Supercharged - Joel Osteen

God bless you! It's great to have you with us today. If you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week. We have a daily podcast and our YouTube channel, where you can watch the messages anytime. Follow us on social media—we'll keep you encouraged and inspired. Thanks for tuning in. Thanks again for coming out in person.

I like to start with something funny. I heard about these three sons who left home, went out, and prospered. They got back together to talk about the gifts they'd gotten their elderly mother. The first son said, "I built Mom a big house." The second son said, "I got her a fancy car." The third son said, "Since Mom loves to read the Bible but can barely see, I got her a specially trained parrot that can quote the entire Bible." A few weeks later, they received a letter from their mother. It said, "Milton, the house you built me is way too big. Gerald, the car you got me is way too small. But my dearest Donald, your simple gift is my favorite. The chicken was delicious." (Laughter)

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 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 being supercharged. We all have times when we feel like we've reached our limits. We've done our best, worked hard, stayed in faith, but the dream seems too big, the challenge too strong, the medical report not good. We've come to the end of our ability. If only we had more talent, more stamina, more favor, more creativity—then we could accomplish the dream, then we could defeat the giant.

God knew there would be times like these, when on our own, we can't fulfill our purpose. By ourselves, we're at a disadvantage. The giant is bigger, the opposition is stronger. We don't have the endurance to withstand what we're up against.

David felt this way. As a teenager, when he saw Goliath, his reasoning said, "You don't have a chance. He's twice your size." David had a good heart. He was faithful, but he was limited. He didn't have the size, the strength, or the experience. But David knew a secret. He said in Psalm 103:5, "You have supercharged my life so I can soar like an eagle flying in the sky."

You may feel like you're at a disadvantage—the giants are bigger, you don't have the strength, the talent, or the endurance. God is saying, "Don't worry. I'm about to supercharge your life. I'm about to give you strength that you've never had, ability that you've never seen, favor that will catapult you ahead." God will never let you face a giant that you can't overcome. He'll never put a dream in your heart that you can't accomplish. You may not have the size, the skill, or the experience. That's okay—a supercharge is coming.

When God breathes on your life, you will accomplish things that seem impossible. You'll outlast opposition that should have overwhelmed you. You'll discover talent and ability that you didn't know you had. Instead of thinking, "I can't take this anymore. I'm tired. These obstacles are too big," turn it around: "Father, thank You for supercharging my life."

When David went out to face Goliath, he could have been intimidated, afraid, and wondering what he was going to do. But all of a sudden, he felt strength that he'd never felt before—courage, ability. He picked up that rock and slung it with such force and accuracy that it knocked Goliath to the ground, unconscious. How could that happen? God supercharged his life. God gave him strength, ability, and favor to do what he couldn't do on his own.

The Scripture says, "You can run through a troop and leap over a wall." We can't do that in our own ability. You can't run through hundreds of soldiers trying to stop you. You can't jump over a huge wall surrounding a city. But when God supercharges your life, you'll accomplish what you can't accomplish on your own.

Don't be discouraged because you feel limited, you're facing obstacles that seem bigger, or you're tired from fighting battles. A supercharge is coming.

When I was in high school, I had a maroon Camaro—a really nice sports car. It had been my sister Lisa's and was passed down to me. I was so proud of that car. When you turned it on, it had a rumble—you knew it had power. As a teenager, that made me feel good. This car was fast, it was agile, and you could maneuver it through the turns. I loved driving it.

A good friend of mine had the same car, the same year, in a different color. But his father was a mechanic. In the evenings, he and his dad would work on the car. In those days, we would say they souped it up. They put in a different air compressor that gave it more horsepower. They installed a bigger muffler and a different exhaust system. They put on different shocks so it would handle better.

What's interesting is his car looked just like mine. On the outside, you couldn't tell anything was different. But when he turned his on, his motor was twice as loud. His car was faster, stronger—zero to sixty, much quicker. We never raced, but if we did (Lord, forgive me for lying), his car would beat mine every time. Why? His car was supercharged. Mine was ordinary.

Everything about you may say you're ordinary. You're average. "You can't start the business. You'll never write that book. You'll never overcome that addiction. Everyone in your family struggles." On your own, that may be true. But the good news is your heavenly Father is a master mechanic. He knows how to soup you up. He's about to give you more horsepower. You're going to feel strength, determination, and stamina that you've never felt. There's going to be a new boldness, a greater confidence, and a courage to step out and do things you've never done. You're going to have more creativity, more wisdom, great ideas, and great favor. You're about to go further than you thought. It's going to happen faster than you think.

You don't see how you can get out of debt, the medical report is not good, or you got passed over for the last promotion. You feel stuck. No—get ready! A supercharge is coming. You're going to get well sooner, come out of debt quicker, and accomplish that goal easier. This supercharge is going to empower you and enable you to go where you can't go on your own, to accomplish what seems impossible.

Now, you may be tired, weary from the pandemic, just trying to hang on. God is about to breathe new life into your spirit, new passion into your dreams. He's renewing your youth like the eagles. You will run and not be weary. You will walk and not faint. You're going to think, "Where did I get this strength? How did I accomplish this dream? How did I break the addiction?" It was God doing for you what He did for David—supercharging your life.

Instead of complaining about what you're up against, thinking you've reached your limits, get in agreement with God: "I may look ordinary, but I know a secret. I've been supercharged. Father, thank You for souping me up. Thank You for increasing my horsepower, giving me strength, ability, and favor that I've never seen."

In the Scripture, Nehemiah was working as a cupbearer for the king. He had an ordinary position—one of the staff members at the palace. But God put a dream in his heart to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He was living a thousand miles away. He didn't have the resources, the connections, or the experience. He wasn't a builder—that wasn't his trade. It seemed impossible. But God won't give you a dream and then not give you what you need to accomplish it. You may not have the talent, the strength, or the funds, but God is not finished. He's still working. When He supercharges your life, you'll come into things that you've never had.

Don't judge your future based on what you have right now. There are times in your life when God is going to catapult you ahead. Suddenly, you'll have courage. Suddenly, you'll have favor. Suddenly, the door will open. Nehemiah was normally quiet, reserved, and never made any waves. But all of a sudden, he had this boldness, this confidence, to do something that he had never done. He went to the king and asked him for time off to travel to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. He could have been intimidated, afraid, thinking, "The king might get upset. He might hold this against me." There was no reason for the king to let him off.

 The walls didn't have anything to do with him, but the king said, "Yes, you can go." God has already lined up the right people to say yes to you. What normally would be a no, when it's your time, God will turn it into a yes. Nehemiah not only asked for permission, but he also asked the king for the materials to rebuild the wall. He said, in effect, "I know this is my project, but will you pay for it? Will you give me letters requesting the materials?" That took a lot of nerve, but somehow, he had this new boldness. The king didn't think twice. He said, "Yes, I will."

It should have taken him years to rebuild the walls, but Nehemiah did it in just fifty-two days. How could that happen? God supercharged his life. God gave him strength, ability, and favor that he had never seen. You don't know what God has in store for you. It's easy to discount ourselves and think we're just average, that we'll never do anything great. But when God supes you up, when He gives you more horsepower, more stamina, more vision—when He makes you stronger and bolder—doors are going to open that you couldn't open. People are going to go out of their way to help you, and you're going to accomplish more in less time.

A friend of mine worked for a landscaping company. For fifteen years, he was the owner's right-hand man. The company had grown to over a hundred employees. My friend comes from a low-income family. He was raised very poor. They had always struggled and barely got by. That was his mindset. He never thought he would have enough to own his own home or send his children to college. But a couple of years ago, the owner was going to retire. He told my friend he wanted him to have the company.

My friend couldn't believe it. He said, "I don't have those kinds of funds." The owner said, "I don't want you to buy it; I'm going to give it to you." Today, my friend has his own company, and it's almost doubled in two years. He said, "I never dreamed I could be this blessed." He thought he was limited. All the circumstances said he was stuck, that he was at a disadvantage. Then God stepped in and supercharged his life. One good break, one phone call, one person saying yes, and you'll be catapulted to a new level.

Like with him, God is about to do something unusual in your life. You think you're stuck. You've accepted that where you are is good enough. But God is about to show out. He's about to have opportunity come looking for you. The right people are going to track you down. Where there were no's in the past, there's about to be a yes. Doors that were closed are about to open. You're going to feel a lifting, a refreshing, a reenergizing. God said, "He's going to supercharge your life so you can soar like the eagles."

You weren't created to always struggle, strive to make it, or feel burdened down and overwhelmed. Yes, we all go through seasons of struggle, but that is not your destiny. Get ready to soar. What's held you down is being broken—poverty, addictions, sicknesses, trouble at work. God is breathing on your life in a new way. You're going to feel wind underneath your wings, lifting you. You didn't have to make it happen; it's the hand of God causing you to soar. There's going to be strength that you can't explain, fresh energy, fresh vision, and favor that you didn't see coming.

A pastor I know needed a larger sanctuary. For years, he had been looking for property, trying to find something that would work, but door after door kept closing. He started to get discouraged and think that it wasn't meant to be. When we've had disappointments, delays, or prayed and believed but our health hasn't improved, our child hasn't turned around, or we haven't met the right person, we can get weary, start to lose our passion, and lose our joy.

God sees what's happened. He sees what hasn't worked out, who did you wrong, and how long it's been. When David wrote this passage, he had been through great battles. He said, "Enemies have come against me with no cause; my friends and my family have turned on me." He knew what it was like to feel forgotten, to feel like he'd reached his limits. He could have easily settled there. But in the midst of all the turmoil and questions, feeling tired and weary, he declared by faith: God will supercharge your life so you can soar.

You may be where David was. Things have come against you—your health, your finances, your children. You're tired of fighting. It seems like you're stuck. God is saying to you what He said to David: He's about to supercharge your life. He's about to do something out of the ordinary. He's not going to let you stay stuck. One version of this passage says, "He fills your life with good things." Something good is coming—something unexpected. The reason it's taking longer is because it's going to be better than you think. It's going to be more rewarding. When you see what God is up to, it's going to breathe new life into your spirit—new passion for what's in front of you. You're going to feel supercharged—stronger, more passionate, with greater vision.

My pastor friend kept doing his best, but no doors were opening. Right when he thought it was never going to work out, the mayor of his city called. There was a group that built a large casino, a huge building, but they had gone bankrupt. He asked if the pastor wanted to purchase it. My friend thought it would be thirty or forty million dollars—they didn't have those funds. He told the mayor yes, but he didn't think he could afford it. The mayor said, "It's not going to be forty million. That's what it's worth, but we'll sell it to you for two million dollars."

When God says supercharge, that means something out of the ordinary. Get ready for explosive blessings—blessings that catapult you ahead. Supercharge means you're going to have more horsepower, more influence, and more resources. You have not seen your best days. You have not accomplished your biggest dreams. You have not run your best race. You've done well—God's been good to you—but God doesn't take you to one level and say, "That's good enough; just settle there." He's about to supercharge your life. He's going to give you a greater anointing, greater talent, and greater opportunities.

Like my pastor friend, you're going to see favor that you've never seen before, people showing up to push you forward. It's not going to happen by your might or by your power; it's by the Spirit of the living God. He's about to supe you up, make things happen that you couldn't make happen, and bring things out of you that you didn't know were in you. Supercharge means a new level of strength, a new level of stamina, and a new level of endurance. What used to bother you is not going to bother you anymore. What used to be too much, too overwhelming, is going to be easy to overcome.

What used to be intimidating or fearful—"I can't do that"—is going to be met with a boldness, a confidence, and a courage to step up to who you were created to be. I'm not looking at ordinary people—I'm looking at supercharged people. On the outside, we may seem average, but under that hood, the Creator of the universe, the Master Mechanic, has gone to work. He's done great things for us in the past, but you haven't seen anything yet. There's a new level of supercharge coming.

What God has done in your past is going to pale in comparison to what He's about to do. Now, our mind will tell us all the reasons why this is not going to happen—how you're stuck, how you've reached your limits. Do yourself a favor: Tune all that out and get in agreement with God. "Father, I believe what You promised—that You are supercharging my life. Thank You for causing me to soar like the eagles, for taking me to heights that I've never been."

For years, Elisha served the prophet Elijah. He was a young man when he left his family business to travel with Elijah. He would take care of him. He would bring him food and make sure his tent was set up, that he had a nice place to rest.

 I'm sure some of Elisha's friends thought, "What are you doing taking care of this old man, waiting on him hand and foot? Why don't you go do your own thing?" But Elisha was faithful. He could have seen it as insignificant, slacked off, but he kept being his best, serving with excellence. Wherever God has you, be your best where you are. Don't slack off because it's not where you want to be. Don't cut corners, waste time, or show up late. If you're not faithful where you are, God can't trust you with more. That's a test. Will you be your best, even though you're doing something that's less than what's in you? Will you keep a good attitude, even though it feels insignificant?

Elisha kept doing the right thing year after year. It looked like that was his destiny—to just stay in the background, be good to others. But God didn't create you to always be in the background. It's good to help others shine, but God wants you to shine. He sees your faithfulness—taking care of your children, being your best at work, helping that friend in need, doing the right thing when no one is saying thanks. You keep being faithful, and your time is coming. God is going to take you from the background to the foreground. It's going to happen suddenly—you didn't see it coming. Instead of working in that department, you're going to be running the department. Instead of teaching at that school, you're going to be in charge of the school. Instead of serving that boss, like my friend, you're going to own that company.

One day, Elijah was about to be taken to heaven in a whirlwind. Three times he told Elisha to stay where he was, go do his own thing, that his life was coming to an end. But each time, Elisha wouldn't do it. He said, "No, I'm going to stay with you till the end. I'm going to go wherever you go and take care of you." There's something about a faithful person that gets God's attention. Every time you come to church, sing in the choir, get to work on time, or have a good attitude day in and day out, God sees it. You are setting yourself up for God to show out in your life.

When Elijah went to heaven, God said, "Alright, Elisha, now it's your time to shine. I'm going to supercharge your life. You've celebrated others; now you're about to be celebrated." The Scripture says God gave Elisha a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Elisha had twice the anointing, twice the favor, and he did twice as many miracles.

Like Elisha, you've been faithful. You've celebrated others. You've made sacrifices for those children. You've been your best at work. That didn't go unnoticed. God is saying to you what He said to Elisha: "I'm about to supercharge your life." You're going to see favor, opportunities, and doors opening that you've never seen. It's good to celebrate others, but God wants you to be celebrated.

You may think you've reached your limits. You're satisfied—God's been good to you. But God is not satisfied. He's about to supercharge your life so you can soar. Soar doesn't mean struggling, never getting good breaks, or worrying about your finances and problems at work. No, there's about to be an ease on your life. Without great effort, things will fall into place—opportunity will find you, good breaks will chase you down, and strength you've never had will emerge. You'll feel better, healthier, with more energy. What happened? God supercharged your life. He said your latter days will be better than your former days.

For years, I celebrated my father. I was happy to do it. I would pick out his suit and tie for Sundays, make sure he looked good on television. I wasn't looking for credit or hoping that one day I would be up here. I didn't think I could do this. I just wanted to make my father look good. I was satisfied, but God wasn't satisfied. He had bigger things in mind. Those seventeen years that I worked behind the scenes, I say this in humility, but I was faithful. I did my best, I gave it my all. I would work hours adjusting one light—I wanted it to be perfect.

When my father died, God suddenly took me from the background to the foreground. I was happy celebrating my father, but God said, "Now, it's your time to be celebrated." God supercharged my life. He brought talent out that I didn't know I had. He gave me a greater confidence, a new courage, and favor that I had never seen.

You may think you've reached your limits—you don't have the talent, the courage, or the experience. Get ready—God is about to supe you up. You're going to discover ability that you didn't know you had, strength that you've never felt, greater resilience, and more determination. You'll no longer be moved by opposition or affected by the naysayers. You're going to soar to heights that you've never gone. It's not going to just amaze you; it's going to amaze the people around you.

I received a letter from a young lady named Alana. She was born with spina bifida. At two months old, she had to have surgery to untether her spinal cord. Her parents were told that she would never be able to walk, run, or do any kind of physical activity. But they understood that God has the final say. Every day, her mother exercised Alana's little legs, speaking faith over her the whole time. Much to the doctors' surprise, at seven months old, she began to walk.

She joined our children's choir—she loved to sing and dance. But at the age of ten, there was a problem with her spinal cord, and she had to have emergency surgery. When she woke up, she was paralyzed from the neck down. The doctor told her, unfortunately, that she wouldn't be able to walk again. She could have gotten depressed and given up on life. But at ten years old, she said, "Doctor, I walked in here on my own, and I'm going to walk out of here on my own."

Every circumstance said she was paralyzed, her life was limited, just settle for it. But on the inside, she heard God saying, "You will walk again. I have a destiny for you. This is not the end." When she told the doctor that she was going to walk out, for the first time since the surgery, she felt her toes begin to move. That was the start of a miracle. Her therapist told her, "Out of all the patients I have with spina bifida, you're the only one that can walk with no leg braces." On her medical report, the doctors wrote, "There is no scientific proof as to why Alana can do what she can do."

Alana and her family are with us on the front row. Beautiful Alana—so awesome. Yesterday, Alana graduated with her master's degree in mental health. She's started an organization with her mom called "Soar" to help children with disabilities. When God supercharges your life, it will defy the odds. You'll have strength that you shouldn't have, healing that can't be explained, and abundance that doesn't make sense. It's God causing you to soar.

Don't believe those lies that the problem is too big or the dream is too great. That may be true if you stayed like you are. The difference is, God is about to supercharge you. I believe even right now, something is shifting. You're going to feel a lift, a refreshing, an ease. The struggle is coming to an end. The burden is being taken away. What's held you down in the past will hold you down no more. God is putting a new set of wings on you. Get ready to soar, get ready to overcome, and get ready to go places you've never been.

I believe and declare a supercharge is coming. You're going to have more horsepower, go further, faster, stronger, with more stamina. Like Nehemiah and Alana, you're going to overcome the odds and accomplish great things. Like Elisha, you're going to see favor, increase, and opportunity that you've never seen. In Jesus' name. And if you receive it, can you say Amen today? (Applause)

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. Just text the number on the screen or go to the website. I hope you'll get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place.