HERE'S WHAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND.
TEACH PEOPLE THE LOVE OF GOD.
TEACH THEM HOW TO HAVE A PERSONAL, INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD, AND THEN LET GOD TELL THEM WHAT THEY SHOULDN'T DO.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING] JOYCE: IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG
FOR GOD TO TELL ME, TO SHOW ME THAT HE DIDN'T WANT ME SMOKIN'
CIGARETTES, AND I STARTED SMOKIN' 'EM WHEN I WAS 9.
NOW I'M PROBABLY GONNA GET A FEW LETTERS, BUT HERE I GO,
YOU KNOW?
I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA SEND YOU TO HELL.
NOW, SEE, LOOK HOW QUIET YOU GOT.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: LOOK AT THAT.
I MEAN, YOU MAY NOT WANT ME TO DO THIS, BUT HERE IT GOES.
THE BIBLE SAYS ALL KINDS OF STUFF ABOUT NOT OVEREATING.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING] JOYCE: BUT IT DOESN'T SAY
ANYTHING ABOUT SMOKIN'.
NOW IT DOES SAY DON'T DO THINGS THAT ARE GONNA HARM YOUR BODY,
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S GOOD TO DO, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S
A SMOKING SECTION IN HEAVEN.
AND I'M NOT RECOMMENDING IT, AMEN?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S
JUST KIND OF A STINKY, NASTY, EXPENSIVE HABIT, BUT, HERE
AGAIN, WHAT--WHO DO I--CAN I REALLY LOOK AT SOMEBODY
AND SAY, "OH, WELL, YOU SMOKE"?
CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING?
HAVIN' A BAD ATTITUDE, A BITTER, RESENTFUL, HATEFUL ATTITUDE
IS WORSE THAN ALL THAT.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING] JOYCE: YOU KNOW WHY?
BECAUSE IT'S WHAT'S GOIN' ON IN ME, AND I TELL YOU SOME REAL,
HARDCORE, RELIGIOUS PEOPLE ARE SOME OF THE MEANEST PEOPLE
IN THE WHOLE WORLD.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: I REMEMBER MY AUNT
ONE TIME TELLIN' ME I WAS GONNA GO TO HELL
FOR WEARIN' BLUE EYESHADOW.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AND THIS IS EXACTLY
THE KINDA STUFF THAT TURNS PEOPLE OFF TO CHRISTIANITY.
YOU CAN'T DO THIS, AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT, AND YOU CAN'T DO THIS,
AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
AND YOU CAN'T DO THIS, AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
WELL, WHY DON'T WE TALK ABOUT THE FUN WE CAN HAVE, THE JOY WE
CAN HAVE, HOW GREAT IT IS TO NOT HAVE TO FEEL GUILTY ALL THE TIME
AND TO NOT BE CONDEMNED ALL THE TIME?
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I AM ENJOYING BEIN' A CHRISTIAN.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING] JOYCE: BUT YOU'RE NEVER GONNA
DRAW ANYBODY TO CHRIST IF ALL YOU DO IS JUDGE THEM
AND CRITICIZE THEM AND TELL THEM EVERYTHING THEY CAN'T DO.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHY JESUS ATE WITH PUBLICANS AND SINNERS,
AND THEN HE LET THE GLORY AND THE BEAUTY OF WHAT WAS IN HIM,
THE GOD IN HIM, THE WAY THAT HE LIVED HIS LIFE,
DRAW THEM TO HIM.
I'M NOT TALKIN' ABOUT COMPROMISING AND DOIN' THINGS
THAT YOU SHOULDN'T BE DOING, BUT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT REALIZING
WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND WHAT'S NOT IMPORTANT.
YOU GUYS ARE FUNNY, MAN.
YOU GOT QUIET AT ALL THE RIGHT SPOTS.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: WHICH JUST PROVES
TO ME-- [AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: WELL, I'M RIGHT.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AND YOU UNDERSTAND
I'M NOT RECOMMENDING THAT YOU DO ANY OF THAT.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT WE NEED TO REALIZE WHAT'S IMPORTANT, AND
ME HAVIN' A CRITICAL, JUDGMENTAL ATTITUDE ABOUT YOUR TATTOO WOULD
CERTAINLY BE WORSE THAN YOUR TATTOO.
MAN, I AM NOT READIN' MY MAIL AT ALL FOR THE NEXT 3 MONTHS.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING] JOYCE: LORD, HAVE MERCY.
I MEAN, BACK IN THE BIBLE THERE WERE NOSE RINGS AND EARRINGS
AND, MAN, ALL KINDS OF STUFF.
THEN WE TELL PEOPLE, "NO," THIS AND, "NO," THAT.
WELL, DIDN'T PAUL--WELL, JOYCE, DIDN'T PAUL SAY THAT YOU
SHOULDN'T WEAR JEWELRY?
DIDN'T PAUL SAY THAT?
NO, WHAT PAUL WAS TALKIN' ABOUT WAS THE WAY PROSTITUTES IN THOSE
DAYS DRESSED, AND HE SAID, "DON'T COME INTO THE CHURCH
DRESSED LIKE A PROSTITUTE." AND I WILL TELL YOU
THE SAME THING.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AS A WOMAN OF GOD
YOU DON'T NEED TO BE SEXY.
YOU NEED TO BE GODLY, AMEN?
[AUDIENCE CHEERING] JOYCE: AND YOU DON'T NEED
TO HAVE ON SOMETHING SO LOW CUT THAT EVERYBODY CAN SEE WHAT THEY
GOT NO BUSINESS SEEING, AMEN?
AUDIENCE: AMEN!
JOYCE: AND WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR ALL THAT EITHER, BUT.
LORD, HELP ME GET OUT OF THIS.
I'VE GOTTEN--I'M SO FAR OFF TRACK I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT
I'M DOIN' NOW.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING] JOYCE: BUT, HONESTLY, DOESN'T
THAT JUDGMENTAL ATTITUDE STEAL YOUR JOY?
AUDIENCE: YES!
JOYCE: HOW MANY OF YOU COULD JUST ENJOY YOUR LIFE MORE IF YOU
WOULD JUST MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS?
AUDIENCE: YES!
JOYCE: YOU KNOW, A GREAT SCRIPTURE, I THINK IT'S
ROMANS 12:14, "EVERY MAN WILL GIVE AN ACCOUNT
OF HIMSELF." SEE, GOD'S NOT GONNA ASK YOU
ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE.
HE'S ONLY GONNA ASK YOU ABOUT YOU, AND IF SOMEBODY IS DOING
SOMETHING THAT REALLY IS SIN THAT THE BIBLE COVERS YOU CAN
PRAY FOR THEM.
YOU CAN PRAY THAT GOD WILL OPEN THEIR EYES.
IF YOU'RE IN A POSITION TO BRING CORRECTION TO THEM, WHICH MOST
OF US ARE NOT, BUT IF YOU ARE I BELIEVE A GOOD FRIEND WILL BRING
A GOOD WORD OF CORRECTION TO SOMEBODY THAT'S OPEN TO IT.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD JUST PAT EVERYBODY ON THE HEAD AND SAY,
"EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING'S FINE.
IT'S NONE OF MY BUSINESS." NO, IF A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE
IS ABOUT TO GET INTO ADULTERY I'M GONNA TELL 'EM, AND I'M NOT
GONNA APOLOGIZE FOR IT OR MINCE ANY WORDS ABOUT IT.
BUT IT'S NOT MY BUSINESS HOW THEY CUT THEIR HAIR OR HOW THEY
COLOR THEIR HAIR, OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, HOW MUCH SUGAR
THEY EAT, YOU KNOW?
EVERY HEALTHY PERSON WANTS TO TELL EVERYBODY ELSE WHAT
THEY SHOULD EAT.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: ONE OF MY SONS SHAVES
HIS HEAD, THE YOUNGER ONE, AND HE'S SO GOOD LOOKIN'
HE CAN GET BY WITH IT.
BUT HE HAS JUST GOT GORGEOUS HAIR, AND IT TOOK ME PROBABLY
AT LEAST 10 YEARS TO SHUT UP ABOUT HIS HAIR.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: SEE, THIS IS--
LISTEN TO ME, PARENTS.
THIS IS THE STUFF WE DO THAT CAUSES OUR KIDS TO NOT WANT
TO COME AROUND.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: IT TOOK ME A WHILE,
TOO, WITH THE JEANS WITH HOLES IN IT.
THAT TOOK ME A WHILE, LIKE, YOU LOOK LIKE A RAG PICKER.
I'LL BUY YOU SOME CLOTHES IF YOU NEED SOME.
SEE, I COME FROM ANOTHER GENERATION.
WE DIDN'T BUY OUR STUFF TORN UP.
WE BOUGHT IT NEW AND THEN LET IT WEAR OUT, BUT IT'S NOT
A BIBLICAL ISSUE.
ARE YOU UNDERSTANDING ME?
IT IS NOT A BIBLICAL ISSUE.
IT'S OUR OPINION, AND SO THE THING IS, IS IF YOU DON'T WANNA
WEAR 'EM DON'T WEAR 'EM, BUT IF SOMEBODY ELSE IS GONNA WEAR
THEM--NOW I'M NOT GONNA LET PEOPLE DRESS LIKE THAT UP HERE.
YOU KNOW WHY?
IT'S MY DEAL.
I CALL THE SHOTS, BUT-- [AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY DRESS DIFFERENT THAN I DID
WHEN I STARTED, EVEN THE ONES THAT ARE HERE.
I MEAN, I'VE GOT SOME, WOW, I MEAN, WE'VE GOT SOME AMAZING
WORSHIP BANDS, AND, WELL, IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO GET
USED TO IT.
I MEAN, ONE GUY, BLESS HIS HEART, HE LED WORSHIP FOR US
FOR SUCH A LONG TIME, AND HE'S REALLY WELL KNOWN, AND I TEASED
HIM ABOUT IT, SO I'M NOT TALKIN' BEHIND HIS BACK.
I MEAN, WHEN HE WOULD SHOW UP, HIS HAIR LOOKED JUST LIKE
HE JUST GOT OUT OF BED, LIKE, I MEAN, IT LOOKED LIKE MINE DOES
WHEN I GET UP, WHICH IS NOT VERY GOOD.
AND HE TOLD ME ONE DAY, HE SAID, "IT TOOK ME ABOUT 35 MINUTES
TO GET MY HAIR TO DO THIS." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: I THOUGHT, "YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: SEE, THERE WAS A TIME
IN MY LIFE WHEN I DIDN'T KNOW THAT GOD COULD ANOINT DENIM.
I THOUGHT GOD--I THOUGHT YOU COULD ONLY HAVE THE ANOINTING
IF YOU HAD ON POLYESTER.
I DIDN'T THINK YOU COULD WEAR DENIM.
I'M SERIOUS.
YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS?
THAT'S A STINKIN', RELIGIOUS ATTITUDE THAT JUST KEEPS PEOPLE
AWAY FROM GOD.