For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 6:23

It has been said that opportunity knocks once, but temptation beats on the door every day. It happens to the best of us.

Don’t feel bad about that. Just because you are tempted doesn’t mean there is something wrong on your part. There is no sin in being tempted, because it is not the bait that constitutes temptation; it is the bite.

We play a key role in our own temptation. The Devil needs our cooperation for us to give in. Where there is no desire on our part, there is no temptation. As James 1:14–15 tells us, “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

In these verses we effectively have the five steps of temptation. First, there is the temptation itself: “each one is tempted.” This is when an evil thought comes knocking on the door of your imagination. But instead of rejecting it outright, you invite it in and begin to entertain it. You think, What if I did this . . . just for fun?

You’re in trouble already, because now you’ve reached the second step. You have been enticed. Your will is weakening, and the temptation is getting stronger. You’re thinking, processing, and considering. There is still a way out, but it’s getting harder to resist. And now the hook is set.

That brings us to the third and fourth steps of temptation. Desire has conceived, and it gives birth to sin. The evil thought has been acted upon. The process is in full swing, which leads to the final step of temptation, where the effects of sin kick in: “sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. —Lamentations 3:25

Have you ever lost something and searched endlessly for it? I lost my iPhone the other day. I looked everywhere for it but couldn’t find it. So I used a feature called Find My iPhone. As it turned out, the phone was eight feet from where I was sitting. I had dropped it in the cushion of a chair. When I mentioned this to my son Jonathan, he said, “I’ve done even worse. I used it, and my phone was in my shirt pocket.”

When you lose something, you search for it until you find it. God searches, too, although He doesn’t lose things like we do. He knows where everything is and where everyone is. Yet He is searching for people who want to grow spiritually. He is looking for fertile, receptive soil where He can plant the seed of His Word, soil in which His Word can take root in our hearts.

God won’t force His truth into our lives; He wants us to desire it. He doesn’t force-feed us. As 1 Peter 2:2 tells us, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”

Healthy people are hungry people. If you are in good spiritual health, you will be hungry for the Word of God. A spiritual appetite is a good sign of a mature Christian. God is looking for soil like that. He is looking for people who want to hear His Word.

We are the ones who decide what kind of soil our hearts will be. We decide whether we will move forward spiritually or whether we will go backward spiritually. It is really up to us. God wants us to grow, but we must want to grow as well. There is God’s part, and there is our part.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”—Matthew 11:2–3

How would you feel if someone you loved and trusted began to question you? You might feel offended. What do they know, after all?

When John sent word to Jesus from prison and asked, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” (Matthew 11: 3), Jesus didn’t rebuke him. He didn’t say, “How dare John doubt Me? My own cousin! He should have known better” or “John? Come on, give Me a break! You know he’s a little strange, right? The animal skins . . . and who eats locusts? That’s My cousin! Maybe it was something in his diet.”

It was a good opportunity to throw someone under the bus. But Jesus didn’t do that. Instead, he brought John back to Scripture: “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen—the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor” (verses 4–5). Then He said, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me” (verse 6).

Here is what Jesus was saying: “Listen, you just let John know this: Even if you don’t understand My method, even if you don’t grasp My ways or My timing, I am asking you to trust Me. When you are unable to see why I am doing what I am doing, or why I am not doing what you think I ought to be doing, hang in there. Follow Me. Don’t be offended because of this.”

Our Lord understood this was an attack of the enemy. He understood what loneliness and solitude could do.

God never rebukes anyone who comes to Him with sincere questions or honest doubts.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. —Colossians 3:17

Years ago I had the privilege to be with Billy Graham at a crusade he was doing in Portland, Oregon. It was an amazing crusade, with an almost revival-like atmosphere in that very liberal city.

I remember one night in particular, when God seemed to really bless Billy’s message, with many people coming to Christ. We left the stadium together in a car, with Billy’s longtime friend T. W. Wilson driving, while I rode shotgun. Billy and his son Franklin were in the back seat.

As we were pulling out of the parking lot, I leaned over the back seat and said, “That was a great message tonight, Billy.”

Billy looked at me with those steely blue eyes and said, “It’s just gospel.”

I turned back around, feeling a little awkward. I was just trying to be friendly. I remember thinking to myself, That didn’t go very well. I will say something else. Turning back around again I said, “Billy, I love the point when you said Christ will re-sensitize your conscience. That was a great point.”

Again, Billy looked at me and said, “Well, He can.”

I didn’t turn around again on the ride back to the hotel! What I learned that night was that you couldn’t pin a compliment on Billy Graham. It was like water off a duck’s back, and he really didn’t want to hear it. His attitude was, “I just did my job. I’m a delivery boy, and I gave the message. Now the results are in the hands of God.”

As God’s spokespeople, we don’t take the credit and we don’t take the blame. We just deliver the goods.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.—2 Chronicles 7:14

We want God to heal our land, and we want our nation to change. But as we look at the problems in our country, we want to point at someone else a lot of times. We say the problems are due to Washington, DC, or Hollywood or the White House. But God says the source of the problems is His house, the church.

God lays out His prescription in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Notice God says, “If My people who are called by My name . . .” He doesn’t say a thing about secular culture. He talks to His own people. That is you. That is me. “If My people . . .”

I think one of the problems in our nation today is there are a lot of people running around who think they are Christians, but they really are not. In fact the Bible says, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Or, as the J. B. Phillips New Testament puts it, “You should be looking at yourselves to make sure that you are really Christ’s.”

Then there are those who are living a double life. They put on a good performance at church. They say all the right things. But they are living a life that is completely contradictory to what the Bible says about how a Christian ought to live.

A spiritual awakening starts with God’s people. It starts with you and me.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

I have heard all about you, LORD. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy.—Habakkuk 3:2

I came to Christ in 1970 during the Jesus Movement, which gave me a front-row seat to the Fourth Great Awakening in the United States—the most recent in our nation. Looking back, I remember five things that were part of a typical church service during that time.

First, there was a sense of expectancy in the service. No one was ever late for church because you couldn’t find a seat if you were. You came expecting God to work. You came with a sense of openness, anticipating what the Lord was going to do.

Second, the Word of God was always taught. That gave stability to us. In fact, I still have my Bible from those days. I marked it up—so much so that some of the pages are coming out of it.

Third, people participated in the worship. We effectively saw what we simply know as worship now. In the late 1960s, there were no electric guitars, for the most part, on church stages. There were no drum kits. It was completely different culturally. Things we take for granted now didn’t exist back then. But people engaged in worship. They participated in it.

Fourth, believers brought nonbelievers to church, evangelistic invitations were extended, and people were coming to Christ. Every week there was the sense that God wants people to be saved.

Fifth, there was a belief in and a constant teaching of the imminent return of Christ. We believed that Jesus was coming back again.

The kids of the Jesus Movement are now grandparents. But just as in the 1960s, and specifically 1968, we have riots in the streets. We have racial unrest. We have a drug epidemic. There’s a sense of hopelessness in the air. We need another Jesus Movement. We need another spiritual awakening.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

The Evening of Your Life Is Determined by the Morning of It

I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.—Deuteronomy 30:19

I committed my life to Christ at age 17. Did I miss anything? I suppose I did.

I missed a lot of parties, a lot of experiences that other kids my age had. Now, over 40 years have gone by and I look at what their choices and experiences have done to them. Some are in their fourth or fifth marriages. Some are still addicted, still living an empty life. When I think about those things I ask myself, Did I really miss anything?

For me, life has gotten better. Not easier or less complicated, or less pressured or more trouble-free. But definitely better, sweeter, richer, deeper, more satisfying. Every day, every month, every year of walking with Jesus gets better and better.

You might say, “Greg, that’s a nice, pleasant message to preach at a retirement center, but what’s it got to do with me?” The truth is, it’s a message that’s even more important for younger people. Why? Because you determine the end of your life by the beginning of it, the evening of your life by the morning of it. You decide today where you’re going to be 20 years from now, by what choices you make and what roads you take.

God says, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days” (Deuteronomy 30:19—20 NKJV).

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.—Ephesians 6:17

What is the primary weapon we should use to resist temptation? Answer: the Word of God. When Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, He responded again and again, “It is written . . .” He was showing us how to use God’s Word when attacks come.

Writing about the armor of God, the apostle Paul said, “Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). Among the things he listed in Ephesians 6, there is only one offensive weapon: “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

God has given us His Word as the primary weapon to defend ourselves. There is power in His Word. Psalm 119:9 says, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” Interestingly, this is addressed to a young man. If you are young, how do you live a pure life? By listening to what the Word of God says.

A few verses later the psalmist says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (verse 11). This means memorizing the Bible.

You might be thinking, I can’t. I’m not good at memorizing things.

Just think about all the things you have memorized without even knowing it. You have song lyrics memorized. You remember trivia about sports figures. You have all kinds of things in the memory banks of your mind because they interest you and you fill your mind with them.

Open up some space for the Word of God. I have verses today floating around in my brain that I memorized at the age of seventeen, verses that have stayed with me all these years.

We need to know the Word of God.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

“Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”—Proverbs 27:6

So what should we do if someone falls into sin?

“Brothers, if a man is overtaken in a fault, you who are spiritual condemn them and then make sure you tell as many people as you can what they have done” (Galatians 6:1).

Of course, that’s not what the verse says, but by the way some people act you would think it is.

Galatians 6:1 really says that if someone is overtaken in a fault, “you who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted” (NKJV).

The objective is to restore, not destroy!

As that verse says, “Considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” First, we should consider ourselves! Why? Because it could be you someday that needs restoration, for we all have the potential to fall and fall big.

The most loving thing you can do for a fellow Christian is to tell them the truth, not pacify them out of fear of rejection. Proverbs 27:6 tells us “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses” (NIV).

A true friend will stab you “in the front,” not in the back.

Has a Christian friend ever helped to “restore you in the spirit of meekness”? Have you ever helped to restore another?

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.—2 Corinthians 10:4–5

I’ve been known to fill up the storage space on my hard drive. I take lots of pictures, and I keep them all on my computer. I’ve been advised to put them on a separate hard drive, but I prefer to keep them on my computer. A lot of them, if not most of them, are of my family, and I enjoy looking at them. But just the other day I was trying to save a document, and my hard drive was full.

Wouldn’t it be great if, when the devil comes knocking at the door of our minds with an illicit thought, a message pops up that reads, This hard drive is full with the Word of God. There’s no room for your stuff. Don’t even bother? Far too often we have a lot of storage available, and we’re willing to entertain those thoughts.

Temptation, in most cases, comes through the doorway of our minds. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

When our guard is down and those flaming arrows of ungodly thoughts come our way, we are to “[cast] down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Paul also said, “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Let’s think about things that will build us up—not things that will tear us down.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.—1 Peter 5:8

When Hitler invaded the European nations during the early years of World War II, he attacked on a weekend in almost every situation. Hitler knew the various parliaments would not be in session, making it more difficult for a nation’s leaders to react swiftly to an invasion.

The same thing happened to Israel in 1973 on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which is the holiest day of the year on the Jewish calendar. Backed by the Soviet Union, Egypt and Syria attacked Israel. But because God had grace on the Israelis, they were able to turn back their enemies. And not only that, they even gained ground.

That is what the devil does in the lives of Christians. He waits for a vulnerability. He waits for a time when our guard is down, when we think it isn’t going to happen, and then he will hit us with everything he has.

Temptation will come at inopportune times, often after times of great blessing. After Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, God’s Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove. It was a glorious moment. But then came the attack as Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness.

Don’t be surprised when, after you have spent time in church studying the Bible and worshiping, you get hit with heavy-duty temptation. That is the way it works. Or sometimes you might lower your guard and think, I wouldn’t give in to any temptation now after spending time in God’s Word.

Yes, you could. You could be very vulnerable. Often temptations and attacks come after mountaintop experiences. Whenever God speaks, the devil will be there to oppose.

Be careful. Even if you have reached great heights in your spiritual life, know this: you’ll never outgrow being tempted.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

“Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?”—Psalm 85:6

What is the future of the United States of America? Are we doomed to just go the way that so many other once-great nations have gone? Is America headed to the ash heap of history? Are our greatest days behind us, or could they still yet be ahead? Is there any hope for America?

No one can answer those questions with any certainty, but we know this much: America is not the superpower of the last days. The greatest nation on earth is conspicuous in her absence from the world stage in the end-times scenario given to us in the Bible. America is not the first, nor will it be the last, nation to rise and fall. Every nation’s days are numbered; America is no exception.

Rome was once the mightiest empire on the face of the earth. But she collapsed internally before she was conquered externally. We as a country can be diligent to guard against enemies on the outside, but we would be wise to look within.

Historian Will Durant, in his book on Rome’s history, Caesar and Christ, said, “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within. The essential causes of Rome’s decline lay in her people, her morals. . ..”

The difference between Rome and the U.S. is that we were founded on Judeo-Christian values. We’ve strayed from the original vision of our founding fathers, the vision that produced “America.”

What was once “freedom of religion” has now become “freedom from religion.” We have succeeded in getting God out of our schools, sporting events, public venues, and workplaces. Instead of Christmas, when we should focus on Jesus, we have Happy Holidays and Winter Solstice. Instead of Good Friday and Easter, we have Spring Break. It seems to me that America has gone out her way of late to turn from God. But America needs God’s intervention.

We saw many turn to the Lord after 9/11. Remember those prayer vigils on street corners and packed churches? Remember the members of Congress spontaneously singing “God Bless America”? These memories give me hope that there could be at least one more great revival in America’s future.

If we do not have revival, I do believe that judgment is inevitable. Peter Marshall, former chaplain to the U.S. Senate once said, “The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration.”

God was able to turn the very wicked nation of Nineveh around in the days of Jonah. We know there have been some great spiritual awakenings in our history as well. Let’s pray that America will turn back to God in these last days.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

“For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone–gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!” —Daniel 5:23

When I step onto a scale, I never like what I see. I always weigh more than I want to. In fact, I can’t think of a time recently when I weighed less than I thought I did. On our scales, we typically want to weigh less. But God’s scales are different. On God’s scales, we want to weigh more, because His scales are about the weight of a life, the depth of a life, and the substance of a life.

Daniel 5 tells the story of Belshazzar, the grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar, who went out of his way to blaspheme and insult the true and living God. As he and his friends were partying away, they suddenly saw a hand writing on the plaster of the palace wall. It was a message from God himself.

Belshazzar called for the prophet Daniel to interpret the writing, and Daniel told him, “This is what these words mean: Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up. Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians” (verses 26–28).

Daniel was saying to Belshazzar, “You have been put on God’s divine scales, and buddy, you’re a lightweight. There is nothing of substance in your life. And now your number is up.”

That night, the Medo-Persian forces were amassing outside under the leadership of Cyrus, and Belshazzar was killed.

God has given us warnings in the Scriptures just like He gave to Belshazzar. There is a last night for every person. There will be a last meal . . . a last statement . . . a last breath . . . and then eternity.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes. —Psalm 115:3

History tells us that on the morning of the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon stood gazing on the field of battle and described to his commanding officer the strategy for that day’s campaign. Then he declared that at the end of the day, England would be at the feet of France, and the Duke of Wellington, who was leading the British forces, would be the prisoner of Napoleon.

After a pause, Napoleon’s commanding officer boldly said, “We must not forget that man proposes, but God disposes.”

With arrogant pride, Napoleon shot back, “I want you to understand, sir, that Napoleon proposes and Napoleon disposes.”

Commenting on that statement, Victor Hugo said, “After that moment, Waterloo was lost, for God sent rain and hail so that the troops could not be maneuvered as he had planned, and on the night of the battle it was Napoleon who was prisoner of Wellington, and France was at the feet of England.”

Anything that any man or woman accomplishes in life has been given to him or her as a gift from God. No matter what someone may have discovered or invented, no matter how much wealth someone has amassed or how successful they may have been, their lives were given to them by God. Their intellectual capacities were given to them by God. The beat of their heart was given to them by God.

It is good to remember that everything we have is from the Lord. As Deuteronomy 8:18 tells us, “Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.”

Fear God. Reverence God. Remember, He has the final word on every subject, no matter what. God will have the last word.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

“But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.”—Numbers 32:23

Sometimes we confuse God’s grace with lenience or maybe even ignorance. Because we don’t face the immediate consequences of our actions, we might think we are getting away with it.

But the Bible says, “Your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). If we were to go back and translate that from the original Hebrew, it would say, “Your sin will find you out.” And what that means is your sin will find you out.

When Jonah went and preached to the Ninevites, he warned them, “Forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4) Actually there was hope in that message, because the fact they were being warned by God implied there could be forgiveness if they turned from their sin. When God brought His judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, there was no warning. There was no prophet Jonah walking through the streets, preaching to them. It came on them unexpectedly. In Nineveh’s case, however, God gave them a chance.

God does give a lot of chances. We might sin and then tell ourselves, “Nothing happened. Maybe God wasn’t paying attention. Maybe God doesn’t care.” Or worse yet, we’ll deceive ourselves into thinking that God is okay with it. God isn’t okay with it. God never will contradict His Word. We are going to face the consequences of our sin, but God may be giving us the opportunity to repent. As Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, “When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong” (NLT).

We will reap what we sow, no matter what. It may be ten years. It may be a year. It may be a month. It may be a week. It could be ten minutes. But it will happen. The wheels of God’s justice may grind slowly, but they grind surely.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

“I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.”—Acts 20:26–27

It is difficult sometimes to tell the truth. I think of doctors who run a series of tests and find a spot or a lump or something else. They want to tell their patients that everything is okay. But they have to tell the truth so they can prescribe a course of treatment.

In the Old Testament book of Daniel, we read of a time when Daniel had to reveal the hard truth to King Nebuchadnezzar. He said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper” (4:27). In other words, “Judgment is coming, but there is still hope if you will repent.”

In the same way, as Christians we have to declare the whole counsel of God. Paul told the elders of the Ephesian church, “I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know” (Acts 20:26–27). Yet sometimes we edit out things we are uncomfortable with, like hell or judgment. We’ll say something like, “Believe in Jesus, and He will make you a happier person and bring you fulfillment. There will be joy and contentment in your life.”

“I don’t want to believe in Jesus,” the other person replies. “What happens if I don’t believe in Jesus?”

We need to give them the truth. However, we don’t say it with smiles on our faces; we say it with tears in our eyes. It isn’t easy to tell someone, “The Bible says there is a judgment, and if we don’t believe in Jesus Christ, there actually is a place called hell.” We must tell the truth.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie