How To Have An Extreme Makeover | Joel Osteen

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If you're ever in our area, come by and see us. I promise you, we'll make you feel right at home. But thanks for tuning in today. I like to start with something funny each week. And I heard about this mother.

She was cooking breakfast for her young boys. Ryan was five and Kevin was three. They begin to argue over who should get the first pincake. The mom saw it as an opportunity to teach them a lesson. She said boys, boys, if Jesus were here,

he would say, "Let my brother have the first pincake." Ryan turned to his younger brother and said, "Okay, Kevin, you be Jesus." (audience laughs) All right, hold up your Bible and say it like you mean it.

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.

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In Jesus name, God bless you.

“I want to talk to you today about how you can have”

and extreme makeover. Seems like we're always hearing about how we can look better and feel better. I saw the other morning, all these techniques to look younger. There were seven things we could do

to supposedly take 10 years off of our age. Billions and billions of dollars are being spent by people having what's commonly called a makeover. And of course, there's nothing wrong with wanting to improve. Nothing wrong with wanting to look better.

But I've found true change starts on the inside. It starts in our thinking. You can change the outside, but if you don't change the inside, it's not going to last.

It may give you some temporary happiness. You may feel better for a while,

but long-term, you will always default back

to what you believe about yourself. Your self-esteem, your sense of value, your level of confidence that will always override the physical. A few years ago, a young lady came up for prayer. She was one of the most beautiful young ladies

that I've ever seen.

“On a scale of one to ten, she was a ten plus.”

She was working in the entertainment industry, traveling with a certain show, very successful. I asked what she wanted to pray about. I thought it'd be your family, her career, something like that. But she said, I wish you'd pray for me.

I feel so unattractive. I thought to myself, you cannot get any more beautiful. But that's the way the enemy works. He tries to manipulate our thinking and deceive us and to believe in these lives.

What you believe about yourself, yourself a steam, your sense of value, your sense of worth, that will set the limits for your life. If you don't think you're talented, you can have all the talent in the world,

but you'll never tap into it. If you don't think you have a good personality, you don't have much to offer. Your own thoughts will keep you from rising higher. If you think you're unattractive,

you don't quite measure up, and you're always wishing you were something different. Then those negative feelings towards yourself will keep you from blossoming into who God created you to be.

True change starts on the inside. The problem many people have today is they don't really like themselves. They go around with a nagging feeling down in here like something's wrong with them.

They focus on their faults. They relieve every disappointment. In their mind, there's a recording constantly playing. You're so slow. You can't do anything right.

You'll never be happy. You've been through too much. And they wonder why they don't enjoy life, why they don't have any enthusiasm. Here's the key.

You cannot be negative towards yourself and expect to live a positive, faith-filled life. You need to have an extreme makeover but not on the outside on the inside. If you'll get your thinking corrected

and start thinking like a champion, like a child of the most high God, like you've been crowned with favor, then you'll be amazed at what will happen. Instead of going around thinking,

I don't have a good personality. I don't have much to offer. No just turn it around. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am one of a kind.

I know I am a masterpiece. Instead of thinking, I'm so slow.

No, I'm talented. I'm creative. I have great ideas.

“Instead of dwelling on, I never get any breaks.”

Nothing good ever happens to me.

No God's favor is surrounded me. Goodness and mercy follow me. Whatever I touch, prosper and success. When you think like that, a transformation is taking place.

An extreme makeover starts on the inside. You think about a hog. A hog's nature is to get dirty. He likes to play in the mud. That's the way he's been programmed.

That's what's wired into his thinking. Let's just imagine you decide to give that hog an extreme makeover. You can take him to the best spot in the world. Put him in a bubble bath, polish his nails,

give him a pedicure, exfoliate his skin. You can put bowtocks in his wrinkles. Tie bow around his neck. You get finished and you think, man, that is one hot-looking hog.

But you know, as well as I do. When you get back home and let him out of the truck, he's not going to go to the swimming pool. Put his sunglasses on and drink ice tea. He's going to go as fast as he can.

Right back to that mudhog. He's not going to show off to his friends. He's not going to plant spines. I'm looking good today. He's going to go that mud and roll over and over.

Get just his dirty and filthy as he was before. Not one time where he say, "Oh, man, I messed up my nails." Why is that? You change the outside, but lasting change comes from the inside.

It comes from what we believe about ourselves and who we really feel that we are.

“I remember seeing this lady on television.”

She had been extremely overweight. They put her on a diet and exercise program. After a year or two, she had lost over 250 pounds. She looked great. She went down to a size 10.

And her before and after pictures, you could hardly even recognize her. But in this interview, she did not have one ounce of joy. She seemed to be as depressed as could be.

She never even smiled. The reporter had finally picked up on it and asked her, "What was wrong with her?" Wasn't she proud of what she had accomplished?

I'll never forget what she answered.

She said, "I don't know what's wrong with me. I guess in my mind I'll always be fat." What was her problem? She had transformed the outside, but she had never transformed the inside.

Many people go around just like her with low self-esteem, feeling less than. They look good on the outside. They smile. They're friendly.

“But inwardly, they're negative towards themselves.”

They live in regrets. That recordings constantly playin'. You blew it, you weren't a good parent. You're the reason the marriage failed. That business went under because you're not smart enough.

They allow all these thoughts to play internally and it's stealing their sense of value. We need to put on a new recording if we're gonna live in victory. We have to have this transformation.

The Apostle Paul tells us how to have an extreme makeover God's way. It's found in Romans chapter 12 verse 2. He said, "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind." That word transformed in the original language

is metamorphone. It's where we get our word metamorphose. We all know how a worm metamorphoses into a butterfly. This is saying that if we will get our thoughts

going in the right direction, if we were to renew our mind and not dwell on these condemning less than inferior thoughts, then a transformation is gonna take place

and extreme makeover. You think about little worm, a little caterpillar. It starts off as one of the most unattractive, unsightly insects, very bland, nothing special about it. But just because it starts there,

doesn't mean it's gonna stay there. God has predestined it to go through a transformation. At one point, it'll form that cocoon, and a metamorphist will start to happen. It's a process.

He begins to change a little by little, and one day he'll start to push out of that cocoon. All of a sudden a leg will come out. Then a wing or break out,

finally his head will come out.

Before long, he's totally free from that cocoon. He can fly wherever he wants to go. Instead of crawling around on the ground, struggling, trying to find food, now he simply flies over to the beautiful flowers.

That butterfly spins most of his time eating the sweet nectar from those flowers. That's the kind of change the scriptures talking about.

It's an extreme makeover. We may not like to admit it,

“but in a way, we all start off as worms.”

Our thinking is not where it should be. Without the proper training, our mind will gravitate toward the negative. We'll think things like, I can't take that promotion.

I'm not qualified.

I'll never be successful.

I come from the wrong family. Our Joel God could never bless me. I've made so many mistakes. I don't deserve it. How many times have I heard people tell me,

Joel, I'm just a weak worm of the dust. You know what I call those kind of thoughts? Those are wormy thoughts. The good news is just because we start there, doesn't mean we're going to finish there.

God has predestined us to go through this transformation. He has preordained us, so to speak, to go from a worm to a butterfly. But here's the key. It's not up to God, it's up to us.

“The only way this transformation is going to take place”

is if we will get our thinking consistently in line with God's word. Some people go around thinking,

I'll never be a good parent.

I'll never get my business off the ground. I'll never lose this weight, Joel. No, those thoughts are going to keep you in your cocoon. You have to realize there is a great parent in you right now, just waiting to be released.

There is a successful, prosperous person already in you just waiting to come out. There is a healthy, whole manor woman on the inside just waiting to go through that transformation. If you're going to see your metamorphic take place,

you have to be convinced that in me right now is a great dad. In me right now is a great mom. You may be struggling with an addiction, but you've got to know in me right now is a person that's totally free. It's just a matter of time before they come out.

You're in the cocoon, but because you're in faith, because your thoughts are going in the right direction, your transformation is in process. When those negative thoughts come,

“telling you that you're never going to get better,”

you're never going to change.

You just need to remind yourself, I'm being transformed right now. My metamorphic is already underway. God is in the process of changing me. That's how you get the butterfly out.

Not by dwelling on your weaknesses, your mistakes, your disappointments, no dwell on the fact that you are forgiven. You are redeemed, you are valuable. When you dwell on that, you are one step closer

to coming out of that cocoon. Some of you have been in your cocoon year after year. God is so ready to take you to a new level. He is so ready to release a new wave of his faith. You need to rise up and say,

"It is my time to be transformed." I've been in this cocoon too long. I am done dwelling on the mistakes I've made and the negative things people have said. And all my disappointments,

I'm going to put on a new recording. I am who God says I am. I am redeemed. I am forgiven. I am accepted.

I am approved. I am talented. I am creative. I am equipped. I am empowered. When you do that, you better watch out.

I can see a wing starting to break out. I can see one of your legs. Push in that cocoon back. You keep that up and before long, you'll be transformed into that beautiful butterfly.

Let me tell you, I don't believe I'm looking at any worms. I can see you value. I can see your potential. I know you've been created in the image of Almighty God.

I know you have seeds of greatness on the inside. Every one of you is in the process of changing. My prayer today is, I'm going to push you further along. I'm going to convince you to shake off inferiority.

Shake off rejection. Shake off disappointments. Shake off every negative things. Focus over you. This is a new day.

You're extreme makeover. I believe has begun. I heard a story about this older gentleman. He lived in a little hut on an island in the South Pacific. He was a sculptor.

He's been his whole life working with wood and carving different items. He was very talented at what he did. One day he was walking by this beautiful plantation. There was this picturesque white home,

acre after acre of green grass, beautiful palm trees. The wealthiest man on the island lived there. As he passed by, he noticed these tree trunks

He asked the plantation owner what he was going to do

with those discarded tree trunks. The man said, "That's just trash. That's junk. We're going to have them hauled away."

“He said, "Well, would you mind if I had one of them?”

Would you give me one?" The man looked at him kind of strangely. He said, "Well, if you want an old piece of dead, beat up wood, you're welcome to take it." That sculptor put it on his back and took it to his little village hut

and he stood it up on the inside. He began to walk around and around it. Very carefully, study in it, analyzing it. He looked at that piece of wood as if he was trying to freeze something that had been trapped on the inside.

After a couple of hours of contemplating it, he finally got it and began to work. He started carving and carving day after day, whittling away with exact precision. After several weeks, he had carved the most beautiful eagle

that you could ever imagine. It was majestic looking. He had its wings outstretched. His head up, his claws back, soaring through the air.

The detail on it was incredible.

“He put it out on his front porch of that little village hut.”

A few months later, the plantation owner came walking by. He saw the eagle and he was so impressed. He came up to it and began to study it and just was amazed at the detail and marvel at how beautiful it was. After a few minutes, he said to the sculptor,

"Where did you get this? It's beautiful, I would like to buy it from you." The sculptor just smiled and said, "No, sir, it's not for sale." He was insistent. He went on and on.

He said, "Name your price. I really want to buy it." He finally agreed to sell it to him for $500. The man paid him and he picked it up. He was walking out so proudly.

He got a little ways down the road. The sculptor said to him, "Sir, I don't know if you realize it. But you just paid me $500 for that piece of junk wood that you gave me a few months ago." That man kind of shook his head.

The next day, the sculptor was walking by the plantation. He saw a sign on the wood pile. It said, "Tree Trunks for sale, $500 each." At least he learned his lesson. But what's my point?

That old sculptor was able to see something in the discarded piece of wood that other people couldn't see. The plantation owner saw it as trash, as junk, as of no value. But the sculptor was able to look beyond the surface, beyond the flaws, and he saw its potential.

He saw what it could become. That's the way God is. Your creator can see things in you that other people cannot see. Sometimes people try to push us down, try to make us feel inferior. Sometimes our own thoughts will try to convince us

that we just don't measure up.

But God has the incredible ability to look past the outside,

beyond our mistakes, beyond what people have said, and God sees your value. He sees your potential. You may think, man, Joel, I've blown it. I've made so many mistakes.

I'm sure I'm washed up. No God can still see the ego in the wood. He doesn't just see what you are. God sees what you can become. You may kind of feel like that old worm,

but God still sees the butterfly. You don't know what you have in you. You don't know what you're capable of. You may feel like that you've already reached your limits. But when God looks at you, he sees new levels.

You may feel like you've blown your chances, but God sees new opportunities. People may have tried to push you down, but God sees you lifted up. He sees you soaring.

He sees that ego being released. I'm asking you today to get rid of any inferiority, any condemnation, any negative words that have been spoken over you and begin to renew your mind. Start believing that you are forgiven,

that you are valuable, that you are redeemed, believe that your ego is going to be released. I think about Jacob in the Scripture. He didn't have a lot of character. He was a cheater.

He was dishonest. He even tricked his own brother out of his birthright. He would be someone we would compare to that discarded piece of wood. Surely God wouldn't use him. Surely God would find somebody more perfect.

Somebody with less flaws. No God doesn't judge people the way we judge them. God is full of mercy. He sees things in people that we can't see.

“Somehow, I believe Jacob had the attitude.”

This is not who I really am. I'm not a cheater.

Yes, I've got some flaws. Yes, I've made some mistakes, but I know I'm better than this. I know there's an ego on the inside just waiting to be released. I believe deep down, Jacob knew the butterfly was coming.

No doubt, he felt like that discarded piece of wood, but he knew God wasn't finished with him. You may feel like, "How could God less me, Joe? How could God forgive me?"

“You have to realize God can see the ego in the wood.”

He sees the butterfly in the worm. God sees a champion in every failure. That's just the way God is. But the way this transformation takes place is for you to believe that you're forgiven.

Believe that there's mercy for every mistake. Believe that you are, who God says you are, valuable, forgiven, redeemed, a person of divine destiny. In the Old Testament, there was a time when an army came in and attacked the city of Jerusalem.

Kidnapped many of the people and killed their king.

Now for the first time, the people of Israel were without a leader.

They were down and discouraged, didn't know what to do. And as they sat there feeling helpless in self-pity, the prophet Michael rose up and begin to speak faith into the people. He said, "Why are you crying? Why are you discouraged?

Is there not a king in you?" I believe God is saying that to each one of us. There is a king on the inside of you. You may have failed a thousand times, but the king is still in you.

You may have been through disappointments, maybe you missed some good opportunities, but let these words sink deep down into your spirit. The king is still on the inside. People may have tried to push it down,

tried to make you feel inferior, but realize what they said about you doesn't change what God put in you.

God always has the final say,

and he said, "He put a king in you. He put a queen in you." You need to put your shoulders back. Hold your head up high. You have royal blood flowing through your veins.

You are wearing a crown of favor. You have on a robe of righteousness. You've been armed with strength for every battle. You are surrounded by God's favor. You have a treasure on the inside.

You are set apart as God's special children.

“I believe today, I'm not looking at average people.”

I'm not looking at anyone ordinary, anyone mediocre. When I look at it to you, I know I'm looking at royalty. I see kings. I see queens. I can see your crown of favor.

I see children of the most high-gall. You've got to start calling out the king. Start calling out the queen. Don't you dare sit there and say, "Well, this isn't for me today.

Man, Joel, I fail so many times. I'm sure I'm all washed up. No, that didn't change what God put on the inside." You couldn't be any worse than Jacob. He failed again and again.

One thing I love about God is he never gives up on us.

God kept working with Jacob, making him, molding him. One day God said, "Jacob, I'm going to change your name. His name literally meant deceiver."

“God said, "I don't want you to be called that anymore.”

You've gone from a worm to a butterfly. From a discarded piece of wood to an eagle, your new name is going to be Israel." Israel means Prince with God. He went from being called a cheater to being called a king.

Now when people came up to him, instead of saying, "Hey, Jacob, hey, cheater." They would say, "Hey, Israel. Hey, King. Hey, Prince with God." You can imagine what that did to his self-esteem.

No doubt, he started thinking, "I'm not a deceiver. I'm not a manipulator. That's not who I am. I'm a king.

I'm a prince. I've been chosen by Almighty God. I've got a destiny to fulfill. People to help, goals to reach, dreams to realize. He began to renew his mind.

And just like God promised, a transformation took place. In some of you today, the only thing that's holding you back is your own thoughts towards yourself.

You're focused on the times you've blown it, on your mistakes, on how you didn't measure up, you need to reprogram your thinking. Get rid of those wormy thoughts

and start thinking like a champion. Have the attitude I am, who God says I am.

I am valuable. I am royalty. You've got to call out the king, call out the queen. Think about Jacob.

In the natural,

“it didn't look like there was a king in him.”

He seemed to be as ordinary as could be. You may feel that same way. Average ordinary. But every morning when you get up, you need to remind yourself,

just speak it by faith. I am royalty. I have the seed of Almighty God. There is something special about me. And when those thoughts come saying,

you're never going to be a good parent.

You're never going to break that addiction. Instead of dwelling on it, just turn it around and say no, this is where I am, but this is not where I'm staying. I know there's a king in me.

I'm coming up higher. I'm growing. I'm changing. If you will call out the king. Call out the queen.

That you're faith at work. And you'll see God bring things out of you that you didn't even know or in you.

“And I believe today is going to be the start”

of some transformations, some metamorphosis, strong holes of insecurity, and inferiority are being broken right now. You're going to feel a new sense of your value.

You're going to have a new boldness, a new courage to step out and do what God has put in your heart. You're going to see supernatural doors begin to open. God is going to bring talent out of you

that you didn't even know was on the inside. Some of you right now. You've got one wing out of that cocoon, but it's time to stretch and get the other wing out. It's time to let go of every mistake.

Let go of disappointments. Let go of rejection. When you do that, you will feel a new enthusiasm. A new victory that heavy load will be lifted off of you. Instead of dragging through the day,

kind of like that worm, you'll be transformed into that beautiful butterfly. You might as well get your wings out. Get ready to sore, get ready for more favor, get ready for God to restore what's been stolen,

get ready to accomplish every dream. When you renew your mind, God promises a transformation is going to take place. That simply means the king's going to come out. The queen's going to come out.

You're going to live that life of victory. God has his story, man. Do you receive it today?

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If you've never been to Lakewood,

we have a great opportunity to come. We call it homecoming weekend. We'd love to meet you and your family. You can see the building, a tin one of the services. It's a great time to be a part of the Lakewood family.

Looking forward to seeing you at homecoming weekend.