“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT)

 

We celebrated Easter yesterday, which marks Jesus’ victory over death. This week, we’re going to look at different implications of Jesus’ resurrection. And we’re going to start with this one: Because Jesus lives, all who believe in Him have fellowship with God.

That fellowship was broken when Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord. Their sin opened a gulf between humanity and the holy God. We were powerless to bridge that gulf. So, God did it for us. Our Creator and Designer so desires a relationship with each one of us that He sent His own Son to earth to die for us and pay our penalty to make that possible. That is the amazing truth of John 3:16: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (NLT).

Sin also creates an emptiness and longing in the human soul. Have you ever tried to put a puzzle together and gotten to the very end, only to discover that the final piece was missing? I speak from experience when I tell you that it can be incredibly frustrating.

Maybe, in a much bigger sense, you’ve tried to put your life together, thinking, “If I put this here and that there, it will work. But where is that other piece?”

God holds the missing piece. You won’t find it in your pursuits. The missing piece is a relationship with our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. Have you found that missing piece? Or do you still have a hole in your heart that you’ve tried to fill with everyone and everything, only to find nothing works?

The author of Ecclesiastes put it this way: “Everything is meaningless . . . completely meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 1:2 NLT).

I was raised around many of the empty pursuits this world offers. And I pursued enough of them to know that they were meaningless—enough to know that they weren’t the answer to what I was looking for. So, when I first heard about Jesus Christ, the idea of having a relationship with God held great appeal for me. But the Christians I knew were so nice and loving. I thought, “I don’t know if I can become one of these people.”But then God started working in my life. He changed my heart. And if He can do it for me, then He can do it for you. In fact, when I told people I was a Christian, they didn’t believe it. Then, a few years later, when they learned that I was a pastor, they laughed even harder. It was the last thing anyone ever envisioned for me. But God had a different plan for my life.

Who knows what kind of plan He has for you? Remember, it all begins with a relationship with Him.

 

Reflection question: What might God’s plan for your life look like? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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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.

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&ldquo;For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.&rdquo; (John 3:16 NLT)
&nbsp;
We celebrated Easter yesterday, which marks Jesus&rsquo; victory over death. This week, we&rsquo;re going to look at different implications of Jesus&rsquo; resurrection. And we&rsquo;re going to start with this one: Because Jesus lives, all who believe in Him have fellowship with God.
That fellowship was broken when Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord. Their sin opened a gulf between humanity and the holy God. We were powerless to bridge that gulf. So, God did it for us. Our Creator and Designer so desires a relationship with each one of us that He sent His own Son to earth to die for us and pay our penalty to make that possible. That is the amazing truth of John 3:16: &ldquo;For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life&rdquo; (NLT).
Sin also creates an emptiness and longing in the human soul. Have you ever tried to put a puzzle together and gotten to the very end, only to discover that the final piece was missing? I speak from experience when I tell you that it can be incredibly frustrating.
Maybe, in a much bigger sense, you&rsquo;ve tried to put your life together, thinking, &ldquo;If I put this here and that there, it will work. But where is that other piece?&rdquo;
God holds the missing piece. You won&rsquo;t find it in your pursuits. The missing piece is a relationship with our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. Have you found that missing piece? Or do you still have a hole in your heart that you&rsquo;ve tried to fill with everyone and everything, only to find nothing works?
The author of Ecclesiastes put it this way: &ldquo;Everything is meaningless . . . completely meaningless&rdquo; (Ecclesiastes 1:2 NLT).
I was raised around many of the empty pursuits this world offers. And I pursued enough of them to know that they were meaningless&mdash;enough to know that they weren&rsquo;t the answer to what I was looking for. So, when I first heard about Jesus Christ, the idea of having a relationship with God held great appeal for me. But the Christians I knew were so nice and loving. I thought, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if I can become one of these people.&rdquo; But then God started working in my life. He changed my heart. And if He can do it for me, then He can do it for you. In fact, when I told people I was a Christian, they didn&rsquo;t believe it. Then, a few years later, when they learned that I was a pastor, they laughed even harder. It was the last thing anyone ever envisioned for me. But God had a different plan for my life.
Who knows what kind of plan He has for you? Remember, it all begins with a relationship with Him.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What might God&rsquo;s plan for your life look like?&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>

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

If you have a relationship with God, He has a plan for your life.