Greg’s Blog

Join me in Hawaii this August!

More Videos from Israel

Here are a few more videos we shot in Israel. Shalom!

Here’s a video with Stella Laurie on the way to the Shepherds’ Fields.

Behind the scenes of our video shoot at the Shepherd’s Fields.

Harvest Worship in the Garden of Gethsemane

The House of Caiaphas

A Special Message for Mothers from Cathe Laurie

Hey Everyone!
I am in Rome, Italy along with my wife and 300 friends from around the country for a tour following in the footsteps of the great apostle Paul. But since today is Mother’s Day, I wanted to send along an article my wife wrote about the prayers of her own mother.

Reflections on My Mother’s Prayers
By Cathe Laurie.

My husband Greg has often said, “Your loved ones may escape your preaching, but they can never escape your prayers.”

For a number of years, my devout mother prayed for my sisters and me. She often sat us down on her bed and tried her best to reach our hearts with words that, honestly, went in one ear and out the other. This proved to be a great test of her faith. Time after time, I mechanically nodded in outward agreement while staring blankly out the window, wishing it would end. I learned not to disagree or raise an objection, only because it would have prolonged the torture.

I was utterly disinterested in what she was saying.

Then one day, it dawned on me: my mother had quit her daily lectures. It was a relief; no more lengthy discussions at the dinner table or in her bedroom. “Whew!” I had escaped her incessant pleading!

I had escaped her pleading with me, but not her pleading with God. It was much later, after I had come to faith, that she revealed how she had determined to quit talking and instead to diligently pray that her daughters would be saved.

I share this with you today and pray it will serve as an encouragement to you moms who have children that seem disinterested, even hostile to your faith. I know it may look hopeless at times, and you may be tempted to doubt that your prayers are being heard. But we need to know that when we pray for that lost child, our prayers are according to the will of God. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. Keep asking!

I often think of St. Augustine’s mother, Monica. As a young man, Augustine cast off his once childlike faith, but he could never cast off her prayers and her stubborn love. They followed him from their small town to the big city of Carthage, where things in his life went from bad to worse. There, Augustine’s life would be marked by what he later admitted were his “wicked ways” and “carnal corruption.”

At 29, despite Monica’s incessant pleading with him not to go, Augustine determined to set sail for Rome. Her prayer was that God would somehow prevent her son from making the journey. Despite her specific prayer that Augustine not leave, he did, and she wept and wailed in sorrow. But though God didn’t answer that specific request, He had heard the main point of her prayers. And He was at work in ways she couldn’t see. In God’s perfect plan and timing, so different from her own, the place she feared would be her son’s undoing was the place he would finally surrender to God’s will.

So may I challenge you who are weary and about to give up, don’t! Though it may be a long wait, and it may seem like God is not at work, know that He is—in ways you can’t always see.

There is a heartfelt poem written by Ruth Graham for her once prodigal son, Franklin. I pray that it will inspire you to not lose heart when it comes to your children. I pray you will trust God for their salvation, their very lives, and for God’s timing, not your own. And remember, they may escape your preaching but they can never escape your prayers.

“Lord,

with my Jacob,” I would pray,

“wrestle till the break of Day”;

till he, knowing who Thou art,

tho’ asked, will not let Thee depart;

saying, “I’ll not let Thee free

saving Thou wilt first bless me;”

O God of Jacob, who knew how

to change supplanters then, so now

deal, I pray, with this my son,

though he may limp when Thou art

done.

Ruth Bell Graham, from “Prodigals and Those Who Love Them”

Based on Genesis 32:24–31

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Could you use a good dose of hope today?

Check out this weekend’s TV program where we deal with the theme of Hope.

My special musical guest is Steven Curtis Chapman and my message title is “Hope for Troubled Hearts.”

Both Steven and I know the loss of a child dying, and we share with any hurting people out there the hope that we have found in Christ through His Scripture. And that hope includes the fact that we will be reunited with our children again in heaven!

So, if you could use a good dose of hope today, watch the program on demand or go to your local TV listings to see if it’s showing in your area.

To find out more, go to

http://www.harvest.org/tv/?utm_source=greglaurie.tv&utm_campaign=greglaurie.tv&utm_medium=domain

Shalom from Israel

Tonight we visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Wish You Were Here!

Hey all-
Having a great time in Israel. We went to Caesarea today, where the Roman Centurion Cornelius lived.
It was here that Simon Peter preached the gospel to this searching man who had not found the answers in the dead paganism of the day. Peter came to his home, preached the gospel, and the rest is history.
Tonight we are in Jerusalem, and tomorrow we will go to the garden of Gethsemane.
I am also going to be videotaping quite a bit and we will post some of this ASAP.
Thank you for your prayers.

I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane

I am off to Israel with some 300 people for our tour of Israel, Greece, and Rome.
We will visit such sites as the sea of Galilee, Jerusalem, and the Garden Tomb.
We will also go to Mars Hill where Paul preached and the city of Corinth, as well as Athens.

The good news is I will have a film crew with me and we are going to capture a lot of this for you to see!

I will be blogging and updating my Facebook page as to where we are and what we are up to.

So, I appreciate your prayers!

This Weekend at Harvest Riverside and Orange County

Compromise.

It’s one of the devil’s most effective weapons against the Christian.

Sometimes Satan attacks us openly, but more often he gets us to lower our guard a little bit here or there, and before you know it, there is trouble.

This Sunday at Harvest Riverside and Orange County, we are continuing our series of messages on the seven churches.

We effectively see what Jesus thinks of the church, and of you and I as a part of that church.

So join us this weekend, as we look at the Church of Pergamos and Thyatira in our message, “The Compromising Church.”

You can join us or watch it all live at www.harvest.org.

Hope for Prodigals on This Week’s TV Show

Do you have a child that has gone prodigal? Or are you yourself a prodigal child?

By prodigal, I am speaking of someone who has been raised in a Christian home, or perhaps made a profession of faith to follow Christ earlier in their life, but has fallen away.

If you or someone you love has turned away from the faith, I have a message of hope for you!
It’s on this week’s TV program and the title is “Hope for Prodigals.”

You will hear the surprising stories of my own prodigal sons, Christopher and Jonathan.

I am sure you will be encouraged by it.

You can watch this show locally, and to find out where you could see it or to WATCH IT RIGHT NOW ON DEMAND, go to greglaurie.tv.

Don’t Forget to Pray for America Today!

Today is the National Day of Prayer. I encourage every believer today to take some time and pray for our nation. But what do we pray for specifically?

We should pray for our nation’s leaders, especially our president (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

We should pray for a great spiritual awakening to sweep our nation as well.

My opinion is the only real hope for America is not a political one, but a spiritual one. Politics have their place, and I believe every responsible Christian should register and vote. However, the ultimate answer to America’s problems is us, as a nation, turning back to God.

2 Chronicles 7:14 is a Biblical road map to help us to that. I urge you to read that today and pray that this revival that our country needs starts with you.

I would also encourage you to take advantage of the “Prayer Cloud” at our website for our evangelistic event this summer that we are calling Harvest America. To find out more, go to www.harvestamerica.com.

Tonight at Harvest Orange County

We will be having a message on the importance of prayer tonight at Harvest Orange County. We will have some worship; then I will teach on how to pray effectively in my message “What Every Growing Christian Needs to Know about Prayer.”

The service starts at 7:00 PM, Pacific Time and it will be webcast LIVE at www.harvest.org.

The Latest on Harvest America

We have reached a significant milestone this week. Over 500 churches and homes have signed on to host a Harvest America event!

But we are not even close to being done. The next few months are all about getting the word out about Harvest America.

Harvest America Sticker Sightings

Since my last update, many have ordered Harvest America stickers to help spread the word. It is not too late to get yours and starting spreading the message all over town. Join the team!

Harvest America Ambassador

The role of a Harvest Ambassador is simple: get the word out to churches in your community.

Support Harvest America Financially
In appreciation for your gift to Harvest America, I would like to send you my new resource Four Keys to Effectively Share Your Faith, along with an evangelism pack with gospel tracts and a web guide to Harvest America. Get your evangelism pack today.
For more information, go to www.harvestamerica.com.

Could You Use Some Encouraging Words?

This weekend at Harvest we will continue our new series Revelation: The Next Dimension.

We are looking at the words of Jesus to the seven churches.

This should be of great interest to us as Christians because, in effect, we are seeing what Jesus thinks of the church. And every church is made up of individual members, like you and me.

This Sunday, we will look at Christ’s words of encouragement to the church of Smyrna. This was a church that was being persecuted greatly and the people in it were suffering as a result.

Does that describe your situation right now?
Could you use some encouraging words from Christ?
Then join us for our services at Harvest Riverside or Orange County live, or watch it all online at www.harvest.org.

Check Out Our Brand-New TV Show Tonight!

We have recently launched our brand new TV show, and it is most likely showing in your area.

My topic this week is “Hope for America, Part 2.”

To find out more about where you can see it, or to watch on demand, go to greglaurie.tv.

Are There “Secrets” to Spiritual Growth?

Why is it that some people grow faster spiritually than others?

Why is it that some people make a commitment to follow Jesus Christ and then fall away, while others make a commitment that lasts a lifetime?

Some will even say, “I tried Christianity, and it didn’t work for me!”

Tonight at Harvest Orange County, I will teach a new series that I am calling What Every Growing Christian Needs to Know.

You can join us live or watch the live webcast at 7:00 PM, Pacific at www.harvest.org.

Cathe and I Learn to Make Real Italian Spaghetti Sauce

Here’s a video we shot recently for our Virtue for Women website:

P.S.: Be sure to watch all the way through so you don’t miss the outtakes!

Get the full recipe at the Virtue site: http://www.harvest.org/virtue/recipes.html?p=7242

Harvest America Update

Every now and then I like to check the Location Map at harvestamerica.com to see what’s happening. It’s exciting to see how new locations are springing up all over the nation each and every week, and especially exciting to see churches represented from various denominations. When I click on those pinpoints on the map, I see church names that include labels like Baptist, Methodist, Calvary Chapel, and more—I even noticed one that was completely in Spanish.

An event like Harvest America reminds us that, regardless of our denominational handles, we are one church. Listen, if you have put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and received His forgiveness for your sins, you’re part of the church, and we are all members of the same body—the Body of Christ. We might have minor differences, but we have a lot more in common—the most significant of which is adoption by our Heavenly Father into the same family.

So we are one church, and any congregation is welcome to participate in Harvest America. This event is from the church, for the church, to build up the church. By that, I mean the objective of this event is not to grow the “Harvest” brand, or to build up any particular denomination, or to pursue any agenda other than the simple proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our objective is to spiritually build up the local church in any given community. We would be delighted to hear that your local congregation grew numerically as a result of this outreach, but it’s not the numbers that are important—it is the individual lives of those who hear and respond to the gospel.

So get the word out. Get your pastor involved. Pray. Take a step of faith and host Harvest America in your home, church, or community. Together, let’s build up the church of Jesus Christ until the day of His return.

Send an e-vite to your pastor or church leaders to let them know what Harvest America is all about.

This Sunday at Harvest Riverside and Orange County-

This Sunday at Harvest Riverside and Orange County we continue in our new series, “Revelation: The Next Dimension.” We are going to be looking at what Jesus thinks of the church.
When you stop and consider the fact that those of us who are believers are part of the church, we are really seeing what Jesus thinks of us!
The church we will start with is the Church of Ephesus (Revelation 2).
Jesus said that they were “leaving their first love.” What does that mean, to “leave one’s first love”?
We will talk about that and much more on Sunday.
You can join us live or watch online at
www.harvest.org

Don’t miss our TV program TONIGHT!

Make sure you watch Part 1 of my message “Hope for America” on our brand new TV program.

There is no question about it; America needs a revival.
But what exactly is a revival and is there anything we as Christians do to bring it about?

Go to this website for showings of our program in your area, or you can watch it on demand right now.

http://www.harvest.org/tv/

Tonight at Harvest Orange County

Have you found personal contentment?
In our culture today, the conventional wisdom is that we will find contentment from something different than what we have now: a bigger home, a nicer car, higher salary, or even a new spouse.
That’s because, as the old saying goes “The grass always looks greener on the other side.”
But real contentment is not a state of account but a state of heart.
A Japanese proverbs says, ”Even if you sleep in a 1000 mat room, you can only sleep on one mat.”
Paul the Apostle found what we might describe as the ‘secret’ of contentment.
In the book of Philippians he wrote “For I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11).
Have you found that secret? Would you like to know more?
Then join us tonight either in person or online for our final message in the book of Philippians.
It all starts at 7:00 PM at Harvest Orange County.
To find out more, go to www.harvest.org

What does it mean to “Fear God”?

Far too often though we fear the wrong things in life—things like dental work, tax audits, or public speaking—and we don’t fear what’s most important. We don’t fear God!

The Bible tells us “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10).

To “fear God” does not mean that you cower in terror before Him. It has been properly defined as “a wholesome dread of displeasing Him.” If I have sinned, it is not the fear of what He will do to me, but rather what I have done to Him.

The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear Him, you fear nothing else—whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.

David said, “The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). Only the person who can say, “The Lord is the strength of my life,” can then say, “Of whom shall I be afraid?”

This weekend at Harvest we start our new Series of messages from Revelation.

The Book of Revelation.

Some feel it is too complex for us to understand today. I could not disagree more. Did you know that the very word “Revelation” means to unveil or uncover?

God has not given us this amazing book to hide things from us but rather to reveal. Revelation tells us about our past, present, and future.

Yes, in this great book we will learn about Antichrist, Armageddon, the Great Tribulation period, the Rapture, and much more. But the primary point of the book of Revelation is to reveal Jesus to us!

It is the “revelation of Jesus Christ!” (Revelation 1:1).

Not only do we see more of Jesus in this book, but there is a special blessing attached to the person who reads and does what it says. Now, don’t you want to be blessed?

If so, join us for our brand new series of messages from the Book of Revelation, starting this Sunday at Harvest Riverside and Orange County.

The title of my first message in this series is “The Next Dimension.”
Come join us for one of our live services or watch online at www.harvest.org.