishing grace,

all the forces of darkness cannot stop you. Sure, you may have some setbacks, bad breaks, injustice, but don't worry, it's only temporary. It's just a detour on the way to your destiny. That's a sign that you are moving toward your finished line. See, the enemy doesn't fight people that are going the wrong way. People that are off course, discouraged, distracted, bitter, angry, that's where he wants you. He comes against people that are headed toward the fullness of their destinies. People that are taking new ground, people like you, that are coming into a flourishing finish.

Our attitude should be, I have a made up mind. I'm going to keep moving forward in spite of the bad break, in spite of the loss, in spite of the negative report, in spite of the critics. My destiny is too great. My assignment too important to get discouraged, distract, bitter, I'm not going to become half, not three-fourths, not 90 percent, I'm going to become all God's created me to be. When you're tempted to get discouraged and settle, it's because you're close to your breakthrough. You're close to seeing the problem turn around. You're close

to meeting the right person. Pharaoh is about to call you, so to speak. The good break is on the way. The healing is on the way. The contract. is on the way. Now you've got to tap in to this finishing grace. Friends, you've come too far to stop now. You believe too long. You've worked too hard. You've invested too much. It may be difficult. Negative voices may be telling you, hey, it's never going to work out. Forget it. Just settle where you are. Don't believe those lives. You are close to your destiny. When the going gets tough, you have to dig your heels in and say, I am in it to win it. I am not moved by this opposition. I am not moved by what I see, by what I feel. I'm moved by what I know, and I know this. I have the grace to finish.

I know this. God began a good work in me, and he's going to complete it. So I'm going to keep honoring God. I'm going to keep being good to people. I'm going to keep on being my best. every day you do that, you are passing the test. You are one day closer to coming in to your finish line. The scripture says here in Deuteronomy, as your days are, so shall your strength be. This means your strength will always be equivalent to what you need. If you were to get a negative medical report,

you're going to have the strength to deal with it. You're not going to fall apart. No, I can't believe this is happening. No, your strength will always match what you're up against. I remember when my father went to be with the Lord, my first thought was, how am I going to deal with this? My dad and I were very close. We had traveled the world together, and all of the sudden he was gone.

But what I thought would be very devastating, knocked the wind out of me. It wasn't anything like I'd imagined. I felt a peace like I'd never felt. A strength, a resolve. a determination. I should have been upset, anxious, but that whole time I was at peace. Deep down, I felt to rest. Sure, in my mind, there were thoughts of worry, anxiety, discouragement, but in my spirit, I could hear God whispering, Joel, I'm in control. It's all going to work out.

I've got you in the palm of my hand. That was finishing grace, pushing me forward, propelling me into my destiny. The psalmist said, God is a very present help in times of need. In the difficulties of life, if you will get quiet, turn off the negative voices,

you will feel a peace that passes understanding. You should be falling apart, but there's grace for every season. Victoria and I were in Colorado earlier this year, driving through the mountains. We rented an SUV. a large vehicle with an eight-cylinder engine.

As long as we were on the flat roads, the engine was as quiet as can be. But as we started going up the steep, winding mountain roads, just when you thought the vehicle couldn't make it, just when it looked like it was going to stop, you could hear those extra two cylinders kick in. You could actually feel the car almost like it lifted up and took off with the new power.

Here's my point. those two extra cylinders were there all the time. The extra power was always available. It just showed up when we needed it. It was strength in reserve. Sometimes in life

we think, how am I going to make it up that steep hill? I've gotten this far, but how am I going to deal with this illness? How am I going to raise this difficult child? I went through a lost child. I don't think I can go on. No, God has some strength in reserve. for you. When you hit a tough time, don't worry, there are two more cylinders about to kick in.

A strength you haven't tapped into, you're going to feel a force pushing you forward, taking you where you could not go on your own. That's finishing grace. And I've learned the closer you get to your destiny, the tougher the battles become. The higher you go up the mountain, the more God promotes you, the steeper the hill is. the critics will come out of the woodwork. People may not celebrate you. Unexpected challenges. A health issue.

A business slows down. You lose a loved one. It's easy to think, man, I was doing so good. If I just wouldn't have had this bad break, now I've got this steep hill to go up. Now that challenge is a sign that you are close to your destiny. The same God that gave you the grace to start is the same God that's going to help you finish.

He knows exactly where your path is leading. Nothing you're facing is a surprise to him. He knows every hill, every disappointment, every setback. He said that his grace is sufficient. You will never come to a hill where you don't have the strength to climb it. Now, you may face some challenges like I did when my dad went to be with the Lord. Where you think, man, I don't know how I'm going to make it up this. the reason you think that way is you haven't needed those two extra cylinders yet.

You have not felt the full force of finishing grace. When it kicks in, it's going to propel you forward. You're going to climb mountains that you thought were way too steep. You're going to overcome obstacles that looked insurmountable, accomplished dreams that you thought were impossible. How could you do this? Finishing grace. You tapped into strength.

in reserve. This is what the Apostle Paul did in the scripture. He faced some huge hills. Didn't look like he could fulfill his destiny. He was doing the right thing, sharing the good news, helping other people when he was arrested and put in prison. The closer he got to his destiny, the more obstacles he faced. He was alone in a dungeon on death row. It looked like God had forgotten about him. But Paul wasn't defeated, depressed, feeling sorry for himself. Even though he was in chains, they couldn't stop what God wanted him to do. And since Paul couldn't go out and speak publicly, he thought, no problem, I'll start writing. He wrote book after book. Here's a letter to the Ephesians. Here's a letter to the Colossians, to the Romans, to the Corinthians. He wrote

over half of the New Testament, much of it from a prison. in cell. They thought they were stopping him, but they were doing just the opposite, causing his voice to become amplified. Here we are some 2,000 years later, still feeling Paul's influence. What they meant for

harm, God used for good. People may try to stop you, but finishing grace will get you to where you're supposed to be. They may push you down, but finishing grace will lift you back up. They may try to discredit, be little, leave you.

out, don't get upset. They are a part of the plan to get you to your destiny. God will use them to propel you forward. As long as you stay in faith and keep honoring God, you will accomplish your assignment. He is the author and the finisher of your faith. Now quit focusing on who's against you, on how steep the hill is, on how impossible it looks. God has the final say. He brought Joseph out of prison. Paul stayed in prison, but they both fulfilled their destinies. If God doesn't turn it around the way you thought, he may do like Paul and cause you to have great influence right in the midst of your enemies. In the midst of those difficulties, you can shine, be a bright light, have God's favor. Bottom line is this, no person can stand

against our God. No bad break can keep you from your destiny. has given you finishing grace. He's going to get you to where you're supposed to be. When Paul came to the end of his life, he said, I have finished my course. One place says, I finished my course with joy. Notice he didn't finish defeated, depressed, sour. He finished with a smile on his face. He finished with a spring in his step. He finished with a song in his heart. that's what it means to have a flourishing finish. We all have things come against us. It's easy to lose our passion and drag through life,

discouraged, negative, bitter, but there is no victory if you finish your course that way. You have to make up your mind, I'm not only going to finish my course, I'm going to finish it with joy, with a good attitude, not complaining, but with a song of praise, not thinking about what I don't have, but thanking God for what I do have.

Not looking at what's wrong in my life, but thanking God for what's right in my life. When you tap into finishing grace, you won't drag through the day. You'll enjoy the day. Thousands of years ago, in Greece, there was a famous race called the Torch Race. All of the runners got a torch. At the start of the race, they would light the fire. Those runners would take off running with their torch. lit. The only way

you could win the race was to cross the finish line with your torch still lit. Even if you finished first, if your fire went out, you were disqualified. So the whole time they were running, on the forefront of their mind, was

protecting their fire. Keeping it from wind, rain, or anything that might put it out. They were constantly checking their torch to make sure that it was still lit. It's The same principle in the race of life. If you're going to finish your course with joy, you've got to guard your fire.

You can't let your flame go out. Too many people have lost their passion. They're still running, but their torch is no longer lit. At one time, they were passionate about their dreams. They had some setbacks. Now they're running. That's good, but they let their fire go out. They lost their zeal.

if that's you, I've come to relight your fire. God is not done with you. You have not seen your best days. You've got to shake off the blobs, shake off the discouragement. There is a flame that is still alive on the inside of you.

The scripture talks about how we have to fan the flame, stir up the gifts. It's not enough to just finish. You've got to finish your course with your fire still burning. For as long as I can remember, my father struggled with high blood pressure. Toward the end of his life, he didn't feel well.

The medicines made him dizzy. His kidneys quit working properly, and he had to go on dialysis. We used to travel overseas a couple of times a year, and he really looked forward to it. But when his health went downhill, he had to stay at home and take dialysis three times a week. He never wanted to live if he couldn't preach. And even though he didn't feel well, he never missed a Sunday. Victoria used to go pick him up and bring him to church a little bit late. Sometimes she'd call and say, Joel, I'm not sure your dad can minister today. Doesn't seem like he feels well. I would run down from the TV department during the service when he arrived.

Daddy, you sure are you up to this? He'd smiled and said, yeah, Joel, I'm ready to go. When he walked out on the platform, nobody knew he wasn't up to par. He still had a spring in his step, a smile on his face. He could have been at home, negative, complaining. God, I've served you all these years. Look what it comes down to. I can hardly even minister. No, he kept his fire burning. He guarded that flame. He was determined to not just finish his course, but to finish it with joy. Seventy-seven years old, one night he wasn't feeling well.

He asked my brother-in-law Gary to come over and visit with him. They were talking about 2 o'clock in the morning. Gary asked him what he thought about the difficult he was having. My father said, Gary, I don't understand it all, but I know this. His mercy endures forever. Those were the last words my father ever spoke. Right then, he breathed his final breath and went to be with the Lord. But think about those last words. He wasn't complaining. He was bragging on God's goodness, not magnifying his problem, but magnifying his God. He crossed the finish line with his fire still burning. with his torch still lit.

The scripture talks about how the saints of old died in faith. The truth is, one day, of course, we're all going to die. You have to make a decision are you going to die in faith? Or are you going to die negative, bitter, complaining? I can't believe this happened. No, make up your mind that you're going to die

full of joy with your fire still burning, with your torch still lit. 1968, the Olympic Games were held in Mexico City. During the marathon, a young runner from Tanzania fell and broke his leg. He was bloodied and bruised, but somehow managed to get up and continue running. Long after everyone else had finished, he entered the stadium for his final lap. Over 100,000 people were there earlier, but now an hour or two later, only a few thousand people remained. The main lights were off, television cameras gone. The event was officially over.

As he struggled into the stadium, headed toward that final lap, when the few thousand people saw him, they stood up and began to cheer him on. They cheered louder and louder as if he was in first place. Drawing strength from the crowd, he began to smile and wave as if he was going to win the gold medal. It was a moving moment later seen. around the world. A reporter asked him afterwards, why didn't you drop out of the race when you broke your leg? Nobody would have faulted you for it. The young man from Tanzania said, my country didn't send me 7,000 miles to start the race, but to finish it. In the same way, God didn't breathe his life into you, crown you with favor, put seeds of greatness on the

inside to start the race. but he sent you to finish it. And the scripture talks about how the race is not for the swift, nor for the strong, but for those who endure till the end. You don't have to finish first. You're not competing with anybody else. Just finish your course. Keep your fire burning.

You weren't created to give up to quit. We can all find a reason to drop out of the race. We can all find some kind of excuse, but you have to dig your hills in and say, I am determined to finish my race. my course. If you will tap into this finishing grace, those two extra cylinders will kick in when you need it. You'll have a strength that you didn't have. Now, I believe and declare, like the Apostle Paul, you will finish your course with joy. You will complete your assignment and become

everything God created you to be in Jesus' name. If you receive it, can you say amen today? 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. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible-based church. Keep God first place. He'll take your places that you've never dreamed out.

It's a new year, an opportunity for a fresh start. It's a new year. Time to forget the struggles of the past. and make room for new blessings. It's a new year, the perfect time to build expectation and faith for an amazing new season. The beginning of the year is a great time

to start a fresh and anew, to let go of negative things of the past and to get ready for the new things God has in store. Every January, we create a new devotional calendar. When you start off each day in faith, grateful for what God has done, making positive declarations over your future, you're setting the tone for a blessed day and a victorious year.

This devotional calendar will help you get your mind going in the right direction so you can live in faith expecting the goodness of God. As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount this first month of the year, we would like to send you a copy of our brand new 2025 365 day devotional calendar. Using this devotional calendar is as easy as one, two, three. One, wake up with an expectancy in your heart. Two, reflect on the daily scripture verse and devotional from Joel. Three, capture the Lord's promises to you on journaling lines for writing and reflection.

This is going to be one of your best years. Our 2025 devotional calendar is going to help you stay in faith and see the goodness of God in ways you've never seen. Victoria and I pray for you and your family every day. And thank you so much for your prayer and support. Your generosity is impacting lives around the world. A 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 live every Sunday morning,

download our daily podcast, watch on YouTube. Now the new Joel Osteen Network 24 hours a day, and of course listen live on Sirius XM as well. But until we meet again, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May he show you his favor and watch over you. Be sure to request your copy of the 2025 devotional calendar today. Visit Joel Osteen.com or call us toll-free.