>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: YES, IT'S GOOD TO BE IN THE HOUSE OF
THE LORD. THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY,
YOU MAY BE SEATED.
I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY WITH A SCRIPTURE THAT PAUL
PRAYED OVER THE PHILIPPIAN CHURCH.
AND I THINK THIS IS A GREAT SCRIPTURE THAT WE SHOULD PRAY
EACH AND EVERY DAY. IT'S FOUND IN PHILIPPIANS 1.
HE PRAYED THIS, HE SAID, "I PRAY THAT YOUR LOVE WOULD
ABOUND IN KNOWLEDGE AND DEPTH OF INSIGHT."
HIS PRAYER TO THE PHILIPPIAN CHURCH WAS THIS.
"I WANT YOU TO AGREE WITH ME, THAT'S WHY I'M SENDING YOU
THIS LETTER, THAT YOUR LOVE WOULD GROW, INCREASE,
MULTIPLY." NOW, LET ME TELL YOU
SOMETHING. HE WASN'T WRITING THIS LETTER
TO THEM BECAUSE HE HAD NOTICED IN HIS VISITS THAT
THEY WEREN'T PEOPLE OF LOVE. HISTORICALLY, THEY WERE
PEOPLE WHO LOVED. BUT HE WAS SAYING TO THEM
THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PRAYER BECAUSE YOUR LOVE HAS
SO MUCH POTENTIAL TO GO SO
MUCH FURTHER AND BUILD SUCH A GREATER FOUNDATION IN YOUR
LIFE. HE WAS SAYING, "AGREE EVERY
DAY WITH ME AS I PRAY FOR YOU THAT YOUR LOVE WILL REACH ITS
FULLEST." YOU SEE, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED
TO PRAY EVERY SINGLE DAY. "GOD, WOULD YOUR LOVE ABOUND
IN ME MORE AND MORE, IN DEPTH, AND INSIGHT, AND
KNOWLEDGE, AND WISDOM?" YOU SEE, WE HAVE TO LEARN TO
LOVE WELL. BECAUSE THE WAY WE LOVE, HOW
WE SHOW OUR LOVE, THE MERCY WE GIVE, THE GRACE WE EXTEND,
YOU SEE, IT'S A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR OWN LIFE.
THE WAY WE LOVE HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR OWN LIFE.
WE NEED TO LEARN TO LOVE WELL.
WE CAN'T JUST PUT OUR LOVE ON AUTOPILOT.
WE CAN'T JUST PUSH IT, YOU KNOW, ON CRUISE CONTROL,
LET'S JUST SAY THAT. 'CAUSE WE ALL HAVE A CRUISE
CONTROL ON OUR CAR. WE SET THE SPEED AND GO.
WE CAN'T JUST SET THE SPEED AND ALLOW IT TO STAY THE SAME
ALL THE TIME, IN EVERY SITUATION.
WE HAVE GOT TO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR LOVE HAS TO MATURE.
IT HAS TO DEVELOP, AND IT HAS TO GROW.
AND IN ORDER FOR IT TO DO THAT, WE HAVE TO MAKE A
COMMITMENT TO LOVE. BECAUSE IT'S ALL ABOUT
COMMITMENT, FOCUS, AND DETERMINATION.
I MEAN, WHY DO YOU PRAY? YOU PRAY BECAUSE YOU WANT
SOMETHING TO CHANGE. YOU'RE COMMITTED TO IT.
YOU PRAY BECAUSE YOU KNOW GOD HAS YOUR ANSWER, AND THAT IF
YOU'LL GIVE IT TO HIM, HE'LL HELP YOU.
SO, WE CAN'T JUST SET OUR LOVE ONCE AND KEEP IT SET AT
THAT SAME SPEED. YOU KNOW, I HEARD THIS
WOMAN--I HEARD A STORY ABOUT THIS WOMAN WHO WAS TALKING TO
HER HUSBAND. AND SHE SAID TO HIM, "HONEY,
DO YOU REALLY LOVE ME?"
AND HE LOOKED AT HER SO STRANGELY, AND HE SAID, "WHY
WOULD YOU ASK ME THAT QUESTION?"
HE SAID, "I TOLD YOU 25 YEARS AGO WHEN I MARRIED YOU THAT I
LOVED YOU, AND IF IT CHANGES, I'LL LET YOU KNOW."
YOU SEE, THAT MAN HAD ONE SPEED.
HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT LOVE GROWS.
YOU SEE, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE, AS PEOPLE, WE
EVOLVE, WE GROW, WE CHANGE. OUR SITUATIONS CHANGE, THINGS
IN OUR LIFE CHANGE. SO, WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO
ADAPT OUR LOVE TO THAT CHANGE.
WE CANNOT JUST LET IT STAY THE SAME.
I THINK ABOUT MY CHILDREN, WHEN THEY WERE SMALL.
I'D SCOOP THEM UP ANYTIME I WANTED TO.
THEY COULD BE WALKING ACROSS THE FLOOR, AND I WANT TO GRAB
THEM AND SHOW THEM MY LOVE, I JUST SCOOP THEM RIGHT UP,
TICKLE THEIR LITTLE BELLIES. YOU KNOW, JUST CUDDLE WITH
THEM, POKE LITTLE FOOD IN THEIR MOUTH, YOU KNOW, ALL
THOSE THINGS YOU DO TO BABIES AND THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING
ABOUT IT. IT'S SO FUN, AND YOU'RE
SHOWING YOUR AFFECTION, YOU'RE SHOWING YOUR LOVE, AND
YOU'RE SHOWING YOUR JOY. BUT NOW, MY CHILDREN ARE
GROWN. I CAN'T CUDDLE THEM, POKE
FOOD IN THEIR MOUTH, TICKLE THEIR BELLIES.
NO, THEY'RE ADULTS. I HAVE TO UNDERSTAND MY LOVE
HAS TO ADAPT AND GROW TO WHO THEY ARE.
IF I WANT TO GROW WITH THEM, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE
SOME CHANGES. YES, I WISH THEY'D STAY
BABIES FOREVER. YES, I WISH I COULD SHOW THEM
THE SAME LOVE. I WOULD LOVE TO SAY JUST PUT
THAT ON CRUISE CONTROL AND LET IT HAPPEN, BUT LIFE
CHANGES. WE CHANGE, WE EVOLVE,
AND OUR LOVE MUST BE WILLING TO EVOLVE.
I STUDY MY CHILDREN NOW. I LET THEM HAVE AN OPINION.
I ADAPT TO THEIR ABILITIES. I TRY TO FIND WAYS TO
COMMUNICATE WITH THEM IN A BETTER WAY, A WAY THAT'LL
ENRICH OUR LIVES AND OUR RELATIONSHIP.
I WANT INSIGHT TO WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT I CAN DO TO
SERVE THEM WELL WITH MY LOVE.
YOU SEE, YOU ADAPT. LOVE IS SMART.
THAT'S WHAT PAUL WAS SAYING. HE SAID, "I PRAY THAT YOUR
LOVE WOULD GROW AND ABOUND IN KNOWLEDGE AND DEPTH OF
INSIGHT." YOUR LOVE SHOULD HAVE WISDOM.
YOUR LOVE SHOULD SEE BEYOND THE SUPERFICIAL.
IT SHOULD SEE BEYOND WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
OUR LOVE SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED TO THE LOVE WE'RE
RECEIVING. WE CAN'T JUST SET A STANDARD,
"IF YOU GIVE ME LOVE, I'LL GIVE YOU LOVE."
THAT'S NOT BUILDING THAT FOUNDATION THAT GOD WANTS TO
BUILD IN US. CAN I TELL YOU WHEN WE DECIDE
WE'RE GOING TO BE THE PERSON THAT COMES UP HIGHER, WE'RE
GOING TO BE THE PERSON THAT LOVES IN SPITE OF HOW SOMEONE
IS SHOWING US LOVE, IT DOES SOMETHING TO THE INSIDE OF
YOU. IT STRENGTHENS YOUR RESOLVE.
IT CAUSES YOU TO BE ABLE TO BE BETTER.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? HOW MANY OF YOU WANT TO GET
BETTER IN HERE? I KNOW I DO.
I LONG TO GET BETTER. WE GOT TO BE SMART WITH OUR
LOVE. WE CAN'T BE RECKLESS AND
CARELESS. CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING?
LOVE DOESN'T WAIT FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN.
LOVE DOESN'T JUST HANG AROUND WAITING.
LOVE MAKES STUFF HAPPEN. LOVE BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS.
LOVE SERVES, LOVE GIVES.
LOVE JUST DOESN'T GIVE WHAT IT WANTS TO GIVE.
LOVE IS WILLING TO LOOK INTO A SITUATION AND GIVE WHAT THE
SITUATION IS IN NEED OF. LOVE IS SMART.
I WANT THAT. I WANT TO GET UP EVERY
MORNING AND AGREE WITH PAUL. PAUL, I'M AGREEING WITH THAT
PRAYER. ANYTIME YOU SEE A PRAYER IN
THE BIBLE LIKE PAUL SAID, HE SAID, "I'M WRITING TO YOU
BECAUSE I AM PRAYING THIS FOR YOU," BASICALLY FIND THOSE
THINGS IN THE BIBLE, GET IN CONTACT WITH THEM, GET IN
AGREEMENT WITH THEM. PRAY THEM OVER YOURSELF.
THEY HAVE SO MUCH TRUTH. THE WAY WE SHOW LOVE IS GOING
TO IMPACT OUR LIFE. IT'S 30 YEARS JOEL AND I HAVE
BEEN STUDYING EACH OTHER AND ADAPTING TO ONE ANOTHER.
WE MADE LOVE HAPPEN. WE HAVEN'T WAITED FOR IT TO
HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, LOVE, IT'S A
FEELING, BUT LOVE IS ALSO AN ACTION.
THAT FEELING CAN EITHER GROW, OR THAT FEELING CAN FIZZLE
OUT. I WANT MY LOVE TO GROW AND TO
ABOUND. I WANT IT TO PRODUCE BECAUSE
THAT'S WHAT LOVE DOES. THAT'S WHAT GOD LOVE DOES.
IT PRODUCES GOOD FRUIT IN YOUR LIFE.
CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING? YOU WILL EAT OF THE FRUIT
THAT YOU PRODUCE. YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO
EAT FRUIT THAT YOU DON'T PRODUCE.
YOU CAN EAT ONLY FROM THE FRUIT THAT YOU PRODUCE.
JUST LIKE YOU CAN'T DRINK OUT OF AN EMPTY GLASS.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF YOU ARE SAYING TO ME, "VICTORIA, I
HAVE LOVED AND LOVED AND LOVED, AND I'M NOT GETTING
LOVE BACK." THEN I HAVE TO TELL YOU
SOMETHING, YOU'RE DRINKING FROM AN EMPTY GLASS, AND
THE REASON I CAN SAY THAT IS, IN REALITY, THE ONLY WAY
THAT WE CAN LOVE IS TO ALLOW THE LOVE OF GOD IN US FIRST.
THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN LOVE.
WE DON'T HAVE THE POTENTIAL IN OUR HUMAN ABILITY ALONE TO
LOVE. WE MAY BE ABLE TO TRY TO
LOVE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO LOVE ON OUR OWN.
IN FACT, JESUS TOLD THE PHARISEES THIS IN MATTHEW 22.
THEY SAID, "JESUS, WHAT'S THE GREATEST COMMAND IN THE LAW
OF MOSES?" AND HE SAID, "THE GREATEST
AND FIRST COMMAND, THE COMMAND THAT YOU SHOULD KEEP
THE MOST, THE ONE THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT, IS THIS: LOVE
THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR
SOUL, AND WITH ALL OF YOUR STRENGTH."
SEE, THEY WANTED TO KEEP THE LAW.
THEY THOUGHT IF THEY COULD KEEP THE LAW, THEY WOULD BE
RIGHT WITH GOD. AND JESUS WAS SAYING THIS.
HE WAS SAYING, "YOU CAN'T KEEP THE LAW BY YOURSELF.
YOU CAN'T DO IT BY YOURSELF. YOU NEED A SAVIOR.
THAT'S WHY I'M HERE, TO KEEP THE CONTINUAL FLOW OF LOVE
COMING." LISTEN, WHEN MY LOVE TANK IS
LOW, I'M TRYING TO DRINK OUT OF AN EMPTY GLASS, THERE IS A
SOURCE OF LOVE THAT NEVER RUNS DRY, AND IT'S THE LORD
JESUS CHRIST. IT'S GOD THE FATHER.
HE IS LOVE, THE BIBLE SAYS. HE IS LOVE.
WHEN YOU COME TO HIM, YOU ARE COMING TO LOVE.
I THINK ABOUT THE WOMAN AT THE WELL.
THERE'S A STORY IN THE BIBLE, AND JESUS MET THIS WOMAN AT
THE WELL, A SAMARITAN WOMAN. AND HE WAS TALKING TO HER.
SHE WAS COMING TO FILL HER JUG UP OF WATER SO SHE WOULD
HAVE SUFFICIENT WATER FOR THE DAY.
AND HE TOLD HER SOMETHING VERY INSIGHTFUL.
HE SAYS, "YOU DRINK WATER THAT WILL GO AWAY.
YOU WILL THIRST AGAIN WITH THE WATER THAT YOU DRINK."
HE WAS SAYING, "WHAT YOU HAVE WILL NOT LAST."
BUT HE SAYS, "IF YOU RECEIVE WHAT I HAVE, I HAVE WATER
THAT'LL CAUSE YOU TO NEVER BE THIRSTY AGAIN.
I HAVE A FLOW OF LIVING WATER, OF LIVING LOVE THAT
WILL FILL YOU UP." THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THIS LOVE
THAT PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT CAN ABOUND.
YOU SEE, IF YOU WANT GOOD RELATIONSHIPS, IF YOU WANT
YOUR LIFE IMPACTED, YOU GOT TO COME TO GOD.
YOU GOT TO LET HIM TRANSFORM YOU.
YOU GOT TO LET THAT FOUNDATION OF LOVE BE BUILT
IN YOU. AND THEN, AS YOU RELEASE THAT
LOVE, THERE WILL BE A FLOW OF LOVE THAT'LL STRENGTHEN YOU,
AND IT'LL CONTINUE. IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE THE
PHARISEES JUST ASKED HIM WHAT
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT WAS. BUT HE WENT AHEAD AND TOLD
THEM WHAT THE SECOND ONE WAS. AND HE SAID, "LET ME TELL YOU
WHAT THE SECOND ONE IS, AND IT'S THE SAME AS THE FIRST,
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."
WHAT HE WAS SAYING, IF YOU GET THE FIRST PART OF THE
EQUATION RIGHT, THE SECOND PART OF THE EQUATION WILL
COME MUCH EASIER. DO YOU WANT TO AGREE WITH ME
AS I AGREE WITH PAUL THAT THIS LOVE OF GOD WOULD JUST
ABOUND, ABOUND, ABOUND? IT WOULDN'T DEPEND ON OUR
OUTER CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT IT WOULD DEPEND ON WHAT'S GOING
ON ON THE INSIDE OF US, THE WELL THAT WE'RE CONNECTED TO,
THE ONE WITH LIVING LOVE. I WANT TO PRAY FOR US RIGHT
NOW. FATHER, I JUST THANK YOU.
JUST AS PAUL PRAYED, WE COME
INTO AGREEMENT WITH THAT PRAYER.
THAT FATHER, OUR LOVE WOULD INCREASE AND ABOUND IN
KNOWLEDGE AND DEPTH OF INSIGHT.
THAT GOD, WE AREN'T SUPERFICIAL IN OUR LOVE, BUT
IT RUNS DEEP. IT HAS ROOTS, IT IS FULL OF
WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE.
IT ADAPTS, AND IT ADJUSTS, AND IT BRINGS US GOOD FRUIT.
FATHER, I THANK YOU THAT EVERY DAY, WE'LL FILL OUR
SPIGOT WITH THE LIVING LOVE, THE LIVING WATER THAT CAUSES
US TO BE ABLE TO ABOUND AND TO RELEASE IT TO THE PEOPLE
AROUND US. FATHER, WE THANK YOU THAT YOU
ARE LOVE, AND THAT YOU LOVE US WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE.
FATHER, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE BELIEVE AS LONG AS
WE'RE CONNECTED TO YOU, WE CAN DO THE IMPOSSIBLE.
LOVE EVEN WHEN LOVE IS NOT BEING SHOWN TO US.
WE CAN BUILD, FATHER, OUR LOVE IN YOU, AND ABOUND IN
EVERY GOOD WORK. IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN AND
AMEN, AMEN.