“The truth is, almost everything we do is done poorly when we first start doing it – that’s how we learn.”
―
Rick Warren
“You must make a counter-culture decision to focus on becoming more like Jesus. Otherwise, other forces like peers, parents, coworkers, and culture will try to mold you into their image.”
―
Rick Warren
“Think reds, orange, yellows, greens, purple, blue — the darker and deeper the colors, the better they are for you.”
―
Rick Warren
“This self-absorbed perspective treats God as a genie who simply exists to serve you in your selfish pursuit of personal fulfillment. But God is not your servant, and if you fall for the idea that life is supposed to be easy, either you will become severely disillusioned or you will live in denial of reality. Never forget that life is not about you! You exist for God’s purposes, not vice versa. Why would God provide heaven on earth when he’s planned the real thing for you in eternity? God gives us our time on earth to build and strengthen our character for heaven.
―
Rick Warren
“Only secure people can serve. Insecure people are always worrying about how they appear to others. They fear exposure of their weaknesses and hide beneath layers of protective pride and pretensions. The more insecure you are, the more you will want people to serve you, and the more you will need their approval.”
―
Rick Warren
“While life on earth offers many choices, eternity offers only two: heaven or hell. Your relationship to God on earth will determine your relationship to him in eternity.”
―
Rick Warren
“Preparing you for these two questions is the goal of this book. The first question will determine where you spend eternity. The second question will determine what you do in eternity. By the end of this book you will be ready to answer both questions.”
―
Rick Warren
“Love others as you love yourself.’”1 Learning to love unselfishly is not an easy task. It runs counter to our self-centered nature. That’s why we’re given a lifetime to learn it. Of course, God wants us to love everyone, but he is particularly concerned that we learn to love others in his family. As we have already seen, this is the second purpose for your life. Peter tells us, “Show special love for God’s people.”2 Paul echoes this sentiment: “When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers.”
―
Rick Warren
“It seems we are often guilty of being more interested in defending God’s Word than in studying it.”
―
Rick Warren
“You weren't put on earth to be remembered. You were put here to prepare for eternity.
―
Rick Warren
“Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren't rubbed in but rubbed out.”
―
Rick Warren
“A lot of times we change, not when we see the light, but when we feel the heat.”
―
Rick Warren
“Today we often feel we must “get away” from our daily routine in order to worship God, but that is only because we haven’t learned to practice his presence all the time. Brother Lawrence found it easy to worship God through the common tasks of life; he didn’t have to go away for special spiritual retreats.”
―
Rick Warren
“God has never made a person he didn’t love. Everybody matters to him.”
―
Rick Warren
“Knowing your purpose gives your life meaning, simplicity, focus and motivation. It also prepares you for eternity.”
―
Rick Warren