Joel Osteen - Sermons Online (2024)

He became the best assistant for his father, but throughout this time he did not preach - not one word from the scene - it's just impossible to believe now! The person who is considered as the most popular preacher in the world never preached until 1999! It's an incredible fact for me. Joel Osteen explains this: "I was very shy, and did not imagine myself as a preacher on this scene. I was completely satisfied with my work. " But John Osteen (Joel's father) was very persistent, he asked his son to start preaching again and again, but the son always politely refused. But once Joel agreed to his father’s persuasions. On the birthday of John, they talked on the phone and the father once again invited his son to preach. He again refused, and after the conversation, he felt something unusual in his chest and heard a voice: "Joel - you should do it." After that he called his father and announced his decision. The family was amazed, and Joel, as he said, had the worst 7 days in his life. He decided to try once to convince his father and himself that it was not his occupation. But it did not work out that way.

A few days later, the father went to the hospital and the first preaching of his son, with pride and tears in his eyes, he heard on the phone. In a few days more he passed away. Joel experienced a great shock, but he felt that he must go on stage and continue his father's ministry. And he did it.

Joel Osteen's first sermons were similar in style to his father's sermon, but after a while he decided that his sermons should become as accessible and understandable to everyone as possible. He wanted his preaching not to be abstruse, perhaps that's why you can’t see lots of biblical characters in them, but there is many simple theses.

So, in the beginning of 1999, Osteen became the chief pastor of the LakeWood church. At that moment, the church had about 6,000 parishioners, but due to the simplicity and positive attitude of Joel's sermons, the number of parishioners increased to over 40,000. And they decided to purchase a new spacious room for service. The new building for the church was Compaq Center.

Now his ministry gathers up to 30,000 people every week in the church and hundreds of thousands behind TV screens around the world. Just imagine: hundreds of thousands of spectators!

But as Joel Osteen's popularity grew, so did criticism about him. Many modern preachers criticize Osteen for the ministry in which well-being is placed first. Also Joel deliberately does not use such words as sin, devil, hell while he preaches. And as if in contrast to this often sound the theme of prosperity, both financial and family in his sermons. The preacher himself comments on the criticism as follows: "I almost never see or hear criticism, I do not read blogs and comments. Everyone I talk to, say that my sermons changed their lives. It is very important for me!"

Joel says that while preaching about prosperity he does not mean money as such, prosperity. In his understanding success is in all endeavors: in work, family, in the upbringing of children and in many other things. A characteristic feature of his services is the fact that he does not call for donating any finances to the church or to him directly. He is not a paid pastor in the church, the main source of earnings is royalties from the sales of his books. Joel Osteen, not just the world-famous preacher, he is also the author of several bestsellers. They inspire people no less sermons, that’s why their sales are very large.

From all the above, you could conclude that the main parishioners of the Church of Osteen are very rich people, but this is not so: you can see very influential people, members of the government in very expensive suits and ordinary people in trampled shoes on his services. This is explained by the availability and simplicity of the ministry and preaching of the pastor.

As we wrote, Joel Osteen's style is simplicity and accessibility for all, a minimum of criticism and a positive message in the life of the listener.

On our website we offer you new sermons of the author. To not miss anything new - subscribe to updates and always stay tuned!