Greg Laurie will speak for Pastor Rick Warren this weekend at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, offering a message of hope in the midst of grief to a congregation reeling from the recent death of Warren's son, Matthew.

Laurie's message is personal as he, too, has experienced the untimely loss of a son. It was this shared experience that compelled him to reach out to Warren, asking to share his story and bring a message of hope in Christ in the face of tragedy.

"In the aftermath of our son going to be with the Lord, a friend of mine, Pastor Jon Courson, who lost both his wife and his daughter, brought comfort to our congregation and to our family," said Laurie.

"I hope to do something similar for Rick and Kay, as well as the Saddleback Church family."

Laurie added, "People often don't know what to say when a child dies, and there are definitely right and wrong things to say. I want to identify some of those I have heard, as well as offer biblical words of perspective that helped us cope with the unimaginable tragedy of losing a child."

Laurie will speak during four weekend services at Saddleback Church's main campus in Lake Forest, with service times at 4:30pm and 6:30pm on Saturday 20 April and at 9am and 11:15am on Sunday 21 April.