Pastor Greg Laurie's evangelistic event, Harvest America, saw over 3,000 people dedicate their lives to Christ this past weekend.
Laurie, senior pastor at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, and Harvest Crusades hosted the annual Harvest America revival event in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday, June 11.
According to a press release made available to GH, 38,000 people attended the event, and across the country, people gathered at 3,758 host sites to watch the simulcast. Online, the number of views reached 42,305 - and it was viewed in 83 countries around the world.
"God did a fantastic work of salvation among thousands of people nationwide," the press release notes. "At the stadium, 2,904 people indicated their decision to follow Jesus Christ, and online, 494 more registered their commitment. For these changed lives we praise God and give Him glory!"
As reported, Laurie offered a clear presentation of the gospel following performances from top name music from artists including Jordin Sparks, NEEDTOBREATHE, MercyMe, Trip Lee, and Phil Wickham.
"The clock is ticking, and before you know it, life could end," Laurie warned. "How do you know you're going to live to be an old man or an old woman? ...it's not guaranteed."
"There's an afterlife, and according to the Bible, there's two options: Heaven or hell," he continued. "Smoking or non-smoking, if you will. Know this: The last thing that God wants is for any man or woman, created in His image to spend eternity in hell. Hell wasn't made for people, hell was made for the devil and his angels."
"You can be a good person and go to hell and you can be a bad person and go to heaven," Laurie added. "Heaven isn't for good people. Heaven is for forgiven people."
"Come with your sins, come with your problems, come with your questions, come as you are. He will forgive you, He will accept you, and He will change you," Laurie said. "Just admit you need God, say you're a sinner...you can come back to the Lord."
The pastor also drew attention to a report which showed that the state of Arizona ranked 12th in the nation for suicide and pointed out that Google searches related to how to deal with "anxiety" are increasing.
The solution for these issues is simple, Laurie said.
"You just admit you need God," he said. "You need to come to God and He'll clean your life up."
In an interview held with GH shortly prior to the event, Laurie predicted thousands would embrace Christ at the event: "Last year...we know 25,000 people made a profession of faith," he said. "People will respond, and that's because God's word does not return void."
