WHAT IS HOPE?
"WELL, I HOPE FOR THIS." "I HOPE FOR THAT."
"I HOPE IT DON'T RAIN." "I HOPE--"
"I HOPE--" "I HOPE--"
HOPE IS NOT JUST KINDA THIS WISHY-WASHY VAGUE,
"WELL, I WONDER IF IT'LL HAPPEN BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL,
AND I GUESS WE'LL JUST KINDA QUE SERA SERA, WAIT AND SEE."
THAT MAY BE A WORLDLY KIND OF HOPE BUT THAT'S
NOT BIBLE HOPE.
BIBLE HOPE IS EXTREMELY POWERFUL.
IT'S A FAVORABLE AND A CONFIDENT EXPECTATION.
I WANT TO SAY TO YOU.
WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING GOD TO DO IN YOUR LIFE?
"I DUNNO.
JUST KIND OF WAITING TO SEE.
HOPE IT'S BETTER THAN WHAT I HAVE BEEN GETTING."
NO, WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING?
WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING?
WHAT ARE YOU SEEING IN YOUR MIND, IN YOUR IMAGINATION?
HOW DO YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR FUTURE?
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
WHEN YOU GET UP EVERYDAY ARE YOU JUST KINDA LIKE
"WELL, ANOTHER DAY JUST TRYING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY"?
OR ARE YOU LIKE, "MAN, THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT GOD MIGHT
DO TODAY.
TODAY, COULD BE THE DAY OF MY BREAKTHROUGH."
YOU KNOW, WHEN A PREGNANT WOMAN IS EXPECTING,
THE LONGER YOU'RE PREGNANT, THE MORE EXPECTANT YOU BECOME.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AND SO, SOME OF YOU MAY BE SAYING, "WELL,
I'VE BEEN BELIEVING GOD FOR THE SAME THING FOR 20 YEARS."
WELL, THEN, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, YOU OUGHTA BE JUST ABOUT
READY TO POP WITH EXPECTATION.
I CARRIED ALL MY CHILDREN OVER THEIR DUE DATE.
THE DOCTOR SAID THAT I WAS THE ONLY WOMAN HE KNEW THAT STAYED
PREGNANT AS LONG AS AN ELEPHANT.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: MY FIRST CHILD WAS FOUR WEEKS LATE.
YEAH, THE SECOND ONE WAS FIVE AND A HALF WEEKS LATE.
THE THIRD ONE WAS THREE AND A HALF WEEKS LATE AND THE LAST
ONE WAS ALMOST FIVE WEEKS LATE AND HE LACKED ONE OUNCE
WEIGHING TEN POUNDS.
I WAS REALLY READY TO GET HIM OUT.
AND I'M TELLING YOU WHAT, EVERY DAY I WOKE UP, "THIS HAS
GOT TO BE THE DAY."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: "TODAY IS GONNA BE THE DAY."
I'D CHECK EVERYTHING IN THE SUITCASE,
AND DUST EVERYTHING OFF, AND MAKE SURE I HAD EVERYTHING
JUST RIGHT.
AND YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME I WOULD JUST FEEL ANYTHING,
"OH, THERE IT IS, THERE IT IS, THERE IT IS."
I WAS EXPECTANT.
I'M GONNA ASK YOU AGAIN.
WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING GOD TO DO IN YOUR LIFE?
GOD WANTS US TO BE EXPECTANT ON PURPOSE.
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE UNSEEN AND THE FUTURE.
YOU DON'T HOPE FOR WHAT YOU CAN SEE.
YOU DON'T HOPE FOR WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE.
YOU HOPE FOR WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE AND WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE.
HOPE IS THE HAPPY ANTICIPATION OF GOOD.
I LOVE THAT.
THE HAPPY ANTICIPATION, "SOMETHING GOOD IS GONNA
HAPPEN TO ME." "SOMETHING GOOD IS GONNA
HAPPEN IN MY FAMILY." "SOMETHING GOOD IS GONNA
HAPPEN IN OUR NATION." GOD IS GOOD AND HE IS DOING
GOOD THINGS, AND HOPE RELEASES JOY.
HOPE IS VERY SIMPLY, A POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
A POSITIVE MINDSET.
NOW, IF I CAN STAND HERE AND SAY TO YOU,
"HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE," COMING FROM WHERE I CAME FROM
AND SEEING WHAT GOD HAS DONE IN MY ATTITUDE, THEN I'M HERE
TO TELL YOU THAT NO MATTER HOW MANY NEGATIVE THINGS
YOU'VE HAD HAPPEN IN YOUR LIFE, NO MATTER HOW NEGATIVE YOUR
MIND MIGHT BE RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN HAVE A CHANGE
OF MIND AND A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE AND YOU CAN BECOME SO POSITIVE
THAT YOU WON'T EVEN HARDLY RECOGNIZE YOURSELF.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: THE HOPEFUL PERSON ABSOLUTELY REFUSES TO BE
NEGATIVE IN ANY WAY.
ALTHOUGH, THEY RECOGNIZE AND DEAL WITH THE STORMS OF LIFE,
THEY REMAIN HOPEFUL IN THOUGHT, ATTITUDE, AND CONVERSATION...
AND CONVERSATION.
SO OFTEN, WE SAY "WE'RE PRAYING FOR THIS" OR, "WE'RE HOPING
FOR THAT," AND IF YOU'D LISTEN TO THE WAY WE TALK WE SURE DON'T
SOUND LIKE WE'RE HOPING FOR ANY CHANGE.
WE CAN'T BE SAYING THAT WE'RE IN FAITH FOR GOD TO DO THIS
AND THEN TALKING ABOUT IT LIKE IT'S NEVER GONNA CHANGE.
NOW, HERE COMES SOMETHING FOR YOU TO DO.
WE ALWAYS LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO, RIGHT?
ANYBODY CAN DECIDE TODAY TO BE HOPEFUL.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR A SPECIAL FEELING.
WE LIVE WAY TOO MUCH BASED ON OUR FEELINGS.
"WELL, JOYCE YOU JUST DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL."
WELL, CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING?
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: NOBODY KNOWS HOW ANYBODY ELSE FEELS.
BUT WE CAN'T LIVE BY HOW WE FEEL.
AND THE MORE WE CATER TO OUR FEELINGS, THE MORE THEY'RE
GONNA INCREASE BECAUSE WHEN WE GIVE IN TO 'EM, WE FEED 'EM
AND MAKE 'EM STRONGER, BUT IF WE DON'T GIVE IN TO 'EM,
WE STARVE 'EM AND PRETTY SOON, THEY LOSE THEIR POWER OVER US.
YOUR FEELINGS WILL CATCH UP WITH YOUR DECISIONS.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: NOW, LET ME JUST SAY FROM THE OUTSET,
WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD.
THAT'S ALREADY A FOREGONE CONCLUSION FOR ME.
THE FIRST THING THAT I SAY EVERY MORNING IS, "GOD APART
FROM YOU I CAN DO NOTHING." AND MOST MORNINGS,
I SLIP OUT OF BED AND I GET DOWN ON MY KNEES BY MY BED.
AND I SAY, "GOD I'M HERE JUST TO SIMPLY SAY THAT I CAN'T DO
ANYTHING WITHOUT YOU.
I AM NOTHING WITHOUT YOU." SO, WHEN I SAY TO YOU,
"YOU NEED TO DO THIS.
YOU NEED TO DO THAT.
YOU NEED TO DECIDE--" I'M JUST TRYING TO PROVOKE
YOU TO ALIGN YOUR WILL UP WITH THE WILL OF GOD,
AND TO MAKE THE GOD-INSPIRED HOLY SPIRIT-FILLED EFFORT THAT
GOD WANTS YOU TO MAKE.
BUT I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT YOU CANNOT DO IT ON YOUR OWN.
WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING APART FROM GOD, BUT WE ARE PARTNERS
WITH GOD.
I LOVE WHAT REINHARD BONNKE SAYS, "GOD NEEDS MANPOWER,
AND WE NEED GOD-POWER." AND THAT'S THE TRUTH.
GOD NEEDS YOU AND HE NEEDS ME, AND HE NEEDS US WITH
A GOOD ATTITUDE.
HE NEEDS US FULL OF HOPE, AND CONFIDENCE,
AND FAITH THAT ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD.
JOYCE: YOU MIGHT BE IN A SITUATION WHERE
IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE HOPE EVEN EXISTS FOR YOU.
BUT WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW DOES NOT HAVE TO BE WHERE
YOU REMAIN.
DON'T GIVE UP ON A FUTURE WHERE LIFE IS WORTH LIVING.
NANCY ALCORN OF MERCY MULTIPLIED IS JOINING ME TODAY WITH REAL
LIFE STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO USED TO STRUGGLE
WITH SUICIDAL THOUGHTS, FOUND HOPE TO MAKE IT
THROUGH THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES, AND NOW, ARE ENJOYING
THEIR LIVES.
WELL, NANCY, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON THE PROGRAM.
NANCY: THANK YOU.
I LOVE BEING HERE.
JOYCE: GOOD, JUST GIVE US A NUTSHELL OF MERCY MULTIPLIED
SO EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
NANCY: OKAY, WELL, WE ACTUALLY, HAVE MULTIPLE
LOCATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER COUNTRIES,
BUT LET'S JUST FOCUS ON THE UNITED STATES FOR NOW.
WE TAKE GIRLS FROM ALL 50 STATES.
WE TAKE THEM IN, FREE OF CHARGE, AGES 13 TO 32.
THEY HAVE ALL KINDS OF LIFE-CONTROLLING ISSUES
LIKE EATING DISORDERS, UNPLANNED PREGNANCY,
ADDICTIONS OF ALL KINDS, GIRLS THAT HAVE HAD
MULTIPLE SUICIDE ATTEMPTS, GIRLS WHO SELF-HARM,
GIRLS WHO HAVE BEEN SEX TRAFFICKED.
I MEAN, JUST ABOUT EVERY KIND OF PROBLEM YOU CAN THINK OF,
YOU KNOW.
AND THEY'D COME BECAUSE THEY WANT--
THEY HAVE TO WANT TO COME.
AND WE TAKE THEM IN, FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE
MOST OF THEM COULDN'T PAY IF THEY HAD TO,
AND THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY IS ABOUT SIX MONTHS.
SO, WE'VE RECEIVED SO MANY AMAZING LIFE TRANSFORMATIONS.
SO, FOR PEOPLE OUT THERE FEELING LIKE THEY HAVE NO HOPE,
WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THERE'S HOPE AND THERE'S
A WAY THAT THEY CAN TOTALLY HAVE A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST AND
THEIR PAST DOES NOT HAVE TO DESTROY THEIR FUTURE.
JOYCE: I LOVE THE SCRIPTURE IN PETER, WHERE HE SAID THAT
WE ARE BORN AGAIN INTO A LIVING HOPE.
AND I LOVE THAT.
THAT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST
AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RELATIONSHIP NOT JUST JOINING
A RELIGION.
SOMETIMES WE'RE SO INTENT ON FOLLOWING RULES AND
REGULATIONS THAT WE NEVER GET AROUND TO HAVING A REAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
BUT WOULDN'T YOU SAY THAT IN ORDER FOR A PERSON TO WANT
TO COMMIT SUICIDE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO PRETTY MUCH
BE HOPELESS.
NANCY: ABSOLUTELY, SEVERE DEPRESSION.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IN A PIT AND YOU JUST
CAN'T GET OUT, IT'S SO DARK.
AND FOR ANYONE TO TAKE THEIR LIFE, I FEEL THAT ABSOLUTELY,
THEY HAVE TO BE TOTALLY WITHOUT HOPE.
AND WE KNOW WHAT GOD SAYS IN JEREMIAH 29:11, GOD SAYS,
"THESE ARE THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU,
PLANS TO PROSPER YOU NOT TO HARM YOU,
TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE." AND HOPELESSNESS, IT'S JUST--
IT'S SUCH AN AWFUL THING.
AND THAT'S WHY WE WANNA LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT YOU MAY
FEEL HELPLESS TODAY, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE--
THERE'S ALWAYS HOPE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAY
THAT WAY.
JOYCE: WELL, YOU KNOW, OUR MIND HAS A LOT TO DO
WITH EVERYTHING IN OUR LIFE.
AND IT'S SO GREAT TO LEARN THAT YOU CAN DO YOUR OWN
THINKING THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO JUST THINK WHATEVER FALLS
IN YOUR HEAD BECAUSE MANY OF THOSE THOUGHTS ARE PLACED
THERE BY OUR ENEMY, THE DEVIL.
BUT WHAT KIND OF WRONG MINDSETS WOULD YOU SAY GET
PEOPLE INTO THAT CONDITION.
NANCY: SELF-HATE.
FEELING LIKE THEY'RE-- A PERSON FEELS WORTHLESS
AND A LOT OF TIMES IT'S BECAUSE OF EITHER THINGS THAT HAPPENED
TO THEM WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE GIRLS OR LITTLE BOYS,
OR THINGS THAT HAPPENED, CHOICES THEY MADE THAT THEY
CAN'T FORGIVE THEMSELF FOR.
IT'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
BUT A LOT OF SELF-HATE, A LOT OF FEELING VERY...
YOU KNOW, LIKE...
JOYCE: ALONE.
NANCY: ALONE, AND--- "WHAT IS LIFE ALL ABOUT,"
LIKE, "WHAT IS MY PURPOSE?
I FEEL LIKE I HAVE NO PURPOSE.
I HAVE NO REASON TO LIVE." THEY FEEL UNLOVED.
THEY FEEL JUDGED.
THEY FEEL ASHAMED.
A LOT OF SHAME.
JOYCE: AND THEY FEEL LIKE THAT NOTHING'S EVER GONNA
CHANGE, NO MATTER WHAT.
NANCY: EXACTLY.
JOYCE: IT'S GONNA BE THIS WAY FOREVER, SO THEY FEEL
HOPELESSLY STUCK IN A SITUATION.
BUT A RIGHT MINDSET, RENEWING YOUR MIND AS A BELIEVER
IN JESUS CHRIST, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE'RE TAUGHT
TO DO IS LEARN HOW TO THINK THE WAY GOD THINKS INSTEAD
OF JUST THINKING THE WAY THE WORLD THINKS, OR WHATEVER
WRONG MINDSETS WE HAVE REALLY IS THE BEGINNING TO CHANGING
YOUR WHOLE LIFE.
NANCY: WELL, IT'S TRUE.
JOYCE: I'M SURE ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS YOU TEACH THESE
GIRLS IS HOW TO THINK RIGHT.
NANCY: RENEWING THE MIND IS HUGE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS OR NOT, BUT THE,
"BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND," THAT'S ONE OF MY ALL-TIME
FAVORITE BOOKS, IF NOT, MY VERY FAVORITE BOOK.
BUT WE USE THAT WITH EVERY SINGLE GIRL WHO WALKS
THROUGH OUR DOORS.
WE HAVE YOUR DVD TEACHINGS ON RENEWING THE MIND,
WE TEACH ON IT AS WELL.
IT'S TALKED ABOUT IN COUNSELING BUT IT'S DEFINITELY ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO START WITH RIGHT AWAY
BECAUSE WHEREVER YOUR THOUGHTS, YOU KNOW,
WHEREVER YOUR THOUGHTS TAKE YOU; THEY TAKE YOU.
SO, WE HAVE MAYBE AT LEAST START WITH RENEWING THE MIND
AND TEACHING THE GIRLS HOW TO TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE,
AND HELP THEM GET INTO THE WORD AND THEY START IDENTIFYING
THE LIES THAT THEY BELIEVE, SO THEN, THEY COME UP WITH
A COMPARABLE TRUTH STATEMENT TO COMBAT THE LIE
AND THEY BEGIN TO SPEAK THAT TRUTH OUT LOUD OVER THEIR SELF
AND THINGS BEGIN TO CHANGE.
JOYCE: THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE WATCHING THE PROGRAM TODAY,
THAT HAVE NEVER HAD A SUICIDAL THOUGHT IN THEIR LIFE,
BUT THEY STILL NEED TO RENEW THEIR MIND.