ANNOUNCER: THIS PROGRAM
HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FRIENDS AND PARTNERS
OF JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES. JOYCE: YOU KNOW,
THE GREAT THING ABOUT GOD IS NO MATTER HOW MANY MISTAKES
YOU'VE MADE IN THE PAST YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP
MAKING THEM. AND THE MORE WE CHOOSE
THE RIGHT THING, THE MORE WE GET OUT
OF THE MESSES THAT WE'RE IN. [MUSIC] JOYCE: EVERYBODY
HAS EMOTIONS. WELL, AT LEAST, MOST PEOPLE DO. SOME PEOPLE YOU THINK COULD USE
HAVING A FEW MORE BUT-- [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: WE'RE GONNA START
WITH THE PEOPLE WHO JUST HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF THEM
AND THEY TEND TO BE LED AND GUIDED BY THEM,
RATHER THAN BEING GUIDED BY THE SPIRIT. SO OUR EMOTIONS
DO NOT TELL US THE TRUTH. THEY TELL US HOW WE FEEL. YOUR MIND DOESN'T NECESSARILY
TELL YOU THE TRUTH UNLESS IT'S BEEN TOTALLY RENEWED
BY THE WORD OF GOD. YOUR MIND AND MY MIND
TELLS US WHAT WE THINK. AND SO PROBABLY
MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, PEOPLE TELL ME AND THEY TELL YOU
AND WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO EACH OTHER YOU TALK ABOUT
AND I TALK ABOUT WHAT WE WANT, WHAT WE THINK, AND HOW WE FEEL. I WANT, I THINK, I FEEL. WELL, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH,
ALL OF THAT, UNLESS IT'S CLOSELY GUIDED
BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, IS PART OF WHAT THE BIBLE
CALLS "THE FLESH." WHAT I THINK DOESN'T NECESSARILY
TELL ME WHAT GOD THINKS OR WHAT HIS WORD SAYS. WHAT I FEEL DOESN'T NECESSARILY
TELL ME WHAT GOD WOULD HAVE ME DO IN A SITUATION,
AND WHAT I WANT MAY NOT BE WHAT GOD WANTS. NOW, WE IMPROVE IN THOSE AREAS
THE MORE WE STUDY THE WORD AND THE MORE WE LEARN
TO WALK ACCORDING TO THE WORD, BUT I CAN TELL YOU
EVEN AFTER BEING IN CHURCH MANY, MANY YEARS,
BACK IN THE 70s WHEN I GOT INTO WHAT I CALL A MORE
SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, AND I LOVE TO TALK ABOUT THAT
BECAUSE, TO BE HONEST, YOU CAN BE A CHRISTIAN
AND YOU CAN GO TO CHURCH A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK
AND YOU MIGHT READ YOUR BIBLE A LITTLE BIT
AND STILL NOT BE REAL SERIOUS IN YOUR WALK WITH GOD. WHEN PEOPLE GET SERIOUS ABOUT
THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, THEY'RE NOT JUST INTERESTED
IN WHAT GOD CAN DO FOR THEM, BUT THEY'RE INTERESTED
IN WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR GOD. THEY WANT TO BE THE KIND
OF PERSON THAT GOD CAN USE, THAT GOD IS WORKING THROUGH THEM
TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, I LOVE DOING THINGS
FOR MY KIDS AND I WILL ALWAYS DO THINGS FOR MY KIDS
BUT I'LL TELL YOU, I REACHED A POINT
WHERE I JUST THOUGHT, "I'D LIKE YOU TO DO SOMETHING FOR ME." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AND YOU'LL GET TO--
NOW, ALL MY KIDS ARE GREAT AND THEY DO A LOT OF STUFF
FOR US BUT IT'S JUST THE TRUTH. YOU DON'T--YOU KNOW,
THAT BABY STAGE OF CHRISTIANITY IS ALL ABOUT ME, ME, ME, ME, ME. WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME? BUT MATURITY BEGINS TO SEE
THAT IT HAS A RESPONSIBILITY AND IT BEGINS TO WANT TO KNOW
WHAT IT CAN DO THEN FOR THE ONE WHO'S HELPED THEM SO MUCH. SO THE BIBLE SAYS
THAT WE HAVE EMOTIONS, WE HAVE THOUGHTS,
WE HAVE A WILL, AND WHAT GOD'S DESIRE IS FOR US IS THAT WE USE
OUR WILL TO CHOOSE HIS WILL. HE'S NOT GONNA MAKE
US DO WHAT'S RIGHT. HE'S GIVEN US FREE CHOICE
BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT ROBOTS WHO HAVE NO CHOICE
BUT TO SERVE HIM. HE WANTS US TO COME TO THE POINT
WHERE WE CAN EVEN SAY, "YOU KNOW, GOD, THIS IS WHAT
I WANT, BUT IF IT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT, THEN PLEASE
DON'T GIVE IT TO ME." HAS ANYBODY STARTED PRAYING
LIKE THAT YET? OKAY, THAT'S THE WISE WAY
TO PRAY. AND WE ALSO GROW
TO THE POINT WHERE, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE
OUR OWN THOUGHTS AND WE HAVE OUR OWN FEELINGS,
WE KNOW THAT WE CAN'T BE LED AND GUIDED BY THAT IF THEY DON'T
AGREE WITH THE WORD OF GOD. SO LET ME JUST SAY
THAT YOU'RE NEVER GONNA NOT HAVE FEELINGS. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE FEELINGS. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE EMOTIONS. AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE GOOD
AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT. SOMETIMES THEY'RE THERE
WHEN YOU NEED THEM. THEY--OR THEY'RE THERE
WHEN YOU NEED 'EM; SOMETIMES THEY'RE THERE
WHEN YOU'RE--THEY'RE THERE WHEN YOU WANT 'EM;
SOMETIMES THEY'RE THERE WHEN YOU DON'T WANT 'EM. YOU MAY FEEL LIKE DOING
SOMETHING WHEN YOU GO TO BED AT NIGHT, GET UP
THE NEXT MORNING AND NOT FEEL LIKE DOING IT ANYMORE. AND SO WE HAVE TO LEARN
THAT WE HAVE FEELINGS BUT WE CANNOT LET THEM HAVE US. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE. WE HAVE TO LEARN
HOW TO MANAGE OUR EMOTIONS. AND BECAUSE EMOTIONS
ARE SO PREVALENT, I READ AND STUDY IN THAT AREA
A FAIR AMOUNT, AND I RECENTLY HAVE BEEN READING
A BOOK BY A GENTLEMAN WHO'S PROBABLY GONE HOME TO BE WITH
THE LORD A 100 YEARS AGO BUT I LOVE THE FACT THAT
THE WORD NEVER GETS OLD. MATTER OF FACT, A LOT
OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I'VE LEARNED, I'VE LEARNED FROM
PEOPLE THAT LEFT THE PLANET YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AGO. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS
WHY I WANTED TO WRITE SO MANY BOOKS
AND LEAVE THAT LEGACY AND THAT HERITAGE TO PEOPLE
THAT WILL COME AFTER ME BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE THINGS THAT
I'M TEACHING NOW WILL BE JUST AS VALUABLE A 100 YEARS FROM
NOW AS THEY ARE RIGHT NOW. AND SO-- [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: BUT ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT THIS MAN SAID AND IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT
I DON'T KNOW BUT IT JUST WAS SOMETHING THAT I NEEDED
TO BE REMINDED OF, AND MAYBE YOU NEED
TO BE REMINDED OF THIS TOO, TODAY. HE SAID, "WATCH YOUR EMOTIONS
AND NOTICE HOW EASILY THEY ARE AFFECTED
BY SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. IF YOU DON'T SLEEP WELL,
YOU'RE LIKELY TO BE MORE EMOTIONAL THE NEXT DAY. IF YOU DON'T FEEL WELL,
YOU'RE LIKELY TO BE MORE EMOTIONAL THE NEXT DAY. IF THE WEATHER
DOESN'T SUIT YOU-- [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: MY POINT IS,
IS THAT THINGS THAT PEOPLE DO OR DON'T DO CAN AFFECT
US EMOTIONALLY. HOW OTHER PEOPLE BEHAVE
CAN AFFECT US EMOTIONALLY. WHAT KIND OF APPRECIATION
PEOPLE GIVE YOU OR DON'T GIVE YOU
CAN AFFECT US EMOTIONALLY. SO BECAUSE OUR FEELINGS
SEEM TO BE SO AFFECTED BY SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS,
I THINK IT WOULD BE JUST A GOOD LITTLE STUDY CLASS
TO TAKE A WEEK AND JUST MAYBE PAY A LITTLE BIT OF ATTENTION
TO WHEN THEY'RE UP AND WHEN THEY'RE DOWN
AND WHAT SEEMS TO BE CAUSING BOTH. SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE EMOTIONAL
THAN OTHERS. SOME HAVE, YOU KNOW,
MORE CONTROL OVER THEIR EMOTIONS THAN OTHERS. THEY SAY THAT WOMEN ARE
A LOT MORE EMOTIONAL THAN MEN. YOU KNOW, THAT'S TRUE
IN MINE AND DAVE'S CASE. IT'S NOT ALWAYS TRUE
IN EVERY SITUATION. WHAT GOD WANTS US TO DO IS LEARN
TO LIVE DEEPER. EVERYBODY SAY "DEEPER."
AUDIENCE: DEEPER. JOYCE: BECAUSE THE FLESH,
WHAT I THINK, WHAT I WANT, AND WHAT I FEEL, IS MORE
A PART OF MY EXTERIOR LIFE AND IT DOESN'T REALLY
OR DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE THAT MUCH TO DO WITH MY DEEPER LIFE
WHICH IS MY LIFE IN CHRIST. BUT IT TAKES US QUITE A WHILE
TO LEARN THAT. HOW MANY OF YOU,
IF YOU'VE BEEN WALKING WITH GOD, NOW LET'S SAY, 10 YEARS,
YOU ARE LESS AFFECTED BY YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES NOW
THAN YOU WERE 10 YEARS AGO? OKAY, SEE, AND THE LONGER
YOU WALK WITH GOD, THE MORE THAT'S GOING TO BE THE CASE. YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE ALTHOUGH YOU--
YOU ARE A SPIRIT, YOU HAVE A FLESH WHICH
IS YOUR SOUL AND YOUR BODY. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT
IF WE WALK BY THE SPIRIT WE WILL NOT FULFILL
THE LUSTS OF THE FLESH. IT DOESN'T SAY THAT THE FLESH
WILL STOP SCREAMING AT YOU. BUT IT SAYS THE MORE
THAT WE WALK IN THE SPIRIT, GALATIANS 5:16, THE LESS
WE WILL FOLLOW OR SUBMIT TO THE LUSTS OF OUR FLESH. YOUR FLESH IS ALWAYS GONNA
BE SCREAMING AT YOU, ALWAYS GONNA BE SCREAMING AT ME,
BUT WE CAN MAKE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA DO WHAT
GOD WANTS US TO DO. NOW, DEEPER. THE BIBLE SAYS TO BE ROOTED
DEEP IN GOD'S LOVE. DO YOU KNOW,
YOU CAN COME TO A PLACE WHERE YOU ARE SO CONVINCED
THAT GOD LOVES YOU THAT NOTHING CAN EVER
TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU? NOTHING CAN TAKE THAT
AWAY FROM YOU. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: BUT HOW MANY
YEARS OF MY LIFE AND PERHAPS IN YOURS TOO,
AND THANKFULLY I DON'T DO THIS ANYMORE,
BUT HOW MANY YEARS OF MY LIFE DID EVERY TIME I HAVE TROUBLE
THAT WAS LONG-LASTING I WOULD SAY, "WELL, GOD,
DON'T YOU LOVE ME? DON'T YOU LOVE ME?"
YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT IF GOD LOVES
US THEN EVERYTHING SHOULD TURN UP ROSES ALL THE TIME. BUT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY SAYS
THAT WHEN GOD CHASTISES US IT'S A SIGN OF HIS LOVE. IN REVELATIONS IT SAYS
WE SHOULD BE ENTHUSIASTIC AND FULL OF ZEAL WHEN GOD
CORRECTS US AND SHOWS US WHAT'S WRONG WITH US. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU
BUT I'VE THOUGHT SOMETIMES, "GOD, YOU COULD JUST LOVE
ME A LITTLE BIT LESS TODAY. I REALLY--" [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: "I DON'T WANNA KNOW
ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S WRONG WITH ME RIGHT NOW. JUST BE--FEEL FREE TO GO LOVE
SOMEBODY ELSE." AMEN? [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: BUT WHEN YOU'RE ROOTED
DEEP IN THAT LOVE THEN YOU KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU KNOW
AND NOTHING CAN EVER TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT WE'RE TO BE
ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN CHRIST. AND THAT MEANS
THAT YOU GROW TO A POINT WHERE YOU--YOUR IDENTITY
IS SO ESTABLISHED IN WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST
THAT ALTHOUGH YOU DON'T WANNA BE REJECTED,
IF A PERSON REJECTS YOU, YOU CAN STILL BE OKAY
BECAUSE YOU KNOW GOD NEVER REJECTS YOU. IF YOU GET TURNED DOWN
FOR A POSITION AT WORK THAT YOU WANTED
OR A PROMOTION YOU WANTED, YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEEL INSECURE
AND FEEL LIKE YOU'RE NO GOOD BECAUSE YOU CAN GO BACK
TO YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND SAY, "IF THAT WAS WHAT
GOD HAD FOR ME THEN IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED,
AND IF IT DIDN'T HAPPEN THEN GOD'S GOT ANOTHER PLAN FOR ME,
AND MY WORTH AND VALUE IS NOT TIED UP IN THE TITLE
I HAVE AT MY COMPANY." [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: I THINK ONE
OF THE BEST THINGS THAT HAPPENS AS A RESULT OF OUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD IS THAT WE CAN BECOME SECURE IN WHO WE ARE IN HIM. DO YOU KNOW WHAT A NIGHTMARE
IT IS WHEN YOU'RE INSECURE AND EVERYTHING ABOUT
HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOURSELF IS AFFECTED BY HOW OTHER PEOPLE
TREAT YOU AND WHAT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE? THE BIBLE SAYS:
"DEEP CALLETH UNTO DEEP." NOW, I WANNA JUST ASK YOU
A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. HOW MANY OF YOU MAYBE
YOU'RE AT A POINT IN YOUR HOME WHERE YOU NEED TO DO SOME
DEEP CLEANING? [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: OKAY, WE'RE GONNA TALK
ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AND WE'RE GONNA GET
A LITTLE ANALOGY. SO, ARE YOU THE KINDA PERSON
THAT JUST, WHEN SOMEBODY'S GONNA COME OVER,
YOU JUST QUICKLY STRAIGHTEN UP? [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: OH, THIS IS
A GOOD EXAMPLE. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: "OH, WE GOT
COMPANY COMING, C'MON." ALL THE KIDS HAVE
TO GET IN GEAR. WE'RE THROWING EVERYTHING
IN CLOSETS. WE'RE SHOVING EVERYTHING
IN DRAWERS. WE'RE PICKING EVERYTHING UP. THE DISHES ARE THROWN
IN THE DISHWASHER. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AND THE COMPANY
COMES IN AND WE'RE BUSY, LIKE, IMPRESSING THEM
WITH OUR LOVELY HOUSE. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: BUT WE KNOW WHAT'S
HIDDEN BEHIND THE DRAWERS AND THE DOORS. OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? THE SAME THING CAN BE TRUE
IN OUR LIVES. WHEN SOMEBODY COMES
AROUND THAT WE KNOW AND WE WANNA IMPRESS,
ARE WE QUICK TO STRAIGHTEN UP? OR HAVE WE INVITED GOD
TO COME INTO OUR LIFE AND DO A LOT OF DEEP CLEANING
ON THE INSIDE OF US? HMM...YOU KNOW--
WELL, LET'S JUST SAY THIS. IF YOU WOULD BEHAVE AT HOME
ALL THE TIME THE WAY YOU WOULD BEHAVE IF I SHOWED UP AT YOUR
FRONT DOOR-- [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: C'MON, WAKE UP. I'M TIRED TOO. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: SEE, OUR BIG EXCUSE
IS, "WELL, I JUST CAN'T HELP IT. I JUST CAN'T HELP IT. I JUST LOSE MY TEMPER. I'M JUST AN EMOTIONAL PERSON. I JUST CAN'T HELP IT." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: THAT'S ONE EXCUSE
THAT WE NEED TO GET RID OF. THE "I CAN'T HELP IT" EXCUSE. "IT'S JUST HARD. IT'S JUST SO HARD."
WELL, YEAH, IT'S HARD FOR EVERYBODY. WE ALL JUST THINK BEING
OUT OF CONTROL IS GREAT BUT THAT'S NOT THE WAY
GOD WANTS US TO BE. SO, YOU KNOW,
I DID A LOT OF SCREAMING AND YELLING AT MY KIDS
IN MY FRUSTRATED YEARS. I MEAN, I WASN'T ABUSIVE TO THEM
BUT I JUST WAS--I WAS UPSET A LOT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE TIME. [GRUMBLING]
I KNOW NONE OF YOU WERE LIKE THAT BUT I WAS. I ALWAYS SAY, "I GOT ALONG
WITH EVERYBODY 'TIL SOMEBODY CAME HOME AND THEN
IT WAS A DIFFERENT STORY." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AND HONESTLY,
I HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ME ONE TIME AND IT TAUGHT ME A GREAT LESSON
AND I SHARE IT OFTEN IN MY TEACHINGS
WHEN I'M TEACHING ALONG THESE LINES. ONE DAY I WAS UPSET WITH MY KIDS
AND THEY'D MADE A MESS AND, YOU KNOW, BACK THEN
I WOULD SAY, "GO PLAY," AND THEN THEY'D GET
THEIR TOYS OUT AND I'D SAY, "CLEAN THAT MESS UP." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: SO PEOPLE THAT
ARE UNHAPPY INSIDE, THEY'RE KIND OF LED BY THEIR
EMOTIONS AND THEY BLAME A LOT OF THEIR UNHAPPINESS
ON OTHER PEOPLE. LIKE, "I'M GONNA BE HAPPY NOW
IF YOU GO PLAY. WELL, NOW I'M GONNA BE HAPPY
IF YOU CLEAN YOUR MESS UP." AND SO, I WAS HAVING
ONE OF MY UPSET SPELLS AND THE DOORBELL RANG
AND I PEEKED OUT AND IT WAS MY PASTOR. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: I TELL YOU WHAT,
I GOT CONTROL OF MYSELF SO FAST. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: I MEAN,
I STILL REMEMBER, "OH, PASTOR! WOW, IT'S SO NICE OF YOU
TO STOP BY. OH, THE KIDS? OH, YEAH, THEY'RE PLAYING. THEY'RE--" [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: "THE LITTLE DARLINGS,
THEY'RE JUST IN THEIR ROOM PLAYING." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S AMAZING WHEN THERE'S
SOMEBODY AROUND THAT WE WANNA IMPRESS
HOW FAST WE CAN GET CONTROL. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: WELL, THAT WOULD
BE WORTH YOU COMING IF THAT'S ALL I SAID. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: BUT I'M GONNA SAY
SOME OTHER STUFF. 'CAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT? UNTIL WE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
AND STOP JUST SAYING, "WELL, THAT'S JUST THE WAY I AM,
I JUST CAN'T HELP IT." YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL GOT EXCUSES
BUT ALL THEY ARE IS REASONS STUFFED WITH A LIE. THEY'RE NOT THE TRUTH OF GOD'S
WORD AND GOD HAS GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF SELF-CONTROL
AND IT MAY TAKE A WHILE TO GET IT DEVELOPED AND TO LEARN
HOW TO WALK IN IT BUT THERE'S NO POINT IN ME OR YOU
OR ANYBODY ELSE SAYING, "I JUST CAN'T HELP IT,"
BECAUSE GOD IS NEVER GONNA TELL US TO DO OR NOT TO DO SOMETHING
AND LEAVE US WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO DO IT. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: WE CANNOT HAVE
SPIRITUAL MATURITY IF WE DON'T LEARN HOW TO LIVE DEEPER IN GOD. AND WHAT THAT MEANS
IS WE DON'T--WE HAVE FEELINGS BUT WE DON'T LIVE BY THEM. WE HAVE THOUGHTS;
WE DON'T LIVE BY THEM. WE HAVE THINGS WE WANT
OR DON'T WANT BUT WE DON'T LIVE BY THEM. I THINK TOO MANY OF US,
WE'RE GOING TO CHURCH ALL THE TIME TRYING TO FIND A WAY
THAT WE CAN GET WHAT WE WANT AND THAT'S NOT EXACTLY
GOD'S PLAN FOR OUR LIVES, AMEN? WHAT IF I SAID TO YOU TODAY
AND I--WE'LL JUST PRETEND 'CAUSE I WOULD NEVER SAY THIS
'CAUSE YOU'D PROBABLY NEVER COME BACK IF I DID. SO, WE'LL JUST PRETEND THAT
WHAT IF I SAID TO YOU TODAY, "YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT
YOU WANT IN YOUR LIFE YOU'RE NEVER GONNA GET 'EM,
SO WILL YOU LOVE GOD JUST AS MUCH AND SERVE HIM ANYWAY?"
I THINK THAT'S A QUESTION WE ALL NEED TO ASK OURSELVES:
"AM I SERVING GOD FOR WHAT HE CAN DO FOR ME? AM I JUST WILLING TO SERVE HIM
WHEN I'M ON THE MOUNTAINTOPS IN MY LIFE? OR AM I WILLING TO SERVE HIM
WHEN JUST NOTHING IN MY LIFE IS MAKING SENSE? AND I SEE OTHER PEOPLE
GETTING WHAT I WANT AND I DON'T THINK THEY'RE
NEARLY AS SPIRITUAL AS I AM, AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHY GOD
IS NOT GIVING IT TO ME, AND GIVING IT TO THEM."
WELL, IT MAY BE THAT ATTITUDE THAT HE'S AFTER. "WHY ARE YOU GIVING
IT TO THEM, GOD? THEY'RE NOT NEARLY
AS SPIRITUAL AS ME. I AM SO SPIRITUAL." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: ALL RIGHT,
ROMANS 8, VERSE 8: "SO THEN THOSE WHO ARE LIVING
THE LIFE OF THE FLESH--" AND I LIKE THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE,
OBVIOUSLY, I'VE USED IT FOR YEARS. "THOSE WHO ARE LIVING THE LIFE
OF THE FLESH [CATERING TO THE APPETITES AND IMPULSES
OF THEIR CARNAL NATURE]." SO, HE'S SAYING THAT LIVING
THE LIFE OF THE FLESH MEANS THAT WE CATER TO OUR FLESH. WHATEVER IT WANTS,
THAT'S WHAT WE TRY TO GIVE IT. NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE
EVER HOSTED A CATERED EVENT BUT IT'S SO MUCH FUN
WHEN THE EVENT'S GOING ON. I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT ALL KINDS
OF PEOPLE WAITING ON YOU. YOU KNOW, YOU GO TO A REALLY,
LIKE, TOP-NOTCH RESTAURANT, YOU MIGHT HAVE THREE WAITERS
OR WAITRESSES THAT ARE JUST ASSIGNED TO YOUR TABLE. I MEAN, EVERY TIME YOU GET
A CRUMB ON THE TABLE, THEY'RE COMING AND WIPING
IT UP AND ANYTHING YOU WANT, THEY'RE GONNA GET IT. THEY, "YES, MA'AM"
"NO, MA'AM." THEY KNOW YOUR NAME. I MEAN, IT'S JUST AWESOME. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU WILL GET THE BILL. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: C'MON,
AND MAYBE SOME OF YOU ARE IN A PLACE RIGHT NOW WHERE
YOU'VE GOTTEN THE BILL FOR CATERING TO YOUR FLESH
IN THE PAST AND GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW THAT CAN TURN
AROUND SO YOU'RE NOT CONTINUING TO PAY THAT PRICE IN THE FUTURE. YOU KNOW, THE GREAT THING
ABOUT GOD IS NO MATTER HOW MANY MISTAKES
YOU'VE MADE IN THE PAST YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP
MAKING THEM. AND THE MORE WE CHOOSE
THE RIGHT THING, THE MORE WE GET OUT
OF THE MESSES THAT WE'RE IN. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] GINGER: YES, WE ALL HAVE
EMOTIONS, AND THEY WILL DICTATE OUR LIVES IF WE LET THEM. BUT DID YOU KNOW YOU DON'T
HAVE TO JUST LET THEM ROLL OVER YOU? BE SECURE IN WHO YOU
ARE IN CHRIST, AND DECLARE THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD
EVERY DAY. WHEN YOU DO THAT,
THOSE EMOTIONS, THOSE FEELINGS,
THEY DON'T HAVE TO RUN YOUR RESPONSES TO EVERYTHING. THEY DON'T HAVE TO RULE YOU. JOYCE HAS A GREAT BOOK CALLED,
"LIVING BEYOND YOUR FEELINGS." I LOVE THAT. IT'S LIVING BEYOND
THOSE FEELINGS. AND WE'RE OFFERING IT TO YOU
TODAY, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SO MANY
OF US DON'T EVEN REALIZE THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTROL
OVER THIS. THAT WE DON'T JUST HAVE TO LET
EVERYTHING THAT WE FEEL RUN OVER OUR DAY. SO, WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT
THE WORD OF GOD SAYS ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE YOUR FEELINGS,
EVERYTHING CHANGES. AND WHEN YOU GET THIS BOOK
FROM JOYCE, WE'RE ALSO GONNA THROW IN A REALLY CUTE
LITTLE MUG THAT I THINK YOU'LL ENJOY HAVING YOUR COFFEE IN,
IN THE MORNING. IT'S--WE CALL IT,
THE "BE YOURSELF" MUG. BUT I'LL JUST THROW IT OUT
THERE, IT HAS A REALLY FUN LITTLE MESSAGE THAT YOU'RE
GONNA LOVE FOR YOURSELF, OR MAYBE FOR SOMEONE ELSE TOO. SO, REACH OUT TODAY,
GET THIS OFFER AND STOP LETTING YOUR FEELINGS RUN YOUR LIFE. TURBULENT, TRANSFORMATIONAL,
LONELY, EXHAUSTING, AND CLARIFYING ARE SOME
OF THE WORDS THAT COULD BE USED TO DESCRIBE LAST YEAR. IT WAS QUITE A YEAR INDEED. AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYONE
THAT WOULD DISAGREE WITH THE FACT THAT IT WAS TRYING,
IT WAS DIFFICULT. AND FOR US AT JOYCE MEYER
MINISTRIES, 2021 WAS A YEAR LIKE NONE OTHER. COMING UP I'M GOING TO SHARE
SOME STORIES THAT GOD DID SOME AMAZING THINGS. YOU ARE GOING TO WANT
TO HEAR THESE. GOD DID SOME REALLY INCREDIBLE
THINGS, AND WE WANNA SHARE IT WITH YOU. SO, STAY TUNED,
YOU DON'T WANNA MISS IT. ANNOUNCER: THE JOYCE MEYER
CONFERENCE IS BACK! JOYCE: IF YOU WILL
START CRYING OUT TO GOD ON A REGULAR BASIS,
"I NEED MORE OF YOU IN MY LIFE," YOU BETTER PUT ON YOUR
SEAT BELTS AND GET READY FOR THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE. ANNOUNCER: COMING
TO ATLANTA, GEORGIA, JULY 29th AND 30th
AND AUSTIN, TX, AUGUST 19th AND 20th. WITH WORSHIP BY PAT BARRETT. FOR MORE INFORMATION
AND A COMPLETE CONFERENCE SCHEDULE,
VISIT JOYCEMEYER.ORG, OR CALL... GINGER: I WANT TO SHARE
A STORY WITH YOU. THIS IS THE STORY OF ONE LIFE,
ONE PERSON'S LIFE, COMPLETELY CHANGED. MARY WROTE THIS TO US. SHE SAYS, "JOYCE, I WAS ABUSED
EMOTIONALLY IN MY CHILDHOOD. USED BY THE BOYFRIEND, ABUSED
BY THE HUSBANDS I MARRIED. WITHIN THIS YEAR,
MY DAUGHTER ABUSED ME. AT THE SENIOR CENTER,
I FOUND A COPY OF YOUR BIBLE STUDY. GOD CAN HEAL MY HEART. YOU HELPED ME FIND JESUS. I WANTED TO THANK YOU."
STORIES LIKE MARY'S ARE THE REASON FOR
EVERYTHING THAT WE DO HERE, AT JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES. ONE LIFE AT A TIME,
DISCOVERING HOPE, FREEDOM, AND LOVE BECAUSE
GOD GAVE ALL OF US, THE AMAZING OPPORTUNITY
THROUGH JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES, TO SHARE THIS,
MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE. TAKE A MOMENT
AND THINK ABOUT THAT. IF YOU ARE A PARTNER,
YOU ARE A PART OF ALL OF IT. YOU HELP PROVIDE THE MEANS
TO SHARE CHRIST WITH YOUR FAMILY, YOUR NEIGHBORS,
AND PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD. IN 2021, 160,000 PEOPLE,
THAT WE ARE AWARE OF, GAVE THEIR LIVES TO CHRIST
THROUGH OUR WORLDWIDE OUTRAGES. TOGETHER, WE SHARED
THE GOSPEL IN MORE THAN 100 LANGUAGES THROUGH
"ENJOYING EVERYDAY LIFE" ON TV, RADIO, AND ONLINE. JOYCE'S TEACHINGS, COMBINED,
WERE VIEWED MORE THAN 100 MILLION TIMES
ON YOUTUBE, ALONE. WITH YOUR SUPPORT,
WE'VE TRANSLATED JOYCE'S BOOKS, INTO SIX NEW LANGUAGES,
BRINGING OUR TOTAL TO 161. WE'VE DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN
A MILLION AND A HALF OF JOYCE'S BOOKS, FULL OF THE WORD
OF GOD, WORLDWIDE. TOGETHER, WE ENCOURAGED
AND PROVIDED HOPE ONLINE, REACHING MORE THAN 29 MILLION
PEOPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA ALONE, LAST YEAR. HERE'S THE ONE MORE
EXAMPLE OF WHY ALL OF THIS IS SO VERY IMPORTANT. JUDITH WROTE TO US AND SAID,
"I WAS IN SUCH DESPAIR AND SUICIDAL, BUT I TURNED
ON 'ENJOYING EVERYDAY LIFE' AND IT BROUGHT SUCH HOPE
AND A CHANGE OVER MY SOUL. I'M SO GRATEFUL
FOR THE SHOW TODAY. IT WAS A LIFESAVER, TRULY. THANK YOU."
THESE ARE MIRACULOUS CHANGES AND THEY'RE ALL BECAUSE GOD
IS DOING INCREDIBLE THINGS AND BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE YOU,
PARTNER WITH US. WE'RE SHARING THE WORD OF GOD,
AND BY MEETING PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL NEEDS
THROUGH FEEDING PROGRAMS, MEDICAL AND DENTAL OUTREACHES,
ANTI-TRAFFICKING PROGRAMS AND MORE, HEARTS ARE OPENED. AND PEOPLE RECEIVE
THE LIFE-CHANGING LOVE OF JESUS. [LAYERED VOICES] GINGER: YOU ARE AN INTEGRAL
PART OF SHARING GOD'S WORD BEYOND THE BORDERS OF THIS
MINISTRY EVERY DAY. AND THOSE EFFORTS
ARE NEVER IN VAIN. THE GOSPEL, GOD'S WORD,
WILL NOT RETURN VOID. WITH YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT
AND GOD DOING WHAT ONLY HE CAN, COUNTLESS PEOPLE
NOW HAVE NEW HOPE, AND TENS OF THOUSANDS HAVE
A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. I'VE GIVEN YOU A LOT OF NUMBERS,
BUT REMEMBER, IT REALLY ALL COMES DOWN
TO ONE LIFE AT A TIME. AND ONE PERSON IS ALWAYS
WORTH THE EFFORT BECAUSE WHEN YOU CHANGE A LIFE,
YOU'RE DOING SO MUCH MORE, YOU'RE CHANGING A FAMILY,
A COMMUNITY, A DESTINY. GINGER: NEED A GIRLS TRIP? REGISTER NOW
FOR THE LOVE LIFE WOMEN'S CONFERENCE,
SEPTEMBER 22nd-24th IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. C'MON, REGISTER NOW,
AND JOIN US! LADIES: WHOO! GINGER: THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR ALL YOU HELPED US TO ACCOMPLISH IN 2021. GOD WAS SO GOOD TO US,
AND WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOUR PARTNERSHIP. YOU KNOW, IT AMAZES ME HOW
GOD CAN DO WHATEVER HE WANTS, BUT HE CHOOSES TO LET US BE PART
OF IT, BECAUSE HE KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO US. YOU SEE, SHARING CHRIST
AND LOVING PEOPLE, ONE DAY AT A TIME,
IS WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO WITH EVERY SINGLE YEAR
AT JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES. WE COULD LOOK AT THIS WHOLE
PROBLEM AND SAY, "IT'S TOO BIG, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO."
BUT IF INSTEAD, WE TAKE IT, ONE DAY AT A TIME,
ONE NEED AT A TIME, ONE PERSON AT A TIME
AND WE DO IT TOGETHER, BEFORE YOU KNOW IT,
AMAZING THINGS HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE GOD HONORS THAT. SO, WE THANK YOU. AND IF YOU ARE NOT A PARTNER,
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? WE WOULD LOVE TO WELCOME YOU
INTO THIS BIG, HAPPY FAMILY THAT IS JUST DOING EVERYTHING THEY
POSSIBLY CAN TO SHARE JESUS, AND TO HELP PEOPLE IN MANY,
MANY WAYS. THROUGH THE TEACHING
THAT YOU'RE SEEING, THROUGH CONFERENCES,
AND ALSO THROUGH PHYSICAL OUTREACHES, MEDICAL CARE,
HELPING CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD, AND WOMEN WHO
ARE MARGINALIZED. THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS THAT
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT WON'T WORK? SITTING BACK AND DOING NOTHING. SO, WE INVITE YOU TO GET UP,
RIGHT NOW, GO TO THE WEBSITE, CALL US AND JOIN US AS PARTNERS. AND THEN, WHEN WE LOOK BACK
AT THIS YEAR, WHEN WE LOOK BACK AT 2022,
YOU CAN SAY, "WOW, I WAS A PART OF ALL OF THAT."
THANKS FOR BEING HERE. WE LOVE YOU ALL. ANNOUNCER: WE HOPE YOU HAVE
ENJOYED TODAY'S PROGRAM. PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT
JOYCEMEYER.ORG TO SHARE YOUR PRAYER REQUESTS,
OR PARTNER WITH US IN SHARING CHRIST AND LOVING PEOPLE
ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE. THIS PROGRAM HAS
BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FRIENDS AND PARTNERS
OF JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES.
