Transcript
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Joel Osteen (0:09)
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Joel Osteen (0:45)
Let's talk about Angie. Angie's been connecting homeowners with skilled pros for over 30 years, and they've made it easier than ever to tackle home projects. Their nationwide network has experts in everything from plumbing and landscaping to roofing, remodels and more. You can read verified reviews and request and compare quotes to find your best price. So join the millions of homeowners who use Angie to get the job done well. Download the Angi app today or visit angi.com hi, this is Joel and Victoria.
Victoria Osteen (1:17)
Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry.
Joel Osteen (1:21)
If you enjoyed today's message, why don't.
Joel Osteen (1:23)
You be a blessing and share it with a friend?
Victoria Osteen (1:25)
We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life.
Joel Osteen (1:29)
Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into your homes and if you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you we will make you feel right at home. I like to start with something funny. And I heard about this 92 year old man. He wasn't feeling up to par so he went to the doctor. A few days later the doctor saw him out in the park with this beautiful young lady by his side and he seemed as happy as can be. The doctor said, wow, you sure are feeling a lot better, aren't you? He said, yes, doctor, I'm just following your orders. You said, get a hot mama and stay cheerful. The doctor said, I didn't say that. I said, you got a heart murmur. Be careful. He heard what he wanted to hear, but here we go. 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 windows of grace. There are times we're going along and minding our own business, and suddenly we know something we're supposed to do. We feel it so strongly in our spirit, this urging telling us to forgive the person that hurt us or. We've struggled with an addiction for years, but suddenly we have a new desire to get free. We've been dreaming about starting our own business, writing that book. All of a sudden we know it's our time. Those are not just nice thoughts. That's God speaking to us. He doesn't ask us to do something and then doesn't give us the ability to do it. With that urging, you'll feel faith rising up. You'll have the favor, the determination, the strength to do what you couldn't do before. But here's the key. It's a window of grace. It's not going to last forever. Too often we hear the still, small voice, but we put it off. I know I need to forgive, but I'll do it later. I know I need to get in shape, take care of my health. I'll do it soon. I feel this new passion, new confidence to step up and lead my department. One day I'm going to do it. The problem is that window is going to close. Don't take the grace for granted. That is a destiny moment where God is making a way, where you can come up higher. When you feel that faith, you have to step into it. That's God saying, this is your time, this is your moment. The scripture says, today, if you hear his voice, harden, not your heart. That's not just talking about salvation. When you hear his voice telling you to have a better attitude, to treat your spouse more respectfully, to tithe your income, the reason it's so strong is God is opening a window of grace. That's the time to obey. Not tomorrow, not next week, but right then. When that window opens, you'll feel a divine empowerment, God breathing on you in a new way. You'll have the grace to forgive, the confidence to step up, the favor, to succeed. A friend of mine struggled with smoking since high school, and he was in his 40s and he didn't like to smoke. He had tried to stop many times but wasn't able to. He finally had accepted it. That was his lot in life. But one morning he woke up and felt so strongly that this was his time to stop smoking. He had a new determination, a new passion. He said, I've never felt faith like this. He knew he was going to break it. The problem is, he kept putting it off, saying, tomorrow, I'm going to get started. Tomorrow would come. He felt it just as strongly later. I'm going to get serious. First week went by. He didn't feel it quite as much. Then a month went by, still hadn't done anything. Now he barely had the desire to stop. Couple of months later, he was back to thinking that he could never break it. He said, I know I could have stopped. I know God was talking to me, but I missed my season. That window doesn't last forever. There is a limited time. God gives you an opportunity to come up higher. When you have the faith for it, that's the time to act. Don't make excuses. Don't put it off. Later, I'll get serious. You're not always going to feel what you're feeling. That grace is on you for a season to help you accomplish what God is asking you to do today. When you hear his voice, obey. Step into that grace. Take advantage of what God is offering you. And if the window closes, yes, God will open another window. He's merciful. But you don't know how long it's going to be. You don't have time to waste going around the mountain again and again. Like the Israelites. They turned an 11 day journey to the promised land into 40 years because they kept complaining, talking about how big the obstacles were. When God brings something to light that you need to deal with. A bad attitude, jealousy, saying hurtful things. You wouldn't feel that conviction unless the window was opening to change. God doesn't ask you to do better and then not give you the ability to do it. But you have to step into it, dig down deep and be more disciplined. Bite your tongue when you feel like being disrespectful. Keep a smile when you could be sour. The grace is there. As you tap into it, you will feel a force enabling you, empowering you. What is that? You're in a window of grace. In the scripture, there's two Greek words used for time. One is chronos. It's where we get our word chronological. It deals with ordinary time, minutes, hours and days. The second Greek word is kairos. It's defined as an opportune moment, a passing instant where an opening appears. It has to do with an Appointed time with a season of favor. Now, God has already ordained these kairos moments for you. You're going to come into opportunity that seems over your head. You'll be tempted to shrink back. But God wouldn't have put you there if you couldn't do it. It's a kairos moment. It's a season of favor. All of the sudden, you know you can beat the depression. You know lack and struggle is not your destiny. You feel faith rising up. Those are not just encouraging feelings. That is a kairos moment. A season of favor that God has specifically designed for you. If you will step into it, doors will open that you couldn't open. Bad habits, addictions that have held you back will be broken. Now get ready for some kairos moments. Moments that are going to thrust you ahead. And when they come, don't be intimidated. That obstacle may be big, but our God is much bigger. He would not have opened that door if you didn't have the favor to walk through it. But it is a window of grace. It is not going to last forever. You can't keep putting it off and expect it to be there in a year. When you feel it, you have to stir your faith up. Father, thank you that this is a new day, That I am stepping into new levels of favor. Discipline, anointing, creativity, strength, energy. And that every force that's trying to stop me is being broken. Get in agreement with God. He will open the window. But you have to take advantage of it. This is where the Israelites missed it. They had been in slavery for many years. God brought them out and they were headed toward the promised land. They made it through the desert, fought off enemies along the way. They finally came to the land flowing with milk and honey. They were camped next door to the promised land. This is what they had been dreaming about. All they had to do was go in and take the land. God had already promised them the victory. This was one of their kairos moments. An incredible door was about to open. An opportunity of a lifetime. With those kairos moments comes the favor to accomplish, the power to overcome, the strength to defeat the opposition. The problem is the Israelites didn't recognize that they were in a window of grace. They said Moses did, these people are too big. We'll never defeat them. We feel like grasshoppers compared to them. Let's go back to Egypt. Even though God promised to take them into the land, even though they were in this kairos moment where they had the favor, the power, the strength, they turned around and headed back into the Desert. They didn't understand that God doesn't give you the opportunity to and then not give you the grace to do it. You may be facing big giants, but the favor on your life is bigger than whatever's trying to stop you. God was so put out with the Israelites, he told Moses that they were never going to enter into the promised land. Moses told the people what God said, how they were limiting their destiny, being weak and intimidated. The scripture says they turned around and headed back toward the promised land. They said, moses, we realize we made a mistake. Now we are ready to go into the land God promised. You would think Moses would say, good, you finally changed your mind. Let's go in. Moses said to them, do not enter the land now or you will be crushed by your enemies. What happened in that window of grace closed. That kairos moment passed. Moses knew if they tried to go in outside of God's timing, when that window of favor wasn't open, they would be defeated. That's why it's so important to not put off what you know God is telling you to do. When you feel the urging, the knowing whether it's to break a bad habit or to step into something that feels over your head. If you keep delaying, the window is going to close. You may feel afraid your thoughts will tell you all the reasons it's not going to work out. You can't accomplish that dream. It's too big. You can't forgive that person. They hurt you too badly. You've always been negative, critical, bitter. That's just who you are. That is not who you are. That's why you're hearing this. There is a kairos moment coming. There is a window of grace about to open. Now don't do like them. Put your shoulders back, hold your head up high and step into it. God is about to take you to a new level. Things that have held you back are being defeated. New doors are about to open. Giants are about to be defeated. Talent is about to come out of you that you didn't know you had. You are coming into a season of special favor. Yes, you always have favor. But there are moments when that favor stands out. You're going to see an opportune moment where God thrusts you ahead. Now do your part. Start believing that you're favored. Start praying, bold prayers. Start speaking victory over your life. Don't go around talking about how big the giants are and how you'll never get well and never meet the right person. Never start your own business. Zip that up. Start declaring, this is my Time. The favor of God is on my life in a new way. I have the grace to rise higher, the grace to forgive this person, the grace to accomplish my dream, the grace to break this addiction. Be bold. Be strong. The Lord your God is with you. This is what I had to do. When my father was 77 years old, he was at my sister Lisa's house one Monday evening to have dinner with Lisa. And my mother, Lysa had just finished cooking her favorite dish. Right before she put those TV dinners on the table, my father said to them, I'm going to call Joel and see if he'll speak for me this Sunday. My mother laughed and said, john, you are wasting your time. I. Joel is not a minister. I had worked 17 years behind the scenes here at Lakewood doing the television production. My father tried to get me up to speak many times, but always told him no. I didn't have any desire to be in front of people. Plus, my father was a great minister. Thought, who would want to listen to me? I don't know what to say. I've not been trained in this. I was eating dinner that Monday night when my father called.