Joel....

Not Billy but Joel Osteen. Did anyone see the 60 minutes show last night? I have to comment that he is a marketing engine. I can't even imagine being part of a church that has like 60,000 people in it. The leadership team for that church must be amazing! I read his first book- Your Best Life Now- it was a long winded book but a good read anyways.
I have heard from folks that he does not preach enough from the bible. I tend to agree on that according to the message topic. I think some pastors today might talk down to folks - talk to their congregations concerning Hell - though important- the congregation does not need to walk away from church feeling like they are going there and feel like they have been beaten down.
Joel- always talks with uplifting and with encouragement. Being a person that encourages - I relate to his teachings. I am motivated by his teaching and more importantly - I understand his teachings. If the message is taught over our heads~ what good is that?
That is why I love our church so much. Our LifeTalk messages are clear and understandable. We come away each Sunday knowing what the message was about and how to apply it to our lives. There in that zone is where the greatest changes take place and we get Faith out of Sunday mornings and into our "Everyday" lives.
Joel is reaching millions of people for Jesus. Only after his dad passed did he take on the preaching duties and his style was so much different than his dads. We all have gifts and if we stay focused on the things that we don't do well and do our best to improve them - we fall short on the things we are really good at. If we focus on those things we are good - think about how great we would be if we really put 100% into our gifts!!!

Joel preaches a word from God of encouragement, to never quit, to start right now and where you are in your faith - The simple understanding that God is for you and with you no matter what we are facing today. The simple fact of getting involved into our local churches - learning and growing and reaching others for this life change. We don't need any more folks to make Gods word so hard and complicated..... we have enough of them already.

Many Friday nights at my house at 9:00 is Joel time. Just in case you are wondering.

With Love,
Randy~