Pastor Joel Osteen is extending grace to Kanye West, saying the embattled rapper still has “a heart for God” despite the backlash surrounding his past antisemitic remarks and behavior.

Speaking on the “Impaulsive” podcast hosted by Logan Paul and Mike Majlak, the Lakewood Church pastor reflected on his previous interactions with West and said the man he came to know was sincere, respectful and spiritually open. Osteen, who welcomed West to his Houston megachurch during the rapper’s highly publicized spiritual awakening several years ago, said he would gladly reconnect with him today.

“I found him … as respectful and kind and sincere as can be,” Osteen said, recalling the conversations they shared when West first began publicly speaking about his Christian faith. At the time, West drew national attention for boldly declaring his commitment to Jesus, and Osteen’s church became one of the most visible platforms for that testimony.

Now, as West attempts a comeback following a season marked by scandal, Osteen is choosing compassion over condemnation. The rapper, who has faced ongoing criticism for antisemitic statements and controversies, recently issued an apology and has pointed to mental health struggles and a previously undiagnosed brain injury as factors that contributed to his downward spiral.

Osteen acknowledged that those battles may have played a significant role in West’s conduct, while making clear that the version of the artist seen in recent public controversies did not match the person he had encountered personally.

“That was not the Ye that I knew,” Osteen said, adding that he continues to pray for the rapper often. “I know his heart, and I know he’s a good man, and I believe that he loves God.”

His comments strike a distinctly pastoral tone in a cultural moment often defined by public shaming and permanent labels. Rather than dismiss West as beyond redemption, Osteen framed his situation as one of someone who may have gone “off course” but is not beyond healing.

“We all have issues,” he said. “Mental illnesses are real, and they can throw you off, but I believe you can be healed and you can be restored.”

That message is likely to resonate with many Christian readers who believe in both accountability and redemption. Osteen did not excuse West’s actions, nor did he minimize the pain his words caused. But he emphasized the importance of prayer, restoration and practical support for those struggling spiritually and mentally.

When Majlak suggested that Osteen should try to reconnect with West, the pastor did not hesitate. “I’d love to do that,” he said, later adding, “I’d love to help in any way I can.”

West’s public image remains deeply divisive. Though his music career has seen renewed commercial success, resistance to his return continues in some quarters, especially abroad. Yet Osteen’s remarks suggest that, for Christians, the conversation should not end with failure.

Instead, his response points to a gospel-centered posture: telling the truth about sin, acknowledging the reality of brokenness, and still leaving room for repentance, healing and hope.

For Osteen, that hope appears personal. He believes West is still someone worth praying for, worth reaching for and, perhaps one day, worth welcoming back.