Embracing the Power of Faith with Nick Nilson

This episode of the Pivotal People podcast is a riveting journey of faith and resilience featuring our special guest, Nick Nilson. Nick's story is one that takes us from his small hometown in Wisconsin to his remarkable transformation into an Associate Pastor at Lakewood Church in Houston with pastor Joel Osteen , serving a congregation of 30 to 40,000 people weekly.  Nick's life is a testament to the healing power of faith and the potential each one of us has in our  lives.

Nick's new book has made the USA Today Bestseller list and it's a great read. It's title is based on Nick's personal experience: "You Can Live the Dream: Trading Disappointment and Discontentment for Peace, Joy and Fulfillment,"

Diving into the heart of his narrative, Nick shares the profound shift from his football dreams to becoming an influential pastor. He underscores the importance of having faith even in the face of adversity. His powerful message of hope encourages listeners not to resist the challenges life throws at them. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of seeing these closed doors as opportunities for greater things. Nick's inspiring words are a beacon of light that guides us towards finding our own purpose amidst the chaos.

In the latter part of our conversation, Nick speaks about the undeniable power of serving others. He believes that each one of us has been given influence and it's our prerogative on how to use it. Nick encourages us to use this influence to uplift others and spread positivity. He also underscores the significance of community outreach, and the role we all can play in making a difference. Join us for this episode, filled with insights that will make you reflect on your life, your struggles and the incredible potential you hold to make a difference.

Connect with Nick at https://www.nicknilson.com/

You can order his book from Amazon HERE

Order Stephanie's new book Imagine More: Do What You Love, Discover Your Potential

Learn more at StephanieNelson.com
Follow us on Instagram @stephanie_nelson_cm
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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:24

Well, I would like to welcome Nick Nilsson to the Pivotal People podcast and I'm really thankful he could come on because he's just come out with a great book. It is called you Can Live the Dream Now. Hold on. Listen to the tagline Trading disappointment and discontentment for peace, joy and fulfillment. I've read every word of the book. I have highlighted it like crazy. I just said to Nick you know, I feel like I know him so well because I'm a great person. I've read his deeply personal book. He doesn't know me from Adam, but I'm just thankful he'll talk with us today and Nick, you have such an incredible story. Nick is an associate pastor at Lakewood Church, which is the largest church in the country. You may have heard of it. He's been there, I believe, 16 years. I've heard him explain his story in other places, so I'm going to turn it over to him immediately because it's so wonderful. Welcome, and could you tell us a little bit about what you do and what you're doing at your church and a little bit about how amazing your church is?

Speaker 2: 1:28

Well, stephanie, first thank you for having me on this platform and your space. Love your podcast. I've actually listened to some of your interviews and listened to a lot of what you've had to say and how you've encouraged and inspired so many. So thank you for allowing me to come into your space and take some time with you. So I'm honored. Yeah, so I've been at Lakewood for 16 years and I grew up a Midwest kid. My dad was, you know. I don't know if you want a whole lot of history or if you want me to just kind of stay in what I'm doing now. Do you want a little bit of background or do you want me to kind of hang with what I'm doing now?

Speaker 1: 2:01

I think it's both. I'd love to hear what you're doing now, because there might be one person on the planet who hasn't heard of Lakewood Church.

Speaker 2: 2:07

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1: 2:08

Then I love your backstory.

Speaker 2: 2:11

I'm at Lakewood Church. I'm an associate pastor essentially as of now. That just means doing whatever Pastor Joel Osteen needs me to do, and I love him, I love our team, I love the staff that I'm surrounded by, and Lakewood Church has been around 60 plus years and has an amazing story. I really believe it's a God story and it started with John and Dodie Osteen Like I said, some 60 plus years ago in an abandoned feed store in a rough part of Houston, and it started with 90 people and John and Dodie and it's just grown over the years.

Speaker 2: 2:48

By any means, you can assume that it's a overnight success, but it's not. It's really been built on the faithful, faithful people over the years who've just said yes and kept serving and loving and giving hope. And we find ourselves now in the former compact center in downtown Houston area and our church is roughly between 30 and 40,000 people every week. We just get the honor to give as many people hope as possible. That's our vision, is to give hope to the world, and I get to be a small part in the big picture there at Lakewood Church.

Speaker 1: 3:25

I heard you say earlier and I love this you said you know it's so easy for us in the world to look at numbers. Right, we look at numbers, we measure numbers 30 to 40,000 and you break that down and we really have to remember each one of those numbers is an entire person's life.

Speaker 2: 3:41

Yes.

Speaker 1: 3:42

And you talked about the responsibility, that stewardship. You know, it's not about counting numbers like a business and saying, oh wow, isn't it great we have the numbers. It's like, oh my gosh, god has given you this wonderful opportunity. Yes, and I think anyone who knows Joel I've read, and I'm sure you would agree he has managed to stay humble.

Speaker 2: 4:04

Yes.

Speaker 1: 4:04

And you know I love some of the stories in your book. So I think that's the challenge Whenever God has gifted you with a big platform or big audience to be reminded.

Speaker 2: 4:13

Yes, and I think that's something he and I both talk about frequently and remind each other of, and he's obviously the champion of it, but he's the champion of the thought that this is a God thing and it's our responsibility, like you said, to steward it wisely and to steward it with humility. And this is a story that God's written and he's chosen us to be a part of it, and it's humbling and it's overwhelming and, as you said, it's our daily vision to steward it with wisdom and with compassion and, like I said, I'm honored and I'm humbled to be a part of it.

Speaker 1: 4:46

And so, now that people know that piece of it, I'd love for you to roll back and tell us your personal story, and those of us who have had teenage boys and college age boys will probably find your story extra encouraging.

Speaker 2: 4:59

So yeah, so, like I said in the beginning, I grew up in a small city, boyle, wisconsin, on the state line of Illinois, wisconsin. My dad worked in a paper plant. Most of my childhood and all of my childhood my mom was in advertisement and television and marketing and their locally. I have five siblings and I'm the youngest of them. All grew up my family left cats not a big cat fan anymore, more of a dog lover, but nonetheless that's that's how I grew up.

Speaker 2: 5:29

I grew up in a rough area of Boyle, surrounded by a lot of bad influences, not the greatest environment, and so I just got caught up real easily into drugs and alcohol as a kid, pursuing what I thought would make me happy popularity, all that stuff. My parents were actually divorced when I was three years old. That was pretty defining as a kid, you know, as far as how I grew up visiting my mom every other weekend and that dynamic. So, yeah, that's kind of gives you. I'm a bear fan to the core. Texas has not rid me of my loyalty to the Chicago Bears and yeah, that's a little bit of my story, I know. As I grew older I just fell in love with sports, and football was my main focus. When I got into high school I was focused on pursuing that and as well as pursuing that I was, like I mentioned, pursuing, you know, popularity and fulfillment in the whole lot of wrong places.

Speaker 2: 6:27

The summer before my senior year a friend of mine invited me to a church camp and I didn't really want to go but he just kept asking me and kind of pestered me about it. I'm like, okay, fine, I'll go with you. So I went and Stephanie I'll never forget it gave my life to Christ on June 18th 1998. And my life was just flipped upside down for the good. I mean, I just came back a different person and my family didn't quite understand it. Their perspective on faith was very limited at that time.

Speaker 2: 6:58

I didn't grow up going to church. We'd go to church on Easter. That was kind of our extent. But my parents did the best they could with what they knew. So I didn't really blame them for not understanding. I just tried to love them and pursue God and see my faith grow. Well, now I'm going into my football season. I have verbally committed to Michigan State University to play football. Now I feel like I have a God purpose, that God's positioning me as a you know to be a platform in a way for him and I have to throw in, because I live in SEC territory, who the coach was at Michigan State at the time.

Speaker 2: 7:37

Yes, it was, yes, it was, it was Nick Saban.

Speaker 1: 7:40

Yeah, yeah, big deal.

Speaker 2: 7:42

Yeah, so yeah, that was. You know the goal. It was locked in. It was. This is where I'm going to go.

Speaker 2: 7:49

Well, third game in the season, first play the second half. I was running the football and I got hit in my leg and I tore my ACL and I'll never forget that moment. It was like my life just came to a halt. You know all my dreams, all my aspirations as a child, even my family's aspirations, of course. My dad was my coach. It was just like all that came to a halt and I didn't really know what I was going to do.

Speaker 2: 8:13

The opportunity to play at Michigan State was actually still on the table. You know, guys repair their ACL and rehab and often are stronger and faster, and so that was still an opportunity. But as I rehab, stephanie, I had great voices in my life at that time telling me trust God, stay in faith. You know, don't lose hope. God can work good out of this situation.

Speaker 2: 8:35

And just by the grace of God, I leaned into that. I leaned into my local church, I leaned into some positive voices in my life and something just wild took place in my heart. I mean, god just slowly turned the desires of my heart away from football and towards ministry and becoming a pastor and, as I said, I had no framework as to what in the world does a pastor do? What would that feel like, be like? How do you even go about pursuing, you know, becoming a pastor? But I just had this strong desire to do it and it was as if God allowed it. He didn't cause that injury, but he allowed it and he used it to change my heart and move it from what I thought I wanted to do. And he changed and shifted it to do what I was made to do.

Speaker 1: 9:23

I love that line. He changed what I thought I wanted to do to what I was made to do.

Speaker 2: 9:29

Made to do. And so I just committed it during that season to say you know, I'm going to pursue me and a pastor pursue ministry. I want to help people discover their God given purpose and I was passionate about it I still am and step towards that, walked away from football and walked towards becoming a pastor. Family didn't really understand it at the time. Now, you know, they're extremely proud. They know I'm in my lane, I'm walking in my purpose, I'm fulfilled, I'm content, you know, and I just absolutely love what I get to do.

Speaker 2: 10:01

But, stephanie, had that door not closed, you know, I would have went on to done something that I thought I was supposed to do, but I don't think I would have ever reached the level of satisfaction and fulfillment that I have now. Some people that's what maybe they're supposed to do Go play football, use it as a platform, exercise your God given gifts, glorify God through that. But for me it was to become a pastor. But the message out of that for me that I encourage many people with a lot, is if one door closes, it's because God's got a better door that he wants to lead you to, and don't fight those closed doors. You know, if one door is closing, it's because God's got something greater and store in front of you, and hindsight I can see God's used that pain in my life to propel me into my purpose and I've seen them do that often throughout my journey.

Speaker 1: 10:50

That is what makes you a good pastor, right? I mean you can't go through hard times without being able to relate to and understand people who are going through hard times. Maybe that's why we go through hard times. God needs a lot more of us to understand each other. So I said, you know I loved your book. People can order it now it is available. It's doing well. What I loved about it is that it's inspirational, but it's also very practical.

Speaker 1: 11:18

When we see a title that, like you, can live the dream, I'll tell you this hit me like wait, what is our American standard for living the dream? You mean I can have a nice car. You mean I can have great vacations. You mean I can have great. And you point out in your book that it's nothing wrong with stuff like that. But ultimately, people are generally pursuing those things because they think it's a path to peace. You know you open our eyes to which makes sense as soon as you read it. You can have peace right now. You don't have to go through all that garbage in order to get peace. You can have it right where you are today. You talk a lot about perspective, so I don't get to have you very long in the show, so I would love it if you could talk about perspective, because we all want the end of the story. It would be nice if I didn't have to buy an expensive car to get there.

Speaker 2: 12:06

Yeah, I mean, perspective is so powerful. I think perspective can change your experiences, how you perceive your season in life, how you perceive your career, how you perceive your relationships, how you perceive just the current status of your life. As you mentioned, this cultural cliche of living the dream that's used to caption vacations and everything living the dreams is usually to describe this moment or experience of deep satisfaction and joy and happiness. And those are great, those experiences awesome. But, like you mentioned, I think a different perspective allows you to experience that same peace and joy and satisfaction right where you're at. I mean, the power of perspective allows you to experience complete chaos and at the same time, simultaneously, you can experience peace and joy. Nothing has to change around you.

Speaker 2: 13:01

I really believe, stephanie, that your external circumstances don't determine your quality of life. Your perspective of your circumstances does. And I think the faith component is key. Obviously, jesus has given us this ability to see our situations through a whole different lens. He's given us this perspective of faith that we can now choose to believe, choose to see through. And so you know, perspective says hey, I can look at the facts, I don't have to ignore it. I'm not ignoring reality, but I can look beyond them, I can elevate my perspective and see that there are great things in front of me. In fact, stephanie, one of my favorite verses is John 10.10, where, you know, jesus says I have come to give you life, and life to the fullest.

Speaker 2: 13:49

But before that is a fact about the thief, the enemy, he comes to steal, kill and destroy. Well, there's two sides of the coin there Now the enemy's role and the thief's role is to steal, kill and destroy. But I've never known a thief to try to steal from vacant places. I've never known a thief to try to intentionally break into a place or oppose a place that has that's empty. And so if you change your perspective and go, you know I'm facing these obstacles and these challenges right now. Maybe it's because I have something in front of me that the enemy is opposing. Maybe there's something in me that the enemy knows that I possess. That's great. I have gifts, I have talents, I have ideas, I have God given purpose. Maybe that's why I'm experiencing some of these mountains or giants in my life. So oftentimes it's just perspective, it's going okay, wait a minute. Maybe I can elevate my perspective and see beyond this mountain, knowing that because I'm facing pain or obstacles.

Speaker 1: 14:51

Maybe it's an indicator you know, maybe it's not a reason for me to.

Speaker 2: 14:56

Yeah, exactly it's in many people. It gives them a reason to maybe quit, to give up, to stop believing, to lose faith, to give up hope. But to me, the fact that you may be facing opposition today is an indicator that you have great things in you and you have something in your future to believe for Great.

Speaker 1: 15:16

I love that yes, you talk to towards the end of your book. You have a chapter First of all. You have to read every single chapter, but you have a chapter called Power Moves. I love this. You're talking about the yes, you're talking about how we can find significance, joy in serving others.

Speaker 2: 15:37

And.

Speaker 1: 15:37

I say this because so many times we get a little oh, I need to serve others, Okay, I need to sign up for that committee I don't want to sign up for, and that's not what you're talking about here. I'd love for you to share your perspective on oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 15:51

Well, I think and again, I positioned it in the back of the book for a reason, because I think it is something that a lot of people have yet to discover is, you know where we grow up, being taught around us, in our culture, to get yours, look after yourself, make sure you're happy, and there's, to an extent, there are things that are healthy about that, and I'm not talking about self image, I'm not talking about mental health, I'm not talking about those things. I'm saying when you reach a point, though, in your life where you say you know what, I have influence and I have gifts and I've been put in certain positions, whether it's at work, my neighborhood, my family, as a coach, or wherever you find yourself, everyone's been given influence. And when you begin to use that influence to serve others, elevate other people, lift other people, encourage other people, I think, no matter where you're at in your life or how old you are, you've been uniquely gifted with, with unique talents and abilities and influence. That's the thing about that chapter is. I'll tell you this quick story. It's in the book. You might have laughed when you read it, but I was on a ministry trip.

Speaker 2: 16:58

I was in Israel and my wife was trying to help Denver, my youngest son, understand where I was on the map, like in the world. Where is he? So she's spinning the globe in front of him. Here's Houston and here's where daddy is, you know, and at the time I was in Israel. So he's moving the globe around, he's spinning it and finally he stops on it and they have this moment. And then my wife looks at Denver and she says you know what, denver, you're going to change the world someday. And Denver looks back at her and he goes into what it's like, you know. He's looking at the globe, thinking I'm what am I going to change this into? You know, but it's, it's so elementary. But he's right, you know, at the question he's got the right question. The question question for all of us isn't are we changing the world? We are. It's what are we changing the world into?

Speaker 2: 17:52

Every single person has been given influence and you're either investing and pushing people forward and serving others, or you maybe just focusing in on yourself and deterring and detracting from others. And so I just encourage people in power moves that the most powerful thing you can do with your influence is to serve others. It's to push people forward. And I go through and give a couple biblical texts and stories that I think are very applicable and very relevant for people and I try to unpack them in ways that people can understand and help it land for people who maybe have never heard those stories before.

Speaker 2: 18:31

But the principle is like you said, you want to exercise and perform a real power move. You know it's very counterculture than what we're, what we see in our day and age today. And I've seen, stephanie, a lot of businesses, a lot of business owners, friends of mine here in Houston, messages that I've gotten back since the book is released saying that chapter they've read through that as a business managers have taken their employees through that, just shifting their team culture a little bit, to say. But what if we had this perspective? What if we went into our day? What if we let our company this way? What if we let our teams this way? I've had coaches tell me they've given them to their coaches and say, guys, let's use our influence to serve our players better. And it's been a game changer, it's been crazy, but it's a kingdom principle.

Speaker 1: 19:17

And your point I love is that we are all having an influence, no matter what the question really is our influence intentional or not? People can say snarky things on social media you are having an influence. You know we can gossip with a neighbor we are having an influence. It's like everything we do has an influence on someone. So, you know, the older I get, the more I become aware of oh gosh, I need to be way more intentional.

Speaker 1: 19:41

Yeah you have so many great stories in this book that bring these ideas alive and I have to be honest with you. You have one little analogy in the book that I love so much. I was on a podcast recently and I used your analogy sadly sadly, I didn't credit you.

Speaker 2: 19:57

No, do it and do it better, say it and say it better here it is.

Speaker 1: 20:01

You talked about the idea of like we are all seeds. Okay, we're all seeds, we all have this potential inside of us and we are in our safe, little comfortable seed packets with all the other seeds but nothing really happens until we get out of the packet. You know I said we get into the dirt. You said you know we tap into the light. We need light and sunshine. I say that's our relationship with God. We need water. That's encouragement from other people. And rich soil and our option. You know the Bible talks about we can also be surrounded by rocks and weeds, which really doesn't help us. So when I think of rich soil, I think of you know, encouraging friends and people who build you up, and not people who tell you I need. That's a crazy idea, that's a bad idea. You know that's kind of a rocker weed and maybe we just need to go hang out with people who believe in you so much they put on the prayer list right yeah yeah.

Speaker 2: 20:55

Yeah, it's the packet, it's the. A seed can't take root unless it's in a great environment. Like who are you surrounding yourself with, where you intentionally some environments you can choose to get in or get out of. Sometimes you're in the cubicle next to the person you don't want to be around all day Some days, you know, but a lot of times we're choosing intentionally to put ourselves in negative environments. We're tuning in negative voices, we're tuning into the critics and the haters, or you know.

Speaker 2: 21:23

I just think you know there's people that can limit you or people that can unlock your potential, and oftentimes we have that choice on who we're going to spend the most time with. And you know I'm a byproduct of a lot of incredible voices that have spoken life over my dreams, that have inspired me, that told me I can do great things, and I've just seen the seeds in me come to fruition simply because I put myself in a good environment and I started to take relational inventory on who's great for me and for my future and who isn't. I just think that's a critical principle.

Speaker 1: 21:59

Then also you flip it around and say, okay, so we can be those encourages for other people, right, more intentional. This is where you're talking about serving people. We can be more intentional about being their good soil and even thinking of it in that terms. So I actually heard from a number of friends after that podcast, and they all just now we're using good soil as our, our little shortcut. That's our little secret code let's be good soil. I mean, that's really good way to think of each other. Let's just build each other up and help each other grow.

Speaker 1: 22:32

Even if you don't know what's inside that seed and I don't know what's in your seat. You don't know what's in mind, but we all know there is potential right. Yes people who can unlock your potential. I love that. So we're gonna talk about your book again, because I want you to tell us a couple of things. One is when we can find your book, but also, where can we find you? Are you doing any, you know? Are you putting sermons online? Are you putting any of your wisdom online? How do you communicate with people?

Speaker 2: 22:59

What you can get my. You can find all things in the book and nick nelson dot com. You can get my book anywhere books are sold amazon barns and oval books a million all those platforms have the book. You can get more information, more inspiration, encouragement from me on instagram is my primary platform that I like to utilize and that's just at nick nelson. On instagram you can go to lakewoodchurch dot com and on our website we have a library of my messages. But if you're wanting to get straight to me, instagram is probably the most effective In the platform that I love the most. So I put thoughts, what I'm thinking. That day I started a broadcast channel called the live in the dream team. If you'd like to be a part of the living the dream team and get exclusive content from me, you can access that on instagram as well. So, yeah, those are just some of the few.

Speaker 1: 23:51

I will put all that in the show notes to, but I'm sorry. One little question, because you just said online if you are seeing thirty to forty thousand people on sundays, come to service. What are you seeing online?

Speaker 2: 24:04

a lot.

Speaker 1: 24:06

A lot, a lot of people yeah it's a lot.

Speaker 2: 24:09

It's a lot, like you said. We're privileged and blessed and very, you know, again fortunate to be a part of what god is doing, what he's built, and we're just trying to do it well and it's again it's. It's a far reach, but we've always tried to lead in a manner where the light Pastor john oceane said, the light shot that shines the furthest, shines the brightest at home. And so we want to reach the world, but we're not going to do that and miss our neighbors and miss the people up the street from us and connect to our city and be hoped, to our city and, you know, really encourage those who are right around us that we live by. So we live with that motto yeah, just doing the best we can.

Speaker 1: 24:53

I love that and that is one of the great things today is that we can all tap into great pastors who are in our city, you know, and it's a, it's really wonderful. So Thank you so much for getting out of the packet. Thank you for listening to god when he said you know, michigan, stay with nick raven would be great next day and would be great, but you can also Reach of gosh, I'm gonna guess 100,000 people a Sunday. So I appreciate that thanks so much for your time and good luck with the book.

Speaker 2: 25:22

Thank you, staff appreciate the time.