Pastor Osteen uses Christianity as a basis for his motivational sermons. A church is place where you go to have a time with God, to praise him and learn the teachings of Jesus Christ. It doesn't have to be an event where a preacher reads word for word from the Bible, you can do that at home on your own time. I am not really sure why he is criticized so much for helping people in a simplistic way, rather than complicating everything with so many bible verses and making it seem like God just goes around seeing everything you do wrong, rather than rewarding you for that what you do right. I've been going to Lakewood for 4 years and I have learned so much, it has changed my life as well as my family's life. It wasn't Pastor Osteen doing it, it was God using him. So if they have a problem with Pastor Osteen, then they should take it up with the Boss. Oh and I will probably get his book later. His first book was basically a summary of all his sermons. It is good to have access to those messages anytime you want, but I know it pretty well already.
My God? Do you have a different one? He rewards me with health, with a great family, with a good job. With many things that most people take for granted or overlook. I am where I am because of Him. It's just most people do not thank God until they win the lottery or until they get something big.
I have no god. So people born into poverty and starvation etc are being punished? Is there some sort of grading system?
I go every Sunday. You must have no read that part in my earlier post. I have accepted Jesus as my savior. What is your point?
Religion is a pretty big turn-off to me. I can't stand going to church and often go through periods of considering myself agnostic. But I enjoy Joel Osteen's writings and his sermons are the only ones I can really stand because they are geared towards life as we know it today. He makes sense and he's not overly preachy and he just basically gets you geared up to improve your life for the better. I'm a big fan of the guy.
Osteen seems like a great speaker who has a lot of great ideas to improve your quality of life. But I disagree with him that church is the forum for that. If he wants to do a lot of self help seminars at the church or whatever, then that's great. But the act of going to church was established for a purpose, and it wasn't to help you lose weight, get a good job, have a good marriage, etc.
that if you think that by having wealth and a great family that was your reward, you're not paying attention. its the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard a self proclaimed christian proclaim.
No. Atleast thats not what I believe. We can go back and forth all day though. I suggest we don't. I am speaking personally.
Christians are weird. Seems like half the time for them god is a concrete, immovable, and unalterable deity - the literal interpretation, if you will. The other half of the time god is whatever the heck you want him to be to make yourself feel good. Weird.
LIFE is my reward, the ability to have the freedome to accept Jesus as my savior is my reward. But Christianity is not about God serving you, it is about you serving God. Being able to serve him is the reward.
The real meaning behind it is that they accept that their natural talents are God given and they are expressing their thanks for that talent. How many of them are true believers doing that and how many are just doing it to do it? Who knows. Not my place to judge a man's heart, but I do get the meaning. It's only ridiculous when they things like "God wanted us to win" or something along those lines.
