Greg Laurie: A New Beginning

“Do you have any crosses without the little man on it?” That’s a real question a woman once asked in a jewelry store. And it says more about how we’ve sanitized the cross today than we’d like to admit.

In this message, Pastor Greg Laurie walks us through the darkest hour in human history—and the love that held Jesus there.

Notes:

Luke 23

 
The cross was not a fashion statement.
It was the most scandalous, horrifying symbol imaginable.
 
Next to Christ’s arrival in Bethlehem, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are the most important events in human history.
 
At the cross, God and man were reconciled.
 
God's righteous demands were satisfied.
 
It's not an accident that when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He pointed us straight back to the cross, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”
 
Read 1 Corinthians 15:14–17
 
But here's the good news: Jesus did die, and He did rise again.
And because of that, we know there really is life beyond the grave.
 
That's what sets our faith apart from every other religion.
 
The cross was not an accident, but a plan. God’s plan.
Acts 2:23
 
The cross wasn't a detour from Jesus’ mission.
It was the mission.
 
Before there was a Bethlehem, there was a Calvary.
 
Before there was a crown of thorns, a decision was made.
 
Romans 5:8 (KJV)
While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
 
John 10:18 (NIV)
“No one takes My life from me, but I lay it down of My own accord”
 
Christ’s road to the cross ran through a series of illegal and rigged hearings.
 
Read Luke 23:26, 32–33
 
Simon from Cyrene was forced to carry the cross of Jesus.
 
A garrison was 600 elite Roman legionnaires.
 
Matthew 26:53 (NIV)
“Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”
 
Jesus had access to more than 70,000 angels.
 
God placed Simon there to have the greatest privilege: to ease the pain of Jesus momentarily as he carried His cross.
 
This brush with Jesus changed Simon forever.
 
Read Luke 23:33–43
 
The Romans did not invent crucifixion, but they took it to another level.
 
Rome perfected it into a science of suffering.
 
It was a punishment designed to produce the slowest possible death with the greatest possible pain.
 
Crucifixion was death by suffocation.
 
A crucified person might survive for hours, sometimes days.
 
Your arms tire, and your chest can no longer expand to breathe.
Therefore, you must push up against the nail in your feet to pull in another breath.
 
 THE SEVEN STATEMENTS FROM THE CROSS:
1. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
2. “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). 
3. “Woman, behold your son! Son, behold your mother” (John 19:26).
4. “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).
5. “I thirst” (John 19:28).
6. “It is finished” (John 19:30).
7. “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit” (Luke 23:46).
 
Matthew 5:44 (NKJV)
“Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you.”
 
Our sins put Jesus on the cross.
 
Acts 2:36 (NKJV)
“God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
 
 
That first prayer from the cross, “Father, forgive them,” was ultimately answered.
Thousands of those very people were cut to the heart, turned, and believed.
 
No one is beyond the reach of prayer.
 
The two criminals couldn't have escaped their crosses.
Jesus could have escaped His with a single word to Heaven.
 
No one is beyond the reach of God, not even a hardened criminal.
 
Believing in Jesus can happen in a flash.
 
Read Luke 23:40–42
 
This man, only moments old in his new faith, had amazing insight.
He knew Jesus was the Son of God and would be going to His kingdom.
 
Luke 23:43 (NIV)
“Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
  
Luke 9:23 (ESV)
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
 
The cross means dying to self.
 
Luke 9:24 (NIV)
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it.”
 
The world says, “Find yourself.”
Jesus says, “Lose yourself.”
 
Losing your life for His sake isn't the loss of everything.
It's the discovery of everything that matters.
 
Isaiah 53:10 (NKJV)
It pleased the LORD to bruise Him.
 
Jesus died to show His love for us.
 
If you are ever tempted to doubt God’s love for you, look at the cross.
 
Jesus died to absorb the wrath of God.
 
Jesus suffered and died to provide our forgiveness and justification.
 
Christianity says, “Done!”
Jesus said, “It is finished; it is accomplished!”
 
Christ’s love for you and me held Him to the cross.

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the most recent episode of The Greg Laurie Show, Pastor Greg Laurie is joined by an influential voice in the world of culture, media, and faith—Jeremy Boreing. 

Jeremy was the CEO and co-founder of The Daily Wire alongside Ben Shapiro. 

Together, he and Pastor Greg touch on today’s hot cultural moments and how important it is for Christians to get involved in them. Pastor Greg calls this one of his most interesting interviews. Listen to the full episode now: FULL EPISODE.

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We like to put our best foot forward. It’s a cultural thing. We keep certain things to ourselves. If we’ve just bounced a check, or we’re in over our head at work, or there’s relationship stress – we stay silent on those subjects. But today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points out, when Jesus makes His home in our hearts, we give Him permission to explore the hidden issues we’re keeping to ourselves . . . yeah, including the one you’re thinking about right now. Let’s get some good encouragement.

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In so many arguments, as one person is making her point, the other person is formulating his response. He’s not really hearing her point, he’s preparing his counterpoint. It’s tactical gamesmanship, and they’re keeping mental score. Hopefully that DOESN’T sound familiar. But if it does, today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us learn to resolve conflict by following an example we see in Scripture. Today, practical help for everyone.

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disagreement and conflict is almost inevitable in human relationships. When that happens, some people put up their fists . . . others call up their lawyer. Others look up the Proverb that says a soft answer turns away wrath. In the big picture, those moments can either undergird our efforts to share Christ, or undermine them. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us deal with everyone in a spirit of grace and humility. We’re in Acts chapter 15.

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we have something enjoyable to look forward to tomorrow, it makes the stresses of today a little easier to take. Have you noticed that? It’s all about perspective. And today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us adopt a biblical perspective on the challenges of today. It’s a message called “Why Do Christians Have to Suffer?” We’ll look ahead to our everlasting reward, and let that give us encouragement for the temporary pain and opposition we face today.

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever seen your child face something pretty tough? Maybe it was an important medical procedure that was quite painful. You knew it was necessary and helpful in the long term, but your child just focused on the suffering. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us trust our Heavenly Father to know what’s best – even when there’s pain in the present. We’ll learn the encouragement that comes when we focus on the future benefit, and the present presence of God in our lives.

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Throughout the Gospel of Luke, people heard Jesus teach, watched Him perform miracles, and saw firsthand who He was. But again and again, they were faced with a deeper question: Would they actually follow Him?

Pastor Jonathan Laurie looks at how Pilate, Herod, and Barabbas each had very different reactions when they encountered Jesus Christ face-to-face.

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boomers: When was the last time you invited a young person into your life? There's an entire generation—Gen Z—out their waiting to be seen, looking for godly mentors, hoping to find someone who can guide them in life and faith... Yet the older generation isn't doing their part in inviting them in! 

Greg Laurie talks with Ruslan KD on Gen Z's spiritual hunger, what makes them unique, and their real need for direction from those seasoned in life—even recalling a defining moment in his own youth when an older man invited him to dinner. 

Listen to the full conversation on The Greg Laurie Show, where you'll hear more on Gen Z and other topics.

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Gospel can be an uncomfortable message. It’s a message of sin and its consequences . . . but of course the remedy found in the Lord’s sacrifice. But that discussion can be so effective in an atmosphere of encouragement. It’s what their heart needs wrapped in what their heart wants. And today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points out how to be an encourager in the tradition of Barnabas. As we study the book of Acts today, we’ll see how we can follow in his reassuring footsteps.

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Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.