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. 8H AGO

    Be Faithful—and Tactful | Acts 8:30–31

    “Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ The man replied, ‘How can I, unless someone instructs me?’ And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.” (Acts 8:30–31 NLT)   Philip, a leader in the early church, was given a remarkable opportunity to share the gospel. According to Acts 8, he was guided by the Holy Spirit to an Ethiopian official, who was sitting in a chariot, struggling to understand a passage from the book of Isaiah. “Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ The man replied, ‘How can I, unless someone instructs me?’ And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him” (Acts 8:30–31 NLT). As you explore the passage further, you’ll find that when Philip shared the gospel with the Ethiopian dignitary, he demonstrated something that’s often lacking in evangelistic efforts, and that’s tact. Many Christians, when they sense an opportunity to witness to an unbeliever, opt for an all-out blitz. They fire away with everything they have in their spiritual arsenal. They don’t make an effort to engage the people they speak with. They don’t try to establish a dialogue. They don’t bother with building an interpersonal bridge. They simply present their arguments, make their statements, and walk away from the encounter feeling impressed with themselves. Meanwhile, the people they’re talking to are silently wishing they would just stop talking and going away. Later, the Christian thinks, “Boy, I really blew them out of the water when they said this and that. Wasn’t that great?” No, it wasn’t great. In fact, it was quite foolish, because our job as believers is not to win the argument; it’s to win the soul. If we want to effectively share the gospel with people, then we need to engage them. What did the master evangelist Jesus do as He talked with the woman at the well in Samaria? He engaged her in conversation. He established some give-and-take. He spoke. He listened. She shared her heart with Him. He revealed the truth to her. When we share the gospel with people, it must be as a dialogue—and not as a monologue. It’s not just a matter of talking; it’s also a matter of listening. Sharing the gospel involves offering appropriate passages from Scripture and genuine responses from a heart filled with love. No one will ever be argued into the kingdom of God. No one will come away from an adversarial debate with a believer—after winning or losing—with a desire to “join the other side.” Ultimately, people are going to believe because the Holy Spirit convicted them of their sin. Our job is to simply bring them the essential gospel message in a way that’s compelling, thoughtful, and personal.   Reflection question: How do you use tact when you share the gospel with others? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" 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

  2. 1D AGO

    The Faithful Sower | Ecclesiastes 11:6

    “Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.” (Ecclesiastes 11:6 NLT)   Here’s something amazing to think about. Saul, who would later become the apostle Paul, was doing the work of God’s kingdom before he was even in it. Remember, Saul was one of the early enemies of the Christian faith. He zealously persecuted believers, which led many to flee their homes and move to distant lands—taking the gospel with them. Had Saul not been so relentless in his persecution of the church, I think the first-century Christians probably would have been content to stay in their little holy huddle in Jerusalem and never leave town. After all, their situation was almost ideal. God had blessed their evangelism efforts in the city, so there were believers all around. They had no need to leave Jerusalem. But because of Saul’s persecution, Christians were forced to spread out. They took the Good News of Jesus to places where it may not have gone otherwise, or at least not as quickly as it did. Eventually, of course, Saul stopped persecuting believers and became a believer himself. And I think the person who might have had the greatest influence in bringing about his conversion was Stephen, the church’s first martyr. I believe it could have been Stephen’s bold testimony that threw fuel on Saul’s fire because Saul was under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Stephen didn’t have a long ministry. He never wrote a book of the New Testament. But if his only convert was Saul of Tarsus, then his ministry was profoundly successful. The same goes for your Christian ministry. You may not reach millions with the gospel. You may not reach thousands. You may not reach hundreds. But you may be the person whom God uses to reach someone who will, in turn, change the world. Or it may be a child you raised in the way of the Lord who reaches someone else, who talks to someone else, and eventually shares the gospel with someone like Saul. So, here’s what you need to realize: It’s not over until it’s over. Ecclesiastes 11:6 says, “Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both” (NLT). You don’t have to know what your spiritual work will yield. All you have to do is seize every opportunity that’s presented to you. That’s the takeaway from the story of Saul and Stephen. As believers, we need to be faithful in sowing the seed of the Word of God, because we don’t know where that seed will go—in this life, in the next generation, or in the generation after that. We sow the seed; God takes it from there.   Reflection question: What would sowing the seed of the Word of God look like in your life right now? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" 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. 2D AGO

    Everyone Is Reachable | Acts 26:9–11

    “I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene. Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities.” (Acts 26:9–11 NLT)   Every person in your life who doesn’t know Christ represents a spiritual opportunity for you. If you’re like most people, you probably have some acquaintances who seem as though they would be receptive to the gospel message. It takes no great stretch of the imagination to picture them as fellow believers, worshipping and serving the Lord alongside you. On the other hand, you probably have other acquaintances who seem so far from God—whose lives are so broken and whose priorities are so mixed up—that you’re tempted to write them off as lost causes. If that’s the case, God’s Word has a message for you: don’t. Don’t fall into the devil’s trap of believing that certain people are beyond God’s reach. The reality is that no one who draws breath is beyond redemption. In Acts 26:9–11, the apostle Paul describes one of the most amazing conversions of all time—a conversion so unlikely that even Jesus’ disciples didn’t think it was possible. He’s describing, of course, his own conversion.   “I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene. Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities” (NLT).   When he was known as Saul of Tarsus, Paul was one of the most radical antagonists of the early church. It was Saul who presided over the death of Stephen, the first martyr of the church who courageously stood up for his faith. It was Saul who went out of his way to hunt down Christians, imprison them, and even destroy them. This man was bent on the eradication of the Christian faith. Yet God saved him and changed his life beyond recognition. That’s the power of the gospel. If you know an antagonistic person, someone who seems to go out of their way to make your life miserable, someone who’s always trying to stump you with a hard question, it just may be that they’re closer to the kingdom of God than you realize. Sometimes the people who attack the most or resist the hardest are under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Their lashing out is the last struggle of their old self. They may be closer to conversion than you realize. No one is beyond the reach of God.   Reflection question: How can you reach out to someone who seems unreachable? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" 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

  4. 4D AGO

    Step Right | 1 John 2:6

    “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:6 NLT)   I have a problem when I walk with my wife. I always walk a little faster than she does. Every time we go out together, I find myself walking ahead of her. I have to stop and wait for her to catch up. I make a conscious effort to walk more slowly—at least for a while. But the next thing I know, I’m walking fast again. Many believers face a similar challenge when it comes to walking with God. Some people want to run ahead of Him. They grow impatient waiting for Him to answer a prayer or reveal His will, so they take matters into their own hands. Other people lag behind Him. They’re reluctant to act when He prompts them. They’re hesitant to step outside their comfort zone without two weeks’ advance notice. Our goal should be to move in harmony with the Lord. We need to stay close to Him and adjust our steps so that they match His. Enoch is listed in the Faith Hall of Fame (see Hebrews 11:5). Yet we know little about him beyond this note in Genesis 5:22 (NKJV), which is repeated in verse 24: “Enoch walked with God” (NKJV). Referring to our daily relationship with God’s Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul wrote, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25 NIV). But what does that mean in practice? How do we do it? What does it look like to “keep in step with the Spirit”? It means that we prioritize the things of God. It means that when we get up in the morning, we take time to read the Bible. If we neglect the Word of God, it will show in our lives. Keeping in step with the Spirit also means that we spend time in fellowship with God’s people. The apostle John put it this way: “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6 NLT). In short, make time for the things of God. Be proactive in your walk with the Lord. Don’t wait for spare time simply to materialize. Be deliberate about carving out room in your schedule. If it means one less hour of sleep, so be it. If it means delaying a meal, put your appetite on hold. If it means missing a television program, deal with it. Do what you need to do because these things are essential to spiritual growth, to abiding with God, and to bearing spiritual fruit. Never lose sight of what a privilege it is to walk with the Lord. Any sacrifice you have to make for the sake of that walk will be well worth it. Your walk with God will bring indescribable richness to your daily life.   Reflection question: What would keeping in step with the Spirit look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" 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

  5. 5D AGO

    What All True Believers Have in Common | 1 John 2:19

    “These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.” (1 John 2:19 NLT)   In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus delivered some sobering words to the people who followed Him: “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter” (Matthew 7:21 NLT). Many people in the audience that day believed that upholding the Law of Moses—that is, being “good enough”—was the ticket to the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus helped them see that changing their entire outlook was necessary. They needed to repent. Four chapters earlier, He said to the Pharisees and Sadducees—the people whose entire lives were dedicated to upholding the Law of Moses—“Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God” (Matthew 3:8 NLT). The proof of a changed life is found in a person’s response to sin. Those whose faith is genuine will be profoundly affected when they give in to sin. They will repent and restore their relationship with the Lord. Look at David’s words after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for her husband to be killed. “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night” (Psalm 51:1–3 NLT). Look at the apostle Peter’s reaction after he denied being a follower of Jesus three separate times: “And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly” (Luke 22:62 NLT). The cost was too great for us to take sin lightly. Isaiah 53:5–6 says, “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all” (NLT). First Peter 2:24 says, “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed” (NLT). People who claim to be believers, but then fall away and never come back, were not, in fact, believers. That’s the point John makes in 1 John 2:19: “These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us” (NLT). True believers will be miserable in sin and eventually will beat a path back to the cross of Calvary. True believers will repent and receive God’s forgiveness.   Reflection question: What does genuine repentance look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" 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. 6D AGO

    A New Body | 1 John 3:2

    “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.” (1 John 3:2 NLT)   Human ingenuity has devised countless ways to transform the human body. From plastic surgery to weight-loss drugs. From tattoos to piercings. From hair dye to colored contact lenses. Many people, it seems, will stop at nothing to have a new body. In the third chapter of his first epistle, the apostle John addresses the topics of transformation and new bodies from an eternal perspective.  His point is this: Every believer will have a new body in Heaven. Those who are disabled on earth won’t be disabled in Heaven. Those whose bodies are broken by the ravages of age or disease on earth won’t experience that brokenness in Heaven. John says that our resurrection bodies will resemble the resurrection body of Christ. Think of it! In 1 John 3:2, we read, “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is” (NLT). What were the differences between the resurrection body of Jesus and the body that was put to death on the cross? When Jesus walked among us on this earth, He voluntarily exposed Himself to the limitations of humanity. Just like everyone else, He got sleepy, thirsty, tired, and hungry. In His resurrected body, there were similarities to the old body but major differences, too. His disciples recognized Him, yet something in them wondered, “Is it really You, Lord?” Then again, Jesus did things in His resurrection body that He never did in His old body. He suddenly appeared in a room without using a door. He ascended through the air until He disappeared into the clouds. Will we be able to do similar things in our resurrection bodies? No one can say for sure, but we can know this: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT). That’s why Paul wrote, “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5:1–4 NLT).   Reflection question: What is most exciting to you about having a new body in Heaven? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" 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

  7. APR 29

    The Safety Net | 1 John 1:8

    “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.” (1 John 1:8 NLT)   Visitors to San Francisco can’t help but be amazed at the architectural marvel that is the Golden Gate Bridge. But its beauty and innovation came at a tremendous cost. During the initial phases of construction, several workers lost their balance and plunged to their deaths in the San Francisco Bay. The builders were concerned about the human tragedy, of course. But they were also concerned about the delays in the schedule because of the deaths. They needed to find a way to keep their workers safe under the most dangerous conditions. The solution they arrived at was something that had never been done before. The builders installed a giant safety net under the construction area. The workers knew that if they fell, the net would catch them. The experience wouldn’t necessarily be pleasant for the unfortunate worker, but at least he would live to tell about it. Thanks to the net, workers could go about their business without the fear of dying. With the threat removed, they were able to move quickly and finish the project. Did you know that God has put a safety net under you? By that I mean, when you slip, when you fall, when you make a mistake, you don’t have to worry that your name will be blotted out of the Book of Life. You don’t have to face the prospect of becoming persona non grata with God. The apostle Paul wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood” (Romans 3:23–25 NLT). If you believe in Christ, you have a spiritual safety net. You have a barrier against spiritual death. Because Jesus came into your heart, forgave you, and committed Himself to you, He now protects you, seals you, and justifies you because of that commitment. The fact is that we as Christians will sin and fall short. The Scriptures, as well as our own experiences in life, tell us this is true. According to 1 John 1:8, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth” (NLT). This isn’t an excuse for ungodly living. Nor is it a license for sin. It’s a simple acknowledgment of reality. Yet Paul wrote, “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” (Romans 8:38 NLT). Nothing can dismantle our safety net.   Reflection question: What does your spiritual safety net mean to you? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" 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. APR 28

    Real Love | 1 John 4:20–21

    “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.” (1 John 4:20–21 NLT)   One of the first things I remember taking place when I committed my life to Jesus Christ was the erosion of bitterness and anger in my heart and the growth of a love I had not known before. That surprised me because that bitterness and anger had been constant companions of mine. I had nurtured them for longer than I could remember. But such is the power of God and His love. If we claim to be followers of Christ and harbor bitterness or hatred in our hearts toward someone, that should be a warning sign. The apostle John left little wiggle room when he wrote, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers” (1 John 4:20–21 NLT). He’s saying that if we have hatred in our hearts toward fellow members of the body of Christ something wrong in our spiritual life. Something that must be addressed immediately if we’re going to grow in our faith. The apostle Paul wrote, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other” (Romans 12:9–10 NLT). He’s talking about something more than a passive tolerance here. Something more than simply spending an hour or two together on Sunday mornings. The love he’s talking about involves actively growing closer to others. And often that means finding ways to heal past hurts and remove the obstacles that keep us at a distance from others. Maybe someone has wronged or hurt you. If so, take it to God. Let Him deal with it. Your job is to heed His call to love and forgive that person and not to avenge yourself. Here’s why: That bitterness and hatred will do more harm to you than to the person you’re directing it toward. It will eat you up inside. It will destroy your life. It will hinder your time of prayer with God. It will hinder your worship. It will, for all practical purposes, act as an obstacle in the relationship God wants to have with you. There’s no room for hatred, bitterness, or prejudice in the heart of a child of God. God wants our love to be honest and without hypocrisy. That’s the kind of love that changes lives and changes the world.   Reflection question: How can you remove an obstacle that’s keeping you at a distance from someone else? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" 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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