The Joel Osteen Guide to Public Speaking

On June 7, 2014 Houston pastor Joel Osteen took the stage at a sold-out Yankee Stadium to deliver a sermon in front of 50,000 people. Many of those in attendance that Saturday night were no doubt part of Osteen’s global television audience, which now extends to millions of viewers in more than 100 countries. The Yankee Stadium appearance was unthinkable just 15 years earlier because Osteen himself never dreamed it would be possible. Fifteen years ago Osteen took over as pastor of Lakewood Church after his father passed away. John Osteen had started Lakewood in an abandoned Houston feed store and had grown the church to about 6,000 members when his son took over. Joel Osteen had no intention of preaching. For seventeen years he was perfectly content behind the scenes, producing his father’s television broadcast. In fact he “dreaded” speaking to an audience. In the most remarkable part of Osteen’s journey, he had only preached once in his life—the week before his dad unexpectedly passed away. And he was a nervous wreck. Joel Osteen’s 15-year journey to become the face of the largest church in America and one of the most influential Christian leaders in the world is an inspiring story of personal transformation. I caught up with Osteen during a busy week as he was preparing for the publication of his new book, You Can You Will, and the launch of “Joel Osteen Radio” on SiriusXM. In the conversation that follows we talked about Osteen’s journey from being a “preacher’s kid” who was afraid to speak in public to a global thought leader who inspires millions through his words, social networks, and public speeches.  We also talked about how Osteen practices his speeches and what he says to himself before he takes the stage.