“IT IS YOUR JOB TO PROTECT THE UNITY OF YOUR CHURCH. Unity in the church is so important that the New Testament gives more attention to it than to either heaven or hell. God deeply desires that we experience oneness and harmony with each other. Unity is the soul of fellowship. Destroy it, and you rip the heart out of Christ’s Body. It is the essence, the core, of how God intends for us to experience life together in his church. Our supreme model for unity is the Trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are completely unified as one. God himself is the highest example of sacrificial love, humble other-centeredness, and perfect harmony.”
―
Rick Warren
“God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work. You don’t have to always be “in charge.” The Bible says, “Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him.”13 Instead of trying harder, you trust more. You also know you’re surrendered when you don’t react to criticism and rush to defend yourself. Surrendered hearts show up best in relationships. You don’t edge others out, you don’t demand your rights, and you aren’t self-serving when you’re surrendered.”
―
Rick Warren
“God determines greatness by how many people you serve, not how many people serve you.”
―
Rick Warren
“The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it. The same is true for discovering your life’s purpose: Ask God.”
―
Rick Warren
“This truth, that I have to please only God, is an important key to becoming resistant to being manipulated by disapproval from others.”
―
Rick Warren
“The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.”
―
Rick Warren
“We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it. God’s purpose is not limited by your past.”
―
Rick Warren
“What matters is not the duration of your life, but the donation of it.”
―
Rick Warren
“Servants think about their work, not what others are doing.”
―
Rick Warren
“A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree. PROVERBS 11:28 (MSG)”
―
Rick Warren
“Imagine if you were asked by your country to be an ambassador to an enemy nation. You would probably have to learn a new language and adapt to some customs and cultural differences in order to be polite and accomplish your mission. As an ambassador you would not be able to isolate yourself from the enemy. To fulfill your mission, you would have to have contact and relate to them.”
―
Rick Warren
“Our culture says, “If you don’t own it, you won’t take care of it.” But Christians live by a higher standard: “Because God owns it, I must take the best care of it that I can.” The Bible says, “Those who are trusted with something valuable must show they are worthy of that trust.”
―
Rick Warren
“Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren't rubbed in but rubbed out.”
―
Rick Warren
“Love means giving up - yielding my preferences, comfort, goals, security, money, energy, or time for the benefit of someone else.”
―
Rick Warren