The Purpose Driven Life


MsJag4Jag

Moderator
I am reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.

Day 1 is asking me to think about my purpose in this life.
 



This may interest the Purpose Driven Life readers.
.
.
.

THREE REASONS TO AVOID THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE

(1) PDL undermines the Bible's clear teaching about the sufficiency of Christ's death as the atonement for our sins.

[WARREN:] "One day you?re gonna stand before God, and He will do an audit of your life?a final exam before you enter eternity. The Bible says, ?Remember each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God. Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God. Fortunately, God wants us to pass this test so He has given us the questions in advance. And from the Bible we can surmise that God will ask us two crucial questions. First, what did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ? God won?t ask you about your religious background or doctrinal views. The only thing that will matter is, did you accept what Jesus did for you, and did you learn to love and trust Him? Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Second, what did you do with what I gave you? What did you do with your life, all the gifts, the talents, the opportunities, energy, relationships, resources that God gave you? Did you spend them all on yourself? Or did you use them for the purposes God made you for? Preparing you for these two questions is the goal of this book. The first question will determine where you spend eternity. The second question will determine what you do in eternity."

[WARREN:] "At the end of your life on earth you?ll stand before God, and He?s going to evaluate how well you served others with your life. The Bible says each of us will have to give a personal account to God. Think about the implications of that. One day God will compare how much time and energy we spend on ourselves compared to what we invested in serving others. At that point all our excuses for self-centeredness will sound hollow. "I was too busy," or "I had my own goals," or "I was preoccupied with working or having fun or preparing for retirement." To all those excuses God will respond, "Sorry, wrong answer. I created you, saved you, and called you and commanded you to live a life of service. What part did you not understand?" The Bible warns unbelievers He will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves. But for Christians, it will mean a loss of eternal rewards."

This is based upon a common misreading of 1st Corinthians 3. The judgments Paul describe have to do with ? IN THE CONTEXT ? those who labor among them. Quite different.

This kind of GUILT TRIPPING moves people away from the Gospel towards legalism. It undermines the sufficiency of Christ's work on our behalf and constructs a performance based, "merit-based" mentality. The more you give the better standing you'll have in the world to come, etc.

Read their article "Breaking the Rules of Legalism" http://www.antithesis.com/features/breaking-the-rules.html

(2) PDL promotes the "myth of free will" and "decisional regeneration"

[WARREN:] "It?s time to settle this issue. Who are you gonna live for, yourself or God? You may hesitate wondering whether you have the strength to live for God. Don?t worry! God will give you what you need if you?ll just make the choice to live for Him."

[WARREN:] "God is not a cruel slave driver or bully who uses brute force to coerce us into submission. He doesn?t try to break our will, but He 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."

[WARREN:] "Wherever you are listening to this, I invite you to bow your head and quietly whisper the prayer that will change your eternity.?Jesus, I believe in You and I receive You." Go ahead. Just say "Jesus, I believe in You and I receive You." If you sincerely meant that prayer, congratulations! Welcome to the family of God!"

Read their article on Decisional Regeneration: http://www.antithesis.com/commentary/decisional_regeneration.html

(3) PDL Teaches "Evangelical Taoism"

[WARREN:] "Christ?s likeness is not produced by imitation but by inhabitation. We allow Christ to live through us. The Bible says, "For this is the secret, Christ lives in you." How does this happen in real life? Through the choices we make. We choose to do the right thing in situations and then trust God?s Spirit to give us His power and His love and His faith and wisdom to do it. Since God?s Spirit lives inside of us, these things are always available for the asking."

Read their article on "The Tao of Evangelicalism"

http://www.antithesis.com/commentary/tao.html
 
JSU CHAD,
Just wanted to say hey!!! Man we haven't chatted since ummmm 1999.
Those were some interesting posts concerning PDL. I will take that into consideration when I began reading my copy.
Currently I'm studying "Maximized Manhood" by Edwin Louis Cole. That's an awesome book for men.

Have a Blessed Day!!!
 
Renoir said:
Currently I'm studying "Maximized Manhood" by Edwin Louis Cole. That's an awesome book for men.
I read that book too a long time ago. It's was VERY GOOD(although I can't remember the key points.) I remember thinking, "Every man ought to peep this book." :tup:
 
WOW!

How ironic is this...my best friend from High School just told me to read this book on last week. Hadn't picked it up yet.
 
I just started 're-reading' it two days ago. Sad to say, but I've 'signed' the covenant three times now, three different dates. I've never gone beyond the third chapter, even though the subject is very interesting. I've had this book since June '03, almost a year.

why am I struggling to read this book? Can someone help me with this? A lot has changed in my life since I bought the book (challenges on my 'old' job, which lead to wanting and then getting a new job, moving to a new city, all in the last 9 months), but that should be all the more reason why I should be reading this book.

I really like the first chapter...It's not about you. And it's not. I can sit up and read a fiction book until 2 am, but I cannot consistently ready PDL daily. I get 'distracted'. I'm trying not to beat myself up about it, but I think I should be able to at least devote 20 minutes to this book.

Someone said something about the online classes for this book. Can you provide more info?? Please.
 
Jag-Tig said:
why am I struggling to read this book? Can someone help me with this? I really like the first chapter...It's not about you. And it's not. I can sit up and read a fiction book until 2 am, but I cannot consistently ready PDL daily. I get 'distracted'. I'm trying not to beat myself up about it, but I think I should be able to at least devote 20 minutes to this book.
Maybe it's the time you choose to read the book. I read it at night before I go to bed & that helps me to remember to read it.
 
Jag-Tig said:
I just started 're-reading' it two days ago. Sad to say, but I've 'signed' the covenant three times now, three different dates. I've never gone beyond the third chapter, even though the subject is very interesting. I've had this book since June '03, almost a year.

why am I struggling to read this book? Can someone help me with this? A lot has changed in my life since I bought the book (challenges on my 'old' job, which lead to wanting and then getting a new job, moving to a new city, all in the last 9 months), but that should be all the more reason why I should be reading this book.

I really like the first chapter...It's not about you. And it's not. I can sit up and read a fiction book until 2 am, but I cannot consistently ready PDL daily. I get 'distracted'. I'm trying not to beat myself up about it, but I think I should be able to at least devote 20 minutes to this book.

Someone said something about the online classes for this book. Can you provide more info?? Please.

You are probably better off not reading it.
 
JSU Chad said:
You are probably better off not reading it.


Yeah, but then I'll feel like I missed out. I hate not finishing a book that I started.

Well, I'm out of town on business and I packed it so I will be reading it tonight. I just need to make it priority.

And like Fortitude, I'm going to focus on reading it right before I go to bed.

Or maybe I should just put it next to the toilet... :eek:
 
Jag-Tig said:
Yeah, but then I'll feel like I missed out. I hate not finishing a book that I started.

Well, I'm out of town on business and I packed it so I will be reading it tonight. I just need to make it priority.

And like Fortitude, I'm going to focus on reading it right before I go to bed.

Or maybe I should just put it next to the toilet... :eek:


No, in the toilet...
LOL
 



Day 19 was :jump:.

In reference to the articles saying don't read PDL,
the Bible is still my #1 reference source. No one can write or tell me anything and I believe it if it is contradictory to the what God says to me or is written in the Bible. That includes the sermons my Pastor gives, also.

I'm on Day 30 and I not read anything that undermines what I believe.
 
I have a reading/prayer partner. She's one of my good friends from church. We are on ONE ACCORD.:D
I actually received the book last Fall from my aunt as a gift, after sharing Matters of the Heart by Juanita Bynum with her. I purchased the book and journal for my partner. We started reading it after I finished my Lent fast and started another type of fast. The 40 days coincide.
 
JSTUS said:
Day 19 was :jump:.
I read Day 14 last night & MAN - It was awesome!!! :flippy: Today, I sent part of Day 10(The Heart of Worship - Surrender) out to my email group & will continue to do so every day until I've sent the entire chapter. This book is wonderful.

p.s. I saw it on sale for $10.88 at Sams last week.
 
I noticed several churches here are reading it as a church body. Their pastors use topics from the book each week.
 
Back
Top