Pastor Joel Osteen shares Easter message on ‘Fox and Friends’
Senior pastor Joel Osteen tells ‘Fox and Friends’ Lakewood Church is hosting a virtual Easter service.
Senior Pastor Joel Osteen revealed Saturday his Easter Sunday service at Houston's Lakewood Church will focus on lifting spirits and encouraging parishioners to help keep the right perspective in difficult times.
Appearing on "Fox & Friends Weekend" with hosts Jillian Mele, Griff Jenkins, and Pete Hegseth, Osteen said he will be talking about how the resurrection of Jesus Christ means new beginnings and letting go of the old and "receiving God's mercy for today."
"So, it's just going to be uplifting, encouraging and trying to help people keep the right perspective in these difficult times," he explained.
This Easter Sunday service will be different than past years because Lakewood's chairs will be empty due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Yeah, you know, it's really different. I've never done this in the last 20 years. It is. I've been looking at 16,000 empty seats," he remarked. "But, I think you know it's about making the most of where we are, believe that none of this is a surprise to God. And, even though there [are] things that we don't like, this is what faith is all about. It's: 'God, we trust you even when we maybe don't understand it, but we know he's still in control.'"
HOW TO WATCH EASTER SUNDAY SERVICES ONLINE
"So, I just try to encourage myself and others: you have to embrace where you are. You don't have to fight it: 'Oh, I don't know how I'm going to make it through this.' But, you say, 'Okay, God, you've given me strength for this day and I"m going to make the most of it. I'm going to be a blessing to somebody else,'" Osteen stated.
He told the "Friends Weekend" hosts it is important to take time right now to celebrate what God has done with family, have a moment of gratitude, and "maybe kind of re-center or come back to a place of peace" and strength.
"Easter in my life -- it reminds me of new beginnings and freshness and let's let go of the old," Osteen continued. "Let's tune out some of the negative and things that didn't work out and who hurt us and what we're facing and say, 'God, I thank you for the life that you've given me.'"
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Easter Service with Joel and Victoria Osteen will be streamed lived on Fox Nation at 9:30 a.m. ET with guest stars Kanye West, Mariah Carey, and Tyler Perry.
"It's all virtual, but it's just going to be a very uplifting couple of hours that we can hopefully, you know, keep people in the right perspective and just let them know again that God is still in control," he concluded.
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