Joel Osteen Podcast - Staying Alive Your Whole Life | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: October 10, 2025

Don't let life's disappointments keep you from the dreams and desires God placed inside you. You are a person of destiny, created with a purpose. No matter how long it’s been or how impossible it seems,God can still turn your story around.This October, we’re offering a powerful devotional to help you renew your hope, rise in strength, and believe for more. RequestTurnaroundtoday andget ready for your comeback!https://bit.ly/3IoICUPYour best days are still ahead, and together we can make a difference in this world with the message of God's hope and love.To give visit JoelOsteen.com/GiveHope Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of the Joel Osteen Podcast ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend? We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. God bless you today.

Such a joy to come into your homes. We love you and we know God has great things in store for each one of you. He rewards the people that seek after him. Thanks for tuning in. If you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by and be a part of one of our services, We're glad to have you today.

I like to start each week with something kind of funny, and I got this joke from my brother Paul, so don't blame me. I heard about this blonde lady. She was out in the yard using the weed eater, and she accidentally cut her cat's tail off. He was hiding in the bushes. She didn't see it. She felt terrible, so she picked up her cat,

grabbed the tail, and told her friend she was going to Walmart. The friend said, Walmart. Why Walmart? She said, hello, they're the biggest. retailer in the world. I take no credit for that. I give it to Paul. Hold up your Bible. Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am.

I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name. God bless you. I want to talk to you today about staying alive your whole life. Too many people have lost their enthusiasm. At one time, they were excited about their future. They were pursuing their dreams, but along the way, they hit some roadblocks. Things didn't work out. They didn't get

the promotion they wanted. A relationship failed. They went through a health issue. And now that's taken the wind out of their cell. They're just going through the motions of life. They're breathing, but they're not really living. They're alive, but they're not full of life. What happened? They quit dreaming. They quit pursuing their goals. They lost their purpose.

If we're going to stay alive our whole life, we have to keep our dreams in front of us. We have to have a reason to get up each day. You've got to know you are a person of destiny. You have a purpose. You didn't just accidentally show up on planet earth. God knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb. He has an assignment for you.

There's something God wants you to accomplish. Somebody needs what you have. Somebody needs your love. Somebody needs your smile. Somebody needs your encouragement. You were created to make a difference, to impact our society, to make this world a better place.

And on the inside of you right now, there are dreams and desires put there by the creator of the universe. But over time, life will try to push those dreams down. Just little by little, a disappointment here, a setback there, a failed relationship, a dream that didn't work out. And if we're not careful, we'll look up and we're not pressing forward anymore. We're letting opportunities pass us by. We're not believing to rise any higher. What's the problem? We're allowing life to wither us. Just like a leaf that falls. from a tree. It doesn't

wither overnight, but gradually it gets worse and worse until it's totally withered away. And in the scripture, Jesus talked to this man. It doesn't give us his name. It doesn't tell us what he does. It simply calls him the man

with the withered hand. It's interesting. This man could talk. He could walk. He had friends. But his hand was withered. That was symbolic. It means he couldn't hold on to anything. life was passing him by, what he used to reach for, what he used to be passionate about. Now he just sat back and accepted it. After all, he had an excuse. His hand was withered.

Somebody gave Victoria and our flowers a few weeks ago. They were so beautiful, so radiant, so colorful and vibrant. But every day, even though we couldn't really notice it, even though it was too gradual to tell while it was happening, those flowers were withering. until one day we looked up and they were totally dead. And that's what can happen in life. We start out strong and vibrant. We're excited about our dreams. We're passionate about our future. But because of disappointments, setbacks, failures, life will slowly try to start to wither us. If we're not careful, we'll begin to think, my dreams are never going to come to pass. I'm never going to get out of dead. I'm never going to get married. We develop these wrong mindsets. But I love what Jesus

said to this man, he didn't necessarily comfort him. He didn't say, I feel sorry for you. You've had a tough life. Jesus asked him to do something that he could not do. He said, stretch forth your hand. That man had to make a decision. Was he going to take a step of faith and shake off past disappointments? Shake off past failure, shake off what his mind was telling him, and believe he could do it? Or was he going to shrink back and start making excuses? I can't do that. I can't do that. I can't do that, my hands withered. It's been this way too long. I've been through too much in life. He could have come up with all kinds of excuses that would have kept him right where he was. But this man was bold enough to believe that God could restore. He believed that God could

give him a new beginning. He did his part. He stretched out his hand and instantly he was made whole. And some of you today, you're breathing, but you're not really living. You've lost your enthusiasm. You're not pursuing your goals. Maybe like him, you've tried and failed. You've gone through some disappointments, but you've got to get your fire back. Life may have tried to wither you, but God is saying, stretch forth your hand. Dare to do something that you haven't done before. Stretch into a new level. Stretch into a new annoying. Stretch into a new way of thinking. Enlarge your vision. get rid of any wrong mindsets. Maybe your parents or the people that raised you, a coach or a teacher,

told you that you'll never be successful. You just don't have what it takes. Don't believe those lies. Stretch forth your hand. Maybe your own thoughts are telling you, it's never going to get better. I'm never going to accomplish my dreams. I've tried and failed.

Stretch forth your hand. Get a new vision for your life. Stir up the dreams that God has put on the inside. You may think it's been too long, and you're getting too old, but that dream is still alive. It started out as a strong fire. At one time, it was probably a burning desire. Now it's just a tiny little flicker.

You know what you've got to do? You've got to fan the flame. You've got to rekindle that fire. God is saying this is your year to do something that you've never done before. This is your year to break free from every addiction. This is your year to step in to supernatural opportunity. God said in Isaiah 43

Behold, I am doing a new thing Can you not perceive it? God wants to do something new in your life. You may have tried a thousand times and hit a brick wall, but God is saying I'm still in control. I still have a plan. You're in the palm of my hand

and as long as you believe all things are possible. And if we're going to keep life from withering us, we have to stay full of praise. When you give God praise, it's just like you're watering your seed. When you go through the day, thanking God that he's in control, thanking him that he's working behind the scenes, thanking him that he's arranging things in your favor,

that seed, that dream is constantly being nourished. I talked to a man the other day, and he had taken a test seven times to try to get his license to get into a particular field, but he had failed every single time. And he was so discouraged. He said, Joel, it just must not be meant to be. I've been working on this for over three years. He was ready to give up. And I told him what I'm telling you, you've got to go back and take that test again.

You don't know the eighth time could be the charm. And if you know God's put something in your heart, even if you have to pursue it your whole lifetime, you should never stop trying. Keep believing, keep pressing for it. I said to him, you need to start saying, Father, thank you that I will pass this test. Thank you that I'm full of your wisdom. Thank you that I'm well able to do what you call me to do. Get your mind going in the right direction. You may be here kind of like him. You've tried and failed and you're just about to give up on something.

You need to start fertilizing your seed. You know what I'm doing today? I'm pumping you full of nutrients. God's word is alive and full of power. David said there in Psalm chapter 1 in verse 3, if you will meditate on God's promises, you will be like a tree planted by the water. Your leaf will not wither,

and whatever you do will prosper. That's my prayer for each one of you. Life is not going to wither you. That means you will outlast every attack. You will overcome every obstacle. You will defeat every enemy. You will see every dream come to pass. And if your leaf has withered,

I believe today it's starting to come back to life. Fresh vision is being planted on the inside. God is birthing new dreams. Things you may have given up on. Things you thought were too far gone. God's going to resurrect those dead dreams. He's going to restore what you once thought was impossible. You need to draw that line in the sand and say,

this is for me. I'm shaking off every disappointment. I'm shaking off every setback. I may have allowed life to wither me for a little while, but I'm not settling where I am. this is my year to step into God's favor in a greater way. This is my year to stretch to a new level. You got to make up your mind.

No matter what comes against me, no matter what doesn't work out, it's not going to wither me. I'm not going to lose my enthusiasm. And even in the tough times when things aren't going your way, you've got to just keep on keeping on. Keep on being good to people. Keep on serving. Keep on praying.

Keep on hoping on in faith. It's interesting to me how many of the great, accomplishments that we've seen in our society came from people that refused to get discouraged. People that refused to give up and to quit trying. I was reading about Henry Ford, he went bankrupt five times. Don't you know after that first bankruptcy

he was tempted to be discouraged? After the second one, after the third one, certainly after the fifth one, he must have thought, God, this is just not in me. I just don't have what it takes. No, deep down, I believe he knew that dream was put in him by the creator of the universe, and he just kept stirring himself up. He didn't let life wither him. He may have gone bankrupt five times, but his sixth company turned out pretty good.

Some of you are making payments to them every month. Don't let life wither you. If one dream dies, dream another dream. You're only a failure if you quit trying. That means if you get knocked down nine times, all you've got to do is get back up ten to be. the victor. The scripture says in Jeremiah, Blessed is the person that makes the Lord his hope and confidence. He will be like a tree planted by the riverbanks with its roots reaching deep down into the water. It's a tree not bothered by the heat nor worried by long months of drought.

Its leaves stay green and it goes on producing luscious fruit. I believe that's the way you and I are. Because we've got our trust and confidence in Almighty God, even though we may go through some dry seasons, even though times get tough and things don't go our way, in the natural we should be down and discouraged. No, we know because our roots go down deep, it's not going to affect us. Our leaves are going to stay green. That means it will not wither. Other people may be getting laid off, but supernatural doors are opening up for us. Other people may be going around complaining, but we got a song of praise in our heart. Other people may be discouraged, but we got a

smile on our face. We got a spring in our step. Why is that? We're connected to the vine. Our roots go down deep. We've got our mind renewed. We're meditating on God's promises. I love how it says that even in dry seasons, we'll go on producing luscious fruit. Not all dried up, unattractive, rotten-looking fruit, but luscious fruit. And the fact is, we all go through dry seasons. where we're not getting any breaks and things aren't going our way. But God said, even in the dark times, even if the bottom falls out, because you're keeping him first place, you're going to have a supernatural strength and a supernatural favor that's going to cause you to overcome even when other people are going under.

No matter what the economy does, no matter what the medical report says, you don't have to worry. God said he's not only going to bring you through it, but he's going to cause you to prosper in spite of it. Your job is not your source. God is your source. The medical report, it may look impossible, but God can do the impossible. You need to keep this vision in front of you, even in my tough times, I'm going to go on producing luscious fruit. Somebody said, well, hadn't you heard what they said about the economy, Joel? Didn't I hear that they're going to lay people off at your office? Aren't you worried? No, I'm not worried. My roots go down deep. I know I'm not affected by the drought.

Even in my dry season, I'm going to keep on producing luscious fruit. Another key to keep life from withering you is you have to stay productive. You have to get up every day with purpose in your heart. Without purpose, there will be no passion. The Apostle Paul wrote a lot of the New Testament from a prison cell. He could have thought nothing's going my way. Soon as I get out of prison, I'll get back to fulfilling my way. my purpose. No, he stayed productive right where he was. When you quit producing, you quit growing.

If you're not growing, that's when life will start to wither you. You have to have a reason to get out of bed each day. You've got to know you have something to offer. Somebody needs what you have. This is especially important for older people. Stay active. Keep learning. Keep growing. keep your mind working, keep helping others. You may retire from your job, but don't ever retire from life. Find some way that you can keep being productive. Go volunteer at the hospital or go find a young person that you can mentor them. Come up here and help us pray for people on the phone during the week.

But when you quit being productive, you start slowly dying. If you quit using your mind, it's not going to be as sharp as it should be. I read where one of the best things older people can do is crossword puzzles. Why it makes your mind work. Don't get complacent. Make yourself memorize scripture. Make yourself memorize phone numbers. If you have some math to do, don't just go grab the calculator all the time. Do it manually. Keep your mind alert and active. I saw Art Link Letter on television the other day. He's 98 years old. He still travels all over the world, speaking hundreds of times. each year. Most of the time he talks to elderly people in this same area, encouraging them to be active. His mind is so sharp. He was dressed to a tea. He was articulate. He was funny. And I thought here he's 98 years old. He could be sitting at home, but he knows when he stops being productive, that's when he'll start slowly dying. The interviewer asked him, Art, when are you going to retire? He laughed and said, retire, what would I do?

He understands this principle. We weren't created to sit back and do nothing. We were created to produce. And God promises us that if we will keep him first place, he will give us a long, satisfied life. You say, how long is a long life, Joel, until you're satisfied. If you quit producing at 50 and you're satisfied, then the promise is fulfilled.

I don't know about you, but I've got too much in me to die right now. satisfied. I've got dreams that I've not yet seen come to pass. I've got promises that have not yet been fulfilled. I've got children I want to see grow up. I've got a wife to raise. I mean a wife to enjoy. I've got

mercy that I need, I guess. I've got grandchildren I've never seen yet. I've got messages that I've not yet delivered when I get to be about 85 and I'm still strong, still healthy, still good looking.

Still have my hair, still telling my jokes. After about 45 more years of productive ministry, maybe when I'm around 90, then I'll kick back and say, okay, God, I'm satisfied. I'm ready for my change of a dress. Let's go. But I see too many people, they get satisfied so easily. They quit living at 50.

We don't bury them until they're 80. They're alive, but they're not full of life. You've got to know your purpose. You've got to have that reason to get out of bed every day. You may be older. Maybe you're older and you're struggling with your health and you're tempted to just kind of lie around in bed all day. Think I don't want to get up and get dressed. I don't have anything to do.

I don't feel up to par. No, you need to make yourself get up and get dressed. Go visit a neighbor. Go take a walk. Go call a friend. If you don't get out of bed while you can, you'll probably get to the point where you can. even if you get up and get dressed just so you can wave at the mailman or just so you can walk five minutes down the street and wave at a friend that's good that's worth

it you've got to have a purpose when you don't have purpose you start losing your desire to live and that's when life will so easily wither you and you may not be able to produce what you used to produce just produce what you can i got a letter from a well-known minister he's up in his 80s now For many years, he pastored his church and traveled all over the world. He was a great speaker, great man, in great demand. But a while back, he came down with Parkinson's disease, and he got to the point where he couldn't speak anymore in public. It seemed very sad.

Here he was once very eloquent. He was just strong and vibrant, but now it looked like he was just sitting on the sidelines. It looked like he was washed up. His best days were behind him. But I got this package in the mail. It was a manuscript. He said, Joel, as you know, I can't speak anymore, so I've taken up writing. Here's a copy of my next book.

And the title of it was something like, what to do when you can't get out. It talked about just being the best right where you are. See, he couldn't produce what he used to produce, but he could produce something. If you can't speak anymore, then write. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't stand up, sit up. If you can't sing, tap your foot. If you can't dance, wiggle your head.

Do what you can do. Don't quit producing. When you quit producing, you quit living. As long as you have breath, you have something in you. You have something to offer. Keep pressing forward. Keep learning. Keep growing.

Keep your mind active. Keep your body moving. Growing up, my grandfather retired from Exxon after nearly 50 years. He never missed a day of work. But when Granddaddy retired, he didn't just stay at home and do nothing. He would come up to the church very often and work.

He would mow the lawn, make repairs, run errands. I remember seeing him crawl underneath those portable buildings many times to work on the plumbing. He stayed active way up into his 80s. My mother does the same thing. She's 74 now, which is young these days, but she still comes up to the office every day and works on the mail. She writes notes and encourages people.

One year, we calculated that she had written over 15,000 handwritten notes that year. She stays active. When my father went to be with the Lord, we were kind of concerned that my mother wouldn't want to come up to the office or maybe she would just sit at home and not get out as much. But my mother was just the opposite. She was never at home. I'd call her at 10 o'clock at night. She would be out with some girls from the office, going to a play, going to a ballgame, going to a birthday party. I thought I was going to have to put a curfew on her. One time I called her and I could hear all this noise in the background. I said, Mother, where are you? She said, I flew to Colorado today to watch the Astros play baseball tonight. I thought to myself, my mother is having more fun now that my dad's gone. Do me a favor. If I'm not here, make sure Victoria doesn't have that much fun.

But it's kind of interesting. A lot of my mother's friends are half her age. She hangs around with young people. No wonder she's young. If you're getting up there in years, don't have a bunch of people you have to prop up in order to have fun. Find some young friends. I heard about this 80-year-old woman. she went on a blind date with a 90-year-old man. She came home so frustrated. Her daughter said, mother, what's wrong? She said, I had to slap him three times. The daughter said, you mean he tried to get fresh?

She said, no, I thought he was dead. You got to find you some young friends, at least young at heart, that'll keep you young, keep you active. Really, I believe old is all in our mind. our body may be aging, but if we'll stay young in our mind, then that'll help us to stay alive our whole life. God's promised us a long, satisfied life. What am I saying today? Don't be too easily satisfied. I met a woman the other day after the service. She's 103 years old. And she was just as happy as can be so full of life. She looked like she could be in her 70s. And I kind of jokingly said, how long are you planning on living? She smiled and said, Joel, I can't go home until I see all my children serving God.

She quoted that scripture, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. She was saying, in effect, I'm not satisfied. I've still got dreams in my heart. I've still got promises that have not yet been fulfilled. She has seven children, and just one of those sons is not on the right path. I mean, he's like in his 80s himself. She told how she gets up every morning. She calls him, she encourages him, she quotes scriptures over him.

That's her purpose. That's her reason for getting up each day. You've got to make up your mind that you're going to live a satisfied life. That means you're going to see every promise, every dream, every desire. You're going to see that come to pass. Some people, they quit living at 50, and it's because they've let life wither them. They've given up on their dreams. You've got to stir up what God has placed on the inside.

You may have been through some setbacks, but God still has something for you to do. I think about the story of Naomi. She was a widow. She had lived a very sad life. Her husband had died, and now her two sons were killed in a battle. She was so discouraged. She didn't think she had any reason to live. She decided to move back to her childhood home.

That way when she died, she could be buried there. her daughter-in-law, Ruth, she was married to one of the sons that had been killed, told Naomi she wanted to move back with her. And Naomi tried to talk her out of it and said, no, Ruth, go live your life. I'm old. You don't need to take care of me. Just go do your thing. But Ruth insisted, and they moved back together.

And Ruth would go out into the fields every day and gather up the leftover wheat. That's how they survived. And one day, Ruth met the owner of that field, a man by the name of Boaz, a wealthy man. And Naomi started giving Ruth instruction, giving her advice kind of matchmaking, saying, Ruth, when you go out, wear this today. And when you see Boaz, tell him this and that. Naomi found her purpose in helping Ruth. When you find your purpose, it will help to heal the pains of the past.

Even though Naomi was helping someone else, God was using that to restore her. Ruth and Boaz eventually got married. and they had a little baby by the name of Obed. They were so proud of the child. They brought him to Naomi. And when Naomi held the newborn, something interesting happened. Some commentaries say that milk begin to be produced in her body.

Here Naomi, this older woman, way up there in years, was able to nurse the child. She ended up taking care of him. What am I saying? When you find your purpose, your milk will begin to flow. whether you're 25 or 85,

God will give you exactly what you need. Some of you today, you feel like Naomi. You've been through disappointments. You've had unfair things happen. You're tempted to think, I'm finished, Joel, I'm done. My dreams are never going to come to pass. No, there's another roof out there that needs you. And as you help others, as you find your reason for getting up each day,

God's going to do something new in your life. You've got to stir up those dreams, stir up those gifts. Don't let life wither you. As long as you're breathing, God has something for you to do. If you're going to stay alive your whole life, you've got to know you're a person of purpose. Somebody needs what you have.

Shake off every disappointment. Don't dwell on the setbacks. This is a new day. Life may have tried to wither you, but God is saying, stretch forth your hand. Get a new vision. Let these seeds of hope take root.

Make up your mind. No matter what comes your way, you're going to keep producing. You're going to keep growing. You're going to keep learning. You're going to stay active. If you will stay passionate about life, knowing what your purpose is, being your best every day, God promises your leaf will not wither. God will pour out his blessings in favor and you'll live the life of victory he has in store. Amen. Do you receive it 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. 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 out. Are you in a situation where you feel lost, afraid, hopeless, where there seems to be no solutions, no answers, no way out.

It's time for your turnaround. We all face situations that look like they'll never change. It's easy to get discouraged. I'd love to send you my book, Turn Around, how God can take you from a setback to a comeback, where you'll discover how God can turn sickness into health, lack into abundance, addictions into freedom. It'll inspire you to keep believing and have an expectancy

for things to turn in your favor. Recent weeks, we've been celebrating the incredible life of my mom. mother. Her miraculous turnaround story of overcoming terminal cancer over 40 years ago, it's a testimony of the power of God's promises. Just because you don't see a way doesn't mean God doesn't have a way. Stay in faith. Your turnaround is on the way. As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount this month, we would like to send you a copy of Joel's brand new book. Turnaround, how God can take you from setback to comeback. Through biblical examples, real-life applications, and practical encouragement, you'll learn to see challenges through a faith-filled perspective.

Each section highlights a faith turnaround point to help you see a positive change in your life. As you meditate on His promises, you'll begin to see your greatest challenges turn around. These power-packed life-transforming stories will shift your mindset, strengthen your faith, and turn your trials into triumphs. Request your copy today and see the turnaround and breakthrough you've been waiting for. God won't let you get in a problem that he can't bring you out of. There are turnarounds in your future. Thanks so much for being with us today.

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

Of course, you can listen to Sirius XM 24 hours a day. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired. Until we see you next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you. Be sure to request your copy of Turnaround, how God can take you from setback to come back. Visit Joel Osteen.com or call 888-567 Joel. For an additional donation this month, we are also offering the turnaround faith duo, one for you and one to share with a friend or family member to encourage them. You can also request the turnaround victory collection.

It includes two turnaround books and the beautiful set of three wooden encouragement blocks. Happy, healthy, and free, each featuring an uplifting scripture. You can request these inspiring resources by calling 888-567, Joel, or logging on to joelosteen.com today. Call or click anytime, 24 hours a day. Your life is about to turn around. Request these resources today.