Joel Osteen Podcast - Taking The Limits Off of God | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: August 30, 2024

If you want to see God's blessings, you have to line your thoughts up with God's. Don't let a negative mentality keep you from the new things He wants to do in your life. 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 visitJoelOsteen.com/GiveHope.Dispel worry and gain newfound hope! This August, we are offeringPower Up: A 21-Day Action Plan to Transformative Thinking.Receive the truth about what God says about you and transform your thoughts from Day 1. Take a step up toward powerful living today, https://bit.ly/46jp0ZX! 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.

Hope you're having a great summer. Know that we're praying for you. We know God has awesome things in store. So great having you with us. Enjoy the message today. God bless you. There's always a joy to come into your homes each week. We love you.

I know God's got great things in store for you. He rewards the people that seek after him. And if you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by and be a part of one of our services. These are the finest people in all of Houston, Texas, right here at Lakewood. So you come on out. We'll make you feel right at home.

Thanks for tuning in today. I like to get started with something funny, and I heard about this group of scientists. They went to God and said, God, we've decided we no longer need you. We can clone people. We can transplant hearts. We can do all kinds of things once considered miraculous.

And God just patiently heard him out. Then God finally said, well, I want to challenge you to a man-making contest. The only rule is you have to make man out of dirt. The scientists agreed, and they quickly reached down and picked up a handful of dirt. God said, not so fast, go get your own dirt. All right, 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 taking the limits off of God. God wants to do new things in our lives. He's a God of increase. And we should always be rising to new levels. But it's so easy in life to get stuck in a rut

and to just settle for the status quo. And we kind of think, well, I've reached my limits. I've gone as far as I can go. This is as happy as I'll ever be. My marriage will probably never get any better than this. But if we're going to continue to increase and really experience God's best, we have to get our thinking lined up with God's thinking.

And the scripture says here in Psalm 78, verse 41, that the people limited the Holy One of Israel. Think about that. The God who is limitless, the all-powerful God, the creator of the universe, he can be limited how by our thinking. He can be limited by what we believe. And a lot of people don't realize today it's their own wrong thinking that's keeping them in mediocrity. Well, I don't think my child could ever do what's right. Or I don't see how I could ever get out of debt. Or Joel, I've been sick so long, I just don't see how I could ever really get well. No, it's that kind of

negative mentality that will keep you right where you are. You have to change your thinking before your life is going to change. This is where the children of Israel really missed it. God brought them out of slavery. He did miracle after miracle. But when they got out in the wilderness, the first thing they said was Moses, can God furnish a table

for us out here? In other words, can God provide for our needs? Can God really take care of us? Can God protect us from our enemies? And it was that kind of wrong thinking that kept them from ever going in to the promised land. And no matter what comes our way in life, we should never say can God. Our attitude should be God can and I know God will.

My child may not be doing right, but I know God can turn them around. My finances may be low today, but I know God can make a way. My health may be deteriorating, but I'm not worried. God made my body. I know he can restore health back into me. See, let's don't do like them and go around saying can God, let's be believers. God can and God will. And if I were to ask you today, if you believe that God can do anything, every one of us would lift our hands. But the real test is are we at peace? Are we in rest? Are we positive, hopeful, expecting good things? A lot of times we say with our mouth we're believing, but by our actions, we're showing that we're not. And anytime we're negative, worried, discouraged, that's a sure sign that we've gotten out of faith.

Now, I heard a story about this famous tightrope walker. One day they stretched a cable across Niagara Falls, pulled it real tight. When the conditions got just right, he got a wheelbarrow, and he pushed it on the tightrope across Niagara Falls and all the way back. The crowd went wild. They couldn't believe it. Then he got his German shepherd, put it in. in the wheelbarrow and did the same thing. Next, one of his sons got in the wheelbarrow. He

pushed him all the way across, on the tightrope, all the way back. And throughout the day, different members of his family got in that wheelbarrow and he did the same thing. Later in the day, this tightrope walker, he noticed a man in the crowd that was so excited. He could tell he was his biggest fan. And so he went over to him and said, sir, do you think that I can do this again. The guy kind of laughed. He said, I don't think you could do it again. I know you can do it again. I've been watching you all day long. He said, well, do you really believe I could do it just one more time? He said, yes, I'm absolutely sure you could do it one more time. He said, no, you don't really believe that I can do it again. The man kind of got offended. He said, what are you talking about? I've been

watching you for hours. I am absolutely, positively, 100% sure you can do it again. He said, all right, get in the wheelbarrow. That man said, uh, uh, uh, uh, now that's a different story. See, he believed with his head, but real faith is of the heart. When we're really believing deep down in here, we know that we know that we know that God is in control and he is going to take care of us. And I am asking you today to get in the willbarrow. You've seen God do it in the past and you know God's going to do it in the future. Quit living your life worried, negative, discontive.

You've got to turn those situations over to God and simply believe. Well, Joel, I'm on a tight budget. I just don't see how I'm going to make it with these high gas prices. No, you need to remember who your God is. He is the all-powerful creator of the universe. And God is not having a down year because of the economy. He's not up there in the heaven saying, oh, man, these gas prices are messing me up. Gabriel, would you go get me another Tylenol?

No, God is in control. There is nothing too difficult for him. And when we believe, all things become possible. I love the time in the scripture when Peter didn't have money to pay his taxes. Jesus simply said, Peter, go down to the lake, and the first fish you catch, there's going to be enough money for both yours and my taxes. He went down there. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened.

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking about going fishing tomorrow. But I'm asking you to be a believer. You may have big problems, but we serve a big God. Your enemies may be powerful, but our God is all powerful. You need to remember who you are. You are a child of the most high God. You have the DNA of a champion on the inside. Royal blood is flowing through your veins.

You are not created to be average. You are not created to barely get by. drag through life negative and depressed, you have seeds of greatness on the inside. God has filled you with his can-do power. You are well able to do whatever God has called you to do. You need to put your shoulders back, hold your head up high, and start thinking like a victor and not a victim. When you're a victor, you know that any adversity in your life is not permanent.

It's temporary. It didn't come to stay. It came to pass. Don't you dare sit around thinking, well, this is never going to get any better. I don't see how I could ever accomplish my dreams. No, you've got the greatest power in the universe on the inside of you. Get a vision for it. Her attitude should be, I am a can-do person.

There is nothing in my life that I can't overcome. And it's only a matter of time until this situation turns around. See, if we will get our thinking in line with God's thinking, then our best days are not behind us, our best days. days are in front of us. And it says in Ephesians that God wants to do exceedingly, abundantly above all you can even ask or think. Now the place says that no person has ever seen, heard, or even imagined the wonderful things that God has in store to them that love the Lord. I know that's you. But it's all according to how we believe.

Now, I love what God said to Moses. One time the people were complaining out in the wilderness that they didn't have any meat to eat. They were tired of of the manna, the bread that God was given them every morning. And so Moses went to God and said, God, the people don't like this manna anymore. They want meat. What do you want me to tell them? And God said, Moses, you tell them,

that's no problem for me. I'll give them the meat for the next two months straight. And Moses was shocked. He said, God, what do you mean? Even if we butchered all of our flocks and all of our herds, we wouldn't have that much meat. And God simply said, Moses, let me ask you a question. When

I become weak? He was saying, did I somehow lose my power? Don't you remember that I spoke the worlds into existence? Don't you remember that I am Jehovah Jira, the Lord your provider? Did you forget that my name is El Shadai, the God who is more than enough? Moses, when did I become weak? God simply sent them quail for the next two months and they had meat every single day. And we need to keep it in perspective. Our father created it all. when he said let there be light, it came at 186,000 miles per second, still coming today. One time Moses asked God what his name was, and God simply said, my name is I am that I am. He was saying I am anything you need.

I am your health. I am your strength. I am your wisdom. I am your provider. I am your deliver. I am your victory. I remember growing up, my father used to say, if gas goes to a dollar a gallon, And if bread goes to a dollar a loaf, God will still take care of us.

Now, I thought if Daddy could only see us now. But you know what? God did it for us in the past. He's going to do it for us in the future. I think about this new facility that God has blessed us with. It cost about $100 million for us to renovate this place. 25 million alone was for the air conditioning and mechanical system. When I first got the news of how much it was going to cost,

after I got up off the ground, I thought to myself, how in the world are we ever going to pay for this? And I started trying to figure it all out. If we raise this much over here and do this and do that and do the other, I finally figured by the time I'm 93, we could have it paid off. See, our natural mind wants to try to figure everything out. But that's not our job.

Our job is to believe. Our job is to stay in an attitude of faith. And so I went back and I started remembering how God had helped my father. all down through the years to build different sanctuaries. When I was nine or ten years old, we built a sanctuary that cost about $100,000. And back then, that seemed impossible. But God provided for our needs. 15, 20 years later, we built that sanctuary that cost around $10 million.

And once again, God made a way. We paid that all. Well, this facility cost about $100 million, but really, what's another zero to God? He owns it all. Where he is, they make streets out of gold. And I want to stir your faith today. Quit sitting around thinking about what you can't do and start thinking about what God can do.

You and God are a majority. Some of you today, you're stuck in that old rut, and all you can see is more the same, more disappointments, more mediocrity, more struggling, but you have got to get rid of that limited mindset. I found you will never rise higher in any area of your life unless you first make room for it in your thinking. You've got to start seeing yourself accomplish in your dreams. Start seeing yourself overcoming that obstacle.

See yourself paying your house off. God has a big plan for your life. It wants to take your places that you've never dreamed of, but we have to get an agreement with him. And the scripture says in Isaiah 54 verse 2, enlarge the place of your tents. let the curtains of your habitations be stretched forth. Spare not. Strengthen your cords. Lengthen your stakes. God is simply saying, make room for more, make room for increase. Get up every day expecting to rise higher. Start expecting things to change in your favor. That verse goes on to say, when you do this, then your light will break forth. Then you'll rise to these new levels.

But God is implying here, if we don't do the stretching, if we don't do the enlarging, then it's not going to happen. First place we have to make room is in our own thinking. Well, you say, Joel, what if I believe in nothing happens? Well, what if you believe in something does happen? And even if it doesn't happen on your timetable, the exact way you would like, you'd still be better off to live your life in an attitude of faith, positive and hopeful, than to drag around defeated and depressed.

I can tell you, it's not going to happen in that frame of mind. And I know when my father went to be with the Lord, I didn't think that I could get up here in minister. I said, God, I've never preached before. I've never been to seminary. I thought of excuse after excuse why I couldn't do that. And I finally had to quit dwelling on that junk. And I started saying every day, I am anointed. I am well able to do what God's called me to do. I am strong in the Lord. What was I doing? I was creating a new vision on the inside. I started seeing myself up here successful. At first I was as nervous as can be.

I felt like I had to hold onto the podium. I started seeing myself calm and at peace. I'd tell myself every day, I have the favor of God. People like me, I will succeed. Had I not made room for it in my own thinking, I don't believe that I'd be up here today. Well, you say, Joel, I've got a lot of obstacles in my past. I've got a lot of problems.

That's why I'm kind of down. But let me help you to have a new perspective. You remember when God told Moses to go tell Pharaoh to let the people go, God said, Moses, don't get upset when he doesn't cooperate with you. Pharaoh is going to tell you no. Think about it. God already knew what the answer was going to be. He already knew what was going to happen before it ever happened. That tells me that God is in control of my enemies.

As long as I'm believing, I am in a controlled environment. it. My enemies are not in control. God knows what they're going to do. God is in control. So if I'll just keep believing, if I'll just keep trusting, then at the right time, God's going change things in my faith. That's why we don't have to live worried. We don't have to get upset and lose our joy if things are not happening as fast as we would like, or if a door is not open, if somebody's telling us no. We don't have to be afraid of a sickness, afraid that the enemy is going to get the best of us. The scripture says that we live under the shadow of the Almighty. God is protecting us, guiding us, directing every one of our steps. He is in control of our lives.

He's even in control of our enemies. I was reading about this little fish. It's actually called a Moses soul. It's a small flounder that's found over in the Red Sea. And also in those waters are some large sharks. And these sharks would typically like to eat a fish of this particular size and weight. But back in the early 70s, a group of researchers discovered something very interesting about this little fish. They found that the sharks could not eat it because God had given this little flounder a unique protection system. Whenever it senses danger, it naturally releases poisonous toxins from its glands. And these toxins literally cause the shark's jaws to free.

It showed a picture of this shark had his mouth wide open, the flounder right in the middle. You could tell he was coming in for the kill. All he had to do was bite down. There was dinner. The only problem was he couldn't do it. God put something in that little flounder to protect him. As long as that shark was near, his jaws were frozen. He'd have to get away for a few seconds.

Then they would release and come back to normal. Now, I thought about that little flounder. When he's in the shark's mouth, his blood pressure doesn't go away. up. He doesn't run, try to call 911. He doesn't get depressed, say, oh, just my luck. I knew this going to happen to me sooner or later. No, he knows there's something special

about him. He knows God ordained before the foundation of the world that he would be protected from that type of enemy. So he just rest in who God made him to be. Doesn't get upset, doesn't get worried, doesn't get frantic. He just keeps pressing forward, enjoying his

life. He knows everything is going to be all right. And if and I could ever just get a real revelation that we are children of the most high God. God did not just give you a unique protection system. He breathed his very life into you. He has crowned you with his glory and honor. He has surrounded us with his favor. He's given his angels charge over us. Everywhere we go, these mighty warriors are protecting us. But it seems like sometimes that little fish has more faith than we do. When we get in trouble, when we get in difficult situations, we get afraid.

Well, I don't know if I'm going to make it out of this. Joel, I got a bad report from the doctor. They're talking about laying people off at my company. I don't know what I'm going to do. No, quit worrying about that. God is going to take care of you. You have something in you much greater than that little fish. The scripture says no weapon that's ever formed against you is going to prosper.

It says, when the enemy comes against you one way, God will defeat him and cause him to flee seven different ways. God's put something in you and me that causes us to always rise to the top. He said, we are more than conquers. What the enemy means for your evil, God will turn it around and use to your advantage. Now, why don't you start trusting him? Why don't you really believe that he's in control of your life? When those old negative, discouraging thoughts come, it's not going to happen for you.

You're never going to rise higher. you'll never get married, you'll never get well. Do you know how to release those poisonous toxins in your own life like that little fish to put a stop to the enemy? You start speaking God's word. I know I am more than a conquer. God's plans for me are good and not even. I am the head and not the tail. You just keep giving God praise.

Keep smiling. Keep having a good report. Well, I heard you weren't feeling well, yes, but I know God's restoring health back into me. Well, I heard they're talking about laying off people at your company. That's right, but I know when one door closes, God will open up another door for me. Well, somebody said you're thinking about teaching in the children's center. You really think you can do that? I don't think so.

I know so. I am anointed. I am equipped. I am full of God's wisdom. And if you'll stay in that attitude of faith, giving God praise, meditating on his promises, speaking words of faith and victory, then just like that shark, the enemy cannot close down. He can't harm you. God always causes you to try him. Remember, God is in control of your life. He's even in control of your

enemies. It may be an enemy of sickness, but you know what? God made your body. He can correct what's wrong. Trust him. Maybe an enemy of debt, an enemy of lack. God can give you one idea that will thrust you to a whole new level. God can cause you to bump into somebody that offers you a new position that totally turns things around. God wants to do unusual things in your life. He wants to show himself strong, the scripture says. Why don't you dare to believe him? Take the limits off of him. Stay in faith. And remember, all it takes is one touch of God's favor. I know this friend of mine, he's an older gentleman. And a few years ago, he lost his wife of many, many years. Not too long after that, he met another beautiful lady. They decided to get married.

And this gentleman had a real desire to furnish his house with new furniture, just so they could have a fresh new start, a new beginning. But he was retired, and he didn't know if that's the best way to spend his money. And so he just turned that over to God. Never told anybody about it? He just kept it to himself. And the scripture says in Psalm 374, that if we will delight ourselves in the Lord,

God will give us the desires of our heart. One translation says, He'll give us the secret petition of our heart. Notice, we don't have to struggle to get them. We don't have to live upset and frustrated trying to make everything happen. If we'll just be believers, if we'll just keep God first place and keep doing our best, God promises he will give us those secret petitions. Well, month after month went by and he didn't see anything happening, but he didn't get discouraged. He just kept believing, kept being faithful, kept being good to people. And God works in mysterious ways.

Certainly this isn't going to happen like this for every one of us, but one day his son called and said, Dad, you'll never believe what happened. I just won the lottery. $37 million later, the son not only bought his dad a new car, he didn't buy him just new furniture, he bought him a brand new house. Friends, God wants to do more than we can even ask or think. God is not limited. We limit him with our own thinking. And I'm not telling any of you to go play the lottery. I know some of you are thinking, thank you, Lord, that's a word I needed today. Just give me the numbers. That's all you're going to remember from my sermon. No, we never encourage people to play the lottery, but if you do play and win, make sure you tithe.

We'll forgive you after you tithe. This gentleman told me, Joel, three things. I always tried to teach my sons, don't smoke, don't drink, and don't gamble. And you know what? Two out of three is not bad. But God wants to give you the secret petitions of your heart. Number one, you've got to be obedient. Be a person of excellence. Have integrity. Treat people right. And always keep God first place in your life. And number two, you have to take the limits off of God. Believe for his best. Get up every day expecting good things. Well, Joel, this would never happen for me. You don't know my luck, man. I never get any good breaks. You're right. It's not going to happen for you. This is for believers. You've got to get out of that negative mindset. Your life will not change

until your thinking changes. And every morning before we leave the house, we should say out loud, something good is going to happen to me. This is the day the Lord has made, and I believe his blessings are going to chase me down and overtake me. Go out in an attitude of faith. Well, Joel, what if I go out and I get stuck in traffic? What if I have a lousy day? That doesn't change anything. You still give God praise. You still think him that you're alive. You think him that tomorrow will be better than today. But we've got to learn to take the limits off of God. Growing up, we knew a man by the name of Casey Jones. He was in the business of moving houses. Sometimes you see the big houses going down the freeways. That's what Casey did for a living.

And he was a very unusual man. He would believe for anything. And one day, he and his men were moving this big house, and they'd traveled several hours way out into the country. When they finally got to their destination, Casey realized he had forgotten the main chain that he needed to unload that house. And he was so disappointed. There were miles and miles from the nearest town.

It was getting late in the day, and he didn't want to have to come back the next day. And so he decided to pray. And the men that were with him, they kind of laughed. They said, Casey, what are you going to pray about? He said, I'm going to pray and ask God to give me a chain. And oh, they really begin to laugh. They said, Casey, are you serious? What do you think?

God's going to rain down a chain from heaven? He said, I don't know. But the Bible says we have not because we ask not. So I'm going to ask. So he just bowed his head and said, God, I know you love me. I know there's nothing too difficult for you. and so I'm just asking you to somehow, some way, give me a chain. So I don't have to come all the way back out here tomorrow.

Now, they were standing on the side of this country road. And a few feet in front of them, there was a sharp curve in the road. And about that time, this old beat-up pickup truck came barreling down the road, going much faster than it should, and it had its tailgate open. And when that pickup truck took the curve going too fast, a chain slung out of the back of the pickup bed. It slid right across the road and curled up at Casey Jones' feet. He picked it up and said, here's my chain, boys. Let's go to work.

Friends, God is a supernatural God. He can do what men can't do. When we believe, all things become possible. I'm asking you to take the limits off of God. quit trying to figure everything out and just believe, get in the wheelbarrow. You've seen God do it in the past. He's going to do it for you again in the future, but you've got to make room for it in your own thinking. Remember, no matter what comes against you in life,

God is in control. He's even in control of your enemies. And if you'll be a believer and keep the limits off of God, you will overcome any obstacle, you'll rise higher and higher. And I know that God will take you places that you've never even dreamed of.

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. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again, get in a good church, keep God first place, he'll take your places that you've never dreamed up. Our negative thinking

can short-circuit God's power. and blessing in our lives. When you say, I always seem to worry. I can't forgive what was done to me. I pray, but it feels like God doesn't hear. I won't have enough to provide for me and my family. How do you overcome this type of negative thinking that limits you from God's best?

Our thinking sets the limits for our life. Every morning you have to power up your mind, get it going in the right direction, but dwelling on what God says about you. When you think thoughts of faith, hope, and victory, you'll tap into blessing and favor that belongs to you. I'd love to send you my newest book. It's called Power Up. I'll show you how to delete negative thoughts and focus on the promises rather than the problems. You can discover God's unprecedented power in your life. As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount to the ministry this month,

Joel and Victoria would like to send you this life-altering resource. a 21-day action plan to transformative thinking. God wants to power up every area of your life. Your relationships, career, finances, health. He wants to bless it all. But sometimes negative thinking can short-circuit the truth. This resource reconnects those power lines, providing the free flow of God's eternal promises.

Remember, wherever you're at, whatever you're facing, you can make the choice to power up and access God's promises. When your mind is going in the right direction, your life will go in the right direction. Start powering up each day and watch what God will do. Victoria and I want you to know that we pray for you and your family. We appreciate your prayer and support. Your generosity is impacting so many lives. Remember, you can watch the services live online every Sunday morning.

Download our daily podcast, watch our YouTube channel, listen on SiriusXM. But until we meet again, may the Lord bless you and keep you. Be sure to request your copy of Power Up, a 21-day action plan to transformative thinking. Today, visit Joel Osteen.com or call us toll-free.