Joel Osteen Podcast - Next Level Thinking Book Q&A

Episode Date: October 3, 2018

Joel and Victoria discuss topics and answer questions from Next Level Thinking, Joel's latest book. You can get Next Level Thinking now at JoelOsteen.com. 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 UNS dot. See you. Hey, welcome, everybody. We are so glad to have you tuning in. We love you. We're praying for you. We believe that 2018 is going to be an amazing year in your life a year where God exceeds your expectations. Thanks for tuning in. I'm here with my beautiful wife, Victoria, my friend Nick Nielsen. Nick, can I see that? I've got a new book out. It's called Next Level Thinking. It's 10 powerful thoughts for a successful and abundant life. And it comes out this Tuesday. But I hope you'll pick up a copy. We'll talk a little. little bit about it today. I'm sitting here with a couple of hundred of the finest, most powerful, anointed pastors in all of America right here. So guys and ladies, thank you so much for being with us.

We're going to have a great time. But Nick, thanks for being a part. And Victoria, say hello to everybody. I'm excited about this webcast. We're going to have a great time. And who doesn't want to go to the next level in their thinking? I know I do. So we have amazing people here. And Pastor Nick, you're always so great at like bringing out those great points. And so, you know, we're glad that you tuned in because you're really special to this webcast. We know that we pray for you, know that we are for you. We know that God has amazing things in your future. So thank you for tuning in. And we're all going to go to the next level. You know, we just want to have a conversation about this book, pastor. And I just, I think it's a very relevant book, applicable book. But what do you hope people

grab from this book? I mean, what's the heart? What's the biggest thing that you'd hope people receive from it? Well, Nick, I believe our life follows our thoughts. And And so so many times we're thinking defeating thoughts and negative thoughts or limiting thoughts. And it's not God limiting us. We're limiting ourselves with our thinking. And so I'm encouraging people in the book to, you know, let's take the limits off of God. My father used to say, you will never rise any higher than the way you see yourself than what's going on in your mind. And most of us know, but there's a recording that's constantly playing.

You know, the experts tell us that we talk to ourselves more than we talk to anybody else. Because there's something playing. And sometimes we don't realize it, but the recording is negative. It's just how we've grown up. It's, you know what? I'll never be successful. Or Joey, you've got a big church, but I'll never do anything great. I'll never get well.

I'll never break the addiction. Or, you know, I'm not as talented as my brother. I'm not as good looking as my friend. As long as those thoughts are negative, we are limiting ourselves. And so I'm just encouraging us to turn on the right recording. And that's what God says about us, that we are blessed, that we are strong, that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, that we're not average. We are, we are masterpieces.

And even I think about sitting in this building, you know what, that one thing we had to do, when they told me the compact center was coming available, my first thought, I told the guy, said, there's no way we could afford that. That'll be $200 million. My first thought was, you know, I wouldn't even going to pursue it. He said, no, Joel, the city only owes $7.5 million. And it cost a little bit more than that for us to get it. But, you know, when I heard that, I thought, you know what, I can believe for

seven and a half million dollars but you know I had to take the limits off of God you know I had grown up here watching the Rockets play basketball had season tickets right back over there in my wildest dreams if you would have told me you know 20 30 years ago that one day we would own the compact center we said there's no way that's not even fathomable this is where the Rockets won two world championships it's the premier auditorium in our facility but you know what only thing that limits us is our own thinking I just said God you know what I don't see how it can work out but I know you're on the throne. I know you control the universe. So I took the limits off of God and it doesn't happen automatically, but, you know, when you think like God thinks, when you take the

limits off of hand, that's what allows God to do great things. So that's what the book is about. Wherever you are, God wants us to rise higher. He doesn't want us to be at this same level next year as we are right now. He wants us to go further. So I think the first thing we have to do is we have to take the limits off in our thinking and say, God, I'm going to start thinking at the next level. I'm going to start believing for bigger things. Yeah, God, you being good to me. I'm not saying, you know, you don't have to have an addiction or have some big kind of problem, but sometimes, you know, how I do.

Sometimes life can just get routine and, okay, I kind of reach that level, and that's kind of as good as it gets and all that. But you know what? You take the limits off of God and you watch where God will take you. There's 10 thoughts. So each of them are phenomenal in their own right. There's chapter two years, one of my favorites. I'm going to just read a sentence that you wrote in.

It says, you are fully loaded and completely. completely equipped for the race that God's designed for you. Talk a little bit about what that means. So you're being fully loaded. So many people that we meet feel inadequate to do the certain things that God's design them do, step up in the workplace, wherever they may be. It's exactly how I felt, Nick, when my father went to be with the Lord. And I knew down in here I was supposed to step up and pastor the church. I don't know how to explain it. I just knew that I was supposed to. But every thought told me, you can't pass the church. You've never been to seminary. You don't have the training, you've ministered one time and you're going to take over your father's church of

6,000 people. I mean, everything in my mind said there was no way. And part of it was just, you know, I didn't feel equipped. I didn't feel empowered. I mean, I'm naturally more quiet and reserved. I like being behind the scenes. I was the one running the camera and doing all the production. And, you know, I used to watch my dad and he was my hero. You know, he could get up there and speak and so powerful. And, you know, he came out of that generation. before me and they were fiery and man he gave you goosebumps. I thought, God, I don't have any of that. I don't have the personality. I don't have that fire in me. But I realized that God would not have given you the dream if he had not already equipped you and empowered you. And so many of us have

things on the inside gifts and talents that we've not yet tapped into. They're lying dormant. Even for me, I don't think I was supposed to be ministering those 17 years. I was behind the scenes. It was all a part of God's timing, but I can say this. There are gifts in you that are dormant, and at the right time, God's going to open some things up for you. He's going to open some new doors, but I think it's important rather than feeling, you know, I kind of feel inadequate, not qualified, you know, that insecure. You've got to change that recording again and know that, hey, I am equipped, I am empowered, I am fully loaded with everything I need to fulfill my destiny. That's kind of the preparation part, isn't it? That whole. speaking to yourself. When that potential is calling out, you're scared, but it's when you start that recording going in the right direction, it's part of the preparation because you said yourself that it took a little while. And you had to look at yourself in the mirror and you had to just start talking to yourself and say, I can do this today. I have, you know, so I think sometimes people think, well, what's happening when I'm doing this? Well, you're preparing yourself when God opens that door.

Then you're going to be ready to walk through it. Yeah, I've learned you can talk yourself into your dreams or you can talk yourself out of your dreams. I would have to go on Saturday nights when I first started and look myself in the mirror and say, Joy, you can do this. You are strong in the Lord. You are well able. You are equipped. You've been raised up for such a time as this. If I hadn't done that, if I would have let those thoughts play that, you know what, you don't have what it takes. You're not as talented. I wouldn't be standing here today. So I just encourage those of you and those of you watching. Take the limits off of God, but take the limits off of yourself. Quit telling yourself that you're lacking or you don't have enough talent or enough experience.

You may not, but God does. And what he's put in you is what you need to fulfill your destiny. You are not lacking. You didn't get left out. God didn't make a mistake when he made you. You were not shortchanged. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. It's amazing.

You talk a lot about knowing your value and knowing that your value doesn't come from you do or your paycheck. But just knowing that your value comes from your creator. Talk about that. It's here in chapter 5, but just talk a little bit about recognizing your value and just where your value comes from, where it's based from. You know, Nick, just what you said, that sometimes we're trying to get our value out of what we do or how big my church is or how big the, you know, out of people as well. And, you know, I think that's a hard way to live because, you know, when you try to get your approval from people, the problem is people can change. You know, you think about Jesus. One day, wasn't it Jesus coming into the town and they were all saying, Jose. It seemed like it was three days later or a week later they were saying crucifying.

And you know, if you try to get your value out of other things, even people, as much as I love Victoria, people can't fill you with everything you need. So you've got to go back to know that, you know what, my approval comes from the most God. People may not approve me or, you know, those thoughts try to push me down. But you know what, it's not, I love that even about Jesus. You know this, all these pastors. But Jesus, when he was baptized in water, when John the Baptist baptized him, Jesus came out of the water and the voice from heaven said,

this is my beloved son whom I am well pleased. But when you think about it, at that point, Jesus hadn't done one miracle. He hadn't turned the water into wine. He hadn't opened a blind eye. His father was pleased of him because of who he was. And sometimes we think, well, God's not pleased to me, Joe, I've got an addiction, or I've wasted years of my life, or I've made these mistakes.

Listen, that's what you did. That's not who you are. God is smiling down on you right now. He's made you in his image. And if you'd get those thoughts out of your mind about, you know what, God's not pleased with me. And you know what? I don't measure up to other people. Well, you don't have to measure up to other people.

You are uniquely made in who God made you to be. So tune all that out and know again that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, that the creator of the universe breathed his life into you. He knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb. He doesn't have you hearing this by accident. And if you'd turn off that old thinking and put some new thoughts, that you know what, I'm approved, I'm valuable, I'm accepted, I am a masterpiece, that's going to cause you to rise higher and become who God's created you to be.

Pastor Charles, you lead us off. My friend, Pastor Charles Neiman, Pastor's a great church, abundant living in El Paso. I've been there with you, and we're very honored to have you here, Pastor Charles. Thank you. It's an honor to be here. Go ahead, pastor. Yeah, my, as you were talking today, and as I was reading, the book, and in particular I kind of got caught up in the fifth chapter. You were just mentioning there about value. And I couldn't help but think about, speaking of your dad, an incredible

series of teachings he did that really impacted my life years ago called thinking the thoughts of God. And bringing that idea, I think, is coming full circle in your book, this idea that You know, we all have these thoughts. But how do people, hearing what you just said, how would you say that people need to move from this life of negativity or a moment of negativity that is now taking control of their thinking? And, you know, as you know, Solomon said, as a man thinking in his heart so is he.

But where do they go? How do they get the thoughts of God into their mind? Yeah, Pastor, you know, I believe they go back to the scripture. They find out what God says about them. And I think you do it one thought at a time. You know, some people were, as I said, they're just naturally negative. That's just the way they grew up with.

But I don't think we always realize that we don't have to think whatever comes to our mind. You know, you can get up in the morning and think, oh, there's going to be a lousy day. And I don't feel like going to work. You don't have to think that. That next level thinking says, no, I'm going to tune that out. Lord, I want to thank you. This is a great day. I'm grateful to be alive today.

it's just taking control of our mind. Even the scripture, you know, y'all teach it better than me, but just about guarding your mind and what's playing all day. And again, going back to what God says about you. And that's why every service I tell the congregation here, I go over them all, but I am blessed. I am prosperous. I am redeemed, forgiven, talented, creative, discipline, focus,

accepted, approved. That's what needs to be playing in our mind all through the day. And just because the thought comes doesn't mean you have to think it. You know, too, it's a habit. When you start to start thinking the right thoughts, you start recognizing when the wrong thoughts come. And it's not a matter of, you know, you just stop. That's not the thoughts I want to think. So I think the more you do it, it's like you said, just a thought at a time, you can catch when the wrong thoughts come.

And that's so important. I like to think of it. I've heard the example of it. It's like a riverbed. Maybe that riverbed has been flowing one way for 40 years, just negative thoughts. Well, one thought at a time. Every day you think the right thoughts. You think positive, faith-filled.

think on things that are true. Well, you're digging that riverbed the other way. It may not turn around overnight, but I believe over time. And I've talked to people that have been negative their whole life and just doubters and just down on themselves, insecure. You start turning it one day at a time, one thought at a time. That riverbed is going to start running the other way. And too, I think, you know, God's given us all different personalities. And I've naturally been optimistic and positive. You know, other people have a friend tell me, he said, I can take a positive message and and preach it a negative way. I'm just negative, you know. But I think you can naturally, you can naturally change. And I think it's, you know, so much of life is perspective, you know,

it's what we're looking at today, when looking at what's wrong or, you know, I'm looking at what's right. Looking at what I don't have or looking at what I do have. And it's just back to our thinking and, you know, thinking those right thoughts. You don't even have to be a negative person per se. I'm not a negative person. I would consider myself a positive person. But I know when I think positive thoughts on purpose, it changes the atmosphere of my mind. It takes and elevates me to that next level. So it's not that you can be saying, well, I'm not necessarily negative, but are you thinking positive thoughts on purpose? And I think that's a great key as well. I just like how you alluded to that it's a journey. It's a process that we don't have to get this thing right away,

that it's one thing at a time. Maybe you think better right now than you did a year ago. and it's just a journey for people. Some people expect to be so perfect in their thought life right away, right around the corner. And it's like, this is a process, this is a journey, begin to habitually do it. So that's awesome. Pastor Toree Roberts, one church, L.A., one church. It's in what Potter's House, Denver. And awesome to have you, Toray. Thank you so much. And thank you for writing this book. I like it. It's next level of thinking. And we all know that our insides determine our outsides. And so a lot of times the barrier. as you so eloquently wrote about in this book, the barrier is not that the opportunity isn't there, it's just their restrictions in our thinking. One chapter that really stood out to me was a chapter where you dealt with shame, because a lot of times the opportunity is there, and we want to think positively, but there's almost like a cap on what we believe that God can do

for us because we've got shame about something that happened. How do you, if there's someone out there that's dealing with shame, how do you attack shame, get that cap off of your life, so that you can move forward. Yeah, I think Toray again, it goes back to that thought of, you know, you are not what you did, you are not what happened to you, you were a child of the most high God. And I think even, you know, from when we were little children, sometimes, you know, shame on you, you shouldn't have done a shame on you, but you just got to rise up and say, you know what, shame off me. I am a child of the most high God. I'm going to, I'm not going to live beating myself up. And, you know, it's funny how people beat themselves up and it wasn't their fault. You know,

it's just a natural tendency. And so these are decisions we have to make. It starts in our mind and life is too short to live it, you know, full of shame and guilt and, you know, whether you messed up or whether somebody didn't treat you right or whatever it is. Hey, it's a new day. God's mercies are fresh and new every morning. Why don't you, you know, shame off you and start saying, you know what, I'm going to be who God's called me to be. There's no mistake you've made that has to keep you from your destiny. And I really believe there's nothing somebody else has done to you that has to keep you from your purpose as well. It may not have been fair. I'm not saying that life is always fair, but God has that way of giving you beauty for ashes, taking what was meant for harm and using it to your advantage.

Pastor Keith and Sheila Kraft, Pastor Elevate Life Church in Frisco, Texas, and been friends of ours for many years. Thanks for being here. Go ahead, Keith. Thank you. It's an honor. I love the title of your book, because we believe when you elevate your thinking, you elevate your life. So it's, it's, it's masterful, really. In the first chapter, you tell a story about your dad and that he really did you a great service by taking you to the place where he was born and to the neighborhood where he was born. And though the house that he lived in wasn't there, there was a neighbor who had lived there his whole life was actually sitting on the front porch when you guys drove up and your dad addressed him. And one of the things you say in your book is you say, when you break a barrier,

you make it easier for those who come after you. And so talk about that because it's never just about thinking a certain way, but it's understanding the way that you think, your next level thinking, is going to determine how those that come after you think. Yeah, that's a powerful point, Keith. You're exactly right. And I want you to tell that story about your dad too real quick in a second because that's real powerful. I've used that. But yeah, so my father was raised in poverty. He grew up during the Great Depression and his family had lost everything and it just, there were great people, but they were poor. He barely had enough food and, you know, clothing to go to school. But at 17 years of age, my father gave his life to Christ and the first

one in his family. And he, you know, he felt like God called him to preach. He hitchhiked and he started preaching. His family thought, you know, he's crazy. Why would you leave the farm? says, all you know how to do. But my dad went on obviously to found Lakewood and pastor great churches all over the world. But one thing that what he told me, he said, Joel, when I gave my life to Christ at 17, I made a decision that my children would never be raised in the poverty that I was raised in. So my father, he rose up by the decisions that he made and by the grace of God and he broke the curse of poverty in our family. And you know, today, you know what, we're blessed because my father took a stand. So I am I mean, I'll be the first to tell you, I'm reaping seeds because my mother and my father have planted and sewed and, you know, broke that curse of poverty. But later in life, my dad, you know, he loved to reminisce.

Joel, Victoria, drive back to Paris, Texas, where he grew up. And so we went back and we found the old farm where he lived on. The house was gone, but we found the well was still there. And he used to tell me he had to walk two miles to school. And we looked in this school was like 100 yards away. You know, I'm so big in your mind. But he could. could not convince the guy. He said, no, that was the school. No, it was two miles away. But anyway, so we got there. You know, then we drove around. He went to find some friends and this guy sitting on his front porch and house had, you know, roof had leaks in it. It was even one of the heart of a house. It was a shack and the guy was out there without his shirt on, just kind of killing time. And I'm not saying it wasn't a good person, but my dad walked up and said, you know, whatever his name was. And he said, hey, this is John Osteen. Hadn't spoken to him in like 60 years. And, you know, my dad and him got to talk and

What'd you do? He said, yeah, worked at the boat shop a little way. I did this for a little while. You know, got laid off back then. My back's been hurting. But I just thought, man, what a difference when somebody raises up and sets a new standard. It didn't, you know what? Nothing against the gentleman there, you know, he didn't do it.

But I thought, look at the two. My dad had touched people all over the world. Had a, you know, a family that was doing great things. So it's so important that, man, you can become a barrier breaker. If you can rise out of any dysfunction or just, out of the, I believe God wants every generation to increase. That's why when my dad went to be with Lord, people used to ask me, do you think you can continue on what your father started? In here, I didn't have any experience, but something down in here, I would tell them not arrogantly at all.

I'd say, you know what, I think I can not only carry it on, but I think we can go further because it's the way God designed it. He didn't want us to go backwards. He wants every generation to increase. We want our children to go further as well. So why don't you go back? break some barriers for your family. You know, nobody broke the four-minute mile for, you know, forever in history. Then the guy broke it. And then after that, within like six months, 43 other people broke it. And it's like the barrier was in our mind that we can't break a four-minute mile. I can't, I can't be successful. I can't break this addiction. You know what? You have the power of the most high God on the inside of you. You'd be amazed at what you can do. Keep telling us that

story. It's really powerful. My dad, I was about 11 years old, and my dad said, hey, come get in the car. and I had no idea where we were going. Three hours later, we were in front of a house that was very similar to what you described, Shaq. No windows on the, you know, no glass on the windows. The door was broken down, going in the house. And we walk in the house, and the floor was dirt. There was one piece of furniture, and there was an old man sitting over in the corner.

And we walked over there, and I was holding my dad's hand. He said, hey, dad, I'd never, I'd never met. my grandfather. And my dad had a bag of money for him and some candy. And my grandfather, which I didn't even know that's who it was, but didn't really have been acknowledged me, didn't say hello. And, but my dad just talked to him for a minute. I kind of walked away. We were there for about 10 minutes. And we walked out of the house. And I remember looking up at my dad and I said, Dad, I never want to go back there. And he said, that's why I brought you here. Because this is where we're from, but this is not who we are. And it's so.

impacted my life that I said, you know what, I can be somebody. I can be somebody. And not that that my grandfather, who I never saw again, never met again, never talked to him, not that he wasn't a good man. That's not the point. The point is, is that wherever you come from, that doesn't have to be who you are. You can break a barrier. That's so great. Wow. Pastor Chad, you up next, sir. Pastor Chad Rowe from Destiny World Outreach and Colleen Texas, ministers to a lot of the soldiers and people that have away at the military. Largest armored base in the free world there in Killeen. So almost all the soldiers of military are come from there. And so we take it an honor. You know, Pastor Joe in your book,

Next Level Thinking, it's just so amazing. And I noticed in the chapter two about being fully loaded and how what I took out of that is about running your race and staying in your lane and not trying to run other people's races because it's easy I know in my life to get caught up and seeing what everybody else is doing, how great everybody else is, and you might try to get in that race and run their race in their lane instead of being fully loaded and anointed, as you've said, for the race that God has put in you. I grew up to honor vessels, men of God. But one thing I noticed in your book is not so much the vessel, but the anointing on the vessel. And that's what I loved about that is how, how does somebody recognize that and stay focused on their race and in their lane when there's so much other things going on around you?

Yeah, it's such an important point, Chad. It really is. Let me get to that question a minute, but it reminds me that I think I use the analogy in the book of, you know, when King Saul killed thousands. And then they started, well, yeah, the people started singing after this great victory. King Saul has killed thousands and David had killed tens of thousands. I can only imagine when King Saul has killed thousands. They're singing about me, man, that's great. Everything was fine.

I can imagine until he heard what they say. David's killed tens of thousands. His whole attitude changed. He wasn't content with being a 1,000 person versus 10,000, you know, defeated person. So, you know, sometimes you have to accept, hey, God, this is who you made me to be. I may not have killed 10,000, but I've killed 1,000. I'm going to be happy with what you've given me to do, with the gifts you've given me. And I really believe Saul missed his destiny because he was jealous of somebody else.

If he could have just celebrated them. And I think it is, and when you're talking about being fully loaded and totally equipped, hey, you may not be, I may not be TDJX or I may not be somebody else. But you know what? You've got to be the best that you can be and celebrate somebody else. That's what I love about. I've got a great team around me. I've got brothers and sisters and brothers.

and laws, you know what, I'm the younger brother, the younger than some of them, but they all celebrate me. But when you recognize who you are and you're content and who God made you to be, I think it's so important. You know, Chad, it's the distractions. It's looking at that and, you know, somebody else, well, God, why didn't you give me that? Or God, why am my church bigger? Well, God, why can I? You know what? You've got to tune all that out and be content and be happy with who God made you to be. The fact is, somebody would love to have what you have. somebody would gladly trade places with you. And it's easy to be happy until you start comparing and competing with other people.

I remember one time I was running through my neighborhood and I have this path I run as two-mile path. And when there's this long boulevard, probably a mile. And I saw a guy about, oh, two blocks in front of me, you know, a few hundred yards. And I just, you know, I'm just feeling competitive. I want to race somebody. I thought I'm going to racing. And so he's running up there. And man, he's going pretty good.

But I'm gaining on him and gaining on him. And gaining on, I'm panting. I'm just trying to beat him. And I finally just kept going, going, going, going. And I finally beat him. Now, he didn't even know we're racing, but I beat him. But you know, the funny thing is when I finally beat him, I looked up and I thought, oh, man, I missed my turn. It was way back there. I was supposed to turn like three blocks before. But I was so focused, and I'm going to beat this guy that doesn't even know I'm racing him. But, you know, and I just turn. But I think that's what we do in life a lot of times. I'm not racing after any of y'all. I'm not racing after any of y'all. I'm not racing after. or anybody else, I'm racing against myself to be the best that God's called me to be. So I love that scripture. Don't look to the left nor to the right. Be who God's God's called you to be. Celebrate somebody that's ahead of you. God blessing them doesn't stop God from blessing you. Doesn't like God ran out of favor because he gave them so much. God has favor. And really unlike Saul and David, God can do for you what he did for the others. God can take you further. We talked about earlier, I think, off camera that, you know, a lot of those times, it's just a

test. I wonder if Saul would have celebrated King David. I don't know, but I just encourage you to be content with what God's given you. You're not lacking, but God's given us all different gifts, and we have to be wise enough and content enough to accept it. How you, Joe? Evan Connor, pastor of, tell me the name of your church. Word of Truth Family Church. We're in Arlington, Texas. And you got your new building opening up. New building in six weeks. That's awesome. We're excited about it. We are so happy for you. These guys, Evan and Sarah, are great pastors there and just faithful people, and I love what God's doing. And, you know, 13 years being in a mobile church, setting up, tearing down.

A lot of people would have gotten discouraged. But, man, I admire you guys. Almost 700 times we've had to do that. Wow. But God's been faithful. Well, we're blessed to have you here. Yeah. I'm excited about your new book.

I'm just excited that you let me read the pre-release version. It's so good. I'm going to buy the real one when it comes out. I was reading chapter 8 in approve yourself. And you said something I thought was powerful. You said the problem with not liking yourself is that you're the only person who you can never get away from. And I thought, wow, I think that's one of the biggest things that hold people back is that we don't like ourselves. And I think it's because we think God doesn't like us.

And I think in your book, you really help us understand. One of the things you say in the book is God said about Jesus, this is my beloved son and whom I'm well pleased. And Jesus hadn't done one miracle. And I think if we see through God's lenses like he sees us, then we will accept ourselves. He's not looking for perfection. Jesus has already done that. He's looking, you know, maturity is the life that we ought to live and not perfection. And maturity is a destination.

It's a journey, not a destination. So I'm excited about your new book, and I do believe it's going to bless us. a whole lot of people. My question would be, how important do you feel it's necessary for someone to approve of themselves? Yeah, I think, Evan, it's incredibly important because you can't, if you go through life, you've got enough people, and we have enough people in life against us. You can't go through life being against yourself. I mean, I think the reason we don't have healthy relationships, a lot of times, it's not because somebody else is because we don't get along with ourselves. So we can't get along with somebody else. So again, it goes back to what we've been

talking about. Turning off the negative recording. Hey, you have some flaws and weaknesses. So do I. So to Victorian, more than me. So you all got, we all have, we all have plenty of these. Why don't you turn off that recording and quit beating yourself up? My goodness, life is too short to live beating yourself down and just being against yourself and thinking how everybody else is greater. But I just think, you know, everything you said, Evan, is, is, is so. important that, you know, when you're against yourself, you're not going to reach your full potential. Well, I'll explain it better in the book, but, you know, I think the key is turning off. Get the right recording in your mind. Our thoughts are limiting us. It's not the enemy. It's not

others. People like you. I like that. You look at people like they all like you. Yeah, you, you see people the way you see yourself. So you see yourself defeated. You see yourself insecure. You see yourself unattractive. Then you're putting that out everywhere you go. Even by body language, you know, and not this, I don't measure up and stuff. You've got to see yourself differently. And the story of the 10 spies, they came back and they said, we were in our own sites as grasshoppers as we were in their sites. They didn't say those guys over there in the promised land, they called us grasshoppers. They said, we felt like we were grasshoppers. And I think there's a lot of people living with that grasshopper mentality when you're a child

of the most God, when he's breathed life into you, when he's crowned you with favor, when you have seeds of greatness. Imagine God or imagine, you know, an analogy of, imagine your child coming up and oh, dad, please, can I have something to eat? Please, can I do this? I'm not worthy. Man, we would think, who are you? You know, stand up tall. You're my son. And that's what God's saying to all of us. Stand up tall. I made you. I created you. Yeah, we've all made mistakes. We all have weaknesses. But I can't find hardly, hardly anybody in the Bible God used that didn't have flaws and weaknesses, you know, that didn't make some mistakes, but that didn't disqualify them. God used them in spite of that, but you have to turn off that recording of I'm not good enough

and the insecurity and God could never use me. You turn that off and that's what allows God to do great things. It's not that God's holding us back so many times we're holding us back with the wrong thinking. Pastor Rich Wilkerson from Trinity Fellowship in, in what city? Miami. Yeah, been friends of mine for friends of ours for so many years. Richard and Robert, your son, Richie, pastors in... About 10 miles from us. 10 miles from you. Another son pastors in New York. Yeah. Harwood. With him the other day.

And I got another one pastoring in the Seattle area. So we're real blessed. Well, thanks for being here. I was really impressed with the chapter on Live as a, you know, bold son. I just thought about your family because it was in 1995 and I was just about bleeding to death in the hospital and your dad, I don't even know how he got my number in a hospital. And Brother John called and said, Brother Rich, this is Brother Osteen. And he said, Doty's got something to tell you. I'm like bleeding, you know. And your mom got on the phone and said, Rich, get out of that hospital now. That place may kill you. Get out. I'm going to pray for you right now. She started. praying quote and verses over me and I really I I checked out that day I literally checked out that day

and God healed me of a blood disease and I think about that legacy that's on you and I was just in Brooklyn and saw Jonathan and Alexandria on the stage and Jonathan got up and just started kind of preaching and everyone was just kind of going whoa and it just seems like it was a generational thing and I want you to talk to that. that, but the chapter that got me was move up to next level thinking. The book is called next level thinking, but the chapter that I like, do it. Now do it. And I think that is where so many of us kind of have a roadblock. Yeah, we want to have next level thinking, but how do you do that? And in that chapter, you just talk about, hey, let's make the decision. Let's do it. Talk about that,

Yeah, I think, it's just what you said. It's just a decision we have to make. It's not, maybe not going to fall on us, not going to, you know, something supernaturally happened, but just by the act of your will to say, you know what, I am going to, you know, talked a lot about in that chapter about it is finished. This dysfunction is finished. This mediocrity is finished. This bad attitude is finished. This living negative and not enjoying my life, it is finished. Well, you've got to, just like Jesus said on the cross, when he said it is finished. He wasn't just talking about his life. He was talking about all the shame, the guilt, all the stuff that's trying to hold us back. Doesn't do us any good, though, unless we get in

agreement with God and say, okay, tonight is going to be a new night of victory in my life. You just draw that line in the sand and you decide to make the, you start making better decision. But when I've learned this, when you do your part, God will do his part. He will kick in. But sometimes we're waiting when, Joel, when I feel better, or when I get a break or when my husband start treating me better. But you know what? You got to say, no, I'm going to make the first move right now. I'm going to, you know, change the way I'm thinking. I'm going to look at things from a new perspective. I'm going to thank God for what's right, not what's wrong. And really, Rich is a lot like my father when he gave his life to Christ. You know, I don't know what came over him and maybe just the decision he made, but he said,

you know what, poverty is finished in my life. 17 years old, in the Great Depression, no money, no education. His parents telling him, don't leave the farm. But you know what? he made that decision. I know God gave him the grace to do it, but he had to step into it. And again, it's not like he had a big, oh, I got a scholarship now to go to school or something. He hitchhikes and started preaching in prisons and on the street corners and things like that. But again, when you make that decision, it's amazing what God will do. And I like that. I think that part of that, I talked about that son or a slave. And it reminded me because so many times, you know how the Israelites, God brought them out of slavery.

but as they went toward the promised land, they never got rid of a slave mentality. God had called them a son, but it's like the enemy kept calling you a slave. And so it's like, you know, God is calling you a son. The enemy is calling you a slave. Who are you going to say you are? A son or a slave? Well, we are sons. We are daughters of the most high God.

But as long as you have a slave mentality, a defeated mentality, look what I've been through, Joel. Look at these giants on my promised land. Listen, God has brought you through in the past. he's going to bring you through in the future. Don't have a slave mentality. Have a son mentality. Stephen Hayes, pastor of Covenant Church, which his mom and dad sitting next to him.

Great people. And Mike and Kathy Hayes have pastor there. How many years? 40 years. They transitioned to Steve, and he has not run it down yet, but he's doing great. But these guys have pastors, Mike and Kathy,

are just great friends and great leaders and just been friends of ours. And Steve, I love we were talking even last night about how the church you've transitioned the last couple of years. The church is strong, and I love to see healthy transitions. That's what happened at Lakewood, and I believe that's what's going to continue to happen with our church and other churches. But thanks for being here.

Y'all, great blessing to us. Absolutely. And just as you wrapped up your last point, Pastor Joel, while it's so clear from what Pastor Keith said and others on breaking barriers and blazing new trail, what he's done now for his children, what you're doing for yours in your church, I told you last night that Just what you've done as a son, seeding your father and doing an amazing job. Taking it further has helped to blaze a trail for me as well as a son coming in. And so thank you for that.

But as much as all that's so important in the next level thinking, the chapter, chapter six that stood out to me that you just alluded to, not thinking like a slave, but thinking like a son, it comes back. I think so much to being able to really connect to what's possible is knowing whose you are. You know, you can have good strategies about love and your, that's all so important. but if you don't know that you are a son and a daughter of God, and your approval is not based on your performance. It's based on his greatness, his goodness. And until you can really connect to that, I don't know that any of the other stuff's even possible.

I don't know that I can really fully even love myself if I don't know that he loves me. And so that whole chapter really got me, and specifically the story you told about the maintenance guy coming to your house to fix an air conditioner. And he said, you know, maintenance guy shows up. He's not going to go to the fridge. He's not going to go sit down and watch TV

because it's not his home. Right? He's going to go and do the job. I hired him to do. But when Jonathan comes on from college, he's not going to ask permission to go to the fridge. He's not going to ask permission to watch TV because he's a son. He knows who he is. And I was talking to Pastor Phil before the session, and he reminded me of a story I shared with him back in high school. My parents told me, Stephen, your job is to be a good student and be an athlete and be faithful at church. And so they helped me get my first car, but I worked to raise some money and they made me put my money forward for it and raise money.

well then when I got the car I was the only one of my friends that had a car so I became the carpool guy right I took everybody to practice and so my dad got me he made the mistake of giving me a Chevron gas card and then all of a sudden any of my friends that needed some snacks we're buying Gatorade after practice I think the first month the first month it was like a thousand dollars I spent at Chevron I got creative you could you could feed a few guys at Chevron you know and and they sat me down and said Stephen we understand what you're doing but listen you can't just feed everybody at the gas station. But I recognize, I ordered it, but my dad's covering the bill. Like, I know who my dad is, and he's paying the bill. And it taught me a lesson later in life that not

everyone was raised with great parents, but I was. And I had a father and a mother that were providing for me. And because of that relationship, I was able to walk in a boldness and a faith that otherwise I've seen people not be able to do. And your analogy with the Israelites having been rescued through miracles of the plagues, and then even the cloud by day, fire by night, Incredible. Red Sea parted, but then they forgot who they were. And I've heard it said before that Jesus, or that God took them out of Egypt, but it took 40 years to take the Egypt out of them. And I feel like a lot of people I experience at a church where people will leave a place because they think the place was the problem, but wherever you go, there you are. I think that

mentality is a big limiting factor. How do you help encourage people even when they come and they're excited to be here, but you recognize they still got some Egypt on them? How do you get them really to get over the fact that, you know, you left, and that may have been good, but you still brought some of that with you. Yeah, I think what you're saying is true. It's just a day at a time. Keep teaching them, keep encouraging them. And, you know, you said it so beautifully, but knowing that we are, I like going back to that base, knowing that we are children of the most God, that we are approved, that we are accepted, knowing that we are loved, knowing that we are masterpieces. That's that foundation for the next level thinking. So Stephen, thanks for sharing that.

Thanks for all of our great pastors here and Victoria and Nick. And thank you guys for watching. Nick, can I see a copy of my book one more time? I know it's out in hard copy now, but next level thinking if you all want to pick up a copy, but we love you. Thanks being a part of our webcast. And we're going to be praying that, you know, God's going to take you to new levels. As you think better, you're going to live better.

You're going to see God's goodness in new ways. You're not watching this by accident. God had you hearing this. So why don't you take some principles, take these principles to heart. heart and let it be a new beginning and just kind of reevaluate and say god i'm taking the limits off of you tonight i know you've made me you breathe life into me and just kind of like that computer you got to get all the viruses out of your brain and all the the wrong things people have said you're not who people said you are you are who god says you are he says you're blessed you're prosperous you're

redeemed you're forgiven you're a child of the most high god thanks so much we'll see you next time One touch of God's favor can catapult you to the next level. Number one, New York Times bestselling author, Joe Lohsteen, delivers his new book, Next Level Thinking. You're about to take off to a new level and start rising higher. You'll see God promote you and take you to a new level of your destiny. I'll show you how to recognize any barrier that's holding your back so you can rise higher and become all you were created to be.

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