Make Room for More | Joel Osteen

God bless you. It's great to be with you today. And I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media, and you can come visit us in person. We'd love to have you be a part of one of our services. Now, I'd like to start with something funny. And I heard about this elderly woman. She was at the store and accidentally locked her keys in the car. And she had a coat hanger and she was trying and trying, but she couldn't get it open. So she prayed and asked God to help her. About that time, this guy pulls up on a motorcycle, very rough looking, dressed in leather and tattoos, a skull cap. Fifteen seconds later, he had the car open. She hugged him and said, Lord, thank you for sending me such a nice man. He said, lady, I'm not a nice man. I just got out of prison for theft. She hugged him and said, Lord, thank you. You even sent me a professional. All right, y'all 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. I'll boldly confess my mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same in Jesus name. God bless you. I want to talk to you today about make room for more. It's easy to get stuck in life and think we've reached our limits and this is as happy as I'll ever be and as much as I'll ever have. I've gone as far as my background allows, but God didn't create us to reach one level and get stuck. The psalmist said, open your mouth wide and God will fill it. The key is you have to make room for God to increase you. In your thinking, you have to enlarge your vision, raise your level of expectancy. Don't go into a new year with an old mindset. And yes, it's good to be content. It's important to be grateful, but you shouldn't be satisfied. There needs to be something you're believing for that you can't accomplish on your own, that stretches your faith, where you get up in the morning thanking God that He's opening new doors and causing you to excel with more talent, more creativity, more influence. The scripture talks about how God has blessings stored up for the righteous. There are blessings that have your name on them. They already belong to you, but they're in storage. There's healing with your name on it. There's abundance, a paid-off house. There's promotion, a book, a big business. There's a spouse, a baby. How do you get it out of storage? Number one, you keep God first place. You honor Him. And number two, you have to make room for it. Is there any capacity in your thinking for God to do greater things?

Not ordinary, not what the circumstances tell you, but something uncommon, to live debt-free, to break the addiction, to see your children back on course, to run your own business. If you'll open your mouth wide, God will fill it. He has unlimited resources. The supply is never the problem, it's our capacity to receive. If you think you'll barely get by and, I don't know, Joel, this problem's big and I'm not that talented and I never get any good breaks, your mouth is too small. Your vision is limiting your life. Make some room. God, I believe you have greater things in store. I know your face is shining on me, that I live under the open windows of heaven. I believe it's going to be a blessed, favor-filled year. That's creating space. That's giving God room to show out in your life. If you've been dealing with an illness a long time, it's easy to accept it, think that's the way it's always going to be. No, you need to make room for health. God is still in the healing business. He's called Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our healer. It may have been that way for years, but this is your year to get well, to see a divine turnaround. If you're struggling in your finances, don't get stuck in a rut. I'll never have enough. I'm at a disadvantage. Nobody in my family can get ahead. God has ways to bless you that you can't see right now. He brought a coin out of a fish's mouth to pay taxes for Peter. He sent quail into the desert to feed two million people. He gave us the funds to buy the compact center. He has supernatural provision. Is there any room in your thinking? Are you believing for greater things, expecting God's favor? Or have you let doubt discourage you? delays, take up all the space in your mind. Jesus could not do any miracles in his hometown because of their unbelief. There was no room. They thought, we know this man, Jesus. We grew up with him. He's nothing special. He can't do miracles. Their limited mindset limited their life. Don't let that be you. A while back, I ordered some exercise equipment. I'd been using the same bench and workout machine at home for almost 30 years. This company was scheduled to come and put down a new rubber floor. They were backed up and weren't going to be there for a month. All my equipment was coming the next week. It's a bunch of boxes and crates that you had to assemble. I was planning on storing it in the garage where Jonathan used to park when he lived at home. The problem was over the last five years, that garage has been turned into a storage room with all kinds of old stuff. Old landscape lights from a couple trees that blew down in a storm. Old parts of an AC unit

and bikes that had flat tires. We hadn't ridden in 20 years. I was keeping just in case we needed them. There was an old ladder, rickety, top rung, broken off, not safe. Always planning to give it to Paul, but I kept putting it off. I finally came to the point, if I'm going to receive this new equipment that I really want, I'm going to have to make room for it. I got to clean out all this junk that's taken up the valuable space. Well, it's the same principle in our mind. Sometimes we're holding on to things we don't need, and it's taking up space for the new things God has in store. There's no capacity for increase. Maybe we're holding on to doubt. Well, it's not going to happen for me, Joel. I'm not that talented. I've had a lot of bad breaks. Do yourself a favor. Clean out the doubt. That's taking up space for good breaks, for open doors, for promotion. Some people are holding on to unforgiveness, thinking about how they hurt me and they did me wrong. I'm a victim. All that negativity is keeping you from the restoration, the new beginnings, the beauty for ashes. It's not that God doesn't want to, but there's no room. Pay attention to what's taking space in your mind. Maybe we're letting insecurity, inferiority take up all this room. I'm not attractive. I don't have a good personality. I'm too short. I'm not as smart as my cousins. You need to get that junk out of your garage. God says you're a masterpiece, that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, that you have royal blood flow into your veins, that he's crowned you with his favor. As long as you keep the insecurity, feeling not valuable, there's no room for the confidence, the favor that God has for you. He needs capacity to show you his goodness. What's occupying your space? Doubt? Worry? Can't do it? Not enough? Problem too big? It's time for a cleaning. I met this couple after the service. They had both been raised in very low-income families. All they saw growing up was not enough, struggle, trying to survive. What we've seen modeled and how we were raised often becomes normal to us. It's what we expect. We don't realize it's a limited mindset. It's keeping us from rising higher. And that's why it's so important to go back to God's Word and find out who you really are. Life will try to define you. People, circumstances will put labels on you, try to convince you to take on that identity, who they say you are, average, undisciplined, angry, inferior, unattractive. If you don't know better, those lies will take up all the valuable space in your mind. There's no room for God to work. That's why we make that declaration every service, I am who God says I am.

I am blessed, prosperous, forgiven, talented, well-able. That's clearing out the negative. Well, this couple was told by their parents that they would always struggle like they had and never have enough. That's just who they are. The grandparents of the woman said, all you'll have in life is beans and rice, but that's good enough. They meant well. They were saying, don't expect too much. We made it on beans and rice and you can too. But can I tell you, beans and rice is not your destiny. That may have been what you seen, but that's not who you are. You're a barrier breaker. You're a new generation. You know more so you can do more. You believe bigger so you. You can live bigger. God said in Hosea, my people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. If you think beans and rice is your destiny, then you'll live lacking, struggling, hoping to get by. But when you realize God created you in his own image, he said you would reign in life as a king, that you are the head and not the tail, that you will lend and not borrow, that whatever you touch will prosper and succeed. That's not being arrogant. That's not being greedy. That's believing you are who God says you are. Well, this couple started watching us on television and their thinking began to change. That didn't set well with them that they would always struggle and never have enough. They started believing that they were children of the most high, that although they may be limited, he is unlimited, that he can open doors no person can shut, that he makes rivers in the desert.

Now, instead of all the doubt and negativity they had been programmed with, there was faith, expectancy. Instead of talking to feet, they started declaring God's promises over their life. What were they doing? Creating capacity to receive. If you'll open your mouth wide, God will fill it. Well, this couple took a step of faith and on very normal incomes, they started building a house. Men was in construction. Whenever they had extra funds, they would hire contractors and buy more supplies, just little by little. Well, a couple of years later, he said, Joel, we can't explain it, but we moved into this beautiful new house in a great neighborhood, all debt-free. On paper, it didn't make sense, but God knows how to multiply what you have. His favor will cause you to defy the odds. Few years after that, they sold the house for twice what they had built it for. And the wife told me something that I'll never forget. She said, Joel, my grandparents told me all we'd ever have were beans and rice, but I always knew one day we would have steak. If you're gonna see those blessings that are stored up for you, you have to do like her and take the limits off.

Enlarge your vision. Don't let how you were raised, what was passed down, what somebody said, even mistakes you've made, convince you to settle for beans and rice, to live with the illness, to never be free from the depression, to always be lonely. You have to stir your faith up. Nothing wrong with beans and rice, but how about some enchiladas? How about some fajitas? How about some chili con queso? You have to make room for more. And I know we're all grateful for what God has done. We're content in every situation, but that doesn't mean you're supposed to be satisfied. If you quit stretching, believing, expecting, then you are limiting your life. Is there any capacity for God to do something greater? Something other people would never believe could happen? That's what faith is. It's capacity. It's saying, God, I'm open. I know you have greater things in store. There was a lady in the scripture that was a widow. Her husband was a prophet, but he had passed. Now she and her two sons were living together. She was so in debt, the creditors were coming to take her sons as payment. She came to the prophet, Elisha. He's a friend of the family.

She told him the problem. He asked her what she had in her house. She said, nothing at all, except a small jar of oil. Elisha told her to go to her friends and neighbors and borrow as many empty vessels, large pots as she could find. One version says, borrow not a few. She could have thought, Elisha, what good is that gonna do? I need funds. I need provisions. I don't need empty pots. Sometimes God will ask you to do things that don't make sense, but obedience creates capacity. Do what he's asking you to do, even when you don't understand it, even when it's a hard thing. God may ask you to apologize when you know it was the other person's fault. You know they were wrong, but God's asking you to be the bigger person. You can't always see what he's doing, but you can be sure your obedience is making room for a blessing. Forgiving those that hurt you is never easy. Doesn't seem fair, but holding onto the hurt is taking up space for God to pay you back. When you let it go, there's room for him to make it up to you.

God will do it better than you ever could. This widow. Went out knocking on the neighbor's door asking to borrow empty pots. Think about how foolish she looked gonna hear people talking Gossiping did that crazy lady come by your house asking for an empty jaw? What's wrong with her? People may not understand you they may think you're far out. Why do you live a holy life? Why don't you party with us? Don't worry about what people think be concerned about what God thinks he controls the universe Noah looked foolish building an ark a 500-foot boat when it had never rained But his obedience saved his life his obedience made room for God to do something that had never been done After the widow gathered all these pots Elisha told her to pour the little oil that she had into a big jar Imagine a little six-inch jar this two-foot jar again. She could have questioned him. What good is that going to do? Elisha, I need money. I'm not here to play games transfer the oil But God's ways are not our ways. You have to trust when you don't understand be obedient when it doesn't make sense This lady poured the little bit of oil and it kept pouring and pouring it filled up the whole pot That didn't make sense. But when you do what doesn't make sense God will do what doesn't make sense She was standing there in amazement she kept pouring the oil until all the vessels were full She went out sold the oil paid off her debts had plenty to live on But here's what's interesting the oil never ran out until she filled all the vessels Let's say she borrowed 20 empty pots The oil filled all 20 if she had borrowed 30 pots The oil would have filled all 30 if she had borrowed three pots It would just fill three with God. The problem is never supply its capacity How many vessels are you gathering? What are you expecting this year? What are you believing for Joel if I can just make it through this year? I'll be happy if my child just doesn't get in trouble if I can just survive this depression that I'm dealing with Jesus told a blind man According to your faith, it will be done unto you. It wasn't God's faith. It's our faith It's how many vessels we have do yourself a favor get some more empty pots stretch

Believe expect that's how you create capacity See some people gather a couple vessels that'll help them survive other people. They'll get a dozen they'll make it Okay But there's another group that pray bold prayers and they expect over and above favor They are obedient in the hard things. They've been coming to Lakewood. They gather vessel after vessel after vessel They have capacity for healing for greater resources more influence more creativity more generosity Many of you have been doing this your mouth is open wide get ready God is about to fill it something big is coming that you can't explain You didn't have the resources the training, but suddenly the door opened for you Maybe the medical report said you'd have to live with that sickness But a turnaround is coming God is going to do what medicine couldn't do Perhaps you thought that breakup stopped your destiny that you had seen your best days But God is about to surprise you Someone better than you ever imagined you didn't have to go after them. They came after you Now keep believing keep making room for more. You're going to step in to increase favor that catapult you ahead This is what my father had to do He was raised very poor and he had to drop out of high school to help on the family farm just to survive All the circumstances said he would live a defeated Struggling get by life. That's all he had seen but it's 17 He gave his life to Christ the first one in the family Something rose up in him is the spirit of the Living God saying you were made for more This defeat is not your destiny Like my father you may have gotten off to a rough start But how you start is not how you're going to end you're the one to set a new standard Daddy's parents told him that all he knew how to do was work in the farm that he better not leave that place He'd get out there and fail, but sometimes to make room you have to get out of a limited environment You have to break away from people that are telling you what you can't do How you're not going to make it and you don't have what it takes God told Abraham leave your country leave your family and go to the land that I will show you Wait

Abraham didn't have all the answers. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew he couldn't see the favor and blessing staying where he was. The people in his city worshipped idols, the sun, the moon. Had he stayed there, it would have limited his life. To make room for more, you may have to make changes with who you hang around, where you go. Get out of places that are causing you to compromise, that are polluting your thinking. That's taking up space for the promised land that God has taken you to. My father left the farm at 17. He didn't have a car. He had to hitchhike, but he left with a new mindset. He told me, Joel, I made up my mind at 17 that my children would never be raised in the poverty and defeat that I was raised in. He emptied out all the lack, not enough, and made room for increase, for God to open new doors, to break barriers of the past. When I was a little boy sitting in the feed store, that was the first building that Lakewood had, seated 90 people. Daddy would get up and say to the congregation, look out over there, can you see that new auditorium seating a thousand people? There was nothing there but an empty field. But week after week, my father, I can see that new auditorium, he was making room for it. He built that one and many more. Sixty-five years old, Daddy was in the hospital about to have emergency open heart surgery, very critical time. All the family was in the room praying, believing. He asked me to run home and get his running shoes and put them by the bed. I thought, I don't know, Daddy, you're not going to be needing these shoes for a long time. This surgery is a big deal. But he wanted those shoes there to show that he was planning to get well, that he would be running again, healthy and whole. He was making room, saying this is not the end. Healing is coming. Restoration is coming. I will run and not be weary. He came out of that surgery, lived many more years, healthy and whole, traveling the world. What's taking up space in your thinking? Is there any room for God to do something bigger, to heal you, to free you, to bring the right person, to use you in a greater way? God is looking for capacity. He's looking for people who are stretching, who are believing for bigger things. When Jesus was about to be born, there was a cincision. Everyone had to travel back to their hometown. Joseph and Mary traveled by donkey 80 miles to Bethlehem. It was late at night. They were tired. Mary was nine months pregnant. Joseph saw this inn, a place to stay. He knocked on the door and told the innkeeper, hey, my wife's pregnant. We traveled

a long way. We need a room. She's about to have a baby. The innkeeper said, I'm sorry, there's no room. We're full. He turned and started to walk away. I could hear Joseph saying, hey, wait a minute, sir. You got to understand, this is no ordinary child. This is something special. The hand of God is on our baby. The innkeeper says, yeah, all right. I told you, we don't have any room. Shut the door, went away. Imagine 30 years later, that innkeeper begins to hear about this man named Jesus and how he's healing the sick and opening blind eyes, feeding the multitude, all this news about his miracles and his influence. Suddenly the innkeeper has a flashback. He sees Mary and Joseph and realizes that's the young couple that came to the inn that night. He's the man that was asking me for a place to stay. Had I known this baby was going to change the world, had I known what God was offering me, I would have made room. I would have moved things around. I would have let them stay in my own quarters if I'd known I could be a part of history. The truth is, the innkeeper, he wasn't a bad person. He wasn't being mean. He was just full. He was busy. He was practical. This is the way it always works. We can't make an adjustment. We don't have any room. Most people are not bad people. They're just full. Life is busy. They're distracted. They've got sports on Sunday. They're too tired to get up in the morning and thank God for his goodness. They don't recognize who's knocking. Now I wonder if we're missing blessings because there's no room in our inn. We're not seeing the favor, the destiny moments, because our inn is full. The doubt, the hurts, things people have said, how we were raised, when destiny comes knocking. Sorry, I can't do that. I'm not that qualified. I got these friends I want to hang around with. No, make room in your end. God is about to come knocking with something unusual, something far and beyond, but it may look ordinary. It may seem common. Just another couple needing a place to stay. Don't miss your destiny moments. God wants to use you to make a greater impact, to be an example of his goodness, but you have to do your part. Empty out all the things that are cluttering your mind and cluttering your life. The people, the distractions, social media, comparisons. That's taking up valuable space. Create some capacity. Go grab some empty vessels. Not a few, but enlarge your vision. Believe for the dreams God whispered in your spirit. You wouldn't be hearing this if God wasn't

about to do something you've never seen. The question is, is there any room in your end? Are you creating any space for victory? If you'll open your mouth wide, I believe and declare God is about to fill it, not with beans and rice, but fajitas, blessings, promotion, breakthroughs, the fullness of your destiny. In Jesus' name, and if you receive it, can you say amen? I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love to send you some free information on your new walk with the Lord. You can text the number on the screen or go to the website, but I hope you'll get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place.