They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared meals with great joy and generosity–all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of the people. And the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. —Acts 2:46–47

If you’ve ever gone to Disneyland with only adults, then you know it’s kind of boring. First they’ll complain about how much it costs. Then they’ll complain about how the lines are too long. Then, after one or two rides, they’ll say, “Where can we go to eat?”

On the other hand, when you go to Disneyland with children, they want to go on the fastest or coolest ride. Then they’re ready to go on the next one, and then the next, and then the next. Experiencing it through a child’s eyes makes it more meaningful for you as well.

Continue reading Greg Laurie – Evangelize or Fossilize →

“So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other.” —Deuteronomy 4:39

We don’t see a lot of idol worship in our culture—at least outwardly. But I think that in some ways, maybe there is.

People have their gods, although they don’t call them gods. Their gods are what they trust in. Maybe it’s a person. Maybe it’s a bank account. Maybe it’s a career. Maybe it’s their appearance. Maybe it’s something else.

Then one day something happens, and they lose that money in the bank account. Something happens, and they lose that position. Something happens, and they no longer look like they once did. It’s a wakeup call, and they realize that whatever their god was, it was never a good thing to build their lives on.

Continue reading Greg Laurie – The One, True God →

“I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.”—1 Kings 18:18

Elijah was not a popular guy after his announcement to King Ahab. He had walked into Ahab’s court and declared, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!” (1 Kings 17:1).

Elijah was a wanted man, dead or alive (preferably dead). But then he emerged on the scene, and he and Ahab had their confrontation. When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?” (1 Kings 18:17).

Continue reading Greg Laurie – Sowing and Reaping →

“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”—Matthew 6:21

As we enter into a new year, here is something to remember: When it’s all said and done, we have three things we can offer God—our treasure, our talent, and our time. Each of these is given to us by God, and each of them should be given back in generous portions.

First, there is our treasure. I urge you to commit yourself to give faithfully and generously to the Lord in this coming year. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21 NKJV). Whenever we put our money into something, we develop a vested interest in it. It makes sense to us that we would place our treasures where our hearts are. If we love reading books, or being entertained, or the latest technology, we spend our treasure on those things. And if our heart’s desires change, that changes where we put our treasure.

But it works the other way too: Where we put our treasures, our heart will follow. Do you want your heart to be in the things of God? Then put your treasures in the things of God! Develop a vested interest in God’s kingdom.

The second thing we can give to God is our talent. God has gifted each believer in different ways. Everyone has something to offer for the work of the kingdom. Romans 12 says, “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us different work to do” (NLT).

Finally, there is our time. Let’s say that one day your phone rang and it was the president of the bank that you use. He told you that an anonymous donor who loved you very much had decided to deposit 86,400 pennies into your bank account each and every morning. At first, maybe that didn’t seem like a lot. But then you figured out that it was $864 a day. At seven days a week and 52 weeks a year, those pennies add up to almost $315,000 each year! But the bank president added one thing: “The anonymous giver said you must spend all of the money on the day you receive it! No balance will be carried over to the next day. Each evening the bank must cancel whatever sum you failed to use! Remember, what you don’t spend is lost.”

That may sound like fantasy, but here’s the reality: Every morning, Someone who loves you very much deposits into your “bank of time” 86,400 seconds, which represent 1,440 minutes, which of course equals 24 hours each and every day. God gives you that much to use each day. Nothing is ever carried over on credit to the next day. There is no such thing as a 27-hour day. It’s called time, and you can’t escape it. Time is ticking away right now. The Bible tells us to “redeem the time”—to make sacred and wise use of every opportunity.

Offer God your treasure, your talent, and your time. Live this next year as if it were your last, because it could be. Make those minutes count!

“For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me.” —Exodus 20:5

We usually view jealousy as something negative, and certainly it can be. We might think of a jealous person as controlling, demanding, and even prone to fly into a rage without the slightest reason.

But in Exodus 20 God says, “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (verses 4–5, emphasis added).

God is a loving Father. He loves us and wants an exclusive relationship with us. Is that unreasonable?

If you have children, then I think you are probably a jealous parent. You want the best for your child. You probably think your child is the best at whatever it is that he or she does, whether it’s athletics or music or something else. In the same way, God loves you, and He wants the best for you. So He is jealous in a sense.

I would also think that if you are married, you are probably a jealous husband or wife. How would you feel, wives, if your husband said, “My date is here. I’m going out with her now. Can she borrow that outfit that looks really good on you?” No self-respecting wife would put up with something like that. Nor should she.

God is a jealous God and wants an exclusive relationship with us. He is saying, “You belong to Me, and I have committed myself to you. So that is the way it needs to be.” That is the concept being communicated when God described himself as a “jealous” God.

Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands.—Psalm 112:1

There are two ways that we can live our lives: the right way or the wrong way. There are two paths that we can take in life: the right path or the wrong path. The result is that we can live either the happy and holy way or the miserable and unholy way.

Everything you’re looking for is found in a relationship with God. Take the story that Jesus told about the prodigal son. It appears from the story that he wanted nice clothes, great food, and parties. So he left home and spent all of his money. And then he returned home, empty-handed and miserable.

But what was the first thing his father did? He gave him some nice clothes. He ordered his servants to prepare some fine food. And then he said, “‘We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began” (Luke 15:23–24). Everything the son was searching for was in his father’s house all along.

The way to be a happy person will be found in what you do and don’t do. Psalm 1:1 says, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.” So these are things that happy people don’t do.

But then the passage tells us what happy people do: “They delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do” (verses 2–3).

So happiness comes not only from what you do, but also from what you don’t do.

“If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”—Joshua 24:15

Are you trying to live in two worlds? If so, then I know something about you. I know you’re not happy. Am I right? When you spend time around other Christians, you’re uncomfortable because of your sin. On the other hand, when you’re doing things you know you shouldn’t as a Christian, then you have the conviction of that sin.

I have an idea: Stop doing that stuff. Make your choice. As Joshua said to the Israelites, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Every one of us must make that decision. I can’t make it for you, and you can’t make it for me.

Are you in a relationship that is dragging you down (see 2 Corinthians 6:14)? Are you doing things that are weakening your resolve? Stop doing those things.

I’m not saying it is easy. We all get tempted. We all have a sinful nature. And as Christians we all have a God who will give us the strength to do what He has called us to do.

It really comes down to this: Do you really want to change? If you do, then God will give you that resolve. When the Lord came to Moses and spoke to him through the burning bush, Moses basically said, “I can’t do this. I don’t know what to say. I stumble over my words.”

But later in Exodus we see him facing off with the most powerful man on the face of the earth. That is because God gave him the strength.

In the same way, God will give you the strength to do what you need to do. Don’t live in two worlds. Make a complete commitment to Jesus.

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.'”—Mark 16:15

We have to go to where people are if we are going to reach them with the gospel message.

So often, it seems we are trying to “get away” from nonbelievers. We want to isolate when we ought to infiltrate. But that is your mission field:

• The grumpy neighbor
• That inquisitive coworker
• Those unreceptive kids, and their mom and dad who don’t yet know Jesus.

It would do us well to remember it wasn’t all that long ago that we too were separated from God. I am just one beggar telling another beggar where to find food—not better than anyone, only better off.

God wants us to take this gospel to all people. He said, “Go into all the world . . .” They may be of a different age or race or economic background, but there is no room for bigotry, no room for prejudice, no room for bias in the life of the child of God. God may lead you to share your faith with someone you are not comfortable with.

Jesus told us the harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few.

I went to visit a farm in Central California a few years ago. I learned all about growing fruit, pruning, packing, and of course sampling! Farmer David Jackson told us that his father always told him, “For the fruit to grow, the farmer’s shadow has to fall on the field.” In other words, the farmer needs to be in the field, tending and harvesting crops.

We must do the same. The Bible does not say that the whole world should go to church, but rather the church should go to the whole world. So that’s just what we are doing. On March 6, we’re broadcasting the gospel as far as we can reach through Harvest America. Will you let your “shadow fall on the field”? Will you host this event in your home, church, or small group? The harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Become a fellow laborer. Become a host for Harvest America!

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.—Isaiah 9:6

This Christmas, don’t miss the point of celebrating Christmas. Don’t be like the innkeeper who missed Jesus because he was too busy (see Luke 2). Make time for the Lord. Don’t be like King Herod who was too afraid to let Christ rule his life (see Matthew 2). Turn your heart over to Christ. Finally, don’t run your life like the Roman Empire, who missed Christmas because other gods took the place of Christ in their lives. Allow nothing else to take the place of worshipping Jesus Christ.

On Christmas morning we will unwrap our Christmas presents, but eventually the novelty of it all will wear off. The present that was once so precious to you will end up stuffed in the closet or handed off to someone else. A newer version of your latest gadget will arrive that has more megapixels, or is smaller, or faster, or has better battery life. In time, your Christmas gifts will mostly be forgotten. But God has given us the ultimate gift—the gift of His Son Jesus Christ.

Don’t miss Christmas this year. As Watts and Handel once wrote, “Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room.”

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”—Luke 2:10–11

The angel began that wonderful announcement to the shepherds with, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. . . .” Maybe you are suffering today. You might find yourself wondering, Where is the joy?<?i> But what is the joy about? Is it about an opportunity to go shopping? Is the message of Christmas “Let it snow?” No, it is, “Let us worship.”

The angels’ visit to the shepherds became the first Christmas celebration. It’s as though heaven and earth were celebrating it together, as though a portal to glory had been opened up. These shepherds saw the supernatural world, the heavenly world. On that first Christmas, there was a big celebration in heaven and on earth over the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have a Savior: “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). That is the most important thing. We have a Savior who came to save us from the power and penalty of sin. Whatever you are going through in life, remember this: you have a Savior. He has put your sins as far away from you as the east is from the west.

Christ means “anointed one.” Another word for that is Messiah. Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promise to send His Son as the Messiah. This is a simple reminder that God keeps His promises. God said that He would send a Messiah, and the Messiah came.

Lord means that we have a sovereign God who is in control of our lives.

So set aside the things you have become preoccupied with and remember that you have a Savior. You have a Lord. You have a Christ. And you have His promises.

Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done marvelous things!—Joel 2:21

On the first Christmas Eve, there were no brightly colored lights on anyone’s homes. There were no stockings that had been hung with care or any visions of sugarplums dancing in children’s heads. It was just another night in Bethlehem. The census had gone out—that command by Caesar that everyone was to be taxed. But history was about to change in Bethlehem.

All of Israel was living in a very frightening time historically. They lived under the tyrant King Herod who would execute people at will. In addition, the Jews were living in occupied territory. The Romans had taken control of their country. They were no longer free to do what they wanted and live as they wanted. They wondered if Rome would ever leave. Would the violent rule ever cease? Would their world ever change?

Then suddenly angels appeared to the shepherds and told them not to be afraid; the Messiah had been born.

There is a lot to be afraid of in our unstable, volatile world today. It seems that at every turn, we hear about another horrific tragedy happening in our world. It can cause us to be terrified.

Then there are the personal fears: What if I lose my health? What if I lose a member of my family? What if this happens? What if that happens? A lot of things run through our minds.

Here is the message of the first Christmas—and the message for us this Christmas: Don’t be afraid. . . . I bring you good tidings of great joy.

Ray Stedman wrote, “The chief mark of the Christian ought to be the absence of fear and the presence of joy.”

Does that describe you? Fear is what Christmas came to remove—and now we can have joy in its place.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. . . . Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”—Luke 2:8, 10

If you are a parent, then you can remember the first people you called after you became one. You gave them the weight and length of the baby and the actual time when he or she was born. You shared the news with those who were closest to you.

When God announced the birth of His Son, whom did He tell first? It seems likely that he would have started with Caesar Augustus. He could have sent the angel Gabriel to appear in Caesar’s court and announce, “Check this out, buddy. You are not God! The Savior of the world has arrived!”

Or He might have had Gabriel appear to the religious leaders and say, “Wake up! The Messiah has been born! The One you talk about, the One you pray for—He is here!”

But that didn’t happen. Instead, God first announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds. We tend to romanticize the shepherds along with everyone else in the Christmas story, but we don’t understand who they were. In this culture, shepherds lived at the bottom of the social ladder. Shepherds were so despised that their testimonies were not even allowed in a court of law. Shepherds did the work that no one else wanted to do. They worked hard, but they were perceived as unclean because they could not observe the ceremonial hand washings. They were the outcasts, the nobodies.

The only people less-regarded than shepherds were those who were suffering from leprosy. Yet God decided to announce His news to some shepherds in the fields as they kept watch over their flocks at night. This was the modus operandi of Jesus, from birth to death. He always appealed to the outcast, to the common, to the ordinary. And that should give hope to ordinary people like us.

“A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.”—Proverbs 14:30

I remember a Christmas from years ago. I was a little boy living in an apartment. I had a friend that I grew up with, and we were showing each other our presents.

I was happy with what I got for Christmas until I saw what he got. I can remember it to this day. It was a little plastic scuba diver. Basically, you wound it up and it sank to the bottom of the pool, with little bubbles coming out. This was 1960s technology, and pretty lame by today’s standards.

But I’d never seen anything like it. I thought it was the coolest toy ever. Was it really better than the toy I had? No. But he had it and I didn’t. As a result, I wasn’t happy with what I had anymore. It sounds childish, I know. But do we really outgrow that attitude?

My neighbors are doing a room addition.

My friend got a raise.

That couple I see on Facebook are always going somewhere wonderful.

It’s been said that envy shoots at another and wounds itself. The only person you hurt when you allow envy into your heart is yourself. I hate to break it to you, but the person you are envying probably has no idea how you feel, and most likely couldn’t care less. It’s really all about you suffering because of a bad attitude.

I heard about a crab fisherman who would carry the crabs he had caught in an open bucket. Someone said, “Why don’t you put a lid on that bucket? Aren’t you afraid your crabs will get out?” “No,” he replied. “The moment one of them climbs out the other ones reach up and pull him back down.”

Don’t we do that sometimes? How dare you succeed? How dare you do well? You come back down here with the rest of us where you belong!

We would all do well to heed what the Bible says about this: “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6–8).

The great thing about the gospel is that it’s for everyone. We don’t have to envy our neighbor’s forgiveness, because God offers us our own! Let’s share that message of forgiveness—along with salvation, meaning, and eternal life—this coming March 6 at Harvest America. You can participate by praying for the event, attending in person or online, or hosting it in your home. Pray about that, will you?

When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.—Matthew 2:10–11

The wise men, these followers of the stars, met the Lord Jesus Christ who created the stars. They were occultists, yet God reached into their dark world with a star to bring them to their Creator.

Matthew’s gospel tells us, “They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (2:11).

Everyone worships at Christmas. There are no exceptions to this. Christians worship. Atheists worship. Skeptics worship. Republicans worship. Democrats worship. Independents worship. Everyone worships at Christmas, but not everyone worships God at Christmas. Some worship material things, which they never seem to have enough of. Others worship their bodies. Others worship their families. But everyone worships something or someone.

The wise men worshiped Jesus. And what does it mean to worship? Our modern word worship comes from the old English word worthship. We worship the One who is worthy. A god of our own making isn’t worthy of our worship, but the true God is worthy of our praise.

Two words often are used in the Scriptures to define worship. One word means to bow down and do homage, which speaks of reverence and respect. The other means to kiss toward, which speaks of intimacy and friendship. So when we put these two words together, we get an idea of what worship actually is. To worship is to bow down and have reverence, and it is also to have tender intimacy.

Jesus was born, He died, and He rose from the dead so that you and I could come into a relationship with Him and become God’s adopted children. Simply put, we should worship the Lord because He deserves it—every day of the year.