It was 1998, and the cameras at Lakewood Church rolled for what would unknowingly become John Osteen’s final televised sermon. The sanctuary glowed with the familiar warmth of Sunday morning light streaming through tall windows, the choir standing ready, and the congregation leaning forward, eager for a word from the man who had shepherded their faith for decades.
Pastor Osteen stepped to the pulpit with that same steady presence he’d carried since the first day he founded Lakewood. His Bible, worn at the edges from years of study and prayer, rested open before him. His voice — confident yet tender — began to weave scripture into something more than words. It was an assurance, a promise:
“My destination… is Heaven.”
He spoke not as a man fearing the end, but as one looking toward home. He talked of the believer’s journey, the trials that shape us, and the eternal hope waiting beyond life’s final horizon. His words carried the quiet conviction of someone who had spent a lifetime walking the path he preached — not from the safety of a pulpit alone, but in hospital rooms, kitchen tables, and countless moments of private prayer with those who needed it most.
As he moved through his message, there was an unshakable peace in his tone. He spoke of Heaven not as an abstract reward, but as a place already alive in his heart. “One day,” he said with a soft smile, “I will step from this life into the arms of my Savior. And I know… I’ll be home.”
The congregation responded with gentle “amens,” some wiping away tears. It wasn’t sadness that filled the room, but something deeper — the shared recognition of a faith lived out fully, right to the end.
Weeks later, when news spread of John Osteen’s passing, those who had been present that day, and those watching on television, realized the weight of what they had witnessed. That final sermon wasn’t just a message — it was his farewell, his testimony, his benediction.
More than two decades have passed since that broadcast, yet the words still circulate, replayed in hearts and in recordings:
“My destination is Heaven.”
And for those who knew him, whether in person or through the reach of a TV screen, it remains a reminder of the faith that built Lakewood Church — and the eternal home John Osteen spoke of with such unshakable certainty.