“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me." Mark 8:34

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“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me." Mark 8:34
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JESUS REVOLUTION is now in theaters! Get tickets: <a href="https://jesusrevolution.movie/" data-callout-id="edit_links_in_description">https://jesusrevolution.movie/</a>
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/A1PWfZ8W">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

MARK 8:34: If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.

A Scandalous Symbol | Mark 8:34

“If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:12–13 NLT)

 

Years ago, I had a close encounter with a giant. My friends and I went out in a small inflatable boat to do some whale watching. We saw a whale breach the surface some distance away, so we went in for a closer look, while still keeping a respectful distance. Suddenly, a young whale swam right under our boat. A few moments later, its submarine-sized mother glided under our little craft as well. She was so close that we could see the barnacles on her body. And as fast as she and her calf had appeared, they disappeared.

Those giants could have caused us real problems, if they had chosen to. But they didn’t. They simply made themselves known, giving a glimpse of their enormity, without using their size against us. Unfortunately, not all giants in this life are as benign.

And not all giants appear in physical form. Some giants are difficult situations. Some giants are hurdles in life that seem insurmountable. Some giants are temptations that refuse to go away. Some giants are challenges that seem beyond our ability to solve. Some giants are personal sins that impact the way we see ourselves. Some giants are addictions that threaten to overwhelm us. Some giants are toxic relationships that leave us bitter, hurt, confused, or lonely.

We all face giants, and we will continue to face them as long as we live. We have an enemy in Satan who will stop at nothing to disrupt our relationship with Christ. So, we all need to embrace these words from the apostle Paul: “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:12–13 NLT).

If you trust in Christ, you need to remind yourself as often as necessary that every giant can be defeated. There is nothing in this world that can place you under its power. There is no addiction that needs to control your life. There is no lifestyle that you cannot break free from. There is no temptation that’s too compelling to resist. There is no giant that’s too big or too powerful for you. You have everything you need in your relationship with Christ.

There is no power in your life that Christ in you can’t overcome!

 

Reflection question: What giant are you battling in your life right now? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

The Harvest Crusade is coming to Angel Stadium on July 11! Stay updated on all important event details. 

—

The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.&rdquo; (1 Corinthians 10:12&ndash;13 NLT)
&nbsp;
Years ago, I had a close encounter with a giant. My friends and I went out in a small inflatable boat to do some whale watching. We saw a whale breach the surface some distance away, so we went in for a closer look, while still keeping a respectful distance. Suddenly, a young whale swam right under our boat. A few moments later, its submarine-sized mother glided under our little craft as well. She was so close that we could see the barnacles on her body. And as fast as she and her calf had appeared, they disappeared.
Those giants could have caused us real problems, if they had chosen to. But they didn&rsquo;t. They simply made themselves known, giving a glimpse of their enormity, without using their size against us. Unfortunately, not all giants in this life are as benign.
And not all giants appear in physical form. Some giants are difficult situations. Some giants are hurdles in life that seem insurmountable. Some giants are temptations that refuse to go away. Some giants are challenges that seem beyond our ability to solve. Some giants are personal sins that impact the way we see ourselves. Some giants are addictions that threaten to overwhelm us. Some giants are toxic relationships that leave us bitter, hurt, confused, or lonely.
We all face giants, and we will continue to face them as long as we live. We have an enemy in Satan who will stop at nothing to disrupt our relationship with Christ. So, we all need to embrace these words from the apostle Paul: &ldquo;If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure&rdquo; (1 Corinthians 10:12&ndash;13 NLT).
If you trust in Christ, you need to remind yourself as often as necessary that every giant can be defeated. There is nothing in this world that can place you under its power. There is no addiction that needs to control your life. There is no lifestyle that you cannot break free from. There is no temptation that&rsquo;s too compelling to resist. There is no giant that&rsquo;s too big or too powerful for you. You have everything you need in your relationship with Christ.
There is no power in your life that Christ in you can&rsquo;t overcome!
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What giant are you battling in your life right now?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
The Harvest Crusade is coming to Angel Stadium on July 11! <a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-crusade-2026/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=SoCal2026">Stay updated on all important event details</a>.&nbsp;
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

There is no power in your life that Christ in you can’t overcome.

Not So Giant | 1 Corinthians 10:12–13

“After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:24–26 NLT)

 

When we lose a loved one, there’s a time and place for mourning. The depth of our sorrow is an indication of the depth of our love for that person. But there’s also a place for rejoicing if that loved one is a believer because we know we will see them again.

Even Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus when He saw the devastating power of death. Death is an enemy, although one whose fate is already determined. The apostle Paul wrote, “After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:24–26 NLT).

No one wants to die. After all, this life is all we know. No one looks forward to the end of it. But the reality is that we all will die. That’s why it’s important to put our faith in Christ before we enter eternity. It’s also important that we not lose sight of what awaits believers when we die.

The Bible doesn’t offer pictorials of Heaven, but it does provide some tantalizing descriptions. Paul was given a glimpse of Heaven and tried to put his experience into words. “I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell” (2 Corinthians 12:2–4 NLT). (We’ll explore this passage further next week in our study of 2 Corinthians.)

You’ll notice that he used the word paradise to describe what he saw. Paradise is a Greek word that refers to the royal garden of a king. Think about the most beautiful garden you’ve ever seen. If you’re not into gardens, think about the most amazing sight you’ve ever laid eyes on. That’s the depiction of Heaven Paul gave. He was saying, “I don’t really have the words for it, but it was like a paradise.”

As Pastor Adrian Rogers put it, “The God who sculpted the wings of the butterfly, blended the hues of the rainbow, and painted the meadows with daffodils is the same who made Heaven.”

In Heaven all questions are answered, all tears are dried, and all pain is gone. Heaven is pure bliss. That’s why Paul said that he longed to be there. He saw for himself that Heaven is far, far better than earth.

And that’s what all believers can look forward to.

 

Reflection question: What are your feelings about Heaven? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

The Harvest Crusade is coming to Angel Stadium on July 11! Stay updated on all important event details. 

—

The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.&rdquo; (1 Corinthians 15:24&ndash;26 NLT)
&nbsp;
When we lose a loved one, there&rsquo;s a time and place for mourning. The depth of our sorrow is an indication of the depth of our love for that person. But there&rsquo;s also a place for rejoicing if that loved one is a believer because we know we will see them again.
Even Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus when He saw the devastating power of death. Death is an enemy, although one whose fate is already determined. The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death&rdquo; (1 Corinthians 15:24&ndash;26 NLT).
No one wants to die. After all, this life is all we know. No one looks forward to the end of it. But the reality is that we all will die. That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s important to put our faith in Christ before we enter eternity. It&rsquo;s also important that we not lose sight of what awaits believers when we die.
The Bible doesn&rsquo;t offer pictorials of Heaven, but it does provide some tantalizing descriptions. Paul was given a glimpse of Heaven and tried to put his experience into words. &ldquo;I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don&rsquo;t know&mdash;only God knows. Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell&rdquo; (2 Corinthians 12:2&ndash;4 NLT). (We&rsquo;ll explore this passage further next week in our study of 2 Corinthians.)
You&rsquo;ll notice that he used the word paradise to describe what he saw. Paradise is a Greek word that refers to the royal garden of a king. Think about the most beautiful garden you&rsquo;ve ever seen. If you&rsquo;re not into gardens, think about the most amazing sight you&rsquo;ve ever laid eyes on. That&rsquo;s the depiction of Heaven Paul gave. He was saying, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t really have the words for it, but it was like a paradise.&rdquo;
As Pastor Adrian Rogers put it, &ldquo;The God who sculpted the wings of the butterfly, blended the hues of the rainbow, and painted the meadows with daffodils is the same who made Heaven.&rdquo;
In Heaven all questions are answered, all tears are dried, and all pain is gone. Heaven is pure bliss. That&rsquo;s why Paul said that he longed to be there. He saw for himself that Heaven is far, far better than earth.
And that&rsquo;s what all believers can look forward to.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What are your feelings about Heaven?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
The Harvest Crusade is coming to Angel Stadium on July 11! <a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-crusade-2026/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=SoCal2026">Stay updated on all important event details</a>.&nbsp;
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

Heaven is a far better place than this world.

A Place of Pure Bliss | 1 Corinthians 15:24–26

“When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.” (1 Corinthians 9:22–23 NLT)

 

Our world today is full of religious people, but many of them shy away from using that word to describe themselves. “Religious” has too many negative connotations, as far as they’re concerned. So instead, they use a different word: spiritual. They’ll describe themselves as “very spiritual” and then will add, “But I’m not into organized religion.”

Statements like this can become a segue for sharing the gospel. As believers we can say, “Really? I’m a spiritual person, too. In fact, I’m really into spiritual things, and I want to talk to you about an important spiritual truth I’ve discovered.”

Some people may suggest that this sounds like compromise, agreeing with a worldly point of view. But that’s not the case. It’s not a compromise to acknowledge someone’s belief, even if we don’t agree with that belief. Rather, it’s simply a matter of using understandable language to build a bridge so that you can talk about your relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s a matter of finding common ground, a place where the other person feels conversationally comfortable—and more likely to be receptive to the gospel message.

When the apostle Paul addressed the men of Athens, he said, “I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about” (Acts 17:22–23 NLT).

Notice that Paul didn’t say, “Hey, what you’re doing is legit.” But neither did he belittle their unusual inscription or try to correct their theology. He simply used language that the people of Athens could understand to connect with them about his most important message. Paul understood what all believers need to understand: Evangelism is a dialogue, not a monologue. You ask a question, and the other person gives you an answer. Then you respond to what the person said. They say something, and you say something.

This is what Paul was talking about when he said, “When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:22–23 NLT). Finding common ground with everyone is a tall order. It’s a good thing the Holy Spirit is with us every step of the way. It’s also a good thing that the first step in finding that common ground requires us to do nothing more than listen.

 

Reflection question: How do you try to find common ground with others when you share your faith? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

The Harvest Crusade is coming to Angel Stadium on July 11! Stay updated on all important event details. 

—

The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&ldquo;When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.&nbsp;I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.&rdquo; (1 Corinthians 9:22&ndash;23 NLT)
&nbsp;
Our world today is full of religious people, but many of them shy away from using that word to describe themselves. &ldquo;Religious&rdquo; has too many negative connotations, as far as they&rsquo;re concerned. So instead, they use a different word: spiritual. They&rsquo;ll describe themselves as &ldquo;very spiritual&rdquo; and then will add, &ldquo;But I&rsquo;m not into organized religion.&rdquo;
Statements like this can become a segue for sharing the gospel. As believers we can say, &ldquo;Really? I&rsquo;m a spiritual person, too. In fact, I&rsquo;m really into spiritual things, and I want to talk to you about an important spiritual truth I&rsquo;ve discovered.&rdquo;
Some people may suggest that this sounds like compromise, agreeing with a worldly point of view. But that&rsquo;s not the case. It&rsquo;s not a compromise to acknowledge someone&rsquo;s belief, even if we don&rsquo;t agree with that belief. Rather, it&rsquo;s simply a matter of using understandable language to build a bridge so that you can talk about your relationship with Jesus Christ. It&rsquo;s a matter of finding common ground, a place where the other person feels conversationally comfortable&mdash;and more likely to be receptive to the gospel message.
When the apostle Paul addressed the men of Athens, he said, &ldquo;I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: &lsquo;To an Unknown God.&rsquo; This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I&rsquo;m telling you about&rdquo; (Acts 17:22&ndash;23 NLT).
Notice that Paul didn&rsquo;t say, &ldquo;Hey, what you&rsquo;re doing is legit.&rdquo; But neither did he belittle their unusual inscription or try to correct their theology. He simply used language that the people of Athens could understand to connect with them about his most important message. Paul understood what all believers need to understand: Evangelism is a dialogue, not a monologue. You ask a question, and the other person gives you an answer. Then you respond to what the person said. They say something, and you say something.
This is what Paul was talking about when he said, &ldquo;When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.&nbsp;I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings&rdquo; (1 Corinthians 9:22&ndash;23 NLT). Finding common ground with everyone is a tall order. It&rsquo;s a good thing the Holy Spirit is with us every step of the way. It&rsquo;s also a good thing that the first step in finding that common ground requires us to do nothing more than listen.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How do you try to find common ground with others when you share your faith?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
The Harvest Crusade is coming to Angel Stadium on July 11! <a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-crusade-2026/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=SoCal2026">Stay updated on all important event details</a>.&nbsp;
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

One of the best ways to reach people with the gospel is to listen so that you can find common ground with them.

A Scandalous Symbol | Mark 8:34

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