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As I have launched into my 40-day study in The Purpose Driven Life I have found that some people are not familiar with who Rick Warren is. I am providing this as a brief introduction to Rick Warren as well as an introduction to why I am investing so much time in studying his book. Rick Warren is founder and pastor of Saddleback Church, one of America’s largest churches. Saddleback, in Lake Forest, California, is associated with the Southern Baptist …
“The way I see my life shapes my life” is how chapter five of The Purpose Driven Life begins. That sounds very “Anthony Robbins to me!” Warren asks the question of if I were to think of my life as a picture, what image would come to mind? I had never stopped to consider what life metaphor I hold to, but at his request I gave it some thought and really did not come up with anything convincing. I have …
Day four of The Purpose Driven Life picks up where day three left off. After ending the previous day with an explanation of how this life is but a dress rehearsal for eternity, Warren keeps his focus on eternity. He says that earth is just “the preschool, the tryout for your life in eternity.” Humans were created to live forever, and regardless of who I am or what I believe, I will live forever. My time on earth is only …
Everyone’s life is driven by something. I see now that Rick Warren likes to open each chapter with a concise summary of the chapter’s title! Chapter three of The Purpose Driven Life begins by stating that each person’s life is driven and controlled by something. Warren lists five of the most common driving forces. They are: Guilt – Many people live their lives burdened by guilt. They allow this guilt to control them so that their past controls their future. …
I am not an accident. No matter how my birth came about, even if it was a mistake in human terms, it was not a surprise to God. He had planned for it long before I was born. Not only did he know I was going to be born but he also knew where I would be born, how I would be born and even how long I would live. My life was perfectly planned and brought to perfect execution. …
“It’s not about you.” So begins my journey with Rick Warren as he seeks to help me understand my life’s purpose through The Purpose Driven Life. Because God is the Creator, we, the created beings, can never hope to discover our meaning and our purpose outside of Him. The world teaches that so-called self-discovery begins with me, whereas the Bible teaches that it begins with God. Warren uses the first chapter to explain a bit more about the purpose of …
Rick Warren is courageous. I don’t think I would have the courage to write a book, knowing full well it would be read by millions, which sought to answer life’s greatest question. Yet Warren claims that The Purpose Driven Life will do just that. It will answer the question of “What on earth am I here for?” The introduction claims “This is more than a book; it is a guide to a 40-day spiritual journey that will enable you to …
I have started reading The Purpose Driven Life several times. So far I have not managed to finish it. I got to thinking that perhaps if I blogged my way through the 40 days of the book I could find motivation to keep reading it. So starting tomorrow I will attempt to blog my way through the book. I have some preconceptions that it is only fair I lay down from the beginning. I have read The Purpose Driven Church. …
There is a misconception about Christianity whereby non-Christians seem to think that Christians live their lives burdened by myriads of unfair and outdated rules. Though some of these rules are perceived to be admirable and praiseworthy, many others, they think, are simply burdensome and unnecessary. Few would argue that the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” is a bad one. But when it comes to the commandments regarding adultery and sexual relations people no longer consider them praiseworthy. Many people look …
I have been thinking a lot lately about The Regulatory Principle, especially as it relates to the worship service. If you are not familiar with the term, it essentially means: The only acceptable worship is that which is explicitly taught in the Bible. By extension then, anything that is not explicitly taught in the Bible is implicitly forbidden. The Regulatory Principle is most often applied to music in the worship service, but can also apply to the use of drama, …