These quotes are from "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. The central theme of his book is that life is not about you- it is about God. Our Men's Prayer Breakfast group and our Emmaus/Via de Christo Prayer groups have been reading this book through out the Lenten season. Here are some quotes from the book that we found worthy of discussion and further thought.It all starts with God
• It’s not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness….If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. (p.17)
Worship that pleases God
• The best style of worship is the one that most authentically represents your love for God, based on the background and personality God gave you. (p. 102)
• God insists that our worship services be understandable to unbelievers when they are present in our worship gatherings. (p. 104)
• We sing “Onward Christian Soldiers” on Sunday, then go AWOL on Monday. (p. 105)
A Place to belong
• While your relationship to Christ is personal, God never intends it to be private. (p.130)
• The difference between being a church attender and a church member is commitment. Attenders are spectators from the sidelines; members get involved in the ministry. Attenders are consumers; members are contributors. Attenders want the benefits of a church without sharing the responsibilities. (p.136-137)
Protecting your Church
• It is your job to protect the unity of your church [which] is so important that the New Testament gives more attention to it than to either heaven or hell. (p. 160)
• Conflict is usually a sign that the focus has shifted to less important issues, things the Bible calls “disputable matters.” (p.162)
Created to become like Christ
• While effort has nothing to do with your salvation, it has much to do with your spiritual growth. (p.175)
• We must choose to let go of old ways of acting…change the way we think…[and] “put on” the character of Christ by developing new, godly habits. (p.175)
More to come
Rick Warren. “The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth am I here for?” Zondervan Press, Grand Rapids, MI (2002)
