Greg Laurie: A New Beginning

In the movie industry, they talk about the “suspension of disbelief.” It’s all make-believe, right? But they try to make the costumes, and the special effects, and the acting so convincing that it suspends our disbelief. They hope we forget it’s fake. Or fiction, if you prefer. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points out that some people sort of act their way through life. They try to suspend our disbelief about how they’re really living. We’ll see that’s a fruitless pursuit.

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A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we hide behind a facade, a false-front, trying to pretend we’re someone we’re not, we’re not fooling God, right? He knows who we really are. In fact, He knows us better than we know ourselves. Well today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points out the peril of living an imitation life. It’s a disappointment to the Lord, and our act may not be believable to those around us either. It’s a good opportunity for a reset, and to live a life of transparent honesty going forward.

Keep up with Harvest Crusade details

---

Listen on harvest.org

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Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org

A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesus warned us that we may face persecution for our faith. It doesn’t mean we’re doing something wrong, in fact it may be an indication that we’re right with the Lord. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points to that characteristic and several others that show us how we’re doing. If we’re walking closely with the Lord, these traits will be obvious. It’s good insight, and a good opportunity to take some notes. Pastor Greg is in the book of Acts today, reading from the New Living Translation.

Keep up with Harvest Crusade details

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Listen on harvest.org

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Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org

A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pastor Greg Laurie brings us a message on the power of forgiveness, a virtue every Christian should embrace. As he always reminds us, “Forgiven people should be forgiving people.” Hear all he has to say on the matter.

Notes

2 Samuel 1

Does God approve or disapprove of us?

Our Father in Heaven stands apart from all earthly fathers.

David was a warrior, a worshipper, a lover, and a fighter, but he was also wrathful, petty, vengeful, and openly sinful.

Be careful what you wish for. You might get it!

Read: 2 Samuel 1:23–27

David did not remember Saul's sins!

Grace forgives and forgets!

The people of Israel wanted peace today!

The Israelites were not colonizers because God gave them the land to begin with.

Jews are the indigenous people of the land of Judea.

David was willing to forgive his enemies and live at peace with them.

This is why David is called a man after God's own heart.

Read: 2 Samuel 9:2–13

God specializes in taking people who have been dropped in life and picking them back up again!

The word kindness could better be translated as "grace."

Justice is getting what I deserve.

Mercy is not getting what I deserve.

Grace is getting what I don't deserve.

Just as David reached out to Mephibosheth, God reaches out to us!

2 Samuel 9:5

David was persistent in not giving up on this young man.

He didn't just send for him; he brought him.

Mephibosheth was afraid when he heard David wanted to see him.

2 Samuel 9:6

David brought Mephibosheth to his table as a member of his royal family.

2 Samuel 9:11

Eating is for a time of sharing and rejoicing.

Don't let another person form your view of God.

Find out for yourself who God is.

So many are kept from a relationship with God by what others say.

Forgive your enemies … if they deserve it or not.

God took care of the enemies of David.

Leave the past in the past.

The funny thing about life is that what we think is good may turn out, in time, to be bad, and that which we think is bad now may turn out to be good.

Psalm 27:4

David, out of sheer love for Jonathan, demonstrated his grace to his handicapped son.

Mephibosheth had nothing, deserved nothing, and could repay nothing.

Mephibosheth was adopted as a son and invited to eat at the king's table.

Don't let other people form your opinion of God.

Keep up with Harvest Crusade details

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Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org.

This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we spend some serious time out in the sun, it’s pretty obvious. People can see it all over our face. “You got some sun, didn’t you?” Well today, we’ll see when we spend some time with the Son – S-O-N – it may be just as obvious. People will wonder what’s different about us. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie continues our studies of the Church of the First Century in the book of Acts. It’s a series called The Upside-Down Life. Let’s see how to show we’ve been with Jesus.

Keep up with Harvest Crusade details

---

Listen on harvest.org

---

Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org

A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Great things rarely happen when we’re deep inside our comfort zones. No one’s ever heard of the great LazyBoy Revival, or the evangelistic Hammock Crusades! No, somebody’s got to get up and do somethin’! And today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie brings us some good news: God empowers and equips those He calls into service. You may already have a special God-given talent you’re not even aware of. Today, we’ll learn how to identify and use those abilities.

Keep up with Harvest Crusade details

---

Listen on harvest.org

---

Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org

A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you’re a woodworker, a steel worker or in another form of construction, you know that, the tougher the job, the more the need for power tools. Hard to build a skyscraper with just a tape measure and a good idea. Well, spiritually speaking, with some of our assignments, the Lord gives US power tools. And today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points out the importance of putting them to work. It’s part of his series in the book of Acts called The Upside-Down Life.

Harvest Crusade 2024

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Listen on harvest.org

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Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org

A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lord has many options for reaching us in a time of need. Certainly one of the most obvious and most important is the local church. In a crisis, help may be as close as the church down the street. And today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us learn from the early Church. As we study the Book of Acts today, we’ll see they set the example for reaching out with the care and concern of Jesus Christ . . . and they provide us an opportunity to serve—to give as we’ve received.

Harvest Crusade 2024

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Listen on harvest.org

---

Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org

A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christianity is a worldwide faith. Some say over 31% are Christians the world over. Yet, if you rewind history, Christianity began in a small geographic area on the other side of the globe, with just a handful of followers. How in the world did they reach the world!? Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie brings us some good insight from the book of Acts that’ll help us encourage one another in the faith, and reach our world in our time with the love of Christ.

Harvest Crusade 2024

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Listen on harvest.org

---

Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org

A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pastor Jonathan Laurie shares what a true friendship looks like to the godly person.

Notes:

“David did not know the rest of his story, he just knew that God was writing it, and it would ultimately be good. God has a future for you, too. Until that day, remember, ‘Our times are in His hands.’” —Pastor Greg

Remember that we can always trust an unknown future to a known God.

“True Friendship”

1 Samuel / Psalms

1 Samuel 18:1–4

1. A good friend is one who recognizes God’s Will.

1 Samuel 18:1–4 / Psalm 37:4–7

1 Samuel 20:30–33

“A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.” —G.K. Chesterton

Psalm 37:4–7

Matthew 6:33

If something makes you forget about God or not want to spend time with Him, you need to deny yourself of it … no matter how good you may think it is.

Mark 8:36

2. A good friend is one who builds each other up.

1 Samuel 23:15–18 / Psalm 27:1–3, 14

Psalm 27:1–3

3. A good friend is one who is sacrificial.

1 Samuel 18:1–4 / Psalm 22

Sacrificial love is a type of love that is willing to deny itself, to put itself in harm’s way to get you to safety.

John 15:13

Philippians 2:7

John 10:11

Psalm 22:1

Harvest Crusade 2024

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Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org.

This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.