Following the death of his father, John Osteen, in 1999, he took over as pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, despite having completed less than one year of college at Oral Roberts University and never having preached a sermon in his life. Nowhere is the self-esteem gospel more prominent than in the ministry of Joel Osteen. Jesus told us that only one thing was needed, and that was Himself (Luke10:42). What many preach is the gospel of self-esteem, a gospel that puts the emphasis on one’s self and one’s abilities to provide for one’s own needs, instead of on Christ, who supplies all of our needs. The gospel, even then, is not always the good news that through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus has reconciled sinners to a just and holy God. One of the most popular methods of preaching today is to leave out the law entirely and to present only the gospel. For further information or to subscribe to the Christian Research Journal go to: Ĭ.F.W.Walther wrote, in his classic book The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel, “The doctrinal contents of the entire Holy Scriptures…are made up of two doctrines differing fundamentally from each other, viz., the Law and the Gospel….Without the Law the Gospel is not understood without the Gospel the Law benefits us nothing.” 1 This review first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume28, number2(2005).

Your best life now by joel osteen