“God is not a cruel slave driver or a bully who uses brute force to coerce us into submission. He doesn’t try to break our will, but woos us to himself so that we might offer ourselves freely to him. God is a lover and a liberator, and surrendering to him brings freedom, not bondage. When we completely surrender ourselves to Jesus, we discover that he is not a tyrant, but a savior; not a boss, but a brother; not a dictator, but a friend.”
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Rick Warren
“Behold at thy feet, O Mother of Perpetual Help, O Mother of mercy, my refuge and my hope.”
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Rick Warren
“Servants think like stewards, not owners.”
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Rick Warren
“The secret of effectiveness is to know what really counts, then do what really counts, and not worry about all the rest.”
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Rick Warren
“Glory in your weaknesses. Paul said, “I am going to boast only about how weak I am and how great God is to use such weakness for his glory.”
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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
“«La experiencia no es lo que te pasa a ti. Es lo que haces con lo que te pasa».”
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Rick Warren
“Father, I know you’re going to do some incredible things in your world today. Please give me the privilege of getting in on some of what you’re doing.” In other words, church leaders should stop praying, “Lord, bless what I’m doing” and start praying, “Lord, help me to do what you are blessing.”
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Rick Warren
“Gary wondered, 'If God intentionally made us all different, why should everyone be expected to love God in the same way?”
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Rick Warren
“God intentionally allows you to go through painful experiences to equip you for ministry to others.”
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Rick Warren
“God sometimes removes a person from your life for your protection. Don't run after them.”
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Rick Warren
“DAY 7 Thinking about My Purpose POINT TO PONDER: It’s all for him. VERSE TO REMEMBER: “For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory.” ROMANS 11:36 (LB) QUESTION TO CONSIDER: Where in my daily routine can I become more aware of God’s glory?”
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Rick Warren
“The fact is, it is selfish for a church to not want to grow. A church that says, “We’ve got enough people, we’ve got a nice fellowship. Our church is just the right size. We just need to focus on the members we already have.” That church is, in reality, actually saying, “The rest of the world can go to hell. We don’t care.”
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Rick Warren
“Sometimes it takes years, but eventually you discover that 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
“The most difficult area to surrender for many people is their money. Many have thought, “I want to live for God but I also want to earn enough money to live comfortably and retire someday.” Retirement is not the goal of a surrendered life, because it competes with God for the primary attention of our lives. Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and money”
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Rick Warren
