WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?" I HAD THIS RECORD PLAYING
IN MY HEAD AND IT WAS JUST LIKE A NONENDING LOOP.
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?
WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?
WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?" AND IT STARTED WHEN I WAS
BEING ABUSED AS A CHILD, AND LET THE ENEMY CONVINCE
ME THAT IT WAS MY FAULT.
THAT IF MY FATHER WANTED TO DO WHAT HE WAS DOING TO ME,
THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME BECAUSE OTHER LITTLE
GIRLS DIDN'T HAVE THAT HAPPEN.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT PROBABLY MANY OF THEM WERE GOING
THROUGH THE SAME THING.
BUT I-- SO, I WASTED--
JUST THROUGH IGNORANCE, I WASTED YEARS, AND YEARS,
AND YEARS OF MY LIFE.
ACTUALLY, TO BE HONEST, I WAS--
I STARTED-- I WAS BORN-AGAIN
WHEN I WAS NINE, BUT I NEVER LEARNED ANYTHING,
AND YOU CAN'T GROW WITHOUT LEARNING ANYTHING.
AND THEN, WHEN I WAS IN MY EARLY THIRTIES,
I HAD A REAL TOUCH FROM GOD AND THERE
WAS QUITE A REVIVAL GOING ON AT THAT TIME CALLED,
"THE WORD REVIVAL." AND SO, PEOPLE JUST LOVED
THE WORD.
I MEAN, I REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WEREN'T IN CHURCH
FOR THREE HOURS IT WAS A SHORT SERVICE.
NOW, YOU GOTTA BE IN AND OUT IN 45 MINUTES OR EVERYBODY
GETS, YOU KNOW, AGGRAVATED.
AND--BUT PEOPLE JUST LOVED THE WORD.
AND I LOVED THE WORD OF GOD.
AND YOU CAN'T GROW AND MATURE IN GOD WITHOUT THAT.
BUT IT'S NOT ALL GONNA MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD AND COMFY.
SO, THERE'S THE MILK OF THE WORD,
WHICH IS WHAT I CALL, "DESSERT." AND WE ALL NEED A LITTLE
DESSERT, NOW AND THEN.
BUT THERE'S THE MEAT OF THE WORD, WHICH ARE THE MESSAGES
THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO HEAR, BUT TO BE HONEST,
YOU CANNOT LIVE A HEALTHY LIFE ON DESSERT.
YOU NEED THE VEGETABLES.
YOU NEED THE SPINACH.
YOU NEED THE MEAT.
YOU NEED THE STUFF THAT YOU-- I MEAN, I LIKE ALL THAT STUFF,
BUT I'VE LEARNED TO LIKE IT.
I PREFER IT NOW, OVER SWEETS.
AND YOU KNOW, IN TIMOTHY IT SAYS, "THE TIME WILL COME WHEN
PEOPLE WILL GATHER AND HEAP UNTO THEMSELVES ONE TEACHER
AFTER ANOTHER UNTIL THEY FIND ONE WHO'S SAYING WHAT THEY
WANT TO HEAR." AND I THINK THAT'S KIND
OF THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN TODAY, IN THE WORLD.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU TURN ME ON, ON TELEVISION AND DON'T LIKE
WHAT I'M SAYING, THEN YOU CAN JUST FLIP THE CHANNEL AND FIND
SOMEBODY ELSE.
I HAD A VERY INTERESTING, EYE-OPENING REVELATION
LAST WEEK.
YOU KNOW, WE DO THESE LITTLE INSTAGRAM POSTS THAT ARE JUST
LIKE 30 SECONDS OR 45 SECONDS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND IT SHOWS YOU ON THERE HOW MANY PEOPLE VIEWED IT.
AND SO, SOMETIMES THE NUMBERS ARE REAL HIGH AND SOMETIMES
THEY'RE RATHER LOW.
AND I'VE TRIED TO UNDERSTAND WHY THAT IS.
AND A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, THEY WERE REAL LOW ALL WEEK.
AND THEN, I REALIZED I WAS TEACHING ON HAVING A CLEAN
CONSCIENCE THAT WEEK.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: SO, I CAN CONNECT THE NUMBERS TO WHETHER WHAT
I'M TEACHING ON IS MEAT OR MILK.
AND I WANT YOU TO BE THE KIND OF PERSON THAT IT'S LIKE,
"TELL ME SOMETHING-- SPEAK SOMETHING DEEPER TO ME.
SPEAK SOMETHING TO ME THAT'S GONNA HELP ME CHANGE."
DON'T JUST BE THE KIND OF PERSON THAT WANTS TO JUST GO
TO CHURCH AND SIT THERE AND CLAP AND JUMP UP AND DOWN
AND GO HOME AND NOTHING EVER BE DIFFERENT.
NOW OBVIOUSLY, WE ALL NEED TO CHANGE.
HOW MANY OF YOU AGREE WITH THAT?
THERE'S NOT A PERSON IN HERE THAT DOESN'T NEED TO CHANGE,
INCLUDING ME.
BUT HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS, YOU CAN'T CHANGE YOURSELF.
ONLY GOD CAN REALLY CHANGE YOU.
THE BIBLE SAYS, "DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD,
BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE ENTIRE RENEWAL OF YOUR MIND."
SO, TRANSFORMATION IS A WORK DONE FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
CONFIRMATION MEANS, OR CONFORMING TO SOMETHING, MEANS
SOMEBODY HAS LAID OUT A MOLD AND YOU'RE TRYING TO CRAM
YOURSELF INTO THAT ALL THE TIME.
SO, WE REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE GO TO CHURCH,
OR WE HEAR A MESSAGE, OR YOU'RE WATCHING THIS TODAY
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT IT THAT MAKES YOU SQUIRM
A LITTLE BIT, OR IF YOU THINK, "YEAH, I REALLY, YEAH, I GOT
A PROBLEM IN THAT AREA," DON'T LET THAT CONDEMN YOU.
THANK GOD FOR IT.
EVERY TIME GOD CORRECTS YOU, THANK HIM FOR IT.
HE ONLY CHASTISES THOSE WHOM HE LOVES.
BUT SEE, WHAT I WOULD DO IS I WOULD GO TO CHURCH AND I WOULD
HEAR THOSE MESSAGES AND THEY WOULD MAKE ME FEEL BAD ABOUT
MYSELF BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THEM PROPERLY.
BUT I WOULD BE DETERMINED, I WAS GONNA GO HOME AND CHANGE.
"I'M GONNA CHANGE." IF I HEARD A MESSAGE
ON TALKING TOO MUCH.
THAT WAS ME.
I TALK TOO MUCH.
"WELL, BLESS GOD.
I'M GONNA CHANGE.
I'M NOT GONNA TALK TOO MUCH, TOMORROW."
SO, MY ANSWER BECAUSE-- REMEMBER THIS,
THE FLESH IS ALWAYS EXTREME.
IT'S NEVER BALANCED.
AND SO, I WOULD GO HOME AND NOT TALK AT ALL.
WOULDN'T SAY ANYTHING.
I WOULD JUST LIKE, "MHM, MHM..." I MEAN, IT WAS RIDICULOUS WHEN
I LOOK BACK.
AND THEN, DAVE WOULD SAY, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AND THEN, I WOULD DO WHAT THE FLESH USUALLY DOES,
"IT FIGURES, YOU TRY TO DO THE RIGHT THING
AND PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT.
YOU DO THE WRONG THING AND PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT.
NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, PEOPLE ARE NEVER SATISFIED WITH YOU."
AND SEE, THAT'S JUST THE FLESH HAVING A POUTING, LITTLE FIT.
AND SO, WHAT A GREAT REVELATION IT WAS TO ME WHEN I FOUND OUT,
ESPECIALLY, THROUGH A REVELATION THAT I DISCOVERED
IN GALATIANS 3:1-3.
"O YOU POOR AND SILLY AND THOUGHTLESS AND UNREFLECTING
AND SENSELESS GALATIANS!" IT COULDA JUST BEEN,
"O YOU POOR, SILLY, THOUGHTLESS, UNREFLECTING
AND SENSELESS JOYCE." "WHO HAS FASCINATED
OR BEWITCHED YOU OR CAST A SPELL OVER YOU, UNTO WHOM-RIGHT
BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES-CHRIST (THE MESSIAH) WAS OPENLY
AND GRAPHICALLY SET FORTH AND PORTRAYED AS CRUCIFIED?
NOW, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION: DID YOU RECEIVE THE
[HOLY] SPIRIT AS A RESULT OF OBEYING THE LAW
AND DOING ALL OF ITS WORKS, OR WAS IT BY HEARING
[THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL] AND BELIEVING [IT]?"
SECOND RIGHT?
YOU DIDN'T RECEIVE CHRIST BECAUSE YOU DID
EVERYTHING RIGHT.
MATTER OF FACT, YOU FINALLY WENT TO CHRIST BECAUSE YOU
COULDN'T DO EVERYTHING RIGHT, AND YOU WERE AT THE END OF
YOURSELF, AND YOU WANTED HELP.
YOU COULDN'T LIVE LIKE THAT ANYMORE.
SO, IT WAS MORE LIKE, "I GIVE UP, GOD.
IF YOU'LL TAKE ME THE WAY I AM, YOU CAN HAVE ME."
AND SO, THE SAME WAY THAT WE RECEIVE CHRIST,
IT SAYS IN 2 CORINTHIANS, THAT'S THE SAME WAY THAT
WE SHOULD LIVE.
EVERYDAY I SAY, "I AM NOTHING WITHOUT YOU.
IN ME THAT IS IN MY FLESH DWELLS NO GOOD THING,
BUT I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH YOU IF YOU'LL HELP ME."
JUST BECAUSE I'VE COME INTO THIS TV STUDIO AND DONE THESE
KINDS OF THINGS THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF TIMES,
DON'T EVER THINK THAT I EVER COME HERE WITHOUT
ASKING GOD TO HELP ME.
BECAUSE HAVING HUMAN FLESH, WE CAN HAVE A DOWNFALL AT ANY
TIME IF GOD DOESN'T KEEP US STRONG.
AMEN?
AND SO, I WOULD GO HOME AND TRY TO CHANGE BUT I LEFT
GOD OUT OF THE EQUATION.
AND WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE WAS SAID, "I RECEIVE
THAT CONVICTION.
YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, I TALK TOO MUCH.
AND I WANNA CHANGE.
AND I'M ASKING YOU TO CHANGE ME."
NOW, DID I HAVE A PART?
YES, MY PART AND YOUR PART IS TO--
NOW, LISTEN TO WHAT I'M GONNA SAY.
STUDY THE WORD OF GOD IN THE AREA WHERE GOD
IS CONVICTING YOU.
IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF, "OH, I'VE GOT A PROBLEM
WITH A TEMPER.
SO, I'M GONNA READ-- LET'S SEE, I LIKE PSALMS.
I'LL READ A PSALM.
NOW, I'VE PUT MY TIME IN THE WORD."
NO, IF YOU'RE ANGRY, YOU NEED TO FIND EVERY
SCRIPTURE YOU CAN FIND ON ANGER AND TEMPER,
WRITE 'EM OUT IN LONGHAND, PUT 'EM ON YOUR COMPUTER,
CONFESS THEM.
BECAUSE THE WORD OF GOD-- NOW LISTEN.
THE WORD OF GOD IS SHARPER THAN A TWO-EDGED SWORD.
AND IT HAS THE POWER IN IT TO CHANGE US BECAUSE GOD
WORKS THROUGH HIS WORD.
HE WORKS THROUGH HIS WORD TO BRING YOU SALVATION.
YOU HEARD THE MESSAGE AND YOU BELIEVED IT, AND SO, IT BECAME
A REALITY IN YOUR LIFE.
AND THE SAME WAY THAT YOU WERE SAVED, IS THE SAME WAY YOU'RE
GONNA BE CHANGED.
AND WHEN YOU BELIEVE-- NOW, LISTEN.
YOU ENTER THE REST OF GOD, WHICH IS WHERE WE STARTED
ALMOST THIRTY MINUTES AGO.
ARE YOU FRUSTRATED WITH YOURSELF?
NO, I'M NOT FRUSTRATED WITH MYSELF ANYMORE.
I'M WHERE I'M AT TODAY.
I WANNA BE EVERYTHING THAT GOD WANTS ME TO BE.
AND I'LL CHANGE A LITTLE BIT TODAY, A LITTLE BIT TOMORROW.
SOMETIMES WE CHANGE SO-- IN SUCH TINY, LITTLE AMOUNTS
THAT WE DON'T EVEN NOTICE IT.
WE CAN'T EVEN REALLY MEASURE IT.
BUT HERE AGAIN, IF YOU KEEP IT UP,
AND KEEP IT UP, AND KEEP IT UP,
AND KEEP IT UP-- THERE'S A WONDERFUL LITTLE
WORD IN THE BIBLE, "CONTINUE." "IF YOU CONTINUE IN MY WORD,
THEN ARE YOU MY DISCIPLES INDEED AND YOU WILL KNOW
THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE."
IT DOESN'T JUST MAGICALLY MAKE YOU FREE, BUT THE TRUTH
OF THE WORD, IF IT'S APPLIED TO YOUR LIFE WILL MAKE YOU FREE.