Lakewood Church

===Prosperity gospel===
Osteen's sermons and writings are sometimes noted for promoting [[prosperity theology]], or the prosperity gospel, a belief that material gain is a reward for pious Christians.<ref name=blumenthal>{{cite news|last=Blumenthal|first=Ralph|title=Joel Osteen's Credo: Eliminate the Negative, Accentuate Prosperity|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/30/books/30oste.html?pagewanted=all |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 30, 2006 |access-date=January 5, 2014}}</ref><ref name=lite>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,318054,00.html |date=December 23, 2007 |access-date=May 13, 2011 |title=Transcript: Pastor Joel Osteen on 'FNS'|quote=Now, as with most successful people, you have critics who say that what you offer is gospel 'lite,' the prosperity gospel. |publisher=[[FOX News]]}}</ref> However, when asked if he is a prosperity teacher, Osteen responded that if prosperity means God wants people to be blessed and healthy and have good relationships, then he considers himself a prosperity teacher, but if it is about money, he does not. He has specifically stated that he never preaches about money because of the reputation of televangelists.<ref name=Interview>{{cite news|title=Joel Osteen: The Man Behind America's Largest Church|url=http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/amazing/osteen_010408.aspx|publisher=CBN.com|access-date=November 16, 2013}}</ref> In an interview with ''[[The Christian Post]]'' on April 21, 2013, Osteen expressed his sentiments on being perceived as being part of the prosperity gospel. "I get grouped into the prosperity gospel and I never think it's fair, but it's just what it is. I think prosperity, and I've said it 1,000 times, it's being healthy, it's having great children, it's having peace of mind. Money is part of it; and yes, I believe God wants us to excel ... to be blessed so we can be a bigger blessing to others. I feel very rewarded. I wrote a book and sold millions of copies; and Victoria and I were able to help more people than we ever dreamed of. But when I hear the term prosperity gospel, I think people are sometimes saying, 'Well, he's just asking for money'."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/interview-joel-osteen-on-life-tragedy-and-why-he-shuns-prosperity-gospel-label-94355/|title=Interview: Joel Osteen on Life, Tragedy and Why He Shuns 'Prosperity Gospel' Label|work=Christian Post|date=April 21, 2013 }}</ref> On October 14, 2007, ''[[60 Minutes]]'' ran a twelve-minute segment on Osteen, titled "Joel Osteen Answers his Critics", during which [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]] theologian [[Michael Horton (theologian)|Michael Horton]] told [[CBS News]] correspondent [[Byron Pitts]] that Osteen's message is [[Christian heresy|heresy]]. Horton stated that the problem with Osteen's message is that it makes religion about us instead of about God.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/11/60minutes/main3358652.shtml |date=October 14, 2007 |access-date=May 13, 2011 |title=Joel Osteen Answers his Critics|publisher=CBS News [[60 Minutes]]}}</ref>   According to the Houston Chronicle Lakewood church’s income was $89m in the year ending March 2017. More than 90 percent of that was raised from church followers and barely 1 percent of its budget went to charitable causes.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-04-18 |title=A preacher for Trump's America: Joel Osteen and the prosperity gospel |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/3990ce66-60a6-11e9-b285-3acd5d43599e |access-date=2023-01-31}}</ref>