Don't Preach at Me - Rated 
This type of self-help book turns me off. I don't wish to be "preached" to or sermonized at and I don't like televangelists which is exactly what I thought of the minute he started speaking. I don't like books that lean heavily towards pushing the religion of their view points or expect me to believe in their God. I have my own beliefs and ways I do that.
The author is a pastor at Lakewood Church in Houston Texas. His sermonizing immediately had me turning a deaf ear to what he was saying. I believe you can be A Better You but not in the way he preached to do it.
If you need to find a belief system, this book will give you one way to do that. If you have your own, then you will find this book as irritating as I did.
Joel Osteen's faith-based self-improvement formula - Rated 
In what amounts to a kindly, 375-page sermon, Joel Osteen is "preaching to his choir" - although given his stadium-sized Texas church, his sold-out road show, and his successful TV and Internet broadcasts, Osteen's choir is vast enough to make this another bestseller. The book reflects the content of his motivational sermons and follows their format. Osteen states a simple idea and then repeats it often with only slight variations. He supports each nugget of advice with scripture and testimony from his life, and the lives of his friends, family and congregants. Those who share his Christian-based faith are likely to find resonance here, while others may not. His faith-filled audience will see Osteen's rhythmic preaching as affirming, uplifting and inspiring, but the more cynical or unconverted reader could perceive his "feel good" teachings as simplistic, repetitive and redundant. Still, simple advice is often very accessible. getAbstract believes most readers could find something in the "smiling preacher's" seven key principles that they can use to improve their lives.
Advanced Lessons about Sancification for Christian Believers - Rated 
One of the great pleasures of this book for me was to re-read many of my favorite sermons by Pastor Joel Osteen. No matter how many times I've listened to a sermon that's included here, the Holy Spirit helped me to draw new meaning from reading it in Become a Better You.
Another great benefit was to see the structure that Pastor Osteen used to organize these sermons relative to one another. Just by seeing that structure and thinking about it after finishing the book, I better understood the process of sanctification (the way that Christian believers go about becoming more like Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit).
People who don't know Jesus as their Lord and Savior often think that Christianity is simply about accepting or rejecting Jesus. That's the first step, the step of salvation from our sins. But our relationship with Jesus builds from there through sanctification.
Those who aren't Christians often don't know what large impacts becoming saved and sanctified have. This book is eloquent testimony of how much Christianity does for you here on Earth, long before you die.
Through the many stories (many of them based on his own experiences and those of his family) in the sermons, Pastor Osteen does a marvelous job of showing that transforming experience and potential for even more improvements.
The 31 sermons are organized around seven steps which I have paraphrased as follows:
1. Seek continual improvement and larger challenges.
2. Use your faith to have a positive view of yourself.
3. Improve your relationships with others.
4. Eliminate bad habits and form better ones.
5. Accept your situation.
6. Listen more carefully to and act on God's directions.
7. Embrace life with Godly passion.
Each step concludes with a few action points that allow you to refocus and redirect your life. These are good habits.
The book concludes with a call to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Some would argue that this book is only for Christians. But if you are not a Christian and wonder what the Christian life is like, I think you'll find this book to be interesting and valuable as well.
I was struck that some people think this is a self-help book that should be filled with novel ideas. Pastor Joel Osteen is drawing on the timeless words of the Bible. I'm glad he didn't vary from what God has directed for us.
May God bless you!
Advanced Lessons about Sancification for Christian Believers - Rated
One of the great pleasures of this book for me was to re-read many of my favorite sermons by Pastor Joel Osteen. No matter how many times I've listened to a sermon that's included here, the Holy Spirit helped me to draw new meaning from reading it in Become a Better You.
Another great benefit was to see the structure that Pastor Osteen used to organize these sermons relative to one another. Just by seeing that structure and thinking about it after finishing the book, I better understood the process of sanctification (the way that Christian believers go about becoming more like Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit).
People who don't know Jesus as their Lord and Savior often think that Christianity is simply about accepting or rejecting Jesus. That's the first step, the step of salvation from our sins. But our relationship with Jesus builds from there through sanctification.
Those who aren't Christians often don't know what large impacts becoming saved and sanctified have. This book is eloquent testimony of how much Christianity does for you here on Earth, long before you die.
Through the many stories (many of them based on his own experiences and those of his family) in the sermons, Pastor Osteen does a marvelous job of showing that transforming experience and potential for even more improvements.
The 31 sermons are organized around seven steps which I have paraphrased as follows:
1. Seek continual improvement and larger challenges.
2. Use your faith to have a positive view of yourself.
3. Improve your relationships with others.
4. Eliminate bad habits and form better ones.
5. Accept your situation.
6. Listen more carefully to and act on God's directions.
7. Embrace life with Godly passion.
Each step concludes with a few action points that allow you to refocus and redirect your life. These are good habits.
The book concludes with a call to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Some would argue that this book is only for Christians. But if you are not a Christian and wonder what the Christian life is like, I think you'll find this book to be interesting and valuable as well.
I was struck that some people think this is a self-help book that should be filled with novel ideas. Pastor Joel Osteen is drawing on the timeless words of the Bible. I'm glad he didn't vary from what God has directed for us.
May God bless you!
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