The Good News Blog

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“…The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”  -1 Samuel 16:7, NIV

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

When the Lord looks at your heart, what does He see? Every one of us has an outer life and an inner life. The outer life is our public life that the people around us see. The inner life is made up of our thoughts, attitudes, and motives. Only you and God know what’s going on inside of you.

Too many people go around today pretending—acting one way, yet on the inside they’re thinking something totally different. Their heart and their actions don’t line up. But we have to understand that God is looking on the inside. We can fool a lot of people, but we can’t fool God. He would rather us be open and honest than

by Charles Stanley

The story of Gideon offers scriptural guidance for times when the odds are overwhelming and defeat seems imminent. No matter what your challenges are, the Lord is able to demonstrate His awesome power and deliver you.

God uses difficulty to build faith. Gideon was willing to believe God and go up against an army four times larger than his own. Trusting the Lord is a process which must be learned through experience.

At times God takes the people He uses and places them in impossible situations—in that way, they discover that He is faithful. We may prefer to acquire faith by reading a book, but the Lord knows that the best classroom is a place of utter helplessness.

God may require us to do what seems unreasonable. The Israelites were already outnumbered, but the Lord instructed Gideon to reduce the army to a mere 300 men. That made

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close” -Revelation 3:8, NLT

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

I believe that God is ready to present you with new opportunities. He wants to open new doors before you. It doesn’t matter what’s happening in the world around you, God’s Word remains true!

Remember, in an instant, God can bring the right people into your life, the right opportunities, and the right resources to take you to a whole new level. But in order to go to a higher level, you have to have a higher way of thinking. You can’t allow worry and fear to fill your thoughts because fear actually blocks the door of God’s blessing. Instead, fill your mind with the Word of God. Let His truth empower you because His ways are always higher than our

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“The tongue has the power of life and death…” -Proverbs 18:21, NIV

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

God has given every person incredible power through the use of our words. Maybe you aren’t where you want to be in life today, but could it be because of the words you’ve spoken in the past? Have you spoken words of death by saying things like, “I’ll never rise any higher; I’ve gone as far as I can go”? Or maybe you’ve said, “I’ll never break this addiction. I’ve had it too long. It’s too hard.” And now you are eating the fruit of your words. You’re still in the same place.

If you are ready to change your situation, then it’s time to change what you say about your situation. If you want a different harvest in your life, you have to change the seeds you are sowing. It’s time

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth…” -Isaiah 54:1, NLT

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Sometimes, when we don’t see our dreams and desires coming to pass, we can feel empty and barren like a woman who is unable to have children. But look at what this verse is saying: if you’ve got unborn promises, don’t just sit around in defeat.

Don’t just give up and say, “Too bad for me.” No, God says when you’re barren, the first thing you need to do is sing a song of praise. You might think, “Well, Joel, I’m kind of depressed today. I’ll sing after I have my ‘baby.’”

No, this passage wasn’t written to people who were holding their baby and had seen their dreams come to pass. It was written to empty-armed people; people who didn’t have what they were believing for. Do you know why? When

by Victoria Osteen

The Bible talks about joy and calls it “unspeakable and full of glory.” You know what that says to me? It says that joy is more than just a feeling. It’s more than just being happy. Joy is a supernatural force on the inside of you.

Joy is a deep abiding strength. It’s constantly there. It is a fruit, or offspring, of the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t come from your circumstances. The world can’t give it to you, and the world can’t take it away!

So how do you “get” joy today? The good news is that when you make Jesus your Lord and Savior, the Bible says that the Spirit of God makes His home inside of you. And if the Holy Spirit is on the inside of you, than so is joy! As believers, we already have joy! But we have to stir up what God has

by Victoria Osteen

Everywhere I go, I encounter so many people who have a misconception that God is always mad at them. When things don´t go well, the first thing they say is, “Well, God, You did it to me again!”

It´s as if they think God is just waiting for them to do something wrong so He can punish them and make their lives difficult. Let me assure you right now: that is the farthest thing from the truth! God is not mad at you; He is madly in love with you!

It doesn´t matter how many times you´ve made a mistake; it doesn´t matter how many times you´ve blown it. God is always ready to receive you with open, loving arms.

In fact, He´s already forgiven you for anything you´ve done in the past and anything you will

by Joel Osteen

One of the battles that everyone faces at some time or another is the battle of discouragement. Our dreams don’t always happen on our timetable. We go through disappointments and adversities. With so much coming against us, it can be easy to loose enthusiasm and zeal for life. It’s good to have family and friends who encourage you. It’s good to have a coach, a teacher, or a pastor to cheer you on.

But one thing I’ve learned is that other people cannot keep us encouraged. They may give us a boost. They may help us from time to time. But if you’re really going to live in victory, that encouragement has to come from the inside. You’ve got to learn to encourage yourself.

When times get tough and things aren’t going your way and you feel like giving up on your dreams, deep down in your spirit there has

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“You crown the year with Your bounty and goodness…” (Psalm 65:11, AMP)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Are you seeing the goodness of God overflowing in your life today? If you´ll look with your eyes of faith, you´ll see that He´s already crowned your year with His goodness. In other words, you have been especially chosen; you are marked to receive His goodness.

And when God crowns you with His goodness, it doesn´t matter what´s going on around you. It doesn´t matter what´s happening in the economy, in the job market, or the housing market. God´s crown of favor and blessing cannot be moved. You are the head and not the tail; above only and not beneath.

Are you ready to receive His crown today? Are you ready to walk in the authority you´ve already been

by Joel Osteen

Not long ago, a man was telling me about how he felt as if he had wasted the first forty years of his life. He had come from a good family. He was bright and had all kinds of opportunity in front of him, but he ended up a cocaine addict. He told me, “Joel, I don’t even really remember the first part of my life. I was so high and so messed up. I ruined my marriage. I blew my education.”

At one point, he thought his life was over, but today things are different. Now he’s in his early fifties, his family is back together, and he has a good job. In fact, he volunteers for us every weekend. He said, “I never dreamed God would give me another chance. I never dreamed I could be this fulfilled.”