"'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'" | Acts 1:8 

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"'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'" | Acts 1:8 
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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

ACTS 1:8:"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Start With Your World | Acts 1:8

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. . . . If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43–48 NLT)

 

Who was on your Christmas gift list this year? Usually, we give gifts to family and friends. We want to buy gifts for people we love and people we care about. We tend to give gifts to those who treat us well, people who are kind and considerate to us. And often we will give gifts in return for gifts that we have received. Some of us will even buy gifts for our pets.

However, we generally don’t buy gifts for our enemies, do we? We don’t give a gift to the person who has slandered us in the past year. We don’t give a gift to the irate neighbor who never has a kind word to say. We don’t give a gift to someone who has tried to run us out of business. Nor do we send a gift to the thief who broke into our car last month.

Yet that’s the standard to which the Lord calls us. In Matthew 5:43–48, Jesus said, “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. . . . If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (NLT).

How can the Lord hold us to such high expectations? “We love each other because he loved us first” (1 John 4:19 NLT).

When God sent Jesus Christ, His Son, and gave us the ultimate gift, He gave it to us while we were still His enemies. The Bible tells us, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NKJV). We did nothing whatsoever to merit or deserve this gift. In fact, what we really deserve is judgment, because we all have sinned against God. We all have deliberately crossed that line.

The amazing truth of Christmas is that, despite our sins, God sent His Son to save us. In that tiny manger in Bethlehem, He gave us a gift that we don’t deserve—but that we can be thankful for every day of our lives.

 

Reflection question: This Christmas season, how can you show love to someone you don’t get along with? 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 have heard the law that says, &lsquo;Love your neighbor&rsquo;&nbsp;and hate your enemy.&nbsp;But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!&nbsp;In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. .&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.&nbsp;If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.&rdquo; (Matthew 5:43&ndash;48 NLT)
&nbsp;
Who was on your Christmas gift list this year? Usually, we give gifts to family and friends. We want to buy gifts for people we love and people we care about. We tend to give gifts to those who treat us well, people who are kind and considerate to us. And often we will give gifts in return for gifts that we have received. Some of us will even buy gifts for our pets.
However, we generally don&rsquo;t buy gifts for our enemies, do we? We don&rsquo;t give a gift to the person who has slandered us in the past year. We don&rsquo;t give a gift to the irate neighbor who never has a kind word to say. We don&rsquo;t give a gift to someone who has tried to run us out of business. Nor do we send a gift to the thief who broke into our car last month.
Yet that&rsquo;s the standard to which the Lord calls us. In Matthew 5:43&ndash;48, Jesus said, &ldquo;You have heard the law that says, &lsquo;Love your neighbor&rsquo;&nbsp;and hate your enemy.&nbsp;But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!&nbsp;In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. .&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.&nbsp;If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect&rdquo; (NLT).
How can the Lord hold us to such high expectations? &ldquo;We love each other because he loved us first&rdquo; (1 John 4:19 NLT).
When God sent Jesus Christ, His Son, and gave us the ultimate gift, He gave it to us while we were still His enemies. The Bible tells us, &ldquo;But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us&rdquo; (Romans 5:8 NKJV). We did nothing whatsoever to merit or deserve this gift. In fact, what we really deserve is judgment, because we all have sinned against God. We all have deliberately crossed that line.
The amazing truth of Christmas is that, despite our sins, God sent His Son to save us. In that tiny manger in Bethlehem, He gave us a gift that we don&rsquo;t deserve&mdash;but that we can be thankful for every day of our lives.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: This Christmas season, how can you show love to someone you don&rsquo;t get along with?&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>

God showed us love when we didn’t deserve it, and He expects us to do the same for others.

Merry Christmas to All? | Matthew 5:43–48

“Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other!” (Luke 12:51 NLT)

 

This may come as a shock to you, but the real Christmas story is not about love, peace, harmony, and gathering with family around a crackling fire. The real Christmas story is about conflict. It always has been, and it always will be. In Luke 12:51, Jesus said, “Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other!” (NLT).

One of the most surprising passages in Scripture that deals with the subject of Christmas is Revelation 12. There we find the apostle John’s account of a woman being pursued by a powerful dragon who seeks her death. As she is preparing to give birth to a child, the dragon hovers over her, wanting to destroy the baby. The woman is a picture of Israel, the child is a picture of Jesus Christ, and the dragon is a picture of the devil.

That’s Christmas from a heavenly perspective. John’s imagery in Revelation 12 gives us the big picture of what was really happening when God sent His Son into the world. The devil opposed God’s plan and wanted to stop Jesus’ birth. It’s not hard to see how that story is still playing out today, especially at this time of year. The season of giving often turns into a season of giving those who celebrate Christmas a hard time.

Hostility toward Christmas seems to escalate a little more every year. More nativity scenes are being removed from public places. Christmas carols are being prohibited in more places. Podcasters and influencers who attack the Christian faith are becoming more and more popular. Many people still object to the use of the word Christmas. All these things are individual battles in the great spiritual conflict of Christmas.

We can rejoice in that. Jesus said, “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way” (Matthew 5:11–12 NLT).

Jesus did not come to bring an empty, feel-good peace on earth devoid of truth. Look again at the angel’s message to the shepherds on the night Christ was born. “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased” (Luke 2:14 NLT).

The peace that Jesus offers is conditional. It’s hard-earned. It requires sacrifice and purposeful choices on our part. It encourages us to live as He lived, to prioritize God’s will, and to spread His message to others.

We will have peace on earth only when we’re pleasing to God.

 

Reflection question: What do you think God is pleased with in your life? 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;Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other!&rdquo; (Luke 12:51 NLT)
&nbsp;
This may come as a shock to you, but the real Christmas story is not about love, peace, harmony, and gathering with family around a crackling fire. The real Christmas story is about conflict. It always has been, and it always will be. In Luke 12:51, Jesus said, &ldquo;Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other!&rdquo; (NLT).
One of the most surprising passages in Scripture that deals with the subject of Christmas is Revelation 12. There we find the apostle John&rsquo;s account of a woman being pursued by a powerful dragon who seeks her death. As she is preparing to give birth to a child, the dragon hovers over her, wanting to destroy the baby. The woman is a picture of Israel, the child is a picture of Jesus Christ, and the dragon is a picture of the devil.
That&rsquo;s Christmas from a heavenly perspective. John&rsquo;s imagery in Revelation 12 gives us the big picture of what was really happening when God sent His Son into the world. The devil opposed God&rsquo;s plan and wanted to stop Jesus&rsquo; birth. It&rsquo;s not hard to see how that story is still playing out today, especially at this time of year. The season of giving often turns into a season of giving those who celebrate Christmas a hard time.
Hostility toward Christmas seems to escalate a little more every year. More nativity scenes are being removed from public places. Christmas carols are being prohibited in more places. Podcasters and influencers who attack the Christian faith are becoming more and more popular. Many people still object to the use of the word Christmas. All these things are individual battles in the great spiritual conflict of Christmas.
We can rejoice in that. Jesus said, &ldquo;God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way&rdquo; (Matthew 5:11&ndash;12 NLT).
Jesus did not come to bring an empty, feel-good peace on earth devoid of truth. Look again at the angel&rsquo;s message to the shepherds on the night Christ was born. &ldquo;Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased&rdquo; (Luke 2:14 NLT).
The peace that Jesus offers is conditional. It&rsquo;s hard-earned. It requires sacrifice and purposeful choices on our part. It encourages us to live as He lived, to prioritize God&rsquo;s will, and to spread His message to others.
We will have peace on earth only when we&rsquo;re pleasing to God.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What do you think God is pleased with in your life?&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>

We will have peace on earth only when we’re pleasing to God.

Peace on Earth | Luke 12:51

“And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.” (Revelation 13:8 NLT)

 

We celebrate Christmas to rejoice over God’s most precious gift to us. The birth of Jesus Christ is a gift from God that came in simple wrapping, as well as a gift that we don’t deserve. But the gift of Christ also explains God’s purpose for humankind. The gift of Christ was no afterthought. Long before there was a stable in Bethlehem, before Adam and Eve ever set eyes on each other, and even before there existed a garden called Eden, God decided to send His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.

From the beginning, God knew humankind would fall short of His glory. That’s why the apostle John wrote, “They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made” (Revelation 13:8 NLT). God decided from the very beginning that Christ would come to this earth to live and die and rise again from the dead. God’s gift to us proves His purpose to redeem us.

To fully appreciate that, we must understand what God did for us. He created humankind. He placed us in a literal paradise. He walked with us in the garden. We enjoyed face-to-face fellowship with Him. He gave us responsibilities that fulfilled us and brought us joy.

He set one restriction—just one. But that proved to be too much for us. So, we rejected Him and His perfect plan. We destroyed paradise. We drifted far from Him.

God sent prophets and judgments to warn us of the penalties for rejecting Him, of the eternal suffering that was to come. He urged us to repent and turn back to Him. Still, we refused.

So, He sent His Son to do what we could not. To live a sinless life and destroy the power of sin. To die in our place as the perfect sacrifice. To take the punishment we deserve. To rise from the grave and destroy the power of death. To make eternal life possible.

The gift of Jesus Christ is what Christmas is all about. Jesus came near to us so that we could come near to Him. Christmas is not about tinsel or shopping or gifts under a tree. Christmas is about the gift God gave on the tree where Christ died for our sins. Christmas is about the gift of eternal life. That’s what Jesus accomplished. That’s the gift He extends. And if you receive it, you’ll experience the merriest Christmas of all.

That’s the message God wants us to carry to the world this Christmas season.

 

Reflection question: How can you show your gratitude to God for the gift of His Son? 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;And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.&rdquo; (Revelation 13:8 NLT)
&nbsp;
We celebrate Christmas to rejoice over God&rsquo;s most precious gift to us. The birth of Jesus Christ is a gift from God that came in simple wrapping, as well as a gift that we don&rsquo;t deserve. But the gift of Christ also explains God&rsquo;s purpose for humankind. The gift of Christ was no afterthought. Long before there was a stable in Bethlehem, before Adam and Eve ever set eyes on each other, and even before there existed a garden called Eden, God decided to send His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.
From the beginning, God knew humankind would fall short of His glory. That&rsquo;s why the apostle John wrote, &ldquo;They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made&rdquo; (Revelation 13:8 NLT). God decided from the very beginning that Christ would come to this earth to live and die and rise again from the dead. God&rsquo;s gift to us proves His purpose to redeem us.
To fully appreciate that, we must understand what God did for us. He created humankind. He placed us in a literal paradise. He walked with us in the garden. We enjoyed face-to-face fellowship with Him. He gave us responsibilities that fulfilled us and brought us joy.
He set one restriction&mdash;just one. But that proved to be too much for us. So, we rejected Him and His perfect plan. We destroyed paradise. We drifted far from Him.
God sent prophets and judgments to warn us of the penalties for rejecting Him, of the eternal suffering that was to come. He urged us to repent and turn back to Him. Still, we refused.
So, He sent His Son to do what we could not. To live a sinless life and destroy the power of sin. To die in our place as the perfect sacrifice. To take the punishment we deserve. To rise from the grave and destroy the power of death. To make eternal life possible.
The gift of Jesus Christ is what Christmas is all about. Jesus came near to us so that we could come near to Him. Christmas is not about tinsel or shopping or gifts under a tree. Christmas is about the gift God gave on the tree where Christ died for our sins. Christmas is about the gift of eternal life. That&rsquo;s what Jesus accomplished. That&rsquo;s the gift He extends. And if you receive it, you&rsquo;ll experience the merriest Christmas of all.
That&rsquo;s the message God wants us to carry to the world this Christmas season.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you show your gratitude to God for the gift of His Son?&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>

God planned the first Christmas before He made the world.

Start With Your World | Acts 1:8

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