When something is exceptional, it means that it is better than good; it is outstanding. The exceptional stands out from the crowd, is extraordinary, and is something to be celebrated. You were made by God to be exceptional.

>> VICTORIA: WE HONOR YOU

TODAY, AND WE THANK YOU FOR

EVERYTHING THAT YOU’VE DONE.

WE THANK YOU, YOU ARE A GOOD

GOD, AND WE WILL WORSHIP YOU

ALL THE DAYS OF OUR LIFE.

IN JESUS’S NAME, AMEN.

YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING

ABOUT THIS EARLIER, AND I

JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU

WITH THIS THOUGHT.

YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IN LIFE

WE TRY TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN

ON OUR OWN.

WE’RE LOOKING FOR OUR GOOD

BREAKS, WE’RE LOOKING FOR THE

RIGHT PEOPLE, WE’RE LOOKING

FOR OPPORTUNITIES, AND THAT’S

ALL GOOD.

BUT WHEN WE’RE STRUGGLING TO

MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, I BELIEVE

THAT THAT IS NOT GOOD FOR US,

SO LET’S TAKE ANOTHER

APPROACH, AND THAT APPROACH

WOULD BE ALL THROUGH THE DAY,

JUST UNDER YOUR BREATH, WHEN

YOU’RE FEELING LIKE YOU’RE

STRUGGLING, WHEN YOU’RE

WONDERING WHEN YOU’RE GOING

TO GET THAT GOOD BREAK, WHEN

ARE YOUR PRAYERS GOING TO BE

ANSWERED, IF YOU’LL JUST STOP

AND SAY, “GOD, I RECEIVE

EVERYTHING YOU HAVE FOR ME.

GOD, YOU’VE GOT GOOD THINGS

STORED UP FOR ME TODAY, AND I

AM NOT GOING TO STRUGGLE, AND

I’M NOT GOING TO WORRY, BUT

I’M JUST GOING TO BE IN A

RECEIVING MODE.”

WHEN YOU GO INTO A MEETING,

“THANK YOU, FATHER.

I RECEIVE EVERYTHING I NEED

FOR THIS MEETING.”

WHEN YOU GO IN TO SEE YOUR

FAMILY AFTER A LONG DAY’S

WORK, TAKE ONE DEEP BREATH

AND SAY, “GOD, THANK YOU I’M

RECEIVING EVERYTHING I NEED

TO BE A GOOD HUSBAND, A GOOD

WIFE, A GOOD MOTHER.

THANK YOU, FATHER, THAT I

DON’T HAVE TO STRUGGLE, BUT

I’M JUST RECEIVING.”

YOU SEE, THE BIBLE SAYS NO

GOOD THING WILL HE WITHHOLD

FOR THOSE WHO WALK UPRIGHTLY.

GOD’S NOT WITHHOLDING YOUR

ANSWERS.

GOD’S NOT WITHHOLDING THOSE

GOOD BREAKS.

HE’S NOT HOLDING ON TO THOSE

PRAYERS, WAITING FOR YOU TO

GET IT RIGHT.

IF YOU SEE IT OR YOU DON’T

SEE IT, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE

RECEIVING WHAT GOD HAS FOR

YOU.

I BELIEVE THAT’S HOW WE’RE

GOING TO LIVE THAT

EXCEPTIONAL LIFE.

YOU KNOW, SOMEONE ASKED ME,

“WHY DID YOU NAME YOUR BOOK

‘EXCEPTIONAL YOU’?”

SEE, IT IS BECAUSE I BELIEVE

THAT EACH ONE OF US HAVE BEEN

CALLED TO LIVE THIS

EXCEPTIONAL LIFE THAT JESUS

CAME TO GIVE US.

I BELIEVE THAT GOD IS AN

EXCEPTIONAL GOD, AND HE

FASHIONED AND FORMED US AND

CREATED US INTO HIS

EXCEPTIONAL IMAGE.

HE FILLED US WITH GIFTS AND

TALENTS.

HE GAVE US QUALITIES SO THAT

WE COULD PRODUCE THE

EXCEPTIONAL IN OUR LIFE.

YOU SEE, WE’RE NOT COMMON.

WE’RE NOT ORDINARY.

WE’RE EXCEPTIONAL.

YOU ARE FEARFULLY AND

WONDERFULLY MADE, AND GOD HAS

YOU ON A PATH THAT IS

UNIQUELY YOUR OWN.

WE’RE ALL IN A DIFFERENT

PATH, BECAUSE NO TWO PATHS

ARE ALIKE, BUT GOD’S GOT US

ALL ON THE ROAD TO VICTORY.

YOU SEE, WE CAN’T LOSE SIGHT

OF WHOSE WE ARE AND WHO WE

ARE.

YOU SEE, WHEN WE LOSE SIGHT

OF WHO WE ARE, WE TAKE THESE

GOD-GIVEN ATTRIBUTES AND WE

HAVE A TENDENCY TO REDUCE

THEM DOWN IN OUR OWN MINDS.

WE THINK WE’RE NOT GOOD

ENOUGH, WE’RE NOT QUALIFIED

ENOUGH, BUT YOU HAVE TO LIVE

THIS TRUTH TODAY: YOU ARE

EXCEPTIONAL BECAUSE GOD MADE

YOU THAT WAY.

SEE, GOD FORMED YOU, AND HE

FASHIONED YOU, AND HE SAYS

YOU ARE EXCEPTIONAL.

IN EPHESIANS 1:4, IT SAYS

THAT GOD CHOSE US BEFORE THE

FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.

HE ADOPTED US TO BE HIS VERY

OWN.

NOT BECAUSE HE HAD TO, BUT

BECAUSE HE WANTED TO, AND IN

THAT ADOPTION, HE BROUGHT US

IN TO A FAMILY, HIS FAMILY.

HE NOT ONLY PLACED TREMENDOUS

VALUE AND WORTH ON OUR LIFE,

BUT HE LABELED US “PROPERTY

OF GOD.”

YOUR IDENTITY TODAY IS A

CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH GOD.

WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND WHO YOU

BELONG TO AND YOU REALLY

VALUE WHAT GOD HAS PLACED ON

THE INSIDE OF YOU, THAT’S

WHEN YOU’RE GOING TO BE ABLE

TO STAND UP AGAINST

CHALLENGES, OVERCOME

OBSTACLES.

SEE, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE

TOSSED TO AND FRO WONDERING

IF YOU’RE GOOD ENOUGH.

“IS GOD HELPING ME?”

NO, YOU KNOW THE CREATOR OF

THE UNIVERSE IS IN FULL

CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE, AND HIS

THOUGHTS ARE–FOR YOU ARE FOR

GOOD AND NOT EVIL, TO GIVE

YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE.

DON’T DISQUALIFY YOURSELF

WHEN GOD HAS ALREADY

QUALIFIED YOU.

SOMETIMES WE DISCOUNT WHAT WE

HAVE, BUT GOD WILL NEVER

DISCOUNT US.

IN MATTHEW, IT TELLS A STORY

ABOUT JESUS.

HE HAD FASTED 40 DAYS AND 40

NIGHTS.

HE WAS LED INTO THE

WILDERNESS, AND HE CAME UPON

THE ENEMY.

NOW, HE WAS WEAK.

HE WAS HUNGRY.

HE WAS TIRED.

HE WAS VULNERABLE.

SEE HOW I SAY THAT WORD?

VULNERABLE.

MY KIDS MAKE FUN OF ME SO

MUCH BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW HOW

TO SAY THAT WORD, VULNERABLE.

OKAY, LET’S MOVE ON.

HE WAS FACING THE ENEMY AND,

YOU KNOW, IT’S INTERESTING

BECAUSE THE FIRST THING THE

ENEMY DID WAS CHALLENGE HIS

IDENTITY, CHALLENGE WHO HE

WAS AND HIS WORTH.

HE WAS HUNGRY, SO THE ENEMY

OFFERED HIM SOME STONES AND

SAID, “IF YOU ARE THE SON OF

GOD, TURN THESE STONES INTO

BREAD.”

“IF YOU ARE THE SON OF

GOD.”

SEE, QUESTIONING WHO HE WAS,

CHALLENGING HIS WORTH, HIS

VALUE, HIS CAPABILITY.

SEE, WE KNOW THAT JESUS COULD

TURN STONES INTO BREAD,

BECAUSE WE SEE LATER ON IN

THAT CHAPTER THAT HE TOOK A

LITTLE BOY’S SANDWICH, AND HE

FED 5,000 WITH IT.

SEE, HE COULD MAKE SOME

BREAD, BUT HE WASN’T GOING TO

MAKE ANYTHING THAT THE ENEMY

TOLD HIM TO MAKE.

HE WASN’T GOING TO ANSWER TO

THE ENEMY.

HE WASN’T GOING TO ACCEPT HIS

CHALLENGE.

YOU KNOW WHAT HE DID?

HE ANSWERED HIM WITH THIS:

“IT IS WRITTEN, ‘MAN SHALL

NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT

BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS

OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'”

YOU SEE, THE ENEMY IS STILL

ROAMING AROUND.

HE’S STILL TRYING TO

CHALLENGE AND DISQUALIFY US.

WE DON’T HAVE TO PROVE OUR

SELF.

WE DON’T HAVE TO ANSWER TO

HIM.

SEE, JESUS WASN’T GOING TO

GET OUT OF HIS TIMING.

IT WASN’T YET HIS TIME.

GOD HADN’T TOLD HIM TO

MULTIPLY THE BREAD.

GOD DIDN’T TELL HIM TO TURN

THOSE STONES INTO BREAD.

THE ENEMY WAS TRYING TO GET

HIM TO STEP OUT OF HIS TIME

AND DO SOMETHING TO PROVE WHO

HE WAS.

YOU SEE, YOU AND I DON’T HAVE

TO PROVE WHO WE ARE TO ANY

ENEMY, TO ANY OPPOSITION, TO

ANY CIRCUMSTANCE THAT WE’RE

FACING.

YOU MAY BE FACING A CHALLENGE

RIGHT NOW.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO PROVE

YOURSELF.

THE ENEMY MAY BE SAYING, “IF

GOD LOVES YOU, THEN WHY ARE

YOU GOING THROUGH THIS?

IF GOD LOVES YOU, IF YOU ARE

A CHILD OF GOD, WHY ARE YOU

DIVORCED?”

YOU SEE, HE WANTS YOU TO TAKE

OFFENSE AND SAY, “GOD, WHY AM

I DOING THIS?”

BUT WHEN YOU KNOW WHO YOU

ARE, YOU CAN SAY, “GOD, I

KNOW I’M GOING TO GET THROUGH

THIS, AND I’M GOING TO COME

OUT OF IT BETTER, MORE

QUALIFIED THAN I WENT IN.”

YOU SEE, DON’T FORGET WHO YOU

ARE AND WHOSE YOU ARE.

YOU ARE EXCEPTIONAL.

I LOVE THIS STORY I HEARD

JOEL’S FATHER TELL.

IT WAS A STORY ABOUT HE AND

HIS FRIEND, JESSE, AND THEY

WENT TO A HIGH SCHOOL

FOOTBALL GAME, WHERE JESSE’S

SON WAS PLAYING BALL, AND SO

JESSE WAS SO EXCITED TO TAKE

DADDY O, THAT’S WHAT I CALL

HIM, TO SEE HIS SON PLAY

FOOTBALL.

SO, THEY’RE SITTING IN THE

BLEACHERS, AND THIS YOUNG MAN

WAS HAVING A BAD DAY OUT ON

THE FIELD.

EVERY TIME HE WOULD GET THE

BALL, HE WOULD JUST FUMBLE

IT.

ANY TIME HE TRIED TO GET IT

DOWN THE FIELD, HE JUST

SEEMED TO DROP IT, OR SOMEONE

WOULD JUST TAKE IT FROM HIM,

SO HE HAD ONE MORE CHANCE,

AND THEY’RE SITTING ON THE

EDGE OF THEIR SEATS, AND HE

GOT THE BALL UNDER HIS ARM,

GOING TO TAKE IT DOWN THE

FIELD.

HE STEPPED TO THE RIGHT, AND

HE STEPPED TO THE LEFT.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, THESE TWO

BIG, OLD GUYS CAME AND JUST

TACKLED HIM, JUST TOOK HIM TO

THE GROUND.

WELL, MY FATHER-IN-LAW WAS

LIKE, “OH, WHAT DO I DO?

WHAT DO I SAY?”

HE’S SITTING THERE SO QUIET,

A LITTLE BIT EMBARRASSED FOR

JESSE, AND THEN A FEW MINUTES

LATER HE FELT THIS ELBOW

GOING IN HIS RIBS, AND HE

LOOKED AT HIS FRIEND JESSE,

AND JESSE SAID, “JOHN, DID

YOU SEE MY SON’S TWO GOOD

MOVES?”

YOU SEE, THAT WAS A PROUD

FATHER, A FATHER WHO WAS

CHEERING HIS SON ON EVEN ON A

BAD DAY, AND SOMETIMES WE

THINK THAT GOD IS SITTING IN

THE BLEACHERS JUST WATCHING

US FUMBLE THROUGH LIFE, JUST

SAYING, “WHY CAN’T THEY GET

IT RIGHT?”

ALMOST HANGING HIS HEAD IN

EMBARRASSMENT, BUT CAN I TELL

YOU, YOU SERVE A GOOD GOD?

YOU HAVE A LOVING HEAVENLY

FATHER WHO NOT ONLY CHEERS

YOU ON, WHO NOT ONLY SUPPORTS

YOU, BUT HE CAME DOWN FROM

HEAVEN TO HELP YOU ALONG THE

WAY.

IT’S UP TO US TO MAKE A

DECISION.

WE ARE EXCEPTIONAL.

HEY, JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE

EXCEPTIONAL DOESN’T MEAN

YOU’RE NOT GOING TO FACE

CHALLENGES, BUT THROUGH THOSE

CHALLENGES YOU CAN DEVELOP

THESE EXCEPTIONAL ATTITUDES,

THESE EXCEPTIONAL CHOICES,

BECAUSE REALLY, TO PRODUCE

EXCEPTIONAL IS ALL ABOUT YOUR

CHOICES, AND IT’S ABOUT YOUR

ATTITUDE.

YOU SEE, GOD WANTS YOU TO

HAVE AN ATTITUDE OF VICTORY.

HE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO HAVE

AN ATTITUDE OF DEFEAT.

SEE, EVERY DAY WE HAVE THE

OPPORTUNITY TO HIT THE RESET

BUTTON.

GOD’S MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY

SINGLE DAY.

WE CAN ADJUST AND WE CAN

ALIGN OUR SELF TO GOD.

HEY, IF YOU FEEL YOURSELF

GETTING OFF COURSE, JUST MAKE

THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO

GET RIGHT BACK IN LINE WITH

GOD.

HE’S RIGHT THERE.

HE’S CHEERING YOU ON.

HE IS SAYING, “GET UP AND GO

AGAIN.”

YOU SEE, YOU CAN’T FAIL

UNLESS YOU QUIT.

DON’T DISQUALIFY YOURSELF.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WALK IN

THIS EXCEPTIONAL, THIS

EXCEPTIONAL LIFE, WE ARE

GIVING AN INVITATION FOR

THOSE AROUND US TO COME IN

AND BE EXCEPTIONAL.

WE’RE GIVING THEM PERMISSION

TO BE EXCEPTIONAL.

WHY IS THAT?

BECAUSE WHEN WE KNOW WHO WE

ARE, WE REFLECT WHO WE ARE ON

OTHER PEOPLE.

THAT MEANS WE DON’T JUDGE.

THAT MEANS WE HAVE MERCY.

WE EXTEND GRACE.

THEY SEE OUR INFLUENCE, AND

IT ALLOWS THEM TO HAVE A

PICTURE OF EXCEPTIONAL THAT

THEY CAN FOLLOW.

YOU SEE, I BELIEVE THAT OUR

FRIENDS AND OUR FAMILY ARE

WATCHING US, AND WE HAVE A

TREMENDOUS INFLUENCE, SO KNOW

THIS TODAY: YOU ARE

EXCEPTIONAL BECAUSE GOD MADE

YOU THAT WAY.

IN FACT, I BELIEVE I’M

LOOKING AT EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE

RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE IF YOU

WEREN’T EXCEPTIONAL, YOU

WOULDN’T BE SITTING HERE

TODAY.

YOU WOULDN’T BE PRESSING

THROUGH THOSE OBSTACLES AND

THOSE CHALLENGES YOU’RE

FACING.

YOU WOULDN’T BE COMING TO

THIS ALTAR BELIEVING THAT YOU

SERVE A GOD THAT CAN HELP

YOU.

YOU SEE, IF YOU WEREN’T

EXCEPTIONAL, YOU WOULD HAVE

ALREADY QUIT, AND YOU WOULD

HAVE ALREADY GIVEN UP, SO I

JUST BELIEVE TODAY BECAUSE

YOU ARE EXCEPTIONAL, GOD IS

HELPING YOU PRODUCE THAT

EXCEPTIONAL LIFE.

YOU WILL OVERCOME YOUR

CHALLENGES.

YOU WILL DEFEAT EVERY ENEMY.

YOU WILL GO TO NEW LEVELS,

BECAUSE IF GOD IS FOR YOU,

WHO DARE BE AGAINST YOU?

AMEN?

AMEN.

HE’S AN AWESOME GOD, AND WE

LOVE HIM SO MUCH TODAY.

YOUR PARTNERSHIP MAKES

THIS MINISTRY POSSIBLE.

YOUR FAITHFUL AND

CONSISTENT MONTHLY SUPPORT

MAKES YOU A CHAMPION OF

HOPE.

THE VISION OF JOEL OSTEEN

MINISTRIES IS TO USE EVERY

AVENUE AVAILABLE TO PRESENT

THE HOPE OF JESUS CHRIST TO

PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.

WE KNOW IT IS THIS HOPE

AND THE TRANSFORMING

POWER OF THE GOSPEL THAT

MAKES AN ETERNAL DIFFERENCE

IN PEOPLE’S LIVES.

TO PARTNER WITH JOEL OSTEEN

MINISTRIES, VISIT

JOELOSTEEN.COM/PARTNER

TODAY.