The Greg Laurie Show

What if 150 years of biblical archaeology hasn't produced a single find that contradicts the Bible? That's the claim Dinesh D'Souza makes in this conversation about his new book, The Stones Cry Out. We talk about the artifacts quietly coming out of the ground in Israel — including the bones of Caiaphas, the clay seal of a minor character from Jeremiah, and the recently confirmed location of Bethsaida — and why most of this isn't being shouted from the rooftops. We also get into: - Why younger generations are drawn to socialism (and how "crony capitalism" fuels it) - The modern state of Israel as prophecy fulfilled - Why Dinesh has been publicly challenging Calvinism - The Pool of Siloam, the Garden Tomb, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - His years inside the Reagan administration - A lunch with Richard Nixon - Fried bananas, My Cousin Vinny, and Breaker Morant Dinesh is a filmmaker, author, and friend, and this one covers a lot of ground — from apologetics to American history to personal stories. Pick up The Stones Cry Out wherever you get your books. Timestamps 00:00 Cold open 00:18 Welcoming Dinesh D'Souza 00:50 What's so great about America 03:04 Why young people are drawn to socialism 05:04 Capitalism without a moral base 07:03 The Stones Cry Out and biblical archaeology 10:29 The Caiaphas ossuary and Pilate findings 13:44 The Pools of Bethesda and Siloam 16:14 Garden Tomb vs Church of the Holy Sepulchre 18:12 Israel's rebirth as fulfilled prophecy 20:45 The Dead Sea Scrolls connection 22:33 Balaam, son of Beor, and the skeptics 24:58 When unbelief isn't really intellectual 27:05 Atheism as revenge against God 29:20 The problem with Calvinist predestination 32:33 Rethinking total depravity 34:30 Evangelicals, Arminians, and biblicists 37:49 Reconciling free will and God's choice 38:37 Favorite comfort food 39:10 The three films Dinesh is proudest of 41:35 Islam, the left, and a common enemy 43:04 Movies he'll rewatch every time 45:03 Having lunch with Richard Nixon 47:41 Inside Reagan's ranch 49:31 Should Christians send kids to secular colleges 51:14 Advice to a younger Dinesh 53:09 Closing thoughts on The Stones Cry Out Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Rick Rubin is considered by many to be the greatest music producer alive today. His work spans the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Run-DMC, Adele, U2, Neil Diamond, and his legendary American Recordings with Johnny Cash. He has also become one of the most influential voices in culture. His interviews include Paul McCartney in McCartney 3,2,1 and Jay-Z in the HBO series JAŸ-Z in 8. On his podcast, Tetragrammaton, he recently sat down with Neil Young. Now add one more name to that list: Pastor Greg Laurie. In this unusual episode, legendary producer Rick Rubin turns the microphone around and interviews Greg about his life, faith, and the Jesus Movement that shaped him. The conversation moves at the pace of a long dinner between curious friends. Greg answers Rick's questions about faith, baptism, communion, the Holy Spirit, the Sabbath, and whether the God of the Old Testament really differs from the God of the New. He also speaks candidly about losing his son Christopher and what grief taught him about ministering to people in pain. Listen to the original episode on Rick Rubin's Podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pastor-greg-laurie/id1671669052?i=1000793610276 Youtube: https://youtu.be/KGR27hIf8Ow?si=v6Zp5ihvgBCQB2Wv Timestamps: 00:00 Open 00:06 Welcome and how the Rick Rubin interview came together 04:17 Salt and light: pastor vs evangelist 06:46 Growing up with a Marilyn Monroe mother and seven stepfathers 08:46 Meeting the Jesus freaks and Lonnie Frisbee on campus 11:54 Who Lonnie Frisbee really was 17:00 Chuck Smith, the steady father figure 18:46 Conditions that sparked the Jesus Revolution 23:00 Was it just LA, or everywhere? 25:53 Deepening faith and losing his son Christopher 32:31 Always learning: how understanding Scripture grows 39:51 Learning about Jesus after conversion 42:02 Starting Harvest without meaning to start a church 46:36 Friendship with Billy Graham 50:09 Jesus's teachings vs church theology 51:53 What faith actually is 55:06 The Holy Spirit explained 58:47 When burnt offerings stopped 01:00:43 Baptism and the recent baptism movement 01:03:25 Communion and the Last Supper 01:07:00 How Greg prepares a sermon 01:12:23 Is the Old Testament God more judgmental? 01:15:31 Music, Love Song, and the birth of Christian music 01:22:36 Church as grassroots vs industry 01:25:08 What's stayed the same since Jesus's time 01:27:12 Social media, TV, and the vet with the loaded gun 01:29:34 The Sabbath and resting 01:31:17 Bob Dylan's conversion and Slow Train Coming 01:33:07 Did you choose Jesus or did Jesus choose you? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What would you have done during the Holocaust? Rev. Jonnie Moore says that's no longer a hypothetical question. In this conversation, Pastor Greg Laurie sits down with Johnnie Moore—advisor to presidents, humanitarian, and one of the most connected evangelical voices on the global stage—three years after the October 7th attacks on Israel. We cover: • What actually happened on October 7th (and why the world moved on too quickly) • Hamas, Iran, and the reshaping of the Middle East • The surge of antisemitism on both the left and the right • Feeding Gaza while Hamas stole aid • Sharing the gospel with Muslims and Jews • Why Silicon Valley is quietly calling pastors about AI • What President Trump is really like behind closed doors • The best piece of advice Johnnie ever received — from a rabbi Johnnie grew up moving 20 times before age 12, ended up at Liberty under Jerry Falwell Sr., and now works at the intersection of faith, foreign policy, and emerging technology. His story — and his warnings — are worth your time. Subscribe for more conversations like this. Timetamps 00:30 Meet Johnnie Moore 02:03 Growing up in the Deep South after his parents' divorce 03:00 The balloon-animal mentor who taught him business 04:34 Finding faith as his parents' marriage fell apart 06:40 Moving to Lynchburg and landing at Liberty 08:20 How Jerry Falwell Sr. became a father figure 11:54 Three years after October 7th 16:46 What Hamas and Iran were really trying to do 21:14 The genocide accusation and feeding Gaza 26:00 Advising Trump on Iran and the nuclear red line 30:51 Sharing the gospel with Muslims and Jews 41:03 Leading a Jewish friend to Christ on FaceTime 44:10 Why evangelicals must stand against antisemitism now 48:26 Bots, bot farms, and the global information war 53:49 Why so many pastors are afraid to speak up 56:15 Is AI a blessing or a threat? 01:01:23 Why Silicon Valley is calling pastors 01:06:19 AI as therapy and the church's human advantage 01:07:30 Advice to a younger Johnnie: take more risks 01:11:16 What would surprise you about President Trump 01:16:00 The best advice he ever got, from a rabbi Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Cartoonist Butch Hartman—creator of Nickelodeon's *The Fairly OddParents*—sits down with Greg to talk about a career built on drawing, storytelling, and eventually surrender. Butch traces his path from a chaotic Michigan childhood, where cartoons were a refuge, to CalArts, Hanna-Barbera, and the day Ted Turner told the staff they could pitch their own ideas. He explains why limited animation gave Fred Flintstone a five o'clock shadow, why confidence with ink matters more than talent, and why he left Nickelodeon in 2018 to build a studio around *The Garden*—a Christian series he self-funded when no one else would. Along the way: how tithing broke a stronghold, why he and his wife now pastor a church that started under a tree, and his conviction that if God gives the vision, He gives the provision. Timestamps 00:00 Prototype plush and the $8,000 Goofy maquette story 01:22 Meeting a fellow artist and Fairly OddParents' 18-year run 03:07 CalArts, Hanna-Barbera and the day Cartoon Network launched 05:16 How limited animation made TV cartoons possible 06:14 Discovering he could draw by tracing Peter Pan on a wall 07:41 Greg's chaotic childhood and the animator with the "magic pencil" 09:04 Butch's Michigan upbringing and retreating into cartoons 10:57 TV dads as father figures — Hugh Beaumont and Mike Brady 12:03 Yellow Dog, brush pens and Mad Magazine influences 16:17 Why caricaturing women is a bad idea 17:34 Drawing fast at Magic Mountain and switching to digital 19:13 First jobs: American Tail, Dexter's Lab, Powerpuff Girls 19:55 Seizing the pitch opportunity that changed everything 21:05 Writing letters to Charles Schulz as a kid 22:38 Getting saved at 35 at Crenshaw Christian Center 24:47 Starting Church in the Park during COVID 25:13 Preaching Esther on a whiteboard 26:24 The Garden: making a Christian cartoon nobody else would 28:52 Giving vs. the culture of self-worship 30:26 Why Nickelodeon won't touch overtly Christian content 31:50 Reaching unexpected people in unexpected places 34:42 Where Butch stands on AI in animation 37:27 Voice acting and playing Dr. Rip Studwell 38:49 Favorite movies and the greatest animated film ever 42:35 Human creativity, arrogance and the last days 44:47 Advice to a younger Butch: don't be afraid 46:13 Go-to Scriptures for anxiety and trust 47:01 An invitation to make Jesus Lord of your life 50:15 If God gives the vision, He'll give the provision 51:32 How Butch wants to be remembered Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What does it mean to spiral—and is it actually possible to find blessings amid devastating loss? On today’s episode of The Greg Laurie Show, Pastor Greg welcomes author and pastor Levi Lusko for an honest—and often humorous—conversation about grief, calling, leadership, and the surprising ways faith can sustain us through the worst life has to offer. Together, Pastor Greg and Levi trace their family’s intertwined journeys through ministry, loss, and redemption. From the nostalgia of swapping cassette tapes and youth ministry war stories to the raw pain of losing a child or parent, the two open up about suffering, resilience, and the pursuit of God’s purpose in real life. This conversation is both a balm for broken hearts and an encouragement for leaders, parents, or anyone wondering how to move forward when life gets overwhelming. Find Levi’s book on loss, Through the Eyes of a Lion, here: https://levilusko.com/through-the-eyes-of-a-lion. Check out Blessed are the Spiraling here: https://www.blessedarethespiraling.com/. -------- Want more from Greg Laurie? Visit: https://harvest.org/. Find Pastor Greg on social media: https://www.instagram.com/greglaurie/ https://x.com/greglaurie https://www.facebook.com/harvest.greglaurie Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 How a Missed Mentorship Changed Everything 02:33 First Meeting: From Fan to Friend 04:33 Youth Ministry: “If You Can Preach to Teens…” 06:38 Choosing Montana Over Harvest: Defining Your Calling 08:05 Walking Through Grief: The Loss of Christopher 12:05 “Seeing Through the Eyes of a Lion”: Lenya’s Legacy 14:09 Navigating Grief: Guilt, Healing, and Connection 16:33 Losing His Dad: “A Different Kind of Grief” 17:51 Writing About Pain: Impact Beyond Tragedy 18:25 “Success Builds Walls, Failure Builds Bridges” 21:44 How Personal Loss Changed Pastoral Ministry 22:09 Honoring Lost Loved Ones by Healing 23:50 Brokenness, Empathy, and Leadership Growth 24:20 Separating Grief: The Laundry Pile Analogy 26:14 Hope in Heartbreak: “They’re Not Lost If You Know Where They Are” 29:09 Parenting and Calling: Raising Kids in Ministry 31:09 Marriage & Hydration: Keeping Relationships Alive 32:27 “Intimacy Is Into-Me-You-See”: Wisdom for Newlyweds 35:20 Message Prep: Connections, Curiosity & “Move It or Lose It” 37:45 Preaching & Writing: The Unique Joys of Both 39:46 Writing Habits: Seinfeld, Deadlines, and Staying Creative 43:06 Staying Faithful: Why I Chose My Church Over Big Offers 45:23 New Book: “Blessed Are the Spiraling” and Midlife Crisis 47:38 From Fire to Significance: Shifting Life’s Focus 51:25 Movement Conference: Investing in the Next Generation 53:18 Learning to Champion Others, Not Compete 55:12 What’s Changed in Reaching Young People 58:16 “Make Your Bed”: Keystone Habits & Authentic Leadership 59:45 The Power of Challenge, Not Coddling 01:00:19 Last Meal? In-N-Out & Good Coffee 01:01:11 Movies, Heroes, and Becoming Yoda 01:02:19 Pulpit Bloopers: Unusual Booty and Other Slip-Ups 01:05:08 Hope, Legacy, and What’s Next Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.