Excerpt: Read Reflect then ACT

These are my favorite quotes from Rick Warren. I wrote them on my journal to guide me on everyday life. Feel free to share. :)


Surrendering your life means - 
* Following God’s lead without knowing where he’s sending you;
* Waiting for God’s timing without knowing when it will come;
* Expecting a miracle without knowing how God will provide;
* Trusting God’s purpose without understanding the circumstances.


Why do we wait? It teaches us to trust God. We learn that His timing is perfect. One of the facts that we have to learn is this: God’s delay never destroy His purpose.


GOD has the power of making something good out of something bad.


You may think you have challenges, but you have so many blessings. Sometimes it takes only a moment of conscious effort to recognize those blessings. Once you focus on the gifts instead of the problems, your whole perspective will change and you will see blessings everywhere.


Everytime I begin to feel that there is no strength in me, I end up knowing that there is more in Him.


In the last few months, you may have hit bottom. Perhaps you’re at the bottom financially and you think, “I am going broke!” Or, you’ve hit bottom emotionally, or your marriage has hit bottom, or you’re having health problems. You’re frustrated and you think, “I’m going under.” 
Where is God when you hit bottom? He’s right there underneath you. He is “your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you” (Deuteronomy 33:27 NLT).
Drop into his arms of love. Let him catch you and support you when you have nowhere else to go.


Walking with God means saying, ‘God, I’m going in your direction, not my direction. I’m going at your pace, just as fast or slow as you tell me.’


When the baby Jesus grows into a man, he will stretch his arms out as wide as the cross, saying, “I love you this much! I love you so much it hurts. I love you so much I’ll die for you so that I won’t have to live without you.


Some of us have developed a lifestyle of avoidance. We don’t want to get close to people because they might ask for help. They may actually need you, so you keep your distance.
When we live with this attitude, all of our relationships are superficial. We keep everyone at arm’s length because, otherwise, we might get involved. And if we get involved, we might get hurt.
This attitude keeps people out of sight and out of mind.


I’ll never forget one of our church building campaigns. Kay and I prayed about how much to give, and God told us to give an amount equal to one year’s salary. I didn’t know how we would live for an entire year without a salary, but we obeyed God.
About a month later, we saw God’s plan when a publisher asked me to write a book and offered an advance of $100,000. That book became The Purpose Driven Church.
Jesus makes us this promise in Luke 18:29-30: “Truly I tell you … no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life” (NIV).
“Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58b NIV)


God does not want you living a life filled with fears. You might call it coincidence, but there are 365 “fear not” commands in the Bible. That’s one for every day of the year. I would say God hates fear.


A lot of things seem natural. It’s natural to be self-centered, but acting on that desire might not be good for your kids or your spouse. Natural doesn’t mean it’s always good.


He always has your best interests in mind.


So when you feel like you’ve lost everything, stop focusing on what’s lost and start focusing on what’s left: God and his love for you.


God says that when you give to somebody else, you’re not throwing it away. It’s an investment in the lives of others. God says the one who gives will gain even more: “He who is kind to the poor, lends to the Lord and He will reward him for what he has done.” (Proverbs 19:17 NIV)


If you feel like God is a million miles away, guess who moved? God didn’t move; you did.


God doesn’t want rabbits to fly and eagles to swim. They are shaped to do what they are supposed to do, and you are shaped to do what God wants you to do. So stop trying to run other people’s races and go run God’s race for you!


You are supposed to run the race God has set for you. Not the race you set for yourself, not the race other people set for you, and not the race culture sets for you. You only run the race God has set for you. If you try to run any other course, you are going to fail and get discouraged.


You may be facing a dead end right now—financial, emotional, or relational—but if you will trust God and keep on moving in faith, even when you don’t see a way, he will make a way.


Revealing your feeling is the beginning of healing. That’s one of my favorite sayings. If you want to just be forgiven, confess your sins to God. But if you want to be healed, confess them to somebody else. It’s the power that comes from having a spiritual accountability partner or small group.


If you want to stop defeating yourself, you have to stop deceiving yourself.


You need to learn to say no to grow. God doesn’t expect you to do everything.


The reason why so many people are discouraged today is that they are trying to please other people. Living for the approval of others is a weight that holds you back. You need to stop!


Remember what God says about you. No matter what negative thing that person says, remember that God says he loves you. God made you, and he has a plan and purpose for your life. God’s opinion is more important than any other person’s opinion.


The things that are out of your control are not out of God’s control. So pray!


You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life is never going to make sense.


When You Are Confronted, Choose to Love
When You Are Insulted, Choose to Pray 
When You Are Neglected, Choose to Encourage 
When You Are Rejected, Choose to Forgive
When You Are Applauded, Choose to Hope


Our society constantly takes the name of the Lord in vain. We hear it so often it doesn’t even offend us anymore. But it should! It bothers God. e not only commands it, He deserves it.


Faith is something we do.


Sin is always deceptive, and it always costs more than we think it will.


God loves variety. He never makes a duplicate of anything. Even identical twins are different. God’s creations are always unique, even with churches..


God keeps no record of wrongs.


Emotions lie. Feelings come and go.


One of the most effective tools the enemy will use to keep you from serving God this year is convincing you that you’ve either messed up too much or that you must clean up your life before you can get God’s attention. When these thoughts pop into your head, sniff the air for the scent of sulfur because they are lies straight from the fires of Hell!


Think about this: God never makes a bad decision. He never makes a mistake. He says if we trust him and listen to him, he will guide us. But we must ask in faith.


You will never have all your needs met by any person or group of people. God never meant it to be that way. They just don’t have enough love. Human love is limited. God’s love is unlimited, unconditional. No matter how deep your need is, he can fill it. And he never runs dry.


Ask God to open your eyes to what he wants to do through your life. He’s ready to turn the light on.


If you want to change your life, you need to change what you’re thinking about.


Your identity is shaped by your choices.


Walking with God means saying, ‘God, I’m going in your direction, not my direction. I’m going at your pace, just as fast or slow as you tell me.’


♥jindra