Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend? We appreciate you and pray God's very best in your life. And God bless you, it is always a joy to come into your homes. We love you and we're praying that you're going to have a blessed, prosperous year if you're ever in our area.

I hope that you'll stop by and visit one of our services. I promise you will make you feel right at home. But thank you so much for tuning in today. And I'd like to get started each week with something funny. So listen to this one. A minister bought a new horse and trained it to respond to Praise the Lord, meaning giddy up and Hallelujah, meaning while and his friends were so impressed he'd shout Praise the Lord and he'd take off running when he shouted Hallelujah, it quickly stop.

Well, one day while out riding, the horse got spooked and took off, running straight toward a cliff, he frantically yelled, Whoa! But nothing happened. He then remembered he told the horse something different but couldn't remember what it was. He shouted at me and glory blessed God. Finally, right before the edge of the cliff, he shouted, Hallelujah! And the horse came to a screeching halt. He breathed a sigh of relief and said, Praise the Lord.

All right, hold your Bibles up and say it like you made it ready. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do today. I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same. I am about to receive the incorruptible, indestructible, ever living side of the word of God.

I'll never be the same. Never, never, never, never be the same in Jesus name. God bless you. You sound great as usual. We've been talking about breaking the strongholds of the past and how negative things can keep getting passed down from generation to generation. The decisions that we make, they don't just affect ourselves. They affect our children and their children and on and on. And the Bible talks about how the iniquity of the fathers can be passed down for three or four generations.

That simply means bad habits, addictions, negativity, wrong mindsets. Those are all inequities that can be passed down. And some of you are struggling in areas right now because of the choices people have made that have gone before you. Many times you can look back and see it somewhere in your family life. And it's so important that we recognize what's happening and not just be passive and think, well, this is just the way I am. The it's been in my family for years and years now.

You need to rise up and do something about it. It may have been there for years, but the good news is it doesn't have to stay there. You can be the one to put a stop to it. You can be the one to choose the blessing and not the curse. There's been a lot of talk recently in the news about all the research being done to try to pinpoint certain genes. And now they're trying to find out why certain traits are being passed down, traits like addictions, eating disorders, even depression.

And these researchers can see a definite pattern, but they can't quite put their finger on it. Is it genetic or is it environmental? Is it hereditary? And sure, all those things can play a role. But I believe the major factor is a spiritual reason. They call it having some family baggage, but the Bible calls it an inequity. We have to understand the negative things in our family's bloodline will keep getting passed down from generation to generation until somebody rises up and puts a stop to it.

And it's interesting how it all got started. Way back with Adam and Eve. They disobeyed. And that decision didn't just affect themselves, it affected their children. Do you know who the first murder was in the Bible? It was Adam's son, Kane. You know who the second murderer was? It was one of Kane's descendants, a man by the name of Lambic. That iniquity kept getting passed down through generations of Keen's offspring. It was in their family line.

And many of the things we struggle with today, it's because somebody, somewhere in our family line gave in to it and now we're having to deal with it. And no, we shouldn't use that as an excuse, but we should recognize what's happening. And we need to be more determined than ever that we are going to be the ones to put a stop to it. I was talking to this young lady the other day and she struggles with anorexia and she explained to me how her mother had it and her aunt had it and her sisters had it and cousins and on and on this one sickness was practically tearing this family apart.

And listen, that's not just a coincidence. That's a negative, destructive spirit that keeps getting passed down. And it will continue until somebody makes the choice for the blessing and not the cars. And that's not just a physical battle. That is a spiritual battle as well. You got to take authority over those things in the name of Jesus. We've all heard about the Kennedy curse. The media makes a big deal about it. And it started way back even before President Kennedy was assassinated in nineteen sixty three.

There were other untimely deaths in that family. And of course, recently it's come to light with the death of his son, John F. Kennedy Jr.. And I don't believe that that's just bad luck. I don't believe that's just a coincidence. That is a spiritual force that's trying to drag that family down. And I would encourage you to examine the areas in your life where you constantly struggle in the areas where it seems like something's trying to drag your family down.

Maybe it's divorce, poverty, addictions, abuse, depression, even sicknesses. I have this friend and practically every male in his family has had a heart attack and died by the time they were 50 years old. And he's about forty eight right now, and you can imagine how uptight and worried he is, but I told him just what I'm telling you today, you can be the one to break that curse. I told him, don't you dare start planning your funeral.

Don't you dare start planning on having that heart attack. You stand against it. I said you eat, right? You exercise and you say every day with long life, God is satisfying me and showed me his salvation.

Friends, you got to make the choice for the blessing and not the curse.

You've got to recognize what's happening and do something about it. Don't just keep passing it down from generation to generation. And the truth is, it may not have been from any great wrong that was done. Sometimes these things can come just because some event that has occurred where somebody opened the door to the enemy, maybe they opened the door to fear, to anxiety, to worry. I heard an interesting story about this young couple, and their son was just starting the first grade and he was so excited about it.

It's very outgoing and energetic, had a bunch of friends. But after a couple of months, he started having these real bad panic attacks there at the school and he'd get all upset and afraid that his parents weren't going to come back and pick him up. And so they'd have to get the parents on the phone and they would tell him how much they loved him. And of course, they're going to be back as soon as school was over, but they just could not come down.

That didn't work. And so time after time, these parents would have to rush up to the school and assure their child that everything was OK. And this family was the most loving family you can imagine. There was no reason in the natural for the child to feel this way. They had never left him any place before and never shown him anything except love and affection. But it continued month after month, and it got so bad that when the child was at home, he would not leave his mother's side.

He would follow her from room to room. If she went outside, he was right there. And if for some reason he couldn't find her, he would just burst into another one of these panic attacks. And the couple was so frustrated, you know, really is just breaking their heart. But one day the father was talking to his father, the child's grandfather. And as he explained the situation, it was just like a light turned on in the grandfather's mind.

He said, Son, I know exactly what's wrong with your child. He said, When I was a little boy in the first grade, my father suddenly died. And I was so afraid and so scared that when my mother would try to walk me to school, I would cry so hard, thinking that she may not come back many times she'd just turn around and take me back home. The point I'm making is that fear didn't originate with that little boy.

It was passed down because of that traumatic event in the grandfather's life. I'm not trying to get spooky and scare anybody. The point I'm making is that things can get passed down that we didn't have anything to do with. And you can't just deal with it in the physical sense. You can't just try to use your sheer willpower to overcome. That is a spiritual battle. This couple begin to really pray, and every day they bound the stronghold of fear and they stood against that curse the day that young man is completely set free, living a normal, healthy life.

But that's why I encourage you to examine the areas in your life where you continually struggle. I know people today they are living under a spirit of depression and it keeps getting passed from generation to generation. No joy, no victory, no enthusiasm. I've even seen it in little children. All these other kids can be out laughing play and having a good time. But this other child is over here serious and solemn, not even enjoying his childhood. That's a spirit of depression.

I've known men that have everything in the world going for them, a great family. They make plenty of money. They're accomplishing their dreams, but they're just never really happy. They're never fulfilled. It's like something's always bugging them and just stealing their joy and peace and victory friends. That's not normal. That is a spirit of defeat, a spirit of discouragement. You've got to do like that young couple and rise up and stand against it. You can be the one to break the curse in your family.

Don't just sit back and say, well, Joe, we've always been negative. I've always had this addiction or everybody in my family gets married and divorced two or three or four different times. Now, why don't you be the one to say enough is enough? I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired, and it's for me and my family. We're choosing the blessing and not the curse.

Hey, man, why don't you be the one to stand against the forces of darkness and to break those strongholds that are keeping you in bondage? See, the scripture says there in Proverbs twenty six to that the curse does not come without a cause. That means when we have issues to deal with addictions, bad habits, dysfunctions, either we've made bad choices or somebody in our family line has made some bad. Choices, but there's a reason a child grows up to become an alcoholic.

There's a reason a child becomes an abusive parent. There's a reason a young man is sent off to prison. Doesn't just randomly happen. Somebody somewhere opened the door to the enemy. And if you're struggling with things today that does not make you a bad person, you should not go around guilty and condemned because you've got some things to overcome. Many times wasn't even your fault. Somebody else made the poor choices and now you're having to deal with it.

But I would challenge you don't use that as an excuse to stay the way you are. You got to dig your heels in and do something about it. And one of the first steps to overcoming is to recognize what you're dealing with. Identify don't ignore it. Don't just try to sweep it under the rug and hope that it's going to go away. No, you've got to call a spade a spade. If you're lazy and undisciplined, don't make excuses.

Just admit it and say, you know what, I'm going to deal with this. If you've got an anger problem or if you're losing your morals or maybe you don't treat people right, don't try to convince yourself that you do admit it and deal with it. The scripture says and James five 16, confessed your faults one to another and pray for one another that you may be he'll notice. You've got to be honest enough with yourself to confess your faults.

And sometimes you're going to have to find a good Christian friend and say, you know what, I need your help. I'm struggling in this area and I need you to pray with me. So often we do just the opposite. We think, man, I'm not going to tell anybody about this. What would they think of me? I'd be embarrassed. No, swallow your pride and get the help you need so you can be free. I know this man.

And he came out of a very violent, angry home and he ended up getting hooked on drugs and selling drugs himself. And he was just living a very angry life altogether. But to make a real long story short, one day he gave his life to the Lord and he started pastoring this church and he was doing great. It was growing and growing. He was well respected in the community, going all over the place, sharing his story, how God had really changed his life.

But what people did not know was that he still had a very serious anger problem. God had delivered him from all these other bad habits, addictions, drugs, alcoholism. But he still really struggled with this anger and he would never show it in public. But if something went wrong at home, he'd just go into a fit of rage. I mean, it wasn't normal. He was violent. And he told how he could not control it. Many times the smallest, most insignificant things would just set him off and he would erupt.

And he was very abusive to his wife, physically and verbally. He would throw things and just treat her so bad. And really, it was a very dangerous situation. And when he would finally calm down, she would say to him, honey, we have got to go get some help. We've got to go talk to somebody about this problem. But he told her he was too embarrassed. He said, man on the pastor of the church, I'm supposed to be the example.

How could I ever tell anybody I've got this terrible problem? But see, the scripture says, confess your faults so you can be healed. And some of you today, and I don't mean this wrong, but you will never overcome what you're struggling with all by yourself. You've got to find a friend, a mentor, a pastor or a or find somebody that will stand with you, find somebody that will pray with you, find somebody that will hold you accountable.

The thing you've got to understand is just because you've got some things you're dealing with, that doesn't mean that you're a bad person. We have to get past this misconception that because we love God, we come to church and people look up to us and we're supposed to be perfect. Now, it doesn't always work that way. And if you have an anger problem today or if you have a problem watching things that you shouldn't, maybe you've got some kind of hidden addiction or maybe you're in a relationship you know you shouldn't be in.

Let me challenge you. Don't try to beat that on your own and don't hide it because you're too embarrassed. Find a good Christian person that will stand in faith with you.

And I'm not saying that you have to announce it to the world, but you need to find one person that you can really trust. And as you do your part, God will help you to overcome. This pastor told how the reason that he wouldn't tell anybody for a long time was because he thought something was wrong with him. He couldn't understand how God had delivered him from all these other bad addictions, but he still had this serious anger problem. And he told how, even when he was enraged, even when he was attacking.

So deep down on the inside, he would be saying to himself, why am I doing this? Why can't I stop? What is wrong with me? The problem was that anger had been in his family land a long time and it wasn't as easy to overcome as some of those other habits. And he had to get past the fact of what everybody was going to think of him. And he went and got some help. And as he confessed his faults and his he stood against the forces of darkness, God set him free completely.

Today, he's one of the most kind, gentle people you will ever meet. And in the same way, you can beat anything that's come against you that no matter what it is, there's no addiction that's too hard for her. God, there's no strong hold that he can't set you free from. Doesn't matter how long you've had. It didn't matter how many times you've tried and failed. Today is a new day. And if you will be honest with yourself and recognize what you're dealing with and find somebody to hold you accountable, then you too can start living under the blessing and not the curse.

You can break that junk off of you and offer your descendants. And you may be here today. And you were raised in a home just like this man where it was violent, angry, negative, abusive. Maybe all you saw model growing up were bad habits, addictions and abuse. But don't use that as an excuse to stay the way you are. You may have been dealt a very tough hand in life to deal with. Maybe the way you were raised is the reason you act a certain way.

That may be the reason you get angry and you really struggle, but thank God you don't have to stay that way. Let me challenge you to take responsibility for your actions. God has given you your own free will. You can choose to change. You can choose to set the new standard. And every right choice you make, you start to overturn the wrong choices that other people have made. Every time you resist that temptation, you are one step closer to your victory.

You may have a very negative history behind you, but you don't have to perpetuate it. We can't change the past, but we can change the future by making right choices today.

But the sad thing is, most of the time, hurting people end up hurting other people. You would think. When we come out of a negative environment, we would be so quick to change. You hear people say it all the time. Well, man, I'm never going to raise my kids like that or I'll never treat my wife the way my father treated my mother. But the truth is, more often than not, we end up doing exactly what we said we would never do because that spirit is being passed down.

And if you were raised in an angry, violent home, unless you rise up and break that thing, there's a real good chance you will treat your children the same exact way. I know people that were abused physically and verbally growing up. And you would think since they suffered so much and went through all that pain, they would stay far away from it. But all the studies tell us people that have been abused are the most likely to become abusers.

Why is that? It's not because they want to they know how destructive it is. It's because that negative spirit keeps getting passed down from generation to generation. But thank God you and I can do something about it. The scripture says in Ephesians that our fight is not against flesh and blood, but we fight in the spiritual round. It is a spiritual battle. You've got to rise up and say, I'm taking authority over this thing and I am not going to live this way and always remember greater.

Is he that in you than he does in the world. That means you can do what you need to do. Don't just sit back and accept the status quo. No, rise up and do something about it. We can't change the events of the past, but we can change our futures. And I don't know about you, but I want to make it easier on my children. I want to make it better for my grandchildren and for future generations.

What I find interesting is women that were raised in abusive environments where they weren't treated right by their father or by the men in their life. When they grow up most of the time they will be attracted to a man just like that. Somebody that continues to abuse and mistreat their studies tell us that women very often will marry somebody just like their father. And that's why it's so important, fathers, that we go out of our way to love and respect our wives.

Our children should see us being kind and courteous. You should open the car door for your wife, do everything you can, knowing there's a very good chance your daughter is going to gravitate to somebody that's just like you. I know Victoria's father. He treated her like a queen. I mean, when she was growing up, he was so kind and considerate and loving. He still is to this day. When she used to live at home, he'd go get her car filled up with gas for bring her breakfast in bed, anything she needed.

He was always there. And I know I'm not perfect. I'm probably not like that. But I hear Victoria saying all the time, Joel is just like my father. But see, that's what I want my children to see. I want them to see me being good to my wife, loving her, respecting her, going out of my way to be good to her.

I know that is planning a seed in their heart. I know that's what my daughter is going to expect out of a man. That's what I want to pass down to future generations. But really, when we hear a message like this today, we've got to be careful that we don't get out of balance and just blame everything on the past. Well, you know, it's not my fault. It's how I was raised. Now, don't fall into that trap.

So many people play the blame game today when I'm depressed because my mother was depressed or I can't break these addictions because everybody in my family has these addictions. No, take responsibility for your actions. You may have had some unfair things in the past that have made it more difficult on you, but your attitude should be, I'm not going to sit around and moan and complain about how I was raised or about how somebody treated me. This is the life God has given me and I will make the very most of it.

I will start making good choices starting today. I have never seen a day when people pass the blame as much as they do today.

You hear excuses all the time. Well, I'm angry because you made me angry or I didn't pay my bills last month because I didn't get that raise. I was expecting our ladies. Have you ever heard this one? I'm irritable today because it's my time of the month. I've got PMS. What does that stand for? Pretty mean, sister.

But please understand the message today is not about passing the blame. Well, I always knew something was wrong with me. Duale told me it's my parents fault. I know that may be part of it, but what I'm also telling you is you can do something about it. And we've heard a whole lot about the generational curse. But what's just as important is our generational choice.

We don't have to stay the way we are. And some of you today, all you've seen model growing up was defeat and mediocrity. People that didn't pay their bills. Are you in in strife, abuse and addictions. And if you're not careful, you just think that's the norm and you'll do the same thing. The problem is the culture you were raised in was not right. That culture was negative. You can't just sit back and accept it. You got to set a new standard.

You got to take responsibility for your actions and don't just do things because that's all you've ever seen done. I heard about this couple that just recently had gotten married, and the young man noticed that when his wife would cook a ham, she would always cut the ends of the ham. And he thought that was so strange. And he wondered why she was waste in that part of the ham. And one day he got his nerve up and he asked her, Honey, why do you cut the ends off the ham?

And she said, Well, my mother made the best hams in all the world and she always cut the ends of the ham. He said, Well, I understand, but you know why she did. She said now he said, well, let's call your mom up and ask. So they called her up and said, hey, you know what? My wife cuts the ends off the ham. And she said, she does it because you did it.

Why do you do it? And she said, well, my mother made the best hams in all the world and she always got the hands off. The ham needs to understand that. But you know why she did? She said, no, I have no idea. I said, well, let's call up grandmother. And so they call the grandmother up and he explained it all, my wife, because the ends off because your daughter does. And she said she does it because you do it.

Can you please tell us why did you always cut the ends off the ham? Grandmother laughed and said, that's easy because my pan was too little. The point I'm making is don't just do what you've seen people do before. Find out why you're doing things if you can get serious. One more minute. Some of you today, you're allowing strife in discord in your home. There's always this arguing in fighting and is because it's the way you were raised.

But understand, that's not God's best. Why don't you set a new standard? Some of you don't pay your bills on time. You don't have the integrity you should and is because nobody in your family did. But please don't just do the same thing. Why don't you raise the bar? Some of you always negative and critical. And it's simply because you came out of such a negative environment. You don't know any better. But now don't pass that junk down.

You've got to choose the blessing and not the cars. And so my message to you today is dig your heels in and put a stop to any of the negative junk that's in your family's bloodline. May have been there for years and years, but today is a new day and you can be the one to make a difference. And remember, this is a spiritual battle. You've got to take authority over all the strongholds that are keeping you in bondage.

One of the first things you got to do is recognize what it is, identify it, get it out in the open and deal with it. Fringe's, God has a place of victory in store for every one of you. And you may come from a long line of negative things, but always know this. Every right choice you made, you are turning around the wrong choices other people have made. So pass down only good things, take responsibility for your actions.

And if you do that, you'll see God's blessings in favor and you'll experience the victories he has in store.

Hey man, how many of you receive it this morning? We never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to meet Jesus, the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, our repent of my sins come into my heart and make you my Lord and Savior friends. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible based church. Keep God first place.

He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed up.

Thank you for listening to the Toulouse Dime podcast. Help us continue to share the message of hope with those all over the world. Visit Joel Osteen, dotcom slash. Give Hope to give a gift today. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope you subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you next time.