Pastor Joel @ Lakewood Church
It's easy to walk around pretending.
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
II Corinthians 12:9 NKJV
God won't bless who you pretend to be. Being vulnerable is a strength.
Society stresses image which creates a lot of pretending. If you can't be honest with yourself then it will keep you from reaching your full potential.
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
Philippians 3:13 NKJV
Paul had the humility to admit his weaknesses.
God cannot fill a vessel that's already full.
And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
Mark 9:22-24 NKJV
Let the weak say "I am strong".
John Baptized Jesus and experienced this:
When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Matthew 3:16-17 NKJV
Though he experienced this, he still had doubts:
And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."
Matthew 11:2-6 NKJV
You can't overcome a weakness if you won't get it out in the open.
Eventhough John had questions, Jesus said this: "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Matthew 11:11 NKJV
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."
John 4:7-16 NKJV
She could have kept her mask on, lied, and walked away. But she chose to be honest and Jesus revealed himself to her.
The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly." The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He. "
John 4:17-18, 25-26 NKJV
God already knows your shortcomings anyway.
Take off your superman outfit, sometimes you just have to be Clark Kent. People will learn more from how you handle your struggles.
When you're vulnerable, you're pliable.
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
II Timothy 2:20-21 NKJV
There is a peace when you can be ok with being perfect.
Pastor John Osteen walked in on Joel and some other staff who were laughing and joking. Pastor John thought that they were making fun of him and admonished them. Later Joel told him that they were talking about something else and his dad apologized, admitting that he was insecure about other things. He then asked for the other guys' numbers so that he could call and apologize to them.
Jacob did whatever trickery he could to get ahead. But when he got honest this he received a new name: "And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."
Genesis 32:28 NKJV
Victoria Osteen @ Lakewood Church
How we see ourselves
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Genesis 1:27 NKJV
Our image is our source of stregth. The image was tainted in the garden but when we said yes to Jesus it was washed clean again.
Some people begin to identify with our circumstances intead of Jesus and His power that lives in us.
The only way I know what I look like is by looking in the mirror. The Word of God is our spiritual mirror.
Sometimes we can allow people to taint our image.
If someone is trying to say bad things about me I should not let it distort the way that I see myself. I need to know that the person they are descring isn't me because I know what I look like.
You can't get what's rightfully yours if you aren't carrying your identification. Like if you go to the bank to get your money out, they won't give it to you becsuse you don't have proof of your identification.
I'm the bearer of God's image and God is eternal. Everything else is temporary and subject to change.
Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
II Corinthians 1:21-22 NKJV
Pastor Craig
Broken crayons still color.
Champions Club
In March 2008, Lakewood Church launched a new program: Champions Club. Our goal was to develop a program that would meet the developmental needs of our children in three important ways, SPIRITUALLY, INTELLECTUALLY, and PHYSICALLY. Our focus was on spiritual growth through God's Word, ministering to the intellect of each child through their senses and engaging the child physically during spiritual gross motor fun. We enlisted the help of several professionals in the fields of special needs and came up with a plan that would allow each child to be ministered to at their individual level. Champions Club now not only serves children but adults with special needs! Our ratios in our classrooms remain 1-to-1 to allow the individual to be ministered to at a personal level. Champions Club has gone on to grow from its beginnings at Lakewood to be incorporated into serving the needs of individuals in congregations and communities around the world.
