Unconsumed: A Christmas Conversation with Joni Eareckson Tada

December 23, 2025

00:00 01:07:11

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On today’s Christmas week episode of The Greg Laurie Show, we’re bringing back a classic interview between Pastor Greg and the one and only, Joni Eareckson Tada. Together they talk honestly about suffering, depression, chronic pain, and the unshakable hope of Christ. Plus, Joni shares her story—from a life-altering diving accident to a lifetime of ministry—along with a powerful perspective on God’s sovereignty, the true meaning of “Emmanuel,” and what she’s most looking forward to in heaven: not just a healed body, but a glorified heart.

Wishing you a Christmas filled with joy, love, laughter, and the true peace of knowing your Savior has been born.

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https://harvest.org/.

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CHAPTERS:

0:00 — Burning bush, unconsumed
00:31 — Christmas hope for hurting
04:08 — Introducing Joni’s ministry
06:17 — The diving accident
07:25 — Trusting with missing pieces
10:05 — God’s sovereignty in suffering
12:27 — The cross brings good
15:56 — “Jesus, You can”
17:55 — Romans 8, real “good”
20:39 — Help someone hurting worse
23:36 — Don’t suffer alone
26:05 — How Joni met Ken
30:27 — Emmanuel, God with us
32:09 — Peace made through Jesus
36:12 — Longing for a new heart
38:29 — Simple steps of sanctification
46:24 — A spectacle of glory
50:48 — Beyond Suffering Bible resource
01:02:15 — “Welcome home” moment

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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Meet Your Host

Greg Laurie is the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, which has campuses in California and Hawaii. He began his ministry at the age of 19, leading a small Bible study group of 30 individuals. Over the past five decades, God has grown that small group into a thriving congregation of over 8,000 members, with a global ministry that has reached billions and recorded more than one million professions of faith.

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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