From the Chosen series, Pastor Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries are pleased to offer the Chosen graphic novel. Here at Harvest, we want to reach unexpected people in unexpected places with an unexpected message. And I can't think of a better way to do that than with the Chosen graphic novel. It's going to be a great tool to share the story of Jesus.
So get your copy of the chosen graphic novel for your gift of any size. Available at harvest.org. Are you running from God? He longs for a relationship with you. Listen, don't try to clean your life up and come to God.
Come to God, and He will clean your life up. You just come as you are. Up next today on a new beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie takes us to the Harvest Crusade with an important message of hope. Hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ. Come with your sins, come with your problems, come with your addictions, and you watch what God will do for you.
This is the devil. When the lost are found, this is the day for a new beginning. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. But can you hear all the angels are singing? This is the day, the day when I begin.
Pastor Greg Laurie has pointed out before how pervasive loneliness is.
Well, today is National Cheer Up the Lonely Day. What, you didn't know? But today on a new beginning, Pastor Greg doesn't offer warm platitudes to make us smile. He introduces us to a friend who sticks closer than a brother. From a recent harvest crusade, he shows us how Jesus offers connection and purpose.
and he offers the promise of eternal life. The day when life begins our life. It's like a movie. And of course, we're the star. of our own movie.
This movie that we're in, this life that we live. Is it beginning, a middle? Eleanor. A lot of twists and turns. Storm clouds and darkness.
A lot of things that we don't always understand, and we have questions about this movie. We're all in this life, we're all living. Is it a drama? Is it a love story? Maybe it's a comedy.
Or is it a hopeless tragedy? A famous cardiologist wrote in his autobiography: Hope is the medicine I use more than any other. Hope can cure nearly. Anything. And I wonder if you're without hope right now.
Because you cannot survive without hope in your life. It's been said: man can live 40 days without food, three days without water, eight minutes without air. But not one second without hope. And I have hope. for you tonight and it's a relationship with god Now I'm going to start by telling you a story.
about a lost boy. A little boy who had a hard life before him. A little boy that had the card stacked against him. And that little boy was me.
Now you may think because I'm a preacher, I was raised in a Christian home and I went to Sunday school as a kid. The very opposite was the case. In fact, my childhood was not like the ones that you saw on TV at the time. You know, I thought to myself, That maybe things went better, and I escaped to my little imaginary world of drawing cartoons. My mother in her day was beautiful, a Marilyn Monroe lookalike.
She loved the attention that was showered on her. Married and divorced seven times with a lot of boyfriends in between. We made our way eventually to Southern California. And I was hoping that my life would get better, but in many ways, it actually ended up worse. I grew up as a young man and It was the late 60s and the drug revolution was here in full force.
And I thought drugs might have the answer I was searching for. We blindly followed the Pied Pipers of our generation that told us to turn on, tune in, and drop out. But soon these musicians that we looked up to all began to die. Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison of the Doors, Brian Jones of the Stones. Ironically, all died at the age of Mm-hmm.
We were told that drugs would make us more aware, and in a way that was true because I became more aware of how empty I was. But I didn't know what the answer was. I knew the answer was not in drugs. I already found that out from experience. I knew the answer was not in the sometimes affluent lifestyle that my mother lived.
So, where was the answer? Because as a young man, I was asking the questions: what is the meaning of my life? Why am I here on this earth? Why am I so empty inside? And what's going to happen to me after I die?
Because life goes by so quickly.
Someone summed up life this way. Number one, you believe in Santa Claus. Number two, you don't believe in Santa Claus. Number three, You become Santa Claus. And lastly, you look like Santa Claus.
I think that's where I am in life right now. But here's my question for you. Your life is going by quickly. Are you a happy person? Are you a content person?
Or does it seem like if you were a little bit smarter or a little bit better looking or a little bit more successful, then you would suddenly be content? You know when you're single, you think, oh man, if I was only married. Then I know I would be happy. Then you get married and you say, Huh. Uh Okay.
Maybe I married the wrong person. Maybe if I got remarried, I would be happy.
So you get remarried.
Okay, well, maybe that's not it. Hey, maybe it's kids. I need kids if we had children, then you have children. And then you're thinking, how do I get rid of these kids that they're 40 and still living at home? You know, it's always just beyond your reach, right?
Oh, if I had a lot of money. Money would make me happy, you think. It reminds me of a story of a wealthy employer who once overheard one of his employees say, if I had $1,000, I would be perfectly content. The employer put out his checkbook and said, I'll tell you what, I've never found contentment from my money, but I want to meet a perfectly content person.
So he wrote out a check to the person for $1,000 and gave it to them. As he was walking away, the person was overheard to say, Why didn't I ask for $2,000? See, that's the way that we are. If I had just a little bit more. We think if only it had another life.
Or if I had another face or body. You know, we put so much emphasis today on the way that we look. $16 billion is spent a year on plastic surgery. And that's in Newport Beach alone.
Now, when you mention Botox, nobody even raises an eyebrow. These are the jokes people. I heard about a plastic surgery addict support group that meets weekly. There's a lot of new faces in the group every week. Right.
All the people who have had Botox are saying, I don't think that's funny. And I can't lower my eyebrows and I don't know what to do.
Sorry. We always want what someone else has. Have you ever noticed when you go to a restaurant with friends? That whatever they order looks better than what you order. Right.
So you're trying to lose weight, and you say, I'll have some salad. A kale, salad, and their friend orders a big juicy burger with French fries. And then you say, Could I have one of your french fries? Why is it that someone else's french fry is so good? You eat it, it's the best french fry you've ever had in your entire life.
Then you order a side of fries and they're not as good. Why is that? It's always, it's just beyond our reach. Have I had this? Have I had that?
then I would be happy. But listen, it's not a thing you're looking for. Here's what you're really looking for deep down inside. You're looking for a relationship with God. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment.
Hey everybody, you can watch our Sunday services on a special broadcast that we call Harvest at Home. It's streaming on the Harvest Plus platform.
So download that app right away, Harvest Plus, and you can enjoy being a part of our extended church family every Sunday.
Well, today, in a message from a recent Harvest Crusade, Pastor Greg is pointing out that so many are searching. But what they're really searching for is a relationship with God. What is God like?
Well, I can't think of a better source on that topic than Jesus Christ himself. And Jesus told a story we sometimes call the Story of the prodigal son. But it's a beautiful story that Always makes sense to pretty much any culture in the world, young or old, everyone seems to understand this simple story. And Jesus told lots of stories.
So, people could understand what he was talking about.
So, here's the story Jesus told. Maybe you've never heard it before. He said, a man had two sons. The younger son said to his dad, I want my share of the estate now instead of waiting until you die.
So the father agreed to divide this wealth between his sons. A few days later, The son packed all of his belongings and took a trip to a distant land. And there he wasted all of his money on wild living. About this time, his money ran out, and a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. And the boy persuaded a local farmer to feed him the food that was being fed to the pigs because the boy was so hungry, even the food he was feeding the pigs looked good to him.
But no one gave him anything.
So, as the story begins, we have a boy deciding to run away from home. But really, this is a story Jesus tells, and it's a picture of us trying to run away from God.
Now it looks like he had a pretty good home. Because as we get to the end of the story, we see the father welcome him with open arms.
So this was an affectionate home, a loving home, also wasn't affluent home. Because they had servants. I don't know what kind of home you came from. Maybe you had loving parents. Maybe you had no parents.
But regardless of whatever home you've come from, I want you to know that you have a Father in heaven who loves you. and wants a relationship with you. But apparently, this boy thought, you know, I'm tired of dad's rules. I want to live the way that I want to live. And the father let him go.
Listen, God has given to you a free will. He won't force his will on you. You don't have to go to heaven if you don't want to. You don't have to have your sins forgiven if you don't want to, but you can. And I think there's some of you here that want to do that tonight.
Are you running from God? He longs for a relationship with you. This boy wasted all of his money on wild living. I'm sure he had a lot of friends when he hit town. When he had money.
when he had resources, when he had a cool car or in his case a cool chariot. or whatever. They thought, oh, we're gonna hang out with this guy. But then when the money was gone, the friends were gone too. He was all alone.
And the Bible says, Jesus speaking, he came to his senses. And it's an amazing thing. Listen, there's nothing I can say here tonight. that will make you believe in Jesus Christ. But I believe in the power of the gospel.
And I know how it changed my life. And I believe there can come a moment where suddenly the lights go on and you just get it, right? You just get it. I used to think Christians were crazy. I made fun of them.
I laughed at them. I thought these poor delusional people. And it was on my high school campus many years ago. That I sat down close enough to where the Christians were because they would have Bible studies on the front lawn, and I sat close enough to hear what they were saying. But not close enough to be seen as one of them.
And as I watched them, I thought, these people are so sad. They're so weird. It's so pathetic. And then I thought, yeah, but they're pretty happy, pathetic people. I thought it's too good to be true.
But then I watched those Christians a little bit more and I thought, well, what if it's true? And then I said, no, it couldn't be true. And then that man who was preaching that day, Lonnie. Made a statement that was like a lightning bolt from heaven. He said, Jesus said, You're for me or against me, you're with me or you're opposed to me.
I looked around at the Christians and I thought, well, I'm not one of them. Does that mean I'm against God? I don't want to be against God. And then he said, if you want Jesus Christ to come into your life, get up and walk forward right now. And a bunch of kids got up and walked forward.
And I thought, there's no way I would ever do that. A moment later I was up there with those kids praying. That was the day Christ came into my life. And this can be the night Christ comes into your life. Can happen for you.
So this boy finally comes to his senses. Says, you know what, I got to go home. He realized that everything he was looking for in life was in his father's house. He says, I'm going to go home to Dad. Say, Dad, I'm sorry, I've sinned.
I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Just give me a job as one of your hired servants. And he's repeating this over and over again as he's making his way back home again. And I love how the story ends because as the boy is making his way home, Jesus says this in Luke 15: while he was still a long ways off, his father saw him. With his heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him.
The son started a speech. Father, I've sinned against God and I've sinned before you. I don't deserve to be called your son again. But Jesus says the father wasn't listening. He called to the servants, quick, he says, bring out a set of clothes, put the family ring in his finger and sandals on his feet, and get out the grain-fed heifer and roast it.
We're going to have a feast. We're going to have a wonderful time. My son, who was dead, is alive again. And they began to have a wonderful time. And then Jesus says, And I say unto you, there is Joy in heaven over one sinner.
it comes to repentance. What a beautiful story this is. Notice that the father welcomed the son as he was. The boy was dirty. The voice smelled like the company he was keeping, which would be Pigs.
And the father didn't say, Whoa, clean yourself up, boy. I'm downwind of you. You smell horrible. He threw his arms around his son. But what did he do then?
He said, Give him some new clothes and put a ring in his finger. Listen, you might say, I've messed up in life, and I'm going to clean my life up and try to become more moral and more religious, and then I'll come to God. Listen, don't try to clean your life up and come to God. Come to God, and he will clean your life up. You just come as you are.
Jesus said, Come to me, all you that are laboring and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. The Bible says, And the spirit and the bride say, Come, let him that is thirsty come, and let him drink of the water of life freely. You just come. Come as you are. Come with your sins.
Come with your problems. Come with your addictions. and you watch what God will do for you. What does it look like to come to Jesus Christ? It's as simple as this.
You admit you're a sinner. You turn from your sin. and you put your faith in Jesus Christ. Listen, Jesus did not say admire me. He said follow me.
This is an either-or proposition. This is a yes-or-no answer. Is Jesus Christ the Son of God who died on the cross to your sin and rose again from the dead? If so, then you should believe in him and follow him. If he isn't, then don't.
But it's not enough to just acknowledge these things are true. There has to be that moment of commitment.
So listen very carefully. If you want to have a relationship with God. If you want to find the meaning of your life. If you want to fill that hole deep inside of you. Here's what you need to do.
Number one, you need to realize you're a sinner. The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We're so quick to blame everyone and everything. for the things that we do that are wrong. But it's time to just own it.
The prodigal son. Said, I will say to my father, I have sinned. Every one of us have broken God's commandments. Every one of us have fallen short of God's glory. And the Bible says, if you offend in one point of the law, you're guilty of all of it.
You say, hey, Greg, come on, man. I'm not as bad as some people, but one sin is enough to keep you out of heaven.
So admit you're a sinner. But then, number two, realize that Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Died on the cross for you. When did Jesus come to this earth? and die on a cross.
Nails were driven through his hands and his feet. A crown of thorns was pressed in upon his forehead. This was after they had broken his back open with a Roman whip. Why? He came to die for the sin of the world.
He came to die for your sin and for mine. Jesus said, For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Realize Jesus died on that cross for you. It wasn't nails that held Christ to that cross 2,000 years ago, it was love for you. He loves you and wants a relationship with you.
Say, well, what am I supposed to do? You need to repent of your sin. Then you must receive Christ into your life. Being a Christian. Is not just trying to live by rules and regulations.
Being a Christian is not just going to church. Being a Christian. Is having Christ Himself come and take residence in your heart. Jesus says, Behold, I stand at the door and I knock, and if you'll hear my voice and open the door, I will come in. People, it's not about religion, it's about a relationship with God through Jesus.
One last thing. You need to do it now.
Now. The Bible says today is a day of salvation. And I'm going to give you that opportunity to come into this relationship with God, to have your sin forgiven, to know with certainty that when you die, you will go to heaven. Because listen, the afterlife is coming. And we decide in this life where we will spend the afterlife.
Are you prepared? For the next slide. If you put your faith in Christ, you do not have to be afraid because the believer has the confidence, they'll go to heaven. But friend, I have to warn you. There is also a hell.
Hell's as real as heaven is. And the last thing that our loving Father in heaven wants is for any person made in His image to spend eternity separated from Him in this horrible place called Hell. Hell was not prepared for people. It was created for the devil and his angels, Jesus said. God wants you to go to heaven.
That's why you must put your faith in Christ, and you can change your eternal address from hell to heaven tonight by coming to Jesus. It can happen for you. Right here. Right now. Let's pray.
Father, I pray now for everybody here. I pray for everybody watching and listening, wherever they may be in this world. If they don't have a relationship with you yet. If they don't have the confidence that their sin is forgiven, let this be the moment they believe. Let this be the moment they say yes to Jesus.
and have their eternal address changed. We commit them to you now. We ask you to touch them. and bring them to yourself. In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen. Today on a new beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie, with a powerful message from a recent harvest crusade. And that night he prayed with those making a commitment to the Lord. Here he is, and you can pray too if you'd like to make that change today.
Well, I'm down here on the field with all of these folks that have come forward to make this commitment to follow Jesus Christ.
So, for all of you guys right now, I'm going to lead you in a word of prayer. And I'm going to ask you to pray this prayer out loud after me. This is a prayer where you're asking Jesus Christ to come into your life to be your Savior and your Lord, right?
So you just mean it from your heart. There's no magic in this prayer, but it's You just saying, Jesus, forgive me of my sin. I choose to follow you as my Savior and Lord right now.
So, as I pray this prayer, you pray it with me. Let's all bow our heads right now. Pray this out loud after me, Lord Jesus. I know that I'm a sinner. But I know that you're the Savior.
Who died on the cross. and paid for my sins. I turn from that sin now. I choose to follow you, Jesus. From this moment forward.
As my Savior and my Lord. Is my God and my friend. Thank you for hearing this prayer. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
And listen, if you've just prayed with Pastor Gregg and have meant those words sincerely, the Lord has heard you and forgiven you of your sin. And we'd like to help you as you begin to walk with the Lord. Pastor Gregg would like to send you his New Believer's Bible. It's a roadmap for new faith journeys. It includes helpful devotionals inside.
And it answers common questions new believers have. We'll send you the New Believer's Bible free of charge. Just ask for it by calling 1-800-821-3300. Call anytime, 1-800-821-3300. Or write a new beginning box 4000, Riverside, California, 92514.
Or go online to harvest.org and click Know God.
Well, Pastor Gregg, it's been good for us to feature this message today called Lost Boy from a couple of years ago at a Harvest Crusade. You're aware, when you're preaching to 30 or 40,000 people, that there are some lost boys and lost girls sitting there listening, aren't you? Oh, yes. And I think this generation of young people right now. Are more lost than ever.
So many of them are searching, so many of them are despondent. Uh suicide is up with this generation. That they're just empty and lonely, and the answer is Christ. And though my story goes back quite a few years. You know, some things just don't change.
I was a a kid. From a divorced home, an alcoholic home. I had my own problems with drugs and so forth, but I realized what I needed was a relationship with God, and there's a whole nother generation and then the next one to follow that will need to hear that as well.
So we want to continue to proclaim the gospel. To every generation there's a lot of lost boys and lost girls out there. but God specializes in taking that which was lost. and helping them to be found by God Who loves them all.
So, help us to do that in the days ahead, to bring the gospel to our generation. Help us by praying for us. And by supporting us financially as well. We really appreciate that. Yeah, we really do.
And you know, your investments reap eternal dividends. More than a million people have registered professions of faith through the 50 years of this ministry. And your partnership helps us continue to reach more hearts for Christ.
So make your investment today by going to harvest.org. Just click on Donate. Or write a new beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, California, 92514. Or call us any time at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300.
And one last thing, the Harvest Crusade is coming to Southern California a week from tomorrow, July 19th. Pastor Greg welcomes music guests Brooke Lidgardwood, Gary Job, and Cody Carnes, We the Kingdom, and Chris Tomlin. You'll be able to watch online at harvest.org or on the Harvest Plus app. That's Saturday, July 19th. And thanks for supporting this in prayer.
Well, next time, Pastor Greg offers some important insight on defeating the giants of our lives. Join us here on A New Beginning with Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie. This is a day, the day when life begins.
