Tag Archives: Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Setting Sail

August 20, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

What shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far. —Philippians 1:22–23

The word the apostle Paul used for depart in the above verse could be translated several different ways. One definition means “to strike the tent.” In other words, to break camp. To be honest with you, my favorite part of the whole tent-camping experience is when we’re getting ready to break camp and leave. I can hardly wait to get home and get into that hot shower. In this passage, Paul is saying, “I’m ready to break camp, leave this place, and move on, and let me tell you friends. . . I can’t wait.”

The word depart also could be used to describe a prisoner’s being released from shackles. Ironically, when Paul made this statement, he was actually chained up in a dungeon in Rome. His chains were made of iron, but perhaps you’re dealing with chains of a different sort: an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or pornography. Whatever it is, Paul was saying there is a coming a day when we will be released from these shackles.

There is one additional way depart could be translated. The word also was used to describe untying a boat from its moorings, prior to setting sail.

We understandably feel great sadness when a loved one leaves us, and sometimes we feel sorry for that person. But stop and think about it. Think about the port they have left and the port they’re heading for. If you stood on the wharf and said good-bye to someone sailing off in a leaky, rusty old freighter bound for outer Siberia, well, that would be pretty sad. But if you went down to the dock and saw that they were boarding a beautiful new cruise ship destined for Tahiti, you might be more inclined to feel sorry for yourself instead. After all, you would be the one left standing on the shore, and your loved one would be on his or her way to great adventure and a beautiful destination.

And heaven, in the presence of Jesus Christ, is exactly as Paul described it: “better by far” — infinitely better than life on earth.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – Hardship and Trust

August 19, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God… Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. —Deuteronomy 8:11–14

As they were (at long last) poised to enter the Promised Land, God warned the Israelites that the real danger to their lives had just begun.

Prior to this point, Israel had wandered in a desolate wilderness for forty years, completely dependent on God for everything. Every day they would step outside their little tents, and there would be manna waiting for them, just like the morning paper. God gave them fresh water to drink, a cloud to guide and shade them by day, and a pillar of fire to light their camp by night. Yes, wilderness living came with plenty of hardships. But those very difficulties compelled them to look to the Lord every day, depending on Him for everything.

But then He brought them to the brink of the Promised Land, and they could look across the Jordan and see lush green hills, rippling fields of wheat, flowing rivers, and trees loaded with fruit. They could hardly wait to get in! But God was saying, “Be careful! Watch out, or you’ll get fat and sassy and forget all about Me. Then your troubles will really begin.”

We’ve all experienced it: when our lives are hit with uncertainty, danger, or pain, we fall to our knees and cry out to God. God can use adversity to bring us closer to Him—which is actually where we will experience the greatest blessings of life.

S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

The psalmist said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word. . . It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees” (Psalm 119:67,71, NIV).

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – There Is More

August 18, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. —Philippians 1:21

The apostle Paul wrote those words from a dungeon in Rome, facing imminent execution, and Christians through the centuries have repeated them. But not everyone will love those words. Some will think a person who says, “To live is Christ” is nuts. They’ll think, This is a guy who’s got his head in the clouds. Or maybe, This is a woman who’s so heavenly minded, she’s no earthly good.

But that is not true. Far from it! Those who think of the next world do the most for this one. My concern is for people who are so earthly minded, they’re no heavenly good!

The apostle Paul loved life. And the simple fact is, no one loves life more than the Christian. We can enjoy it because we know it comes to us from the hand of a loving God. That beautiful sunset. . . that’s the signature of my Father who happens to be the Creator of all. That wonderful meal. . . the joy of love and marriage. . . the comfort of family and friends. . . the satisfaction of a hard day’s work. All of these are beautiful gifts from the hand of our Father.

But as blessed as we may be in this life, there is more — more than what we are experiencing on this earth. All the great things we do experience in the here and now are just hints of heaven, hints of something better that will come for the man or the woman who has put faith in Jesus Christ.

S. Lewis made this statement: “All the things that have ever deeply possessed your soul have been but hints of [heaven] — tantalizing glimpses, promises never quite fulfilled, echoes that died away just as they caught your ear.”6 He went on to say, “If I find in myself a desire, which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

There is another place, another time, another life. And life on earth, be it nine years or ninety years, is a nanosecond compared to eternity. Even so, it is here on this earth where we will decide where we will spend eternity. Trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is the only key that will open the doors of heaven to us after we leave this life.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – “Someday” Is Today

August 16, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. . .You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath. —Psalms 90:12; 39:5

When you’ve had an encounter with death — a near-death experience of your own or the sudden passing of a loved one — it inevitably leads to a few essential questions: What is life all about, anyway? Why am I alive . . . and what am I really living for?

In other words, what gets you out of bed in the morning? What gets your blood pumping? Is it an alarm clock or a calling that gets you up each and every day? Every one of us needs some motivating passion, some ideal, something that gives our lives purpose that drives us on. Unfortunately some people don’t know what they’re living for.

Many people are merely marking time instead of enjoying their lives. Their favorite day of the week is “someday.” Someday my ship will come in. Someday my prince (or princess) will come. Someday it’s all going to get better. Someday my life will change. A recent study revealed that 94 percent of the people surveyed were simply enduring the present while “waiting for something better to happen.”

But here is what people don’t plan on. They don’t plan on death. And they never expect it to come around the corner unexpectedly. When you’re young you tell yourself, “I don’t have to even think about that for another fifty or sixty years.” And that may true. But death knocks at every door. The Bible says that each of us has an appointment with death: “People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27, NIV).

That appointment may come later than you expected. On the other hand, it may come much, much sooner. Statisticians tell us that three people die every second, 180 die every minute, and 11,000 people die every hour. This means that every day, 250,000 people enter into eternity.

What’s the bottom line? Live every day as though you may never have another one. Live ready to step into God’s presence at any moment.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – Top Priority

August 15, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” —Matthew 6:31–33

When Jesus told us not to worry about food and clothing, His emphasis was on the word worry. He didn’t say, “Don’t think about it.” Nor did He imply, “Don’t plan ahead for your needs.” He said, “Don’t worry.”

The fact of the matter is that the Bible criticizes the lazy person who lives off the generosity of others and refuses or neglects to work for a living. The Bible says that if you don’t work, you shouldn’t eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Go get a job. Provide for yourself. The Bible even encourages us to plan for the future and learn from the example of the ant, that tiny creature that is always planning ahead (see Proverbs 6:6-8).

But there is balance here. The Bible is saying to us, “Yes, do an honest day’s work and be financially responsible, but don’t be obsessed with these things. Jesus said that is how nonbelievers are: “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek” (Matthew 6:31-32).

Isn’t that the emphasis of so many people today—what to eat, what to wear? Their whole lives revolve around materialistic goals. Jesus said this won’t satisfy the deepest needs of your heart.

Don’t make these things your primary purpose in life. Rather, seek God first and foremost in your life, and everything that you need will be provided for you. God will take care of you. He cares about you. He will supply all of your needs.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – Pray—Don’t Lose Heart

August 14, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” —Jeremiah 33:3

What a remarkable verse. What a magnificent invitation! God spoke these words originally to the prophet Jeremiah when he was imprisoned by an evil king who hated his messages from the Lord. So there he was, imprisoned and with an uncertain future, and God was saying, “Call to Me. Pray to Me. I will answer you. I’ll show you things beyond what you could have ever dreamed.”

And He says the same thing to each of us. But He won’t show us those “great and mighty things” unless we do call. In Luke 18:1 we read that Jesus “spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” If you ever needed an answer for why you ought to pray, that is the best one right there. Jesus told you to. Beyond the simple blessing of obedience, however, those of us who pray will experience the joy and satisfaction of answered prayers — such as the salvation of a loved one, a divine healing, or God’s special provision in our lives.

Prayer is God’s appointed way for our obtaining things. James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask.” There are potential answered prayers waiting for you . . . answers that you won’t receive unless you ask for them.

Maybe you have wondered, Why is it that I never seem to know what the will of God is for my life? Again, you do not have, because you do not ask. Why is it that I never have the opportunity to lead people to Christ? You do not have because you do not ask. Why am I always just scraping by and never seem to have enough? You do not have because you do not ask. Why do I have this affliction or problem that won’t go away? You do not have because you do not ask.

Let me be clear here: I am not suggesting that if you pray, you never will be sick again, never have an unpaid bill, or never wonder what God’s will is for your life. But I am saying there are many times when God will indeed truly heal you, provide for you, and reveal His will to you. He’s just waiting for you to ask.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – Glory Through Adversity

August 13, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out. —John 11:43–44

Raising Lazarus from the dead was a great miracle—one of the greatest in the New Testament. And to this very day, God will work just that way at certain times and in certain places. He will step into your life and dramatically, miraculously, change your circumstances. You will go to the doctor and hear Him say, “I’m really sorry. There’s nothing we can do for you. You’d better just get your affairs in order because you only have a short time to live.” But you cry out to the Lord to do that which only He can do, and He does a miracle and heals you. He steps into your adverse circumstances and intervenes. What do we do in a situation like that? We glorify the Lord. And sometimes that is the way He gains glory, by completely removing the difficulty from us.

But that isn’t the only way He is glorified. Sometimes God is glorified through the adversity. The apostle Paul had one particular physical condition afflicting him that had him so distressed, so troubled, that he cried out to God for relief:

I was given a physical handicap . . . . Three times I begged the Lord for it to leave me, but his reply has been, “My grace is enough for you: for where there is weakness, my power is shown the more completely.” Therefore, I have cheerfully made up my mind to be proud of my weaknesses, because they mean a deeper experience of the power of Christ. (2 Corinthians 12:7-9, PH)

In effect, Paul concluded, “All right, if God says I am to endure this, then that’s what I’ll do. If it’s all for Christ’s good and part of His good plan, then I’ll be content with whatever He chooses to give me.” Suffering can strengthen us, if we let it. It can make us more like the Lord. When a Christian suffers and gives glory to God through it all, it reassures the rest of us that there never will be a valley so deep that God won’t get us through it.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – Death Is Not the End!

August 12, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” —John 11:25–26

Jesus was saying to His grieving friend, “Martha, listen to Me. Death is not the end! You’re acting as though it is over with. It is not over with.” And at this point, I think He was speaking of something greater and more profound than the resurrection of Lazarus, which He would accomplish within that very hour. After all, raising Lazarus from the dead — exciting and joyful as that may have been—was only a temporary proposition. Lazarus would just have to die again in a few years.

I think the bigger message was this: “Death is not the end. This is temporary. One day I will get rid of death altogether, and whoever believes in Me will live forever.”

Jesus wept at the death of His friend and at the sorrow of Lazarus’s two grieving sisters. But the death of His friend also brought Him anger.

John 11:33 tells us, “Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.”

The Greek word used for troubled here could be translated “angry.” Why was Jesus angry? Was He angry with Mary and Martha for not believing? I don’t think so. I think Jesus was angry at death itself because this was never God’s plan. God’s plan was to have us live forever. God’s plan was that these bodies would never age or wear out or experience sickness or limitations.

So He was angry over that, and He wept. But these weren’t tears of frustration. God is never frustrated. Jesus was angry and then did something about it that had been planned from eternity past. He gave up His life on a Roman cross, dying for the sins of the world, and then He rose again from the dead. The Bible says He has become the “firstfruits” of those who sleep, which means that He went before us.

And because He went before us into death and came out victorious on the other side, those of us who now live and will face death someday can be confident and unafraid.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – Tear Bottle

August 11, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. —Revelation 21:4

Jesus is God, with all the attributes of Deity. But He is also the Son of Man, who feels our pains and our sorrows. Isaiah 53 reminds us, “He was despised and rejected . . . a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (verse 3). The passage goes on to say, “Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down” (verse 4, NLT).

He not only carried your sin, He carried your sorrow. We’re told in Psalm 56:8, “You have seen me tossing and turning through the night. You have collected all my tears and preserved them in your bottle! You have recorded every one in your book” (TLB).

On a tour of Israel a number of years ago, I was exploring the old city of Jerusalem with my sons, Christopher and Jonathan. At one point in our ramblings, we stopped at an antiquities store, and I noticed a number of little bottles in various sizes and shapes. I asked the shopkeeper, “Sir, what are these bottles for?”

“Oh,” he said, “those are Roman tear bottles.”

“What were they used for?” I asked.

“Well, the Romans believed that when a loved one dies, you need to keep your tears in a bottle. So they would store the tears in these little containers.”

I have a tear bottle now. But it isn’t on earth; it’s in heaven. And I’m not the one who has to collect my own tears because God has already said He would do that.

So why does God keep our tears in a bottle? Because He sees and cares about every one of them. He takes note of our every tear. He hears our every sigh. And the Bible says that a day is coming when God will wipe away all of the tears from all of our years.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – Guided from Above

August 9, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us. —Romans 5:3–5

The fact that God has chosen us, has forgiven us, and has given us free access into His presence means that our existence isn’t some cosmic accident, and that our lives are guided neither by chance nor luck, neither by fate nor karma. It means we are guided by His providence.

There is, therefore, real meaning and purpose when I go through tribulation. It is not for nothing. Before we met Christ, we might have thought of hardships or difficulties as random effects of nature and something merely to be endured. But now we can know that God is in control of all circumstances that surround our lives as believers.

As Paul said, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.” (Romans 5:3 NLT). Paul wasn’t simply gritting his teeth and enduring these experiences; he was glorying in them. This doesn’t mean that Paul was a masochist. He had made a choice. When he was going through hardship, he decided that he wasn’t going to become bitter; he was going to become better.

We have the same choice. When difficult days come, we can get mad at God and turn away from Him, or we can embrace that difficulty and attempt to learn what He seeks to teach us.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – What Do You Know?

August 8, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. —Job 1:21

Think about the way Job responded to devastating circumstances. Talk about having your life fall apart! Job lost seven sons and three daughters in one unimaginable day. And that was in addition to losing all his possessions and his health. But what did Job do? The Bible says he did not charge God foolishly (see Job 1:22, KJV). Instead, he cried out to the Lord.

In fairness, Job did go on to question God in the days to come, in effect asking, “Lord, why?” There’s nothing wrong with asking God why, as long as you don’t get the idea that He somehow owes you an answer. Frankly, God doesn’t owe you or me an explanation.

Concerning our recent tragedy I, too, have asked why? Why did this happen? Why couldn’t it have been me instead of Christopher? Why did the Lord take him? I have many such questions roiling in my heart.

Not long after Christopher’s passing, Pastor Chuck Smith made this statement to me: “Never trade what you don’t know for what you do know.” Those words stopped me in my tracks a little. I asked myself, Well, what do I know for sure?

I know that God loves me.

I know that God loved and loves my son.

I know that God loves my family that remains with me.

I know that Christopher is well and alive in the best place he could ever be. I know that God can make good things come out of bad.

I know that we’ll all be together again—not so very long from now—on the Other Side.

I know those things. I’m as sure as I can be. So I’m making the choice to stand on what I know instead of what I don’t know.

So if you were to ask me, “Greg, why did this happen?” my answer would be, “I don’t know. And I don’t know that I will ever know. I just know that I need God more than I have ever needed Him in my life.”

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – “Lord, Where Were You?”

August 7, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” —John 11:21

Martha was never one to hold her tongue. You always knew where you stood with this lady! “Lord,” she said, “if You would have been here, my brother would not have died.” To paraphrase it, “Where were You anyway, Jesus?”

Maybe you’ve said something similar during or after some crisis in your life.

Lord, where were You when my parents divorced?

Lord, where were You when we got that diagnosis of cancer?

Lord, where were You when our marriage fell apart?

Lord, where were You when I lost my job?

Lord, where were You when my child got into trouble?

Lord, where were You when my loved one died?

Please notice that Jesus didn’t reprove Martha for what she said. It isn’t wrong to tell God exactly how you feel. I think we sometimes get the idea that it’s irreverent or sinful to express our real fears or the doubts of our heart, even to God. When we read the psalms, we learn there were many times when David and the other psalmists really “let their hair down” with God. They cried out to Him and emptied the contents of their hearts in His presence.

I have done this many times. In my pain, I will cry out to God. Sometimes the reality that my son is gone hits my heart like a sledgehammer, and I say, “Oh, God. I can’t believe this! I can’t handle this pain!” But then I will preach to myself, and I’ll say, “Now Greg, listen to me. Your son is alive — more alive than he has ever been before. He’s in the presence of the Lord, and you are going to see him again in just a few years.” And I will remind myself of the promises of God.

My prayers, however, are wide open and honest. I pour out my heart before God, describing my pain to Him. But I also remind myself of God’s truth. And that is what prayer is.

God wants us to cry out to Him. He invites us to pour out our hearts before Him. David writes, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8, NIV).

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – Refills

August 6, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. —Acts 13:52

Imagine that you bought a new car, drove it around town for a few days, and really liked the way it performed for you. But suddenly it started sputtering and not running as well as it had in the beginning. Finally, it just chugged to a stop and wouldn’t go any further.

“What’s the problem here?” you ask. “I just bought this car. I don’t even have a couple of hundreds of miles on it yet.”

You have that stalled-out new car towed back to the dealer, demanding an explanation. “Hmm,” he says, slipping the key into the ignition and trying to start it a couple of times. “Umm . . . sir . . . do you see this little light on your fuel gauge? Some people call that an idiot light. It means you’re out of gas. You need to fill your car up with gas every now and then.”

“Oh,” you say. “I never thought of that.”

“Yes, sir. You see, you’ve got to keep refilling your car over and over if you want it to keep going.”

The same is true in life. You’re cruising along, enjoying life and the scenery, experiencing peace and success in your family, your marriage, your business, and your ministry. Suddenly, however, problem after problem starts cropping up, and life suddenly doesn’t seem to be working very well.

Maybe you need a refill. Maybe you need to ask the Lord to give you the power of His Holy Spirit to be a better husband—or a better father, a better grandmother, a better witness, a better student, a better employee—to be a better whatever He has called you to be.

We may ask and receive the filling of the Holy Spirit in the morning, but by the time late afternoon comes along, we have allowed that filling to drain out of us.

The apostle Paul wrote, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13, NIV). God wants us to come to Him again and again for refilling and refueling. The fact is, we have a never-ending need, and He has an inexhaustible supply.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – “More . . .”

August 5, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart. —Ecclesiastes 3:11

When my granddaughter Stella was very little, she made good use of the word more when she really liked something. Her favorite food was quesadillas. No matter what time of the day — breakfast, lunch, or dinner — she wanted quesadillas. Only she called it a “dilla.”

“Stella, what would you like to eat?”

“Dilla.”

And usually when I would give her one, she would then say, “More.”

It was the same when I read her a Bible story before bedtime. As soon as I finished the story, she said, “More.” So I read her another story, and at the end she said, “More.” So I did another. “More.” And another. “More.” And on and on it would go.

Quesadillas and stories about Jesus are good things, and to this day, we’re always happy to supply Stella with all she wants — of both. Sometimes, however, this desire for “more” can create problems for us — especially if we’re craving more of the wrong things. (Like ice cream or Krispy Kreme doughnuts.)

Deep down inside we’re all like little Stella, saying, “More.” We always want a little bit more out of life — the newest, the latest, the freshest, the coolest. We want more. That is the way God has wired us. But here’s the problem: as much as we see, taste, and experience life, it always seems like it just isn’t quite enough.

Do you know why that is? As we read in today’s opening verse, God has placed a seed of eternity deep in our innermost being. In our heart of hearts, there is a recognition that this world won’t be able to deliver on its promises. No matter what this world gives us, we find ourselves wanting more: More life. More hope. More joy. More peace. More satisfaction. And, ultimately, more of the presence of God Himself.

In heaven, those desires will be fulfilled in a way beyond what we can imagine. But until that day when we cross over to the other side, He willingly gives us more and more and more of Himself. And that’s the closest thing we have to heaven on earth.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – Grace—True As Ever

August 4, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. —Romans 8:28

I survived a crazy childhood, growing up in an alcoholic home, with my mom being married and divorced seven times. But I came to Christ in high school, at the age of seventeen, and turned my life over to the Lord.

The stats all say that if you come from a divorced home, you most likely will end up divorced yourself. But by God’s grace and against all odds, my wife and I are closing in on our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary. So all in all, in spite of the heartbreaks in those early days, it has been a pretty happy story.

Lost Boy, the film that tells my life story, closes with our family walking down the street together, and it’s almost as though you could write the words on the screen: “And they lived happily ever after.”

I had been showing this film in various churches in different parts of the country, and I would speak afterward, telling the story of Joseph, how he faced many adverse circumstances in his life, and how God brought good results out of evil circumstances. Not that bad is good, but God can bring good out of bad and bring glory to His great name through it all.

And then came that morning in July 2008 when we got the terrible, incomprehensible news that our thirty-three-year-old son Christopher had been killed in a car crash on the freeway.

Good out of bad? The best results out of the worst circumstances? Was the message of Lost Boy still true, or was it all a sham?

Even in the depths of our grieving, we had to say the message of that movie hadn’t changed. The chronicle of God’s grace and faithfulness that we told in Lost Boy was as true as ever. We found ourselves in the midst of a life chapter we would have never, never chosen. But God still will bring good out of bad. He will bring glory to Himself.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – Heartbreak . . . and Glory

August 2, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. —John 11:14–15

Have you ever had a crisis overwhelm you—maybe even to the point where you didn’t think you could survive the experience? Have you ever found yourself facing a set of circumstances so crushing, so utterly devastating that you couldn’t imagine how you could ever get through? Have you ever wondered why God allowed a tragedy in your life or in the life of someone close to you?

Perhaps you have found yourself saying, in so many words, “Lord, where were You?”

In John 11, the Bible gives us a true-life account of two sisters who had to wrestle with all of those questions. It’s the story of an unexpected death and how it brought a great trial of faith and shattered the happiness of a close-knit little family. But it is also the story of how Jesus responds to such situations—and how God can gain glory through it all.

In our lives here on earth, we will experience pain, grief, sickness, and the death of loved ones. I know that may be a depressing point, but it’s true, and we might just as well come to grips with it and stop running from it. It might be the death of a spouse, an infant, a teenager, a sibling, or someone who might be close to us in age. And suddenly we are made aware of our own mortality.

That was the case with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. They were a tight, loving little family, and then suddenly one of them was at the point of death. But ironically, it was through this experience that they learned even more about the power and love of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said to His grieving friend Martha, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40).

It’s not easy to believe in the goodness and glory of God when your heart is breaking. But when you do, when you rest your full faith and confidence in God — even when nothing else on earth seems to make sense — you will never, never be the loser . . . in this life or the next.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Does Such Wonders

August 1, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“I will cry to the God of heaven who does such wonders for me” (Psalm 57:2).

I cannot begin to count the times, even during just one 24-hour day, that I lift my heart in praise, worship and adoration and thanksgiving to God in heaven. I begin the day by acknowledging His lordship of my life and inviting Him to have complete control of my thoughts, my attitudes, my actions, my motives, my desires, my words; to walk around in my body, think with my mind, love with my heart, speak with my lips and continue through me to seek and save the lost and minister to those in need. Throughout the day I bring before Him the personal needs of my family. I pray for the extended family of Campus Crusade for Christ and staff and their families and for all those who support this ministry through their prayers and finances. I pray for business and professional people, that God will bless their finances as well as their lives so that they can continue to help support this and other ministries for His kingdom.

As I look through the mail, I breathe a prayer to God for some staff member, friend, associate, or supporter who is hurting, needing encouragement, strength and peace. At all of my many daily conferences, I will begin and close with a brief word of prayer claiming the promise of God-given wisdom for the matters we shall be discussing, for supernatural discernment that will enable me to see through all the intricacies of the problems presented. When the phone rings, I breathe a silent prayer and often a vocal one at the appropriate time with that person on the other end of the line who is in distress, whether from family problems or work-related difficulties.

In between, I pray alone and with others for the hundreds of different people, events and circumstances that involve the worldwide ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ and the ministry of His Body throughout the world.

Bible Reading: Psalm 57:1-11

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Recognizing that prayer is as vital to my spiritual life as air is to my physical being, I will pray without ceasing and in all things give thanks to our God in heaven who does such wonders for me.

Greg Laurie – Where the Power Is

August 1, 2014 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. —1 Corinthians 1:18

I once asked Billy Graham, “If you had it to do it all over again, are there things you would have emphasized as a younger preacher that maybe you are emphasizing now?” His response surprised me.

Without any hesitation, he said, “The cross of Christ and the blood. That’s where the power is.”

I remembered that. I took note of it as a preacher: the cross of Christ and the blood. That is what he would emphasize more. That’s where the power is.

It comes down to the cross. Any accurate presentation of the gospel comes down to the cross. You can talk about loneliness, and you can talk about hope and life beyond the grave. But it all comes down to the cross.

Paul said, “Let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. . . Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said” (1 Corinthians 15:1,3-4 NLT).

We need to remember this as Christians. Perhaps you don’t consider yourself a theologian or the greatest intellect of all time. But you can tell the story of what Jesus did on the cross and how He died and shed His blood for us. There is power in that simple message. I have watched it transform people time and time again because God anoints it, blesses it, and He uses it to penetrate the defenses that people can put up.

Jesus died on the cross for us. That’s where the power is.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – Unlimited Access

July 31, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. —Romans 5:2

Peace with God takes care of our past because He will no longer hold our sins against us. Access to God takes care of our present because we can come to Him at any time for the help we need. The hope of the glory of God takes care of the future because we are confident that one day we will share His glory.

When I was a kid, I went to Disneyland every birthday. I still remember to this day making a vow as a child in the backseat of the car that one day, when I became an adult and made my own money and had my own car, that I would go to Disneyland every single day.

A few years ago, someone gave me an annual pass to Disneyland. I could go any time I wanted, free of charge. Do you know how many times I used it? Not that many. It is a funny thing because I would even brag about it: “I can go to Disneyland anytime I want, free of charge.”

“Do you want to go right now?”

“I can’t go now. Maybe next week.” I kept putting it off.

We can be that way when it comes to our access to the presence of God. As believers, we can go into God’s presence 24/7 — anytime we want. When is the last time you went?

God has opened this incredible door for us. But we have to walk through it.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie – It’s Already Yours

July 30, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. —Romans 5:5

Have you ever owned something that you didn’t use? Have you ever gone shopping for something, only to come home and find it in your closet already? I have done that. I get this idea that I need a blue shirt. I have in mind exactly what it should look like. Then I go shopping, come home, hang it up, and see that I already have that blue shirt. No wonder I had such a vivid idea of what it should look like.

This is how we can be as Christians. We are searching for things that are already hanging in our spiritual closet, so to speak. Many times we ask God for what He has already given us.

For example, we pray, “God, give me peace.” But the Bible says, “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). God is saying, “Enjoy it to the fullest.”

We might say, “God, I need more love,” when actually we need to use the love God has given us. We are praying for more of an emotional feeling of the love that God already has given us. God won’t necessarily answer a prayer like that. When we love someone, when we forgive someone, it is an act of obedience, believing “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5).

God has given us everything we need for spiritual growth. Many of us simply need to read His Word to find out the balance in our spiritual bank account. And then we need to start appropriating it.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Scriptures, Lessons, News and Links to help you survive.