According to Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Irvine and Maui, the need for evangelism is more crucial than ever in these uncertain and tumultuous times. To that end, Laurie continues his annual 2017 SoCal Harvest crusade Saturday and Sunday at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

He will bring a timeless message of hope to area residents and address questions, such as “Why am I here?,” “Is this all there is?,” “How can I start over?,” “Is God real?” and “What happens when I die?”

Laurie said he believes there’s only one, definitive source for those answers.

“Despite the divisions and distractions dividing our nation and disorienting our culture, I believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ remains the hope of the world and is more needed in our nation now than at almost any other point in our history,” said Laurie.

“Jesus did not say that the whole world should go to church. He said that the church should go to the whole world.”

Through his own trials and tribulations, Laurie admits he eventually came to realize that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ was the only way out of the darkness. As a young man, he drank, partied and took drugs to escape the insecurity and dysfunction of his family. He said his life changed for the better when he encountered a group of young Christians on his high school campus in Newport Beach.

Thirty years later, he believes he is right where God wants him.

“We may lose sight of God, but He never loses sight of us,′ said Laurie. “God’s plans for us are better than any plans we have for ourselves.”

Along with Laurie’s preaching, his Harvest Crusade will feature top Christian singers and bands, including Crowder, Lecrae, Jeremy Camp, Jordin Sparks, Andy Mineo, Danny Gokey and Victor Valley resident and finalist on “The Voice,” Brennley Brown.

Since 1990, Harvest Crusades have been attended by more than 7.8 million people worldwide, both in-person and via live Internet broadcasts.

The event at Angel Stadium will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (gates open at 5 p.m.) and is free of charge. Parking is $15 for cars and $30 for buses.

It will be broadcast live via the Internet at www.harvest.org and daily blog accounts of the crusade also will be made available. Updates about the Harvest outreach will be posted on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or search #HarvestSoCal.

Read more at Harvest crusade continues this weekend.