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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie - What To Do When The Odds Are Against You

August 28, 2025 | S25 E206 | 27:40

Greg Laurie - What To Do When The Odds Are Against You
Join Pastor Greg Laurie for a time of encouragement, worship, and Bible study.
#inActive #Trials-HardTimes #Struggle #Challenges #Faith #TrustGod #HandofGod #Hope #Testing #God'sWill #Purpose #Calling #SpiritualWarfare

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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - What To Do When The Odds Are Against You | August 28, 2025
  • ...
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  • Greg laurie: fear is contagious. fear is contagious.
  • 00:00:05.105 --> 00:00:10.543
  • Listen, if you're looking for life on easy street with no
  • 00:00:10.677 --> 00:00:13.113
  • Conflict or challenge, go home to mommy.
  • 00:00:13.246 --> 00:00:17.617
  • The christian life is not for wimps.
  • 00:00:17.751 --> 00:00:18.418
  • The christian life is not for lightweights,
  • 00:00:20.420 --> 00:00:23.623
  • It's not for cowards, it's not for people who
  • 00:00:23.623 --> 00:00:26.760
  • Are afraid to stand out from the crowd.
  • 00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:30.397
  • And so maybe some of you are saying, well, i can't handle
  • 00:00:30.397 --> 00:00:33.266
  • This, i--maybe you can't, i don't know what to say to you.
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  • I'll say whatever you give up to follow christ
  • 00:00:36.069 --> 00:00:38.571
  • Is more than worth it.
  • 00:00:38.571 --> 00:00:40.306
  • ♪ this is the day, ♪
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  • ♪ the day when life begins. ♪
  • 00:00:45.745 --> 00:00:50.884
  • ♪ this is the day, ♪
  • 00:00:50.884 --> 00:00:53.486
  • ♪ the day when life begins. ♪♪
  • 00:00:53.486 --> 00:01:00.960
  • Greg: i don't know what you see when you look in the mirror,
  • 00:01:05.131 --> 00:01:07.167
  • But let me tell you what god sees when
  • 00:01:07.167 --> 00:01:09.869
  • He looks at you because god sees you
  • 00:01:09.869 --> 00:01:12.639
  • Maybe differently than you see yourself.
  • 00:01:12.639 --> 00:01:14.974
  • For instance, you probably see weakness when
  • 00:01:14.974 --> 00:01:17.510
  • You look at yourself, god sees potential.
  • 00:01:17.510 --> 00:01:21.081
  • You see what you are, god sees what you can be.
  • 00:01:21.081 --> 00:01:25.618
  • You see your past, god sees your future.
  • 00:01:25.618 --> 00:01:29.656
  • You see a lump of clay, god sees a beautiful sculpture.
  • 00:01:29.656 --> 00:01:34.394
  • You see a blank canvas, god sees a a van gogh.
  • 00:01:34.394 --> 00:01:39.032
  • You see a lump of coal, god sees a perfectly cut diamond.
  • 00:01:39.032 --> 00:01:45.238
  • You see a vacillating, unsure simon,
  • 00:01:45.238 --> 00:01:49.175
  • God sees a rock like apostle peter.
  • 00:01:49.175 --> 00:01:53.680
  • We see a saul of tarsus hunting down christians and murdering
  • 00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:58.151
  • Them, god sees a mighty apostle paul preaching the gospel.
  • 00:01:58.151 --> 00:02:03.957
  • I bring that up because now we're going to look at gideon,
  • 00:02:03.957 --> 00:02:06.559
  • Who is a world changer, and when the lord came
  • 00:02:06.559 --> 00:02:10.230
  • To him, the greeting was, "hey, you mighty man
  • 00:02:10.230 --> 00:02:13.733
  • Of faith, the lord is with you."
  • 00:02:13.733 --> 00:02:15.602
  • And if there is anything gideon was not in that
  • 00:02:15.602 --> 00:02:17.871
  • Moment, it was a mighty man of faith.
  • 00:02:17.871 --> 00:02:20.406
  • But that's because god saw what he
  • 00:02:20.406 --> 00:02:22.342
  • Would become, not what he was.
  • 00:02:22.342 --> 00:02:24.711
  • You know, frankly, i'm a little surprised gideon made it into
  • 00:02:24.711 --> 00:02:27.981
  • The hall of faith because he had, well, a challenging
  • 00:02:27.981 --> 00:02:32.118
  • Beginning and not the greatest end.
  • 00:02:32.118 --> 00:02:34.821
  • But what i find fascinating about hebrews 11, which tells us
  • 00:02:34.821 --> 00:02:39.192
  • About the great men and women who stepped out in faith that i
  • 00:02:39.192 --> 00:02:43.463
  • Call world changers, is that god never mentions their sins.
  • 00:02:43.463 --> 00:02:47.600
  • He mentions their accomplishments.
  • 00:02:47.600 --> 00:02:49.636
  • He talks about what they did through their faith, but he
  • 00:02:49.636 --> 00:02:52.572
  • Never brings up their shortcomings or sins.
  • 00:02:52.572 --> 00:02:55.241
  • I find that fascinating and god goes out of his way to take
  • 00:02:55.241 --> 00:02:59.412
  • Ordinary people to do extraordinary things through.
  • 00:02:59.412 --> 00:03:04.017
  • Why?
  • 00:03:04.017 --> 00:03:05.351
  • Because when it happens, god gets the glory.
  • 00:03:05.351 --> 00:03:08.755
  • They dare not take it for themselves because they know
  • 00:03:08.755 --> 00:03:11.491
  • Themselves better than anybody else does.
  • 00:03:11.491 --> 00:03:13.993
  • And god used gideon to change his world.
  • 00:03:13.993 --> 00:03:16.663
  • And by the way, his world was messed up big time.
  • 00:03:16.663 --> 00:03:19.866
  • Things are really spiritually and morally
  • 00:03:19.866 --> 00:03:22.735
  • Upside down in the book of judges.
  • 00:03:22.735 --> 00:03:24.737
  • In fact, whenever things are spiritually out
  • 00:03:24.737 --> 00:03:27.207
  • Of whack, they'll be morally out of whack,
  • 00:03:27.207 --> 00:03:29.876
  • And they'll be culturally out of whack as well.
  • 00:03:29.876 --> 00:03:32.979
  • So here's a good verse to describe how
  • 00:03:32.979 --> 00:03:35.949
  • Things got the way that they were.
  • 00:03:35.949 --> 00:03:38.418
  • Judges 17:6 says that israel had no king, "and everyone did
  • 00:03:38.418 --> 00:03:44.691
  • Whatever seemed right in their own eyes."
  • 00:03:44.691 --> 00:03:47.894
  • Everyone did what seemed right in their own eyes.
  • 00:03:47.894 --> 00:03:50.597
  • Let me update that.
  • 00:03:50.597 --> 00:03:51.931
  • Everyone just kind of did their own thing.
  • 00:03:51.931 --> 00:03:54.534
  • Everyone sort of had their own truth, not unlike today,
  • 00:03:54.534 --> 00:03:57.804
  • Frankly, where someone will say, "well you know, that's your
  • 00:03:57.804 --> 00:04:00.273
  • Truth, that's not my truth, and i live by my own truth and my
  • 00:04:00.273 --> 00:04:03.443
  • Own values and my own rules, because my god that i believe
  • 00:04:03.443 --> 00:04:07.180
  • In would never have me do this, and so--"
  • 00:04:07.180 --> 00:04:09.415
  • And they just sort of make it up as they go.
  • 00:04:09.415 --> 00:04:11.784
  • So things were chaotic.
  • 00:04:11.784 --> 00:04:13.286
  • It was a little bit like the wild west.
  • 00:04:13.286 --> 00:04:16.022
  • So the lord raised up 13 judges to rule over israel, 12 of them
  • 00:04:16.022 --> 00:04:21.127
  • Were men, one of them was a woman.
  • 00:04:21.127 --> 00:04:23.563
  • Now when you think of a judge, i don't
  • 00:04:23.563 --> 00:04:24.897
  • Want you to think of, like, supreme court
  • 00:04:24.897 --> 00:04:26.766
  • Judges running around in long black robes.
  • 00:04:26.766 --> 00:04:30.069
  • Actually, these are more like warriors, they were like old
  • 00:04:30.069 --> 00:04:33.139
  • Time sheriffs, think dodge city and think wyatt earp, you know.
  • 00:04:33.139 --> 00:04:37.577
  • And there was no law in town, so they would call in the marshall
  • 00:04:37.577 --> 00:04:40.213
  • Or call in or hire a lawman to get things under control.
  • 00:04:40.213 --> 00:04:45.218
  • So god would raise these judges up to sort
  • 00:04:45.218 --> 00:04:48.821
  • Of tame the unruly behavior of israel.
  • 00:04:48.821 --> 00:04:52.025
  • And we're looking at gideon.
  • 00:04:52.025 --> 00:04:54.260
  • As our story begins, we find gideon trying to prepare the
  • 00:04:54.260 --> 00:04:57.330
  • Little wheat he had, hiding behind the walls of a small wine
  • 00:04:57.330 --> 00:05:01.401
  • Press, hardly a picture of heroism and courage but he was
  • 00:05:01.401 --> 00:05:06.606
  • Like the rest of israel, hungry, hurting, and humiliated.
  • 00:05:06.606 --> 00:05:11.110
  • But god's gonna turn him into a world changer.
  • 00:05:11.110 --> 00:05:14.180
  • So we're introduced to him in judges 6 starting in verse 12.
  • 00:05:14.180 --> 00:05:17.216
  • I'm reading from the new living translation, by the way.
  • 00:05:17.216 --> 00:05:20.119
  • "and the angel of the lord appeared and
  • 00:05:20.119 --> 00:05:21.988
  • Said to him, 'mighty hero, the lord is with you.'
  • 00:05:21.988 --> 00:05:25.992
  • Gideon said, 'oh my lord.
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  • If the lord is with us, why has all of this happened to us?
  • 00:05:27.493 --> 00:05:30.263
  • Where are all the miracles which our fathers told us about,
  • 00:05:30.263 --> 00:05:33.833
  • Saying, "did not the lord bring us from egypt?"
  • 00:05:33.833 --> 00:05:35.768
  • And now the lord has forsaken us and delivered
  • 00:05:35.768 --> 00:05:37.870
  • Us into the hands of the midianites.'
  • 00:05:37.870 --> 00:05:40.873
  • Then the lord turned to him and said, 'go in this might of
  • 00:05:40.873 --> 00:05:43.409
  • Yours, and you will save israel from the hand of the midianites.
  • 00:05:43.409 --> 00:05:48.214
  • Have i not sent you?'" stop there.
  • 00:05:48.214 --> 00:05:51.217
  • You know, it's interesting, here comes the lord calling on
  • 00:05:51.217 --> 00:05:54.087
  • Gideon, and he starts in with the complaints.
  • 00:05:54.087 --> 00:05:56.923
  • "well, why has this happened to us?
  • 00:05:56.923 --> 00:05:58.891
  • You know, we remember hearing about
  • 00:05:58.891 --> 00:06:00.526
  • All these miracles you used to do.
  • 00:06:00.526 --> 00:06:02.295
  • Where have you been lately?"
  • 00:06:02.295 --> 00:06:04.397
  • Heard the story of a mother that was telling bible stories to her
  • 00:06:04.397 --> 00:06:07.367
  • Little daughter, you know, the stories of joshua and daniel in
  • 00:06:07.367 --> 00:06:11.003
  • The lion's den and those great stories of heroism, and the
  • 00:06:11.003 --> 00:06:14.640
  • Little girl turned to her mom and said, "mommy," you know,
  • 00:06:14.640 --> 00:06:17.310
  • "god was more exciting back then."
  • 00:06:17.310 --> 00:06:20.780
  • Maybe you've felt that way.
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  • You hear about what god used to do.
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  • What's god doing now?
  • 00:06:23.816 --> 00:06:25.151
  • And really, if you get technical, everything that
  • 00:06:25.151 --> 00:06:28.521
  • Israel was facing was their own fault.
  • 00:06:28.521 --> 00:06:31.524
  • They were reaping what they sowed.
  • 00:06:31.524 --> 00:06:33.126
  • And the lord could have dealt with that,
  • 00:06:33.126 --> 00:06:34.594
  • But he needed to get something done.
  • 00:06:34.594 --> 00:06:36.696
  • It's sort of like when you're trying to get your kids out of
  • 00:06:36.696 --> 00:06:38.798
  • The house, "come on, kids, get in the car.
  • 00:06:38.798 --> 00:06:40.867
  • We have to go to church." "no mommy, i lost a shoe,"
  • 00:06:40.867 --> 00:06:44.303
  • And, you know, "mommy, i lost my doll."
  • 00:06:44.303 --> 00:06:47.039
  • And sadly, that's your husband.
  • 00:06:47.039 --> 00:06:48.441
  • But you know, just get in the car,
  • 00:06:48.441 --> 00:06:51.177
  • We'll sort it out in the car.
  • 00:06:51.177 --> 00:06:52.512
  • Come on, we're late. let's go.
  • 00:06:52.512 --> 00:06:54.080
  • And, you know, i mean, they're whining and compl--
  • 00:06:54.080 --> 00:06:55.948
  • "just come on, let go."
  • 00:06:55.948 --> 00:06:57.717
  • So that's gideon, he's kind of whining.
  • 00:06:57.717 --> 00:06:59.152
  • "well, why would've bet--" "come on let's go.
  • 00:06:59.152 --> 00:07:02.088
  • We got a job to do, and you're the guy i'm gonna use to do it."
  • 00:07:02.088 --> 00:07:05.925
  • So now the lord is going to use gideon
  • 00:07:05.925 --> 00:07:08.661
  • To change things in a dramatic way.
  • 00:07:08.661 --> 00:07:11.531
  • But gideon protests and he says in verse 15,
  • 00:07:11.531 --> 00:07:14.167
  • "oh lord, how can i save israel?
  • 00:07:14.167 --> 00:07:16.335
  • Indeed my clan is the weakest in manasseh,
  • 00:07:16.335 --> 00:07:19.005
  • I'm the least in my father's house."
  • 00:07:19.005 --> 00:07:21.541
  • Lord, are you serious?
  • 00:07:21.541 --> 00:07:23.075
  • I'm like the runt of the litter.
  • 00:07:23.075 --> 00:07:26.145
  • I'm the lowest of the low, and that brings me
  • 00:07:26.145 --> 00:07:28.781
  • To principle number one on how to be a
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  • World changer, world changers are humble.
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  • God uses people who are humble.
  • 00:07:35.221 --> 00:07:38.624
  • Say well, how do you know if you're humble?
  • 00:07:38.624 --> 00:07:40.159
  • Well, i find that the people talk the most, who talk the most
  • 00:07:40.159 --> 00:07:43.262
  • About humility are often prideful.
  • 00:07:43.262 --> 00:07:47.266
  • They'll come and say, "you know, i'm a very humble person.
  • 00:07:47.266 --> 00:07:50.403
  • I'm so humble, i'm so humble i
  • 00:07:50.403 --> 00:07:53.372
  • Drop the 'h' and just say 'umble.
  • 00:07:53.372 --> 00:07:57.477
  • 'ello i'm 'umble, i'm an 'umble man you see?"
  • 00:07:57.477 --> 00:08:00.913
  • No, you're kind of weird and probably prideful too.
  • 00:08:00.913 --> 00:08:05.451
  • Humble people are just people that see themselves as they are.
  • 00:08:05.451 --> 00:08:10.423
  • You know, they see their flaws, they see their
  • 00:08:10.423 --> 00:08:12.058
  • Shortcomings, they see their weaknesses.
  • 00:08:12.058 --> 00:08:15.428
  • In fact, gideon says in verse 15 to the lord, "who am i?
  • 00:08:15.428 --> 00:08:18.564
  • Why would you want me, lord? who am i?"
  • 00:08:18.564 --> 00:08:20.366
  • And i love god's response.
  • 00:08:20.366 --> 00:08:21.801
  • God says, "who am i?
  • 00:08:21.801 --> 00:08:24.237
  • I'll be with you." who am i, lord?
  • 00:08:24.237 --> 00:08:25.972
  • "it's not about who you are. it's who i am.
  • 00:08:25.972 --> 00:08:28.241
  • And i'm going to be with you, gideon.
  • 00:08:28.241 --> 00:08:30.142
  • So let's get going because you're a mighty hero,"
  • 00:08:30.142 --> 00:08:32.712
  • Verse 12, "and the lord is with you."
  • 00:08:32.712 --> 00:08:34.213
  • I mean, calling gideon a mighty hero was almost like a joke.
  • 00:08:34.213 --> 00:08:37.950
  • I mean, here he is hiding behind a wall and the lord says, "hey,
  • 00:08:37.950 --> 00:08:41.020
  • Mighty hero, the lord's with you."
  • 00:08:41.020 --> 00:08:42.555
  • It's like ah, is there somebody else here?
  • 00:08:42.555 --> 00:08:44.790
  • I'm not seeing a mighty hero, who would that be?
  • 00:08:44.790 --> 00:08:47.493
  • He probably felt more like a pathetic
  • 00:08:47.493 --> 00:08:49.695
  • Zero than a mighty hero.
  • 00:08:49.695 --> 00:08:53.232
  • But as i said earlier, god saw him for what he
  • 00:08:53.232 --> 00:08:55.701
  • Could become, not just what he was.
  • 00:08:55.701 --> 00:08:59.639
  • So he was gonna grow into this title that the lord gave to him.
  • 00:08:59.639 --> 00:09:04.010
  • It'd be like going to a kid who can't throw a football and
  • 00:09:04.010 --> 00:09:06.979
  • Saying, hey, tom brady, how's it going?
  • 00:09:06.979 --> 00:09:10.283
  • Or a child failing in class, hey einstein, how are the grades?
  • 00:09:10.283 --> 00:09:14.854
  • Almost like mockery, but the lord was not
  • 00:09:14.854 --> 00:09:16.889
  • Mocking him, he was seeing his potential.
  • 00:09:16.889 --> 00:09:20.393
  • But before the lord was going to allow gideon to amass this army,
  • 00:09:20.393 --> 00:09:24.063
  • There was a test he had to pass in his own home.
  • 00:09:24.063 --> 00:09:27.900
  • The lord told him to go home to his family, where there was a
  • 00:09:27.900 --> 00:09:32.038
  • Family altar erected by his father joash, to the god baal.
  • 00:09:32.038 --> 00:09:37.176
  • God said, i want you to go and tear down the altar.
  • 00:09:37.176 --> 00:09:40.780
  • Then i want you to take the second best bull from your
  • 00:09:40.780 --> 00:09:43.449
  • Father's herd and barbecue it on the remains of the altar.
  • 00:09:43.449 --> 00:09:48.854
  • Okay, this is a way to get in trouble with dad, okay?
  • 00:09:48.854 --> 00:09:52.825
  • And incur his wrath.
  • 00:09:52.825 --> 00:09:54.594
  • But in gideon's defense, he went and did exactly what god told
  • 00:09:54.594 --> 00:09:57.430
  • Him to do, bringing me to principle number two.
  • 00:09:57.430 --> 00:09:59.532
  • World changers are faithful in little things.
  • 00:09:59.532 --> 00:10:03.135
  • Jesus says in luke 16, "unless you're faithful in small
  • 00:10:03.135 --> 00:10:06.906
  • Matters, you won't be faithful in large ones.
  • 00:10:06.906 --> 00:10:09.642
  • If you cheat even a little, you won't be
  • 00:10:09.642 --> 00:10:11.611
  • Honest with greater responsibilities."
  • 00:10:11.611 --> 00:10:14.880
  • So gideon tears down his dad's altar, but he did it at night.
  • 00:10:14.880 --> 00:10:20.353
  • And some people have been critical,
  • 00:10:20.353 --> 00:10:22.088
  • "should have done it in the light of day.
  • 00:10:22.088 --> 00:10:23.656
  • Did it at night."
  • 00:10:23.656 --> 00:10:24.991
  • Hey okay, so what?
  • 00:10:24.991 --> 00:10:27.026
  • At least he did it, got the job done.
  • 00:10:27.026 --> 00:10:30.496
  • You know, there's some people that just love to criticize.
  • 00:10:30.496 --> 00:10:33.699
  • They think they have the gift of criticism.
  • 00:10:33.699 --> 00:10:36.335
  • By the way, there's no spiritual gift
  • 00:10:36.335 --> 00:10:38.270
  • Of criticism, just be aware of that.
  • 00:10:38.270 --> 00:10:41.707
  • You know, they critique this, they critique that.
  • 00:10:41.707 --> 00:10:44.777
  • They'll say, "well, i don't like the way you do evangelism, greg.
  • 00:10:44.777 --> 00:10:47.246
  • We don't like your events.
  • 00:10:47.246 --> 00:10:48.581
  • We don't like the way you, you know, speak of these events."
  • 00:10:48.581 --> 00:10:51.617
  • And i'll say, "well, what are you doing in evangelism?"
  • 00:10:51.617 --> 00:10:53.753
  • "not really anything."
  • 00:10:53.753 --> 00:10:55.621
  • Well, i like my way of doing it better
  • 00:10:55.621 --> 00:10:57.189
  • Than your way of not doing it, okay?
  • 00:10:57.189 --> 00:10:59.925
  • Now, look, i'm not saying everything
  • 00:10:59.925 --> 00:11:01.260
  • We do is perfect, it isn't.
  • 00:11:01.260 --> 00:11:03.696
  • But you know, you have to be willing to take risk, you take
  • 00:11:03.696 --> 00:11:07.266
  • Chances, you get out there to do what you can to reach people,
  • 00:11:07.266 --> 00:11:11.103
  • And i think it's very easy to be critical of these things.
  • 00:11:11.103 --> 00:11:14.040
  • But my question is what are you doing?
  • 00:11:14.040 --> 00:11:17.009
  • "well, he shouldn't have gone at night."
  • 00:11:17.009 --> 00:11:18.411
  • Well he did something, he got the job done, he tore down the
  • 00:11:18.411 --> 00:11:21.347
  • Altar and the people freaked out.
  • 00:11:21.347 --> 00:11:23.949
  • By the way, the reason he did it at night according to verse 27
  • 00:11:23.949 --> 00:11:27.019
  • Was because he was afraid of the other members of his father's
  • 00:11:27.019 --> 00:11:29.855
  • Household and the people of the town.
  • 00:11:29.855 --> 00:11:32.591
  • Gideon knew when he did this he
  • 00:11:32.591 --> 00:11:34.060
  • Was going to anger a lot of people.
  • 00:11:34.060 --> 00:11:36.662
  • In fact, they were so mad they wanted to kill him.
  • 00:11:36.662 --> 00:11:39.231
  • "let's kill him now."
  • 00:11:39.231 --> 00:11:40.566
  • That's kind of harsh, but that's what they wanted to do.
  • 00:11:40.566 --> 00:11:42.735
  • And guess who stood up and defended gideon?
  • 00:11:42.735 --> 00:11:45.838
  • His father, the very father joash, who erected
  • 00:11:45.838 --> 00:11:49.575
  • The altar to baal, and he came out and said,
  • 00:11:49.575 --> 00:11:52.044
  • "hey, why are you defending baal?
  • 00:11:52.044 --> 00:11:54.013
  • Why do you argue his case?
  • 00:11:54.013 --> 00:11:55.347
  • If baal's really a god, let him defend himself and
  • 00:11:55.347 --> 00:11:58.751
  • Destroy the one who broke down his altar."
  • 00:11:58.751 --> 00:12:00.720
  • I think deep down inside, dad was proud of son.
  • 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:04.457
  • Joash was proud of gideon.
  • 00:12:04.457 --> 00:12:05.925
  • "boy, you did good.
  • 00:12:05.925 --> 00:12:07.593
  • Hey, you even took down the old man's altar, way to go."
  • 00:12:07.593 --> 00:12:11.197
  • I think the faith of the father was
  • 00:12:11.197 --> 00:12:13.299
  • Rekindled by the courage of the son.
  • 00:12:13.299 --> 00:12:16.969
  • Greg: greg laurie here.
  • 00:12:20.206 --> 00:12:21.540
  • You know, there is a very special group of people
  • 00:12:21.540 --> 00:12:24.543
  • I want to introduce you to.
  • 00:12:24.543 --> 00:12:26.445
  • They are a group of people who are passionate about the gospel
  • 00:12:26.445 --> 00:12:30.082
  • Of jesus christ being proclaimed in this nation and beyond.
  • 00:12:30.082 --> 00:12:34.220
  • In fact, these people made this tv program
  • 00:12:34.220 --> 00:12:37.690
  • That you're watching possible.
  • 00:12:37.690 --> 00:12:39.592
  • They also make possible our radio program, our harvest
  • 00:12:39.592 --> 00:12:42.828
  • Crusades, our evangelistic movies like "jesus revolution,"
  • 00:12:42.828 --> 00:12:46.866
  • And so much more.
  • 00:12:46.866 --> 00:12:48.300
  • Without them, harvest ministries could not even exist,
  • 00:12:48.300 --> 00:12:51.871
  • So who are these amazing people?
  • 00:12:51.871 --> 00:12:54.240
  • We call them harvest partners.
  • 00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:56.475
  • They are people who have chosen to give monthly to harvest to
  • 00:12:56.475 --> 00:12:59.745
  • Keep the gospel moving forward.
  • 00:12:59.745 --> 00:13:02.248
  • Jesus said, "the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are
  • 00:13:02.248 --> 00:13:05.818
  • Few, therefore pray the lord of the harvest
  • 00:13:05.818 --> 00:13:08.954
  • To send out laborers into his harvest."
  • 00:13:08.954 --> 00:13:11.590
  • Will you become a harvest partner and help us fulfill the
  • 00:13:11.590 --> 00:13:15.427
  • Great commission in our lifetime?
  • 00:13:15.427 --> 00:13:17.830
  • Let's do this together.
  • 00:13:17.830 --> 00:13:19.665
  • ♪ this is the day, ♪
  • 00:13:20.199 --> 00:13:23.068
  • ♪ the day when life begins. ♪♪
  • 00:13:23.068 --> 00:13:28.040
  • Greg: so gideon passed his first test, now a big one is coming.
  • 00:13:31.677 --> 00:13:35.347
  • Lord says, rally an army.
  • 00:13:35.347 --> 00:13:37.049
  • So he manages to get 32,000 men to follow
  • 00:13:37.049 --> 00:13:40.920
  • Him in the battle, very impressive.
  • 00:13:40.920 --> 00:13:42.888
  • Now, of course, the midianites have an army surpassing 100,000,
  • 00:13:42.888 --> 00:13:48.194
  • So it's certainly not an equal army, but it's a start.
  • 00:13:48.194 --> 00:13:51.997
  • And that brings us to judges 7 verse 2, "the lord said to
  • 00:13:51.997 --> 00:13:55.467
  • Gideon, 'you have too many warriors with you.
  • 00:13:55.467 --> 00:13:58.337
  • If i let all of you fight the midianites, the israelites
  • 00:13:58.337 --> 00:14:00.539
  • Will boast to me that they saved
  • 00:14:00.539 --> 00:14:02.341
  • Themselves by their own strength.
  • 00:14:02.341 --> 00:14:03.976
  • Therefore tell the people who's ever timid or afraid
  • 00:14:03.976 --> 00:14:07.112
  • They may leave this mountain and go home.'
  • 00:14:07.112 --> 00:14:10.082
  • So 22,000 of them went home, leaving
  • 00:14:10.082 --> 00:14:13.052
  • Only 10,000 who were willing to fight."
  • 00:14:13.052 --> 00:14:16.622
  • Wow.
  • 00:14:16.622 --> 00:14:17.957
  • I think gideon was thinking, okay, if you're afraid,
  • 00:14:17.957 --> 00:14:21.861
  • You can't handle this, go home.
  • 00:14:21.861 --> 00:14:23.963
  • It's interesting the phrase they choose there for go home.
  • 00:14:23.963 --> 00:14:25.931
  • It's from a hebrew phrase mamito returnus
  • 00:14:25.931 --> 00:14:29.568
  • Which translates to return to mommy.
  • 00:14:29.568 --> 00:14:34.039
  • I made all that up, okay?
  • 00:14:34.039 --> 00:14:36.375
  • It just means go home.
  • 00:14:36.375 --> 00:14:37.877
  • I just want to see if you're listening sometimes.
  • 00:14:37.877 --> 00:14:40.579
  • So loose paraphrase, hey, if you wanna go home to
  • 00:14:40.579 --> 00:14:43.616
  • Mommy, if it's too scary, go home now.
  • 00:14:43.616 --> 00:14:48.721
  • Twenty-two thousand guys are like, see ya.
  • 00:14:48.721 --> 00:14:51.957
  • What?
  • 00:14:51.957 --> 00:14:53.893
  • Twenty-two thousand?
  • 00:14:53.893 --> 00:14:56.695
  • Why did he want them to leave?
  • 00:14:56.695 --> 00:14:58.030
  • Why did the lord want the fearful ones to leave?
  • 00:14:58.030 --> 00:15:01.133
  • Answer, because fear is contagious.
  • 00:15:01.133 --> 00:15:05.771
  • Fear is contagious.
  • 00:15:05.771 --> 00:15:07.773
  • Listen, if you're looking for life on easy street with no
  • 00:15:07.773 --> 00:15:10.609
  • Conflict or challenge, go home to mommy.
  • 00:15:10.609 --> 00:15:14.914
  • The christian life is not for wimps.
  • 00:15:14.914 --> 00:15:17.783
  • The christian life is not for lightweights, it's not
  • 00:15:17.783 --> 00:15:21.253
  • For cowards, it's not for people who are
  • 00:15:21.253 --> 00:15:24.123
  • Afraid to stand out from the crowd.
  • 00:15:24.123 --> 00:15:27.726
  • And so maybe some of you are saying, well, i can't handle
  • 00:15:27.726 --> 00:15:30.529
  • This i'm--maybe you can't, i don't know what to say to you.
  • 00:15:30.529 --> 00:15:33.365
  • I'll say whatever you give up to follow christ is more than worth
  • 00:15:33.365 --> 00:15:36.535
  • It, but some are afraid, they're afraid of the opinions of
  • 00:15:36.535 --> 00:15:39.905
  • People, afraid of this, afraid of that.
  • 00:15:39.905 --> 00:15:42.474
  • Listen, i'm more afraid of hell and eternal separation from god.
  • 00:15:42.474 --> 00:15:49.048
  • I'm more afraid of a pointless, meaningless life
  • 00:15:49.048 --> 00:15:54.053
  • Lived for myself, that's what scares me.
  • 00:15:54.053 --> 00:15:57.623
  • But a lot of people go for those things.
  • 00:15:57.623 --> 00:15:59.825
  • Well, there's one final test.
  • 00:15:59.825 --> 00:16:01.226
  • So remember, he has 10,000 guys left.
  • 00:16:01.226 --> 00:16:03.395
  • Judges 7, verse 4, "the lord told gideon,
  • 00:16:03.395 --> 00:16:07.166
  • 'you still have too many.
  • 00:16:07.166 --> 00:16:09.001
  • Bring them down to the spring and i'll sort out
  • 00:16:09.001 --> 00:16:11.270
  • Who will go with you and who will not.'
  • 00:16:11.270 --> 00:16:13.439
  • And gideon took his warriors down to the water, and the lord
  • 00:16:13.439 --> 00:16:16.742
  • Told him divide the men into two groups, the one group put those
  • 00:16:16.742 --> 00:16:21.647
  • Who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues
  • 00:16:21.647 --> 00:16:25.851
  • Like dogs, and then the other group put those who kneel down
  • 00:16:25.851 --> 00:16:29.722
  • And drink with their mouths in the stream."
  • 00:16:29.722 --> 00:16:33.859
  • So here's how it worked.
  • 00:16:33.859 --> 00:16:35.828
  • Lord said let them go down and drink water.
  • 00:16:35.828 --> 00:16:37.463
  • These guys are thirsty, they're dehydrated, so some of them just
  • 00:16:37.463 --> 00:16:40.599
  • Buried their face in the in the river, and
  • 00:16:40.599 --> 00:16:43.168
  • They're just drinking and others were very
  • 00:16:43.168 --> 00:16:45.004
  • Careful and they're looking around and they're very alert.
  • 00:16:45.004 --> 00:16:47.473
  • And the lord says, those are the ones
  • 00:16:47.473 --> 00:16:48.807
  • I'm going to use to save you.
  • 00:16:48.807 --> 00:16:50.909
  • You know, we were in israel a number of years ago and we went
  • 00:16:50.909 --> 00:16:53.145
  • To gideon's spring, probably this spring where this happened.
  • 00:16:53.145 --> 00:16:56.215
  • So i wanted to illustrate it, so i asked her two volunteers, one
  • 00:16:56.215 --> 00:17:00.319
  • To represent each group and so they went down,
  • 00:17:00.319 --> 00:17:02.621
  • They're drinking the water and then i looked,
  • 00:17:02.621 --> 00:17:04.156
  • I saw a sign, water contaminated, don't drink.
  • 00:17:04.156 --> 00:17:06.725
  • Oh no, someone's gonna die for a sermon
  • 00:17:06.725 --> 00:17:09.361
  • Illustration, this is bad.
  • 00:17:09.361 --> 00:17:11.363
  • Fortunately, they were okay, but it's like, wow.
  • 00:17:11.363 --> 00:17:14.433
  • Well, this water was not contaminated, but apparently
  • 00:17:14.433 --> 00:17:18.237
  • Some of the people were, they didn't pass a test.
  • 00:17:18.237 --> 00:17:22.007
  • Now he's left with 300 men.
  • 00:17:22.007 --> 00:17:25.644
  • He has 3% of the original 10,000.
  • 00:17:25.644 --> 00:17:29.815
  • But these now are the cream of the crop.
  • 00:17:29.815 --> 00:17:32.384
  • This is delta force, these are the army rangers, these are the
  • 00:17:32.384 --> 00:17:37.523
  • Seals, these are seal team 6, you know, this is the swat
  • 00:17:37.523 --> 00:17:42.694
  • Team, these are the elite warriors now.
  • 00:17:42.694 --> 00:17:46.165
  • I love the battle plan.
  • 00:17:46.165 --> 00:17:47.499
  • Okay, get the warriors together.
  • 00:17:47.499 --> 00:17:48.834
  • I mean, think of these,
  • 00:17:48.834 --> 00:17:50.169
  • These are that battle hardened, toughest of the tough.
  • 00:17:50.169 --> 00:17:52.704
  • "all right, what do you want us to do?
  • 00:17:52.704 --> 00:17:55.374
  • What swords are we gonna take?
  • 00:17:55.374 --> 00:17:57.009
  • What spears are we--?"
  • 00:17:57.009 --> 00:17:58.610
  • "yeah, we're not gonna use swords or spears."
  • 00:17:58.610 --> 00:18:00.813
  • "okay, what's the plan?" "okay got a torch?
  • 00:18:00.813 --> 00:18:03.649
  • See a torch right here. okay.
  • 00:18:03.649 --> 00:18:05.084
  • We're gonna put a pot, a clay pot around the torch."
  • 00:18:05.084 --> 00:18:08.387
  • "yeah, and beat the midianites?"
  • 00:18:08.387 --> 00:18:09.922
  • No, not beat them just hold."
  • 00:18:09.922 --> 00:18:11.990
  • "and then what do we have on our other hand, a big giant spear?"
  • 00:18:11.990 --> 00:18:17.029
  • "i got you a little trumpet, here you go.
  • 00:18:17.029 --> 00:18:18.897
  • Here's everybody's trumpet. take your trumpet."
  • 00:18:18.897 --> 00:18:21.500
  • So here are these guys standing here with this
  • 00:18:21.500 --> 00:18:22.968
  • Stupid torch and a pot and the trumpet.
  • 00:18:22.968 --> 00:18:27.806
  • Uh, huh. now what?
  • 00:18:27.806 --> 00:18:29.942
  • Okay we're gonna run down the mountain, and we're gonna yell
  • 00:18:29.942 --> 00:18:32.678
  • Out, "for the lord and for gideon."
  • 00:18:32.678 --> 00:18:34.713
  • Then what?
  • 00:18:34.713 --> 00:18:36.048
  • That's it. i love this story.
  • 00:18:36.048 --> 00:18:39.118
  • It's so crazy, it's classic, it's biblical, so they do it,
  • 00:18:39.118 --> 00:18:46.258
  • They obey, they come running down.
  • 00:18:46.258 --> 00:18:48.560
  • It's night time, the midianites are down in their camp, all of a
  • 00:18:48.560 --> 00:18:51.096
  • Sudden they hear this noise and they see fire suddenly appear.
  • 00:18:51.096 --> 00:18:54.766
  • They hear these trumpets blowing.
  • 00:18:54.766 --> 00:18:56.135
  • They think it's some kind of ambush and they're so
  • 00:18:56.135 --> 00:18:58.904
  • Disoriented and discombobulated, they start killing each other.
  • 00:18:58.904 --> 00:19:02.841
  • They don't know who the enemy is.
  • 00:19:02.841 --> 00:19:04.443
  • The israelites get done, they're all
  • 00:19:04.443 --> 00:19:05.844
  • Dead, it's like "okay, good plan."
  • 00:19:05.844 --> 00:19:09.948
  • They were outnumbered 450 to 1.
  • 00:19:09.948 --> 00:19:13.585
  • Of all of the upsets celebrated by military historians
  • 00:19:13.585 --> 00:19:17.456
  • Or sports fans, there's none more amazing than
  • 00:19:17.456 --> 00:19:20.259
  • What god accomplished through gideon.
  • 00:19:20.259 --> 00:19:23.262
  • It should be like a pop warner team going up against the new
  • 00:19:23.262 --> 00:19:26.131
  • England patriots in the super bowl and winning.
  • 00:19:26.131 --> 00:19:31.370
  • This would be like a little league team taking on the
  • 00:19:31.370 --> 00:19:33.639
  • Chicago cubs in the world series and winning.
  • 00:19:33.639 --> 00:19:38.877
  • So you say, well, thank you for that nice
  • 00:19:38.877 --> 00:19:40.212
  • Little bible story, can we go home now?
  • 00:19:40.212 --> 00:19:41.947
  • Well, wait, let's make an application.
  • 00:19:41.947 --> 00:19:43.982
  • God doesn't just tell us these tell us these stories to
  • 00:19:43.982 --> 00:19:46.485
  • Entertain us, he tells us these stories for a reason, because,
  • 00:19:46.485 --> 00:19:50.589
  • You see, we too are in a spiritual battle and we have to
  • 00:19:50.589 --> 00:19:56.028
  • Recognize that it rages around us every single day.
  • 00:19:56.028 --> 00:20:00.132
  • In fact, ephesians 6 says, "we're not fighting against
  • 00:20:00.132 --> 00:20:02.534
  • People made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and
  • 00:20:02.534 --> 00:20:07.406
  • Authorities of the unseen world against those mighty powers of
  • 00:20:07.406 --> 00:20:12.044
  • Darkness that rule this world, against
  • 00:20:12.044 --> 00:20:14.346
  • Wicked spirits in the heavenly realm."
  • 00:20:14.346 --> 00:20:17.783
  • See we're in the natural world right now, but there's a
  • 00:20:17.783 --> 00:20:19.885
  • Supernatural world coexisting with us at the moment.
  • 00:20:19.885 --> 00:20:24.356
  • It's the world of angels and demons, and there are rankings
  • 00:20:24.356 --> 00:20:28.393
  • Of angels and rankings of demons, and it's the world
  • 00:20:28.393 --> 00:20:32.097
  • Of god and satan, and ultimately it's the
  • 00:20:32.097 --> 00:20:34.866
  • World of the afterlife, of heaven and hell.
  • 00:20:34.866 --> 00:20:37.603
  • It's as real as the world you're in right now.
  • 00:20:37.603 --> 00:20:40.439
  • And this battle rages, and sometimes we're
  • 00:20:40.439 --> 00:20:42.407
  • Caught in this battle, and we're trying to fight
  • 00:20:42.407 --> 00:20:44.576
  • A spiritual battle with physical weapons.
  • 00:20:44.576 --> 00:20:48.947
  • So in this war we're fighting in the world today.
  • 00:20:48.947 --> 00:20:53.051
  • This spiritual war, this moral war, some
  • 00:20:53.051 --> 00:20:55.554
  • Even call it a cultural war, understand it's not
  • 00:20:55.554 --> 00:20:58.724
  • Gonna be won with boycotts or protests.
  • 00:20:58.724 --> 00:21:02.127
  • It's not gonna be won by withdrawing,
  • 00:21:02.127 --> 00:21:06.365
  • But by praying and preaching.
  • 00:21:06.365 --> 00:21:09.368
  • The most effective weapons god has put in our arsenal is prayer
  • 00:21:09.368 --> 00:21:14.373
  • And proclamation, praying for people, praying for our country,
  • 00:21:14.373 --> 00:21:18.810
  • Praying for our culture, praying for situations we're facing.
  • 00:21:18.810 --> 00:21:22.414
  • And then preaching the gospel to those that do not know the lord.
  • 00:21:22.414 --> 00:21:26.351
  • I bring this up because there's a book that's quite popular
  • 00:21:26.351 --> 00:21:28.453
  • Right now, where the author is suggesting that we've lost this
  • 00:21:28.453 --> 00:21:32.691
  • Battle and there's no reason to fight the flood,
  • 00:21:32.691 --> 00:21:36.495
  • Just stop fighting the flood, he says.
  • 00:21:36.495 --> 00:21:38.897
  • And basically says, "there are people alive today who may live
  • 00:21:38.897 --> 00:21:42.534
  • To see the effect of death of christianity
  • 00:21:42.534 --> 00:21:44.770
  • Within our civilization," end quote.
  • 00:21:44.770 --> 00:21:47.539
  • So he says, we need to withdraw now from--no, no, no, this is
  • 00:21:47.539 --> 00:21:50.776
  • Not the time to withdraw, this is the time to attack.
  • 00:21:50.776 --> 00:21:55.213
  • [congregation applauding]
  • 00:21:55.213 --> 00:22:02.054
  • Greg: this is not the time to isolate,
  • 00:22:02.054 --> 00:22:04.122
  • This is the time to infiltrate, this is the time to permeate.
  • 00:22:04.122 --> 00:22:08.360
  • You say, "well, you're rhyming a bunch of stuff.
  • 00:22:08.360 --> 00:22:09.961
  • I have no idea what you're talking about."
  • 00:22:09.961 --> 00:22:11.997
  • You can't understand what i'm saying.
  • 00:22:11.997 --> 00:22:13.332
  • When i say attack, don't get me wrong, i'm not saying go down to
  • 00:22:13.332 --> 00:22:15.334
  • The ammo store and, you know, fill your trunk up
  • 00:22:15.334 --> 00:22:17.936
  • With bullets and ar15's or something.
  • 00:22:17.936 --> 00:22:21.173
  • Well, here's what i'm saying.
  • 00:22:21.173 --> 00:22:23.408
  • I have something better than an ar15.
  • 00:22:23.408 --> 00:22:26.078
  • I've got john 3:16, okay?
  • 00:22:26.078 --> 00:22:28.847
  • John 3:16.
  • 00:22:28.847 --> 00:22:30.248
  • And what do i mean by that?
  • 00:22:30.248 --> 00:22:31.983
  • John 3:16, "for god so loved the world,
  • 00:22:31.983 --> 00:22:34.019
  • He gave his only begotten son, and whoever believes in him
  • 00:22:34.019 --> 00:22:37.255
  • Should not perish but have everlasting life."
  • 00:22:37.255 --> 00:22:39.991
  • See, when i say we're fighting a battle and we need to
  • 00:22:39.991 --> 00:22:44.162
  • Infiltrate, i mean, we need to go out with a loving message of
  • 00:22:44.162 --> 00:22:48.633
  • Jesus christ and tell people about him and how
  • 00:22:48.633 --> 00:22:52.304
  • They can have their lives transformed by him.
  • 00:22:52.304 --> 00:22:55.741
  • God's looking for people to do this.
  • 00:22:55.741 --> 00:22:58.276
  • And the best place to start is in your own home with your own
  • 00:22:58.276 --> 00:23:02.147
  • Family and those closest to you, and then continue on.
  • 00:23:02.147 --> 00:23:06.651
  • I love the statement of a british preacher from years ago,
  • 00:23:06.651 --> 00:23:10.122
  • John wesley, who once said, quote, "give me a hundred men
  • 00:23:10.122 --> 00:23:14.459
  • Who love god with all of their hearts and fear
  • 00:23:14.459 --> 00:23:17.329
  • Nothing but sin and i will move the world."
  • 00:23:17.329 --> 00:23:22.734
  • Greg: maybe god has spoken to your heart and
  • 00:23:26.638 --> 00:23:29.975
  • You have seen your need for jesus christ.
  • 00:23:29.975 --> 00:23:33.278
  • Jesus christ is the son of god who
  • 00:23:33.278 --> 00:23:36.481
  • Came from heaven to this earth.
  • 00:23:36.481 --> 00:23:38.683
  • He was born in a manger, he died in
  • 00:23:38.683 --> 00:23:41.553
  • A cross, he rose again from the dead, why?
  • 00:23:41.553 --> 00:23:44.389
  • Because he loves you and he wants a relationship with you.
  • 00:23:44.389 --> 00:23:48.026
  • Listen, i'm not talking about religion, i don't wanna be
  • 00:23:48.026 --> 00:23:51.029
  • A religious person, i don't think you wanna be one either,
  • 00:23:51.029 --> 00:23:54.132
  • I'm talking about relationship with god.
  • 00:23:54.132 --> 00:23:57.502
  • Jesus, who died and rose again, stands at the door of your life,
  • 00:23:57.502 --> 00:24:02.073
  • And he knocks, and he says if you'll hear his
  • 00:24:02.073 --> 00:24:04.309
  • Voice and open the door, he will come in.
  • 00:24:04.309 --> 00:24:06.945
  • Question, have you asked jesus christ
  • 00:24:06.945 --> 00:24:09.314
  • To come and live inside of you?
  • 00:24:09.314 --> 00:24:11.283
  • You might say, "well, i think so, i'm not sure."
  • 00:24:11.283 --> 00:24:13.318
  • Hey, if someone moved into your house in the middle of the
  • 00:24:13.318 --> 00:24:15.854
  • Night, do you think you would be aware of it?
  • 00:24:15.854 --> 00:24:18.557
  • I'm sure you would.
  • 00:24:18.557 --> 00:24:19.891
  • And in the same way, if christ has
  • 00:24:19.891 --> 00:24:23.061
  • Come to live inside of you, you will know.
  • 00:24:23.061 --> 00:24:24.429
  • And if you don't know, maybe he has not come in yet.
  • 00:24:24.429 --> 00:24:27.966
  • He's just a prayer away.
  • 00:24:27.966 --> 00:24:29.634
  • All you need to do is say, "jesus, i want this relationship
  • 00:24:29.634 --> 00:24:33.305
  • With you, i want you to forgive me of my sin,
  • 00:24:33.305 --> 00:24:36.074
  • I wanna go to heaven when i die."
  • 00:24:36.074 --> 00:24:38.276
  • Would you like to do that?
  • 00:24:38.276 --> 00:24:39.644
  • Would you like christ to come into your life?
  • 00:24:39.644 --> 00:24:42.013
  • If so, why don't you just pray this simple prayer with me?
  • 00:24:42.013 --> 00:24:45.317
  • You can pray it out loud, or you can
  • 00:24:45.317 --> 00:24:47.385
  • Pray it in the quietness of your heart.
  • 00:24:47.385 --> 00:24:49.754
  • But this is a prayer where you're asking jesus christ to be
  • 00:24:49.754 --> 00:24:52.991
  • Your savior and lord, pray this with me now.
  • 00:24:52.991 --> 00:24:56.428
  • "lord jesus, i know that i'm a sinner, but i know that you're
  • 00:24:56.428 --> 00:25:00.131
  • The savior, who died on the cross for my
  • 00:25:00.131 --> 00:25:03.435
  • Sin and rose again from the dead.
  • 00:25:03.435 --> 00:25:05.637
  • Now come into my life.
  • 00:25:05.637 --> 00:25:08.340
  • I choose to follow you from this moment forward.
  • 00:25:08.340 --> 00:25:12.844
  • Thank you for hearing this prayer
  • 00:25:12.844 --> 00:25:15.013
  • And answering this prayer.
  • 00:25:15.013 --> 00:25:16.681
  • In jesus's name, amen."
  • 00:25:16.681 --> 00:25:19.518
  • Did you just pray that prayer with me?
  • 00:25:19.518 --> 00:25:21.620
  • If so, i want you to know in the authority of scripture that
  • 00:25:21.620 --> 00:25:24.689
  • Christ himself has come to live inside of you.
  • 00:25:24.689 --> 00:25:27.726
  • And i would love to send to you at
  • 00:25:27.726 --> 00:25:29.361
  • No charge "the new believers bible."
  • 00:25:29.361 --> 00:25:32.397
  • It's a very friendly translation of the new testament you'll
  • 00:25:32.397 --> 00:25:35.634
  • Find very understandable, and it's filled with hundreds of
  • 00:25:35.634 --> 00:25:39.170
  • Notes that i wrote that will encourage you in this commitment
  • 00:25:39.170 --> 00:25:42.841
  • You've just made to follow jesus.
  • 00:25:42.841 --> 00:25:44.943
  • And let me be the first to say to you,
  • 00:25:44.943 --> 00:25:47.045
  • Congratulations, and welcome to the family of god.
  • 00:25:47.045 --> 00:25:56.521
  • Greg: greg laurie here.
  • 00:26:00.058 --> 00:26:01.393
  • You know, there is a very special group of people
  • 00:26:01.393 --> 00:26:04.396
  • I want to introduce you to.
  • 00:26:04.396 --> 00:26:06.298
  • They are a group of people who are passionate about the gospel
  • 00:26:06.298 --> 00:26:09.935
  • Of jesus christ being proclaimed in this nation and beyond.
  • 00:26:09.935 --> 00:26:14.072
  • In fact, these people made this tv program
  • 00:26:14.072 --> 00:26:17.542
  • That you're watching possible.
  • 00:26:17.542 --> 00:26:19.444
  • They also make possible our radio program, our harvest
  • 00:26:19.444 --> 00:26:22.681
  • Crusades, our evangelistic movies like "jesus revolution,"
  • 00:26:22.681 --> 00:26:26.718
  • And so much more.
  • 00:26:26.718 --> 00:26:28.153
  • Without them, harvest ministries could not even exist,
  • 00:26:28.153 --> 00:26:31.723
  • So who are these amazing people?
  • 00:26:31.723 --> 00:26:34.092
  • We call them harvest partners.
  • 00:26:34.092 --> 00:26:36.328
  • They are people who have chosen to give monthly to harvest to
  • 00:26:36.328 --> 00:26:39.598
  • Keep the gospel moving forward.
  • 00:26:39.598 --> 00:26:42.000
  • Jesus said, "the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are
  • 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:45.604
  • Few, therefore pray the lord of the harvest
  • 00:26:45.604 --> 00:26:48.607
  • To send out laborers into his harvest."
  • 00:26:48.607 --> 00:26:51.309
  • Will you become a harvest partner and help us fulfill the
  • 00:26:51.309 --> 00:26:55.146
  • Great commission in our lifetime?
  • 00:26:55.146 --> 00:26:57.549
  • Let's do this together.
  • 00:26:57.549 --> 00:26:59.451
  • Female announcer: jesus says that "where two or three are
  • 00:27:01.353 --> 00:27:03.788
  • Gathered in my name, there i am in the midst of them."
  • 00:27:03.788 --> 00:27:07.892
  • We are all different.
  • 00:27:07.892 --> 00:27:09.294
  • We have different interests, different personalities,
  • 00:27:09.294 --> 00:27:12.430
  • Different upbringings, and different ways we do life.
  • 00:27:12.430 --> 00:27:16.701
  • But here we have a deep connection and you are
  • 00:27:16.701 --> 00:27:21.973
  • Welcome here.
  • 00:27:21.973 --> 00:27:24.009
  • This is harvest.
  • 00:27:24.009 --> 00:27:24.009