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'The Answer Is Jesus': 240,000 Receive Message of Hope During SoCal Harvest, 6,000 Find Faith in Christ

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Pastor Greg Laurie welcomed 40,000 people to Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California Sunday for SoCal Harvest while another 200,000 people from around the world enjoyed the event online.

Laurie's Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside hosted the event that included special performances by For King & Country, Phil Wickham, Kirk Franklin, and Tori Kelly.

After postponing the Live stadium event in 2020 due to COVID, Harvest was excited to bring the event back this year. Laurie said he's celebrating the fact that 6,000 people just made the decision to follow Jesus.

"We are all still rejoicing over what God did at the SoCal Harvest last Sunday night at Angel Stadium. The stadium was packed with people worshipping God," Laurie wrote in a Facebook post. "My message title was, 'What You Are Really Looking For.' 40,000 were in the stadium and 200,000 watched online around the world. Best of all, 6,000 people made professions of faith, both in-person and online! To God be the Glory! Thank you all for your prayers!"

During an interview with CBN's Prayer Link, Laurie explained how the power of the Gospel can change lives.

"It is exciting because we spent so much time apart, so much time separated because of the pandemic and it's affecting everyone," Laurie said. "Drug use is up, alcohol use is up, divorce is up and that's because people are down. Jesus said, 'when you see these things begin to happen, look up for your redemption is drawing near.' He didn't say when you see these things begin to happen - freak out. The only thing that can change a human heart is the power of the Gospel."

An important message during the event centered around the emptiness of fame and that we can only find true, eternal happiness through the salvation offered to us through Jesus.

Laurie pointed out that the world is in a crisis of loneliness but there is an answer. His hope was that the event would open people's hearts and lead them closer to Christ.

"I read recently that young people were polled by USA Today and asked them what they wanted more than anything else, and the vast majority of them said I want to be rich and famous. I think because of social media, everyone can have a version of fame," he said. "If being rich and famous was going to fulfill you, why are there so many miserable rich and famous people? My message to people is, the answer is not in getting more followers on social media. The answer is not in being rich and famous. The answer is in Jesus. You're designed to know God ... what you're really looking for is Christ."

As CBN News reported in 2019, the last in-person SoCal Harvest event held before the pandemic drew 100,000 people. It was the 30th year of the SoCal Harvest, making it one of the longest-running evangelistic events in the nation.

SoCal Harvest, an annual outreach held in southern California, was started in 1990 by Pastor Laurie and Chuck Smith, pastor, and founder of Calvary Chapel.

A live stream of the event is still available at https://harvest.org/live/ for those who were unable to attend.

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About The Author

Andrea Morris
Andrea
Morris

Andrea Morris is a Features Producer for The 700 Club. She came to CBN in 2019 where she worked as a web producer in the news department for three years. Her passion was always to tell human interest stories that would touch the hearts of readers while connecting them with God. She transitioned into her new role with The 700 Club in August 2022.