About the Authors
John Osteen (1921–1999) is the father of well-known pastor and New York Times bestselling author Joel Osteen. He served as a pastor, evangelist, author, and teacher for sixty years. Osteen earned his bachelors degree from John Brown University and his masters degree from Northern Baptist Seminary; he also earned his doctorate from Oral Roberts University. He founded the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas in 1959, and hosted the weekly John Osteen television program for sixteen years, reaching millions of viewers worldwide. He is the author of numerous books, including Becoming a Man of Unwavering Faith, Pulling Down Strongholds, The Confessions of a Baptist Preacher, A Place Called There, and others.
Joel Osteen is the pastor of Lakewood Church, the largest church in America. He is the author of numerous #1 New York Times bestsellers, including Your Best Life Now, It’s Your Time, and Every Day A Friday. Under his leadership, Lakewood Church has grown in every area of ministry, more than quadrupling in size. In the summer of 2005, the church moved into Houston’s seventeen thousand-seat Compaq Arena and became the new Lakewood International Center. He lives in Houston with his wife, Victoria, and their two children.