The promises of God should ignite hope in our hearts. When you hold on to hope, your faith will bring you closer to the promise!

>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: I WANT TO

ENCOURAGE US ALL TODAY.

I WANT TO CHALLENGE US IN A

WAY TO THINK ABOUT THIS WORD

THAT WE HEAR SO MUCH OF NOW

CALLED HOPE.

ARE YOU HOPING FOR ANYTHING

TODAY?

MAYBE YOU’RE HOPING FOR A

BETTER MARRIAGE.

MAYBE YOU’RE HOPING FOR A

STRONG FAMILY UNIT.

MAYBE YOU’RE HOPING TO GET

THAT JOB PROMOTION.

MAYBE YOU’RE HOPING THAT

YOU’LL HAVE A CHILD.

WHAT ARE YOU HOPING FOR

TODAY?

IS IT A CASUAL HOPE?

IS IT A VAGUE HOPE?

AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS

BECAUSE SOMETIMES I THINK

THAT WORD “HOPE” HAS BEEN

USED SO MUCH THAT WE FORGET

THE POWER OF HOPE.

I’VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, “WELL,

I HOPE THAT HAPPENS.

YEAH, WELL, THAT’D BE NICE,

HOPE SO.”

HOPE COMES FROM HEAVEN.

IT’S HEAVEN-MADE.

SEE, IN CORINTHIANS 3:13, IT

SAYS THERE’S THREE THINGS

THAT ARE ETERNAL, THREE

THINGS THAT WILL REMAIN:

FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE.

CAN I TELL YOU TODAY THAT GOD

WANTS YOU TO GET YOUR HOPES

UP?

HE WANTS YOU TO HOPE ON IN

FAITH.

BECAUSE GOD CREATED THIS HOPE

ON THE INSIDE OF US, AND HE

DOESN’T WANT US TO GET VAGUE

WITH THIS HOPE.

IF GOD HAS SPOKEN SOMETHING

TO YOU, IF YOU’VE FOUND A

PROMISE THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT

GOD HAS GIVEN YOU, I WANT TO

ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY TO PUT

HOPE IN FRONT OF THAT

PROMISE.

SEE, HOPE CREATES VISION.

HOPE GIVES OUR FAITH

SOMETHING TO ATTACH ITSELF

TO, SOMETHING TO GO AFTER.

WE NEED A PICTURE OF WHAT

WE’RE GOING AFTER.

THE SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT FAITH

IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS

HOPED FOR.

DO YOU HAVE A PICTURE IN YOUR

MIND OF WHAT YOU’RE HOPING

FOR?

ARE YOU FEEDING THAT PICTURE?

ARE YOU FUELING IT SO THAT

YOUR FAITH CAN MOVE TOWARDS

IT?

SEE, I BELIEVE GOD DESIGNED

HOPE BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT

HOPE FUELS OUR FAITH.

HE KNOWS THAT HOPE PICKS US

UP.

THE SCRIPTURE SAYS HOPE

ANCHORS OUR SOUL.

IT ANCHORS US IN

DISAPPOINTING TIMES, IN

CHALLENGING TIMES, IN TIMES

OF FAILURE.

IF WE CAN ONLY KEEP OUR HOPES

UP, FAITH WILL PICK US UP AND

MOVE US IN THE RIGHT

DIRECTION.

SEE, GOD DOES THE WORK.

FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE COME

FROM HIM, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT

HE WANTS US TO DO?

HE WANTS US TO DEVELOP IT.

HE’S GIVEN US THE POTENTIAL,

THE SEED FOR IT.

NOW HE’S SAYING, “YOU NEED TO

DEVELOP IT.”

YOU NEED TO DEVELOP IT.

IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE WHEN

PAUL PRAYED IN ROMANS 18, HE

SAID, “I PRAY THAT THE GOD OF

ALL HOPE.”

PAUL CALLED HIM THE GOD OF

ALL HOPE.

HE SAID, “I PRAY THAT THE GOD

OF ALL HOPE WOULD FILL YOU

WITH JOY AND PEACE SO THAT

YOUR HOPE WOULD OVERFLOW BY

THE POWER OF THE HOLY

SPIRIT.”

YOU SEE, GOD IS SAYING, “STIR

UP THAT HOPE AND IT WILL FLOW

OUT OF YOU.”

IT WILL FLOW OUT OF YOU

BECAUSE HOPE COMES FROM

HEAVEN.

GOD GAVE IT TO US, AND HE’S

GOING TO HELP IT FLOW OUT OF

US AS WE BEGIN TO DEVELOP IT.

NOW, WE ALL KNOW THE STORY OF

ABRAHAM AND SARAH, AND THE

REASON I WANT TO TALK ABOUT

ABRAHAM AND SARAH, BECAUSE

IT’S THE CLASSIC STORY OF

HOPE AND FAITH.

IT’S THE CLASSIC STORY THAT

WE SHOULD ALWAYS LEARN FROM.

GOD SPOKE A PROMISE TO

ABRAHAM.

ABRAHAM DIDN’T HAVE THE

BIBLE.

HE COULDN’T GET GOD’S WORD,

SO GOD SPOKE A PROMISE TO

HIM, BIRTHED A PROMISE IN HIS

HEART, AND THEN GOD TOLD

ABRAHAM, “I’M GOING TO GIVE

YOU A BEAUTIFUL–A

REPRESENTATION TO VISUALIZE

HOPE FOR THIS PROMISE.”

NOW, THE PROMISE THAT HE

SPOKE WAS THIS, “ABRAHAM, YOU

AND SARAH ARE GOING TO HAVE A

CHILD, AND THROUGH THIS

CHILD, THE COVENANT CHILD,

YOUR OFFSPRING WILL BE MANY.

YOU WILL HAVE A LARGE

INHERITANCE OF CHILDREN ON

THE EARTH.”

WELL, UP TO THIS POINT,

ABRAHAM AND SARAH HAD NO

CHILDREN BETWEEN THEM.

THEY’D BEEN MARRIED A LONG

TIME, AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

I THINK AFTER YOU’VE BEEN

MARRIED SO LONG AND YOU

HADN’T HAD ANY CHILDREN AND

YOU’RE REALLY OLD, YOU’RE

THINKING AND YOU’RE TEMPTED

TO THINK, AND I’M SURE

ABRAHAM WAS TEMPTED TO THINK

AND I’M SURE HE DID THINK,

“GOD, I HAVEN’T HAD ONE THIS

FAR.

WHY AND HOW AM I GOING TO

HAVE ONE NOW?

I’M VERY OLD, MY WIFE IS WAY

PAST CHILDBEARING YEARS.”

BUT GOD SPOKE THAT PROMISE

AND HE SAID, “LOOK, ABRAHAM,

I WANT YOU TO LOOK UP AT THE

STARS IN THE SKY.

I WANT YOU TO SEE THE SAND ON

THE SEASHORE.”

HE SAID, “IF YOU CAN EVEN

COUNT THAT, I WANT YOU TO

KNOW THAT THAT IS THE NUMBER

OF YOUR OFFSPRING.

CAN YOU EVEN COUNT THAT?”

SEE, HE GAVE HIM A VISUAL TO

BUILD HIS HOPE AROUND.

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HIM

SITTING OUT AT NIGHT, HE

PULLS UP HIS LAWN CHAIR.

HE DIDN’T HAVE NETFLIX,

DIDN’T HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE

MOVIE CHANNEL.

SO, HE PULLS UP HIS CHAIR AND

HE’S SITTING UNDER THE STARS,

AND HE’S REMEMBERING THAT

PROMISE, AND YOU KNOW, HE

KNOWS, HE KNOWS, HE KNOWS

HE’S OLD.

HE KNOWS HE HASN’T DONE IT.

SO, HE’S GOT A BEAUTIFUL

VISUAL.

“THERE’S THE STARS GOD WAS

TALKING TO ME ABOUT.”

HE SAID, “IF I COULD EVEN

COUNT THEM, MAN, I’M GOING TO

TRY TO COUNT THEM TONIGHT.

ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR–WAIT,

DID I COUNT THAT ONE?

THREE, FOUR, FIVE.

WAIT A MINUTE, LET ME START

OVER.

ONE, TWO, THREE–“

YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING IS

NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, HE

PONDERED THOSE STARS, HE

THOUGHT ABOUT THOSE STARS.

HE WALKED ALONG THE SEASHORE,

AND AS HE KICKED THAT SAND

AND IT GOT BETWEEN HIS TOES,

HE WAS LIKE, “WOW, GOD, I’M

HOLDING ON TO THIS HOPE.

THIS IS MY INHERITANCE?

THIS IS MY OFFSPRING?

BUT GOD–OKAY GOD, I’M JUST

GOING TO FOCUS ON THE STARS

AND THE SAND.

I’M GOING TO LET THAT FUEL MY

FAITH AND I’M NOT GOING TO

GET STUCK, GOD.

I GOT THINGS TO DO, I’M GOING

TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD,” AND

THE BIBLE SAYS THIS, THAT

ABRAHAM HOPED ON IN FAITH.

NOW, HOW DID HE DO THAT?

I LOVE THIS SCRIPTURE.

IT SAYS, “BECAUSE HE BELIEVED

THAT GOD HAD THE POWER TO DO

WHAT HE PROMISED.”

HE COULD HOPE ON AGAINST ALL

NATURAL HOPE BECAUSE HE

DIDN’T PUT THAT HOPE IN

HIMSELF.

HE DIDN’T LOOK AT HIS BODY,

SARAH’S BODY.

HE DIDN’T LOOK AT THE FACT

THAT HE’D MADE SOME MISTAKES

AND TRIED TO HAVE THIS CHILD,

YOU KNOW, HELP GOD OUT A

LITTLE BIT.

GOSH, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN

REALLY DASH YOUR HOPES WHEN

YOU MESSED UP.

HE WASN’T LOOKING AT HIS MESS

UPS.

HE WAS NOT CONSIDERING HIS

OWN LIMITATIONS.

HE SAID, “I’M HOPING AND

BUILDING THIS VISUAL AND

KEEPING MY EYES FIXED ON YOUR

POWER, GOD.”

YOU SEE, IT TOOK THE POWER

AND THE FOCUS OFF OF HIM AND

PUT IT WHERE IT BELONGS, ON

ALMIGHTY GOD.

YOU SEE, SO MUCH WE LOOK AT

OUR OWN ABILITIES, WE LOOK AT

OUR OWN SELF, WE LOOK AT THE

IMPOSSIBILITIES, AND MANY OF

THEM ARE IMPOSSIBLE, BECAUSE

SEE, IF GOD WANTS TO DO

SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE, IT’S

GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT

YOU CAN’T DO ON YOUR OWN.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE.

IT’S BIG.

IT’S REAL BIG.

YOU SEE, WE HAVE TO ANCHOR

OURSELF TO HOPE.

WE HAVE TO FEED THIS HOPE SO

IT FUELS OUR FAITH.

DO YOU KNOW WHEN GOD SHOWED

UP AND HE TOLD ABRAHAM, “THIS

TIME NEXT YEAR, YOU’RE GOING

TO HAVE A CHILD”?

BECAUSE OF HIS HOPE, BECAUSE

OF THE FAITH THAT HE HAD

CONTINUED TO GENERATE, HE

CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD, DO

YOU KNOW THAT THE BIBLE SAYS

THIS ABOUT SARAH?

IT SAYS THAT SARAH HAD THE

STRENGTH AND THE POWER TO

CONCEIVE BECAUSE OF HER

FAITH.

YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO

CONCEIVE A CHILD, BUT BECAUSE

OF YOUR HOPE AND BECAUSE OF

YOUR FAITH, YOU CAN CONCEIVE

THE THINGS THAT GOD WANTS YOU

TO BRING FORTH IN YOUR LIFE,

AND HE WANTS YOU TO DO IT

THROUGH HIS STRENGTH, THROUGH

HIS POWER.

TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF YOUR

OWN LIMITATIONS AND GET YOUR

EYES ON GOD BECAUSE IF IT’S

GOING TO COME TO PASS, IT’S

GOING TO COME TO PASS BECAUSE

OF GOD.

HE’S THE ONE THAT’S GOING TO

BRING IT TO PASS.

YOU SEE, GOD KNEW, GOD KNEW

HE HAD AN APPOINTED TIME.

HE KNEW THAT ABRAHAM AND

SARAH WOULD GET DISAPPOINTED,

GO THROUGH DIFFICULTIES, TRY

TO DO THINGS THEIR OWN WAY.

THAT’S WHY HE GAVE THEM THE

STARS AND THE SAND.

IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE

THOSE WERE THINGS THEY COULD

SEE EVERY SINGLE DAY.

THEY LIVED UNDER THE STARS AT

NIGHT, AND THEY WALKED

THROUGH THE SANDS DURING THE

DAY.

IT WAS AN EVERYDAY VISUAL.

DO YOU HAVE ANY VISUALS?

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT

YOU CAN SET UP THAT YOU SEE

EVERY SINGLE DAY TO KEEP THAT

PROMISE ALIVE IN YOUR HEART?

TO CREATE A VISION SO YOU CAN

MAKE IT THROUGH THE DIFFICULT

TIMES?

SO YOUR FAITH KNOWS WHERE TO

GO, KNOWS WHERE TO BE

DIRECTED?

YOU SEE, MANY A TIMES OUR

HOPES CAN BE DASHED.

I THINK ABOUT JOSEPH, HE HAD

A DREAM, A GOD-GIVEN DREAM.

HIS BROTHERS DASHED THAT

DREAM.

THEY TRIED TO ANYWAY.

THEY SOLD HIM.

POTIPHAR’S WIFE, WHEN

HE–WHEN HE GOT TO EGYPT,

FALSELY ACCUSED HIM, HE GOT

THROWN IN PRISON.

“BUT I HAVE THIS DREAM, BUT I

HAVE THIS DREAM.”

TOOK HIM 17 YEARS.

THE BAKER, THE CUPBEARER

SAID, “I’LL HELP YOU WHEN I

GET OUT.”

THEY FORGOT HIM.

I CAN’T THINK OF ANY MORE

THINGS THAT WOULD REALLY DASH

MY DREAMS THAN THAT.

SEVENTEEN YEARS THE SCRIPTURE

SAYS.

WHEN HE STOOD IN FRONT OF HIS

BROTHERS, HE REMEMBERED THE

DREAM.

SEE, HE HAD BUILT SUCH A

VISION OF HOPE THAT IT GOT

HIM THROUGH.

HIS FAITH MOVED HIM FORWARD.

HOPE IS TO MOVE YOU FORWARD.

HOPE SO YOU WON’T GET STUCK.

DON’T GET STUCK.

CREATE A–PEOPLE SAY, “OH,

HOPE, HOPE DISAPPOINTS.

DON’T GET YOUR HOPES UP.

WHAT IF IT DOESN’T HAPPEN?”

THE BIBLE SAYS THIS, “HOPE

DEFERRED MAKES THE HEART

SICK.”

HOPE DEFERRED MAKES THE HEART

SICK.

THAT MEANS HOPE THAT’S BEEN

LET GO OF.

YOU SEE, LET ME TELL YOU

SOMETHING, IF GOD’S SPOKEN

SOMETHING TO YOU AND IT KEEPS

COMING UP, KEEPS COMING UP,

AND KEEPS COMING UP, THAT

COULD DEFINITELY BE A GOD

PROMISE, AND YOU NEED TO

START GETTING VISUALS AND

PUTTING THAT IN FRONT OF YOUR

FACE EVERY DAY WHEREVER YOU

GO TO HOLD ONTO THAT PROMISE.

DON’T LET THAT HOPE GO.

YOU DON’T WANT TO EVER LIVE

IN REGRET.

“WHY DID I LET THAT HOPE

GO?”

MY BROTHER-IN-LAW KEVIN AND

MY SISTER-IN-LAW LISA, WHEN

THEY GOT MARRIED, THEY WANTED

TO HAVE A CHILD LIKE ANY

YOUNG COUPLE WOULD.

SO, THEY WERE ALL EXCITED

ABOUT CREATING A FAMILY.

WELL, AS THE YEARS WENT ON,

NOTHING HAPPENED.

LISA WENT TO THE DOCTOR, WENT

THROUGH TREATMENTS, DID

EVERYTHING THAT SHE COULD.

STILL NOTHING HAPPENED.

FIVE YEARS WENT BY, NOTHING

HAPPENED.

THE DOCTORS HAD SAID TO HER,

“I’M SORRY, LISA, KEVIN, YOU

JUST NEED TO GIVE UP HOPE.

YOU KNOW WHAT?

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE.”

WELL, SEE, LISA AND KEVIN

WERE TAUGHT THAT HOPE FUELS

YOUR FAITH.

LISA AND KEVIN SAID, “THAT’S

NOT WHAT WE’RE USED TO

HEARING.

WE’RE USED TO CREATING HOPE

FOR OURSELVES.

THAT’S WHY WE’VE GOT

SCRIPTURES.

THAT’S WHY WE’VE GOT

PICTURES.

THAT’S WHY WE’VE CREATED THIS

HOPE.”

BUT THE DOCTOR SAID, “THERE’S

NO HOPE.”

I’LL NEVER FORGET, ONE TIME

LISA AND KEVIN WERE HAVING TO

REDO THEIR BATHROOM, AND I

WAS HELPING HER PICK OUT A

FEW OF THE MATERIALS, AND SHE

SAID, “WELL, VICTORIA, I WANT

TO GET A BIGGER SINK IN MY

BATHROOM.”

SHE GOES, “‘CAUSE SOMEDAY, I

WANT TO BATHE MY BABY IN THIS

SINK.”

KEVIN GOT A SAMPLE PAIR OF

DIAPERS IN THE MAIL, LOOKED

AT THOSE DIAPERS, AND HE

OPENED THEM UP AND IT WAS TWO

DIAPERS.

NOW, KEVIN IS A TWIN, AND I

DON’T KNOW IF AT THAT TIME HE

HAD TOLD LISA THAT HIS DESIRE

WAS TO HAVE TWINS BECAUSE, I

MEAN, SHE WAS JUST DOING HER

BEST TRYING TO HAVE ONE,

RIGHT?

BUT KEVIN CAME TO HER AND

SAID, “LOOK WHAT WE GOT IN

THE MAIL, LISA.

LET’S PUT THESE THINGS IN

FRONT OF OUR EYES BECAUSE WE

ARE GOING TO HAVE BABIES.”

EVERYTHING THAT THEY DID WAS

INCORPORATED WITH THIS DREAM

AND THIS HOPE OF HAVING

CHILDREN.

THEY DIDN’T LOSE THEIR HOPE,

BUT THEY KEPT FEEDING THAT

HOPE.

AGAINST ALL HOPE, THE MEDICAL

DOCTORS TOLD THEM NO HOPE,

BUT THEY KEPT FEEDING THAT

HOPE.

ONE DAY, LISA GOT A CALL FROM

A FRIEND, HER NAME IS NANCY

ALCORN, SHE HAS A GIRL’S

HOME.

SHE SAID, “LISA, HAVE YOU HAD

YOUR KID YET?”

LISA SAID, “NO, I HAVEN’T HAD

THEM YET,” AND SHE SAID,

“WELL, LISA, I HAVE A YOUNG

GIRL IN HERE WHO HAS TWIN

GIRLS SHE’S ABOUT TO GIVE

BIRTH TO.”

SHE SAID, “I HAVE THIS

STRONG, STRONG DESIRE THAT

I’M SUPPOSED TO CALL YOU AND

ASK YOU IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO

ADOPT THESE GIRLS.”

WELL, LISA HAD NEVER THOUGHT

ABOUT ADOPTING, BUT LISA DID

KEEP HER HOPE ALIVE, AND SHE

FUELED AND FED THAT HOPE, AND

IT FUELED HER FAITH.

SO, WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY THAT

GOD HAD FOR HER TOOK BIRTH IN

HER HEART ALL OF A SUDDEN,

SHE GOT OFF THE PHONE, SHE

TOLD KEVIN WHAT HAD JUST

HAPPENED.

THEY WERE IN AGREEMENT AND

GUESS WHAT?

A MONTH LATER, THEY PICKED UP

THEIR TWIN GIRLS.

TAKE A LOOK AT THESE

BEAUTIFUL GIRLS.

[CONGREGATION APPLAUDING]

NOW, I DON’T KNOW, CATHERINE

AND CAROLINE, IF YOU EVER

WORE THOSE SAMPLE DIAPERS,

BUT I DO KNOW THAT YOU GOT

BATHED IN THAT SINK ‘CAUSE I

WAS THERE.

[CONGREGATION APPLAUDING]

CAN I TELL YOU YOU COULD SAY,

“WELL, THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN THE

WAY SHE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING

TO HAPPEN.”

WELL, LISA WILL TELL YOU

THIS, THOSE TWINS WERE

BIRTHED OUT OF HER HEART.

SHE COULDN’T ASK FOR ANYTHING

BETTER.

IT WAS MORE THAN SHE COULD

ASK, THINK, OR IMAGINE.

YOU SEE, GOD IS A FAITHFUL

GOD.

HE BRINGS THE PROMISES TO

PASS.

HE BRINGS THEM TO PASS IN HIS

TIMING AND IN HIS WAY.

BUT IT’S UP TO YOU AND I TO

DEVELOP THIS HOPE, TO CREATE

THIS VISUAL TO FUEL OUR

FAITH.

BECAUSE WHEN GOD GETS DONE

WITH US, IT’S MORE THAN WE

CAN ASK, THINK, OR IMAGINE.

I ENCOURAGE YOU, KEEP YOUR

HOPES UP BECAUSE HOPE IS FROM

HEAVEN, AMEN?