Rick Warren Quotes

A dad stands tallest when he kneels to pray with his children. ~ Rick Warren

Our habits control our lives. We shape our habits; then our habits shape us. ~ Rick Warren

The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ came to do three things. He came to have my past forgiven, you get a purpose for living and a home in Heaven. ~ Rick Warren

You will not be in heaven two seconds before you cry out, Why did I place so much importance on things that were so temporary? What was I thinking? Why did I waste so much time, energy, and concern on what wasn't going to last? ~ Rick Warren

While it is wise to learn from experience, it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others. ~ Rick Warren

It is impossible to do everything people want you to do. You have just enough time to do God's will. If you can't get it all done, it means you're trying to do more than God intended for you to do. ~ Rick Warren

I'm against redefining marriage historically 5,000 years ... because then it'll be re-defined. What if it's between a brother and a sister? ~ Rick Warren

Hiding your hurt only intensifies it. Problems grow in the dark and become bigger and bigger, but when exposed to the light of truth, they shrink. You are only as sick as your secrets. So take off your mask, stop pretending you're perfect, and walk into freedom. ~ Rick Warren

PINEAPPLE SALSA: 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced (if fresh is unavailable, use canned pineapple and drain juice) 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped ¼ large red onion, diced fine ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 fresh lime COMBINE SALSA INGREDIENTS in a bowl, and refrigerate at least 1 ~ Rick Warren

That's the big difference between Christianity and other religions. The difference between Works and Grace or Do and Done. ~ Rick Warren

If you prayed as much as you complain and quarrel, you'd have a lot less to argue about and much more peace of mind. ~ Rick Warren

THE HEART OF WORSHIP IS SURRENDER. ~ Rick Warren

Since pleasing God is the first purpose of your life, your most important task is to discover how to do that. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it. EPHESIANS 5:10 THE MESSAGE ~ Rick Warren

Genuine surrender says, "Father, if this problem, pain, sickness, or circumstance is needed to fulfill your purpose and glory in my life or in another's, please don't take it away." This level of maturity does not come easy. ~ Rick Warren

God intentionally allows you to go through painful experiences to equip you for ministry to others. ~ Rick Warren

When you jump across a canyon, cautious small steps and vacillation won't work. Sometimes you just have to go for it. ~ Rick Warren

Knowing your purpose focuses your life. ~ Rick Warren

Small churches become more effective when they specialize in what they do best. ~ 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."21 ~ Rick Warren

Eternal values, not temporal ones, should become the deciding factors for your decisions. ~ Rick Warren

Imagine if you were asked by your country to be an ambassador to an enemy nation. You would probably have to learn a new language and adapt to some customs and cultural differences in order to be polite and accomplish your mission. As an ambassador you would not be able to isolate yourself from the enemy. To fulfill your mission, you would have to have contact and relate to them. ~ Rick Warren

In the end we must be merciful to the fallen, show grace to struggling, and be patient with the doubting. But when God's Word is clear we must not-and we cannot-back up, back off, back down, back out, or backslide from the truth. ~ Rick Warren

The secret of effectiveness is to know what really counts, then do what really counts, and not worry about all the rest. ~ Rick Warren

The ultimate goal of the universe is to show the glory of God. ~ Rick Warren

Blessed are the uncool; for they shall be happy without needing the approval of others. ~ Rick Warren

If you always feel comfortable reading God's Word, you're either not reading ALL of it, or you aren't letting it sink in. ~ Rick Warren

A godly man is never threatened by the gifts of a godly woman. ~ Rick Warren

Every parent knows that delayed obedience is really disobedience. ~ Rick Warren

60 percent of your brain is made from fat, specifically DHA. ~ Rick Warren

The average American consumes ten pounds of chemical additives a year. ~ Rick Warren

While we worry about how fast we grow, God is concerned about how strong we grow. ~ Rick Warren

As long as you do things for God, you are a Hall of Famer in heaven's list. ~ Rick Warren

Great leaders genuinely care for and love the people they lead more than they love leading itself. ~ Rick Warren

Don't let your net worth determine your self worth. ~ Rick Warren

Satan tries to limit your praying because he knows your praying will limit him. ~ Rick Warren

When God seems distant, you may feel that he is angry with you or is disciplining you for some sin. In fact, sin does disconnect us from intimate fellowship with God. We grieve God's Spirit and quench our fellowship with him by disobedience, conflict with others, busyness, friendship with the world, and other sins.10 ~ Rick Warren

The New testament commanded to love each other, pray for each other, encourage each other, admonish each other, greet each other, serve each other, teach each other, accept each other, honor each other, bear each other's burdens, forgive each other, submit to each other, be devoted each other, and many other mutual tasks. This is biblical membership! ~ Rick Warren

When pressure builds up, don't panic. Pray! Prayer is a tremendous stress reliever. It can be your safety valve. ~ Rick Warren

I'm not going to get into a debate over the non-essentials. I won't try to change other denominations. Why be divisive? ~ Rick Warren

Without a clear purpose you have no foundation on which you base decisions, allocate your time, and use your resources. You will tend to make choices based on circumstances, pressures, and your mood at that moment. People who don't know their purpose try to do too much - and that causes stress, fatigue, and conflict. ~ Rick Warren

The first step to becoming what God made you to be is to stop worrying about what others want you to be. ~ Rick Warren

If God never did anything else for you, he would still deserve your continual praise for the rest of your life because of what Jesus did for you on the cross. God's Son died for you! This is the greatest reason for worship. ~ Rick Warren

Many people are reluctant to show mercy because they don't understand the difference between trust and forgiveness.
Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Trust has to do with future behavior. ~ Rick Warren

Love means giving up - yielding my preferences, comfort, goals, security, money, energy, or time for the benefit of someone else. ~ Rick Warren

Leadership is neither showmanship nor dictatorship. Leadership is a stewardship and a partnership. ~ Rick Warren

Love pays attention. Love listens to the fears and the doubts of others and treats them with respect. Love accepts others the way Jesus accepts you. ~ Rick Warren

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 made of three cords is hard to break. Ecclesiastes 4:9 (TEV) ~ Rick Warren

But dogs, which have no ability to sin nor moral conscience, do not have an ability to reject Jesus. ~ Rick Warren

It takes no courage to say or do what's popular. ~ Rick Warren

Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him. ~ Rick Warren

In God's eyes, the greatest heroes of faith are not those who achieve prosperity, success, and power in this life, but those who treat life as a temporary assignment and serve faithfully, expecting their promised reward in eternity. ~ Rick Warren

You may hesitate, wondering whether you will have strength to live for God. Don't worry. God will give you what you need if you will just make the choice to live for him. ~ Rick Warren

The Daniel Plan will help you find a personal fitness strategy that you will enjoy. ~ Rick Warren

You can use your time to build bridges or walls. The latter is not only unChristlike, it limits impact & creates loneliness. ~ Rick Warren

God specializes in giving people a fresh start. ~ Rick Warren

God's power is the key to any transformational change in our lives, including our health. ~ Rick Warren

Everybody wants confidence but you don't find it in self help books. You find confidence in the Holy Spirit. ~ Rick Warren

Another of Brother Lawrence's helpful ideas was to pray shorter conversational prayers continually through the day rather than trying to pray long sessions of complex prayers. ~ Rick Warren

It's not about me. ~ Rick Warren

You are not an accident. Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did ... Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God. He thought of you first. It is not fate, nor chance, nor luck, nor coincidence that you are breathing this very moment. You are alive because God wanted to create you! ~ Rick Warren

People respond to vision, not need. ~ Rick Warren

Explanations don't comfort. You won't feel better if you know why. It won't hurt any less. ~ Rick Warren

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. ~ Rick Warren

It is not always convenient or comfortable, and sometimes worship is a sheer act of the will--a willing sacrifice. ~ Rick Warren

God loves to bring good out of bad. He loves to turn crucifixions into resurrections. Every obstacle is an opportunity. Every problem has potential. Every crisis is an opportunity for ministry. Every hurt God wants to use for His glory. ~ Rick Warren

The Daniel Plan is designed to cut cravings, satisfy your appetite, and teach you to listen to your body. ~ Rick Warren

Without a purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction and events without reason. Without a purpose life is trivial, petty, and pointless. ~ Rick Warren

Where the grass is greener, the water bill is bigger. ~ Rick Warren

Because God is love, the most important lesson he wants you to learn on earth is how to love. ~ Rick Warren

We must care about unbelievers because God does. Love leaves no choice. The Bible says, "There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear."18 A parent will run into a burning building to save a child because their love for that child is greater than their fear. ~ Rick Warren

God's Word is not meant just to inform you, but to transform you. ~ Rick Warren

Worship helps people focus on God; fellowship helps them face life's problems; discipleship helps fortify their faith; ministry helps them find their talents; and evangelism helps them fulfill their mission. ~ Rick Warren

Failure is a part of everyone's journey. But it is your attitude toward failure that will determine your ultimate success. ~ Rick Warren

Passion drives perfection. The highest achievers in any field are those who do it because of passion, not duty or profit. ~ Rick Warren

Much of the conflict occurring in congregations is caused when a church calls a pastor whose gifts and passion do not match what the church has been in the past. ~ Rick Warren

There is nothing quite as potent as a focused life, one lived on purpose. ~ Rick Warren

Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be rebuilt over time. Trust requires a track record. ~ Rick Warren

Obedience unlocks God's power. ~ Rick Warren

There's a difference between freedom of worship and freedom of religion. Worship is an event that happens inside the house of worship. Religion is a lifestyle. It is a way of living. ~ Rick Warren

There is an entire generation who was too young to read 'The Purpose Driven Life' 10 years ago but are now asking the critical question, 'What on earth am I here for?' ~ Rick Warren

Three enemies that will weaken your ministry over time: Self-indulgence, bitterness, and carelessness. Strong people discipline their desires, restrain their reactions, and keep their commitments. ~ 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. ~ Rick Warren

In 1800, the average person consumed 5 pounds per year;7 now we average 152 pounds a year. ~ Rick Warren

But God's presence in your life has nothing to do with your feelings. Your emotions are susceptible to all kinds of influences, so they are often unreliable. Sometimes the worst advice you can get is "Do what you feel." Often what we feel is neither real nor right. Your emotional state can be the result of memories, hormones, medicines, food, lack of sleep, tension, or fears. Whenever I start to feel anxious about a situation, I remind myself that fear is often False Evidence Appearing Real. ~ Rick Warren

It's easy to explain away evil. We have a free choice, and our greatest blessing is also our greatest curse, because I don't always make good choices. Other people make bad choices. I make bad choices. And sometimes we hurt other people. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally. ~ Rick Warren

Most important, you must learn to love lost people the way God does. ~ Rick Warren

Keep your hope in the Lord and your eyes focused on the hope of Heaven, not just on the here and now. ~ Rick Warren

The way God teaches us to live by faith is He takes away our feelings. ~ Rick Warren

Because God is sovereignly in control, accidents are just incidents in God's good plan for you. ~ Rick Warren

Your past, present, and future are taken care of as you put your trust in Jesus. ~ Rick Warren

A father, finding time for what is most important is the true marker of a successful person. ~ Rick Warren

Every time you try to block a thought out of your mind, you drive it deeper into your memory. By resisting it, you actually reinforce it. ~ Rick Warren

The greatest tragedy is not death, but life without purpose. ~ Rick Warren

God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. ~ Rick Warren

Being successful and fulfilling your lifes purpose are not at all the same thing; You can reach all your personal goals, become a raving success by the worlds standard and still miss your purpose in this life. ~ Rick Warren

Choose organic, grass-fed, free-range, and hormone-, antibiotic-, and pesticide-free poultry whenever you can. ~ Rick Warren

God is at work in the world, and He wants you to join Him ... You are the only Christian some people will ever know. ~ Rick Warren

People need fewer 'ought-to' sermons, and more 'how-to' sermons. The deepest kind of teaching is that which makes a difference in people's day-to-day lives. Jesus spoke to the crowd with an interesting style. When God's Word is taught in an uninteresting way, people don't just think the pastor is boring, they think God is boring! ~ Rick Warren

SELECTING THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR GOOD BIBLE STUDY Probably one of the best-kept secrets in Christendom is the availability of practical Bible study helps. Many Christians are not aware of the many excellent reference tools currently available to make personal Bible study possible and exciting. This is comparable to a carpenter who sets out to build a house without knowing that a hammer and saw are available to him. ~ Rick Warren

Even a broken tree can bear fruit ~ Rick Warren