Explore Quotes by Rick Warren

The greatest gift God gave us is also our greatest curse, which is the free will. We are made in God's image, the Bible says, which means we have the ability to love him or not love him, to reject him or not reject him.

I happen to know people who are followers of Christ in other religions.

We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the reference point of our lives.

You must match your music to the kind of people God wants your church to reach.... The music you use 'positions' your church in your community. It defines who you are.... It will determine the kind of people you attract, the kind of people you keep, and the kind of people you lose.

We're not in control but we do have a greater hope and we do have a source of joy that isn't based on our circumstances.

The goal of 'The Purpose Driven Life' is to help people develop a heart for the world.

Every small group has at least one 'difficult' person in it. If you don't immediately recognize who that person is -- it's probably you!

God knows what it's like to lose a son.

I'd rather have all my questions unanswered and walk with God than not walk with God and have all my questions answered.

Every problem is a character-building opportunity, and the more difficult it is, the greater the potential for building spiritual muscle and moral fiber.

Integrity is built by defeating the temptation to be dishonest; humility grows when we refuse to be prideful; and endurance develops every time you reject the temptation to give up.

God's ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ.

Much of what happens in our world is evil and bad, but God specializes in bringing good out of it.

The ground we have in common with unbelievers is not the Bible, but our common needs, hurts, and interests as human beings. You cannot start with a text expecting the unchurched to be fascinated by it. You must first capture their attention, and then move them to the truth of God's Word. By starting with a topic that interests the unchurched and then showing what the Bible says about it, you can grab their attention, disarm prejudices, and create an interest in the Bible that wasn't there before.

God is much more concerned about your character than your career, because you will take your character into eternity, but not your career.

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will grow a great church.

The next sentence is one of the most important spiritual truths you will ever learn: God develops the fruit of the Spirit in your life by allowing you to experience circumstances in which you're tempted to express the exact opposite quality. Character development always involves a choice, and temptation provides that opportunity.

What happens outwardly in your life is not as important as what happens inside you. Your circumstances are temporary, but your character will last forever.

The bible says that all people, not just believers, possess part of the image of God; that is why murder and abortion are wrong.

Christianity is not a religion or a philosophy, but a relationship and a lifestyle. The core of that lifestyle is thinking of others, as Jesus did, instead of ourselves.

Significance in life doesn’t come from status, because you can always find somebody who’s got more than you. It doesn’t come from sex. It doesn’t come from salary. It comes from serving.