Joel Osteen, best-selling author, and pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, spoke to a crowd of about 27,000 at the Alamodome on Saturday for an event entitled "A Night of Hope."
The Texas pastor has held over 140 similar events across the country over the past 10 years.
"It's different than a church service. This is more designed for people that don't necessarily go to church or weren't raised like me," Osteen said. "So it's a time of fun, it's inspiration. I tell people they'll leave here better than they were before."
For some, like New Braunfels resident Ramon Chapa Jr., that is certainly the case. Chapa attended "A Night of Hope" event in McAllen, Texas in September of 2009 after discovering Osteen while watching television.
"I wasn't looking for this. But the Holy Spirit spoke to me, grabbed me, and I just continued to hear these sermons," Chapa said. "He captivated me, and I started going to Lakewood Church every Sunday for six months straight, and I said, 'You know what? I'm going to become a Christian.'"
Chapa said he continues to make the trek to Houston once a month to attend services at Osteen's church, and he hopes many who attended Saturday's event, will have the same experience he did.
"A lot of people are lost, they don't know God and Jesus Christ," Chapa said. "But with Joel Osteen, he's very positive and he can help people find the Lord."
After Saturday's event in San Antonio, Osteen heads to New York where he'll speak at Yankee Stadium.