American pastor, televangelist, author, and businessman Joel Osteen was born on March 5, 1963, and resides in Houston, Texas. One of the more well-known personalities connected to prosperity theology and the Word of Faith movement, Osteen is well-known for his weekly televised services and his best-selling publications.
Joel Osteen
John Osteen and Dolores (“Dodie”) Pilgrim have six children, including Osteen, who was born in Houston. Joel Osteen is the current senior pastor of Lakewood Church, which was established in the rear of an old feed store by his father, a former Southern Baptist minister.
He attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he studied radio and television communications but did not earn a degree, after graduating from Humble High School, a public high school in the city of Humble, Texas, in 1981.
Lakewood Church
Joel Osteen left Oral Roberts University in 1982 and moved back to Houston. After starting Lakewood’s television show, he was ordained in 1983 by his father’s church. Before his father passed away from a heart attack in January 1999, Osteen produced his father’s television sermons for 17 years. His first sermon was scheduled for January 17, 1999. He took over as Lakewood Church’s senior pastor on October 3.
The Compaq Center, which was once home to the NBA Houston Rockets and the AHL Houston Aeros, was purchased by Lakewood Church in 2003 and then restored.
Joel Osteen Sermons
Joel Osteen records his past words and commits them to memory before delivering them. His sermons have drawn criticism for being self-serving and showing a lack of biblical knowledge. He claims he attempts to teach biblical ideas in an easy-to-understand manner, stressing the power of love and a positive outlook, and that he prefers to concentrate more on God’s goodness and leading an obedient life than on sin. In an interview with CBN News, Osteen responded as follows when asked why he does not devote greater attention to sin, the devil, and damnation in detail:
When I grew up, the devil was a reason why I had a headache or the devil was the reason I got mad today. We always blamed the devil. I think today when I say the enemy, I like to make it broader. Sometimes the enemy can be our own thoughts. We’ve trained ourselves the wrong way. Or the enemy can be our own lack of discipline. Some people preach about hell like you’re already going there, and to me the Gospel means “Good News.” I’d rather say God is a God of mercy. So I think the people already know what they’re doing wrong, and I certainly believe in hell. But to me, when I see thousands of people before me, it just doesn’t come out of me to say, “You guys are terrible, and you’re going to hell.” I’d rather say that God is a God of mercy. You’ve got to live an obedient life, but for every mistake you’ve made, there’s mercy there, and I believe we can do better.
Personal Life
Victoria Osteen (née Iloff), who would go on to co-pastor Lakewood Church, was married to Osteen on April 4, 1987. They are parents of two kids. Paul was one of his siblings who served full-time in the ministry in 2002.
Joel Osteen and his family reside in a $10.5 million estate in River Oaks that is 17,000 square feet in size. Osteen claims that as senior pastor, he depends on book sales revenue rather than receiving a salary from the church, which has an annual budget of $70 million.
Is Joel Osteen a Prosperity Preacher?
Some criticize Osteen’s writings and sermons for advocating prosperity theology, often known as the prosperity gospel, which holds that God wants all devout Christians to benefit from worldly wealth. The prosperity gospel’s detractors argue that its principles conflict with Mark’s gospel:
“Jesus, looking at the man, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When the man heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.” – Mark 10:21-22
In a 12-minute story titled “Joel Osteen Answers His Critics” that aired on 60 Minutes on October 14, 2007, Reformed theologian Michael Horton informed CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts that Osteen’s preaching is heretical. The issue with Osteen’s message, according to Horton, is that “it makes religion about us instead of about God.”
Osteen’s estimated net worth exceeds $50 million, and his church receives $43 million annually in donations. Joel Osteen denied receiving any pandemic CARES Act aid, but according to records from the U.S. Small Business Administration, his church did receive $4.4 million from the fund, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. The church discharged its 19-year debt from a $100 million construction loan in December 2023, in addition to repaying this loan in 2021.
Joel Osteen’s Beliefs
In general, Joel Osteen has refrained from talking about or preaching about contentious topics like politics, gay marriage, and abortion. He has publicly said that homosexuality is “not God’s best” and that he thinks the church has a propensity to focus too much on one issue—like homosexuality—at the expense of other matters. In response to a question on whether he believed that God condones homosexuality, Osteen stated that, in his view of the Bible, homosexuality is sinful but that gay individuals are accepted in his church without condemnation.
When asked if he thought Mormons were Christians in an appearance on Fox News during the 2008 Republican Party presidential primary, Joel Osteen said he did. He also disclosed that he had not done any research on the faith. Osteen expressed his support for Israel in a 2011 interview.
Joel Osteen Books
- Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential (2004)
- Daily Readings from Your Best Life Now: 90 Devotions for Living at Your Full Potential (2005)
- Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day (2007)
- Your Best Life Begins Each Morning: Devotions to Start Every New Day of the Year (2008)
- It’s Your Time : Activate Your Faith, Achieve Your Dreams, and Increase in God’s Favor (2009)
- It’s Your Time: Finding Favor, Restoration, and Abundance in Your Life Every Day (2009)
- Everyday a Friday: How to Be Happier 7 Days a Week (2011)
- I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life (2012)
- Break Out!: 5 Keys to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life (2013)
- You Can You Will: 8 Undeniable Qualities of a Winner (2014)
- Fresh Start: the New You Begins Today (2015)
- The Power of I Am: Two Words That Will Change Your Life Today (2015)
- Think Better, Live Better: A Victorious Life Begins in Your Mind (2016)
- Blessed in the Darkness: How All Things Are Working for Your Good (2017)
- Empty Out the Negative (2017)
- Next Level Thinking: 10 Powerful Thoughts for a Successful and Abundant Life (2018)
- The Power of Favor: The Force That Will Take You Where You Can’t Go on Your Own (2019)
- The Abundance Mind-Set: Success Starts Here (2020)
- Peaceful on Purpose: The Power to Remain Calm, Strong, and Confident in Every Season (2021)
- You Are Stronger than You Think: Unleash the Power to Go Bigger, Go Bold, and Go Beyond What Limits You (2021)
- Rule Your Day: 6 Keys to Maximizing Your Success and Accelerating Your Dreams (2022)
- Your Greater is Coming: Discover the Path to Your Bigger, Better, and Brighter Future (2022)
- 15 Ways to Live Longer and Healthier: Life-Changing Strategies for Greater Energy, a More Focused Mind, and a Calmer Soul (2023)
- Psalms and Proverbs for Everyday Life: 100 Daily Devotions (2023)
- Believe: Hope Has Your Name on It (2023)
- Speak the Blessing: Send Your Words in the Direction You Want Your Life to Go (2024)
