Everything You Need to Be a Witness – Greg Laurie Devotion – May 11, 2026

Biblical Context

The Book of Acts, often called ‘The Acts of the Apostles,’ tells the story of the early Christian church right after Jesus went back to heaven. Luke, a doctor and traveling companion of the apostle Paul, wrote this book around 60-62 AD. Luke also wrote the Gospel of Luke, and Acts acts as a follow-up, showing how the Holy Spirit came and how the Good News spread from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and all the way to the ends of the earth. The book highlights the lives and works of key figures like Peter, Stephen, and Philip, showing how they helped grow God’s kingdom. In Chapter 8, we see Philip, one of the seven men chosen to serve the early church, going to Samaria and later being led by the Holy Spirit to a desert road, where he meets an important government official from Ethiopia.

Key Word Study

Let’s look closely at the phrase “Good News.” In Greek, this is euangelion (εὐαγγέλιον). It’s where we get our English word ‘gospel.’ This word means ‘good tidings’ or ‘a good message.’ In the ancient world, it was used to talk about good news like a military victory, the birth of a king, or the start of a king’s rule. For Christians, the “Good News” is the message about Jesus Christ – His life, death, resurrection, and what that means for our salvation. It’s the core message of Christianity, the saving message that changes everything.

Spiritual Malpractice: A Serious Warning

Every now and again, stories appear in the news about people who pose as physicians even though they’re not licensed to practice medicine. In some cases, the actions of these faux physicians prove to be destructive or even fatal for the people they’re ‘treating.’ Obviously, such malpractice is inexcusable.

But what about spiritual malpractice? We believe that there are some preachers today who are guilty of harmful and destructive spiritual guidance. These questionable Christian leaders are not accurately presenting the gospel message. This isn’t just a minor mistake; it’s a serious problem because it puts people’s eternal destinies at risk.

The Litmus Test: The Heart of the Gospel

The litmus test for determining whether a gospel message is legitimate is simple. If a presentation of the Good News doesn’t contain a message about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then it’s insufficient. You can’t leave out these crucial parts. They’re what give the Gospel its saving power.

Every effective gospel presentation, whether it’s a sermon given from a pulpit or part of a private conversation, ultimately needs to come down to this: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sin. He paid the price for every wrong thing we’ve ever done. And after He conquered the power of sin, He rose again to conquer the power of death. That’s the essence of the gospel. That’s the message we need to take to people.

Traveling Light: Focus on Scripture

Too often we bog ourselves down with too many arguments, counterarguments, and debate strategies. We look for ‘gotcha’ moments, opportunities to use unbelievers’ logic against them. While it might seem smart, this approach can often get in the way of what’s truly important.

A better option is to ‘travel light’—to fill our thoughts with Scripture alone. If we want to be effective in sharing our faith, our message must be centered on God’s Word. That’s why the apostle Paul wrote, Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15 niv). This verse calls us to know God’s Word well and to use it accurately, without twisting it or making it say what we want it to say.

The Power of a Stored Word

When we commit Scripture to memory, when we know the Word of God, we have a well to draw from when someone asks us a question. You don’t have to scramble for answers or feel flustered. Instead, as we prepare to respond, we can pray that the Holy Spirit will bring the right passages to mind. He will help you remember what you need to say.

Think again about Philip’s opportunity to share the gospel with a government official from Ethiopia. This was a man of influence, a seeker of truth. Acts 8:35 says, So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus (nlt). Philip was able to present the gospel accurately and at a moment’s notice because he knew Scripture. He didn’t need to go home and look things up; the Word was already in him.

The better we know Scripture and the more of it we commit to memory, the more we give the Holy Spirit to work with. He uses what’s already inside us. The psalmist wrote, I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you (Psalm 119:11 nlt). When we commit ourselves to that same pursuit, we’ll discover not only that God blesses our efforts but also that our heart has much greater storage capacity than we can imagine. Your mind and heart are capable of holding so much more of God’s truth than you might think.

So, we ask you to consider: How much of your heart’s storage capacity is filled with memorized Scripture passages?