Do you ever wonder, “What’s wrong with me?” Joyce had this question play over and over again in her head for years because of the abuse that happened to her in her childhood. Don’t waste years of your life wondering the same thing. Watch Joyce explain what the meat of the Word means for your life as a Christian. This truth will help you grow and mature in God. – – – – – – –
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,
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.