Comments on: A Pretty Boy with an Unscriptural Message

By: ada Colorado

ada Colorado — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:47:21 +0000

I am living at El Salvador, i am hearing your podcast 2 months ago daily and must day with earphones at office, car and home
Your preach is like a sword that engraves on me the Word of God every day the 18 hours i am awake. Thank you for your comment, just have an opinion like – Theresa Markham -
All of this may be true, but the fact still remains that Joel helped me transition from non-faithful “recovering Catholic” / New Age-er to the Bible, and ultimately, to a Bible-reader and a Christian growing in my faith daily, often by watching your services online. So, Joel was a transition stage. I wouldn’t have “gotten” your message if I had turned on your channel years ago (in fact, Joel and contemporary worship was even “radical” for me back then) because I just wasn’t ready for it. But now, thanks to having that transition, I am able to read and learn about the Bible & making my life about God’s Will more than I ever dreamed. Sherwood’s movies and your congregation’s faithfulness to God’s plans have touched my life deeply – thank you! —— now with your podcast daily i am learning and studying deeply the bible. Thanks Pastor Michael Catt

By: Cory McDonald

Cory McDonald — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 02:33:42 +0000

Pastor Catt,

I know I’m WAY late on this comment, but I just recently found your blog, so I hope you can excuse my being late on my comments.

I once believed the pretty boy “Pastor”. I smiled and was a positive thinker and all that he “preaches” and things went well for awhile, but then I was laid off from a good paying executive job and then one day out of the blue my wife came home and asked for a divorce. So, in a matter of 6 months I lost a good job and was on the verge of losing my marriage. Now, I admit I wasn’t always the best person to be around to be honest I was almost exactly like Caleb from Fireproof at times, but I did most of the time follow what pretty boy said and was positive and smiled and yada yada. When I moved out of the house my wife, kids, and I shared I leaned on pretty boy for encouragement and a positive outlook on things. One day while sitting at my Mom’s I watched Fireproof for the first time, after it was over I started reading different things online and all of a sudden a voice started talking to me in my brain and was telling me “Now, is the time”, I was confused by this and continued doing what I was doing. After a little while that same voice told me “Now, is the time” for the second time, this went on three more times and I finally figured out what it meant and went into the livingroom and got onto my knees and prayed and rededicated my life for Christ’s service. I then started serving Christ at a local church by handing out boxes of food to people that needed it and prayed for them before they left, read the bible, prayed, and just really lived my life to serve Christ. My marriage has since been restored and we go to church for the first time as a family and I am the spiritual leader of my family (for the first time). A couple of days after I moved back home my wife and I were having dinner and fellowship with some friends I heard pretty boy on tv and looked at everybody and said “He’s lying to everybody and is proud of it. His teachings cannot help you only God and His grace can, it wasn’t his preaching that restored my marriage it was God and only God”.

I think it’s unfortunate that so many people believe the garbage that he’s preaching. I, also think it’s disgraceful that media types like Fox News have turned him into the poster boy for Christianity and Christians because pretty boy is the furthest thing from the poster boy for the God I know and serve.

Thank you for everything you do through your church and it’s ministries, although I am not a member of your church it has helped me a bunch and helped save my marriage.

God Bless,

Cory McDonald

By: George Moore

George Moore — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:41:03 +0000

I agree with you Brother Miclael 100% Pastors/Ministers should speek out aginst false teaching as Jesus did. As in Matthew 16:6 thru 12
Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
So keep up the good work.

By: David C Davis (former member)

David C Davis (former member) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:58:49 +0000

Hey Michael,
great article. I was reading it this afternoon as I was laying in the hospital in Valdosta Ga(had left big toe amputated) and my nurse was in the room and I said, “do you like Joel Osteen?” Oh yes! (Ugh!) I said I was reading an article written by my former pastor at Sherwood, what did he say? He said concerning “It’s your best life now” that according to the garbage he’s spewing out to the feel goods and tell me what I want to hear cause I don’t want to know the truth, that Jesus lied to us about Heaven. Truth is if they were reading the word on a daily basis instead of being spoon-fed they would know themselves, what the truth is. From the room left my nurse, part of those who are being fed a lie being led to slaughter. Thank you Michael for standing in the gap unapologetically and Praise God for 20 years at Sherwood may God grant you 40 more!

By: Mike Arthur

Mike Arthur — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:51:47 +0000

Michael Catt’s comments were well founded. In his response, David Sheffield slamms the pastor without good reason. You are right, Mr. Sheffield, “A kingdom divided cannot stand.” That’s a wonderful quote you used…I like it. But, what “kingdom” are many of these prosperity teachers part of? I’m happy the Lord is blessing your life…but, one day, when you face great hardships…I hope you’ll reconsider Pastor Catt’s words. My wife and I live on the west coast..don’t know Michael Catt or anyone who attends his church…BUT, I wholeheartedly agree with his post. Keep up the GOOD work, Pastor Catt!

By: djnfla

djnfla — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:56:31 +0000

“A pretty boy”…

I have been a Christian since 1980, and I am so sad to see so many Pastors fall away from the Heart of God and be used by the enemy. And while you may disagree with Joel Osteen and his teachings, your comments are so harsh, unGodly, and so far away from the Jesus that I know and serve who loves us and died an unbelievable death to save us, to save even Joel Osteen.

Your comments reveal something in your own heart that is not from God, and truly, I pray that God reveal it to you so that you may stay humble,keep a pure Spirit and and remain in the fear and awe of God that keeps us from pride that allows us to tear down another man that Jesus died for.

God is not too small that he cannot correct Joel if he is in error, so please pray for him and his family. Pray. Love covers…love prays.

A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you.
John 13:34

By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for one another.
John 13:35

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God.
1 John 4:7

By: Sandy Fritz

Sandy Fritz — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:33:01 +0000

I don’t dislike Joel Osteen. Rather, I dislike Joel Osteen masquerading himself to be a “pastor”. He is not. He is a very, very good motivational speaker. Regarding Theresa Markham’s comments: you sound exactly like I did several years ago, Theresa. I believed there was nothing wrong with Joel’s role as “spiritual-bait.” After Joel reeled them in, then “real” pastors could take over and preach the hardcore Truth about Jesus Christ and salvation. You referred to it as a transition stage. I’m happy that you were able to move past Joel’s philosophy and delve deeper into scripture. But what about the forty thousand people in Joel Osteen’s congregation, and the Millions of others who watch him on television, buy his books, tapes, etc., that never move past that “transition stage”? For millions, Joel Osteen is the only “Jesus Christ” they will ever hear about, learn about or experience. That is a sobering and very scary thought to me.

Houston we have a problem. And it’s not NASA.

Years back I bought dozens of Joel’s books and gave them to friends. I will regret that until the day I die. Not one of them moved beyond the Joel Osteen-transition. Their knowledge of Christ is Joel holding up a Bible reciting his infamous, “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’ll never be the same. In Jesus name, God bless you.” Tossing “in Jesus name” at the end of a Christ-less mantra is insulting.

My prayer is that Joel Osteen will stop making it so difficult for genuine pastors and step out of the pulpit and join the ranks of Tony Robbins and other motivational speakers. That is where he belongs.

By: Craig Giddens

Craig Giddens — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:55:59 +0000

What about all of those “conservative” Baptist pastors who stand in American pulpits every week proclaiming the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God who then turn around and correct it saying certain words, phrases, and even whole verses shouldn’t be there or a particular word is a poor translation. God is not near as concerned about Joel Osteen as He is hypocritical Baptist preachers.

craig giddens / warner robins georgia

By: Zack Hardin

Zack Hardin — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:04:00 +0000

What is the purpose of this blog? I have many more questions depending on the answer.

By: Brando

Brando — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:59:44 +0000

So you’ve framed the problem. What’s the solution?