The Crowd gathers

6:06pm Welcome to opening night of the 1999 San Diego Harvest Crusade! The stadium doors have just opened and people are beginning to arrive. Tonight's Harvest Crusade will include musical guests The Harvest Crusade Band, BTR - Big Tent Revival, Katinas and Crystal Lewis. Tonight's live event will begin at 7:30 pm pacific time.

7:00pm The Harvest Crusade Band will come to the platform in a few minutes and open this evening in worship.

Sing Praises to the Lord!

7:16pm The band members are taking their places on the platform now. They begin this evening's worship with "Let it Rise." The crowd stand to their feet and sing and clap along to the beat of the song. They follow with "Our God is Great." Hanz Ives, the leader of the Harvest Crusade Band welcomes the crowd and asks the crowd to join in singing "Rock of Ages." They close this evening's set with "Knocking on the Door of Heaven."

7:40pm Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa welcomes the crowd tonight and introduces Pastor Bob Botsford of Horizon North County opens this evening in prayer.

Pastor Chuck introduces Big Tent Revival. They open with "Star in the Book of Life." They follow with their hit song "Choose Life" and finishing with "Best Things in Life." This group is a hit with the audience! Each of their songs has such clear Christian lyrics.

7:55pm Bob Shank, Member of the Harvest Crusades Board of Directors, prays for tonight's offering.

8:06pm The Harvest Crusade Band are on the stage again and singing "Shout to the Lord."

8:10pm Bob Shank introduces The Katinas. They are a group from Samoa who currently live in Nashville. The first song they share tonight is called "One More Time." Next is "So Good." The crowd is standing and clapping to the music! They seem to really enjoy this group. They sing next "You Are God." From that they go right into singing "Our God is an Awesome God," and are joined by the audience.

8:25pm Pastor Chuck Smith asks that the crowd not move around and to prepare themselves for the message tonight. He introduces Crystal Lewis who sings "People Get Ready." She follows with "Lord I Believe in You."

The Gospel is preached

8:35pm Pastor Greg approaches the platform. Pastor Greg's message tonight is titled "A 2nd Chance in Life." Pastor Greg mentions that the mayor of San Diego has declared this weekend in San Diego, "Harvest Crusade Weekend." The text from this evening comes from the book of Luke, Chapter 15, verses 11-32. Pastor Greg asks the crowd here tonight, "Have you ever wished you could have a second chance in life?" He says that the Bibles says that you can have a second chance!! He says he will show us how tonight.

Pastor Greg reads the text from the Bible story of "The Prodigal Son" from the gospel of Luke 15:12-22. Pastor Greg shares about the many "fatherless" homes today. He shares about how he never had a father himself growing up, but how we all have a father in heaven who loves us. He talks about how the prodigal son was trying to run away from his problems, but how we can never run away from our problems. The prodigal realized how empty he was. He shares how we are born with a "whole in our hearts" that only God can fill.

Pastor Greg shares that maybe it is beginning to dawn on you that you need God tonight. He shares how he came to Christ in high school when he stopped in on a meeting of Christians and the speaker was saying "You are either for him or against him." He shares how he realized that he didn't want to be against Christ, so he made a decision to follow Christ that day. He shares that you, too, can make a decision to follow Christ tonight.

He shares how the prodigal in the story returned home to his father and his father ran to meet him and hugged him and smothered him with kisses and had a party for him!! He shares how Christ, our Father in heaven, accepts us in the same way when we repent of our sins! Christ accepts us as we are and then cleans up our lives! We don't need to change to come to Christ. He changes us! You may ask, "Greg, if I come to Christ, do I have to give up anything?" He answers, "Yes, you do!! You give up emptiness and loneliness." Jesus cleans his fish AFTER he catches them! You need to truly repent of your sins and God will forgive you of ALL your sins. Christ died for you. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father, but by Me." The Bible says that ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The good news is, if you come to Christ tonight, God will throw His arms around you as the father in the story of the prodigal.

Pastor Greg shares that now is the time of salvation. He closes in prayer. He asks that those who have just prayed to receive Christ to come down to the field to make a public stand for Christ.

The work of the Holy Spirit

Hundreds of people are walking onto the outfield here at Qualcomm Stadium. If you are a believer watching at home, please be in prayer for those making decisions for Christ here tonight. If you would like to accept this forgiveness that Christ offers, you can let us know that you have made this decision by pressing the "feedback" button. Big Tent Revival is singing "Choose Life" again during this final call for people to come down to the field.

Pastor Greg prays with the new believers here tonight. He then instructs them that "counselors" are on the field to give the new believers a "New Believer's New Testament." If you have made a decision to follow Christ, you may also receive this Bible, by pressing the "feedback" button and letting us know, and we will be happy to send you one!

Thanks for joining us tonight! Please join us here at the same time tomorrow night for the "Harvest Jam" with musicians Audio Adrenaline, The Supertones, All Together Separate and Jennifer Knapp.