Greg Laurie is known for his massive Harvest crusades and gatherings that lead to large swaths of faith professions and Gospel-driven inspiration, but the famed preacher is now embarking on a new endeavor: an animated project aimed at a younger generation.
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Laurie, whose story of coming to faith was told in the hit film “Jesus Revolution,” has long been an artist, recounting to CBN News how he spent his early years — a time plagued by difficulties in his home life — pouring himself into his art.
“It goes back to my childhood,” he said of his drawing skills. “If you saw the ‘Jesus Revolution’ film, you remember that young Greg was always drawing, and that’s actually very true. When I’d be waiting for my mom in smoky bars, late hours into the night, I had to do something to amuse myself.”
Laurie said he used humor and drawing to deflect from his pain, finding inspiration in his admiration for iconic animators like Walt Disney.
“I just love cartoons,” he said. “It was my goal in life to one day become a professional cartoonist, and I was serious about it; I was doing full-blown comic strips when I was still very young.”
Watch Laurie reveal why he’s launched a new animated series to reach kids:
After becoming a Christian in the 1970s, Laurie said he felt compelled to start using his artistic abilities to try and bring people the Gospel. He began doing just that, but, over time, it became clear God had a more predominant calling over his life: for Laurie to become a preacher and evangelist.
Flash-forward 50 years and Laurie has spread the Gospel all over the world while also remaining at the helm of Harvest Christian Fellowship in California. But his love for animation was anything but fleeting.
In fact, he recently launched a new animated TV series, “The Adventures of Ben Born Again and Yellow Dog,” a donor-funded project on the Harvest+ app that follows Yellow Dog, a character who’s always “getting himself into trouble and mischief.”
Meanwhile, Ben, the narrator, shares the truth with his compatriot. It’s a project for which Laurie has a deep passion.
“I’ve already heard stories of kids coming to the Lord watching this cartoon because it’s entertaining,” Laurie said. “It’s fun. And it’s evangelistic, and I don’t know that I’ve ever seen an evangelistic cartoon.”
It’s so evangelistic, in fact, that “Ben Born Again” even leads young viewers in the prayer of salvation, encouraging them to embrace Jesus. It’s an effort that, for Laurie, underscores the importance of Christians using entertainment to reach the masses.
“We live in this culture, in this world, and I want to build bridges to people — not just people my age, but to young people,” Laurie said. “So, I try to keep up on what’s going on.”
Find out more about “The Adventures of Ben Born Again and Yellow Dog.”
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