"O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens." Psalm 8:1

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"O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens." Psalm 8:1
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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

PSALM 8:1: O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.

Preparing Your Heart for Prayer | Psalm 8:1

“You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” (Genesis 4:7 NLT)

 

Years ago, my son Christopher was lying out in the sun at our house when he woke up to find a huge gopher snake, coiled up and hissing at him, poised to strike. It must have been six or seven feet long. Terrified, he ran into the house and shut the door behind him.

His experience reminds me of a hard truth about the Christian life. Like that gopher snake, sin is poised to strike—usually when we least expect it. And it’s been that way since the very beginning.

When Cain saw that the Lord accepted Abel’s offering but not his, he was angry. So, God gave him a warning. He essentially told Cain what was going to happen to him if he didn’t get himself under control: “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master” (Genesis 4:7 NLT). The passage portrays sin as a dangerous wild animal, always ready to pounce.

The apostle Peter used similar imagery in his description of the devil in 1 Peter 5:8: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (NLT). And while the imagery is certainly sobering, we need to keep these words of Scripture in proper perspective. It’s not so much an emergency broadcast warning as it is a word to the wise. Peter doesn’t tell us to panic, hide, or be afraid. He tells us to be alert.

Our enemy isn’t all-powerful, but he is always watchful. He looks for opportunities to make us stumble, to make us doubt, to make us lose sight of the path God would have us travel. He attacks us when we’re weak—physically, emotionally, mentally, relationally. He also attacks us when we seem to be strong, after a spiritual victory or a “mountaintop” experience. In good times and bad, he keeps sin crouched at our door, ready to pounce.

But we need not fear. As the psalmist wrote, “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17 NLT).

So, the next time sin comes knocking at your door, you might say, “Lord, would You mind getting that? I’m going to stand in Your strength. I’m going to trust in You. You are the only one who can give me the strength to overpower sin.” If we will master sin, then we must first be mastered by Him who mastered it.

 

Reflection question: What types of sin often crouch at your door, poised to strike? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

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;You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.&rdquo; (Genesis 4:7 NLT)
&nbsp;
Years ago, my son Christopher was lying out in the sun at our house when he woke up to find a huge gopher snake, coiled up and hissing at him, poised to strike. It must have been six or seven feet long. Terrified, he ran into the house and shut the door behind him.
His experience reminds me of a hard truth about the Christian life. Like that gopher snake, sin is poised to strike&mdash;usually when we least expect it. And it&rsquo;s been that way since the very beginning.
When Cain saw that the Lord accepted Abel&rsquo;s offering but not his, he was angry. So, God gave him a warning. He essentially told Cain what was going to happen to him if he didn&rsquo;t get himself under control: &ldquo;You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master&rdquo; (Genesis 4:7 NLT). The passage portrays sin as a dangerous wild animal, always ready to pounce.
The apostle Peter used similar imagery in his description of the devil in 1 Peter 5:8: &ldquo;Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour&rdquo; (NLT). And while the imagery is certainly sobering, we need to keep these words of Scripture in proper perspective. It&rsquo;s not so much an emergency broadcast warning as it is a word to the wise. Peter doesn&rsquo;t tell us to panic, hide, or be afraid. He tells us to be alert.
Our enemy isn&rsquo;t all-powerful, but he is always watchful. He looks for opportunities to make us stumble, to make us doubt, to make us lose sight of the path God would have us travel. He attacks us when we&rsquo;re weak&mdash;physically, emotionally, mentally, relationally. He also attacks us when we seem to be strong, after a spiritual victory or a &ldquo;mountaintop&rdquo; experience. In good times and bad, he keeps sin crouched at our door, ready to pounce.
But we need not fear. As the psalmist wrote, &ldquo;The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles&rdquo; (Psalm 34:17 NLT).
So, the next time sin comes knocking at your door, you might say, &ldquo;Lord, would You mind getting that? I&rsquo;m going to stand in Your strength. I&rsquo;m going to trust in You. You are the only one who can give me the strength to overpower sin.&rdquo; If we will master sin, then we must first be mastered by Him who mastered it.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What types of sin often crouch at your door, poised to strike?&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>
&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>

Sin is constantly crouched at your door, ready to strike.

Watch Out | Genesis 4:7

"For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear." (2 Timothy 4:3 NLT)

There was a time when we were bombarded by a one-sided view of God as an angry deity, ready to throw people into the open fires of Hell. People complained about too much hellfire-and-brimstone preaching.

But when was the last time anyone has heard a hellfire-and-brimstone message? Sadly, the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” that Jonathan Edwards preached in 1741 would not be allowed in many churches today.

Many people have gone too far in the other direction, teaching that God is an all-loving, benign, supreme being that doesn’t seem to have any opinions about the way we live. The assumption is that as long as we’re true to ourselves, then it’s okay with Him. He accepts us the way we are.

We like the qualities of God such as love, forgiveness, and compassion and the incredible fringe benefit of eternal life in Heaven. On the other hand, we’re appalled by a God of holiness who desperately loves us yet requires repentance as well as trust, a God who promises to judge those who refuse to come to Him on His terms.

Others look at God as some kind of pagan deity who simply needs to be appeased. They think that if they go through religious rituals, they’ve done their part and they can build up credit for sinning that week. People can follow that god as much as they want. But that is not the God of the Bible.

When we start picking and choosing the things about God that appeal or do not appeal to us, we are not only diminishing our view of who God is but also believing and teaching a false gospel.

Some preachers today offer weak, watered-down proclamations in the name of the gospel. They tell you to believe, but they don’t tell you to repent. They tell you there’s a Heaven, but they don’t tell you there’s a Hell. And they tell you there’s forgiveness, but they don’t tell you there’s repentance.

If we don’t include those things, then it isn’t the gospel. We cannot edit the gospel according to what we like or don’t like. It’s for us to share it as God gave it. Otherwise, we strip the gospel of its power and effectiveness.

We cannot control what happens in the world. But at the same time, we cannot allow the belief system of a secular society to influence the way we believe. The idea is not to conform ourselves to the world’s way of thinking. It is not to bend the Bible to the culture.

When we desperately want to please everyone and not offend anyone, we will fail to make an impact on our culture.

When we start tampering with the essentials of our faith such as the Bible, the gospel, and the nature of God Himself, we are making God into a different image.

The God of the Bible does love us and accept us as we are. But the God of the Bible also wants to change us. He wants to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ.

 

Reflection question: What does it practically look like to share the full gospel—both grace and repentance—without compromising truth? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

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

"For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear." (2 Timothy 4:3 NLT)
There was a time when we were bombarded by a one-sided view of God as an angry deity, ready to throw people into the open fires of Hell. People complained about too much hellfire-and-brimstone preaching.
But when was the last time anyone has heard a hellfire-and-brimstone message? Sadly, the sermon &ldquo;Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God&rdquo; that Jonathan Edwards preached in 1741 would not be allowed in many churches today.
Many people have gone too far in the other direction, teaching that God is an all-loving, benign, supreme being that doesn&rsquo;t seem to have any opinions about the way we live. The assumption is that as long as we&rsquo;re true to ourselves, then it&rsquo;s okay with Him. He accepts us the way we are.
We like the qualities of God such as love, forgiveness, and compassion and the incredible fringe benefit of eternal life in Heaven. On the other hand, we&rsquo;re appalled by a God of holiness who desperately loves us yet requires repentance as well as trust, a God who promises to judge those who refuse to come to Him on His terms.
Others look at God as some kind of pagan deity who simply needs to be appeased. They think that if they go through religious rituals, they&rsquo;ve done their part and they can build up credit for sinning that week. People can follow that god as much as they want. But that is not the God of the Bible.
When we start picking and choosing the things about God that appeal or do not appeal to us, we are not only diminishing our view of who God is but also believing and teaching a false gospel.
Some preachers today offer weak, watered-down proclamations in the name of the gospel. They tell you to believe, but they don&rsquo;t tell you to repent. They tell you there&rsquo;s a Heaven, but they don&rsquo;t tell you there&rsquo;s a Hell. And they tell you there&rsquo;s forgiveness, but they don&rsquo;t tell you there&rsquo;s repentance.
If we don&rsquo;t include those things, then it isn&rsquo;t the gospel. We cannot edit the gospel according to what we like or don&rsquo;t like. It&rsquo;s for us to share it as God gave it. Otherwise, we strip the gospel of its power and effectiveness.
We cannot control what happens in the world. But at the same time, we cannot allow the belief system of a secular society to influence the way we believe. The idea is not to conform ourselves to the world&rsquo;s way of thinking. It is not to bend the Bible to the culture.
When we desperately want to please everyone and not offend anyone, we will fail to make an impact on our culture.
When we start tampering with the essentials of our faith such as the Bible, the gospel, and the nature of God Himself, we are making God into a different image.
The God of the Bible does love us and accept us as we are. But the God of the Bible also wants to change us. He wants to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What does it practically look like to share the full gospel&mdash;both grace and repentance&mdash;without compromising truth? <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>
&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>

Why we cannot compromise the essentials of our faith.

No Compromise | 2 Timothy 4:3

“I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people.” (Psalm 17:4 NLT)

 

When the devil wanted to lead the first man and woman into sin, he started by attacking their minds. According to Genesis 3:1, “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?’” (NLT). A simple question was enough to plant a seed of doubt. That seed quickly sprouted into full-fledged action. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the forbidden tree. The devil’s strategy worked so well that he still uses the mind-targeting tactic to this day.

The apostle Paul warned of this when he wrote, “But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent” (2 Corinthians 11:3 NLT). The hard truth about spiritual warfare is that the devil attacks our minds incessantly. He knows that our brain, our thoughts, and our imagination are our command center. When you have power over someone’s mind, you can reach into the past through memories, and you can reach into the future through imagination. The devil knows that if he can get us to think about something, to contemplate it, to consider it, then he is halfway to getting us to sin.

Paul also wrote, “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4–5 NLT).

It’s been said, “Sow a thought; reap an act. Sow an act; reap a character. Sow a character; reap a destiny.” What starts with a thought can lead to a destiny.

Eve’s mind certainly wasn’t filled with the things of God when the devil approached her. Had it been, she could have effectively resisted his temptations. The psalmist wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 NLT).

Jesus used God’s Word three times in response to the devil’s temptations in Matthew 4:1–11. The devil had no defense against Scripture. Verse 11 says, “Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus” (NLT).

The devil still has no defense against God’s truth. So, when we hide the Word of God in our hearts, we have everything we need to stand strong against our spiritual enemy and effectively resist his temptation.

In his passage on the armor of God, Paul wrote, “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17 NLT). Knowing how to wield that sword will keep our enemy out of our minds.

 

Reflection question: How can you fix your mind on God and His Word so that you’re less vulnerable to the devil’s attacks? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

—

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;I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people.&rdquo; (Psalm 17:4 NLT)
&nbsp;
When the devil wanted to lead the first man and woman into sin, he started by attacking their minds. According to Genesis 3:1, &ldquo;The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, &lsquo;Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?&rsquo;&rdquo; (NLT). A simple question was enough to plant a seed of doubt. That seed quickly sprouted into full-fledged action. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the forbidden tree. The devil&rsquo;s strategy worked so well that he still uses the mind-targeting tactic to this day.
The apostle Paul warned of this when he wrote, &ldquo;But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent&rdquo; (2 Corinthians 11:3 NLT). The hard truth about spiritual warfare is that the devil attacks our minds incessantly. He knows that our brain, our thoughts, and our imagination are our command center. When you have power over someone&rsquo;s mind, you can reach into the past through memories, and you can reach into the future through imagination. The devil knows that if he can get us to think about something, to contemplate it, to consider it, then he is halfway to getting us to sin.
Paul also wrote, &ldquo;We use God&rsquo;s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ&rdquo; (2 Corinthians 10:4&ndash;5 NLT).
It&rsquo;s been said, &ldquo;Sow a thought; reap an act. Sow an act; reap a character. Sow a character; reap a destiny.&rdquo; What starts with a thought can lead to a destiny.
Eve&rsquo;s mind certainly wasn&rsquo;t filled with the things of God when the devil approached her. Had it been, she could have effectively resisted his temptations. The psalmist wrote, &ldquo;I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you&rdquo; (Psalm 119:11 NLT).
Jesus used God&rsquo;s Word three times in response to the devil&rsquo;s temptations in Matthew 4:1&ndash;11. The devil had no defense against Scripture. Verse 11 says, &ldquo;Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus&rdquo; (NLT).
The devil still has no defense against God&rsquo;s truth. So, when we hide the Word of God in our hearts, we have everything we need to stand strong against our spiritual enemy and effectively resist his temptation.
In his passage on the armor of God, Paul wrote, &ldquo;Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God&rdquo; (Ephesians 6:17 NLT). Knowing how to wield that sword will keep our enemy out of our minds.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you fix your mind on God and His Word so that you&rsquo;re less vulnerable to the devil&rsquo;s attacks?&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>
&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>

The best way to counter our enemy’s attacks is to keep our minds fixed on God and His Word.

Preparing Your Heart for Prayer | Psalm 8:1

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