PEACE WITH GOD, PEACE WITH YOURSELF,
PEACE WITH YOUR FELLOW MAN.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A THREE-PART SERIES IF I PREACH IT PROPERLY,
BUT YOU'RE GONNA GET THIS DOWNLOAD HERE IN FIVE MINUTES.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE PEACE WITH GOD, YOU GOTTA KNOW
THAT GOD LOVES YOU.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW GOD'S CHARACTER SO YOU CAN KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT
FROM HIM.
YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU SIN, HE'S READY TO FORGIVE.
YOU KNOW THAT HE'S FULL OF MERCY.
YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN TRUST GOD.
YOU CAN BE OPEN WITH GOD.
YOU CAN TALK TO GOD ABOUT ANYTHING.
THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING THAT YOU NEED TO TRY TO HIDE
FROM GOD BECAUSE HE KNOWS EVERYTHING ANYWAY.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: SO IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE PEACE WITH GOD, DON'T TRY
TO KEEP SECRETS FROM HIM.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS KEEPING A SECRET FROM GOD.
HOW SILLY IS THAT TO THINK WE'RE NOT GONNA TELL GOD SOMETHING.
PEACE WITH YOURSELF, THAT'S ANOTHER 4-PART SERIES.
WHY DON'T YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL IF YOU NEED TO, ACCEPT YOURSELF
TONIGHT?
QUIT HAVING A WAR WITH YOURSELF.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY PEACE IF YOU'RE CONSTANTLY PICKING ON
YOURSELF, TAKING A CONTINUAL INVENTORY OF EVERYTHING THAT'S
WRONG WITH YOU, COMPARING YOURSELF WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
"I DON'T LOOK LIKE THIS, AND I DON'T LOOK LIKE THAT,
AND I WISH I HAD THEIR FIGURE, AND I WISH I HAD YOUR HAIR.
AND I WISH I HAD YOUR GIFT, AND I WISH I COULD SING LIKE THAT."
NOT.
WE ARE WHAT WE ARE.
LET'S TAKE WHAT WE ARE, WHICH IS GOD'S WILL.
HE DOESN'T MAKE ANY JUNK.
HE DOESN'T MAKE ANY MISTAKES.
AND LET'S DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN WITH IT AND STOP COMPETING
WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND WANTING A LIFE THAT'S NOT THE LIFE
WE HAVE.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: WE CAN BE SOUR AND SAD THE REST OF OUR LIFE BECAUSE
WE'RE NOT LIKE SOMEBODY ELSE BUT THAT'S NEVER GONNA MAKE US LIKE
SOMEBODY ELSE.
BE YOURSELF.
EVERYBODY ELSE IS ALREADY TAKEN.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AMEN?
NOW LET ME JUST TELL YA, IF YOU DON'T LIKE YOURSELF, YOU'RE IN
FOR A ROUGH GO BECAUSE EVERYWHERE YOU GO,
THERE YOU ARE.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: HAVE PEACE WITH GOD, HAVE PEACE WITH YOURSELF, AND
THEN HAVE PEACE WITH PEOPLE.
WOW.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: LET ME GIVE YA JUST A FEW TIPS ON HOW TO HAVE PEACE
WITH PEOPLE, JUST A HANDFUL.
BE STINGY WITH YOUR CRITICISM.
I MEAN JUST BE AS STINGY AS YOU CAN BE WITH CRITICISM.
MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.
GIVE YOUR OPINION VERY SPARINGLY.
EVEN WHEN PEOPLE ASK FOR YOUR OPINION, USUALLY THEY JUST WANT
YOU TO AGREE WITH 'EM, NOT SUGGESTING YOU BE DISHONEST
BUT YOU GOTTA KEEP IN MIND THAT I'M SAYING EVEN IF YOU
ONLY GAVE YOUR OPINION WHEN PEOPLE ASKED FOR IT, EVEN
HALF THE TIME THEY ASK FOR IT, THEY DON'T REALLY WANT IT.
SO THERE'S REALLY NO POINT IN GIVING PEOPLE OUR OPINION
WHEN THEY'VE NOT ASKED FOR IT BECAUSE IT'S NEVER GONNA
HIT THEM THE RIGHT WAY.
DON'T TRY TO CONTROL PEOPLE.
THEY DON'T LIKE IT.
EVERYBODY'S NOT LIKE YOU.
GIVE THEM SOME SPACE.
NOW, NOW WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE MAIN THING I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT TONIGHT.
THE OTHER THING THAT STEALS OUR PEACE IS THE STORMS OF LIFE.
THERE'S BIG STORMS, LITTLE STORMS, LONG STORMS,
SHORT STORMS, STORMS THAT AREN'T IN THE FORECAST,
AND WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO LIVE READY.
NOW, WE LOOKED AT 1 PETER 3:11 BUT LET'S LOOK AT PSALM 34:14.
WHAT IS OUR JOB DURING A STORM?
IT'S NOT TO FIX THE STORM.
IT'S NOT TO MAKE THE STORM GO AWAY.
IT'S TO ACTUALLY HOLD ON TO OUR PEACE.
IF YOU WANT TO BECOME A POWERFUL PERSON, YOU LEARN HOW TO HOLD
YOUR PEACE IN THE STORM AND WHEN YOU CAN DO THAT, THE DEVIL DOES
NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH YOU.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: PSALM 34:14.
YOU SAY, "WELL, IT'S JUST TOO HARD.
I JUST GET TOO UPSET." WELL, SEE, THAT'S OUR FIRST
MISTAKE SAYING THAT WE CAN'T DO WHAT GOD TELLS US TO DO.
"DEPART FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD: SEEK, INQUIRE FOR, AND CRAVE
PEACE, PURSUE IT AND (GO AFTER) IT."
I WISH THAT I COULD CONVEY TO YOU WHAT THIS SCRIPTURE
IN 1 PETER 3:11 MEANT TO MY LIFE WHEN
I REALIZED, NOW LISTEN TO ME, THAT I COULD NO LONGER JUST
STAND AROUND AND WAIT FOR PEACE TO FALL ON ME, THAT I WASN'T
GETTING IT BY WISHING IT FOR IT.
I WASN'T EVEN GETTING IT BY PRAYING FOR IT BECAUSE, TO BE
HONEST, A LOT OF TIMES WE PRAY FOR THINGS WE'VE ALREADY GOT.
AND SO WE'RE PRAYING PRAYERS THAT ARE JUST USELESS BECAUSE
THEY'RE NOT PRAYERS THAT GOD CAN ANSWER.
TO SAY, "GIVE ME PEACE" IS NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO PRAY.
HERE'S THE WAY TO PRAY, "GOD, HELP ME WALK IN THE PEACE THAT
YOU'VE ALREADY GIVEN ME THAT'S INSIDE OF ME.
I HAVE PEACE," AND THE MORE YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE PEACE, THE
MORE YOU'LL BE WILLING TO ACCESS THAT PEACE AND WALK IN IT WHEN
YOU NEED IT.
PEACE PROTECTS YOU.
PEACE GIVES YOU POWER.
PEACE GIVES YOU AUTHORITY OVER THE DEVIL.
WHEN YOU HOLD YOUR PEACE, IT IS THE MOST POWERFUL POSITION THAT
YOU CAN HAVE.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: WHEN WE GET RATTLED AND UPSET, WE ARE DOING EXACTLY
WHAT THE DEVIL WANTS US TO DO.
DID YOU HEAR ME?
WHEN WE GET RATTLED AND UPSET AND START SAYING ALL KINDS
OF--COME ON, YOU KNOW WHEN YOU GET UPSET, THE MOUTH GOES
TO WORK.
HOW MANY OF YOU THINK THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT YOU CAN LEARN
TO BE PEACEFUL IN THE STORM?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: SOME OF YOU ARE JUST LIKE, "I DON'T KNOW.
YOU DON'T KNOW ME." WELL, I KNOW ME.
YOU KNOW, I USED TO HAVE SO MANY TANTRUMS.
OH, MY GOSH, I WAS JUST LIKE A PRESSURE COOKER
WAITING TO BLOW.
MY MOTHER COOKED IN A PRESSURE COOKER A LOT WHEN I WAS A KID.
AND IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN ONE, YOU KNOW WHEN IT BUILDS UP STEAM
INSIDE THEN THAT LITTLE THING ON TOP GOES...
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: IT'S THREATENING JUST LOOKING AT IT...SPURTING OUT
STEAM EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.
AND I REMEMBER HER SAYING ALL THE TIME, "DON'T TOUCH IT.
DON'T TOUCH IT.
WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T TAKE THE LID OFF.
DON'T TOUCH IT." AND I WAS KIND OF LIKE THAT IT
WAS LIKE I WAS JUST LIKE--JUST WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO PUSH ME
THE WRONG WAY.
BUT YOU KNOW WHY I WAS LIKE THAT?
IT WAS BECAUSE OF ALL THE STUFF GOING ON INSIDE ME.
I WASN'T PROTECTING THE KINGDOM THAT IS WITHIN ME.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHO I WAS IN CHRIST.
I DIDN'T HAVE PEACE WITH GOD.
I DIDN'T BELIEVE GOD LOVED ME.
I DIDN'T EVEN BELIEVE HE LIKED ME LET ALONE BELIEVE THAT GOD
WAS ACTUALLY PLEASED WITH ME.
I WAS INSECURE, I WAS FEARFUL,
ALL THE WRONG THINGS.
I DIDN'T HAVE TO BE, BUT WHY WAS I NOT GETTING VICTORY OVER
THOSE THINGS?
BECAUSE I WAS PURSUING KINGDOM BENEFITS.
I WANTED MY MINISTRY TO GROW.
I WANTED MY HUSBAND TO CHANGE.
I WANTED MY KIDS TO CHANGE.
I WANTED TO BE IN THIS CERTAIN SOCIAL GROUP AT CHURCH.
I WANTED, I WANTED, I WANTED, I WANTED.
GIVE ME, GIVE ME, GIVE ME, GIVE ME.
I'M JUST TELLING YOU THE TRUTH.
I WASN'T CHASING AFTER THE RIGHT THING.
AND IF YOU CHASE THE WRONG THING, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA END UP
WITH THE RIGHT THING.
AMEN?
THAT'S A KEEPER.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: IF YOU CHASE THE WRONG THING,
YOU'LL NEVER END UP WITH THE RIGHT THING.
IF YOU WANT PEACE, PURSUE IT.
IF YOU WANNA WALK IN LOVE, YOU GOTTA STUDY LOVE.
YOU GOTTA PUT ON LOVE.
YOU GOTTA GET UP EVERY DAY AND YOU GOTTA PLAN TO GO OUT
OF YOUR HOUSE AND LOVE PEOPLE.
YOU GOTTA BE READY TO GIVE.
YOU GOTTA HAVE STUFF PREPARED TO GIVE.
IF YOU WANT TO WALK IN LOVE, YOU CAN BECAUSE GOD WILL
HELP US WALK IN LOVE.
HE'S CALLED US TO WALK IN LOVE AND I WANNA LOVE PEOPLE.
I WANNA BE PEACEFUL, AND I AM DETERMINED THAT I'M GONNA ENJOY
MY LIFE, I MEAN EVERYTHING ABOUT MY LIFE, NOT JUST THE VACATIONS,
NOT JUST THE PAYDAYS, EVERYTHING ABOUT MY LIFE.
HOW MANY OF YOU ARE READY FOR SOME OF THAT?
AUDIENCE: YEAH!
JOYCE: BUT STORMS COME.
YOU NEVER KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THEY'RE GONNA COME.
JOHN 14:27, "PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU; MY [OWN] PEACE I NOW GIVE
AND BEQUEATH TO YOU.
NOT AS THE WORLD GIVES DO I GIVE TO YOU.
DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED, NEITHER LET THEM
BE AFRAID." NOW HOW MANY OF YOU ARE SEEING
THAT NEXT SENTENCE COMING UP?
"[STOP ALLOWING YOURSELVES TO BE AGITATED AND DISTURBED; AND DO
NOT PERMIT YOURSELVES TO BE FEARFUL AND INTIMIDATED
AND COWARDLY AND UNSETTLED.]" NOW, LET'S BE CLEAR
THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING WITHOUT
THE GRACE OF GOD, NOTHING.
APART FROM YOU, WE CAN DO NOTHING.
OUR JOB IS TO BELIEVE AND GOD'S JOB IS TO DO.
SO I BELIEVE THAT GOD CAN HELP ME DO EVERYTHING THAT HE'S TOLD
ME TO DO IF I'M WILLING, AND I CAN'T BE JUST A LITTLE BIT
WILLING, I'VE GOTTA BE RADICALLY WILLING.
IT'S AMAZING WHAT I'VE SEEN HAPPEN IN MY LIFE IN THIS AREA
OF TEMPERAMENT.
JUST BY FOCUSING ON SOMETHING LIKE "I'M DETERMINED I'M NOT
GONNA LIVE WITHOUT PEACE." AND IT TOOK ME A GOOD NUMBER
OF YEARS.
I HAD TO REALLY START BACKING INTO, OKAY, WHAT IS STEALING
MY PEACE?
I FOUND OUT WHEN I HAVE TO HURRY THAT I LOSE MY PEACE.
SO, THEN I HAD TO STOP HURRYING.
I FOUND OUT THAT IF I WORRY ABOUT STUFF ALL THE TIME, THAT
I'M NOT GONNA KEEP MY PEACE.
SO I HAD TO DIG IN WITH GOD, AND PRAY, AND STUDY THE WORD OF GOD
ENOUGH TO GET TO THE POINT THAT I REALIZED HOW USELESS WORRY IS.
WORRY IS LIKE SITTING IN A ROCKING CHAIR
AND ROCKING ALL DAY.
IT KEEPS YOU BUSY BUT IT GETS YOU NOWHERE.
YOU DON'T MAKE ANY PROGRESS.
IT'S USELESS.
WHAT IS IT THAT STEALS YOUR PEACE?
YOU SAY, "WELL, MY KIDS STEAL MY PEACE."
WELL, YOU GOT 'EM.
THEY'RE YOURS.
THEY'RE GONNA BE THERE UNTIL THEY'RE GROWN AND GONE.
SORRY, THAT'S--YOU WANTED 'EM.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: "THESE KIDS ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY."
WELL, YEAH, KIDS CAN BE CHALLENGING,
THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
YOU GOT THREE OR FOUR TEENAGERS IN THE HOUSE, YOU NEED EVERY
BOOK I GOT, TRUST ME.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: BUT HERE'S THE THING, YOU WEREN'T ANY DIFFERENT WHEN
YOU WERE THEIR AGE, EXCEPT THOSE FEW OF YOU THAT WERE ANGELIC
WHILE YOU WERE GROWING UP.
I MEAN HOW MANY OF YOU DID SOME DOUBLE DUMB STUFF WHEN YOU
WERE A KID?
I MEAN I USED TO DO STUPID STUFF LIKE HOLD MY BREATH TILL I'D
PASS OUT.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: PLAY CHICKEN WITH CARS OUT IN THE STREET.
ME AND MY FRIENDS WOULD LAY DOWN IN THE STREET AND SEE HOW CLOSE
THE CAR COULD GET TO US BEFORE WE'D ROLL OUT OF THE WAY.
LAST ONE TO-- YEAH, PEOPLE ARE GOING...
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: WELL, YOU KNOW, I HAD A LOT OF GUTS
WAY BACK THEN, I JUST WASN'T TOO SMART ABOUT IT.
I DID STUPID STUFF, DUMB STUFF.
YOU'RE ALL SHAKING YOUR HEAD AT ME, WHAT DID YOU DO?