A Fresh New Attitude

Pastor Joel at Lakewood Church

1. Your attitude can have a greater impact on your success than your IQ. If you don’ have the right attitude, then you may be stopped from rising higher.
2. Work on the inside.
1. We spend a lot of time and money making sure we look good on the outside
2. nice clothes, a pretty face, and good makeup can’t hide an ugly inside.
1. Pastor Joel had a crush on a pretty girl. When he finally got the nerve to talk to her she had a bad attitude and he never
3. Put on a new attitude
1. Colossians 3:12-14
1. So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
2. A resume describes a person’s qualifications but interviews are scheduled to learn about the person’s attitude.
4. You attitude will determine your aptitude.
1. Live nose up
1. The attitude indicator (AI), formerly known as the gyro horizon or artificial horizon, is a flight instrument that informs the pilot of the aircraft orientation relative to Earth's horizon, and gives an immediate indication of the smallest orientation change…Attitude indicators are also used on manned spacecraft and are called Flight Director Attitude Indicators (FDAI), where they indicate the craft's yaw angle (nose left or right), pitch (nose up or down), roll, and orbit relative to a fixed-space inertial reference frame from an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU).
1. We can all control our attitude.
2. You have to have a good attitude on purpose.
2. Small tweaks can cause a huge difference.
2. Isaiah 61:3
1. To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
2. If you wear the same clothes everyday you’ll develop an odor and no one will want to be around you. So you have to put on a fresh new attitude daily.
3. Ephesians 4:23
1. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
5. Examples
1. Joseph (Genesis 37)
1. Joseph’s prestigious position, his riches, his relationship with the high level society had corrupted neither his character nor his integrity. He remained faithful to God regardless of the season where he found himself. Either as a privileged son, Potiphar’s slave, a prisoner or the Prime Minister of Egypt, we can recognize this godly man by his blameless attitude. When facing injustice, Joseph demonstrates grace and walks the second mile. Not only, does he reassure his brothers of his good intentions towards them but in addition, he commits himself to take care of their families and lets God be his judge. What was supposed to destroy and discourage Joseph, has actually initiated his journey towards his destiny.
2. Dirty Laundry
1. A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.“That laundry is not very clean,” she said. “She doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.”Her husband looked on, but remained silent.Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.About one month later, the woman was surprised to see nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: “Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this?”The husband said, “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.”And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.
1. Titus 1:15
1. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.
6. Make up your mind to enjoy this day.
1. Matthew 5:45
1. that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
2. Job
1. Job 19:25
1. I know that my redeemer[a] lives,and that in the end he will stand on the earth
3. Eagles
1. Their prey items include waterfowl and small mammals like squirrels, prairie dogs, raccoons and rabbits. Bald eagles are opportunistic predators meaning that in addition to hunting for live prey, they will steal from other animals (primarily from other eagles or smaller fish eating birds) or scavenge on carrion.
2. Isaiah 40:31
1. …but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
4. Unclog Your Heart
1. A large clot can partially or completely block the flow of blood through the artery (NHLBI, 2012b). If treatment isn't done immediately after a heart attack, many patients will need to undergo coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) later to improve blood supply to the heart muscle. 
1. Proverbs 4:23
1. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Don't Waste Your Pain

Joel Osteen @ Lakewood Church

• God sees the big picture of your life. Like a puzzle, each peace has a perfect place. 
• Some puzzle  pieces look strange alone but have an important place in our lives.
• Romans 8:28: (King James Version)And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
• God promised that each peace will work out for our Good.
• Pain changes you, but how the pain changes you is your decision.
• You can come out bitter or better.
• Don't just go through it, grow through it. 
• Satan may turn on the heat but God has his hand on the thermostat.
• Satan had to ask God to test Job.
• If it was too much then God would turn it down.In order to not waste the pain, you have to learn the lesson. 

• God will turn your mess into a message
• Rain falls on the just and the unjust.
• Matthew 5:45 …that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

• Remember the lesson and then let go of the negative event.
• Mrs. Dodie was diagnosed with terminal cancer. 30+ years later she’s been cured and holds a prayer service in the Chapel where se received that deadly prognosis.
• God ķnows how to turn your mess into your message

• We were created to be conquerors.
• NASA wanted to study the bee’s behavior in outer space and the bees quickly realized that they didn’t need to use all of their energy to fly so they stopped flapping their wings. Those bees eventually died. Researchers said that though the bees seemed happy, they died.
  
• We weren’t created to have it easy.

• 2co.1.4.niv who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
• Candace Lynne "Candy" Lightner 
  
• American organizer and founding president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). On May 3, 1980, Lightner’s 13-year-old daughter, Cari, was killed by a hit-and-run drunk driver at Sunset and New York Avenues in Fair Oaks, California.
• The sentence given to the repeat offender of driving while intoxicated (DWI) outraged Lightner who then organized Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. The name was later changed to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.Some cancer survivors volunteer at hospitals.
• The mess of the death of Candy’s daughter was turned into the message of MADD

• LoLo Jones
  
• Favored to win the 100 m hurdles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but tripped on the penultimate hurdle, finishing in seventh place.
• She went on to win silver at the 2008 World Athletics Final.
• Jones is the American record holder in the 60m hurdles with a time of 7.72.
• Jones Refuses to Let Life's Hurdles Deter Her.
• She knows that she can help others who have fallen.

• Pain makes you uniquely qualified to help someone else in your position.It's not all about you. 
• Pain isn’t all about you. God may allow something so that you can be instrumental in someone else’s life down the road.
• Sometimes we're pregnant and we don't know it. 
• A heavy set woman had always been healthy but she started to get sick. She went to the doctor and they though it was a virus. She was nauseous, swollen, and etc…
• She finally decided to go to the doctor again and the doctor determined what was wrong, she was pregnant and 90 minutes later he handed her a healthy baby boy.
• When it's painful, don't get discouraged, you're about to give birth.
• Hebrews 12:2 (New Living Translation) We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
• Craig and Samantha Johnson

• Their son was diagnosed with autism. and he thought about the fact that many families can’t go to church because their isn’t a place for their kids to go during service. So he birthed the Champion’s Club.
• Champions Club is a specially designed developmental area for kids, youth, and adults with special needs. Our goal was to develop a program that would meet the developmental needs of children in four important ways, SPIRITUALLY, INTELLECTUALLY, MENTALLY, and PHYSICALLY.
• After the launch 300+ new families joined the church.

• When it’s painful don’t get discouraged, get ready because you’re in labor!

Joel and Victoria Osteen’s nuggets @ Lakewood Church

• Put God's word into to you when you don't need it and you'll have it when you do need it. 
• Don't put a question where God put a period.
• Your condition doesn’t determine your position. -Victoria Osteen
• Luke 13:10-17 (Jesus Heals on the Sabbath) 
• God sees you.
• One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, 11 he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight.
• And when you answer His call, you will see His face.
• When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God! 
• Your condition doesn’t determine your position.
• This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?”

Enthusiasm or Lack Thereof

I talked to someone recently about my struggles in finding a job. That person has worked with me on a number of video projects and said that I don't seem excited about media production. I was taken back by that because media production is how I spend most of my time: I have to communication degrees, I work in media, and I volunteer in media. If I just wanted to kill time there are a number of things in the world to choose from, and this is what I choose. But then when I thought about it, I remembered that this isn't the first time I've heard something similar. 

I worked at Sears a while back and my manager would consistently give me a 1 out of 5 in enthusiasm. That really hurt my feelings because I worked really hard. I could keep up an area with no help, if I closed my area was always clean and organized as opposed to ALL other areas that would need everyone to pitch in so things would look presentable. I could smile and laugh all day long and appear enthusiastic but I don't see how that over shadows my work. People are always saying that non-verbal communication is 95% or some ridiculous number of communication but that's because people are too lazy to dig deeper. It isn't because people say more with their bodies.

At that same Sears job, one day there was a young lady who clearly had a sad demeanor. Even though her body language may have said that she didn't want to be at work, she was at work. She did everything that she was supposed to do. She greeted customers, she offered credit apps, and etc. Still several customers reported that she had "an attitude problem". The manager observed her demeanor and basically agreed and sent the young lady home. If anyone had bothered to talk to her, then they would have learned that her mother, father, and brother had been killed in a car accident a few days prior. To add to that, she was given custody of her only surviving brother. She didn't have a sad demeanor because she didn't want to be at work and she didn't have an attitude problem. If anyone had bothered to scratch beneath the surface then they would have learned the truth. I know a lot of people may wonder why she didn't tell anyone and blame her saying that she should have been transparent about the situation. I refuse to blame her. It isn't her fault that someone else made a judgement based on a shallow observation.

Thankfully, nothing that tragic has happened to me. But I don't think it's fair that people expect me to express myself the way that they express themselves. I show enthusiasm by investing my time and even if I tell you that with a straight face and a steady voice it doesn't make it any less valuable that your expression.

Sowing a Seed in Your Time of Need

Lakewood Church
Pastor Joel!

• When we hit a bad spot, it's easy to start focusing on ourselves. The best way to heal is to give away what you need.

Psalm 37:3 Trust in the lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

• It's not enough to JUST trust in the lord, you have to go on to step 2 and do good.

Job 42:10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.

• Job had lost everything and his health was bad but insted of praying for himself, he prayed for his friends.

• You can't reap a harvest without sowing a seed.

James 2:15-17 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

• Siegfried and Roy: After the tiger attack he became paralyzed. When he is feeling depressed he goes to the animal sanctuary and encourages others. When he sees someone in a wheel chair, he struggles and stands up then tells them, "If I can stand up, then you can too."

Proverbs 11:25 A generous person will prosper;whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Ruth: The seed for her new beginning came through helping Naomi.

Isaiah 58:7-8 Is it not to share your food with the hungryand to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them,and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn,and your healing will quickly appear;then your righteousness will go before you,and the glory of the lord will be your rear guard.

Dan: Dan lost his wife and decided to go to every funeral at the church to encourage others. He's now a staff member at that church in charge of all the funerals!

• Some people are waiting for their ship to come in but they haven't sent their ship out.
-Joel Osteen


***Bonus Notes***
VICTORIA OSTEEN TALK
-Relationships evolve and require minor adjustments at every stage of the relationship.

-Be flexible and study the people around you.
Matthew 12:11-12 He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

-You are more than enough.
God is more than enough  and he us on the inside of us.

-- Sent from JRochelle's Palm Pre