The Truth About Oprah's Connection To Joel Osteen

Former daytime talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has a lot of connections to other famous people. In fact, some people became famous or got even more famous after appearing on her long-running successful namesake program, says ABC News. The likes of these people include journalist Gayle King, Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, and more.

Those relationships with Winfrey have afforded them life-changing opportunities. When Winfrey launched her own television network, she continued using her star power to bring attention to those people and issues she wanted her audience to know. She also used her network programming to shed light on major life lessons, particularly on her program, "Oprah's Lifeclass." Megachurch pastor Joel Osteen appeared as a guest on the show (IMDb) twice in 2012 (posted on YouTube). In these episodes, the pair discusses personal peace and how prioritizing that can give one a sense of purpose and empowerment. And just as Winfrey changed lives, Osteen would evidently change hers.

One of Osteen's many available sermons online is titled "The Power of 'I Am'" (also on YouTube). Reportedly, this is the sermon that Winfrey says changed the way she saw her life. It is also a very popular video of Osteen's that millions of others have seen. Perhaps due to criticism of the speech for its interpretation of Christian values and principles (per Challies), it makes one curious as to what the legendary talk-show host heard that was life-changing and why the sermon has become so popular.

Winfrey and Osteen had previously spoken of the keys to maintaining one's power, so it's no wonder his preaching struck a chord with her. In his sermon, he talks about everything from self-worth and the outside forces that make us feel insecure to how we react and internalize it and how negative thinking can impact how one can view oneself. He also said that having an attitude such as foreseeing weight gain or something like clumsiness, will only attract it.

Winfrey never specified what area of Osteen's 30-minute long teaching connected with her the most, but in the past she has publicly battled self-image issues mostly surrounding her drastic changes in weight. It's an issue she's openly discussed on her show many times since the late '80s (via Oprah), and continues to talk about (via People magazine). But seeing as how he's changed her life, presumably in a positive way, Winfrey no doubt feels a personal connection to the Texas-based pastor that she likely holds dear — despite the many who may not understand it.