Overview of the Book

Rick Warren in his book the "Purpose Driven Life" points out that God has five general purposes for our lives. (These are points for simplification of understanding rather than being exclusive, for God has a lot more than five purposes for our lives). These are:

• Worship - you were planned for God's pleasure and love
• Fellowship - you were formed to be part of God's family
• Discipleship - you were created to become like Christ
• Ministry - you were shaped for God's service
• Mission - you were made to tell others about Christ

These are put another way in his book the "Purpose Driven Church." These are:

• Stronger through worship
• Warmer through fellowship
• Deeper through discipleship
• Broader through ministry
• Larger through evangelism

These are the fundamental purposes that Warren talks about in his book. One of the main points that he continually brings up is that we were never meant to face life on our own. We are all part of a supporting community of faith. Everyone needs someone at sometime in their lives. He quotes the Bible verse, "Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up . . . Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. A rope of three cords is hard to break" (Ecclesiastes 4:9, TEV). Let's exam these purposes that Warren proposes in the days to follow and discuss his points.

The Purpose-Driven Life - An Introduction

Rick Warren wrote the book "The Purpose Driven Life." I would like to go through the book in blogger fashion, and explore his answer to the question: "What on earth am I here for?" Warren writes, "Before you were born, God planned this moment in your life. God longs for you to discover the life he created you to live - here on earth, and forever in eternity." The Bible says, "It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ, . . . he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone" (Ephesians 1:11, Msg). It is nice to know that we do not live a meaningless life. There is a purpose to why we are here, and that our lives have significance in the great scheme of things. Awhile back I wrote out my life purpose prayer statement, it reads: "God is good. My stay on this world is short. May I live each day as if it were my last day on earth, for His mercies to me endure forever and His blessings are new every day. God is love. Charity is my guide. Let my eyes, mouth, and feet be guided by His thoughts and deeds this day. Let His glory, and the good of others, be my whole reason for living. May my works of love endure forever, in the minds and hearts of those I touch each day. Amen." Life is a marvelous challenge. Each day is a new beginning with new possibilities and opportunities to do good to those around us. What a blessed life we live under God's grace and loving kindness. We all have the opportunity to be a loving neighbor and a caring friend to others this day!