JOYCE: THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE THAT GOD GAVE FAVOR
TO, AND I WANT TO REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU, NO MATTER WHAT
KIND OF A DIFFICULT SITUATION YOU'RE IN, DON'T JUST TRY TO
MAKE IT WORK OUT YOURSELF.
ALWAYS SAY, "GOD, GIVE ME FAVOR.
I'M DEPENDING ON YOU.
I'M LEANING ON YOU.
I'M RELYING ON YOU."
DON'T GO THROUGH YOUR LIFE TRYING TO PLAY ALL THESE SILLY
LITTLE SOCIAL GAMES HOPING TO GET IN WITH THE RIGHT GROUP
OF PEOPLE.
JUST PRAY THAT GOD WILL GIVE YOU FAVOR WITH THE PEOPLE HE WANTS
YOU TO BE WITH, AMEN?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: DON'T EVEN LOOK AT SOMEBODY AND DECIDE, "YEAH, I
THINK I WANT TO MARRY YOU.
I LIKE THE WAY YOU LOOK."
NO, YOU BETTER PRAY FOR FAVOR WITH THE RIGHT PERSON THAT YOU
CAN, NOT ONLY LIKE THE WAY THEY LIKE, BUT BE HAPPY WITH 20 YEARS
FROM NOW, AMEN?
DANIEL WAS A MAN THAT FOUND FAVOR WITH GOD.
SO MANY--JOSEPH FOUND FAVOR WITH GOD.
I MEAN, THE STORY OF JOSEPH IS SO AMAZING.
I MEAN, HE GOT THROWN INTO A PIT BY HIS BROTHERS, SOLD AS A
SLAVE, PURCHASED BY A MAN NAMED POTIPHAR, AND THE BIBLE SAYS
THAT HE FOUND FAVOR WITH POTIPHAR AND WAS PUT IN CHARGE
OF THE ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD.
THEN POTIPHAR'S WIFE LIED ABOUT HIM AND SAID THAT HE TRIED TO DO
SOMETHING SEXUALLY TO HER AND IT WAS A LIE.
SHE ACTUALLY HAD TRIED TO GET HIM TO GET INVOLVED WITH HER,
AND HE WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN SO HE WOULD NOT, AMEN?
SEE, PEOPLE THAT ARE RIGHTEOUS WHO LOVE GOD, WHO APPRECIATE
WHAT HE'S DONE, YOU RESIST TEMPTATION, EVEN IF IT COSTS
YOU, AMEN?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: SO, HE GOT PUT IN PRISON.
HE WAS IN PRISON FOR 13 YEARS FOR SOMETHING THAT HE DIDN'T DO,
BUT THE WHOLE TIME HE KEPT A GOOD ATTITUDE.
WOW, I BET THAT MUST HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
HE FOUND FAVOR WITH THE JAILER.
I MEAN, WHEN HE GOT OUT, HE GOT OUT BECAUSE HE INTERPRETED
A DREAM FOR PHARAOH, THEN HE FOUND FAVOR WITH PHARAOH.
AND I JUST WANT YOU TO GET THIS TODAY, THAT IF YOU SERVE GOD
AND YOU STICK TO YOUR MORAL PRINCIPLES, EVEN IF YOU WOULD
GET FIRED FROM A JOB BECAUSE YOU REFUSE TO COMPROMISE.
I HAD A BOSS ONE TIME THAT WANTED ME TO LIE FOR HIM ABOUT
SOMETHING AND I, I JUST KNEW I'D PROBABLY LOSE MY JOB, BUT I
FINALLY WENT BACK AND I SAID, "I'M SORRY BUT I JUST
CAN'T DO IT.
I MEAN, I JUST--I'M A CHRISTIAN AND I JUST, I CAN'T DO IT."
AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
I KEPT GETTING PROMOTED AND PROMOTED AND PROMOTED IN THAT
COMPANY TILL NOBODY HAD ANYMORE AUTHORITY THAN THE GUY WHO OWNED
THE PLACE THAT TRIED TO GET ME TO LIE.
GOD CAN GIVE YOU FAVOR, BUT YOU GOTTA KEEP DOING WHAT YOU KNOW
IS RIGHT.
AND IF GOD DOESN'T GIVE YOU FAVOR IN THE PLACE WHERE YOU'RE
AT, THEN DON'T BE AFRAID OF LOSING SOMETHING.
TO BE HONEST, SOMETIMES IF YOU WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING,
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOSE SOMETHING.
WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO LOSE SOMETHING TO GAIN
THE GREATER THING.
YOU MIGHT NEED TO LOSE SOME OF YOUR REPUTATION.
WHEN GOD CALLED ME INTO MINISTRY, I LOST MY FRIENDS.
FAMILY MEMBERS, THOUGHT WE'D LOST OUR MIND.
I GOT ASKED TO LEAVE MY CHURCH.
I MEAN, IT WAS TOUGH, BUT YOU GOTTA PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S
IN HERE, NOT KEEPING YOUR REPUTATION RIGHT WITH PEOPLE.
AND THEN TRUST GOD TO GIVE YOU FAVOR EVERYWHERE THAT YOU GO.
I CERTAINLY THE PEOPLE THAT I THOUGHT WERE MY FRIENDS,
THEY WEREN'T MY FRIENDS BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY YOUR
FRIENDS, THEY'RE NOT GONNA TRY TO CONTROL YOU TO GET YOU TO DO
WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO DO.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: RUTH FOUND FAVOR WITH GOD.
ESTHER FOUND FAVOR WITH GOD.
TRUST GOD FOR FAVOR.
I PRAY FOR YOU RIGHT NOW, IN JESUS'S NAME, THAT YOU WILL
ALWAYS HAVE FAVOR WITH GOD EVERYWHERE THAT YOU GO, FAVOR ON
THE JOB, FAVOR WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A JOB, FAVOR WHEN
YOU'RE OUT SHOPPING, FAVOR WITH THE RIGHT KIND OF PEOPLE.
I PRAY FAVOR OVER YOU IN JESUS'S NAME.