“God has never been impressed with strength or self-sufficiency. In fact, he is drawn to people who are weak and admit it.”
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Rick Warren
“the greatest hindrance to God’s blessing in your life is not others, it is yourself — your self-will, stubborn pride, and personal ambition. You cannot fulfill God’s purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans.”
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Rick Warren
“You know you’re surrendered to God when you rely on 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.”
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Rick Warren
“If you haven’t been baptized as an expression of your faith in Christ, do so as soon as possible, as Jesus commanded.”
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Rick Warren
“Jesus has not promised to build your ministry; he has promised to build his church.
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Rick Warren
“God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.”
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Rick Warren
“The same is true when it comes to getting healthy. You look in the mirror and believe that, with God’s help, you’ll get healthy even though the person staring back at you is exhausted, stressed, out of shape, or overweight.”
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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.”
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Rick Warren
“La Palabra de Dios nos ordena vivir «hablando la verdad con amor»3, porque no podemos formar una comunidad sin franqueza. Salomón dijo: «Una respuesta sincera es el signo de una verdadera amistad».4 A veces esto implica preocuparnos lo suficiente por quien peca o está siendo tentado como para enfrentarlo afablemente. Pablo dijo: «Hermanos, si ven que alguien ha caído en algún pecado, ustedes que son espirituales deben ayudarlo a corregirse. Pero háganlo amablemente; y que cada cual tenga mucho cuidado, no suceda que él también sea puesto a prueba».
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Rick Warren
“YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT. Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it.”
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Rick Warren
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
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Rick Warren
“Dwight L. Moody, a great evangelist and Christian educator of the late nineteenth century, used to say, “The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.” It was given to change our character and bring it more into conformity with Jesus Christ. All of our efforts in Bible study are valueless if in the final analysis we do not change and become more like Jesus. We must “not merely listen to the word,” but we are to “do what it says” (James 1:22).”
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Rick Warren
“Feelings are not always true or logical. In fact, resentment makes us act and think in foolish ways. The psalmist admitted, “When my thoughts were bitter and my feelings were hurt, I was as stupid as an animal.”14 We all act beastly when hurt.”
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Rick Warren
“Paul said, “You may brag about yourself, but the only approval that counts is the Lord’s approval.”
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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.
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Rick Warren
