← Joel Osteen Podcast
Joel Osteen Podcast
Over And Above Blessings | Joel Osteen
00:30:59
Sowing with your time, talent, and treasure positions you for over and above blessings.
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Da ba ba ba.
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Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry.
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If you enjoyed today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend?
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We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. It's great to be with you today and I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week through our Daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media and you can come visit us in person. We'd love to have you be a part of one of our services. I'd like to start with something funny and I heard about this pastor. He was asked to inform one of his members that he had just inherited $10 million. They were concerned because of the shock of it. He might have a heart attack. The pastor went to him, said, sir, what would you do if you inherited $10 million? The man said, pastor, the first thing I'd do is give half of it to the church. At that point, the pastor fell over dead. 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 over and above blessings. When you have a generous spirit, you're always doing more than what's required. You stay late to help that co worker that's struggling. You take that elderly neighbor dinner at night, support that single parent mom or you give to expand the ministry. You don't have to. Nobody would look down on you if you didn't. But you have this over and above mentality. You're always looking for ways you can do good. You're not just being a blessing to others, but you are positioning yourself for God to do over and above in your life. The scripture says if you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly. But if you sow generously, you will reap generously. Some people do as little as they can to get by. They have a little kindness so they won't be seen as unfriendly. They'll give a little time to help others, little encouragement, little friendship. They wonder why they don't get good breaks, why they don't see favor. They're reaping what they're sowing. If you sow average, you're going to see average. If you sow ordinary, do only what's required, then you'll see ordinary. But when you have this over and above mentality, looking for ways to be a blessing and doing more than what's expected, you are setting yourself up for God to show out in your life, to open doors you couldn't open, to bring divine connections to see favor that you've never seen. Don't live at the level of obligation. Don't have that what can I get by with mentality that's going to limit your life. Have a generous spirit. If you'll turn loose of what's in your hands, God will turn loose of what's in his hands. God is a rewarder. He sees you being a blessing, singing in the choir on your day off and investing in that young man that doesn't have a father, taking him to ball practice with your son. He sees you giving funds that you could use for your dream, making sacrifices to build his kingdom. That's setting you up for over and above blessings. I've learned you can't outgive God. You can't be a blessing to others without God being a blessing to you. The way he does it is he multiplies it, it's going to come back. Pressed down, shaken together and running over. There was a man in the scripture named Barnabas. He didn't come from an influential family. He didn't have a big resume or education. Just an ordinary man. But he had a generous spirit. He saw the disciples were doing great work and he wanted to support them. Acts 4 says he sold a piece of property he owned, brought the funds and laid them at the disciples feet. He didn't have to. Nobody would have faulted him if he didn't. But he had this over and above mentality. He wanted to be a blessing. That one act of generosity opened the door to all this opportunity. He became a mentor to Paul. Paul wasn't accepted by the disciples at first. They still thought that he was against the church. It was Barnabas that convinced them that Paul was a believer. Barnabas went from ordinary, nobody knew him, to this influential position. The scripture says Barnabas was chosen by the Spirit to accompany Paul on his first missionary journey. Barnabas helped start the church in Antioch when Paul and Mark had a big disagreement. Barnabas was the one that helped restore the relationship. On and on. God used Barnabas in great ways. But it can all be traced back to that over and above gifts. His generosity opened doors, brought favor relationships that he never dreamed. When you live with this over and above mentality, you're generous with your time, your talent, your resources. Not living at the level of obligation, but going above and beyond. That gets God's attention. He'll release over and above in your life. He'll put you in front of audiences that you've never dreamed. People, opportunities, resources you didn't see coming. That's the running over blessings, things you can't explain. Positions where you didn't have the qualifications, connections with people that should be over your head, out of your league. But now they're looking up to you. Now you're the leader. You're giving vision. You're making the impact. Don't miss opportunities to live over and above. These are things that are not required. Nobody's going to pressure you to do it. Your mind, your reasoning will tell you no thanks Joel, I'm busy. I don't have time to serve. I don't have time to mentor that young person or I need these funds. I got my own dreams, trying to build my own career. Here's the whole key. When you give over and above, you're not going to end up at a deficit. You're not losing anything. You Are positioning yourself for increase, for abundance for doors to open, for divine connections. If Barnabas were here today, he would tell you it all started when I gave that gift, when I went over and above. He didn't give it to get something. He simply gave it to be a blessing. But look how God works. If he can entrust you to be a great blessing then he will bless you with more. He will open the windows of heaven pour out blessings that you cannot contain. That's what it says in the Book of Malachi that when you tithe your income, you give offerings God will increase you and pour out his blessings. In that same passage, it asks the question, will a man rob God by not giving? What's interesting is God owns it all. He makes streets out of gold. When Peter needed money for taxes, there was a coin in the fish's mouth. It's not like God needs our funds to keep everything going. God's going to go broke if we don't give. No. What that means, will a person rob God is if you don't live generously you are robbing God of the opportunity to bless you. You're robbing him of the doors he wants to open the resources he wants to give you, the people he wants to bring. You're taking away that opportunity for him to show out in your life. Rob him. He's longing to be good to you. Jesus said, it's the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. But God works by principles. When you live over and above, that's a seed you're sowing. Then you will reap over and above when you do more than what's required. Like Barnabas, nobody forced you to bless that neighbor that's struggling. Nobody made you come early today and serve as a prayer partner, an usher. Nobody required you to give that co worker a ride. You weren't obligated to support the ministry. Nobody would know if you didn't. You could live at the level of obligation. But I know a secret. I'm looking at Barnabas. I'm looking at over and above people. People with a generous spirit. You need to get ready. God's about to release over and above in your life. He's about to put you in front of audiences you didn't see coming. With people of influence where you shine brightly where they admire you and open doors that thrust you to a new level. Because you sow generously, you're going to reap generously. Now, I know many of you have been doing this, but you haven't seen those Windows open yet. Let me encourage you. God has seen all the sacrifices, the times you gave. When you needed the funds, you stayed late to help. When you were tired, you went the extra mile. But nobody said thanks. God is about to thank you. He's about to show out. In your life you're going to see increase abundance, resources, contracts that you cannot contain. That means so many good opportunities that you have to choose what's best. That means lending and not borrowing, being able to be a bigger blessing. That means the right people showing up, not having to track them down, hope they give you a break, but divine connections searching you out. This all goes back, number one to honoring God, keeping him first place. And number two, having an over and above mentality. A generous spirit, not ingrown, focused only on me. Get outside of yourself. Don't rob God of the opportunity to bless you. Look for ways you can be an over and above blessing. I was at the furniture store a while back and I ran into this couple and they told how they had just bought their first home. And they were so proud, just beaming with joy. And I congratulated them, gave them a hug and they were looking for furniture for their living room. On the way out, I told my salesman, whatever they find to buy, put it on this credit card. Don't say anything about who it was. I'm not doing it to get credit. I'm doing it unto God. He's the one that matters. He's keeping all the records. Well, Joel, I don't have those kinds of funds to buy a stranger furniture. Maybe not, but can you buy your co worker a cup of coffee? Bring it to them in the morning. You didn't have to. That's an over and above blessing. Can you mow the lawn of that elderly neighbor? Can you pick up the friend that doesn't have a ride, bring them to church? Can you mentor that young man that's struggling? Look for something you can do that's over and above. That's not required. That's sowing a seed for God to do over and above in your life. The scripture says in Galatians, don't miss an opportunity to do good. Be too busy, too self centered, too stingy. When you miss that opportunity, you are robbing God of the opportunity to bless you. When you make someone else's day, God will always make your own day. When we acquired the compact center, this place, we learned that it was going to cost $100 million to renovate. We borrowed 75 in a year before we could move in. We had a $25 million payment due. I was 38 years old. I'd only been pastoring for two years. I'd never had to raise those kinds of funds, come up with such a large amount. I felt this pressure, this uncertainty, thoughts saying, joy, you're never going to make that payment. You're way over your head now. I had to agree it was over my head, but I knew it wasn't over God's head. That year, we did everything we could. We presented the vision and we had meetings inviting people to support. So many got on board and were very generous, many of you. But despite all of our efforts, we were three months from moving in and still only a third of the way there. I received a phone call from a pastor friend of mine in another state. He was trying to purchase a building for his church. He'd been working on it a couple years, raising the funds, doing everything he could. This was his dream, but he didn't have enough. He was scheduled to close in three days, but he was a million dollars short. He said, joel, I'm just calling to see if you'll pray with me about these funds coming in. He had a much smaller church, and I could tell he was devastated. He would not only lose the property, but he would lose the down payment if he didn't close. I could hear the still, small voice saying, joel, give him the million that he needs. I thought, get behind me, Satan. We don't have enough for our own building. God, we're three months out. We're 20 million short. That doesn't make sense. I told him, we'll be praying for you. That's the easy way out, right? Well, that night I couldn't sleep. All I could think about was him. And I finally fell asleep, and I dreamed about him sometimes to go over and above. It doesn't make sense. All the facts, the figures, the logic says, hold on to what you have, man. You need that for your dream, your house, your retirement. But God is not always logical. This is what faith is all about. I called him the next morning and said Lakewood was going to give him the funds. And it was our gift that made his dream come true. When you help others accomplish their dream, God will help you accomplish your dream. You're never losing what you give. It's a seed you're sowing that's going to come back to you. Pressed down, shaken together, running over. Well, Lakewood owned a television station at that time, channel 55 here in Houston. Victoria and I put that on the air in the late 90s and when my father passed, we decided to sell it. We believed it was worth $30 million. We had a man come in to represent us. He sold more stations than anyone in the us the leading expert. He said, you won't get half of what you're asking. There's no way. The market's down. No one wants an independent station. There's no future in it. On and on, he could not have been more negative, discouraging. He had all the facts, the figures, the sales to back up what he was saying in the natural. He was right. But God knows how to breathe on your property and breathe on your career, breathe on your children, where what looks impossible becomes possible. My brother in law, Don, ran the station. He said, joel, don't listen to him. We're going to get the full amount. I thought, man, Don, you've got more faith than I do. But I'm going to agree with you. I'm going to be a believer and not a doubter. One month before the big payment was due, a buyer showed up for the station. We didn't go after him. He came to us. He had never owned any television properties. We told him the price. He said, you got a deal. I'll take it. We sold the station a few days before the deadline. Got twice the amount the expert said we'd get. We had the funds to move into the compact center. And I believe, I believe it all goes back to that act of generosity a year earlier where we went over and above to help someone else. We sowed a generous seed and God did over and above in our life. You cannot give God something without him giving you more back in return. It's not just what he does, it's who he is. For God so loved the world that he gave. It's his nature to give. You have to stir your faith up when it comes to over and above. Because our flesh, our human nature, doesn't like to stretch. We don't want to be uncomfortable and inconvenienced. It doesn't have to be money. But how about giving your time, giving encouragement, giving friendship. Are there any areas you're living over and above being a blessing to someone else? Going the extra mile to help that friend's dream come true? Joel, if I do that man, I'm falling behind. I'm not going to have enough of my own dreams for my future. It's just the opposite. You are positioning yourself for God to do over and above in your life, to open the windows of heaven, to pour out blessings that you cannot contain. There was a young woman in the scripture named Rebekah. She lived in the city of Nahor, which is modern day Syria. I'm sure, like any girl, she wondered what she's going to do with her life. Would she get married? Where would she live? Would she have children? She had all these hopes and dreams. But in those days, the marriages were prearranged. You didn't have a choice. The parents of the husband would choose who the wife would be. Well, Abraham lived in Canaan. He was an old man and about to pass. He said to his assistant, go back to my hometown of Nahor and find a good wife for my son Isaac. You can imagine the pressure on this assistant. It was up to him to choose. He traveled back to Nahor. He was camped on the outskirts there with his camels. There was a well down the hill. All these young girls were coming from the city to draw water. He thought, how am I going to know which one is the right one? He said, God, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to ask these girls for a drink. The way I'll know it's the one you've chosen is she will say, yes, I. I will not only give you a drink, but I will get water for your camels as well. First one that came up, this beautiful girl said, do you mind getting me a drink of water? She said, certainly I will. She lowered her jug and he drank the water. When he finished, he handed it back. She said, let me get water for your camels as well. Verse 20 says, she ran quickly down to the well again, and she kept carrying the water until all the camels had finished drinking. Well, this man had 10 camels. A camel, after a long day's walk, can drink 30 gallons of water. If she had a one gallon container, that means she had to go back to the well 300 times. Look at her generosity. It's one thing to say, I'll get you some water. That's the minimal commitment. That's what's required. I'm not going to leave you here thirsty. I'd be looked down on, but all these camels, forget it. I'm going to go hang out with friends. We're going to Lululemon's. I don't want to be inconvenienced. No. Rebekah had this over and above mentality. The assistant didn't ask to water the camels. She suggested it. It was her idea. She wasn't doing this to get anything. She didn't have an ulterior motive. Maybe he'll give me a gift. She was simply doing it to be a blessing. He knew she was the right one. He went and spoke to her father, told him how Abraham had sent him this patriarch of the faith, a man everyone knew and respected. Abraham, one of the wealthiest men of that day. Now she was marrying his son, Isaac. You talk about over and above blessing. She thought she'd live in that town, obscurity, have an ordinary life. But now she's in the most influential family of that day. She gave birth to Jacob. Out of Jacob came the 12 tribes of Israel. Rebekah is in the family line of Jesus. This can all be traced back to the over and above giving, to doing more than what's required. Had she been too busy, too selfish, she would have missed the awesome future that God had for her man. Let's be Rebecca's. Let's be over and above people. Let's look for opportunities to be a blessing. That friend is struggling. Just a phone call. Hey, I'm praying for you. Let me bring you dinner this week. That co worker that's fighting cancer. Let me babysit your children one night. Let me pick you up and bring you to church. That relative that's trying to get the down payment for their house. Let me give you a gift, something to push you ahead. What you give may leave your hand, but it doesn't leave your life. It's a seed you're sowing. It's coming back. God sees the sacrifices. He sees you going over and above, not doing it to get credit. Rebecca wasn't making a big announcement, doing it in front of friends. It was this stranger that she had never met. And look what happened thousands of years later. We're talking about her. She opened her heart and God opened the heavens. When you give what's in your hand, God will give what's in his hands. And I don't believe in pressuring people to give and making you feel manipulated, guilty. But I am passionate about challenging you to live generously. I've seen it in my own life. God opens the windows of heaven. When you have this over and above mentality, not I have to. This is what's required. This is the minimum I can get away with. That's robbing God of the opportunity to bless you. That will keep the windows of heaven closed. But you come to Lakewood. I know who you are. I am looking at over and above people. I've seen you show up and volunteer week after week. I've seen you give to building projects and unselfishly rebuild houses and visit people in the hospital. All those good deeds, sacrifices you've made, funds you've given, they are coming back to you. Pressed down, shaken together, running over. Now, you may not have seen it yet, but your time is coming. God is faithful. When you sow generously, you're going to reap generously like Rebecca. He's going to show out in your life, take you where you've never dreamed. When Victoria was In her early 20s and still single, she met an elderly lady at the church she attended across town and they became friends. This woman got to where she couldn't drive anymore, so Victoria would go pick her up every Sunday and take her to church and take her to lunch afterwards. Victoria had other friends. She was busy, plenty of things to do. Nobody would have faulted her for not doing this. But she had this over and above mentality, thinking, how can I be a blessing today? Who can I be good to? Where is there a need that I can meet? That's the best way to live. Get up in the morning not thinking about how you can be blessed, but God, how can I be a blessing today? Show me ways to be good to people. Bring those across my path that need encouragement, that need a friend, that need to know that you care. Well, Victoria always prayed that God would bring the right man into her life. She said, God.
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What'S more important to me than how he looks or what he has or how talented he is is God. I want someone that loves you with her whole heart. I want a man that puts you first place. Well, all this time she's praying that God didn't send her a young man. He sent this older woman. Year after year. Victoria was faithful, taking her to church, making sure she felt loved. She went over and above to be a blessing. And what did God do? He went over and above.
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And sent her this tall, good looking.
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Hunk of humanity.
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She didn't come looking for me. I found her. I walked into her mother's jewelry store and there she was to wait on me. I thought about how if Victoria had not taken care of that lady, had not gone over and above, my brother Paul could have walked into the store.
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I like that one. Here we go, y'. All. This is like Rebecca. She didn't have to get water for the camels. Victoria didn't have to be good to the older lady. Barnabas didn't have to give the property. We didn't have to help that other pastor with his building. But every time you go over and above, God is going to go over and above. He's going to do things in your life that surprise you. Now my challenge? Don't rob him of this opportunity. Look for ways you can be good to people. You may not get any credit. Nobody knows. But God knows. He's keeping the record. Let's stretch our faith. Let's get out of our comfort zones. If you keep doing the same thing, you're going to get the same results. What God has planned for you is bigger than you can imagine. How about getting some bigger seed in the ground? Take some steps of faith. Do something over and above what you're used to. If you'll do this I believe and declare you're about to see the heavens open. God is going to bring people you've never imagined open doors you couldn't open. Give you resources, influence, creativity, blessings that you cannot contain. I believe it and declare it in Jesus name and if you receive it, can you say Amen?
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I'd like to give 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. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love to send you some free information on your new walk with the Lord. You can text the number on the screen or go to the website, but I hope you'll get into a good Bible based church and keep God first place.
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What if every plan you set, every habit you formed and every decision you made became a pathway to see God move in your life?
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We all have hopes and dreams, things we're believing for. When you start the year in faith expecting God's goodness, you are setting the tone for a blessed new year and we'd love to send you our 2026 faith for the day planner, you can write down your dreams and goals and plus use it for your everyday activities and reminders.
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It's important to feed your faith on a daily basis.
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This planner.
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It's not just a calendar. It's filled with scriptures and inspiration to help you stay encouraged and keep believing for what God has put in your heart.
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2026 is your year to see the goodness of God in greater ways, let go of what didn't work out and get ready for the new things God has in store.
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As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount this month, we would like to send you a copy of the 2026 Faith for Today Planner. Each month features a fresh theme of encouragement, a guiding scripture to stand on room to write your goals, prayers and vision. Space for Faith Steps because faith isn't passive, it's active. A monthly QR code linking to a message or video to keep your spirit lifted. With the 2026 Faith for Today planner, you'll be reminded that living by faith makes room for God to do what only he can do. Breakthrough in your business. God's healing touch Loved ones returning to faith. Request your copy of the planner and step into the new year with bold faith, fresh hope and daily encouragement to strengthen your spirit and face every challenge with confidence.
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No matter what's happening around you, faith can rise up in you. Keep believing and expecting a blessed 2026 Victoria and I pray for you and your family every day. Thank you so much for your prayer and support. Your generosity is helping people around the world. As we finish this year, I hope you'll consider making a special year end gift to help keep the ministry strong. We so appreciate all the Champion of Hope partners for your monthly support. We wish you and your family a very merry Christmas till we see you next time. May the Lord bless you and keep you.
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Be sure to request your copy of the 2026 Faith for Today Planner, visit jolostein.com or call 888-567-joel for a special year end gift. This month we are also offering the Faith to Share bundle. Keep one Give one Give the gift of faith, focus and fresh hope for someone special in your life. You can also request the God's Word Work Study Collection. This empowering collection includes the niv, the parallel Bible, a beautifully crafted leather bookmark and pen, and how to read your Bible and enjoy it. Along with two planners, you can request these inspiring resources by calling 888-567-JOEL or logging on to jolostein.com today. Call or click anytime 24 hours a day. Stay organized, encouraged and full of faith all year long. Request these resources today.
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B
We all take good care of the things that matter. Our homes, our pets, our cars. Are you doing the same for your brain? Acting early to protect brain health may help reduce the risk of dementia from conditions like Alzheimer's disease. Studies have found that up to 45% of dementia cases may be prevented or delayed. By managing risk factors, you can change make brain health a priority. Ask your doctor about your risk factors and for a cognitive assessment. Learn more at brainhealthmatters.com@capella university. Learning online doesn't mean learning alone. You'll get support from people who care about your success, like your enrollment specialist who gets to know you and the.
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Goals you'd like to achieve.
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You'll also get a designated academic coach who's with you throughout your entire program. Plus, career coaches are available to help you navigate your professional goals. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn more at Capella Eduardo.