Rick Warren
Rick Warren
Richard Duane "Rick" Warrenis an American evangelical Christian pastor and author. He is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, an evangelical megachurch in Lake Forest, California, that is the eighth-largest church in the United States. He is also a bestselling author of many Christian books, including his guide to church ministry and evangelism, The Purpose Driven Church, which has spawned a series of conferences on Christian ministry and evangelism. He is perhaps best known for the subsequent book...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth28 January 1954
CitySan Jose, CA
CountryUnited States of America
Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans. United not by race or religion or by blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us.
You can keep your own religion - Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Mormonism - you just need to add Jesus to the equation. Then you become complete. You become a Buddhist with Jesus, a Hindu with Jesus, a Muslim with Jesus and so on. You can throw out the term Christianity and still be a follower of Jesus. In fact, you can throw out the term Christian too. In some countries, you could be persecuted for calling yourself a Christian, and there is no need for that. Just ask Jesus into your heart, you don't have to identify yourself as a Christian.
I really do feel that these people are brothers and sisters in God's family. I am looking to build bridges with the Orthodox Church, looking to build bridges with the Catholic Church, with the Anglican church.
I'm not going to get into a debate over the non-essentials. I won't try to change other denominations. Why be divisive?
Every day I get a choice. I can choose to go God's way or I can choose to go my own way or Satan's way or if I walk out of this door I don't know that I blame myself if my choice. .. because the bottom line is I want what I want what I want. ... People ask me what the greatest sin is. I feel the greatest sin is to want to be God: Pride, I want my own way. What it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ - give as much of yourself as you understand to as much of Jesus as you understand at that moment...
If you always feel comfortable reading God's Word, you're either not reading ALL of it, or you aren't letting it sink in.
Use 'breath prayers' throughout the day, as many Christians have done for centuries. You choose a brief sentence or a simple phrase that can be repeated to Jesus in one breath.
There is no growth without change, and there is no change without loss.
I forgive. First, because I've been forgiven by God. Second, unforgiveness makes me miserable. And third, I'm going to need more forgiveness in the future. So we don't forgive for their benefit. We actually forgive for ours.
Jesus modeled a purpose-driven life, and he taught others how to live it, too. That was the 'work' that brought glory to God.
First open your heart, then open your Bible.
If an organ is somehow severed from its body, it will shrivel and die. It cannot exist on its own, and neither can you. Disconnected and cut off from the lifeblood of a local body, your spiritual life will wither and eventually cease to exist.
Satan doesn't mind you using your strengths, so long as you do it for personal benefits.
The ultimate goal of the universe is to show the glory of God.