More than 9000 people respond to the message from a banned book at the SoCal Harvest.
The Bible may have been banned from billboards advertising the Southern California Harvest but that didn’t stop more than 9,000 people from making decisions for Christ at the three-day event a week ago.
Over 100,000 people flocked to Angel Stadium in Anaheim for the evangelism crusade that included music, motocross riders and a healthy dose of content from that banned Bible.
Leading up to the event, Greg Laurie’s Harvest Ministries contracted with the Irvine Company to advertise the upcoming SoCal Harvest by way of billboards at a popular mall.
The billboard depicted Laurie with a microphone in one hand while holding a Bible over his head with the other.
Irvine Company claimed the religious imagery provoked multiple complaints, including a “serious threat,” and removed all the advertisements and billboards for the crusade.
Laurie referenced the controversy on opening night. He began his Friday night sermon by holding up his Bible to the crowd and proclaiming, “This is the book. How many of you brought a Bible with you tonight? Grab your Bible. Hold your Bible up,” Laurie told the crowd. “We are not ashamed of the Word of God. This message has been sent to us from Heaven, given to us in a book and everything you need to know about God is right here in the Bible. No wonder people don’t want it displayed on a billboard or anywhere else.”
More than 9000 people responded to that message and made professions of faith during the weekend.