A New Beginning with Greg Laurie - Jesus and the Moral Man - Part 1 - 30 March 2026

March 29, 2026·20 min·2 clips

Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be born again to enter God's kingdom, sparking confusion.

This episode of "A New Beginning" features Pastor Greg Laurie examining the biblical story of Nicodemus from the Gospel of John. Laurie presents Nicodemus as a respected, moral, and intellectually curious religious leader who secretly sought out Jesus. The core argument is that every person, regardless of success or morality, experiences a spiritual void only God can fill. Laurie cites the modern example of Liam Payne from One Direction, who spoke of hitting "rock bottom" despite the band selling over 70 million records. He references King Solomon's biblical writings on emptiness and quotes celebrities like Tom Brady, who questioned if there was "something greater" after winning three Super Bowls. Brad Pitt's comments on isolation and Lady Gaga's admission of feeling empty after an Oscar win are also used as illustrations. The episode details the strict religious codes of the Pharisees, a group numbering under 6,000, and their additional rulebooks, the Mishnah and Talmud. Laurie analyzes why Nicodemus visited Jesus at night, suggesting either fear of being seen or a desire for an uninterrupted conversation. A surprising claim is that Nicodemus ultimately had a "strong finish" by helping to bury Jesus's body, a publicly dangerous act. The host asserts that universal human conditions include inherent emptiness, loneliness, guilt, and a fear of death. He frames the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus as progressing from "face to face" to "mind to mind" and finally "heart to heart." The famous verse John 3:16 is presented as the answer to Nicodemus's search. The tone is pastoral, educational, and conversational, blending scripture with contemporary anecdotes. Laurie directly addresses the listener, inviting them to pray a sinner's prayer to accept Jesus. This episode would appeal to Christians seeking a deeper study of a classic Bible story or individuals questioning the meaning of success. Listeners uncomfortable with evangelical calls to conversion or the framing of secular achievement as inherently empty might choose to skip it.

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