OSTEEN: And there's nothing the enemy would love any more than for you to go around thinking about your faults and weaknesses, all the mistakes you made last week and all the times you messed up last month.

No, don't even go down that road. Quit dwelling on what you've done wrong and start dwelling on what you've done right. You may not be all you're supposed to be, but at least you can thank God you're not what you used to be. And we all make mistakes. But you know what? You need to learn to just be quick to repent. Say God, I'm sorry, forgive me. Help me to do better next time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: We're back with Joel Osteen, the pastor of the Lakewood Church in Houston. The author of "The New York Times" best-seller "Your Best Life Now." He's been called the smiling preacher. You like that?

OSTEEN: It doesn't bother me. I like it.

KING: You do smile a lot.

Fontana, California. Hello. CALLER: Yes -- Joel?

OSTEEN: Yes.

CALLER: I have a question for you. We're a small congregational church here and we'd like to come and see you next month, but you charge to get in and we're a very poor congregation. Why do you charge to get in to your appearances?

OSTEEN: Yes. The only reason we charge -- I hated to charge. The only we charge...

KING: You charge at the church?

OSTEEN: No, no, never. Never.

KING: When you travel?

OSTEEN: Yes.

The only reason we did is because when we went New York to Madison Square Garden they wouldn't let us do an event without doing a ticketed event because of the crowds. We sold it out two nights and we turned so many people away in Anaheim and Atlanta, it was just a shame to do that.

Hey, you know, you need to write the church, because we'll make a way that anybody can get in to those events. I don't like charging.

KING: What do you charge?

OSTEEN: $10.

KING: To Milford, Delaware. Hello.

CALLER: Hi, Joel?

OSTEEN: Yes.

CALLER: I have a question for you.

OSTEEN: OK. Go ahead.

CALLER: OK. I heard years ago that your mother was healed of cancer. Do you know why it's not God's will that everyone is healed of cancer?

OSTEEN: You know, I can't answer that. I think it's a good question...

KING: Do you wonder, though?

OSTEEN: Sure, sure we all do. I don't know what it is and I just know that I'd rather believe and just stay in faith and just hope and you know, that's the best thing to do. That's better in case...

KING: So, you've never had an answer to why he lives and he dies.

OSTEEN: No. We don't. I don't think we do. I think that's in God's hands and I don't understand it. I don't claim to understand it all. I just thank God that my mother was healed and we pray for others and ask for that same mercy on their lives and we've seen it happen. And you know there are others that don't.

KING: How do you balance the personal appearances with the church?

You need to pastor.

OSTEEN: Well, I'm just very careful in that I put my first priority there at the church and I'll take a -- I'll preach the -- a lot of times the same message there at the church on Sunday that a preach on a Friday night event. So, I don't let them take away from the church, but we just wanted to get out and be with the people. So...

KING: Are you out every week?

OSTEEN: No. We went -- we're out 20 weeks this -- or 20 dates this year, but like 15 weeks.

KING: Like concert tours dates?

OSTEEN: Exactly. Just like that.

KING: You're in big arenas?

OSTEEN: Big arenas. Big arenas.

Yes. It's something, Larry, we never dreamed of. I wanted to do some last year and we -- when we went to -- we picked a couple cities and I told some guys on the team, "I don't know if we should get an auditorium of a thousand, or 5,000 or 10,000 and finally I said, "Let's get a basketball arena and we'll turn off the top, you know, the top lights if nobody shows up. We did it in Atlanta and the building was filled up, you know, an hour before and hey had to shut it down. So, you know, God's blessed us.

KING: Do you get a lot of young people?

OSTEEN: Yes, lots of young people. It's good. A lot of young people.

KING: Studio City, California. Hello.

CALLER: Hi, how are you?

KING: Hi.

CALLER: Hi, my name is Tricia (ph), Joel. How are you?

OSTEEN: Good, thank you. CALLER: Good, thank you. I was just interested in finding out: You're such a busy man, how do you juggle family and your personal life and what do you like to do for fun?

OSTEEN: What I like to do for fun is to play basketball, play with my kids, hang out with my family. They're my main friends, my family and I think it's just what you said, we just -- you just have to balance your life. I don't -- it's a big church but I have a good staff. I don't -- unfortunately I don't do the weddings and the funerals and a lot of things that a pastor of a smaller church does.

So, I just -- you know, I made a decision that I don't want my kids to grow up and not know me just because I'm so busy and on Dr. Graham talks about that -- I just I stay at home.

KING: How have you handled fame?

OSTEEN: You know, I never think about it. I never think about it. I don't feel like I changed at all. I haven't changed my routine. I haven't, you know, I don't -- I guess the main thing: I feel a bigger responsibility. I spend plenty of quiet time in the morning searching my heart, staying on the right course and just staying humble before God.

KING: Not let it get to you?

OSTEEN: Not let it get to your head.

Because I've seen too many.

They've been where I am and way past and they've come falling down.

KING: Many people have been calling here telling me -- asking about your schedule. Is it printed anywhere? You know, when you're appearing?

OSTEEN: Yes. It can be on -- it's on the Web site.

KING: And what's that?

OSTEEN: That is JoelOsteen.com. I guess just my name dot-com, I think.

KING: OK. You just go to JoelOsteen.com.

OSTEEN: Yes. They can get it.

KING: And you get the schedule.

OSTEEN: Exactly. We're going to be in Anaheim and back to Madison Square Garden. We have quite a few more dates this year. Love to have people come out.

KING: Do you ever use a show business term: Bomb? In other words, do you ever not connect? Are you ever speaking and like a third of the way in saying, "I don't have 'em?"

OSTEEN: I think so. I think so.

KING: Can't be perfect all the time.

OSTEEN: Even at my own church, sometimes I feel like: You know what, I don't know if they're receiving this and sometimes it's me because I'm tired. Sometimes when I feel I've done the worst, people come up to me and say, "Man, that was great today."

And sometimes, you know, you're looking for a little bit of feedback and if you don't get -- but I just try to stay focused, say, "you know what, I believe this is what I'm supposed to be doing." I'm not perfect.

KING: What do you wonder about the most? Now, I mean, you accept things as they are: He gets cancer, she doesn't. What do you -- what though, boggles your mind about this world?

OSTEEN: What do I wonder about? You know what, Larry?

I don't know. I don't know. Nothing comes to the forefront of my mind. I just...

KING: There's no great searching?

OSTEEN: There's no great thing

KING: Or on going problem?

No, no. I just...

KING: Let's take depression, it affects over 20 million people.

OSTEEN: Sure. Yes, I just think that, you know, I speak a lot about that, and you know, I don't -- I just think, you know, that's just one way that we all have to deal with -- sometimes it's clinically. A lot of times, it's an attitude and it's that we've gotten so focused on, like I said, ourselves and things like that. So, I don't know, Larry. I don't have any great wonderment.

KING: "Let Go of the past," is another one of your seven steps.

That's not easy to do, since the only thing we have right to this minute is our past.

OSTEEN: It is and I should have said let go of the negative things of the past and really my thing is this: You can't receive the new things God wants to do if you won't let go of the old. And bye that I mean, we talk with so many people -- they've been through a bitter divorce and they want to live their life angry. Maybe it wasn't their fault, somebody hurt them and I just think that, you know, dragging yesterday into today, the negative things, is only going to ruin today. So --

KING: You think we choose to be angry? OSTEEN: I think we do. I think we do and over time it becomes a habit and all of a sudden, you know, we think that's just who I am.

No. That's who we've developed into being, because I don't think we have to be like that.

KING: Back with more of Joel Osteen.

More of your phone calls right after this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OSTEEN: Archie and Jack argued for years whether Jesus was white or black. Archie was certain that Jesus was white and Jack was just as sure that Jesus was black. As fate would have it, they both died on the same day and they rushed to the pearly gates and they said, "St. Peter please tell us: Is Jesus white or black? we've been arguing our whole lifetime."

About that time Jesus walked up and said, "Buenos dias."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OSTEEN: Some of you ladies have been wearing the same flannel bathrobe to bed every night that your grandmother gave you 30 years ago. It's got holes in it. It's as ugly as it can be, and you know it doesn't do anything for you, and it certainly doesn't do anything for your husband. One of the best things that you can do for your marriage is to throw that thing away, and go down to Victoria's Secret and get something good that you can wear. You wonder why Victoria and I have a great relationship? It's called Victoria's Secret.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Good line. Houston, Texas, hello.

CALLER: Yes, hi.

KING: Hi, go ahead.

CALLER: I was just wondering what Joel -- hi, Joel. I just finished your book on Saturday. Actually it was audio that my sister sent me two weeks ago and I think it's the best thing I've ever listened to in my life, and I just wanted to thank you. But my question was, I was wondering how old you were?

OSTEEN: I'm 42 years old.

KING: You look 14.

OSTEEN: Thank you.

KING: Bellbrook, Ohio, hello.

CALLER: Yes, my name is Matt Maynard, and Pastor Joel, I'm calling to tell you, my grandma Bebby (ph) and I, we watch you every day and we love you so much and your mom and Victoria, Lisa and Paul, and we know you came from behind the scenes to being the pastor of the church, and I would like to know, what gives you strength to get up in front of all those people every single day? Is it knowing that you touched so many people? And do you get nervous?

OSTEEN: You know, I still get nervous, and I think what gives you strength is, god gives you the grace to do it. You know, just -- now I've done it for six years, so I've got a little more confidence, but yes, it's...

KING: It's only been six years, though?

OSTEEN: That's right.

KING: Grand Forks, North Dakota, hello.

CALLER: Hey, I was calling -- I'm Jerry Lundabee (ph). I attend Bible Baptist Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and one of my -- I have a few questions here. I wonder if you might entertain all of them. My first question was -- is, do you believe that the bible is god's inspired word? I haven't heard you answer that question yet.

KING: And your second question is what?

CALLER: My second question would be -- I don't know -- I heard him talking a little bit ago about how he sees faith getting stronger in America and across the world, and I believe that it's the opposite, that -- we're seeing higher rates of divorce, higher rates of drug and alcohol use among young people, and old, and with abductions, and things like that getting worse and worse.

KING: What do you think, Joel? First, inspired word.

OSTEEN: Yes, I believe the bible is god's inspired word. As far as the other we kind of talked about, I can see his point, but I think there's another point. How can we be moving our church into our basketball arena that seats 16,000 people? I mean, people are hungry for hope and encouragement.

KING: But there's never been more division than now in the United States, politically, certainly.

OSTEEN: That is true. That is true. So, I don't know. You can look at it. We could debate it...

KING: You're a glass-half-full, right?

OSTEEN: I am. I see, like I said, you look back 10 years ago, there was, you know, not that many churches that had over 1,000 or 5,000 people. It's a different day today.

KING: We'll be back with more, and later, in a little while, we'll met Mrs. Osteen. Don't go away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OSTEEN: There's been eagles spotted as high as 20,000 feet, up there where the jets fly. The point is if you want to get rid of your past, you've got to come up higher. Don't ever sink down to their level. Don't ever sink down to their level. Don't try to argue. Don't try to pay somebody back. Don't give them the cold shoulder. Be the bigger person. Overlook their faults. Walk in love. Learn to even bless your enemies. Somebody's talking about you. Somebody's doing you wrong. Just bless them and move on anyway. Let me tell you, in the long run, crows can't hang with eagles. You do that and you'll rise above all that junk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: Hillsboro, Wisconsin with Joel Osteen. Hello.

CALLER: Good evening. Joel, I had the privilege a year ago February of attending Lakewood and got a chance to meet you, and it was really a wonderful experience. My question is, I was just in a conversation with a friend recently, and he said he believed that Lucifer was going to be the last one to enter heaven after the rapture because he believed that god is a forgiving god, and even Lucifer will be forgiven. And that just blew me away. And I wondered what your thought would be on that.

OSTEEN: That sounds odd to me. I've never heard that. And it sounds very off-the-wall to me. So...

KING: I asked Reverend Graham if god loves the devil. Didn't -- couldn't -- he'd never been asked it before.

OSTEEN: I never thought of it either. I don't know.

KING: He loves everything. Does he love...

OSTEEN: I don't know. I'll leave that for Dr. Graham.

KING: Phoenix, Arizona. Hello.

CALLER: Hello, Larry. You're the best, and thank you, Joe -- Joel -- for your positive messages and your book. I'm wondering, though, why you side-stepped Larry's earlier question about how we get to heaven? The bible clearly tells us that Jesus is the way, the truth and the light and the only way to the father is through him. That's not really a message of condemnation but of truth.

OSTEEN: Yes, I would agree with her. I believe that...

KING: So then a Jew is not going to heaven?

OSTEEN: No. Here's my thing, Larry, is I can't judge somebody's heart. You know? Only god can look at somebody's heart, and so -- I don't know. To me, it's not my business to say, you know, this one is or this one isn't. I just say, here's what the bible teaches and I'm going to put my faith in Christ. And I just I think it's wrong when you go around saying, you're saying you're not going, you're not going, you're not going, because it's not exactly my way. I'm just...

KING: But you believe your way.

OSTEEN: I believe my way. I believe my way with all my heart.

KING: But for someone who doesn't share it is wrong, isn't he?

OSTEEN: Well, yes. Well, I don't know if I look at it like that. I would present my way, but I'm just going to let god be the judge of that. I don't know. I don't know.

KING: So you make no judgment on anyone?

OSTEEN: No. But I...

KING: What about atheists?

OSTEEN: You know what, I'm going to let someone -- I'm going to let god be the judge of who goes to heaven and hell. I just -- again, I present the truth, and I say it every week. You know, I believe it's a relationship with Jesus. But you know what? I'm not going to go around telling everybody else if they don't want to believe that that's going to be their choice. God's got to look at your own heart. God's got to look at your heart, and only god knows that.

KING: You believe there's a place called heaven?

OSTEEN: I believe there is. Yes. You know, you've had a lot of the near-death experiences and things like that. Some of that is very, to me, not that you need that as proof, but it shows you these little kids seeing the angels and things like that.

KING: We'll take a break, and when we come back, the better half, Victoria, will join us. Don't go away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTORIA OSTEEN, EVANGELIST/WIFE OF PASTOR JOEL OSTEEN: You see, if you have someone in your life today, and you don't like the way they're treating you, I want to encourage you to take a look at how you're treating them. If you will begin to treat them differently, then you will get a different response. In other words, say your spouse isn't giving you enough love. They're ignoring you. They're not being kind and considerate to you.

Well, see, human nature is to give them a taste of their own medicine, to treat them the same way. But when we do that, we're just going to continue to reap what we're sowing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KING: Joining us now in our remaining moments -- the screen obviously improves -- Victoria Osteen, Joel's wife. How'd you two meet?

V. OSTEEN: In my family's jewelry store. He came in to buy a watch battery. And I sold him a watch. And he says, I've been taking his money ever since.

KING: When did you get into the preaching business? We saw that clip of you?

V. OSTEEN: Well, when Joel went through the transition after his father died, I just -- he wanted me to take part in every service. So I do. I take part in every service. I do just a little encouraging piece. And then, this is my fourth Mother's Day message to bring. So that was on Mother's Day.

KING: Why do you want her in?

OSTEEN: Well, one, she's fantastic. And you know, she just has so much to give. And two, I think it increases our whole reach, to be a team, to do it together. I mean, here's some young people that are excited about God, and you know, there's not a lot of women in the, you know, ministry.

KING: Were you always a believer?

V. OSTEEN: Yes, I was raised as a believer, yes.

KING: What happens when you -- do you two disagree?

V. OSTEEN: Sure. We agree to disagree sometimes, you know.

KING: You ever disagree on biblical philosophy?

V. OSTEEN: No, no. We're very -- we're very much in agreement with the way we believe. And you know, Joel, what's so interesting about Joel's message is that we've been married 18 years. So...

KING: Eighteen years?

V. OSTEEN: We've been married 18 years.

KING: He looks 15 and you look 22.

V. OSTEEN: Oh, OK. Golly, you're younger than me. I'm going to have to do something about that. What I was going to say was, what he speaks every week is exactly the way he lives. It's the way he's always lived.

KING: There's no phony here?

V. OSTEEN: No. And you know, that nonjudgmental, when he sits there and says, you know, I just don't judge that. Do you know that's always the way he's been? He does not judge people. He does not...

KING: I'll bet you do sometimes.

V. OSTEEN: Well, you know what? I've gotten better. I've gotten better living with him. You can't do a whole lot of judging around our house. You'll get in trouble.

KING: (INAUDIBLE) drive you crazy? He's nice. I like him. He wasn't so bad. Don't hang up. He's nice.

V. OSTEEN: He's nice. He's real nice. And he always is nice, but I'm getting nicer. And I like myself better.

KING: What did you think about the Victoria's Secret sermon?

V. OSTEEN: I thought it was probably we all needed to hear that. We can all do better.

KING: Did you think twice before saying go to Victoria's Secret, to prop up the marriage?

OSTEEN: I thought about it, because I write my sermons, and I knew I'd get some letters. But I thought it kind of made the point. And I liked it. And I don't know if it was worth all the heat, but it was fun.

KING: Was there a hush in the crowd?

OSTEEN: No, they laughed. They were dying with me, so.

KING: The natural scheme of life is temptation. It's in front of you every day.

OSTEEN: Sure.

KING: Have you ever been tempted?

OSTEEN: Absolutely. I think we all are, you know. But you have to resist, and you have to keep your mind and your thoughts pure. But I think we all are. And the Bible talks about, you've got to pray to not enter into temptation. It doesn't say to pray that you won't be tempted. We all are.

KING: Had a near slip?

OSTEEN: I never have.

KING: Victoria?

V. OSTEEN: No.

KING: You get tempted to?

V. OSTEEN: Yeah. I eat that pie when I know I shouldn't.

(CROSSTALK)

KING: I'm not talking about that kind of temptation. V. OSTEEN: No, no. Sexual temptation?

KING: Yeah.

V. OSTEEN: No, no. I don't. I don't put things in me which, you know, like a lot of times you can watch a lot of things and you can put things in your mind as a seed, and they can give birth to that kind of thing. But we really try to guard what we watch. We guard what we -- what we allow to come in. And you know, I think that's a lot of it. You have to guard your mind.

KING: Do you think your children have pressure on them to growing up with a famous pastor?

OSTEEN: I don't think so. I mean, maybe they do.

KING: Do you want them to be in the church?

OSTEEN: Oh, I would love them to do something. But I don't know what. Maybe they'll sing. Maybe they'll make movies. Maybe they'll do something -- maybe they'll be a minister. I don't know. But my father never pressured me, and we don't pressure ours. But I do like to expose them to it. Because to me, it's such an opportunity, and we just have such a heritage.

KING: Would you like to do some sermons, just you?

V. OSTEEN: Yes.

KING: Take a rest one week and why don't you do it?

V. OSTEEN: Yeah, well -- I -- well...

OSTEEN: As often as she could. She is more than welcome. And she's great at it. And she does those (INAUDIBLE).

V. OSTEEN: He's so good, though, you know. I like to sit and watch him.

KING: All right, what makes a good evangelist?

OSTEEN: Well, I don't know that I really know, but I think that you have a sincere heart, that you're pure before God and that you've got a relevant, practical message. And I think that's one reason the church has grown is because we've changed with the times. I mean, the music is upbeat. My message is what's going to help you during the week and things like that.

KING: What makes a good evangelist's wife?

V. OSTEEN: Helping him keep his focus. Complimenting him.

KING: Criticizing?

V. OSTEEN: I don't criticize, but I make suggestions.

KING: Does he read you his sermon each week before...

V. OSTEEN: No.

KING: No, you don't know what he's going to say?

V. OSTEEN: No. I don't. I could go up to his office and read it if I wanted to. But since I'm going to hear it so many times...

(CROSSTALK)

KING: You ever get tired of repeating it?

OSTEEN: It gets -- it's -- yeah. It's tiring physically.

KING: You do it five times?

OSTEEN: Yeah, it's physically tiring. But you know what, you just see the people out there, and it's like you said earlier, I realize this is the first time they've come this week. I've got to give it all I've got.

KING: What do you worry about the most?

V. OSTEEN: Probably my children. My children. I don't -- I'm concerned, you know. Because I'm a mother. And I want the best for them.

KING: It's not easy growing up.

V. OSTEEN: It's not. But you know, you have to trust. But I fight that. I fight, you know, not being so fearful, and I just -- but yeah, that's -- my kids.

KING: Do you have a doubt?

V. OSTEEN: I fight doubt, I do, sure. But I resist it. I try to change my thinking. Because it's kind of like this, Larry, you know, Joel says we can choose this. Well, it just makes you aware that there is another way. It makes you aware that there is a possibility. You know, if you've had a tragedy in your life, and you have someone like Joel telling you, you know, you can get over this, and this is how you can do it, you know, it just opens you up to see another way. And unless someone gives you another way to think, you'll never know. So I think that's where it comes, the choosing comes. It's to say, there is another option out there.

KING: You're going to win the award as the happiest people ever to be on this program.

OSTEEN: Thank you.

KING: Thank you, Joel.

OSTEEN: God bless you, Larry. My pleasure.

V. OSTEEN: Thank you. KING: Joel Osteen and Victoria Osteen. Joel is senior pastor of the largest and fastest growing congregation in the United States, the Lakewood Church in Houston. He's called the Smiling Preacher. And you can see why. And his number one "New York Times" best-seller "Your Best Life Now: Seven Steps to Living at Your Full Potential." The companion now published, "Your Best Life Now Journal," and Victoria Osteen, as well.