“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. He turned a murderer named Moses into a leader and a coward named Gideon into a courageous hero, and he can do amazing things with the rest of your life, too. God specializes in giving people a fresh start. The Bible says, “What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! … What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record.”
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Rick Warren
“God gives us the grace and power to have a relationship with him.”
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Rick Warren
“your own. You have probably tried to change many times and have failed to maintain the changes.”
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Rick Warren
“Great opportunities may come once in a lifetime, but small opportunities surround us every day.”
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Rick Warren
“Servants think about their work, not what others are doing.”
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Rick Warren
“God often attaches a major weakness to a major strength to keep our egos in check. A limitation can act as a governor to keep us from going too fast and running ahead of God.”
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Rick Warren
“anyone in recovery will tell you, setbacks are part of the process in long-term change. Rather than beat myself up, I simply asked God and my friends to help me get back on track.”
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Rick Warren
“If you are a member of a small group or class, I urge you to make a group covenant that includes the nine characteristics of biblical fellowship: We will share our true feelings (authenticity), forgive each other (mercy), speak the truth in love (honesty), admit our weaknesses (humility), respect our differences (courtesy), not gossip (confidentiality), and make group a priority (frequency).”
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Rick Warren
“We bring God glory by worshiping him. Worship is our first responsibility to God. We worship God by enjoying him.”
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Rick Warren
“Often we try to offer God partial obedience. We want to pick and choose the commands we obey. We make a list of the commands we like and obey those while ignoring the ones we think are unreasonable, difficult, expensive, or unpopular. I’ll attend church but I won’t tithe. I’ll read my Bible but won’t forgive the person who hurt me. Yet partial obedience is disobedience.”
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Rick Warren
“Nothing shapes your life more than the commitments you choose to make.”
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Rick Warren
“When you committed your life to Christ, he moved into the center; but you must keep him there through worship.”
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Rick Warren
“Henri Nouwen said, “In order to be of service to others we have to die to them; that is, we have to give up measuring our meaning and value with the yardstick of others…. thus we become free to be compassionate.” When you base your worth and identity on your relationship to Christ, you are freed from the expectations of others, and that allows you to really serve them best.”
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Rick Warren
“It is a fatal mistake to assume that God’s goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success, as the world defines it. The abundant life has nothing to do with material abundance, and faithfulness to God does not guarantee success in a career or even ministry. Never focus on temporary crowns.”
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Rick Warren
“Point to Ponder: If there were no God, and everything was a result of random chance, there would be no purpose to your life. It all starts with God.”
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Rick Warren
