Joel Osteen's 'Night of Hope' stops in Oakland

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Thousands of fans lined up outside Oracle Arena in Oakland to see famous televangelist Joel Osteen's tour, "Night of Hope."

Pastors Joel and Victoria Osteen take their megachurch sermon on the road about once a month, since 2003. Tonight's was the 180th.

"We come to lift people's spirits and let them know that God's in control of their lives," Osteen said. "That there's good things up ahead that they can let go of the past. You know have a new beginning."

The message resonates with Trisa Koepke who nearly died in a motorcycle crash. "What he says is powerful, motivating."

"She started watching it in the hospital on her phone. And then also we were bringing her books her friends and family to read and so she got involved that way," said Koepke's friend Antionette Rincon of El Sobrante.

The Houston preachers took heat last year during Hurricane Harvey. Some questioned whether their megachurch was doing enough to house people displaced by flooding.

RELATED: Joel Osteen megachurch criticized for not welcoming flood victims

"We would do better because we would have people there, but you know the city didn't know it was going to be that kind of flood either they had failures too, but you know what we give them grace," Osteen said.

"The only thought I have about that is that's him and God. He'll have to deal with that," said Anfeney Hoskins, a Concord resident, when asked about the controversy.

His net worth is estimated between $40 and $60 million. He says he stopped taking a church salary following the success of his books.

"Never done any of this to make money," Osteen said. "I never dreamed my books would sell tens of millions of copies. I'm in awe as much as anybody," he added.

Tickets cost $15 each and event organizers say they've sold more than 10,000 tickets Friday night.