“A Second Chance at Easter” by Pastor Greg Laurie ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) [singing] [singing] ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> Hey everyone, welcome to Harvest at Home and happy Easter. We'll be getting started in just a few moments, but first, here are a few upcoming events and projects from Pastor Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries that we are so excited about. We'll be back shortly to begin today's service. Heaven is real. It's not a fantasy. It's not wishful ((music playing)) thinking. According to the Bible, heaven is a real place for real people, prepared by Jesus ((music playing)) himself. For a limited time, you can receive As It Is in Heaven by Pastor Greg ((music playing)) Laurie. In this deeply personal and biblically grounded book, Pastor Greg explores ((music playing)) what God's word actually says about eternity. Written from a pastor's heart, As It Is in Heaven separates truth from speculation ((music playing)) and reminds us that those who have gone before us in Christ are not just part of our past, they're a part of our future. When you understand ((music playing)) what awaits you, it changes how you live today. It brings comfort in grief. ((music playing)) It brings perspective in hardship. And it fills your heart with hope. Support the gospel ((music playing)) work of Harvest Ministries and request your copy of As It Is in Heaven today at harvest.org/donate. ((music playing)) You know, we say to a new believer, "Start reading the Bible." But they don't know where to start, do they? So, we have a special edition of the Bible called the New Believer's Bible. I wrote thousands of notes for it, and I sort of see it as what I would do if I was sitting down with a person over a cup of coffee and explaining the basics of the Christian life to them. There's over 10 million copies ((music playing)) of this Bible in print, but here's the exciting news. We have personally given out 700,000 of these at no charge to people to help them in their spiritual journey. So, we need your help to keep doing this. So, let's invest in the spiritual future of people that are going to come to Christ who will get a copy of the New Believer's Bible for themselves. Thank you for your financial support. Together, we can change lives. Hey, Greg Laurie here and welcome to my podcast. I have a very special guest, Joel Rosenberg. Levi, thanks for being on my podcast. Michael Franzese. Thank you for making time for me cuz you deal with some very weighty, heavy subjects, and I think when you can ((music playing)) bring humor in, it it actually helps the viewer to take in all that information. >> ((music playing)) >> Is it hard to be a man of faith in what you do? Uh it's not. In fact, it's the only way ((music playing)) I'm allowed and enabled to do this job. Hollywood's not the hope of the ((music playing)) world. The local church is the hope of the world, and I've always felt like it's my job to set a volleyball that can be spiked at the local level. No one is beyond the reach of God. I mean, if God can reach Michael Franzese, who can God not reach? >> ((music playing)) >> You know, the Bible says, "A good person >> ((music playing)) >> leaves an inheritance for their children's children." God encourages all of us as Christians to manage our money well so we can be a blessing to our families and to others. Harvest ((music playing)) has a special gift for you today, an opportunity to set up a will or a living trust completely free >> ((music playing)) >> of charge. Here's how you can learn more. I'm excited to announce that here at Harvest, we've partnered with our friends at ((music playing)) FreeWill. FreeWill is an easy-to-use estate planning tool that allows you to make planned gifts to organizations of your choice. It's a creative opportunity to support the work we're doing here at Harvest Ministries. ((music playing)) So, as you make your plans, I hope you'll consider investing in this ministry so we can continue to preach the word gospel ((music playing)) and teach the word of God for years to come. You can learn more at freewill.com/harvest. Welcome back to Harvest at Home. I'm Pastor Gabe. If you are new here, welcome. We are glad that you decided to join us. You know, we meet here every Sunday to learn biblical truth from Pastor Greg Laurie. Join us in fellowship in the live chat room that we have online to connect with others across the country and around the world. Today, we'll be hearing a special Easter message in our series through the book of Luke called The Gospel for Everyone. You know, Luke wrote his account so that we might have certainty about the things that we believe. Whether you're skeptical or searching or long-standing in your faith, Luke's gospel speaks to every heart because Jesus came for everyone. Walking with Christ is a daily commitment, which is why we have some amazing resources available online that can help and guide you in that journey. If you head over to our website after services, you will have access to free ebooks written by Pastor Greg Laurie, Bible study courses that are designed to meet you where you're at and designed for you to go at your own pace among many other sources of daily encouragement like Pastor Greg's blog and daily devotionals. You will also find our streaming platform called Harvest Plus. On there, you will find Harvest Films, classic and recent crusade events, the Harvest Plus Greg Laurie TV program, the new episodes of The Adventures of Ben Born Again and Yellow Dog, and so much more. We also want to invite you to join our online discipleship community. This is a space where you can further your understanding of Christ through group-led Bible study and exclusive learning resources. Participate in chats with fellow believers across the world and connect with the ministry and people on a deeper level throughout the week. At this time, family, I invite you to worship with your online church family. God bless you guys. We'll see you in a bit. On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they ((music playing)) had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. But when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground. But the men said to them, >> ((music playing)) >> "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has ((music playing)) risen." under the earth >> ((music playing)) >> has been given to the name of Jesus Christ. So, all around this room here today, let's lift our voice. >> ((music playing)) >> Let's lift our hearts and sing to the king of kings and lord of lords. All hail King Jesus. Come on, let's ((music playing)) sing. All [singing] hail King Jesus. ((music playing)) All hail [music and singing] the Lord of heaven and earth. >> ((music playing)) >> All hail King Jesus. >> [singing] ((music playing)) >> All hail the savior of the world. >> [singing] ((music playing)) >> All hail King Jesus. All [music and singing] hail the Lord of heaven and earth. All ((music playing)) hail King Jesus. All [singing] hail the savior >> ((music playing)) >> of the world. >> [singing] ((music playing)) >> Let >> ((music playing)) >> every knee come in power for the King >> ((music playing)) >> of kings. Let every [singing] tongue confess that He is Lord. Lift up >> ((music playing)) >> your shout. Let us join with all of heaven singing holy. >> ((music playing)) >> Singing ((music playing)) holy. Singing holy. >> [music and singing] ((music playing)) >> Singing holy. >> [singing] ((music playing)) >> Worthy is your name. Jesus. You deserve >> ((music playing)) >> the praise. Worthy is your name. Come on, let's sing together. ((music playing)) Worthy is your name. Jesus. >> ((music playing)) >> You deserve the [singing] praise. Worthy is your name. Come on. Worthy ((music playing)) is your name. Jesus. >> ((music playing)) >> You deserve the praise. Worthy ((music playing)) is your name. Worthy is your >> ((music playing)) >> Jesus. You deserve the praise. [singing] >> ((music playing)) >> Worthy is your name. >> ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> Amazing ((music playing)) grace, how sweet the sound. Sing this with us. That saved >> ((music playing)) >> a wretch >> [singing] >> like me. I ((music playing)) once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see. >> [singing] >> Sing ((music playing)) it. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. There's no chains on [music and singing] me. Thank you, Jesus. You have set me ((music playing)) free. You welcomed me in. You called me by name. Was dead in my sin, now I'm dancing ((music playing)) on that grave. Hallelujah. >> ((music playing)) >> It really is amazing grace. >> ((music playing)) >> Come on. Was grace ((music playing)) that taught my heart to sing. And grace >> ((music playing)) >> my fears [singing] relieved. >> ((music playing)) >> How precious did that [music and singing] grace appear the hour I first believed. >> ((music playing)) >> You know it now, y'all can sing it. Sing it. Hallelujah. ((music playing)) Hallelujah. There's no chains ((music playing)) on me. Thank you, Jesus. >> ((music playing)) >> You have set me free. You welcomed me in. You called me by ((music playing)) name. Was dead in my sin, now I'm dancing on that grave. >> ((music playing)) >> Hallelujah. It really is amazing grace. >> ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> Let's put our hands together. I'll testify of what He did. He gave ((music playing)) me life. I'm born again. My heart is free. My soul is saved. >> ((music playing)) >> It really is amazing grace. I'll testify of what ((music playing)) He did. He gave me life. I'm born again. My heart is free. >> ((music playing)) >> My soul is saved. It really is amazing grace. It really is. It really is. ((music playing)) It really is amazing grace. It really is. >> ((music playing)) >> It really is. Sing hallelujah. >> ((music playing)) >> Hallelujah. There's no chains ((music playing)) on me. Thank you, [singing] Jesus. You have ((music playing)) set me free. You welcomed me in. You called me by ((music playing)) name. Was dead in my sin, now I'm dancing on that grave. Hallelujah. ((music playing)) It really is amazing grace. >> ((music playing)) >> It really is amazing ((music playing)) grace. It really is. It really is. >> ((music playing)) >> It really is amazing grace. It really is. It really is. >> ((applause)) >> My name is Giovanni Alvarez, and I am a former Satanist. Satanism is not sacrifices, none of that weird stuff. Honestly, what makes it scary is how simple it is to be dragged into that religion when you don't have self-worth. I I knew just something deep inside it wasn't right. Something wasn't right. I went just from religion to religion to religion, and I was trying them on like a wardrobe. I actually ended up meeting a witch and introducing me into this concept of ((music playing)) witchcraft, and I tried it. But I knew there was something in ((music playing)) my gut that told me that this wasn't it. >> This entire religion wasn't real because wasn't ((music playing)) helping with my depression. So, I turned to alcohol, and I just spiraled. I cried out to God. I knew that I couldn't do this on my own. I truly know that He ((music playing)) answered because I woke up the next day, and there was a deep feeling in me. And so, believe it or not, I started setting up altars >> ((music playing)) >> to Lucifer. There was this one experience where I woke up, and there was a figure over me. >> ((music playing)) >> He spoke to me and said, "You are mine." And that's when I remembered, those aren't his ((music playing)) words. Those are Jesus' words. The only word I could say was Jesus, and the moment ((music playing)) I said the name of Jesus, it completely disappeared. The only name that worked is the name of Jesus. >> ((music playing)) >> When the King speaks a word, [singing] it cannot be overturned. It's as good as done. And when heaven touches [singing] earth, it can never be reversed. It's the kingdom come. So get the liars out [singing] the way. They don't have the final ((music playing)) say. There's only one. Sovereign and supreme. Every word he speaks is holy. The lamb of God has overcome. My testimony [music and singing] is his blood. And if he said that it is done, ((music playing)) it is done. So be it, God. >> [singing] ((music playing)) >> To the one on [singing] the throne who could not be overthrown, ((music playing)) sing hallelujah. To the last ((music playing)) and the first ruler of the universe, sing hallelujah. To the ((music playing)) alpha, maker, the master, the [singing] maker, the name above ((music playing)) every other name. Give him all the praises. Hallelujah. >> [singing and music] >> The lamb of God has overcome. My testimony ((music playing)) is his blood. And if he [music and singing] said that it is done, it is done. So be it, God. The weapons of the enemy, >> ((music playing)) >> they have >> [singing] >> no power over me. The >> ((music playing)) >> one with all >> [singing] >> authority covers me. So be it, God. So be >> ((music playing)) >> it, God. >> [singing] >> So be it, God. I remembered that my friend who would play Greg Laurie's sermons every single day when we worked together. I looked up Greg Laurie on YouTube and I started watching every ((music playing)) single sermon. One day I decided to just get up and go and it was the best decision of my life because I knew that this is what I was looking for. I just needed to find ((music playing)) the right the right church and the right community. Looking back at it now, it's just incredible how far the Lord has took ((music playing)) me out of that hole that I was digging myself into. Everything everything that I was looking for in the neo-spiritual world, I found in Jesus. I knew ((music playing)) that I was still on a journey not just finding God because God had found me, but just to making sure I knew really what the Bible was saying. So I ended up going to Barnes & Noble a lot and lo and behold, I ended up getting approached by this guy. So ((music playing)) I walked up to her and uh she was very kind and we talked about God and we ((music playing)) ended up having about a two or three hour conversation. Who would have ever thought that someday ((music playing)) a witch and a Satanist would ever be followers of Christ. That truly goes to show how far God's grace and forgiveness goes. From a throne to a cross, who would pay [singing] such a price for ((music playing)) the sins of the world? Here's your king crucified. [singing] See the nails in his ((music playing)) hands. See the wounds in his side. See the crown meant to mock that instead [singing] prophesied this good news that it ((music playing)) was not the [singing] end. Wipe the tears from your eyes. Don't forget that ((music playing)) he said on the third he will rise. >> ((music playing)) >> He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. >> [singing] >> He's alive. He's alive. >> ((music playing)) >> He's alive. He's alive. He's ((music playing)) alive. The lamb of God >> [singing] >> has overcome. My testimony is his blood. ((music playing)) And if he said that it is done, it is done. So be it, God. >> ((music playing)) >> The >> [singing] >> weapons of the enemy, they have no power over ((music playing)) me. The one with all authority covers me. So be >> [music and singing] >> it, God. So be it, God. Yeah. It is final. It is written. >> ((music playing)) >> It is settled. It is finished. See that old me? He was in it. Now he isn't. He is risen. >> ((music playing)) >> It is final. It is written. It is settled. It ((music playing)) is finished. See that old me? He was in it. Now he isn't. >> ((music playing)) >> He is risen. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. >> ((music playing)) >> Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. >> ((music playing)) >> So be it, God. Hallelujah. ((music playing)) So be it, God. So be it, God. >> ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> Throughout the years, we've had the privilege and the honor of reaching people from across the country and the world with the life-saving message of the gospel through Harvest Crusades. With the power of modern-day technology, we have been able to not only host people in person at these stadium events, but also stream the event live across the world. A Hope for America attendee shared this. Thank you so much, Greg. I was able to pray with my son and he came to the Lord tonight with your help. Thank you. Hallelujah. How amazing is that that the gospel can touch hearts of so many people through these events. God bless everyone who attended this event in person and online who committed or recommitted their life to Christ. The truth is this, what is happening through Harvest Ministries is happening all over our country and people are hungry for the good news and we believe America is primed for revival. But we believe it takes God's people to feed that revival and it takes your generosity to enable the work that God is doing through Harvest Ministries. So let me ask you this, will you partake in the blessing of this ministry by making a generous gift today? Your support will continue the broadcast of Harvest at Home, but it will also go even further than that in creating these events, these moments, these films for people to be transformed forever. As a thank you for your support, we would love to send you Pastor Greg's book as it is in heaven. This book teaches all we need to know about our future heavenly destination and explores all that the Bible has to say about this wonderful place. And when you make a donation of any amount today, you can receive your own copy of Pastor Greg's book as it is in heaven. This book will inspire you to live your life here on earth with conviction and anticipation for what's ahead. Just go to harvest.org/donate and make your gift today. That's harvest.org/donate and make your gift today. Thank you guys so much for your generosity and your support in sharing the gospel through Harvest. Your donations goes towards fulfilling our mission and that's to know God and to make him known. So with that, family, would you pray with me as we just commit this time of worship to the Lord. Father, we thank you that we get to celebrate your son being resurrected from the dead. God, we know that you have something special planned in this service. I know many hearts are going to be changed today because of your word and God, I pray, Lord, that as we continue to worship you. We thank you, Lord, that we've been able to worship you in song and in a moment, we're going to worship you by opening up your word, but right now, God, as we worship you in giving, God, I pray, Lord, that you would see our hearts and be pleased. God, I pray, Lord, that you would multiply these gifts, these offerings in a way that would allow us here at Harvest and Harvest at Home to continue to do the work that you've called us to do and that's to share the good news. So God, we just want to say we love you and we want to just exalt the name of your son, Jesus, today. So we just commit this time of worship. It's in your holy and precious name. Amen. If you're watching online, you go to harvest.church/give. It's on your bulletin, also, but participate and it will be fruit to your account, also. Let's pray together. Lord, we're so thankful to be here. We're so thankful that you gave everything for us and now we give unto you because it's right and it's appropriate and it's a blessing. So receive our worship through our giving. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. >> Is he worthy? [singing] Is he worthy of all blessing [singing and music] and honor and glory? Is he worthy of this? Is anyone worthy? Is anyone [singing and music] home? Is anyone able to break the seal and open the ((music playing)) scroll? The lion of Judah [singing] who conquered ((music playing)) the grave. He is David's root and [singing] the lamb that died to ransom the slave. >> ((music playing)) >> Is anyone worthy? Is anyone home? >> ((music playing)) >> Is anyone able [singing] to break the seal >> ((music playing)) >> and open the scroll? The lion >> ((music playing)) >> of Judah who conquered the grave. He is David's root and the lamb [music and singing] that died to ransom the slave. From every people and tribe, >> ((music playing)) >> from every nation and tongue, >> [singing] >> he has made us a kingdom and priests to God >> ((music playing)) >> to ransom the slave. Is he worthy? >> [singing] ((music playing)) >> Is he worthy of ((music playing)) all blessing and honor and glory? Is he worthy? Is he worthy? [singing] Is he worthy of this? He is. >> ((music playing)) >> He is. >> [music and singing] >> Is he worthy? Is he worthy? He ((music playing)) is. He is. >> [singing] >> Is he worthy? Is he worthy? He is. ((music playing)) He is worthy. >> ((music playing)) >> He is God. He is worthy, God. So, we sing lamb of God, anointed one who was and is >> ((music playing)) >> and is to come, seated on the throne. We sing holy, >> ((music playing)) >> holy, righteous one who shed his blood to prove to us the Father's love. Jesus ((music playing)) Christ, be lifted up. Come on. Holy, holy, lamb of God, ((music playing)) anointed one who was and is and is to come, seated ((music playing)) on the throne. And holy, >> ((music playing)) >> holy, righteous one who shed his blood to prove to us the Father's love. >> ((music playing)) >> Jesus Christ, be lifted up. Who else is worthy? Who else is worthy? >> ((music playing)) >> There is [singing] no one, only you, Jesus. Who ((music playing)) else is worthy? Who else is worthy? There is no >> ((music playing)) >> one, only you, Jesus. >> [singing] >> There is no one, >> ((music playing)) >> only you, Jesus. There is no one, only >> ((music playing)) >> you, Jesus. >> ((music playing)) >> It was the darkest of days. Jesus Christ had been murdered in cold blood. For his disciples, ((music playing)) hope was gone. But then, just as he said, three days later, Jesus rose from the dead. Hope was alive. And this was all part of the plan. Mary was the first at the tomb. She was ((music playing)) the first to discover he was risen. Jesus was alive. Peter and John ran to the empty tomb and saw for themselves ((music playing)) Jesus indeed was alive. He appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He even appeared to 500 people at one time. There was no denying it. When Jesus died, he conquered sin. When Jesus rose again, he defeated death. Death itself died when Christ ((music playing)) rose. Easter is the day that death died. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, if I put my ((music playing)) faith in him, I do not need to be afraid. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes ((music playing)) in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never >> ((music playing)) >> die." >> ((applause)) >> Good morning. Welcome to church. How many of you are visiting us for the first time at Harvest? Never been before, raise your hand. We want to say hello to you. Hello to all of you. Welcome. So glad to have you here. Hey, one thing that we do pretty much every year, uh it's called the Harvest Crusade at Angel Stadium. And I wanted to officially announce that we're doing it again this year on July 11th at Angel Stadium. >> ((applause)) >> And we're welcoming back our good friend Phil Wickham. He hasn't been with us for a while. I've known Phil ever since he's been a young man, a little boy even, and I knew his parents who were worship leaders as well. And so, Phil always does an amazing job. Also, Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes, her husband, are back again. Uh how many of you were at the Crusade last year? Raise your hand. Amazing moment when Cody, or actually when Kari, well, Kari and Cody were singing The Blessing, that powerful song, and along with 50,000 people, it's kind of a moment you remember. And we're going to do that again, and there'll be some special surprises this year that we'll be announcing soon. But mark the date on your calendar, July 11th. The title of my message is a second chance at Easter. But let's pray now. Now, Lord, we're glad to gather together in your presence. First, we want to thank you, Lord, that that second airman that was shot down in Iran has been rescued, Lord. That's an answer to prayer. >> ((applause)) >> We pray that you will protect our our members serving us in the military right now. And we pray that you will help our country turn to you, turn back to you. And help us to do that this Easter morning of 2026 as we revisit the greatest of all stories, the story of your death and resurrection. So, speak to us from your word, we would pray now. In Jesus' name we ask this. Amen. So, I heard about a husband and wife that went to Israel on a tour. He took along her mother, his mother-in-law. She was known to nag a little bit, not that all mothers mother-in-laws do that, but this one did. And tragically, she died while they were touring in Israel. And so, the husband went to the local undertaker and said, "Uh my mother-in-law died here, and I need to have her shipped back home again so we can bury her. How much would that cost?" And the undertaker said, "It's very expensive. It's $15,000." "Well, okay. But sir," he said, "you need to know that if you bury her here in Israel, we can do it for $800. It's a really good deal, and imagine your mother-in-law would be buried in Israel." The man said, "Uh it's okay. I'll go ahead and pay the 15,000 and ship her back to the States." The undertaker said, "Sir, why would you spend all of that money when you could bury your mother-in-law here in Israel. The man said, "Because 2,000 years ago a man was buried and he rose again from the dead." And I can't take that chance. I just offended every mother-in-law out there. But today we come to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It's not just a powerful historical event and indeed it was, but it has a lot to do with you. So, I want to talk about how it applies in your life. There are three main points I want to make in my message. Number one, Easter is personal, Easter is practical, and Easter is powerful. And when I say Easter I mean the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's personal, it's practical, and it's powerful. And I know that some of you have not been to church in a long time. Sometimes we jokingly call you CEO Christians, Christmas and Easter only. But in fact, we welcome you and we're glad you're here, right? So, welcome to church. >> ((applause)) >> We hope you'll come back. I heard about a husband and wife that were getting ready for church one Sunday morning and and the wife was ready to walk out the door and she noticed her husband had not lifted a finger to get himself ready. She said, "Honey, we're going to church. Get ready." He says, "I don't want to go." She said, "What do you mean you don't want to go?" He says, "I'll give you three reasons I don't want to go. Number one, no one in that church likes me. The congregation is cold and third, I just don't want to go." She said, "Well, honey, number one, some people like you, the congregation is warm, and third, you're the pastor, so get dressed." So, and sadly this happened in my house this morning. I am that No, I'm joking. The opposite is true actually, but I want to talk about how God can give second chances on this Easter of 2026. I'm going to talk about a man who crashed and burned spiritually but was restored by the Lord. And this man did not plan to fall, but he did. A few years ago I was going up the stairs of my house and I got a metal uh tumbler thermos filled with ice and water and I really didn't want to spill it, so I'm being very careful, but I wasn't paying attention to where I was stepping and my foot caught on the stair and I don't know how I did this. I was moving kind of fast. I went airborne. I don't think I could recreate this if I wanted to. I went airborne still trying to keep my cup from spilling, right? And I did a face plant in a cabinet. I didn't even have time to brace myself. It happened so quickly. I'm laying on the floor. I felt like I blacked out for just a moment. I opened my eyes. There's blood on the floor. I thought, "This is not good." And I called out, "Kathy." And she comes up and finds her deranged husband sprawled on the floor, ice everywhere. I had to go down to the emergency room at the hospital. My teeth, bottom teeth had gone through my lip. And so they had to sew my lip. A great time was had by all. But but my point of bringing this story up was I did not plan on falling going up those stairs. I planned on reaching my destination and drinking my ice water, but we don't always plan on falling and this man certainly did not. We know him best as Simon Peter. Sometimes we call him Saint Peter. A million jokes are told about people going to the pearly gates and encountering Saint Peter. And he was a saint, but in fact, we're all saints. Saint is just another word for believer that's used in the Bible. You're a saint, I'm a saint. You don't have to call me Saint Gregory if you don't want to, but I'm a living breathing saint and you are too. I remember hearing the story of a little girl who was asked by her mom what a saint was and thinking of those apostles in stained glass down at the church, she said, "Mom, a saint is someone that the light shines through." I think that's true. The light shines through us as followers of Jesus and we we indeed are saints, but Peter, Saint Peter, if you will, was far from perfect. His faux pas are legendary. We think of uh the time he was with Jesus, the Mount of Transfiguration. Christ shined like the sun. On one side of him was Elijah, on the other side uh was Moses. And instead of just taking it all in, Peter decides it'd be a good moment to say a few things. And it's funny because the gospel says, "This he said because he did not know what to say." By the way, if you don't know what to say, don't say anything, right? But Peter said to him, "It's good we are here. Let's build three little booths, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." You wonder if Moses turned to Jesus and said, "Who is that?" "That's Saint Peter." "See with you?" Yes, he is. And then God the Father literally from heaven said, "This is my beloved son, listen to him." Peter was always putting his foot in his mouth, but his worst mistake was when he was in the upper room with Jesus. And our Lord said, "One of you is going to betray me." And Peter thought this would be a good opportunity to stand up and boast of his deep love for Jesus and he said, "Even if all of these men betray you, I will never betray you, Jesus." And the Lord says, "Well, since you brought it up, Saint Peter, before the rooster has crowed three times, you're going to you're going to deny me three times." Or before the rooster has crowed two times, you'll deny me three times. And of course, that's exactly what happened. Jesus was arrested. He was taken to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, where he was being tried on false charges. And outside in the courtyard, there was a fire. Peter went there to warm himself and before he knew it, he was being called out, "You're one of those disciples of Jesus." And a rooster crows. The first thing I would have said is, "Are there any roosters around here?" You know, when you go to Hawaii, there's tons of roosters just running loose everywhere and and the way that they all crow in the morning, it's an amazing thing to me. How do they know to do that? Who cues them? Does one rooster send out a tweet to the other roosters? I don't know. I don't know how they organize this, but the rooster crowed just as Jesus said it would and then at the third denial, Jesus is brought out of the home of Caius and he makes eye contact with Peter in the glow of the fire. What kind of look did Jesus give to Peter? The Bible doesn't tells us. But it wasn't a look of shock. Christ had predicted this. It wasn't a look of scorn because he loved Peter. I think it was a look of love and Peter went out and wept bitterly. Then our Lord was beaten and brutalized and scourged with a Roman whip and then nailed to a cross. He was so bloodied and traumatized, the Bible says you couldn't even tell he was a man and there he died on the cross for our sins. And then after he had died, there was a man named Joseph of Arimathea that had a tomb along with Nicodemus who had come to Jesus earlier by night and they put him in that empty tomb and then human history changed. He rose again. In case you didn't know it, he rose again. Spoiler alert. Okay. The women were first at the tomb and they received a special message. By the way, women were the last at the cross and the first at the tomb. You go, girl. Way to go. Come on. Showing us guys up again. And Mary Magdalene, who had had seven demons cast out of her and had a deep love for Jesus, went to anoint his dead body and she encountered the risen Lord. But here's the cool thing, the message that went up from those angels at the empty tomb was, "Go tell the disciples and Peter he's risen." Isn't that interesting? Not go tell the disciples and Peter, James, and John or go tell the disciples and Matthew or the disciples and Thomas, but tell the disciples and Peter. Jesus singled out the one man who had failed the most publicly not to shame him, but restore him. And you can put your name there because there's somebody here today that needs to be restored by God. Someone here that needs to be forgiven by God. Someone here that needs a second chance from God. You ever see those billboards that say, "Your name here?" Or your business here? You could put your name here. Bringing me to my first point, Easter is personal. Easter is personal. Yes, it's true. Christ died for the sins of the world. As Jesus said, "For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son." But it is also true he died for you. The Apostle Paul said, "He loved me and he gave himself for me." He did it for you. Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord says, "I know the thoughts that I think toward you," says the Lord, "thoughts of peace, not of evil, to give you a future and to give you a hope." This is personal. Christ did this for you. He chose you. And he knew all about you before he chose you. There's a funny episode of The Simpsons I saw a while ago. I probably shouldn't admit I've watched The Simpsons, but I have. And um in this particular episode, it's Valentine's Day and uh Lisa is told by her teacher she has to give a Valentine to every student in the class. Do you remember when our teachers did that to us? We really wanted to give the Valentine to the girl we had a crush on or the guy. You have to give them to everyone. Well, there's one little nerdy kid named Ralph. Uh and he gets a card from Lisa. It's a little choo-choo train that she chose and it says, "I choo-choo-choose you." Remember this? It looked like that. Okay. "I choo-choo-choose you." Well, Ralph took it literally and thought that Lisa was pursuing him and the rest of the episode is about Ralph in love with Lisa, but but she it was just a random thing. But the reality is God chose you. We updated the card with "Been born again" and yellow dog, "God choo-choo-chooses you." He does. God chose you. As a great British preacher C.H. Spurgeon once said, "It's a good thing God chose me before I was born because if he would have waited until afterwards, he would have changed his mind." But actually he knew exactly what you would do. He knows you better than you know yourself. And Jesus chose Peter and he knew he would fall. In fact, he predicted it, but it's personal. Here's the second thing. Easter is practical. It's practical. Peter just went back to join what he knew how to do. Even though Jesus had called him when he was out fishing for fish and said, "Follow me and I'll make you a fisher of men." Now he's gone back to fishing for fish again. And he's caught nothing. He fished all night and caught nothing. And this can be a picture of our life. Trying to make everything work. And if I just check all these boxes, I go to school, I get an education, I get a job, I have a career, I get married, I have children, I do X, I do Y, maybe I retire one day, or I reach this goal, or I have that experience, or I buy this thing, or whatever it is you're pursuing. And it's sort of like you fish all night and you catch nothing. There's just an emptiness to all of it. And what you need to realize is you were built to know God. You're designed to know God. And everything else is going to fall short. We'll say, "My life and my future and my plans." Hello. The breath you're drawing in your lungs right now is a gift to you from God Almighty. The beat of your heart. >> ((applause)) >> The beat of your heart is also a gift from the Lord to you. But we say, "Oh, it's all mine." It's not yours. Heard about a lady that went to an airport and she was waiting for her flight, bought a bag of cookies to eat. So, she sat down at a table. There was another gentleman seated there and she opened up her bag of cookies and took out the first one and she was a little shocked when she saw the man reached into her bag and he too took a cookie. She didn't offer it to him. What's going on? How rude. She grabs another cookie. He too reaches and grabs another cookie. She grabs another, he grabs another. They get to the bottom of the bag and there's one cookie left and he grabs it. And he smiles, breaks it in half and gives her half. She was so outraged. Who does this man think he is? Taking my cookies. And she got up and walked away in a huff and opened up her purse and there was her bag of cookies. You see, he was not eating her cookies, she was eating his. And he was generous enough to offer her half of the last one. That's us. "Oh, my life, my future." It's all given to you by God, you see. And until you turn to the Lord and find his plan for your life, you're going to find yourself fishing all night and catching nothing. Things are so different when we invite Jesus on board. He's calling to us from the shore. Nothing that this culture, nothing that this world offers is going to fill the deep void in our life. Jesus said to a woman who had been married and divorced five times, who went to a well to draw water, "If you drink of this water, you'll thirst again." You could write that over the wells, if you will, of life. The well of material things, the well of success, the well of experiences. If you drink of this water, you will thirst again. In the '60s, people tried to fill that void with drugs, sex, and rock and roll. How did that work out? Oh, it ended in futility. So many of these rock icons of the day all died at the age of 27. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison. What began as a generation chasing freedom became a half-century epidemic of addiction, overdose, and despair. Yeah, those crazy boomers. Fast forward to today. What are we doing? The props have changed, but the play is the same. Instead of Woodstock, what do we have? Wi-Fi? Instead of LSD, do we have TikTok? We carry the whole world in our pockets and have never been more alone. Depression, hopelessness, and suicide are at an all-time high. And what's the latest thing? AI. AI. In fact, I heard that in a 2025 survey that 75% of US teens have used AI companions and one in five adults have interacted romantically with AI. What on earth? Romantic interacted romantically with your going on a date with a Roomba? What's going on here? I don't I don't understand this. People are turning to AI for counsel, for help. It's all a substitute for God. That's what you're really looking for. It's a search for God. But the good news is God is searching for you. Jesus said, "The Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost." Jesus told the story of a shepherd who had 100 sheep and he left the 99 and went after that one stray sheep. And God is searching for you and calling to you. Jesus called to his disciples who had gone out fishing and caught nothing. "Boys, have you caught anything?" You could see how one of them might have turned and said, "Who's he calling boys? Who is that guy?" "Why don't you throw the net on the other side of the boat?" says the voice from the shore, "and you'll have a great catch." And John, the apostle, always the perceptive one, said, "It's the Lord." And sure enough, they caught so many fish in their net, they were beginning to sink under the weight of it. So, now they come to the shore and they see this powerful scene that unfolds before us in John 21, verse nine. When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them. Fish cooking over a charcoal fire and some bread. Jesus said, "Bring some of the fish you've just caught." So, Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. 153 large fish and the net didn't turn. Hey, you know, hello. That's a very heavy net. Peter did that by himself. Way to go, Peter. Um and Jesus says, "Now, come and have some breakfast." King James says, "Come and dine," which I like. But I also like this translation from the New King James version, "Come and have some breakfast." None of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. And this was the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples who had been raised from the dead. Is this not an inviting scene? They come to the shore and Jesus is making breakfast. You know, my favorite meal of the day is breakfast. Second only to lunch and dinner. But um I love it when my wife says, "Breakfast is ready." Oh, yes. And for me it's bacon and eggs. I don't know what you eat. But I love Now, I know bacon wasn't served here. That was not kosher. Actually, it was fish and bread. No eggs even. But handmade bread and fish served by Jesus. Think about this. He bore in his hands and in his feet and in his body the marks of the crucifixion. The nail-pierced hands of Jesus prepared this meal. "Bring some of the fish that you've caught." When you I don't know, fish and eggs sound good to you? But actually, over in Hawaii, they have it all the time. Sometimes you blacken the fish, mahi. Eggs killer. Try it sometime. And so, they're they're eating this delicious meal. And all of a sudden, I think Peter is having something of a flashback. Wait. Where where have I seen this before? The face of Jesus in the glow of the fire. For Peter, it was like Yogi Berra once said, {quote} "Deja vu all over again." {end quote} Wait, wait. I've seen this before and and he remembers that he denied Jesus. And being eye contact with him briefly in the glow of that fire, it was probably quiet. What would you say? Well, Jesus, what have you been doing lately? Yeah, I need the recipe for this fish. It's amazing. Uh Very quiet. And Jesus breaks the silence. And then he says in verse 15 of John 21, after breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" Interesting thing, this is the third time Jesus appeared after he rose from the dead. He asked the same question of Peter three times. Do you think there's any connection between that and Peter's denial of Christ three times? Perhaps. Peter, have you learned anything? Do you love me more than these? Why did he ask? Because Peter before had said, "Though all deny you, I will never deny you." Now Jesus is saying, "Do you still feel that way?" Peter just says, "Hey Lord, you know that I love you. I don't love you more than anyone else, but I love you." And then Jesus says this, "Feed my lambs." You know what that means? That means they were back in business again. No lecture, no browbeating, no rehash of what Peter did. Peter knew the enormity of what he had done, and Jesus knew that Peter knew. Jesus was giving to Peter a second chance. And I wonder, is there someone here that needs a second chance this Easter? God loves to give second chances and third ones and fourth ones and on it goes. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, were in the Garden of Eden living in absolute paradise. God said they could enjoy this garden, just don't eat of this fruit of this tree. And of course, they ate of that tree and sin entered the world. But even then, God said there's coming one who will deliver you. He was going to give to them a second chance. King David was given a second chance after his adultery and murder. He was confronted by the prophet Nathan, and David repented and went on to live the most effective years of his life. Samson, who had so much going for him. You know, he he had this long hair and amazing strength. He was like a superhero from a comic book, except he was real. This supernatural strength, and it was symbolized by his long hair, and he fell into a trap of a woman named Delilah that cut all of his hair off. But the Bible says, "How be it the hair of his head began to grow again." Judges 16:22. Sometimes people ask me, "Greg, what is your life verse?" That's it. "The hair of his head began to grow again." Lord, let this promise be unto me even now. More hair on this head. God gave me a second chance. He did the same for Jonah, who was called to preach to Nineveh. And he refused and went in the opposite direction. God said, "Go." Jonah said, "No." God said, "Oh." You see, God will always have the last word. And then of course, he was swallowed by a sea monster. That's a literal translation, a great fish, maybe a whale. It was like sushi eating in reverse. The fish ate the guy instead of the guy eating the fish. How many of you like sushi? You like sushi? How many of you don't like sushi? Whoa, kind kind of equal. I like sushi myself. But he was given a second chance. As he repented and called on the Lord, the Bible says, "The word of the Lord came to him the second time." So let's summarize. Easter is personal. Easter is practical. Finally, Easter is powerful. Not Easter itself, but the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because he died and rose again, we can have hope. We live in a super scary world right now. War in the Middle East, continuing friction with Russia, and of course, China, North Korea. Google searches for World War III are at their highest peak ever. We live such in such an uncertain world with fake news, bad news, and scary news. Well, I have good news in a bad world. Christ is risen again, and we have hope. >> ((applause)) >> The message of the angels at the empty tomb was, "Don't be afraid." Or don't be alarmed. Or from the original Greek, "Don't panic, it's organic." No, it doesn't That's not what I did. Threw that in there to see if you're listening. But it's powerful. And it's powerful because as I said earlier, death died when Christ rose. Easter was the death of death. I heard a story of a father and a son who were driving in the car, and the little boy was severely allergic to the sting of a bee. If a bee stung him, he literally could die. Somehow a bee got into the car and was buzzing around. The little guy was terrified. The father was trying to grab the bee, and it continued to buzz, and the little boy was screaming. Finally, the father reaches up and grabs the bee and holds it tightly. And then he opens his hand, and the bee flies out. The boy starts to scream again. The father said, "Son, why are you screaming? The stinger is gone. It went into my hand, you see. You don't have to be afraid anymore." And Jesus took the stinger out of death, if you will, when he rose again from the dead, you see. >> ((applause)) >> 1 Corinthians 15:55 says, "Death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death, where is your sting? Oh grave, where is your victory?" Look, I I know Christians die. I have a friend that texted me, he's a preacher. He said, "Preach as though it were your last Easter Sunday." I thought that's kind of depressing. But then I thought, "No, it's not depressing. It could be. Hey, it could be your last Easter Sunday." George Whitfield, a great preacher, who had a huge role in the formation of our nation. There's a movie out about him right now in theaters called A Great Awakening. I recommend you all see. But George Whitfield said, "Preach as a dying man to dying men. I am a dying man preaching to dying men and women." Well, no. I may live to have 10 more Easters or 20 more. I don't know how many more beyond that, but God knows. Well, look, that doesn't frighten me. The stinger of death has been removed because I know when I die, when I leave this world, I go into God's presence because the Bible says, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." Right? That's our hope. >> ((applause)) >> I titled this message a second chance for Easter. Maybe you need a second chance. Not just because of something you've done that is wrong, like Peter's denial, but maybe just life has not gone well for you. And it's come through no fault of your own. You were dealt a horrible hand in life, a broken home, a tragedy of some kind. As some of you know that I was raised in a home of divorce. My mom was married and divorced seven times. I mentioned the woman at the well, she kind of reminds me of her. Married all these guys, and it's almost like she married the same guy again and again and again. They were the kind of guys that hang around in bars and have their shirts unbuttoned a few too many buttons. Local chains. Hey guys, just button the shirt up. We don't want to see your gold chains, okay? She kept marrying the same guy. You might call them a barfly. Not great guys. And then somehow, and I don't know why or how she did this, she married this button-down conservative, intelligent guy who didn't drink or smoke. I don't know what my mother saw in him. His name was Oscar Lowry. He was an attorney, great man. And so he adopted me, gave me his name, and was a great dad, and treated me as a father should treat a son. I never knew my biological father, so I've always called him my dad. That's why it was so hard one day when I was coming out of school, and the family car was loaded up with all of our suitcases, and I said to my mom, "What's going on?" She says, "We're leaving." I said, "Well, where are we going?" She said, "Hawaii." Well, I was excited because at that point in my young life, I'd not been to Hawaii yet. I said, "Where's Dad?" She said, "He's not coming." And I didn't see Oscar Lowry for the rest of my childhood. But then as a young man, after I came to Christ, I reached out to him. I I I tracked him down. This is before Google. But I had a friend who worked for the Bar Association, and she found Oscar Lowry still practicing law in Red Bank, New Jersey. So I got his phone number, and I called his office. His secretary answered. Law office of Oscar Lowry. I said, "Hello, is uh Mr. Lowry in?" "He's out to lunch." "Okay. Uh would you tell him uh Greg Lowry called?" She said, "How do you spell your last name?" "Same way he spells his last name. This is his son." Well, he called me back quickly. "Greg, so good to hear from you." And I said, "Well, I just wanted to say hello. I'm going to be in New York. I'm a Christian and a pastor, long story, but uh I'd like to have lunch with you." He says, "No, come to our home for the weekend." I said, "Oh, I don't want to inconvenience you." "No, come." So I went to New York with my wife, Kathy, our oldest son, Christopher. Jonathan wasn't born yet. And we arrived by train from New York to Red Bank, New Jersey, and there he was. And we reconnected immediately. And before I knew it, I was calling him Dad again. He told me how he tried to get custody of me, but my mom fought him tooth and nail, which he didn't understand, but I think it was all part of God's plan to get me to the right place to hear the gospel when I did and so forth, but uh that night his wife, Barbara, made a beautiful Italian meal. And then she said, "Greg, tell me how you became a Christian and a pastor." So, I began to share my story and at the other end of the table there sat my dad with his hands up against his face listening, not reacting at all. And I felt like I'm in a courtroom, he's the judge, and I'm losing. No reaction. He said to me, "Greg, can we walk tomorrow morning? I I walk every morning. Okay?" One thing I left out is he had had a heart attack only weeks before, blacked out behind the wheel of his car, drove into a telephone pole, almost died. So, he had to change his diet and walk every day. So, we get up in the morning, he knocks on the door of my bedroom. We're out in the brisk New Jersey air, 6:00 in the morning East Coast time, 3:00 in the morning California time. I'm very sleepy still. And my dad said, "Greg, I listened very carefully to what you said last night. Okay? And I want to accept Jesus Christ into my life right now." >> ((applause)) >> I said, "Well, Ted, let me explain it to you again." I went over the whole gospel again. He says, "Yes, I understand." This is a very intelligent man, a very educated man, constantly reading. I mean, and so for him to say this was really surprising to me, not what you would call an emotional man. "Yes, I want to accept Jesus Christ right now. What do I do?" We're in a park at this point walking, and I said, "Well, Dad, you need to pray." He drops to his knees. I wasn't going to do it on my knees, but since he was down there, I got down on my knees with him. I said, "Pray this prayer with me. Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I ask you to come into my life." We prayed the prayer. When we're done praying, he says, "Pray for my heart. Pray God heals my heart." "Okay, Dad. Lord, heal my dad's heart." So, we're done praying, he goes, "Something's just happened to me. I know Jesus has come into my life. Greg, my doctor's office isn't far from here. Let's go over there. I want to tell my doctor my heart is healed." "Dad, we don't know if your heart is healed." Let's go. So, we go to his doctor's office. He was a nice Jewish gentleman. My dad walks in. "Doc, this is my son, Greg. He's from California. He's a pastor, and we just prayed and I asked Jesus to come into my life, and Jesus has also healed my heart." And I'm thinking, "Oy vey, I don't know I don't know that he's healed your heart, Dad." The doctor said, "Now, Oscar, relax. We need to do some tests. We'll see if your heart's better." They ran tests on my dad. His heart was literally healed, and he lived 15 more years. >> ((applause)) ((applause)) >> But when I was reconnecting with him, he showed me our family crest. I was adopted into this family. And it's a Scottish family, and the coat of arms, so to speak, and it says "Repullulat." And then it's a picture of a tree stump with a little growth coming out of it. Repullulat means it buds afresh. The idea is a great tree grew, it was cut down, and it grew back again. I thought, "It's a picture of my life." Regardless of my childhood and all these things that happened, God gave me a second chance. That was great. Fast forward to 2008, that tree was cut down again when my oldest son, Christopher, died in a tragic automobile accident. I didn't know if I could recover from such a thing. It was so devastating to us. But uh we called on the Lord, we trusted in him. And with the passing of time, that that tree is budding again and that that growth is coming again, and we're thankful for that. And here's why, because I know my son is not just a part of my past, he's also a part of my future because Jesus rose. >> ((applause)) >> Because Jesus rose. I heard about a Christian father who was dying, and on his deathbed he called his three sons to his bedside. And to two of his sons who were believers in Jesus, he said, "Goodbye, my sons, and I'll see you in the morning." The third son said, "Wait, why didn't you say that to me?" Because to him he just said, "Goodbye, my son." "Why didn't you say you'll see me in the morning, Father?" The dad said, "Because your sons believe in Jesus, as do I, and we'll all be reunited. I'll see them in the morning, but I'll never see you again. So, goodbye, son." The son was heartbroken. "Father, I want to see you again. How can I be ready?" "Well, you have to accept Christ into your life," which the boy did, and then the father turned to him and said, "Goodbye, my son. I'll see you in the morning." That's the hope. Because Jesus died and rose again. He gives second chances. He can give you a second chance here today. You say, "Okay, I want it. I I want this second chance. I I want this hope of heaven. I want to know that my sin is forgiven. What do I need to do?" Number one, you need to admit you're a sinner. The Bible says, "All of sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Peter had to admit his shortcomings. Jesus called out, "Have you caught anything?" "No, Lord, we haven't. We failed. We need you." You have to say, "Lord, I need you. I've come to the end of myself. I want what you have for me." The Bible says, "All of sinned and fallen short of God's glory." You say, "Well, Greg, I'm a good person." Are you really? I don't think you're as good as you think you are. But I will grant that there are some pretty good people out there, and certainly some people are better than others. But having said that, heaven is not for good people. Heaven is for forgiven people. Because one sin is enough to keep you out of heaven. The Bible says, "If you offend in one point of the law, you're guilty of all of it." God doesn't grade on the curve. God grades on the cross. The only way >> ((applause)) >> The only way we'll get into heaven is not based on what we've done for God, but based It's based on what Christ did for us when he hung on that cross and said, "It is finished." >> ((applause)) >> The word he uses there for "It is finished" is a Greek word "tetelestai." It means it's accomplished. It's paid for. It's done. He bought it for you. You can't get it for yourself. So, you have to admit you're a sinner. Then you need to realize Christ died on that cross for you. It wasn't a mistake. It was all part of God's well-thought-out plan. Simon Peter said on the day of Pentecost when he preached before many, it's a plan that God had so you could be forgiven of your sin because of his love for you. Because he choo choo chooses you. He love love loved you. >> ((applause)) >> And he will forgive you right now. But then you need to repent of your sin. The word repent means to turn around. Hang a U-turn. It's a military term. So, you're going away from your sin. Now, you're going toward Christ. Then you must receive him into your life. You see, being a Christian isn't just becoming more religious. It's a relationship with God where Christ comes and lives inside of you. What did Jesus Jesus say to his disciples? "Come and have breakfast. Let's have a meal together." And Jesus uses that same metaphor when he says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock, and if you'll hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and have a meal with you." Right? He wants a relationship with you. You need to say, "Lord, come into my life." And finally, you must do it now. Well, I'll do it next Easter when I come back to church. Maybe I'll come Christmas or but but you know, probably next Easter. No, no, no. The Bible says, "Today is the day of salvation." This is your moment. And finally, you must do it publicly. Peter denied Jesus publicly, but later he acknowledged him publicly. But Jesus said, "If you will confess me before people, I'll confess you before the Father and his angels. But if you deny me before people, I'll deny you before the Father and the angels." I'm going to ask you to make a public stand to follow Christ this Easter Sunday of 2026. We're going to pray. I'm going to extend an invitation to you wherever you are to say yes to Jesus and be forgiven of your sin so you can know that you'll go to heaven when you die. So, you can find the meaning and purpose of life. Or if you've fallen away, so you can come back to him again. So, you decide what you're going to do as we pray. Father, I pray that you'll speak to every heart, every person wherever they are. If they don't know you, let this be the moment they believe. The moment they come to you and find your forgiveness. Now, while our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we're praying. Maybe there's someone here that would say, "I need Jesus. I need a second chance in life. I need to be forgiven. I need to have this relationship with God, and I want to go to heaven when I die. I want this hope that you've been talking about. Pray for me. If you want Jesus Christ to come into your life, if you want him to forgive you of your sin, if you want to know that you will go to heaven when you die, or you want to fill that hole in your heart, so to speak, and that void in your life. If you're ready to say yes to Jesus, wherever you are, I want you to just raise your hand up right now, and I'm going to pray for you. God bless you. Raise your hand up where I can see it. God bless you and you. Just raise your hand up. Let me pray for you. God bless you. God bless you. All over the room, everywhere. God bless you. You might be watching at Harvest Orange County or Harvest Maui or outside or just a screen somewhere. You can raise your hand as well, saying, "I need Jesus." God bless all of you. Lord, I pray that you give the strength to each one of these folks to make a public stand for you now, and we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. >> ((applause)) >> In a moment, our worship group is going to lead us in a song of invitation. And I'm going to ask you, if you raised your hand during that last moment of prayer, saying you want Christ to come into your life, or maybe you did not raise your hand, but you want Jesus to forgive you of your sin, you want to know that you'll go to heaven when you die, you want a second chance in life, I'm going to ask you, when the song begins, to get up out of your seat, step into the nearest aisle, and walk down here to the front of the stage. And when you all get here, I'll lead you in a prayer. It'll take you a little longer in the balcony to come down. Outside in the courtyard, I'm going to ask someone to open those doors over here on the sides of the folks in the courtyard can come in as well. And uh you come and join us in here at Harvest Orange County. You walk forward to the front of the room where the stage is. Harvest Maui, you walk forward to the front where the screen is. Make your public stand for Christ. So, if you raised your hand, even if you did not, but you want your sin forgiven, open those doors up. Open the doors. There you go. Okay. So, if you want your sin forgiven, if you want to know that when you die, you will go to heaven, if you want a second chance in life, get up out of your seat, step into the aisle, walk down here, and I'll lead you in prayer. Get up and start coming right now. Come on. >> ((applause)) >> Are you hurting and broken and weak? >> ((applause)) >> Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin? Jesus is calling. >> [applause and music] >> Have you come [singing] to the end of yourself? >> ((music playing)) >> Do you thirst for a drink from the well? Jesus is calling. >> [applause and music] >> Oh, come to the altar. The Father's arms are open wide. Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood [singing] of Jesus Christ. ((music playing)) Leave behind your grief, your mistakes. Come today. [singing] There's no ((music playing)) reason to wait. Jesus is calling. Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy. From the ashes, >> ((music playing)) >> a new life is born. Jesus is calling. Oh, come to the altar. [music and singing] The Father's arms are open wide. Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. ((music playing)) Oh, come to [singing] the altar. The Father's >> [singing and music] >> arms are open wide. Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus ((music playing)) Christ. I'm going to ask the group to sing this chorus through one last time. There might be a few more of you. You know, when the invitation was given, >> ((applause)) >> God bless you, guys. I came to Jesus when I was a kid, 17 years old, on my high school campus. I was one of the last to walk forward, and you might be >> ((applause)) >> You might be one of the last ones as well. But we want to wait for you. So, as they sing this one last time, anybody else? You're out in the overflow in the courtyard. You're at Harvest OC, Harvest Maui. Wherever you are, come forward now and make your stand for Christ. Anybody else? Come now. >> ((music playing)) ((applause)) >> Oh, come to the ((music playing)) altar. The Father's arms are open wide. >> ((music playing)) >> Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood, the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Oh, come ((music playing)) to the altar. [singing] The Father's arms are open wide. Forgiveness was bought with [music and singing] the precious blood of >> ((music playing)) >> Jesus Christ. Praise God. >> ((applause)) >> So, for you that have come forward, I want to lead you in a prayer. And I'm going to pray this prayer, and I'm going to ask you to pray it out loud after me. Mean it from your heart, and God will hear you, and he'll answer it. So, again, as I pray, pray this out loud after me now. Okay? Let's all bow our heads. Pray this after me. Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner, but I know that you're the savior who died on the cross for my sin, and rose again from the dead. I turn from my sin. I choose to follow Jesus from this moment forward as my savior and Lord, as my God and friend. Thank you for hearing this prayer, and answering this prayer. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. And God bless you. >> ((applause)) >> God bless you. Praise God. What a great message. You know, if you prayed that prayer, we want to welcome you to the family of God. We are so happy that you made this decision. It's the best decision you will ever make in life. And to help you get started or restarted in your walk with Christ, we want to send you the new believers Bible. It presents the New Testament in a very understandable translation, and it has hundreds of notes from Pastor Greg Laurie. Let us know that you prayed by clicking the link, or you can go to harvest.org/bible, and we would love to send you the new believers Bible for free. You know, guys, it's important as believers to dedicate time to spend with God every day. And Pastor Greg's daily devotions are a perfect way in which to do that. You know, when you sign up at harvest.org/devo, we will deliver each day's devotion in your inbox every single morning. Another way to get your daily dose of God is to follow Pastor Greg's daily devotions podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, YouTube Podcast, and iHeartRadio. We are so glad that you were able to tune in with us. You know, we host church right here every Sunday at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time, and we would love for you guys to continue to join us. Well, family, happy Easter. He is risen. God bless you, guys. We'll see you soon. Who breaks the power of sin and darkness? Whose love is mighty and so much stronger? The King of glory, the King above all kings. Who shakes the whole earth? Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder? Who leaves us breathless in awe and wonder? The King of glory, the King above all kings. Come on, sing this with us. This is amazing grace. This is unfailing love. That you would take my place. That you >> ((music playing)) >> would bear my cross. You laid down ((music playing)) your life. That I may be set free. >> ((music playing)) >> Oh. You took my place.