On Chuck Swindoll's Last Sermon, Grace, Regret, and the Four S's | Part 2 of a Conversation with Chuck Swindoll
In part two of this conversation with Pastor Greg Laurie, Pastor Chuck Swindoll opens up about what he'd do differently across six decades of ministry—chief among them, saying yes sooner, affirming more, criticizing less, and bringing his wife Cynthia into full partnership years before he actually did.
He names the four temptations every pastor faces and explains why the last one never stops requiring vigilance. Pastor Greg asks what text Chuck would preach if he had one sermon left, and the answer will surprise you. Along the way: memorized hymns, mentors from Dallas Seminary, the rise of antisemitism, and a tender word about caring for Cynthia through dementia. This conversation closes with Chuck's prayer over Pastor Greg's family and ministry.
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Timestamps
00:33 Intro: one last sermon
01:03 Preaching after losing his son
02:38 Fearing for his other children
04:03 Preaching to himself through grief
05:35 Any regrets looking back?
07:06 Chuck: say yes sooner, affirm more
10:00 Nearly ruining his marriage with Cynthia
14:50 Loneliness in ministry
15:27 Four temptations: sloth, silver, self, sex
22:30 The final sermon: grace
24:35 Lightning round: food, movies, Lincoln
29:38 The rise of antisemitism
30:11 Hymns he sings while driving
32:36 Sitting under giants at Dallas Seminary
38:28 Cynthia's dementia and advice on marriage
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In 1990, Laurie founded the Harvest Crusades, a series of large-scale evangelistic events designed to present the gospel to broad audiences. These events have since drawn more than 11.5 million participants in person and online. In 2012, he launched Harvest America, a nationwide outreach event that utilized HD livestreaming to broadcast to thousands of venues across the United States. Collectively, these efforts have resulted in over 700,000 documented professions of faith.
A prolific author, Laurie has written over 70 books, including House of David, Billy Graham: The Man I Knew, Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American Icon, Revelation: A Book of Promises, and Jesus Revolution.
His filmography includes Lost Boy: The Next Chapter, Hope for Hurting Hearts, Steve McQueen: American Icon, and Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon. In 2023, Greg and Cathe Laurie’s life and conversion during the Jesus Movement of the 1960s and ‘70s were depicted in the Lionsgate film Jesus Revolution, starring Kelsey Grammer and Jonathan Roumie.
Greg Laurie has been married to Cathe Laurie for over 51 years. They have two sons and five grandchildren.
Want more from Greg Laurie? Visit harvest.org
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