Greg Laurie Says House of David Sparks Evangelistic Opportunity
Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, praised the new Amazon Prime Video series House of David for its ability to bring one of the most well-known stories of the Bible to a wider audience.
“I think this is one of the greatest evangelistic opportunities in recent history,” Laurie, founder of Harvest Crusades, told The Christian Post. “Millions of people through ‘House of David’ and ‘The Chosen’ are hearing Bible stories for the first time. No movie will ever take the place of the Gospel or the Bible, nor should it. But if it inspires people who've never read the Bible before or have no relationship with God to want to know more, then this is something we should be celebrating, not critiquing.”
House of David, now available for streaming on Amazon Prime, is a historical drama that examines the biblical accounts of David and King Saul in 1 Samuel. Michael Iskander plays David in the series, while Ali Suliman plays King Saul. Ayelet Zurer plays Saul’s wife, Queen Ahinoam. Stephen Lang plays the prophet Samuel. Indy Lewis plays Saul's daughter, Mychal, and Martyn Ford plays the Philistine giant, Goliath.
Laurie, who served as a consultant on the series, also authored a 30-day devotional that highlights David’s life and journey of faith to accompany the series.
“For me, it was like … David effectively kept a diary,” Laurie said. “He put many of his thoughts down on paper. Probably, many were originally songs. But it’s called the book of Psalms — David’s diary. He’s very honest. When he’s down, he talks about being down. But then he’ll say, ‘Hope in God, for I will yet trust Him.’ He laments, then corrects his own thinking.”
He also discussed his long-standing friendship with House of David filmmaker Jon Erwin, who directed “Jesus Revolution, " which highlighted Laurie’s conversion to Christianity during the 1970s Jesus Movement. The film, which was released in theaters in 2023, grossed $54 million worldwide against a production budget of $15 million, making it a box office hit. Laurie said that he would support whatever Erwin supports next because of his craftsmanship and commitment to Scripture.
“If he’s passionate about something, I know it’s going to be good,” Laurie said. “He wants to tell Bible stories cinematically, and I spend most of my time teaching the Bible. What a great concept.”
He also addressed some of the concerns views have with House of David and the artistic liberties taken with some of its scenes that are not found in the Bible.
“In the first episode of ‘House of David,’ David is wounded by a javelin thrown by Goliath. People say, ‘That never happened in the Bible,’” Laurie noted. “But the Bible is not a movie script. It’s the inspired Word of God. When you tell it as a story, filmmakers may take certain liberties.”
The pastor shared how the film Ben-Hur had a profound impact on his life when he was a 17-year-old, regardless of its fictionalized portrayal of Jesus Christ. “It opened my mind and my heart,” he recalled. “A movie got through to me, and I later heard the Gospel.”
Nevertheless, he encouraged viewers of these faith-based shows not to let them replace the Bible itself. “Their hope is you’ll watch the show and then go read the Bible,” he said.
Photo credit: ©PrimeVideo, House of David.
Originally published March 27, 2025.
