“The ultimate goal of dynamic Bible study is application, not just interpretation. We do not want to settle for understanding alone; we want to apply the biblical principles to our daily living. 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
“All sin, at its root, is failing to give God glory. It is loving anything else more than God. Refusing to bring glory to God is prideful rebellion, and it is the sin that caused Satan’s fall — and ours, too. In different ways we have all lived for our own glory, not God’s. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
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Rick Warren
“Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).”
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Rick Warren
“The fact that earth is not our ultimate home explains why, as followers of Jesus, we experience difficulty, sorrow, and rejection in this world.11 It also explains why some of God’s promises seem unfulfilled, some prayers seem unanswered, and some circumstances seem unfair. This is not the end of the story. In order to keep us from becoming too attached to earth, God allows us to feel a significant amount of discontent and dissatisfaction in life — longings that will never be fulfilled on this side of eternity. We’re not completely happy here because we’re not supposed to be! Earth is not our final home; we were created for something much better.”
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Rick Warren
“God is always more interested in why we do something than in what we do. Attitudes count more than achievements.”
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Rick Warren
“You didn't create yourself, so there is no way you can tell yourself what you were created for.”
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Rick Warren
“Whose opinion matters most to you? Whoever that person is, is your god. When you value anyone’s opinions more than God’s, you give that person power and authority that belongs only to God. That creates all kinds of insecurity within you. On the other hand, when God’s approval matters the most to you, it sets you free from insecurity, because he will never reject you.”
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Rick Warren
“hand God a blank sheet with your name signed at the bottom and tell him to fill in the details. The Bible says, “Give yourselves completely to God — every part of you … to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes.”
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Rick Warren
“Why would God provide heaven on earth when he's planned the real thing for you in eternity?”
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Rick Warren
“God specializes in turning weaknesses into strengths. He wants to take your greatest weakness and transform it.”
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Rick Warren
“Much of the conflict occurring in congregations is caused when a church calls a pastor whose gifts and passion do not match what the church has been in the past.”
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Rick Warren
“As so many people in the Bible did, tell God exactly how you feel.”
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Rick Warren
“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.”
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Rick Warren
“You have to trust God even when you don’t get what you want.”
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Rick Warren
“Gluten is found in wheat barley, rye, spelt, oats, and kamut and holds bread together and makes it rise.”
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Rick Warren
