Lakewood Church (Houston, Waco, Sugar Land: renting, hotel, home)

[AcresHomes44]

If you're from Houston or the vicinity, then you heard of Lakewood Church in random conversation even if you don't go there. You can get to Lakewood from Sugar Land; take 59 north and you're right there. A lot of people take issue with Joel Osteen, but they forget his father had the same preaching style; he was about encouragement and tied it to God's word. I remember when the church first began in an abandoned NE Houston feed store. Right now, Joel Osteen is the most famous megachurch preacher in Houston.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

At its widest point the Grand Canyon stretches 18 miles (29 kilometres) across. At its narrowest point it stretches 4 miles (6.4 kilometres) across. The Grand Canyon is around 6000 (1800 metres) feet deep. The Colorado River runs through the Grand Canyon, it has been eroding its steep sides for millions of years.

[kreeyax]

The Astros won all three games in Washington, D.C. On Tuesday they'll be playing back home in Houston. You can get to Minute Maid Park from Cypress; take I-10E and exit Hamilton St. and you're right there.

[mikeyyc]

My cat's breath smells like cat food.

- R. Wiggum

[Snapper_head]

The Branch Davidians are a religious cult founded in 1959 by Ben Roden as an offshoot of the Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist Church, which had been established by Victor Houteff in the 1930s. His ideas were rejected by Adventist leaders, and in 1935, Houteff and his followers settled near Waco and began preparing for the Second Coming. Houteff's group eventually moved to a farm near Waco, Texas, but by 1962 Roden and his followers had taken possession of the settlement, which was known as Mt. Carmel. The Branch Davidians are most associated with the Waco siege of 1993, a 51-day standoff between Branch Davidians and federal agents that ended when the group's compound near Waco, Texas, was destroyed in a fire. Nearly 80 people were killed.

[RCH99]

D’you know the human head weighs eight pounds?

- Jerry McGuire

[snj90]

He wrote a book, "Your Best Life Now"...


As John MacArthur put it, "the only way this could be your best life is if you're going to hell."




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDuDN2FtrIo

[Snapper_head]

Ok, time to be serious here. What do people think about Lakewood? I’ll go first.

I think it’s kind of cool that Houston has a nationally famous televangelist. I mean, if there’s going to be a nationally famous televangelist, I’d rather him be from Houston than be from anywhere else.

Second of all, Lakewood holds services in a former pro basketball arena. That’s even cooler. Not many churches are that ridiculously over-the-top big. If Osteen could maybe levitate, or shoot lasers out of hands during sermons, that would be the next step.

Joel Osteen, however, is kind of like Mister Rogers with curly hair. He’s like a muppet with legs. He needs to be a little more edgy, maybe like Bono with the leather jacket and dark shades.

The other churches in town seem to think Osteen is fluff. I‘ve watched a few of his sermons and it was like “if you pray hard enough, you will get rich”. Then I think Osteen got tired of people picking on him for not having a real divinity degree or ever quoting scripture. So then I think Osteen overcompensated by injecting too many scripture quotes into every sermon, which probably just bored his audience. And then I lost track. That was about 10 years ago.

And Victoria Osteen is interesting. She’s like a creepy inflatable life-size Barbie doll ordered from an adult shopping site, but with more Botox.

[elnina]

^^^ I agree... Lots of people don't feel good about the church and Joel Osteen...

http://www.city-data.com/forum/houst...eel-about.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/houst...se-prayer.html

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by Snapper_head

Ok, time to be serious here. What do people think about Lakewood? I’ll go first.

I think it’s kind of cool that Houston has a nationally famous televangelist. I mean, if there’s going to be a nationally famous televangelist, I’d rather him be from Houston than be from anywhere else.

Second of all, Lakewood holds services in a former pro basketball arena. That’s even cooler. Not many churches are that ridiculously over-the-top big. If Osteen could maybe levitate, or shoot lasers out of hands during sermons, that would be the next step.

Joel Osteen, however, is kind of like Mister Rogers with curly hair. He’s like a muppet with legs. He needs to be a little more edgy, maybe like Bono with the leather jacket and dark shades.

The other churches in town seem to think Osteen is fluff. I‘ve watched a few of his sermons and it was like “if you pray hard enough, you will get rich”. Then I think Osteen got tired of people picking on him for not having a real divinity degree or ever quoting scripture. So then I think Osteen overcompensated by injecting too many scripture quotes into every sermon, which probably just bored his audience. And then I lost track. That was about 10 years ago.

And Victoria Osteen is interesting. She’s like a creepy inflatable life-size Barbie doll ordered from an adult shopping site, but with more Botox.

Just another one of many hacks who want to separate one from their hard earned money. I recall when I became of age, an adult I mean... I was new to Houston, and did not have any money for anything. There was no cable TV for me, and so I watched what was on TV.

I used to channel surf, and I would stop when I would hear someone preaching. Not that I needed, or wanted it, or was looking for it, but I challenged myself to see who could convince me to pick up the phone to listen to a "free" prayer. Really?

The televangelist, to me, was captivating. Not for the message, but I honestly listened to learn how low these scumbags would go to get people to send them money. But what got me was what they were selling. Dolls for $1500. Lifetime memberships for $2000. Or, you could buy a timeshare for a religious type park, complete with resort amenities. You could "donate" $100 and get a Christmas mug... about 25 cents from China.

You had to "pay" to be saved, according to them. You had to pay so you could keep them on the air. Always begging for money to be on the air. For decades I tuned in now and again, and they were still begging for money. Every single damn one of them. Men, and women.

Something interesting happened as the Internet grew, and developed. All these snake-oil salesmen were exposed. Renting cheap hotel rooms and hiring whores, embezzling money, and just plain old corrupt theft. And when they were busted, what did they do? Well they asked you to pray yet again because the "devil made me do it".

So Joel is just like them, just more polished. His church spews out words of encouragement, just diarrhea of the mouth. He always makes sure to include "the Lord", and "God" in his sentences now and again as a shield, because you cannot question, or criticize "Lord", or "God". I don't have a problem with motivational speakers, and that is what Joel is, but then he will try go get your money "later".

I am not against religion, far from it. I don't have a problem with traditional local places of worship of any religion, but when you beg for money all day, 24x7 on 50 something TV channels local in Houston, well, there is a problem there, for me anyway. Lakewood is just the Cadillac.

My opinions here of course, I'm not saying this to change anyone's mind. Some people find him comforting, good for them.