Joel Osteen Podcast - You Are Uncontainable | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: April 11, 2024

Throughout life, there will always be forces that come against you and try to limit your potential. But you weren't created to stay where you are. The forces trying to stop you are no match for God's supernatural favor.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.Your words have the power to change your life. When youSpeak the Blessing,you wake up dreams and unleash divine favor. Our April offer will show you the keys to speaking faith-filled words that invite the transformation you are looking for. Request your copy today, https://bit.ly/3TSkDQU.  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.

Always great to have you with us on the podcast and have a new book out called Speak the Blessing, talking about speaking words of faith and hope and victory over your life. I know you'll enjoy it, but blessings to you today and enjoy the podcast. Well, God bless you. It is always a joy to come into your homes. We love you and we know God has great things in store. For each one of you, if you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by and be a part of one of our services. We would love to have you here. I promise you, we'll you feel right at home. But thanks for tuning in. And again, thank you all for coming out today. And I'd like to start with something funny each week. And these are just jokes. Don't anybody be offended by them? But I heard about these three aspiring psychiatrists. They were taking their first

test on emotional extremes. The professor asked the first student from Harvard, what's the opposite of sadness? He replied happiness. He asked the second student from Yale. What's the opposite of depression. He replied joy. He asked the third student from Texas A&N. What's the opposite of woe? W-O-E. The Aggie looked kind of puzzled. He finally replied, giddy up. 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 how you are uncontainable. When God created us, he put seeds of increase on the inside. We were never made to reach one level and stop. We were created to grow, to move forward, to increase. and we should constantly be breaking barriers of the past, taking new ground for our family and advancing God's kingdom. But throughout life, there will always be forces to try to keep us where we are. They can't stop the progress that we've made, but they'll do their best to contain

us, to keep us in a box, and to limit our influence. Not long ago, the swine flu came on the scene. many experts believe that it started in Mexico. They immediately shut the city down. No one could come or go. It looked like a ghost town. No traffic. No people, no business. What were they doing? Trying to contain it.

They knew it might be contagious. And if it got past a few people, it could multiply and spread all over. And that's what happened. Eventually, it couldn't be contained. And that's the way the forces of darkness try to work against us. They're constantly trying to push us down, limit our influence, and keep us from taking any new ground. But can I give you some good news today? You are

uncontainable. The forces that are in you are greater than the forces that are trying to contain you. And if you're going to become everything God's created you to be, you can't get stuck in a rut and think you've reached your limits. You've got to keep stretching your faith. Look at it. You're for new opportunities, new ideas, and new ways to expand your influence. When I was 12 years old, I played football. A friend of mine was on the opposing team. He was their running back. He was very fast, very quick, almost impossible to stop. And the week we were going to play his team. Our coach came up with a special defense. He put twice as many guys on his side. The phrase he used all week was contain him. I must have heard that phrase a thousand times. The coach had us

focused one group on the outside, one group on the inside. We worked in work trying to figure out how to stop him. Well, when the game rolled around, it was like we had not even practiced. He was so much quicker than us. The coach could have put the whole team on him. He still would have gotten by. Even when we were able to grab him, it was like he was covered with oil. We couldn't hang on, he would twist and turn and always get away. What was the problem? He was uncontainable. That's the way I want you to see yourself. You have the spirit of the living God on the inside. His anointing on your life is just like oil. When something tries to stop you, hold you down, it doesn't have a chance. In your imagination, you just twist and turn and see

that sliding off. You are uncontainable. But some of you today have gotten completely. You've gotten complacent, and you've settled where you are. You believe those lies that you've gone as far as you can go. You've made too many mistakes. You come from the wrong family. You've got this handicap. Now, I'm here to infect you with a virus. It's a good virus, a God virus. It says you are made for more, to influence more, to accomplish more, love more, to give more, to have more. Friends, I've got to warn you today, I'm highly contagious, and I'm infecting you with faith. I'm infecting you with vision. I'm infecting you with joy. God is saying you have not touched the surface of what he has in store for you. He is going to take you places that you've never dreamed of. He's going to bring

opportunities that give you amazing influence. You have not seen your best days. They are still out in front of you. Now, you've got to dig your hills. sin and say, I will not be contained by people, by the way I was raised, by mistakes I've made, by some injustice, disappointment, or even handicap. No, I have my mind made up. Where I am is not where I'm staying. I'm rising higher. I'm going to be a barrier breaker. I'm going to take new ground for God's kingdom. It's time for us as God's people to rise up and become leaders and have influence and respect and credibility, not just in our own circle, but in the marketplace. That means in the general public, in the schools, in the government, arts, sports, entertainment.

We're not supposed to hide our gifts and go around feeling like we're second class and we don't have that much to offer. Now put your shoulders back. Hold your head up high. You are a child of the most high God. God breathed his life into you. You have something incredible to offer. In the coming days, God is going to increase your influence. I love the story in Acts chapter 4. Peter and John had prayed for people, and they had gotten well, and great miracles had taken place. They had a big service, and all kinds of good things happened.

But the city leaders didn't know what to do with them. They weren't for them. They didn't fit in their box. Instead of being happy about it, they said in Acts 4, verses 16 and 17, we cannot deny that a notable miracle has taken place. But here's our plan that it spread no further. They were saying, in effect, we're just going to push them down, lessen their influence, and try to contain them.

But Peter and John understood this principle. They know we cannot be contained. The dream God put in our heart, as long as we stay in faith, nothing can shut it down. And that message was not restricting. it spread like wildfire, and here we're still talking about it today. What am I saying? You cannot be contained. People may try to push you down. Somebody may try to discourage you and close some doors, but if you'll just keep pressing forward, shaking that off,

God will open up doors that no man can shut. God will raise you up, even though somebody else is trying to push you down. I think about Nelson Mandela. He was put in prison because he opposed the government of apartheid. The leaders thought they had finally gotten rid of him. They wouldn't have to deal with his opposition anymore. Mr. Mandela could have thought, well, I did my best, gave it my all. I guess it wasn't meant to be. You know, Nelson Mandela knew he couldn't be contained by people, by injustice, by racism, by hatred, even by prison walls. 27 years later, he walked out a free man. Eventually, he became president of that. same country and won the Nobel Peace Prize. Friends, what God has destined for your life

will come to fulfill me. But some of you think you've got too many obstacles and you've had too many closed doors and it's been too long. You don't see how it could ever happen. You've got to get your fire back. Get your dream back. It may look impossible. But God is saying that setback cannot contain you. That injustice, that disappointment, that bad break cannot hold you down. If you will get rid of that limited mentality and press forward in faith, God will still get you to where you're supposed to be. That's what happened to the Apostle Paul. He was put in prison for spreading the good news. Paul could have gotten depressed, discouraged, given up. Instead, his attitude was, I may not be able to go out and minister, but I do have to be able to

have a pen. I do have a piece of paper. I can write. He ended up writing much of the New Testament from a prison cell. They thought they were containing him, but it did just the opposite. It backfired. Paul had more influence with his writings than he ever did in person. Now, I want you to get this down in your spirit. God is going to increase your influence. The scripture talks about how God will cause his light to shine down on us, his face to shine down on us. That's his favor. You need to start expecting this favor as never before. God wants you to be a barrier breaker. He wants you to take new ground for the kingdom. But it seems like in days past, the church has been seen as kind of secondary. That's for people that don't have anything better to do. We've fallen into that mentality at times.

we think, well, not that talented. I don't have too much to offer. Too often, we thought, let us just take the leftovers. We can't afford anything. If you can just give us a discount, if you can just please help us, no influence, no abundant mentality.

In fact, this is exactly how my father started out. My dad grew up extremely poor, and he developed a barely get-by mentality. He never thought he would have enough, and he certainly never thought he would. have any influence. It took him years and years to get rid of a poverty mindset, a second-class mentality. One day, he realized what I'm telling you. He didn't have to be contained by how he was

raised, rather he was created to live an abundant life. He developed a new mindset. I remember one time my father was at a store to buy a suit. When the salesperson found out he was a minister, he said to my father, let me go talk to my manager. Maybe we can give you a minister's discount. Years earlier, my father would have been jumping up and down, rejoicing, God, you're meeting my needs. And my dad loved to get a good deal. We're certainly not against that. But he had come through so much poverty and lack and defeat. That just didn't set well with him. He said, listen, brother, I appreciate you wanting to help me. But I've got to tell you, I don't need a minister's discount. I am not a beggar. I'm not looking for a handout. I am not second class. I am a child of the

most high God. I am blessed. I am prosperous and I am well able to pay the full price. That man looked at him and said, man, I have never met a minister like you. What was that? My father was a barrier breaker. He believed that he could rise higher. And he didn't have to be contained by how he was raised and what he saw model growing up. He saw God do amazing things in his life. But too often, God's people have seen themselves as second class and poor and defeated. And let me just barely scrape by. No influence, no respect and credibility like it should be from our peers. But thank God, this is a new day. There's a new generation rising up. people that say, I know who I am, a child of Almighty God.

And I don't have to be contained by how I was raised, by what I've seen in the past. I know I am a barrier breaker. I am a person of influence. So I'm going to move forward and take new ground not just from my family, but I'm going to advance God's kingdom. Friends, it all starts in our thinking. Don't be contained in your mind. Who told you you can't rise any higher?

Who told you you'll never be successful? You'll never own that nice house. You'll never be in management. You'll never have any more influence. Those are lies from the enemy. Let me tell you what I know about you. Some of you are going to write a book that will touch millions of people.

Some of you will develop medicine that will impact our world. Some of you will see your movies at the top of the charts. Some of you will have a ministry that will shake your nation. Some of you will develop software that will revolutionize business. Some of you will start a company that will be a global force

in the economy. Some of you will be the next leaders of your community, of your city, of your state, even of your nation. Don't you dare sit back and say, well, that couldn't be me, Joel. I don't have the education. I'm not that smart. I don't have the contacts. No, you've got to start seeing yourself differently. You are a barrier breaker. You are uncontainable. You've got so much talent in you, so much potential. There are seeds of greatness on the inside. And if you will break free from a limited mindset and enlarge your vision, you will see God take your places that you've never even dreamed up. That's what God has done for us. I think about the fact that we're sitting in this beautiful facility today. I tried to go the traditional route and buy some property and build a sanctuary on it.

But God's dream for our life is always so much bigger than our own. God gave us this beautiful former sports facility, the premier auditorium in the fourth largest city in America. What was that? We broke barriers. God helped us to pave the way, to go further. Now other people can come behind us and do the same thing. And you know, it's not just about being bigger.

It's not just about the size. It's about advancing the kingdom. It's about making a more. in our generation. That's the way God wants it to be. Every generation should increase. Our former campus was on very small side streets in a rural section of town. Great people over there, but over time it had really gotten run down. Through the years, people used to say to my parents, what do you do and still over here in this part of town? Some of them even ridiculed them, saw them as second class. But isn't it interesting?

how God has a way of always giving you the last laugh. Today we're not on a side street. We're on the second busiest freeway in the nation sitting on a prime piece of property. God didn't just give us a building. He increased our influence. It's happening all over. I think about when I was growing up,

you just heard Christian music in our church services and maybe every once in a while through the years other radio stations would play it, but not that much. But this is a new day. A couple of months ago, I was watching a ball game, and a national commercial came on for a cell phone company. The music in the background was, you are good all the time. You are good.

It's the song that Israel wrote that we sing all the time. What's happening? We can't be contained. We are dangerous. We're on the loose. Don't you know the enemy's having a nervous breakdown? They tried to stop us from building a new sanctuary. and God blessed us with a premier sports facility.

They'd try to push down your talent, try to contain you, but they'll pop up on commercials, movies, on the sports fields. People today are not ashamed of their faith. Even in the business world, people are not afraid to admit, you know what? My talent comes from the Lord. He's the one that's giving me my skills. A few months back, my children were watching American Idol. At the end of the program, all the contestants came back on.

And they started singing a song that our friend, Darlene Chek wrote, shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing. Not on a church program, but on the number one program in all of television. It can't be contained. I want you to get this down in your spirit. God is going to increase your influence.

He's going to cause your gifts and talents to come out in a greater way. His face is shining down on you right now. You've got to get rid of every limited, not talented, don't have what it takes, second-class mentality. You have exactly what you need. There are in you right now, gifts, talents, ideas, inventions, books, movies. They are just waiting to come out. It's going to be like an explosion. You better get ready. God is about to thrust you into a new level of your destiny. You cannot be contained. It's been said that the

most famous sports facility in the world is Yankee Stadium. A while back when they were finishing building their new ballpark, someone from their organization called. They invited us to come and bring one of our nights of hope and be the first non-baseball event in the new Yankee Stadium. When my staff told me, I thought they were joking. I said, why do they want to invite me? They could invite the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elvis. But instead, But instead, they invited this good-looking minister from Texas. What was God doing? Increasing our influence.

God was opening doors that no man can shut. We were able to take new ground for the kingdom. But so often we think, oh, nothing like that would happen for me. You don't know my circumstances, Joel. You don't know what I've been through. Listen, God is not limited by your circumstances. God is not contained by your education. by your environment, how you were raised.

All God has to do is breathe in your direction. All he has to do is blow the wind of his favor your way. You could be standing at the very back of the line, but if the winds change and blow the other direction, instead of being last, you'll be first. A couple of years ago, I was in an amusement park with our two children. We were waiting in this very long line for a popular ride. And at first it was all single file.

But when you got close to the front, you went into this small room and waited to get on the ride. And the room was about 20 by 20. And we were the first ones in this new batch. And so we naturally just walked up to the front. But when all the other people came, most of them were kids, they were so excited and so anxious about getting on. Somehow they maneuvered their way in front of me. And I'm more laid back. And I wasn't going to get in there and fight with them and try to stand our ground.

we ended up at the very back of the room right where we came in. A couple of minutes, this young lady came out that worked there, and she made announcements and told some instructions about what was going on. Then she says, everybody ready to go, and everybody said, yeah. She said, okay, turn around and go back out the doors

you just came in. Right where we were standing. I wanted to say, nanny, nanny, boo-boo. I thought we would be last, but we were the first. What am I saying? All God has to do is change the direction of the wind and you'll be first in line. That's God's favor on your life.

God just has to change the direction and he can blow a compact center your way like he did for us. Or more practical, he can blow a new job opportunity, a new person, a new level of his favor. You may feel like today, man, you are at the back of the line. Nothing's going your way, never getting any good breaks. but you need to get ready. God's wind is about to blow in your direction. That's what happened to a friend of mine. You heard the story recently of Dr. Todd Price. He told how he grew up in a small town in Kentucky, and he came from a lower income family. It didn't never look like he would make much of his life.

But as a young boy, he saw a program on television that talked about how there were starving children, kids just that were desperately in need of food, and for $15 a month, you could sponsor a child. Nobody asked him to do it. His parents didn't encourage him, but he was so moved by that program. At 12 years old, he went out and started mowing lawns, and he used that money to sponsor a child. That was over 40 years ago. Today, Dr. Price not only has a successful medical practice, But this year to date, he is given over $250 million worth of medicine to needy people around the world. He went from $15 to a quarter of a billion. See, Dr. Price is a barrier breaker.

He didn't let the limitations of the past and how he was raised keep him from rising higher. In the natural, it didn't look like he could ever go to medical school, ever make much of his life. life, but he didn't allow those strongholds to take root. Deep down, he knew he was uncontainable. He knew the creator of the universe was breathing in his direction. Today, he's taken new ground for the kingdom. He's making a mark that cannot be erased. I saw a report on television recently about a young girl that has severe autism. Her name is Carly. Years and years she had never spoken a word or communicated in any way. It looked like she was mentally retarded. All through the day, she would just flail her arms, drool and have uncontrollable fits.

At seven years old, the authorities tried to talk her parents into putting her in a special home. They said, she's never going to get any better. She doesn't even comprehend the love that you're showing, much less what you're constantly saying to her. Those parents wouldn't hear of it. They just kept loving her, training her, speaking faith into her. One day, out of the blue at 11 years old, Carly sat down at the computer and typed these words. I have autism, but this is not who I am. Take time to know me before you judge me. I am smart, cute, funny, and I love to have fun.

At that point, the parents realized Carly was in there. She had just never found the way to communicate. Later, she typed, Dad, thank you for believing in me. I know I'm not the easiest child in the world to love, but you are always there for me to pick me up when I fall. The father said that was worth every frustration, every sleepless night. They even discovered that Carly has a sense of humor.

When asked about her little brother, she sat down and typed, Matthew smells so bad, even skunks run and hide. Today at 14, Carly still amazes us. She's in the process of writing her first novel. Even though she still has severe autism, she's still confined to a body that doesn't function normally. She cannot be contained. I'm asking you today to get rid of the excuses.

Quit thinking I'm not talented enough. I've made too many mistakes. I've got this handicap. No, let these words sink deep down into your spirit. You are uncontainable. You're a barrier breaker. God wants to use you just like you are to influence others. Get a vision for it. You can set a new standard for your family. If Carly can do it, you can do it. Unlock what's on the inside. Your seeds of greatness are waiting to take root and flourish. And know this. Right now, God is breathing. in your direction. Vision is increasing. Faith is rising. Dreams are coming back to life. You have not seen your best days. You may have had some victories in your past, but what God has in store in your future

will supersede anything you could even imagine. Now, you've got to take the limits off of God and take the limits off of yourself. Quit looking at what you don't have and what you can't do and how big your obstacles are. No, shake that off and have the attitude. I am uncontainable. This sickness can't contain me. I'm a child of the most high God. I will fulfill my destiny. These people that are trying to push me down, they can't contain me. If God be for me, who dare be against me? Even these prison bars, they can't contain me. I may not be able to leave, but I can do like the Apostle Paul. I got a pen, I can write. My gifts will still come out to the full. Friends, in the coming days, God is going to bring opportunities for you to increase your influence in amazing ways.

Don't shrink back in fear. Don't be intimidated. You are well able. You are equipped. You are anointed. Dare to take those steps of faith. Make up your mind where I am is not where I'm staying. I'm not going to get comfortable.

I'm not going to get stuck in a rut. I know I am uncontainable. So I'm going to keep pressing forward, stretching my faith, believing for bigger things, expecting God's favor in unprecedented ways. I want to declare this over each one of you. You are going to go places that you've never dreamed of. You are going to have influence in circles that you've never imagined. You are going to be a barrier or breaker.

You're going to take new ground for your family. You're going to advance God's kingdom. Your gifts and talents are going to come out in a greater way. What you've seen God do in the past is going to appell in comparison to what God is about to do. Get ready for God's favor. Get ready for increase. Get ready for his blessings. You are uncontainable. 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 Bible-based church. Keep God first place. He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. When God created the world,

he did it specifically with you in mind. He used his words. He spoke everything into existence. Light. Oceans and dry land. Plants. Sun and stars. Animals.

Man and woman. Your words have that same creative power. If you want to know what you're going to be like five years from now, listen to what you're saying about yourself. You are prophesying your future. Too often, we don't realize we're defeating ourselves with our words. I'll never get healthy. I'm not attractive.

This dream's impossible. Instead of limiting your future, why don't you start blessing your future? If you'll change your words, you can change your world. I have a new book called Speak the Blessing. It will help you to speak positive, faith-filled words. There are declarations in it that you can make over your family, your health, your finances, and your future. When you get your words aligned with what God says,

you'll see his favor in greater ways. Azar, thank you for your gift of any amount to the ministry this month. We want to send you Speak the Blessing. Send your words in the direction you want your life to go. You can begin to enjoy a life filled with freedom, joy, health, success, and creativity as you discover the authority and power of speaking God's word. Yes, speak the blessing will unlock life-changing possibilities that are unlimited. When you declare what God says about you, I'm strong, I'm healthy, I'm favored, you are blessing your life.

I hope you'll request your copy today. Remember, you can watch the services live online every Sunday, download our daily podcast, watch on YouTube, listen on SiriusXM. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired. Be sure to request your copy of Speak the Blessing today. Visit Joel O'Sene.com or call 888-567 Joel. Our homecoming weekend is this Saturday and Sunday. Some of you have never been to Lakewood.

This is a perfect time. We'd love to meet you. We'd be honored to have you and your family.