JOYCE: I'M GOING TO TELL YOU A REAL QUICK STORY.
A GROUP OF PASTORS THAT I KNOW WENT FISHING
OFF THE--IN THE OCEAN, NIGHT FISHING IN THE OCEAN
OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA.
AND THEY HIT A REEF AND HAD A PRETTY MAJOR BOAT ACCIDENT.
AND ALL OF THEM REALLY GOT HURT, THEY WERE--SOME OF THEM WERE
IN REALLY, REALLY BAD SHAPE.
AND THEY MANAGED TO RADIO THE COASTGUARD.
AND WHEN THE COASTGUARD GOT THERE, WHICH I GUESS THIS IS
A RULE OF THE SEA, THEY SAID, "PERMISSION
TO COME ABOARD, SIR."
AND THAT'S INTERESTING, HERE THEY WERE BLEEDING AND DAMAGED
AND THEIR LIVES WERE IN A MESS AT THAT POINT, AND THEY
DESPERATELY NEEDED HELP.
LIKE PEOPLE WHO ARE WITHOUT CHRIST, THEY'RE
DESPERATE, THEY NEED ALL KINDS OF HELP, THEY'RE BLEEDING
INSIDE, THEY'VE GOT BROKEN HEARTS.
AND YET, JESUS WON'T COME ONBOARD
WITHOUT GETTING PERMISSION.
AND SO, I THINK TODAY, JESUS IS SAYING TO SOME PEOPLE,
"PERMISSION TO COME ONBOARD, SIR.
PERMISSION TO COME ONBOARD, MA'AM."
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S REALLY SIMPLE.
GOD LOVES YOU.
NO MATTER HOW BIG OF A STINKER YOU'VE BEEN, GOD LOVES YOU.
AND THERE'S NO PIT SO DEEP THAT HE CAN'T REACH DOWN IN IT
AND GET YOU OUT.
AND HE WANTS TO DO SOMETHING WONDERFUL WITH YOUR LIFE.
IT'S NOT TOO LATE FOR YOU.
AND THERE'S NO AMOUNT OF SIN THAT CAN'T BE FORGIVEN.
BUT YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO DO ONE THING, AND THAT IS SAY
THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD, YOU BELIEVE
THAT HE DID INDEED TAKE YOUR SIN UPON HIMSELF, HE DIED FOR YOU
IN YOUR PLACE, YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN IF YOU'LL RECEIVE IT,
AND MAKE A DECISION THAT YOU WANT TO TURN AWAY FROM SIN.
REPENTANCE DOES NOT JUST MEAN I'M SORRY FOR MY SIN, BUT IT
MEANS I WANT TO TURN AWAY FROM IT, AND I WANT TO TURN
TOWARD GOD AND LIVE A WHOLE BRAND-NEW LIFE, AMEN?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: NOW, I'M GOING TO BE VERY HONEST WITH YOU.
BEING A CHRISTIAN IS MUCH, MUCH BETTER THAN BEING A SINNER,
BUT IT'S NOT JUST EASY.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO TURN AWAY FROM SIN AND LEARN
HOW TO LIVE NEW, IT'S GOING TO TAKE STUDYING THE WORD,
PROBABLY GETTING SOME NEW FRIENDS.
YOU NEED TO GET IN A GOOD
CHURCH ATMOSPHERE, WHERE YOU CAN BE WITH OTHER PEOPLE
WHO CARE ABOUT YOU AND LOVE YOU.
NONE OF THOSE THINGS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO
WITH YOUR SALVATION.
YOU'RE SAVED BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO GROW AND ENJOY THE LIFE THAT JESUS
DIED TO GIVE YOU, THEN THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME THINGS
THAT YOU WILL NEED TO LET GOD CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE.
BUT THE THING IS HE'S PATIENT, HE NEVER DOES ANYTHING
WHEN YOU'RE NOT READY.
ALL I'M SAYING IS IF YOU'RE GOING TO PRAY THE PRAYER
OF SALVATION WITH ME TODAY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO SURRENDER
YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST, THEN YOU'RE TAKING STEP ONE
IN A VERY LONG JOURNEY.
AND I WANT YOU TO BE READY FOR THAT AND WILLING FOR THAT.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT PRAYING WHAT WE CALL THE SINNER'S PRAYER
AND THEN GOING ON OUT AND LIVING THE SAME WAY.
IT'S ABOUT BEING WILLING TO HAVE A LIFE CHANGE.
WHO'S HERE TODAY THAT YOU NEED TO LET JESUS BE
THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE?
YOU WANT TO RECEIVE HIM AS YOUR SAVIOR.
COME ON, NICE AND HIGH.
YOU WANT TO RECEIVE HIM AS YOUR SAVIOR.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: MAYBE YOU SAY, "WELL, JOYCE, GOSH, YOU KNOW,
I'M NOT EVEN SURE THAT I'M SAVED."
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE
JUST RELIGIOUS.
I MEAN, THEY'VE JUST GONE-- THEY'VE GONE TO CHURCH
AND GONE THROUGH THE MOTIONS, AND YOU KNOW, THEY--THEY'RE
DEPENDING ON THOSE THINGS.
"WELL, I GO TO CHURCH."
WELL, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO SIT IN A GARAGE ALL DAY
AND THAT DON'T MAKE YOU A CAR.
I MEAN, JUST BECAUSE YOU SIT IN A CHURCH, THAT DOESN'T MEAN
YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN, AMEN?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: I MEAN, CHRISTIANITY IS OPENING UP YOUR LIFE
AND SAYING, "I AM A SINNER, I AM MESSED UP.
I NEED YOU.
COME AND LIVE INSIDE OF ME.
TAKE MY LIFE AND MAKE ME WHAT YOU WANT ME TO BE."
IF THAT'S YOU AND YOU WANT ME TO PRAY WITH YOU, I'M GOING
TO ASK YOU TO DO ME A FAVOR AND JUST STAND UP
RIGHT WHERE YOU'RE AT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BRING YOU DOWN THE FRONT,
BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO STAND UP.
COME ON, IF YOU MEANT BUSINESS, THEN STAND UP.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: AMEN, AMEN.
ALL RIGHT, COME ON, ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UP IN THOSE BALCONIES, THAT'S RIGHT, EVERYWHERE,
EVERYWHERE WHERE YOU'RE AT.
COME ON, LET'S HAVE A REVIVAL HERE TODAY AND MAKE THE DEVIL
REALLY MAD.
AMEN.
COME ON, OKAY, NOW LISTEN.
WE'RE GONNA ALL PRAY THIS PRAYER WITH YOU.
AND I DIDN'T ASK YOU TO STAND UP TO EMBARRASS YOU, BUT IF YOU'RE
NOT WILLING TO TAKE A STAND IN HERE, THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE
GOING TO GO OUT IN THE WORLD AND TAKE ONE.
SO, I LIKE TO ASK PEOPLE TO DO IT BECAUSE IT
JUST KIND OF CONFIRMS FOR YOU THAT YOU'RE SAYING,
"LOOK, I'M SERIOUS ABOUT THIS."
SO, LET'S PRAY.
"FATHER GOD, I LOVE YOU.
JESUS, I BELIEVE IN YOU.
I BELIEVE YOU DIED FOR ME.
I'M SORRY FOR MY SINS.
I REPENT, I TURN AWAY FROM SIN, AND I TURN TOWARD YOU.
I BELIEVE.
I RECEIVE YOU NOW, JESUS, TO BE MY SAVIOR, TO BE MY LORD,
TO BE MY FRIEND.
I GIVE MYSELF TO YOU.
TAKE ME JUST THE WAY I AM, AND NOW MAKE ME WHAT YOU WANT ME
TO BE.
THANK YOU.
I NOW BELIEVE THAT I'M SAVED.
MY SINS ARE FORGIVEN.
I'M ON MY WAY TO HEAVEN, AND I'M GOING TO ENJOY THE JOURNEY."
COME ON, LET'S GIVE GOD PRAISE FOR ALL THESE NEW SOULS TODAY.