Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

Greg Laurie
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If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.  *The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

  1. 15 HR AGO

    The Holy Spirit Converts | John 6:63

    “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63 NLT)   When you became a Christian, you did not do so by your own act of will. Yes, you believed. But it was the Holy Spirit who convicted you. The Holy Spirit showed you your need for Jesus. And the Holy Spirit ultimately converted you. That’s why Jesus said, “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63 nlt). And it’s why He said, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life” (John 3:5–6 NLT). Because the work of the Holy Spirit is so vital, the devil targets it in his attacks against us. More specifically, he tries to make us question the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. He tries to make us doubt what we know to be true. He tries to make us ask, “Was I really converted?” Unfortunately for us, the devil’s timing is usually impeccable. He prowls around after we’ve made a regrettable decision or given in to a troublesome temptation. He’ll try to make us feel like frauds, “pretend Christians.” He’ll raise doubts in our minds about whether the Holy Spirit really worked in our lives. He also tries to make our Christian faith feel like a burden or an obligation, or tries to make us believe that we’ve outgrown our faith—that it’s something that belongs in our past. Anything to distance us from the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We need to recognize the devil’s strategies and the lies behind them. The apostle Paul wrote, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39 NLT). The Holy Spirit personally gives us the assurance that Christ has come into our lives. Paul also wrote, “For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we really are God’s children” (Romans 8:16 TLB). That is the wonderful inner conviction and witness of the Holy Spirit. You just know that you belong to Christ. It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it. But it’s as real as the breath you’re drawing right now. I have that conviction in my heart. Do you? Has the Holy Spirit given you the inner conviction that, yes, you are a child of God?   Reflection question: How did the Holy Spirit convert you? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 min

  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    The Holy Spirit Guides Us into Truth | John 16:13

    “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” (John 16:13 NLT)   “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” One of the core truths that the Holy Spirit guides us into involves righteousness. If you were to ask a random assortment of people whether they consider themselves righteous, most would probably say yes. Most people like to think of themselves as good, relatively speaking. Most people also recognize that there are certain plateaus of goodness. At the top are the saints who sacrifice almost everything to help others. Their goodness puts everyone else to shame, although they would be much too humble to ever acknowledge that. Most of us resign ourselves to the fact that we will never reach their level of righteousness. So, we settle for good enough. We say things like, “I may not always be an angel, but I’m not a devil either,” or “At least I’m not as bad as certain other people,” or “I may not be perfect, but I have a good heart.” We treat righteousness like the cut line in a golf tournament. We just have to be good enough—or just a little better than others. The problem is that, when it comes to righteousness, perfection is the cut line. That’s the truth the Holy Spirit guides us into. The apostle Paul wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). In Jesus’ day, the scribes and Pharisees were revered for their righteousness. They spent their days contemplating and debating the smallest details of God’s law. They observed every ritual. They held themselves to the highest religious standards. Yet Jesus said, “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” (Matthew 5:20 NLT). I remember the first time I read that as a young Christian. I thought, “Now wait a second. Weren’t the Pharisees extremely devout men? How could my righteousness exceed theirs?” Here’s how: Theirs was a false righteousness. Theirs was a self-righteousness. Even their best efforts fell far short of God’s standard of perfection. The Holy Spirit says, “You are not righteous enough on your own. You need the righteousness of Christ imputed into your account because you are a sinner. But if you will trust in Jesus, this righteousness will be given to you.” If we repent, ask God to forgive our sins, and receive Christ as Savior and Lord, we receive His righteousness. So, when God looks at us, He sees the perfect righteousness of His Son. And He welcomes us into His presence forever. That’s the truth the Holy Spirit guides us into.   Reflection question: How would you respond to someone who said, “I’m going to Heaven when I die because I’m a good person”? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min

  3. 3 DAYS AGO

    The Holy Spirit Convicts | John 16:8–9

    “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.” (John 16:8–9 NLT)   Over the next few days, we’re going to look at the nature and work of the Holy Spirit, one of God’s greatest gifts to us. The Holy Spirit performs vital duties in this world. Yet many of them go unnoticed because we simply take them for granted. But it’s important for God’s people to understand and celebrate His work. So, let’s start with this one: The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me” (John 16:8–9 nlt). The Holy Spirit shows us that we are sinners. He communicates the amazing truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection. He shows us that we need to turn to God. Without the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, none of us ever would have come to Jesus. That’s why, when I pray for a nonbeliever, I say, “Lord, convict them by Your Holy Spirit.” If I tell someone that Jesus has made my life fuller and better, and that I have joy and peace, they will think, “Well, that’s fine for you.” But what they need to realize is that they’re a sinner in need of a Savior. And that’s the work of the Spirit. The Spirit convicts us of our sin—not to drive us to despair, but to send us into the open arms of Jesus. On the Day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter delivered a sermon. Some of the people in the audience were culpable in Jesus’ crucifixion. Acts 2:37 says, “Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’” (NLT). The Holy Spirit was doing the piercing. The idea of piercing someone’s heart may be a little unsettling—if you imagine the act as an attack with a knife. But what if the blade is a scalpel? And the one wielding it is a highly trained surgeon? And the piercing is a necessary procedure to remove a cancerous tumor? Suddenly the scenario is reframed as a life-giving act of mercy. So it is with the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. He reveals the ugly truth—that we are sinners, powerless to save ourselves. He reveals the dire consequences—that we face God’s eternal judgment. And then He reveals the life-giving truth—that God made salvation possible through the sacrifice of His Son. The Holy Spirit pierces our hearts—not to weaken us or destroy us, but to save us. He shows us just how much we need Jesus.   Reflection question: What did the convicting work of the Holy Spirit look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 min

  4. 4 DAYS AGO

    FAQ: What Happens When a Person Who’s Never Heard the Gospel Dies? | Jeremiah 29:13

    “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” (Jeremiah 29:13 NLT)   This is a go-to scenario for people trying to poke holes in Christian logic: A person from a remote region, who’s never had any exposure to Christianity or the Bible, dies. What will happen to that person? I believe that God will judge us according to the light we have received. We will not be held accountable for what we do not know. That, however, does not excuse us from all responsibility. Otherwise, we might say ignorance is bliss. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God “has planted eternity in the human heart” (NLT). He has hardwired us to know Him. That means from the day we’re born, we’re on a quest, a search to find meaning and purpose in life. God put that restless desire inside us. We were created in His image. We were born with a soul—and an inner emptiness that only He can fill. And though our internal compass points us toward God, we still go our own way. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:19–20, “They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God” (NLT). Some people may say, “I have my own standards that I live by.” But I would venture to guess that you probably don’t even live up to your own standards. You violate the rules you think are right. Others might say, “I’m a sincere seeker of truth. I just haven’t found what I’m looking for.” If you’re a sincere seeker of truth, I believe that you will find your way to Jesus Christ. The Lord said, “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me” (Jeremiah 29:13 NLT). God will make Himself real to you if you really want to know Him. Don’t worry so much about the person who’s never heard the gospel. Think about yourself because you have heard the gospel. And knowledge brings responsibility. For the record, here’s the gospel in a nutshell. We have all sinned. We have all fallen short of God’s standards. There is nothing we can do to meet the righteous requirements of God. God loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ, who was fully God and fully man, to die on the cross for our sin. He bodily rose again from the dead. If we will turn from our sin and put our faith in Christ, we will be forgiven. We can know that we will go to Heaven when we die. And we can find the meaning and purpose we’ve been looking for in this life. That’s the gospel truth. Now that you understand it, you’re responsible for responding to it.   Reflection question: How can you make sure that the people around you understand the gospel? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min

  5. 5 DAYS AGO

    FAQ: How Can a Loving God Send Someone to Hell? | Ezekiel 33:11

    “As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?” (Ezekiel 33:11 NLT)   How can a loving God send someone to Hell? The short answer is that God doesn’t send anyone to Hell. People send themselves there by the choices they make. The last thing that God wants is for any man or woman uniquely created in His image to spend eternity separated from Him in a place of torment. Hell was not created for people. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus says, “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons’” (NLT). Hell was created for the beings who rebelled against God in Heaven and who work to ruin His plan on earth. God doesn’t want anyone to go there. That’s why He says in Ezekiel 33:11, “As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?” (NLT). Why do you think God sent Jesus to be murdered in cold blood? Because there was no other way that His perfect holiness and justice could be satisfied. Sin cannot exist in God’s presence. We have all sinned. Hell is the place where God has removed His presence. So, when we die, the only place we can go is to Hell, according to God’s righteous standards. The only way to satisfy those standards and save us from Hell was to send a perfect sacrifice, a sinless person to take the punishment we deserve, suffer and die in our place, and then rise from the dead to conquer death once and for all. God sacrificed His own Son so that we would not have to go to Hell. Everyone who receives Christ as Savior and Lord is given eternal life in Heaven, in God’s presence forever. They are saved from Hell. That is our spiritual reality. Anyone who winds up in Hell will be there because they made the choice to go there. No one will end up in Hell accidentally. Likewise, no one becomes a Christian accidentally. You don’t just wake up one morning and say, “Whoa, I’m a Christian! Praise God! I can’t believe I just said, ‘Praise God.’ I suddenly have this strange desire to read the Bible. It must have happened when I cut through that church parking lot last night.” You become a Christian because you make a choice to believe in Jesus. Those who go to Hell do so because they made a choice to reject Christ. No one goes to Heaven deservingly, and no one goes to Hell unwillingly. If you end up in that place on that final day, you will have no one to blame but yourself. And you will have to practically climb over Jesus to get there. No, friend, you don’t have to go to Hell. God wants you to join Him for all eternity in Heaven.   Reflection question: How can you explain the reality of Hell to an unbelieving friend? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min

  6. 6 DAYS AGO

    FAQ: Is Jesus the Only Way to God? | John 14:6

    “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6 NLT)   You’ve probably heard more than a few objections to the inevitable answer to this question. “How can Christians say that Jesus is the only way to God?” “Are you saying that if someone doesn’t believe in Jesus, then they’re going to Hell?” “Do you understand how narrow-minded that thinking is?” “Why are you so intolerant of other people’s beliefs?” “Why can’t you be more inclusive?” Let’s get one thing straight. The only reason I say that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father is because Jesus Himself said it. Look again at those words in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (NLT). In Acts 4:12, the apostle Peter put it this way: “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (NLT). Why? Because only Jesus Christ was qualified to bridge the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity. Jesus Christ—not just a good man, but the God-Man—died in our place and took the full wrath of the Father upon Himself because there was no other way that we could settle the debt that we owed God. Only Jesus Christ could conquer sin and death and make it possible for us to live forever with Him. Such exclusivity is hard for a lot of people to embrace. Some say, “I choose to believe that whatever religion you want to follow is fine. As long as you sincerely believe, God will let you into Heaven.” The problem with that reasoning is that Adolf Hitler probably believed in his heart that what he was doing was right. Does anyone want to suggest that his sincere belief should earn him a place in Heaven? Others say, “I don’t believe that Jesus was God. I believe that He was an influential philosopher and a great moral teacher, but nothing more than that.” C. S. Lewis responded to that kind of thinking with these words: “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell.” Lewis concluded, “You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” Jesus is the only way to God. The Christian faith is built on that truth.   Reflection question: What would you say to someone who believes that all paths lead to God? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 min

  7. 22 SEPT

    FAQ: Why Does God Allow Suffering? | Psalm 119:67

    “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.” (Psalm 119:67 NIV)   If God is good, why does He allow suffering? Chances are good that you’ve heard—and asked—that question before. You may be asking it now if you’re struggling with health issues. Or if you’ve lost a loved one. Or if your marriage is falling apart. Or if you’re having financial difficulties. Or if you’ve watched a natural disaster unfold. Maybe you’ve personalized the question and asked, “Why did God allow that to happen to me?” Our human intellect and notions of fairness reject the apparent contradiction between a loving God and a world of hate, pain, and misery. The classic statement of the problem goes like this: Either God is all-powerful but not all good and therefore doesn’t stop evil, or He is all good but not all-powerful and therefore can’t stop evil. Whichever way you come down on the issue, the general tendency is to blame God for all the bad things that happen in the world. The reality is that, in a broad sense, sickness, suffering, disabilities, misery, and even death are the results of sin. Not necessarily the results of a personal sin that someone commits, but the results of the existence of sin. You see, God’s original plan was that these bodies of ours would never wear out. They would never wrinkle….I would still have hair on my head. But because sin entered the world, we have aging and diminished abilities. We have disease and death. Bad things happen when people make the wrong choices. We might ask why God didn’t make us so that we couldn’t sin. The answer is that He gave us free will to make our own decisions. In many ways, free will is our greatest blessing and our greatest curse, depending on what we do with it. But God doesn’t want us to love Him in a pre-programmed way. Love isn’t genuine if there’s no other option. God wants us to choose to love Him. The flip side is that we have the option to make the wrong choice. We can choose to reject God and pursue sin. God will make us aware of our wrong choices. He will show us the paths He would have us travel. But He will allow us to do what we choose. In Deuteronomy 30:19–20, He says, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life” (NLT). When we choose something other than life, as described in this passage, we open the door to suffering—in our lives and in the world around us. But in His mercy and wisdom, God uses suffering to get our attention and direct us back to Him and the life He offers. The psalmist wrote, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word” (Psalm 119:67 NIV). C. S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” God works through our suffering to remind us how much we need Him.   Reflection question: How has God worked through suffering in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min

  8. 20 SEPT

    FAQ: How Do We Know the Bible Is True? | 2 Timothy 3:16–17

    “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 NLT)   Over the next few days, we’re going to address some frequently asked questions about the Christian faith. It’s likely that none of these questions will be new to you. You’ve probably heard them—or maybe even asked them yourself—more than once. I want to emphasize that these questions are valid. They often indicate a thoughtful approach to the Christian faith. But sometimes questions are nothing more than a smokescreen—a way of deflecting the truth of the gospel. They are excuses for not making a decision for Christ. With that in mind, let’s proceed. In Isaiah 1:18, God says, “Come now, and let us reason together” (NKJV). Christianity is a logical faith. It was only after I became a Christian that the world began to make sense to me. Prior to becoming a believer, I thought that mankind was basically good. And I really struggled with the horrible things that people did to people. But after I became a believer and discovered that the Bible teaches that mankind is sinful, I began to understand. I also discovered that God can change the human heart. Becoming a Christian doesn’t mean you have to check your brain at the door. Bring your questions, even the tough ones. Find out what God says in His Word. Of course, if we’re going to search for answers in God’s Word, we need to be able to trust it. So, our first question is: How do we know the Bible is true? We can point to its amazing origin. The Bible is actually sixty-six different books written over a span of 1,500 years by some forty different authors from every walk of life, including kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, and scholars. Yet every one of them wrote about the same theme, God’s redemption of mankind. Because God Himself directed their words. We can point to archaeology. For many years, scholars used archaeology to argue that the Bible was unreliable. They could find no evidence of certain names, places, and events mentioned in Scripture. As archaeologists uncover more and more of the ancient world, however, they are discovering that the Bible is quite accurate. We can point to prophecy, specifically prophecies about the Messiah. Jesus fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies—including being born of a virgin, being born in Bethlehem, and being crucified—centuries after the prophecies were made. Perhaps most importantly, we can point to what the Bible says about how to know God and how to live in these troubled, crazy times. It’s the only book that speaks with authority in this realm. And it’s the only book whose promises resonate deep within us. Ultimately, the best way to discover that the Bible is true is to experience its truths in your own life.   Reflection question: How have you experienced the Bible truths in your own life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest Partner Support the show: https://harvest.org/support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 min
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If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.  *The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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