Stand Firm In Your "Yes" to God | Victoria Osteen

Summary

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Stand Firm In Your "Yes" to God | Victoria Osteen

Joel Osteen Podcast
Aired: November 29, 2025
Hosted by Victoria Osteen

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Victoria Osteen delivers an inspiring message about the power, meaning, and transformative impact of saying "yes" to God. Through personal testimony, scriptural examples, and practical encouragement, she challenges listeners to move beyond fear and excuses, to trust in God's calling even when feeling inadequate or uncertain. Victoria emphasizes that while obstacles and doubts are common, God's grace meets us in our willingness, and each "yes" is a crucial step towards God's greater plans.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Wrestling with "No" and Discovering Your "Yes"

[01:43-04:30]

• Victoria begins by recognizing how common it is to turn down opportunities out of fear, insecurity, or feeling unqualified.
• Personal anecdote: She recalls a pivotal moment—being asked by Joel's father to lead a prayer during worship, feeling overwhelmed and unprepared. Initially, she refused the request out of fear and self-doubt.
  • Quote: “If he thought I could do it, why do I think that I can’t do it? If someone has faith in me, why don’t I have faith in myself?” (03:00)
• After her refusal, Victoria wrestled with disappointment and frustration with herself, realizing her "no" masked a deeper, hidden "yes."

Digging Up Your "Yes"

[04:30-07:00]

• Victoria explains how she began to confront the fears and insecurities buried within her, choosing to be ready and prepared if given another chance.
• Quote: "That 'no' just wasn’t satisfactory to me. So I began to dig up my 'yes'... It was buried under fear. It was buried under the pretense that I could not do it." (05:10)
• She shares how eventually, when asked again, she courageously said "yes" and relied on God's grace to follow through.

The Power of Agreement with God

[07:00-09:00]

• Highlighted scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:20 – “No matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘yes’ in Christ.”
• Victoria underlines that God is looking for our agreement with His purpose. Our “yes” sets in motion His grace and power.
  • Quote: “God can do amazing things in our lives. But God needs our yes. He needs to hear our yes.” (07:43)

Moving Past Excuses and Firmly Committing

[09:00-11:00]

• Victoria acknowledges the many excuses people make—lack of resources, qualifications, or confidence.
• She encourages listeners: “Just settle it in your mind. If God wants me to do it, I’m gonna give Him my yes and I’m gonna prepare and move forward.” (09:30)
• She assures listeners that, much like her father-in-law, God doesn’t hold past refusals against us and will extend another opportunity.

What Does “Yes” Look Like in Your Life?

[11:00-13:30]

• Encourages the audience to consider where God may be prompting a “yes”—whether it’s forgiveness, trusting during trials, reaching out to others, or surrendering habits.
  • Quote: “What does your yes look like today? Because God is waiting on you to get into agreement with him.” (11:40)
• Details the partnership with God: You don’t act alone—His grace enters when you say yes.

Biblical and Real-Life Examples of Unwavering "Yes"

[13:30-15:00]

• Noah’s Ark: Despite never having seen rain, Noah’s steadfast “yes” amidst ridicule set a standard of obedience.
• Victoria shares about a friend who chose to serve God wholeheartedly, facing rejection from her family but remaining kind and steadfast.
  • Quote: “Her yes stands as an anchor of hope to her family. And many of them have come back to Jesus Christ because of that yes.” (14:15)

Hold Fast to Your Yes

[15:00-16:10]

• Victoria urges commitment: Reconfirm your yes daily—despite opposition, delay, or discouragement.
  • Quote: “You have to hold fast your profession of faith. You have to hold fast that yes… step over a lot of no’s and hold fast to that yes.” (15:05)
• She concludes with a prayer and exhortation to trust God to do the impossible.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Victoria Osteen, wrestling with doubt:
  "If someone has faith in me, why don’t I have faith in myself?" – [03:00]
• Digging through fear:
  "I began to dig up my yes. And I began to say, I want to do it, God. Help me do it, God." – [05:20]
• God’s repeated invitation:
  "Your Heavenly Father is not going to hold that no against you. You may have said no time and time again, but I can tell you, just like my Father-in-law, God’s gonna ask you again." – [09:30]
• On partnership with God:
  "As soon as you say yes to God, guess what? The grace of God kicks in. You see, you’re not on your own." – [12:00]
• Encouragement to persevere:
  "You’re going to have to step over a lot of no’s and hold fast to that yes." – [15:05]
• Closing exhortation:
  "God, get up every day, reconfirm your yes... I believe that when I get into agreement with You, You’re going to do what I can’t do. You’re going to do the impossible." – [16:00]

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Important Timestamps

• 01:43 – Victoria introduces the theme: struggling with saying “no” and discovering buried “yes.”
• 03:00 – Reflects on self-doubt and disappointment after initially refusing an opportunity.
• 05:10 – Description of “digging up your yes.”
• 07:43 – Importance of God needing our “yes.”
• 09:30 – God doesn’t hold past “no’s” against us; He’ll ask again.
• 11:40 – Reflection: What does your “yes” look like today?
• 13:30 – Example of Noah’s obedience and steadfastness.
• 14:15 – Testimony on the enduring influence of one person’s “yes.”
• 15:05 – Firm decision to hold fast to your “yes.”
• 16:00 – Closing encouragement and prayer.

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Tone & Style

Victoria’s message is encouraging, compassionate, faith-filled, and practical. She is candid about her personal struggles, uses everyday language, and brings warmth and clarity to the biblical principle of wholehearted agreement with God’s call.

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Summary

Victoria Osteen’s “Stand Firm In Your ‘Yes’ to God” is a call to courage and surrender. She urges listeners to move past fear, excuses, and uncertainty by embracing God’s call with a definitive “yes.” Through personal stories, scriptural truths, and practical encouragement, Victoria reminds us that God isn’t deterred by our past reluctance—He invites us again and again. Our “yes” activates God's grace, opens doors to destiny, and can serve as a beacon of hope and blessing to others. The challenge for the listener: What does your "yes" look like today? Say yes, and let God's power work through you.

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Transcript

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[Joel and Victoria (Ministry Hosts)]

Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry.

[Spanish Language Announcer / Ingrezza Ad Speaker]

If you enjoyed today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend?

[Joel and Victoria (Ministry Hosts)]

We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life.

[Spanish Language Announcer / Ingrezza Ad Speaker]

Thank you Lord. We are excited to be in your presence and in the house of the Lord. Amen. Have you ever had an opportunity presented to you and you said, no, no, I don't want to do that. No, I can't do that. Maybe you didn't think you were qualified, or maybe you thought there was someone else better for the job. Or maybe you just didn't have the resources. You know, there's numbers of reasons that we say no when certain opportunities present themselves. But then have you ever done that? And then later got to thinking, ugh, what did I say no for? I wish I'd have done that. Maybe I could have done that. Have you ever wrestled with the no before, thinking, maybe I could. Oh, maybe I should. You see, I'll never forget one time when Joel's father was the pastor of the church back in the old building and we were worshiping God. It was in the middle of our worship, just like we were doing today. My hands were up. I was Praising God. When I opened my eyes, Joel's father had turned around in his seat and looked at me and said, victoria, why don't you go up and do the prayer time? Well, he wasn't talking about next week or the next week. He was talking about the end of the song that was just about over. I'm sure I looked at him because I had never even remotely given him the thought that I wanted to get on the platform and do the prayer time. I don't even know where he got that, but I'll never forget chuckling with a nervous laugh. And I said, daddy, O, I don't think so. You know, in his sweet, gentle way, he just smiled at me. He turned around and he never said any more to me during that service. You know, I remember standing there thinking, I just need to get out of here. But when I got home, I was wrestling with that. No. I was so disappointed in myself. And really, quite frankly, I was mad at myself. Because I thought to myself, if he thought I could do it, why do I think that I can't do it? If someone has faith in me, why don't I have faith in myself? And I went back and I went forth and I went back and I went forth. And as I was wrestling with that, I realized that that no just wasn't satisfactory to me. So I began to dig deep. Because on the inside of me, I realized there was a yes. But it was buried under fear. It was buried under the pretense that I could not do it. It was buried under the thought, why does anybody need to hear from me? You see, that no was not satisfactory to me. So I began to dig up my yes. And I began to say, I want to do it, God. Help me do it, God. I want to give you my yes. And through that struggle, I had to make a decision. Was I just going to have one foot in and one foot out? Or was I going to make a firm decision and say, the next time he asks me if he ever does, I'm gonna prepare and I'm gonna be ready. So every time I'd go to church, I'd be praising with one eye open, say, maybe not today, Lord, but not today, Lord. You know, he did ask me again. He did ask me again. And you know what I did? I mustered up that great big yes. And I got up and I did the prayer time. You see, what that yes did for me, it kicked in God's grace. It caused me to begin to rely on God. I prepared. But then I allowed the grace of God to work in me and work through me. There's a scripture that says that God is working in us to will and to do his good pleasure. When you realize that you don't have to do everything on your own, and if it gets done, it's only because of your ability. When you realize that is not always the case, but that it's God who's working in you, it's God who's preparing you. If you will get into agreement with God. God can do amazing things in our lives. But God needs our yes. He needs to hear our yes. When I think about how that yes kicked in and gave me the power to be able to do that, it was a very much of a learning experience for me. Because, see, I didn't realize at the time that God was up to something. But when I look back, I realized that that yes was one step closer to my destiny. That yes was one step closer to the next step. Now, the truth is, I don't know how many times I ever got back up on the platform when Daddy was there. But I'll tell you what that experience gave me the courage and the boldness when God asked me yes again. Listen, if you're struggling with a yes today, if you're struggling between yes and no, when God talks to you, maybe you don't think you're equipped. Maybe you don't have the right resources. Maybe there's a plethora of reasons that you can make excuses. Can I tell you? Make a decision. Just settle it in your mind. If God wants me to do it, I'm gonna give him my yes and I'm gonna prepare and move forward. Because let me tell you something. Just like my Father in law asked me and I said no, he didn't hold that no against me. And your Heavenly Father is not gonna hold that no against you. You may have said no time and time again, but I can tell you, just like my Father in law, God's gonna ask you again. He's gonna ask you again. So I encourage you to make a decision to give God your yes. Hold on to the promises of God. Listen to what it says in 2 Corinthians 1:20. It says, for no matter how many promises God has made, they are yes in Christ. And so through him we speak the amen. Through him who speaks the amen. Who speaks the yes. We speak the yes. God's promises are going to stand forever. They will remain. But he is looking for us to say yes. He is looking for us to take that step of faith to Say, God, I'm all in. No matter what it looks like. Hey, what in the world does yes look like to you today? What does it look like to you today? What does your yes look like when you think about God? Yes, God, I'm going to forgive the people that hurt me. Yes, God, I'm going to trust you in this very difficult time, God, I am all in with you, God, knowing that you can bring about favor in my situation. Yes, God, I'm going to begin to reach out to people. Even if I don't feel like I have time, God, I know that you can make up that time for me. Maybe you just need to surrender some things in your life and say, yes, God, it is time for you to work through me. I'm going to quit trying to doing it on my own. And God, I'm just going to say yes to you. I'm going to take that step of faith, God, and let you open those supernatural doors for me. What does your yes look like today? Because God is waiting on you to get into agreement with him. And as soon as you say yes to God, guess what? The grace of God kicks in. You see, you're not on your own. God doesn't want you to do it on your own. God wants you to do it with him in partnership and agreement with him. And you know what? You can say yes. I think about the saints of old. They wavered in their yes. They wavered in their no. One day they were believers, the next day they were denied Jesus. Listen, God is not gonna hold your no against you, but make some firm decisions to say, I am gonna trust God in this no matter what it looks like, no matter how scared I am, no matter how buried that yes is in my spirit. I'm going to dig it up. I'm going to work it out. Because the Bible talks about this. It says you have to hold fast your profession of faith. You have to hold fast that yes. See, that indicates that something is going to try to take that yes from you. And we're very well aware that time tries to steal our yes. People try to steal our yes. All these no's and shut doors try to steal our yes. But you know what? We're going to have to step over a lot of no's and hold fast to that yes. Hold it tight. See, it's not just in your ability. It's in God's ability through you. It's in him opening supernatural doors. Can I tell you, is it going to be easy? Absolutely not. Is it worth it? Absolutely it is. God is a God of miracles. And he wants to take you step by step. But he needs your amen. He needs your agreement. Think about Noah. When God came to Noah and spoke to Noah and said, noah, I want you to build an ark, Noah had no idea, first off, what a boat was, what an ark was, because no one had seen rain. It had literally never rained. The theologians said. But you know what Noah did? He said, yes, God. So he was fighting the odds because no one had ever seen rain. And no one wanted to get into agreement with his yes. But he said, I'm going to stay in agreement with God's yes. And he kept building that ark. It took years and years. People made fun of him. They even said, noah is crazy. He and his family are crazy people. But what did Noah keep doing? He kept pounding the nails. He kept saying yes in his obedience to God. And let me tell you something. Noah's ark stands as a monument today. A sign of God's goodness, A sign of God's agreement. You see, we are in covenant with this great God, and he wants your yes. I have a friend of mine who has a large family, many siblings, and she made a decision to say yes to God in a new way. And what I mean by that is she was gonna let go of some of her past habits and she was gonna start serving God in a fresh new way because he had given her an impression to do it differently. Well, let me tell you something. Her family didn't think that was so keen. In fact, they made ugly remarks to her. They literally quit inviting her to certain gatherings because she had a new commitment to God. But can I tell you, she stayed faithful to her commitment. She held on tight to that yes. Even when she wasn't invited to things. She continued to be kind to her family, show love. And when they did invite her, she showed up with all of her blessings to them. Can I tell you today, after years and years of holding onto that yes, staying committed, making that decision even when it was tough, even when it would have been easier to go back, her yes stands as an anchor of hope to her family. And many of them have come back to Jesus Christ because of that yes. Is our yes always easy? No. But our yes is always worth it when we serve a mighty God. God, get up every day, reconfirm your yes. Yes, God, I am yours. Yes, God. What do you want me to do today? Yes, God, I will trust you. I will forgive. I will take that step of faith. God, I believe that when I get into agreement with You. You're going to do what I can't do. You're going to do the impossible. Amen. Amen. Thank you Lord. We praise you.

[Joel L. Stein Book and Ministry Promoter]

Fear can be a powerful force and will try to make you feel alone, stuck without hope. But fear doesn't have to get the final say. There is a way out.

[Joel and Victoria (Ministry Hosts)]

Fear is a powerful force, but so is faith. What we focus on shapes our reality. In my new book, no More Fear, you have the mind of Christ. I'll show you how to silence fear and live boldly. And faith. Faith and confidence. Just like David said, though I walk through the valley, I will not fear. You too can walk through life's challenges without being paralyzed by fear. I can't promise you you'll never feel fear, but I can teach you how to rise above it. By dwelling on what God says, learning to replace the anxious thoughts with faith filled ones, you can live from a place of peace, power and purpose.

[Joel L. Stein Book and Ministry Promoter]

As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount this month we would like to send you a copy of Joel's book no More Fear. You have the mind of Christ. The Bible proclaims the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? This powerful and practical book will help you silence doubt, overcome anxiety and step boldly into God's overcoming power. When fear whispers, you can't. This devotional will stir your faith to declare God will. Each page reminds you that you weren't created to live in fear or despair. You were created to live with passion, purpose and confidence in God's plans for your life. Let God's word equip you to rise above fear and walk in victory.

[Joel and Victoria (Ministry Hosts)]

Fear doesn't have the final say. God does. Be bold, be strong and step up to who he made you to be. Victoria and I want you to know we're praying for you and your family. Believing for God's very best. 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. Helps to keep the ministry strong. I always want to thank our champion of Hope partners for your monthly gifts. And if you're not a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one. Until we see you next time. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

[Joel L. Stein Book and Ministry Promoter]

Be sure to request your copy of Joel's new book no More Fear. You have the mind of Christ. Visit jolostein.com or call 888-567 Joel and for an additional gift this month, we're also offering the God's Word Work Study Collection. This empowering set includes the niv the Message Parallel Bible, Joel's no More Fear Devotional, the classic how to read you'd Bible and enjoy it, plus a beautifully crafted leather bookmark with pen. You can request these inspiring Scripture discovery resources by calling 888-567 Joel or logging on to joellostein.com today. Call or click anytime 24 hours a day. Silence fear strengthen your spirit. Let God's word equip you to rise above fear and walk in victory. Request these resources today. My uncontrollable movements called TD tardive dyskinesia felt embarrassing.

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