Joel Osteen Podcast - Living In The Faith Zone | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: July 21, 2023

Throughout life, God presents us with opportunities that in the natural, we may not think we can handle. But if you’ll take a step of faith, God will help you accomplish things greater than you ever thought possible.  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.

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See terms and conditions at UNES. See you. Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoyed 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 is always our joy to come into your homes.

We love you. We know God has great things in store. He rewards people that seek after him. And I believe that's you and you here as well. And if you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by. and see us. We give you a personal invitation, and I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. These are the finest people in all of Houston right here at Lakewood, so come out and be a part of one of our services. I like to get started each week with something kind of funny, so listen to this

one. During his wedding rehearsal, the groom approached the pastor and said, I'll give you $100 if you'll change the wedding vows and leave out all the love, honor, and obey parts. He pressed a $100 bill into the pastor's hand and walked away with a smile. The next day during the vows, the pastor asked him, do you promise to bow down before her? Fulfill her every wish and serve her breakfast in bed for as long as you shall live? The groom gulped in astonishment and finally in a weak voice answered yes. He then leaned toward the pastor and said, hey, I thought we had a deal. The pastor handed him his money back and said, she made me a much better offer.

That's what he gets. Hold up your Bibles and let's say it together. Ready? This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. have, I can do what it says I can do. Today I'll be taught the word of God. I boldly confess, my mind is alert, my heart is receptive, I will never be the same. I am about to receive the

incorruptible, indestructible, ever-living seed of the word of God. I'll never be the same, never, never, never, never be the same in Jesus' name. God bless you. You sound great as usual. We've been talking about tapping into the potential that's on the inside and really using our God-given gifts and talents. I want to focus today on being willing to step out and take a risk. You will never be all God's created you to be if you just live with a play-it-safe mentality. And you think about it, Peter was the only one that walked on the water, but he also was the only one that was willing to get out of the boat. And you'll never walk on the water in your life. You'll never reach your full potential unless you have the courage and the boldness to take a step of faith and do

what God's put in your heart. Some people will stay in a job that they don't like for 25 years. They're not using their gifts and talents. It's not a good environment. They don't really feel fulfilled, but they'll just stay there year after year all because it's safe. They're comfortable. They don't want to take a risk. God is opening up new doors, but they're allowing all the what-ifs to talk them out of it. What if I take this new job and I don't like it? What if it doesn't work out? What if I don't meet any new friends? What if it's all a big mistake? No, have you ever thought about this? What if you take that job and it thrust you into your God-given destiny? What if you love it? What if you can't wait to get there in the morning? What if you find out you have gifts and talents that

you never knew you had? You will never know unless you're willing to step out and take a risk. And I want to challenge you today to get out of your comfort zone. You have so much incredible potential on the inside. God has put gifts and talents in you that you probably don't know anything about. You can rise higher than you can even imagine. You can accomplish things that you never thought possible, but you've got to do your part and have the courage to take advantage of what God brings across your path. See, God made you.

He knows what you're capable of. knows what he's put on the inside of you. And so throughout life, he's going to present you with opportunities that in the natural you may not think you can handle. You may not think you're capable of it, and you'll be tempted to just shrink back in fear. But if you'll look deep down in your heart, there'll be an excitement and enthusiasm. Something down in here will be telling you, you know what, you can do this. You have what it takes. And if you'll learn to listen to your heart and not your head, and just be bold and take that step of faith, that's when you'll accomplish things that you never thought possible.

And I believe some of you, even in the near future, are going to be offered a new position at work. Something that's sort of in the natural just looks like it's over your head. But listen, don't you dare shrink back in fear. It may be over your head, but the good news is it's not over God's head. And when you come to the end of your own natural ability, that's when you're going to start tapping into God's supernatural ability. You take that step of faith and God will give you everything you need.

He will empower you to do his well. Some of you, I believe, are even going to be offered an opportunity to change careers and get into the field that you're really passionate about. But every voice is going to be telling you, man, you better stay in the boat. You better play it safe. That's a big mistake. You can't handle that. But no, God is saying, you can handle it.

You do have what it takes. You can fulfill your God-given destiny. Dare to take that step of faith. Get out of your comfort zone, and you'll begin to see God. God do great things in your life. One time Peter and James and John had been out fishing all night long. They hadn't caught anything.

The next morning Jesus came walking by and he said, hey guys, launch out into the deep and you'll catch a great haul of fish. And they did what he asked. And sure enough, they caught so many fish that their nets begin to break. And I believe that's a spiritual principle. God said, get out into the deep

and that's when you're going to see great things begin to happen. In other words, there will be times in our lives that we feel like we're in over our heads. We think, man, what have I gotten myself into? Can I really do this? But if you will just stick with it, it's in those deep waters that those seeds of greatness that God has put in you will begin to come out. That's when you'll accomplish things that you didn't think possible. But see, human nature is to always want to stay in the shallow waters, where it's safe,

where our feet can touch the ground. For instance, I'll sing in the choir, but don't expect me to do the solo like that young lady today. Or I'll take the new position at work, but, man, I can't do the presentation in front of all those people. Or, Joel, I've got my business. I've got my one location, but I can't expand. Man, that's risky. You know what the economy's like. See, so often, we just want to stay where we're comfortable, where we know where all the money's coming from,

where we've got everything figured out. We don't want to have to stretch ourselves. We don't want to have to do something that we haven't done before, so we just stay in the shallow waters, play it safe. That way, if something happens, we can always run back to the shore. But no, I believe God is saying to us today, if you want to experience that great hall, if you want to be everything God's created you to be,

you're going to have to be willing to take some risk and get out there into the deep waters. You've got to come to that place in your life where you say, God, sink or swim, I'm going all out with you. God, I'm going to take this step of faith, And I'm counting on you to give me wisdom. I'm counting on you to guide me. I'm trusting you to give me the strength and the ability to do what I can't do on my own.

That's the attitude we've got to have if we're going to reach our full potential. But some of you today, you're just coasting. You're not even having to use your faith. You're playing it so super safe. But listen, being in God's perfect will is always going to stretch us. God is not going to allow us to get too comfortable. otherwise we don't have to use our faith. And some of you, everything that you're doing today,

really you can do it in your own natural strength, your own natural ability, you're not having to stretch. You don't need God's help. But God wants us to always be growing, always be reaching for new heights. And that's why he's going to put us in situations, like I said, that we don't think we can do it in the natural. God, this just seems like it's out of my league.

But understand this. God would not have brought that opportunity, across your path. And he would not have put the desire deep down in your heart if he didn't already know that you were capable of doing that. And if you will just dare to get out of your comfort zone and take that step of faith, you will experience a supernatural strength, a supernatural wisdom, a supernatural ability to do what you haven't done before. But this will only happen when you come to the end of your own natural ability. Too many people today, though, they're living in the safe zone, but I want to challenge you to get out over into the faith zone. Have some courage,

have the boldness to pursue what God has put in your heart. I know this is what I did when my father went to be with the Lord back in 1999. You know, I was in my safe zone. I was working behind the scenes here at the church, doing the television production, and I was comfortable. That was easy for me. I wasn't having to stretch. But when Daddy died, all of a sudden, deep down in here, I had a to step up and pastor this church. I don't know how to explain it. I just knew that I knew that I knew that I was supposed to do it. But in the natural, I had never really preached before. And I thought of all the reasons why I shouldn't do it. I thought, God, I am not the most qualified. I've never been to seminary and on and on. All these excuses begin to fill my mind. But sometimes, if you're going to follow your

heart, if you're going to do what you know you're supposed to do down in here, you're going to have to turn your mind off because you can overanalyze something to death. You can figure out all the reasons why you shouldn't do it and why it's not going to work out for you. And I could have so easily talked myself out of it. All these negative thoughts, Joel, you're going to get up there and make a fool out of yourself. Nobody's going to come listen to you. That church is going to go down to nothing on and on. I had to get rid of all that junk. And I'd go stand before the mirror and I'd talk to myself. I'd say, Joel, you are strong in the Lord and the power of his mind. You are well able to do what God's called you to do. I would remind myself, if God be for me, who dare be against me?

And as I stepped out and got beyond my own natural ability, that's when God stepped in and gave me his supernatural ability. He brought gifts out of me that I never even knew I had. My father used to try to get me up here to preach for 17 years, but I'd never do it. I was too nervous, too shy. I didn't know I had the gift to communicate with people. But see, God knew it. He put that on the inside of me. And in the same way, you have incredible things on the inside of you that you probably don't know anything about. You have gifts and talents and abilities

that can take you places that you've never even dreamed of. But you've got to do your part and work with God and start taking some of these steps of faith. You can't let the fear of failure or the fear of the unknown keep you from taking a risk. Well, you said, Joel, if God would just give me a blueprint and show me how everything's going to turn out, then I'll take my step of faith.

Or if God will just show me all the details, then I'll be a little more comfortable. But no, if God did that, it wouldn't take any faith. You are not going to know all the details about your future. You've got to take a step of faith and then God will lead you. Then God will show you. He said to Abraham, leave the place where you are and I will show you where I'm sending you.

We think just the opposite. God, you show me and I'll go. No, God says you go and I'll show you. In other words, God wants us to take the first step. And it's interesting when God parted the Jordan River for the children of Israel, the scripture says that the waters didn't open up until the priest first put their feet in those waters. Don't you know that took faith to go out there and start walking in the water, expecting God to open it up?

We think, God, if you part my red sea, sure all go running through it. But no, God says you get out there and get your feet wet, and then I'll do supernatural things in your life. And I was thinking about had I not stepped up and pastored this church, had I not pursued this God-given opportunity, I'm sure I would be doing okay. I'm sure my life would be fine, but I don't believe that I would be as fulfilled as I am today. I don't believe I'd get up each day with the excitement, the enthusiasm, the passion that I do today.

And I really believe the reason many people today are just bored with their life, and they're not really challenged, and they've lost their purpose. purpose is simply because they're not stepping out. God is presenting opportunity after opportunity, but they're just shrinking back in fear. Man, I can't do that. I'm too shy. I'm not educated enough. I'm not talented in that area. No, you've got to search your heart. And if you believe it's something God is bringing across your path, you've got to be willing to be bold and take that risk. Well, you say, Joel, what if I step out and miss it? What if I make a mistake? Listen, I would rather miss it trying than to sit back and play it safe all my life and never really know what I could have been.

And understand, God sees your heart. If you step out in faith with a pure heart toward God, with the right motives, doing your best to please him, even if you do miss it, God is still going to get some value out of it. God in his great mercy will somehow, some way, turn it around and still use it to your advantage. I've discovered sometimes you've got to find out what's not going to work before you find out what we'll work. Sometimes you've got to come to some closed doors before you're ever going to get to your open doors. But too many people today are just living life bored.

They're not challenged. They're not growing. They're just punching that time clock, bringing home a paycheck, but there's no enthusiasm, no passion, and it's because they've allowed their lives to get stagnant. They become stale and they're just doing the same thing, the same way day after day.

And I really believe God is bringing opportunities across their path, opportunities to grow, opportunities for advancement, but they're comfortable. And they let the fear of failure, and the fear of the unknown, and the fear of what other people might think cause them to stay in that boat. Well, you say, Joel, I'm just real conservative. I'd just rather play it safe than sorry. No, I'm not suggesting that we just be foolish and jump into anything that comes along. You've got to pray. You've got to use wisdom and you've got to make sure you know in your heart it's right for you. But what I'm saying is, you know that, you need to act on it. You've got to take some steps of faith. The Bible talks about

how the children of Israel were to follow the Ark of the Covenant. That represented God. And so during the day, there would be a cloud overhead, and they'd get up in the morning and just watch for the cloud. If the cloud moved, they moved. If the cloud stayed, they stayed. Sometimes they would set up their camp, and the cloud would stay for several weeks. Other times, the cloud would move overnight. They'd have to pack up and get going. They could have had the attitude. God, we're tired of moving. We're comfortable here. Got all the camp set up. Got everything just right? No, if they had done that, they would not have had God's blessings in favor. You've got to move when God says move. You've got to be willing to change. Don't get stuck in a rut. God wants you to always be

growing, always be learning, always be improving. If you're doing the same thing you did 10 years ago without any improvement, and you're not even challenged by it now, and you can basically just do it in your sleep, then you need to make sure you're where you're supposed to be. Are you following the cloud? You should have to be stretching yourself, trying new things improving in your field. See, God is a progressive God.

Once you reach a certain level, he may leave you there for a little while, but he's not going to let you stay too long. He's going to push you. He won't let you stay comfortable at one certain place. God wants us to keep growing. He said to the children of Israel and Joshua 3, verse 4,

the reason they needed to follow the cloud was because you have not passed this way before. I believe God's saying the same thing to every one of us. New things are on the horizon. Changes are in the air. Maybe like I said, it's going to be a new position at work. Maybe you're here and you're single

and God's about to bring somebody new into your life. A new relationship. A new opportunity in business. in ministry, something that you haven't done before. But I can tell you all those things are going to involve taking a step of faith. And my prayer today is that God is releasing a spirit of boldness in you, that you will have that pioneering spirit. Our attitude should be, I may never have done this before, but I'm willing to step out

and try. I'm going to go into some of those uncharted territories. And really, that's what we've done here at Lakewood for the last few years. we've just sort of followed the cloud. When I first became pastor, I know my main goal was to just try to survive, just try to maintain things. But I can tell you this, when you really follow the cloud, God will do more than you can ask her thing. Your life will be exciting. You know, we didn't just maintain.

We begin to grow. On the first Sunday of the year 2000, we stepped out in faith and started a second Sunday morning service. I didn't know if anybody would come. but at that first service there were over 5,000 people there, and it continued to grow. We added several other services through the years, and we still needed more room. As we were preparing to build a new sanctuary, we got word that the compact center was becoming available. God opened up that door, and we just followed the cloud. After we did some research, we found out it's going to cost about $80 million to renovate it.

And in the natural, that was kind of over our heads. We could have easily played it safe. and man, let's don't do that. Let's don't take that risk. But no, we decided to get out of our safe zone over into the faith zone. I've discovered once you're out over your head, doesn't matter how deep the waters are. You might as well just go all out with God. That's where you're going to see the miracles. That's where you're going to see God's favor and God's blessings show up in new ways. Most of you know in a few months we're going to be moving into that new facility. But friends, you've got to follow the cloud in your own life. Don't be afraid of

the new challenges, have that pioneering spirit. Too often we allow our lives to become stale because of fear. We need to be bold, stay open, and pursue those God-given opportunities. And understand, there is a place that God has specifically designed for you where all your needs will be supplied, where you'll be happy and fulfilled, and where you'll be using your gifts and talents to the full. But many times, we're over here playing it safe, while God, has our place of provision and victory over here. And unless you get to where you're supposed to be in God's perfect will, then life's going to be a struggle. And you're not going to have the joy and peace and victory that God really wants you to have. I was thinking about the prophet Elijah.

God said to him there in 1st Kings chapter 17, verse 3, leave where you are. Go east down to the brook Cherath, for I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. Notice there was a place where God had specifically commanded his needs to be supplied. But what's interesting is it was up to Elijah to get to that place. He had to take a step of faith. He had to be obedient. He could have thought, God, I'm comfortable where I am. That's a lot of trouble to go down to the brook. And I just want to stay in my routine and do what I've always been doing. The problem with that is those ravens would have still taken his provision down to the brook. In other words, God would have still been supplying his needs, the problem is he's not in the right place. Wasn't God's fault. In the same way, I know God has a place

where he has commanded every one of us to be blessed. He has a place where he's commanded those ravens to feed you. But we've got to make sure we get to that place, we stay in that place, and we follow the cloud. It goes on to say that eventually that the brook dried up and there wasn't any water. God said in verse 9, Elijah, you've got to leave this place and go to another city, for I have commanded a widow woman to take care of you. Once again, there was another place where God had specifically commanded Elijah to be blessed. This time, Elijah could have thought, God, I'm comfortable here by the brook. I like it here. I know this is where you told me to go. I don't know why I can't just stay here. Oh, here's my point. Just because it was right in your life at one time

doesn't mean it's going to be right forever. You've got to follow the cloud. Stay open and watch for opportunities. Don't be hard-headed. And when your brook dries up, so to speak, and God presents you with another opportunity, be willing to change. Hey, you say, Joe, I'm just so comfortable in this position at work. Now they want me to take a management position. Or now there's other companies offering me a job. Or now I've got an opportunity to go back to school. Well, you've got to check your heart. And if you feel good about it down in here, don't let the fact that you are comfortable or that you've been doing something a long time keep you from pursuing what God's bringing across your path.

As I said, God's always going to be pushing us and stretching us. We've got to make sure that we learn how to follow the cloud. I know my father, after he started this church in 1959, he left for several years and traveled overseas. He was holding these great crusades with thousands and thousands of people in them, very successful in that area. He was just as happy as he could be. but Daddy told how one day

God began to speak to him, not out loud, but right down in here, about coming back to Houston and pastoring Lakewood once again. At that time, there were only 90 members in the church, and they were still meeting in a little rundown feed store. And in the natural, it didn't look like a very

wise decision. All of Daddy's friends tried to talk him out of it. He said, John, you're making a big mistake. You're not called to be a pastor. You're called to go out all over the world. But deep down in his heart, Daddy knew it was what he was supposed to do. He knew the brook was drying up. He could see the cloud moving. And so he just followed his heart and came back to Lakewood. And that's when the church began to grow. It prospered.

And he ended up touching people all over the world right here from Houston. But had Daddy not taken that step of faith, had he not been willing to take a risk and leave a worldwide ministry to come back to 90 people in a little feed store, I don't believe that his life would have had the impact that it had. He would have always had to struggle. There would have been a strain trying to make the ministry work, always having this burden. Because see, when you're out of God's perfect will, you are missing the place where God has commanded you to be blessed, where God has commanded your needs to be supplied. And that's why I'm challenging us today. Make sure you're where you're supposed to be. Don't let the fear of failure stop you. Don't let other people talk you out of it. And don't let

how it looks in the natural, keep you from taking that step of faith. You do what God is put in your heart. And you may think, you know, I don't know if I can do that. That looks a little difficult. Let me remind you that you and God are a majority. If God be for you, who dare be against you, you step out and do what you can do. You do the natural and God will step in and do the supernatural. I love the story of Esther. She was bold. She had that pioneering spirit. She was a young, beautiful Jewish girl. And she was presented an opportunity to save the people of Israel.

Mordecai said to her, Esther, go in there and stand before the king and plead with him and tell him that there's somebody trying to destroy us. But there was a law that said, if you went before the king without him holding up his golden rod, then you would be killed. And I'm sure in the natural

Esther didn't want to do it. I'm sure in the natural she's thinking about, man, alive, what if I go in there and he doesn't hold it up, that'll be the end of me. but the word of the Lord came to her and said Esther, if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from somebody else, but as for you and your family, you will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Isn't it interesting? God was saying in effect, Esther, if you just play it safe and sit back,

if you don't take this step of faith, that's fine. I'll find somebody else to deliver my people. but the problem is Esther, you're going to miss out on your divine destiny. See, this was not an opportunity that would come to her time and time again. This was her one chance to make a mark. This was her chance to really fulfill her purpose in life. And I love what Esther said. She said, if I perish, I perish, but I will not let this moment pass. She was saying, sink or swim, I'm going to take this step of faith.

And because of her courage, because of her boldness, we're talking about her today. She's one of the great heroes of faith. But sometimes we come to a place in our life that is a destiny-altering decision. Many times we'll get another chance, but there are times we come to an opportunity that will not pass our way again. Just like Esther's, I believe stepping up after my father died was one of those times for me. And I don't know what's going on in your life. Maybe you have an opportunity in front of you right now that you need to make a decision about. or maybe God is just getting you prepared for some things that are coming your way in the future.

Whatever it is, be bold. Have the courage to step up and take a risk. Friends, don't live your whole life in your comfort zone. Yes, you'll be safe, but there are red seas you will have never seen parted. There are Goliath you will have never defeated. Dare to stretch your faith. Dare to take that risk. God has so much more in store for every one of you. He wants to take you places that you've never dreamed of. And the good news is, he's put the right stuff on the inside of you. You have seeds of greatness. You are full of God's incredible potential. You have his can-do power. Why don't you make a decision with me that you're going to hold your shoulders back and start living with more boldness? You're going to have that pioneering spirit. And when those opportunities come,

you're going to step out in faith. Friends, if you'll get out of your safe zone and get over into the faith zone and just follow the cloud wherever it leads, God is promised he will command you to be blessed. You'll experience the abundant life he has in store. Amen. How many of receive it this morning? I know you do. 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's going to take your places that you've never dreamed

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