“I was blind, and now I see.” (John 9:25)

Greg Laurie’s story begins far from the pulpit. Born in Long Beach, California, and raised by a single mother who married seven times, Greg grew up without a stable home or a church foundation. By his teens, he was chasing the same empty promises the world still sells today — experimenting with drugs, searching for belonging, and wondering if life had any real meaning.

Everything changed in 1970, when a 17‑year‑old Greg wandered into a lunchtime Bible study at Newport Harbor High School led by evangelist Lonnie Frisbee during the height of the Jesus Movement. That day, the gospel cut through his confusion, and Greg surrendered his life to Christ. It wasn’t the end of his struggles, but it was the beginning of transformation.

Under the mentorship of Pastor Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel, Greg began leading a small Bible study of 30 people in Riverside, California. That gathering grew into Harvest Christian Fellowship, now one of the largest churches in the United States, with campuses in California and Hawaii and a global reach through radio, television, and online ministry.

In 1990, Greg launched the Harvest Crusades — large‑scale evangelistic events that have since drawn over 11.5 million people in person and online, with hundreds of thousands making documented professions of faith. In 2012, he expanded the vision with Harvest America, using HD livestreaming to bring the gospel to thousands of venues nationwide in one night. His ministry has also reached millions through the nationally syndicated radio program A New Beginning and the weekly TV program Harvest + Greg Laurie.

Greg’s preaching is marked by clarity, urgency, and compassion. He doesn’t shy away from hard truths, but he delivers them with the heart of a shepherd who’s been where the lost are standing. His messages are rooted in Scripture, but they’re also anchored in his own scars — proof that Jesus still redeems broken stories.

He’s also an author of more than 70 books, including Jesus Revolution, Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American Icon, and Billy Graham: The Man I Knew. His life and ministry were portrayed in the 2023 film Jesus Revolution, introducing a new generation to the revival that shaped him.

Greg Laurie’s mission has never wavered: “Knowing God and Making Him Known.” In a world drowning in confusion, compromise, and counterfeit truth, he stands as a lighthouse — calling the church back to biblical clarity, evangelistic urgency, and Spirit‑led revival.

And for me, his story is a reminder that God still uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. That the same Jesus who met Greg on a high school lawn is still meeting people in unexpected places today.

This Preacher Feature is for the seekers, the skeptics, and the saints who need to remember: the gospel isn’t outdated — it’s undeniable. And the God who opened Greg Laurie’s eyes is still opening eyes now.