Tens of thousands of people gathered in AT&T Park in San Francisco Saturday night for "America's Night of Hope", a Gospel-charged event hosted by megachurch pastor Joel Osteen and his wife, Victoria.
The seventh annual event was broadcast live to millions online through SiriusXM radio, and sold out within days to attendees who came from around the country eager hear Osteen's message of hope and inspiration.
On Saturday night, the Lakewood Church pastor shared a message of peace, offering the forgiveness that can only be found through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
"No mistake is too much for the mercy of God...the enemy is called the 'Accuser of the Brethren.' He'd love for us to live guilty and condemned, he'll remind you of every mistake you've ever made...he can keep you from becoming who God has created you to be," Osteen said from the stage of the packed stadium.
"I'm asking you to get back in the game, God can still get you to where you are supposed to be...The Scripture says that God rewards people that seek after him, so I hope you know right now that God is smiling down on you," the pastor continued. "God doesn't use us because we're perfect, he uses ordinary people like you and me that have flaws, that aren't perfect - He uses us to do extraordinary things."
He also encouraged listeners to live a life of contentment and gratitude even during times of difficulty and pain.
"Here's the key - if you don't get happy where you are, you probably won't get to where you want to be," he told the crowd. "The Apostle Paul said, 'I've learned how to be content.' In other words, it didn't happen automatically-he had to learn how to be content, in the good times and the bad times. Let's get up every morning and say, 'This is the day that the Lord has made.' When you do that, I'm not saying you won't have any difficulties, but God will give you strength in those difficult times."
Throughout the night, worship leaders led attendees in a time of prayer and singing. Osteen then concluded his message with a call to salvation, reminding the cheering crowd of God's incredible love for them.
"God isn't mad at you. He's madly in love with you," he said. "God may not be pleased with your behavior, but He is pleased with you. He calls you a 'Masterpiece.' You're not a finished project, He's still working on you. He knows how to put the broken pieces of our lives back together- it's called his amazing grace. I'm asking you to receive that grace tonight."
Later that night, Osteen took to Facebook to remind attendees of the heart of his message:
"God didn't come to just make you better, He came to make you totally whole," he wrote. "Thank you, San Francisco! What an amazing evening. We hope you were blessed! We can't wait to see you next year at America's #NightofHope!"
Thousands of people also took to social media to share pictures and prayer requests, and to thank the Osteens for their message of encouragement and hope.
"Thank you Pastor Joel Osteen and Victoria Osteen for your Blessings in San Francisco. You are truly a blessing and really enjoyed the service. Until next year...God continue to bless you and family." wrote Leticia Cortez.
"Thank you for coming to San Francisco Pastor Joel and Victoria Osteen. There's no one like you in praising God you were so uplifting..looking forward to the next one..God Bless and thank you for your continuous prayer," wrote Zenaida Clarino.
Before taking the stage on Saturday night, Osteen told reporters that the purpose of the "Night of Hope" is to uplift and encourage those who may be going through difficult times.
"Our message is about, how can we lift somebody up?" he said. "Let them know that they can overcome and they can move forward and with God's help they can still fulfill their destiny."
Last year, the event was held at Yankee Stadium in New York City, which was also the location of the first one in 2009. It featured Christian Cultural Center pastor A.R. Bernard, Hillsong New York City pastor Carl Lentz, and worship singer Hezekiah Walker.
"... We believe it makes a difference to speak words of faith and speak words of victory, so I'll ask some of the great pastors of the New York area to join me tonight," he told the audience last year. "I've asked them to take a moment to just make a declaration by faith over our schools, over our government, over our firefighters, our police force, teachers, nurses, everything about the city, and not only that, but about your life as well."
