Greg Laurie - When Faith Feels Fragile

March 22, 2026 | 27:29

Join Pastor Greg Laurie for a time of encouragement, worship, and Bible study.

#Faith #SpiritualFoundation #Obedience #Foundation #Struggle #Challenges #Trials-HardTimes #SeekGod #WalkwithGod #BloodofJesus #Sin #Forgiveness #Submission #Temptation #Testing #GregLaurie

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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - When Faith Feels Fragile | March 22, 2026

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♪♪♪
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Greg laurie: for the christian who's living in light, he will
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Not be living in sin.
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Real faith is proven by obedience.
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You're either in the light or you're not in the light.
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And so, when you're in the light, it means that you will
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Be honest.
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God is not looking for perfection.
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He's looking for transparency.
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♪ this is the day ♪
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♪ the day when life begins. ♪
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♪ this is the day, the day when life begins. ♪♪
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Greg: years ago, my oldest son christopher, when he was just a
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Little guy, i bought him a plastic tugboat that was
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Basically unsinkable.
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It had super thick plastic on it, so you could swim it down to
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The bottom of a pool, hold it there, let it go, boom, it would
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Pop right to the top.
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So he enjoyed that little tugboat.
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He got a little bit older and one day i went to him and said,
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"hey christopher, you don't really play with that
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Tugboat anymore.
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Do you want to blow it up?"
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And he said, "yeah, let's blow it up."
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By the way, guys like to blow stuff up, am i right?
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How many of you guys like to either blow things up or watch
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Things blow up?
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Okay, how many of you guys don't like that at all?
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Get out. you're not a man.
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No, you are.
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No, you are. of some kind.
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No, i'm kidding.
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We like to watch stuff blow up, who knows why.
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So somehow i acquired a cherry bomb.
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You know what that is?
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I don't know how.
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I don't remember buying it anywhere, but i did have a
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Cherry bomb.
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So i cut a little hole in the top of this little tugboat, lit
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The cherry bomb, dropped it in, and we stood way back waiting
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For this big dramatic explosion, and instead it just sort
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Of went pwack, boom, boom!
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Then blugh, blugh, blugh.
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Then i heard somewhere wah, wah, wah, waa.
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Pretty sad, not that dramatic, but the tugboat had a hole in
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The--a hole in the hull, little tongue twister there, and it
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Slowly went to the bottom, and that can be a picture of
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Us spiritually.
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We can start to sink because in a way we have a hole in our hull
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Or a breakdown in our foundation, and as our faith is
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Shaken and we start to sink, bringing me to my first point:
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Faith can be shaken, but you don't have to sink.
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Now, have you ever had your faith shaken?
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Pretty much everyone has in some way, shape, or form.
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I don't know what caused it to happen.
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A certain set of circumstances caused you to question why you
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Were going through a certain thing.
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As an example, maybe it was a health crisis.
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Maybe you've been in great health all of your life, and
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Then suddenly you found yourself very sick.
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You even found yourself hospitalized, and one thing led
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To another thing, and you wondered if you were ever going
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To get out of there again, and you're thinking, "god, why are
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You letting this happen to me?
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If you love me, you wouldn't let this happen."
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It could be an unanswered prayer.
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Maybe you're praying for an unsaved spouse.
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Maybe you're praying for the return of a prodigal child, and
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You're wondering, "god, are you even hearing my prayer?"
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Or maybe someone you looked up to spiritually let you down.
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It might have been your parents.
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It might have been a spiritual leader of some kind, and it
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Caused you to think, "if someone like that could fall away
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Spiritually, am i next?"
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Or maybe it was what you perceived as an
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Irresistible temptation.
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Something came your way that was so enticing, so tempting, that
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You didn't think you could resist it, and in fact, you gave
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Into it and your fellowship with god has been broken, and you
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Find yourself with a shaken faith.
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Well, let me say at the outset, you are not alone.
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Others have had their faith shaken, even godly men.
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Elijah, the wonder-working prophet after his contest with
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The prophets of baal on mount carmel was threatened by queen
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Jezebel, who effectively put a contract out on his life to have
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Him put to death.
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And elijah ran away and he was depressed and down and even said
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To god, "i just want to die."
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Same thing happened to jonah.
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Things didn't go the way he wanted them to go, and he sat
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Under a little plant for shade in the burning sun and said,
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"lord, i don't want to live anymore."
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David fell into sin with bathsheba and tried to cover
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It up.
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Simon peter openly denied his lord three times, and
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Guess what?
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God did not give up on any of them, and he's not going to give
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Up on you either.
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Maybe you've stumbled, but you're still standing.
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You might feel weak, but god is strong.
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Maybe you feel shaken, but you don't have to stay in that
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State, and that is why we're looking at 1, 2, and 3
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John together.
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Why was this epistle written, 1 john in particular?
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John gives the answer when he says in 1 john 5:13: "i've
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Written this to you believe who--i've written this to you
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Who believe in the name of the son of god, that you may know
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That you have eternal life."
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I wrote this so you will know that you have eternal life.
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This is so important because sometimes, especially when we're
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Young in the faith, we doubt our salvation.
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We question if we're really saved, but we need to remember
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That god completes what he starts.
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He is described in the bible as the author and the finisher of
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Your faith.
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God's gift to you, salvation, is from god to you, from beginning
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To end.
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You didn't earn it, therefore you can't lose it.
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It's not based on how you feel.
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It's based on what jesus did.
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That's why john says: "these things we write to you that
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Believe in the name of the son of god, that you may know that
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You have eternal life."
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He didn't say, "so you may feel that you have eternal life,"
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Because our emotions can mislead us.
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So this is a very important thing, obviously written by the
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Apostle john.
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John is what we might describe as an insider.
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He spent a lot of time with jesus.
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I mean, for starters, he was one of the chosen apostles.
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Jesus handpicked him.
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But then he was in a special group of peter, james, and john
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That went with the lord to certain places on
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Certain occasions.
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For instance, we read about jesus transfigured and we read
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He took peter, james, and john with him.
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We read that when he raised jairus's daughter from the dead,
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He took peter, james, and john with him.
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When he was in the garden of gethsemane, he asked peter,
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James, and john to join him.
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Now, we might think because they were sort of special or what we
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Might describe as teacher's pets.
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Well, maybe that's the case, though i doubt it.
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I think of how much time i often spent sitting next to a teacher
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In a class when i was going to school, not because i was a
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Teacher's pet, because i was the teacher's monster.
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I disrupted the class and she would say, or he would say,
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"greg laurie, pull your desk up here right next to me so i can
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Keep my eye on you."
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Is that why jesus took peter, james, and john with him?
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I mean, don't forget, james and john weren't called the sons of
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Thunder for nothing.
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These are the guys that wanted to call fire down from--on a
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Town because they were not responsive to the message they
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Were bringing, but john was the one apostle that's identified as
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Standing at the foot of the cross, and in fact one of the
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Seven statements of christ was directed to john when he said,
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"son, behold your mother," and then to mary, who was also
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There, he said, "woman, behold your son."
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In effect, jesus was committing the care of his mother to the
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Apostle john, quite an honor.
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So john had a unique access to jesus christ and, in fact, he
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Outlived all the other apostles.
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According to church tradition, all the apostles died the death
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Of a martyr with the exception of john, who lived to be a very
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Old man and, in fact, was exiled to the island of patmos where
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They thought we'll never hear from him again.
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And the lord came to him and gave to john what we now call
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The book of revelation.
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Talking about having the last word.
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John was also the pastor of the church of ephesus.
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This church was established by the apostle paul, pastored by
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Timothy, and also by john, and this church started when paul
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Went to ephesus and preached to them.
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There's an amphitheater that still stands in ephesus today
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That i've stood in and i've spoken in, and it's pretty
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Exciting to think paul was here once.
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And they worshiped a false goddess there called diana, or
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Also known as artemis.
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And so when paul preached, it caused trouble with the industry
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That was built on this false idol worship, and then a riot
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Broke out.
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Pretty much wherever paul went, there was either a riot or
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A revival.
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Never a dull day with paul.
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So paul established his church and then it's pastored later by
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Timothy, as i mentioned, and then john.
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I mean, can you imagine having paul and john as pastors in
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Your church?
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Talk about epic leadership.
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They would announce, "this-- starting on sunday mornings,
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John is gonna do a brand-new series that he's simply
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Calling 'revelation.'"
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Yeah, i think i wanna come and hear that.
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So these were the men of god leading this church.
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Now, 1 john can be divided into three sections, and they are god
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Is light, god is love, and god is life.
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First, god is light.
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1 john 1 says: "this is the message we heard from him and
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Declare to you that god is light and in him there is no darkness
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At all."
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Secondly, god is love.
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1 john 2: "whoever does not love does not know god because god
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Is love."
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And finally, god is life.
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1 john chapter 5: "he that has the son has life.
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He who does not have the son of god does not have life."
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All right, so let's dig in.
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1 john chapter 1, i'm reading from the new living translation.
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"we proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom
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We heard and we have seen.
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We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands.
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He is the word of life.
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This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have
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Seen him.
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And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is
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Eternal life.
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He was with the father, and then he was revealed to us.
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We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and
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Heard, that you may have fellowship with us.
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And our fellowship is with the father and with his son,
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Jesus christ.
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We are writing these things so you may fully share our joy."
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We'll stop there.
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So how do you have an unshakeable faith?
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That's the key.
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You need to look to jesus.
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Look to jesus, and that's something we all can do.
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That's not merely a privilege of these first century believers,
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It's a privilege for us as well.
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Let's go back to those scenarios i raised a few moments ago.
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Let's say you're facing a health crisis.
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It's knocked the wind out of you.
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Your recovery is not happening as quickly as you would hope.
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Well, first of all, look to jesus.
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Remember the story of the woman who had the medical condition?
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And she reasoned, "if i can touch the hem of his garment, i
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Will be healed," and that's exactly what she did.
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Call out to the lord and ask for his healing touch.
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The bible says: "you have not because you ask not."
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And the bible even says: "if there's any sick among you, call
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For the elders of the church who will pray for you and anoint you
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With oil, and the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous
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Man will accomplish much."
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And i can't tell you how many times that the pastors here and
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Elders have prayed for people, and we've seen amazing
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Things happen.
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We've seen miracles take place.
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So do pray.
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You say, "but greg, what about when god doesn't heal?"
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Well, first, i would pray for the healing, and if he doesn't
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Heal, you'll know this for sure.
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He'll be with you in your time of suffering.
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He'll be with you in your time of sickness.
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The great apostle paul, whom god used to bring healing in the
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Lives of others had his own physical infirmity that he
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Described as his thorn in the flesh.
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We don't know what it was, but we know that on three separate
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Occasions he asked the lord to remove it, and god's response
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Was, "my grace is sufficient for you, and my strength--my power
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Shows itself stronger in your times of weakness."
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So at the very least, the lord will be with you.
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Let's go back to someone letting you down spiritually.
00:13:43.579 --> 00:13:47.082
I'm sorry that happened to you, but remember jesus has not let
00:13:47.082 --> 00:13:51.654
You down, and jesus will not let you down ever.
00:13:51.654 --> 00:13:55.824
So look to him.
00:13:55.824 --> 00:13:57.159
Put your eyes on jesus christ.
00:13:57.159 --> 00:13:59.528
As the author of hebrews says, "look to jesus, the author and
00:13:59.528 --> 00:14:04.333
Finisher of your faith."
00:14:04.333 --> 00:14:06.969
Corrie ten boom, a remarkable woman who suffered in a
00:14:06.969 --> 00:14:11.173
Concentration camp during world war ii because her family and
00:14:11.173 --> 00:14:15.177
Her hid jewish people in their home from the nazis and shared
00:14:15.177 --> 00:14:20.582
The gospel with them as well, made this statement, and i
00:14:20.582 --> 00:14:23.919
Quote: "look within and be depressed, look without and
00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:27.723
Be distressed.
00:14:27.723 --> 00:14:29.258
Look at jesus and be at rest."
00:14:29.258 --> 00:14:33.729
And here's the thing, this is what john is really saying.
00:14:33.729 --> 00:14:36.598
You can have this relationship with god too.
00:14:36.598 --> 00:14:38.968
He's not saying, "hey, man, too bad you didn't live 2000
00:14:38.968 --> 00:14:41.870
Years ago.
00:14:41.870 --> 00:14:43.238
We were there, you weren't."
00:14:43.238 --> 00:14:44.573
Instead, he's saying, "no, this is for you as well."
00:14:44.573 --> 00:14:46.976
Look at 1 john 1:3: "we proclaim to you what we ourselves have
00:14:46.976 --> 00:14:50.980
Actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us,
00:14:50.980 --> 00:14:56.051
And our fellowship is with the father and with the son
00:14:56.051 --> 00:14:59.021
Jesus christ.
00:14:59.021 --> 00:15:00.356
We're writing these things so you may fully share our joy."
00:15:00.356 --> 00:15:04.827
We want you to have the same joy that we have had and that we
00:15:04.827 --> 00:15:10.099
Have experienced.
00:15:10.099 --> 00:15:11.467
And so this is the thing he's bringing to our attention, but
00:15:11.467 --> 00:15:14.470
There's something that keeps that joy out of our life, and
00:15:14.470 --> 00:15:17.773
It's unconfessed sin.
00:15:17.773 --> 00:15:20.676
Go back to 1 john.
00:15:20.676 --> 00:15:22.011
Look at verse 5: "this is the message we heard from jesus and
00:15:22.011 --> 00:15:25.280
Now declare to you: god is light and in him there is no darkness
00:15:25.280 --> 00:15:28.984
At all.
00:15:28.984 --> 00:15:30.319
So we're lying if we say we have fellowship with god and we go on
00:15:30.319 --> 00:15:32.855
Living in spiritual darkness, and we're not practicing the
00:15:32.855 --> 00:15:35.724
Truth, but if we're living in the light as god is in the
00:15:35.724 --> 00:15:38.627
Light, then we have fellowship with each other and the blood of
00:15:38.627 --> 00:15:42.231
Jesus christ cleanses us from all sin."
00:15:42.231 --> 00:15:46.902
God wants us to live in the light, and in the bible, light
00:15:46.902 --> 00:15:50.406
Is a picture, a metaphor for walking closely with god.
00:15:50.406 --> 00:15:54.610
Darkness is a picture or metaphor for walking in sin.
00:15:54.610 --> 00:15:58.947
It's a lot easier to find things when the lights are on.
00:15:58.947 --> 00:16:02.017
You know, i always wake up before my wife does, and i'll be
00:16:02.017 --> 00:16:05.187
Stumbling around looking for my clothes and i walk out going,
00:16:05.187 --> 00:16:08.791
"oh wait, i put my wife's shirt on.
00:16:08.791 --> 00:16:10.259
I knew it was tight."
00:16:10.259 --> 00:16:12.961
But you know, so you turn the light on.
00:16:12.961 --> 00:16:14.596
Oh, there it is.
00:16:14.596 --> 00:16:15.964
You can find things, right?
00:16:15.964 --> 00:16:17.299
So everything is different when you turn the light on, and the
00:16:17.299 --> 00:16:19.802
Bible uses this picture for our relationship with the lord.
00:16:19.802 --> 00:16:23.038
In ephesians 5, it says: "you were formerly darkness, but now
00:16:23.038 --> 00:16:26.608
You're light in the lord, so walk as children of the light.
00:16:26.608 --> 00:16:32.247
For the christian who's living in light, he will not be living
00:16:32.247 --> 00:16:35.851
In sin."
00:16:35.851 --> 00:16:37.352
Real faith is proven by obedience.
00:16:37.352 --> 00:16:40.355
You're either in the light or you're not in the light.
00:16:40.355 --> 00:16:43.392
And so when you're in the light, it means that you will
00:16:43.392 --> 00:16:47.129
Be honest.
00:16:47.129 --> 00:16:48.464
God is not looking for perfection.
00:16:48.464 --> 00:16:50.566
He's looking for transparency, so he shines the light in our
00:16:50.566 --> 00:16:54.937
Life to expose our sin so we will turn from it and find
00:16:54.937 --> 00:16:59.441
His forgiveness.
00:16:59.441 --> 00:17:01.710
A great example of this is david, the man after god's
00:17:01.710 --> 00:17:05.614
Own heart.
00:17:05.614 --> 00:17:06.982
Now how could a man who committed adultery and also be
00:17:06.982 --> 00:17:11.787
Responsible for effectively bringing about the death of
00:17:11.787 --> 00:17:15.891
Another man, that would be uriah, the husband of bathsheba,
00:17:15.891 --> 00:17:19.094
Be called a man after god's own heart?
00:17:19.094 --> 00:17:22.397
I'll tell you how.
00:17:22.397 --> 00:17:23.732
When he was confronted with this sin, he came clean.
00:17:23.732 --> 00:17:27.202
He admitted it, and god forgave him.
00:17:27.202 --> 00:17:29.872
Contrast him to king saul, the first king of israel, who was
00:17:29.872 --> 00:17:33.675
Rejected from ruling on the throne.
00:17:33.675 --> 00:17:37.146
Saul would justify his sin.
00:17:37.146 --> 00:17:39.047
He would excuse his sin.
00:17:39.047 --> 00:17:40.916
He would lie about his sin.
00:17:40.916 --> 00:17:43.585
David, in contrast, admitted it.
00:17:43.585 --> 00:17:45.854
When david was confronted by nathan the prophet, basically
00:17:45.854 --> 00:17:49.925
Said, you know, "your sin has found you out," david said, "i
00:17:49.925 --> 00:17:53.862
Have sinned against god."
00:17:53.862 --> 00:17:55.764
That is why he was a man after god's own heart, because he
00:17:55.764 --> 00:17:59.635
Admitted it and turned from it when confronted with it.
00:17:59.635 --> 00:18:03.005
Listen, when you fall into sin, you have no one to blame
00:18:03.005 --> 00:18:06.108
But yourself.
00:18:06.108 --> 00:18:07.910
James 1:14 says: "each person is tempted when they're dragged
00:18:07.910 --> 00:18:12.014
Away by their own evil desires, and they sin, and then sin when
00:18:12.014 --> 00:18:17.586
It's full-grown gives birth to death."
00:18:17.586 --> 00:18:21.256
Years ago when jonathan was just a little boy, he had a video
00:18:21.256 --> 00:18:26.094
Game, and i told him, you know, "turn it off and go to bed."
00:18:26.094 --> 00:18:30.165
So i was walking by his room and i noticed light coming out from
00:18:30.165 --> 00:18:33.769
Beneath the door, so i opened the door and under the covers
00:18:33.769 --> 00:18:36.905
There's little jonathan still playing with his video game.
00:18:36.905 --> 00:18:40.275
I said, "jonathan, i told you to turn that off."
00:18:40.275 --> 00:18:43.278
And he looked up at me and said, "dad, i couldn't resist myself."
00:18:43.278 --> 00:18:48.650
It was so cute.
00:18:48.650 --> 00:18:49.985
I just said, "oh whatever, turn it off."
00:18:49.985 --> 00:18:51.353
You know, it's just--but that was actually
00:18:51.353 --> 00:18:52.921
Theologically correct.
00:18:52.921 --> 00:18:54.289
I couldn't resist myself.
00:18:54.289 --> 00:18:55.924
We like to say the devil made me do it.
00:18:55.924 --> 00:18:58.327
The devil didn't make you do anything.
00:18:58.327 --> 00:19:01.263
"a man sins when he's drawn away by his own desires," the bible
00:19:01.263 --> 00:19:06.101
Says, so we are responsible.
00:19:06.101 --> 00:19:08.070
You say, "well, the temptation was too strong.
00:19:08.070 --> 00:19:10.973
It was--it was irresistible."
00:19:10.973 --> 00:19:12.841
That's not true.
00:19:12.841 --> 00:19:14.643
Nothing is irresistible, even though there's a song about it.
00:19:14.643 --> 00:19:18.780
You can resist it.
00:19:18.780 --> 00:19:20.315
The bible says: "resist the devil, and he will flee
00:19:20.315 --> 00:19:24.152
From you."
00:19:24.152 --> 00:19:25.487
But first it says: "submit to god."
00:19:25.487 --> 00:19:28.090
So first i submit to god, then i resist the devil.
00:19:28.090 --> 00:19:31.693
1 corinthians 10:13 says: "there's no temptation that
00:19:31.693 --> 00:19:35.464
You're going to face that is not common to everybody else, but
00:19:35.464 --> 00:19:38.700
God, who is faithful, will not allow you to be tempted above
00:19:38.700 --> 00:19:42.004
Your capacity to resist, but will with temptation make a way
00:19:42.004 --> 00:19:47.175
Of escape that you may be able to bear it."
00:19:47.175 --> 00:19:50.712
Bottom line, there's always an exit sign.
00:19:50.712 --> 00:19:53.949
You just need to look for it.
00:19:53.949 --> 00:19:56.318
But see, we excuse it.
00:19:56.318 --> 00:19:58.320
We don't take responsibility, say, "well, i'm only human."
00:19:58.320 --> 00:20:02.124
Yeah, that's true, you're only human.
00:20:02.124 --> 00:20:04.993
But you're also, if you're a christian, a spirit-filled child
00:20:04.993 --> 00:20:08.964
Of god, and the bible says you can walk in the spirit and not
00:20:08.964 --> 00:20:13.168
Fulfill the lust of the flesh.
00:20:13.168 --> 00:20:15.771
Listen to this: sin always takes you further than you wanted
00:20:15.771 --> 00:20:19.574
To go.
00:20:19.574 --> 00:20:20.942
It keeps you longer than you wanted to stay, and it costs you
00:20:20.942 --> 00:20:24.479
More than you wanted to pay.
00:20:24.479 --> 00:20:26.281
It's there on the screen.
00:20:26.281 --> 00:20:28.483
Sin takes you further than you want to go.
00:20:28.483 --> 00:20:31.186
It keeps you longer than you want to stay.
00:20:31.186 --> 00:20:34.056
It costs you more than you want to pay.
00:20:34.056 --> 00:20:37.626
That's why we need to avoid it.
00:20:37.626 --> 00:20:40.862
So god shines his light in your life not to shame you but to
00:20:40.862 --> 00:20:46.268
Heal you.
00:20:46.268 --> 00:20:48.103
Verse 7: "the blood of jesus christ cleanses us from
00:20:48.103 --> 00:20:52.474
All sin."
00:20:52.474 --> 00:20:54.376
By the way, the greek tense for cleanse here means
00:20:54.376 --> 00:20:57.579
Continuous cleansing.
00:20:57.579 --> 00:21:00.415
He's still cleansing because we're still sinning.
00:21:00.415 --> 00:21:03.852
See, you don't need to say, "well, you know, i got saved ten
00:21:03.852 --> 00:21:06.521
Years ago at a harvest crusade, and he forgave my sin."
00:21:06.521 --> 00:21:09.958
Yeah, that's ten years ago, but then there's today, and there'll
00:21:09.958 --> 00:21:13.662
Be tomorrow.
00:21:13.662 --> 00:21:15.030
"well, i don't really sin that much."
00:21:15.030 --> 00:21:16.365
Oh, yes, you do.
00:21:16.365 --> 00:21:18.266
The bible says: "if you say you have no sin, you deceive
00:21:18.266 --> 00:21:21.136
Yourself, and the truth is not in you."
00:21:21.136 --> 00:21:23.572
We sin all the time.
00:21:23.572 --> 00:21:25.273
We need constant cleansing, but the promise is the blood of
00:21:25.273 --> 00:21:29.211
Jesus christ will cleanse us from all sin, and the way to be
00:21:29.211 --> 00:21:34.082
Forgiven of your sin is to confess it.
00:21:34.082 --> 00:21:37.953
To confess it.
00:21:37.953 --> 00:21:39.287
Look at 1 john 1:8, "if we claim we have no sin, we're only
00:21:39.287 --> 00:21:42.991
Fooling ourselves.
00:21:42.991 --> 00:21:44.526
And we're not living in the truth, but if we," underline
00:21:44.526 --> 00:21:47.896
This in your bible, please.
00:21:47.896 --> 00:21:49.364
Get your pen out, if you have a pen.
00:21:49.364 --> 00:21:51.199
Underline it.
00:21:51.199 --> 00:21:52.534
"if we confess our sin, he's faithful and just to forgive us
00:21:52.534 --> 00:21:56.805
Our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
00:21:56.805 --> 00:22:01.610
What a promise that is.
00:22:01.610 --> 00:22:03.512
It's time to stop making excuses and start making confession.
00:22:03.512 --> 00:22:09.951
See, i don't even know if people know how to apologize anymore.
00:22:09.951 --> 00:22:13.455
You know, you're having a conflict with someone, a
00:22:13.455 --> 00:22:15.323
Disagreement, and you wanna end the conflict, so you say,
00:22:15.323 --> 00:22:18.760
"listen, i'm sorry if you misunderstood what i was
00:22:18.760 --> 00:22:26.201
Actually trying to say."
00:22:26.201 --> 00:22:28.503
Or, "i'm sorry if this offended you.
00:22:28.503 --> 00:22:31.606
That was not my intention."
00:22:31.606 --> 00:22:33.308
We don't just own up to it.
00:22:33.308 --> 00:22:35.844
An apology goes along these lines: "hey, i'm sorry.
00:22:35.844 --> 00:22:40.582
I was wrong.
00:22:40.582 --> 00:22:42.184
Please forgive me."
00:22:42.184 --> 00:22:43.718
"no, i'm sorry if--" shut up.
00:22:43.718 --> 00:22:45.720
Just--you gotta do a proper apology, and we do the same
00:22:45.720 --> 00:22:50.158
Thing with god.
00:22:50.158 --> 00:22:51.493
"well, god, i'm sorry if you thought--" oh no, come on, give
00:22:51.493 --> 00:22:53.595
Me a break.
00:22:53.595 --> 00:22:55.263
The lord knows all things.
00:22:55.263 --> 00:22:56.631
You--just be honest with him.
00:22:56.631 --> 00:22:58.600
Tell him the truth and be honest and confess your sin.
00:22:58.600 --> 00:23:03.238
"i'm sorry, lord, that i sinned against you."
00:23:03.238 --> 00:23:06.174
When the bible uses this phrase, "confess," it means to agree
00:23:06.174 --> 00:23:10.979
With, all right?
00:23:10.979 --> 00:23:12.347
To agree with.
00:23:12.347 --> 00:23:13.715
So let's use an analogy, and this is for our friends over
00:23:13.715 --> 00:23:16.785
At maui.
00:23:16.785 --> 00:23:18.153
So let's talk about maui sunsets, all right, so
00:23:18.153 --> 00:23:21.456
California sunsets can be pretty awesome i have to say.
00:23:21.456 --> 00:23:24.526
Every now and then i'll watch one and post it, but maui
00:23:24.526 --> 00:23:27.395
Sunsets are on the next level.
00:23:27.395 --> 00:23:30.098
There's a beautiful little beach there on the island of maui
00:23:30.098 --> 00:23:33.068
Called napili beach, and i've seen--that's a picture i took
00:23:33.068 --> 00:23:36.505
With my phone.
00:23:36.505 --> 00:23:37.839
So that's just a typical maui sunset.
00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:40.642
I've seen sunsets there that are even more impressive than that
00:23:40.642 --> 00:23:44.446
One, but you just watch the sun slowly set.
00:23:44.446 --> 00:23:47.816
I remember one in particular not too long ago where the sky took
00:23:47.816 --> 00:23:51.319
On a pink hue.
00:23:51.319 --> 00:23:52.654
It's just unbelievable, you know, what you're seeing.
00:23:52.654 --> 00:23:55.223
So let's say you and i are sitting on the beach and i say,
00:23:55.223 --> 00:23:58.193
"now that is a beautiful sunset."
00:23:58.193 --> 00:24:00.896
And you say, "you know what, i agree."
00:24:00.896 --> 00:24:03.231
So we just confessed something together.
00:24:03.231 --> 00:24:06.234
You agreed with me.
00:24:06.234 --> 00:24:08.270
Now let's say i say, "let's go and get some dinner," and i take
00:24:08.270 --> 00:24:11.139
You to my favorite italian restaurant on the island of maui
00:24:11.139 --> 00:24:14.776
Called sale pepe.
00:24:14.776 --> 00:24:16.111
By the way, that's run by some folks in our church, and it's
00:24:16.111 --> 00:24:18.980
So good.
00:24:18.980 --> 00:24:20.348
You have to understand that growing up as a kid i had pretty
00:24:20.348 --> 00:24:23.518
Bad substitute for proper italian food.
00:24:23.518 --> 00:24:26.254
Sale pepe, in contrast, one of the owners is from italy.
00:24:26.254 --> 00:24:31.259
And he has an italian oven that he imported.
00:24:31.259 --> 00:24:35.864
He gets his flour from italy.
00:24:35.864 --> 00:24:37.532
He gets his tomato sauce from italy, so when he makes a pizza
00:24:37.532 --> 00:24:42.370
Or they make fresh pasta, it's on another level.
00:24:42.370 --> 00:24:45.373
So i say, "that is amazing pasta," you say, "i agree."
00:24:45.373 --> 00:24:49.411
So we're confessing something together.
00:24:49.411 --> 00:24:52.213
Now let's say we leave and we go by a roadside stand and buy
00:24:52.213 --> 00:24:55.350
Something to eat there and i say, "this is rancid," and you
00:24:55.350 --> 00:24:59.921
Say, "i agree."
00:24:59.921 --> 00:25:02.123
So when we say, "i agree with god" or to confess means i see
00:25:02.123 --> 00:25:06.294
Things the way god sees them.
00:25:06.294 --> 00:25:08.830
God says, "that is good."
00:25:08.830 --> 00:25:10.165
We say, "i agree with you, god."
00:25:10.165 --> 00:25:12.467
God says, "that is bad," we say, "and i also agree with you on
00:25:12.467 --> 00:25:16.137
That, lord."
00:25:16.137 --> 00:25:17.505
So to confess is to see your sin as god sees it, not excusing it,
00:25:17.505 --> 00:25:23.044
Not making excuses for it, not blaming it on others, but owning
00:25:23.044 --> 00:25:27.649
It, being responsible for it.
00:25:27.649 --> 00:25:30.585
And then the promise is that we will confess our sin, he's
00:25:30.585 --> 00:25:33.822
Faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from
00:25:33.822 --> 00:25:38.059
All unrighteousness.
00:25:38.059 --> 00:25:39.861
Max lucado put it this way, and i quote: "god doesn't want
00:25:39.861 --> 00:25:43.098
Your excuses.
00:25:43.098 --> 00:25:44.466
He wants your heart.
00:25:44.466 --> 00:25:45.867
When you confess, you're not surprising god, you're inviting
00:25:45.867 --> 00:25:49.604
Him to heal what's broken," and what a promise.
00:25:49.604 --> 00:25:54.242
If we will confess our sin, he's faithful and just to forgive us
00:25:54.242 --> 00:25:57.445
Our sin and cleanse us from some unrighteousness, right?
00:25:57.445 --> 00:26:02.384
No, all, no matter what you've done, it's been covered by the
00:26:02.384 --> 00:26:08.056
Blood of jesus christ when he died on the cross for you.
00:26:08.056 --> 00:26:11.860
And listen to this.
00:26:11.860 --> 00:26:13.194
God not only forgives your sin and cleanses your sin, he
00:26:13.194 --> 00:26:18.466
Forgets your sin.
00:26:18.466 --> 00:26:22.937
Greg: hi, i'm greg laurie. i've got some good news for you.
00:26:27.075 --> 00:26:29.778
God loves you, and god has a plan for your life.
00:26:29.778 --> 00:26:33.615
Here's the problem: we're separated from god by our sin
00:26:33.615 --> 00:26:37.085
Because we've all broken his commandments.
00:26:37.085 --> 00:26:40.021
But the good news is that 2,000 years ago, god sent
00:26:40.021 --> 00:26:43.491
His son, jesus christ, to die on the cross for your sin,
00:26:43.491 --> 00:26:47.896
And then to rise again from the dead.
00:26:47.896 --> 00:26:50.298
The same jesus who died and rose is alive and ready
00:26:50.298 --> 00:26:53.601
To come into your life right now.
00:26:53.601 --> 00:26:56.137
Would you like your sin forgiven?
00:26:56.137 --> 00:26:58.206
Would you like to know that when you die you will go to heaven?
00:26:58.206 --> 00:27:01.076
If so, pray this simple prayer with me right now.
00:27:01.076 --> 00:27:04.379
Just say, "lord jesus, i know i'm a sinner, but i believe
00:27:04.379 --> 00:27:08.083
You're the savior, who died on the cross for my sin.
00:27:08.083 --> 00:27:11.553
I turn from my sin now, and i choose to follow you
00:27:11.553 --> 00:27:15.056
From this moment forward."
00:27:15.056 --> 00:27:17.425
Did you just pray that prayer with me?
00:27:17.425 --> 00:27:19.260
If you did, god in heaven has heard you.
00:27:19.260 --> 00:27:22.130
And let me be the first one to say to you:
00:27:22.130 --> 00:27:24.165
Congratulations, and welcome to the family of god.
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Greg Laurie - When Faith Feels Fragile

March 22, 2026 | 27:29

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