Bobbye’s post about paying to hear someone preach was clearly in reference to Joel Osteen, author of “Your Best Life Now, Seven Steps to Living at Your Full Potential.” Osteen’s book rose to number one on the New York Times “Best Sellers” list in December 2004.

In as much as Joel Osteen is making a bundle out of the book and his speaking engagements I thought I might be beneficial to discuss his “Seven Steps.”

For this first thread let’s just discuss the first step. Osteen tells us that our first step is to “Enlarge Your Vision.” Enlarging our vision, according to Osteen, involves our obtaining God’s favor. He defines favor thusly: “to provide with special advantages and to receive preferential treatment.” That is another way of saying that God wants to make your life easier.

Osteen tells us that in order to receive God’s favor we must speak it out. On page 40 he says, “Throughout the day, declare, ‘The favor of God is causing this company to want to hire me. The favor of God is making me to stand out in the crowd.”

I think Osteen errs greatly here. The favor of God is simply grace (unmerited favor) which He freely gives us when we place our faith in the finished work of Christ. It is not something we earn by speaking it into existence. Neither is it something that promises us an easier life.

2 Thess. 1:4 reads “therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure."

Paul praises the Thessalonians for their perseverance in the midst of persecutions and afflictions, not for the easy life they had by “speaking out.” It is God’s favor that gave them the ability to endure.

Grace does also carry with it the spiritual supply needed by believers, but that supply is not so we will have an easy life, it is so we can bear fruit and persevere through hardship. That is what Paul was telling the Corinthians when he spoke of his own “thorn in the flesh.”

2 Cor. 12: 7-10 “ 7) Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself!
8) Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.
9) And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness " Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
10) Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

We have not been promised an easy life as Christians, but we are promised the strength to endure the hardships of the Christian life. We are promised that our suffering for Christ finds favor with God.

1 Peter 2
20) For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

Joel Osteen’s first point is way off base and will confuse young believers and potential believers when they see for themselves that the Christian life is not a walk in the park, but rather a walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Phil, your profound statement: "...the Christian life is not a walk in the park, but rather a walk in the footsteps of Jesus," WHICH LED TO CALVARY! This is not the "easy life" but "THE CHRIST LIFE!"

That "favor" of which Rev. Osteen speaks, as you've so beautifully pointed out, is GRACE, GRACE, GOD'S GRACE! GRACE THAT IS GREATER THAN ALL OUR SINS!

I penned the following worship chorus last summer:
"I stand a-mazed! I stand a-mazed -- in the presence of His a-mazing grace. I stand a-mazed! I stand a-mazed -- in the presence of such Grace!" AND I CONTINUE TO STAND AMAZED IN THE PRESENCE OF SUCH GRACE!

Please continue with Step No. 2 -- AS YOU AND THE OTHERS ON THIS BOARD PRAY FOR US IN HOUSTON THAT "RITA" WILL NOT BECOME A CATEGORY 3 AND HEAD FOR OUR GULF COAST -- OR ANYONE'S COAST!

Thanks!
Bobbye

Dear Joel When I cry over problems being lonely, financially unstable and other things. I always feel like I'm not having faith what do I do can I cry, worry or act disappointed but shake it off and still be faithful to God?

Joel has a great heart and he is a great encourager for the Church today. It is easy to stand back and be critical it is hard to rise up and be an above average Christian. Joel is only trying to show us to be positive.. IN THE LORD and see GOD in all of our circumstances.. and KNOW that we are highly favored and deeply loved. We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus and we can do all things through Jesus. I find no fault in Joel. I'd rather hear his preaching than someone who mixed law with Grace. Just my thoughts...