“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.”
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Rick Warren
“God has … planted eternity in the human heart. ECCLESIASTES 3:11 (NLT) Surely God would not have created such a being as man to exist only for a day! No, no, man was made for immortality. ABRAHAM LINCOLN”
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Rick Warren
“You cannot exalt God and yourself at the same time.”
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Rick Warren
“Willpower works for a few weeks, or maybe a month or two at best.”
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Rick Warren
“Whenever you feel weak, God is reminding you to depend on him.”
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Rick Warren
“Cuando la Palabra de Dios cambia nuestra vida y nos hace más como Jesús, descubrimos cuál es el verdadero propósito de nuestra existencia, qué es el verdadero gozo y qué significa que Dios cambie el mundo a través de nosotros.”
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Rick Warren
“God is never in a hurry, but he is always on time.”
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Rick Warren
“God says there is a direct relationship between how I use my money and the quality of my spiritual life. How I manage my money (“worldly wealth”) determines how much God can trust me with spiritual blessings (“true riches”).”
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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
“William James said, “The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.”
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Rick Warren
“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
“The Bible offers three metaphors that teach us God’s view of life: Life is a test, life is a trust, and life is a temporary assignment. These ideas are the foundation of purpose-driven living.”
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Rick Warren
“Cuando entiendes que la vida es una prueba, te das cuenta de que nada es insignificante para ti. Aun los percances más pequeños tienen significado para el desarrollo de tu carácter. Cada día es importante y cada segundo es una oportunidad para hacer crecer y profundizar tu carácter, para demostrar amor y depender de Dios. Algunas pruebas parecen abrumadoras y otras ni siquiera las sientes. Pero todas ellas tienen implicaciones eternas. Lo bueno es que Dios desea que sobrepases las pruebas de la vida, y él nunca permite que las que enfrentas sean mayores que la gracia que él te otorga para sobrellevarlas. La Escritura dice: «Pero Dios es fiel, y no permitirá que ustedes sean tentados más allá de lo que puedan aguantar. Más bien, cuando llegue la tentación, él les dará también una salida a fin de que puedan resistir».3 Cada vez que superas una prueba, Dios toma nota y hace planes para recompensarte en la eternidad. Santiago dice: «Dichoso el que resiste la tentación porque, al salir aprobado, recibirá la corona de la vida que Dios ha prometido a quienes lo aman».
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Rick Warren
“Sabrás que estás en proceso de maduración cuando empieces a ver la mano de Dios en las circunstancias más variadas, confusas y aparentemente vanas de la vida. Si estás enfrentando un problema ahora mismo, no preguntes: «¿Por qué a mí?». Pregunta en cambio: «¿Qué quieres que aprenda?». Después confía en Dios y sigue haciendo lo que es correcto. «Ustedes necesitan mantenerse firmes, permaneciendo en el plan de Dios para poder estar allí cuando tenga lugar la plenitud prometida».33 No te des por vencido: ¡Madura!”
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Rick Warren
“In our final moments we all realize that relationships are what life is all about. Wisdom is learning that truth sooner rather than later.”
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Rick Warren