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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Forget Something?     

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I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. —Romans 1:16

A woman went to a doctor with both ears severely burned. The doctor said, “In all of my years of practice, I have never seen anything quite like this. How did you burn your ears?”

“Well,” she said, “I was ironing and watching television. Suddenly, the telephone rang. I answered the iron instead of the phone and burned my ear.”

“That’s horrible!” the doctor said. “But how did you burn your other ear?”

“Can you believe it?” she said. “The idiot called back!”

It seems to me that, like this woman, some people in the church today are preoccupied. In many ways, we have lost our focus and have missed what our priorities should be. For one, I think we have lost sight of who our real enemies are. Is it Hollywood? Is it the government? According to the Bible, our enemies are the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

I think we also have forgotten what we are really for, as well as the real weapons of our warfare. Are our real weapons boycotts and protesting? No. Primarily, they are prayer and the Word of God.

Lastly, I think we have forgotten what our real message is. Is our primary message that we are against homosexuality or that we are against abortion? No, our primary message should not be negative, but positive: It is the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

My fear is that more people know what we as Christians are against than what we are for. Do they know what we believe? Do they know what we think about Jesus Christ?

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

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Greg Laurie – Behind the Scenes

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The Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” —2 Kings 5:2–3

Nehemiah was the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Babylon, which meant that he was in close proximity to the king at all times. A cupbearer would drink what the king was about to drink. If it was poisonous, then that was the end of his job — and his life, for that matter. But the cupbearer was more than someone who simply tasted what the king drank. He often would become an adviser to the king, someone who influenced him. It was a very prestigious position in the palace. A cupbearer would have lived in affluence and influence.

But Nehemiah, like Esther, was a Jew. He knew that the walls of Jerusalem had been burned down and were lying in rubble, and he couldn’t take it anymore. So he used his position and leveraged it, asking the king to allow him to go and rebuild the walls. He could have lost his life by asking such a thing. But he did what he could by working behind the scenes.

Then there was the obscure Jewish girl who influenced her unbelieving master, Naaman, to seek out Elisha, the prophet of Israel, to find a healing for his leprosy. She was just a girl, effectively a maid, who served Naaman’s wife. Naaman was like a General MacArthur and General Eisenhower all rolled into one. He was a famous military figure. But he had leprosy. So she told Naaman’s wife about Elisha: “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy” (2 Kings 5:3). Naaman made the journey to Israel, and indeed he was healed.

This reminds us that God always has His representatives. He always has His people working behind the scenes. Will you make yourself available to Him today?

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

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Alistair Begg – Answers to Prayer

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And he asked that he might die. 1 Kings 19:4

It was a remarkable thing that the man who was never to die, for whom God had ordained an infinitely better lot, the man who would be carried to heaven in a chariot of fire and be translated and not see death, should thus pray, “Take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” We have here a memorable proof that God does not always answer prayer in kind, though He always does in effect. He gave Elijah something better than what he asked for, and thus really heard and answered him. It was strange that the lion-hearted Elijah should be so depressed by Jezebel’s threat as to ask to die, and yet it was so kind on the part of our heavenly Father not to take His desponding servant at his word.

There is a limit to the doctrine of the prayer of faith. We are not to expect that God will give us everything we choose to ask for. We know that we sometimes ask and do not receive because we ask wrongly. If we ask for that which is not promised—if we run counter to the spirit that the Lord would have us cultivate—if we ask contrary to His will or to the decrees of His providence—if we ask merely for selfish gratification and without a concern for His glory, we must not expect that we will receive. But when we ask in faith, without doubting, if we do not receive the precise thing for which we asked, we shall receive an equivalent, and more than an equivalent, for it. As one remarks, “If the Lord does not pay in silver, He will in gold; and if He does not pay in gold, He will in diamonds.” If He does not give you precisely what you ask for, He will give you that which is tantamount to it, and that which you will be happy to receive in its place.

So, dear reader, be much in prayer, and make this evening a time of earnest intercession, but be careful what you ask for!

Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg.

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The family reading plan for May 19, 2014 * Isaiah 19 , 20 * 2 Peter 1

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Our Motive in Giving

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I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly. —2 Corinthians 9:5

The story is told of Billy and Ruth Graham and an experience they had in church one Sunday. As the offering was being taken, Billy Graham reached into his pocket and meant to pull out a five-dollar bill. Instead, he pulled out a fifty-dollar bill and didn’t discover it until he already had placed it in the offering plate. He was a little horrified by what he had done and turned to his wife, Ruth, and said, “Well, at least I will get a reward in heaven for giving fifty dollars.”

“No,” Ruth said, “you are going to get a reward for five dollars because that is all you meant to give.”

Motive is everything because God looks on the heart. The Bible tells us that “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). The word used for cheerful could be translated “hilarious.” This suggests a joy in giving that leaps over all restraints. Amazingly, as Paul urged the Corinthians to give, he cited the Macedonian believers who were relatively impoverished in comparison to the Corinthian believers. In speaking of them in 2 Corinthians 8:2, he said, “They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.” (NLT). How do the terms many troubles, very poor, and rich generosity fit together in one verse? They fit when people have discovered the joy of giving. Giving is not a luxury of the rich; it is a privilege of the poor and of everyone, not just people who have disposable incomes.

Giving is a responsibility. It is an opportunity. And it is a blessing for every follower of

Jesus Christ.

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

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Greg Laurie – The Privilege of Giving

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He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

—2 Corinthians 9:6

I heard the story of a Southern preacher who was speaking to his congregation and said, “We have to crawl before we can walk.”

The congregation responded in unison, “Let us crawl, Preacher. Let us crawl.”

Then the preacher said, “We have to walk before we can jog.”

“We have to walk, Preacher, then. Let us walk,” came the reply.

The preacher continued, “We have to jog before we can run.”

“Let us jog, Preacher. Let us jog,” they answered.

“But before we can run,” he told them, “we have to learn how to give.”

There was a moment of silence, followed by, “Let us crawl, Preacher. Let us crawl.”

Any time a pastor raises the topic of finances, some people get a little uncomfortable. But the Bible certainly has a lot to say about money. It is the main subject of nearly half the parables Jesus told. In addition, one out of every seven verses in the New Testament deals with this topic. Scripture offers five hundred verses on prayer, fewer than five hundred on faith, and more than two thousand verses dealing with the subject of money.

One of the reasons we are uncomfortable with this topic is because of the abuse in this area on the part of some Christian leaders. This misrepresentation of God puts sort of a bad taste in our mouths. But let’s not go too far the other way and fail to recognize that the Bible does have a lot to say about giving, and there are many wonderful promises attached to it.

Yes, it is a responsibility. But it is more than that. It is a privilege as well.

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

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Greg Laurie – Wholehearted Devotion    

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When He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. —Mark 16:9

Of all the people to whom Jesus could have appeared first after His resurrection, He appeared to Mary Magdalene. It is interesting to think about because among the Jews of the day, the testimony of a woman was not held in high regard. In fact, some of the rabbis falsely taught that it was better for the words of the Law to be burned than to be delivered by a woman. Yet Jesus chose a woman to be the first herald of His resurrection.

It’s also worth noting that women were the last at the cross and the first at the tomb. Mary had courage that many of the men did not have when Jesus was crucified. She stood by Him through it all. In fact, the Bible tells us that after He was crucified, Mary “observed where He was laid” (Mark 15:47). She watched as they took His crucified body from the cross and wrapped it and placed it in a tomb that belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. And while the guards were deciding whether to post a soldier by that tomb, she spent an entire night there all alone, before the guards were there — before the disciples were there.

And her love was rewarded. God said, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). God rewards the person who is diligent. And for those who will take time in their day to seek the Lord, for those who will take time to read His Word, for those who will take time to wait upon Him, He will reveal His truths to them.

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

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Greg Laurie – Under His Care  

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“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord. —Isaiah 54:17

In Mark’s gospel, Jesus made a fascinating statement that some have misunderstood. Speaking of believers, He said, “They will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:18). Some, of course, have misunderstood this and have held snake-handling services. But that is not trusting the Lord; it is testing the Lord.

Here is what this statement does mean: If you are a Christian, then you are indestructible until God is done with you. There is a day appointed for your death, and you really have nothing to say about when that day is.

Case in point: Paul the apostle was shipwrecked on an island, and as he was warming himself by the fire, a venomous snake bit him. So he simply picked it up and threw it into the fire. Everyone was waiting for Paul to die, but he didn’t die. Why? His time wasn’t up; God still had significant work for him to do. But when your time is up, it’s up. And Paul’s day eventually came.

Before that day, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper,” as Isaiah 54:17 says. That means God will keep you and protect you. Even if there is some plot against you, it won’t succeed if that is not your time.

So stop worrying about when you will die because you have nothing to say about it. It isn’t up to you. The Bible says, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Does that mean you can eat anything you want? I think you should exercise and eat properly. That will improve the quality of your life. But ultimately, the quantity is up to God.

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

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Greg Laurie – A Foundational Truth

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Can the dead live again? If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle, and I would eagerly await the release of death. —Job 14:14

In one of the oldest books of the Bible, the book of Job, the question is asked, “Can the dead live again?” That is something everyone should ask in life: “What’s going to happen to me when I die? What is there beyond this place called Earth?”

Before I became a Christian, I thought about this quite often. I was only a teenager, and it was sort of a heavy subject to be contemplating. But I did find myself thinking about death on a semiregular basis. It isn’t that I was obsessed with death or that I wanted to die. My belief at the time was that once people stopped living, they simply ceased to exist. I was not certain there was a place called heaven. I was definitely hoping there wasn’t a place called hell. My conclusion was that when you’re gone, you’re gone. It’s all over with.

We all know that death is coming, but what happens beyond the grave? According to the Bible, there is life beyond the grave. And because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, and because He rose from the dead three days later, we as Christians have the hope that when we die, we will go immediately into the presence of God and into a wonderful place called heaven.

That is why the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is one of the most important biblical truths there is. The resurrection of Christ from the dead, next to the Crucifixion itself, is the most significant event in church history. It isn’t a peripheral issue; it’s foundational. It’s bedrock. It’s the bottom line.

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

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Greg Laurie – Small but Deadly  

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Every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. —James 3:7–8

Some years ago I went to the Rose Parade. One of the most memorable sights of this impressive parade is when I saw a man riding down Colorado Boulevard on the back of a buffalo. I had never seen anything quite like it. I have seen buffaloes in the wild, but I had never seen anyone actually ride one. With nothing more than a bit and a bridle, the rider came galloping down the street on this beast. It was unbelievable. It just shows you what a little bit can do.

A horse controlled by a bit can render a great service. But uncontrolled, it can do much harm. In the same way, a tongue controlled by Jesus Christ can be a great blessing. But uncontrolled, it can do much damage. Just as a horse is controlled by a bit, we are controlled by our words. Think about it: one word or one statement can determine the course of our lives. For example, saying “I will” to the claims of Christ can change our eternal destiny. Our words so dramatically affect the course that our lives will take.

James says “the tongue is a little member” (3:5), which simply means that it is a small part of our body. But it can do so much damage. We may see someone with bulging biceps and muscular legs and feel intimidated. But what we ought to be worried about is that little two ounce slab of mucus membrane in his mouth — the tongue. That can do more damage than anything else.

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

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Greg Laurie – At an Advantage  

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He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. —Colossians 2:14–15

When I was a kid, I was walking down the street one day with some little cap guns that looked like six shooters, complete with holsters. I was feeling pretty good as I made my way down the street, firing these things off. But then I encountered some kids on the corner who grabbed my guns, pushed me, and told me to go away.

I went home, crying. Then I found my brother, who was five years older than me, and I said, “Let’s go back there. I want to get those guns.” We went back to the same street, where I found the kids with my cap guns. Suddenly I had courage like never before. With my brother behind me, I successfully retrieved my cap guns.

Instead of facing the enemy in our own strength, instead of going out and trying to do this or that for God, we need to stay as close to Christ as possible. We can stand in Christ, and in His protection, because He dealt a decisive blow against Satan and his minions at the cross of Calvary.

So in spiritual battles, when temptation comes, we as Christians aren’t fighting for victory; we are fighting from it. In other words, we are resting in the work that Christ has done for us. Therefore, we should never want to stray from Him because if we are caught alone, we would be weak and vulnerable.

But thankfully, He is with us. The question is, are we with Him?

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

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Greg Laurie – Temptation’s Timing   

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Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. —1 Corinthians 10:12

History tells us that during World War II, Hitler had an interesting strategy for attacking the various European nations: he always did it on a weekend. Hitler knew the various parliaments would not be in session, making it more difficult to react swiftly to an invasion.

In the same way, the Devil will wait for an opportune moment, that decisive time to attack. It may be when our guard is down, when we aren’t expecting it. It may even come when we think we are the strongest, when we think, I’m doing pretty well spiritually. I think I’m really growing. Everything is going great. Often weaker believers are less vulnerable than stronger ones because weaker believers recognize their frailty and vulnerability. The Bible says, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”

Perhaps recently you have experienced a great blessing in your life. That blessing may involve your family, your career, your ministry, or your personal walk with God. But the enemy wants to rob you of it. Remember, when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove, and a voice was heard from heaven from the Father, saying, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). The Bible says that after this, Jesus was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness (see Luke 4:1-14).

Remember, it isn’t a sin to be tempted. Even Jesus was tempted. The sin takes place only when we give in to that temptation, when we open the door to it and entertain it. That is why we should flee temptation and never leave a forwarding address.

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

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Greg Laurie – Caught in Its Current

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Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. —James 1:14

Years ago, I was at the beach with my young son Jonathan, and we decided to go swimming. We weren’t very far from the shore. Suddenly there was one of those drops in the sand, and for a few moments, my feet didn’t really touch the ground. As I was holding on to Jonathan, a little riptide began to pull us over to the right, just enough to move us along. We were originally lined up with a lifeguard stand, but I noticed that it had moved quite a distance. We were being pulled along, and I couldn’t stop the drift. I kept reaching for the ground with my feet, but I couldn’t get my footing.

Suddenly the lifeguard came down from his stand and began running toward us with his flotation device. I didn’t mind being saved, but I was only a few feet from the shore.

“I’m all right,” I said, trying to wave him off.

But you know what? I wasn’t all right. I couldn’t stop myself. As he began swimming out, I thought, “I’ve got to get my feet on the ground.” Finally, I planted myself.

“I’m okay,” I shouted to him, and he waved and swam back in.

That is what temptation is like. You think you can handle it, but suddenly you are caught in its current. To pray we won’t be tempted and then place ourselves in a vulnerable situation is like thrusting our fingers into a fire and praying they won’t be burned. We need a healthy respect for the enemy we face and the temptation he will utilize in our lives.

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

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Greg Laurie – Intended for Choice Work  

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For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. —Romans 8:29

I read about a traveler who was visiting a logging area in the Pacific Northwest. He watched with great curiosity as a logger, working alongside a mountain stream, would periodically jab his sharp hook into a log as it went past and separate it from the others. This visitor could not see any reason as to why the logger would grab certain logs and let others go by.

When the visitor asked the logger about it, he replied, “These logs may all look alike to you, but I can recognize that a few of them are quite different. The ones that I let pass by grew in a valley where they were always protected from the storms. Their grain is rather course. But the logs that I have pulled aside come from high up on the mountains. They were beaten by strong winds from the time they were quite small. This toughens the trees and gives them a fine grain. We save these logs for choice work. They’re too good to be used for ordinary lumber.”

Maybe God is saving you for a choice work. Maybe you have been going through hardships and have asked, “Why, Lord? What is the purpose?” Maybe He has made it known to you, or maybe He hasn’t. Know this: He is seeking to make you more like Jesus and create in you a family likeness. It’s part of the Christian life. It is also part of every life. Everyone goes through hardship. But for the child of God, whatever comes into our lives comes first through the grid of God’s plan and purpose for us.

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

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Greg Laurie – It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask   

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If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. —James 1:5

One of the first things that we ask when the bottom drops out, when trials come our way (and there can be so many ways they manifest themselves) is, “Why, Lord? Why are You allowing this to happen? What have I done to deserve such a fate?”

Maybe you have lost your job. Maybe you have suddenly become ill. Maybe you have lost a loved one. It has brought great anguish to you. It just goes on and on, and you wonder why. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Or, as another translation puts it, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking” (NLT).

When you are going through these times of hardship, there is nothing wrong with saying, “Lord, what are You trying to teach me? Is there a lesson to be learned here? Because if there is, then I want to learn it. I want to get through this as quickly as possible. If this is going to go on for a while and there is nothing I can do to change that, fine. But if there is something I need to learn that will cause this to come to an end, then tell me now, Lord.”

It’s important for us to know that God does have lessons He wants us to learn in times of trial. And many times, it is simply to see whether we have learned the material.

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

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Greg Laurie – A Different Kind of Battle

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We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. —Ephesians 6:12

Captain Scotty Smiley has served his country with great courage, but he also has had to face great adversity. A U.S. Army Ranger and a combat diver-qualified infantryman, Captain Smiley is also the Army’s first active-duty blind officer and its first blind company commander. In April, 2006, Captain Smiley lost both of his eyes when a suicide bomber blew himself up thirty meters away from his vehicle.

He has faced this adversity with great faith and courage, an example to anyone dealing with a disability. Since losing his eyesight, he has climbed Mount Rainier, completed a triathlon, skied, skydived, and earned an M.B.A. He was named Soldier of the Year in 2007 and has written his story in a book called Hope Unseen. Captain Smiley is a fantastic model of bravery and courage on the battlefield.

As Christians, we, too, are in a battle, but it’s a battle of a different kind. It is not a physical battle, but a spiritual one — and it is just as real. The Bible tells us that we are “fighting against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). It would blow our minds if God were to pull back the curtain and enable us to see into the spiritual world — the world of God and Satan, the world of angels and demons, the world of heaven and hell.

So here is our choice: Either we are going to win or lose in this battle. Either we are going to gain ground or lose ground. Either we are going to advance or retreat.

Which will it be? It’s a decision we all need to make.

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

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Greg Laurie – The Lasting Effects of Sin  

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Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. —1 Peter 2:11

I once read a strange story in the news about a plumber who was called in to unclog a drain. He had one of those snakelike devices that runs down into a drain and keeps running until the drain is cleaned out. But this time, the “snake” did a strange thing. It went outside of the house through an open vent and into the house next door. Then it went down through a vent, came out, and grabbed a ten-year-old girl who was playing in her backyard.

Fortunately her little brother cried out, and they stopped. The fire department had to use cable cutters to set the girl free.

After reading that story, I thought about how sin can be that way. You never know where it’s going to go. When we commit a sinful act, we don’t realize the repercussions that can take place and the other lives that can be impacted by it. Billy Graham once said that immorality is an epidemic in our churches just as it is in the secular world at large. No wonder the world is in crisis.

God has a lot to say about immorality, and specifically about adultery, in Scripture. It made His Top Ten list, the Ten Commandments. It was, in some cases, punishable by death. And we see it addressed in the New Testament as well.

God has told us not to commit adultery for good reason. When you cross that line of protection that God has placed around your life and your spouse’s life, you do so at your own peril. And the repercussions of that sin can last for months, years, and yes, even a lifetime.

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

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Greg Laurie – Trials of Our Own Making             

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Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. —James 1:13

Sometimes we walk into trials of our own making because they are a direct result of our own selfishness or pride or greed or lust. Then when this happens and we reap the results of our sin, we get angry at God.

But James says,

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But 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. (James 1:13-15)

We forge the links of small, compromising actions, and before we know it, a mighty chain is wound around us, and we are helpless.

I used to be able to outrun my oldest son Christopher. A number of years ago, however, we were at the beach, and I picked a spot and said, “Okay, Christopher, I will race you to that spot.” We took off, and much to my surprise, he outran me. I thought, How is that possible? I held this child in my hands when he was born. I watched him grow. Well, he grew up. That’s what happened.

That is the way it can be with sin. We think we can handle it. We think it’s so small. But James says that when sin is full-grown, it brings forth death. One of these days, that sin will grow up, and it will outrun you. It will overpower you. That’s what happens.

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

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Greg Laurie – Think Before You Speak     

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The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverse. —Proverbs 10:32

J. Vernon McGee used to say that the only exercise some Christians get is running down others and jumping to conclusions.

Slander and gossip are sins that, unfortunately, are far too common in the church today. How many times have rumors been spread that are based on information that simply is not factual because a person did not take the time to look into it? The Bible says, “He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him” (Proverbs 18:13).

Gossip and slander are far easier to dish out than they are to take, aren’t they? Has someone ever gossiped about you? Has something ever been said about you that simply wasn’t true? Proverbs 18:8 says, “The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body.” Gossip is like that.

“Did you hear about this?” someone might say. So we take that tasty little trifle of information. We may swallow it easily, but in the end, it is like a wound. It hurts other people, and it can hurt us.

So when we hear gossip or slander, what should we do? Here is a little acronym that we need to remember: T-H-I-N-K. Is it true? If it is not true, then don’t repeat it. Will it help? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind?

Well, Greg, you might be thinking, If I applied that principle all the time, there would be a lot of things I wouldn’t say.

Good. Then don’t say them. You will be better for it. And so will many other people.

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

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Greg Laurie – The Mirror of God’s Law

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If you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. —James 1:23–25

Some people really like mirrors. They are always looking in them. When they are driving along, they have their rearview mirror pointed at themselves instead of the road behind them. If they are in a restaurant that has a mirror on the wall, they want to be seated across from it so they can look at themselves. They never miss an opportunity to catch a quick glance at themselves if a mirror is nearby. On the other hand, some of us don’t like mirrors that much. In fact, we have come to dislike mirrors, especially first thing in the morning.

A mirror reflects your image, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For example, imagine that you’re leaving a restaurant on your way back to work, and you notice everyone is smiling at you. You think, I’m feeling good! Everyone loves me. Then you catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror, and you find out why they’re smiling. You didn’t just eat your lunch — you’re wearing it. A piece of pasta is affixed to your chin, marinara sauce and all. It’s embarrassing. But better that you saw it in the mirror and dealt with the problem than spend the rest of the day with that noodle on your chin. The mirror showed you something about yourself that needed to be fixed.

In the same way, the law of God is like a moral mirror. When we look in the mirror of God’s law, we see that major changes need to take place. We also realize that we can’t keep things as they were. So that mirror drives us to Jesus.

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

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – In His Strength       

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The battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands. —1 Samuel 17:47

The Greek historian Herodotus told the story of three hundred men from Sparta who bravely defended their country against the invasion of the Persian army. When the Persians launched an attack against Greece with a force of more than two million fighting men led by Xerxes, they had to pass through a little area known as the pass of Thermopylae, which was a small opening through some jagged cliffs.

The armies of Greece, obviously wanting to turn back their attackers, called for troops, but all they were able to rally were three hundred soldiers from Sparta, led by their king, Leonidas. He thought that if he could just hold the area for a while, reinforcements would come. So he led his three hundred men against the two million Persians at Thermopylae. Much to the surprise of everyone, the Spartans fought bravely and valiantly, and they were winning. Persian soldiers dropped one after the other. So Xerxes sent in his elite troops called the Immortals. These were the best men in his army, but the Spartans slaughtered the Immortals like everyone else. Eventually the Persians prevailed when a Greek traitor showed them the way to attack the Spartans from behind. All three hundred men were killed. And though they lost the battle, they didn’t lose the war because the reinforcements finally came. The Spartans had bought much-needed time, and the armies of Greece ultimately prevailed against the Persians.

The same is true in the spiritual world as we fight a spiritual war. God can do a lot with a little. Our numbers may not be large, but our God is all-powerful. And as we go forward in His strength, we can make a difference.

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