Summary of Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

INTRODUCTION
Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life is one of the best-selling Christian books of all time. The book is a forty day spiritual journey that is supposed to assist you in answering life’s important question: What am I here for?
The book is packed with quotations from the Holy Bible and according to the author, after completion of reading the book you will know Gods purpose for you and you will also understand the big picture. The author also speaks of the value of utilizing and identifying our spiritual gifts.
I have summarized all the chapters of the aforementioned book and also gave my personal thoughts about it.

WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR? In this chapter of the book, the author is basically speaking about the reason we were put on the Earth and the purpose we were put here for. It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power because we typically begin at the wrong starting point ourselves. We may be able to choose our career, hobbies and spouse but God uses us for his purposes. We don’t get to choose our purpose even though we may attempt speculating what it is. We were not placed on the Earth by chance or because God was lonely but that was the way God chose to express his love for us. Long before we were conceived by our parents, we were conceived in the mind of God. He thought of us first. It is not fate, nor chance, nor luck, nor coincidence that we are breathing at this very moment. We are alive because God wanted to create us!
Everyone’s life is driven by hundreds of circumstances, values and emotions. Many people are driven by guilt, fear, resentment and anger, materialism and by the need for approval. There are other forces that can drive your life but they all lead to the same dead end of unused potential, unnecessary stress and an unfulfilled life. However, there are five (5) benefits of living a purpose driven life and they are (1) simply knowing that your purpose gives meaning to your life by having hope, (2) it simplifies your life by having a clear purpose and a foundation on which you base your decisions, (3) it focuses your life because without a clear purpose you will keep changing directions, jobs, relationships and other externals, (4) it motivates your life. Purpose always produces passion. Nothing energizes like a clear purpose and (5) it prepares you for eternity. Many people spend their lives trying to create a lasting legacy on earth. They want to be remembered when they're gone. Yet, what ultimately matters most will not be what others say about your life but what God says.
God designed us to live for eternity. Based on your relationship with God on earth it will determine your relationship with him in eternity and you need not fear death. The closer you live to God, the smaller everything else will appear. Your values will change, you use your money and time more wisely and your priorities are reordered. The way you see your life shapes your life and how you define life determines your destiny. The Bible offers us three (3) metaphors that teach us God’s view of life. (1) Life is a Test (God continually test’s your character, faith, obedience, love, loyalty and integrity), (2) Life is a Trust (we are stewards of whatever God gives to us. How you handled what God entrusted to you?) And (3) Life is a temporary assignment (you would not be here long, so do not get too attached). The reason for everything, the ultimate goal of the universe is to show the glory of God. It is the reason for everything that exists, including you. God made it all for his glory. Without God's glory, there would be nothing. We bring God glory by loving other believers, becoming like Christ, serving others with our gifts and telling others about him. We must believe that whatever we may have done, God wants to forgive us.

PURPOSE ONE
YOU WERE PLANNED FOR GOD’S PLEASURE
God smiled when we came into the world. He created us not because He needed to but because He wanted to. Bringing enjoyment to God is the very first purpose of our existence and anything we do to bring God pleasure is called worship.
Worship is more than an activity, more than a special religious experience. Worship is a lifestyle. Worship is not for us but for God and the kind of worship that pleases Him is defined by our own passion and commitment to bring God pleasure. If our first purpose in life is to make God smile, we need to know what pleases him. For this we turn to the example of Noah, a man who made God happy.
1) Love Him supremely. Noah stayed close to God, even when he was the only one.
2) Trust Him completely. Noah trusted God when it seemed ludicrous. After all, it had never rained, and it took 120 years to build the ark.
3) Obey Him wholeheartedly. Noah had to do exactly what God said if he was to save life on earth.
4) Praise and thank Him continually. Everyone loves to be appreciated, and God is no exception.
5) Use your abilities. When God told Noah to leave the ark, He told His servant to go back to daily life. Everything we do, regardless of how mundane, can bring Him pleasure if we do it with an attitude of praise.
What transforms seemingly ordinary activities into worship? The key is surrender. At first glance, surrender sounds like losing. But in Romans 12:1 Paul challenges believers to surrender as an act of true worship. Worship begins with surrender but it should result in friendship.
You are as close to God as you choose to be. Like any friendship, you must work at developing your friendship with God. It takes desire, time and energy. You must be honest with God, obey him, desire having a friendship with God more than anything else and value what his values are.

God sometimes tests our friendship with Him by distance, teaching us to seek Him rather than just an experience of Him. We need to tell Him exactly how we feel, focusing on His unchanging nature rather than on our murky circumstances. Even though we may feel abandoned at the moment, we must remember what He’s done for us in the past and trust Him to keep His promises in the present and the future.

PURPOSE TWO
YOU WERE FORMED FOR GOD’S FAMILY
This purpose began with God’s plan to raise up a family and for us to be part of it. This spiritual family is made up of all believers~ past, present, and future~ and it will last forever. Being part of God’s family guarantees us a rich inheritance: we will be with Him forever; we will be like Christ; we will be freed from all distress; we will receive rewards; and we will share in Christ’s glory.
As members of God’s family we have the wonderful privilege of being brothers and sisters of His Son. What drives this family dynamic is love, but learning to love is an unnatural challenge for us. So God puts us in a family of imperfect people to prepare us to live together forever and to witness to the world. Learning to love selfishly is not an easy task. It runs counter to our self-centered nature. This is why we are given a lifetime to learn it. God wants us to be in a regular, close fellowship with other believers so we can develop the skill of loving. Love cannot be learned in isolation.
How can we evaluate whether or not we love the way we are suppose? Consider how we invest our time. The best expression of love is time. You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving. The best time to love is now because circumstances always change. Real fellowship is more than just attending meetings together; it means sharing life together. This requires a small group of people in which everyone participates. Where there is real fellowship, you will find authenticity. People risk telling the truth about their struggles and are encouraged by mutual sharing. They offer sympathetic help and the mercy you need to be forgiven and to forgive. What does it take to cultivate community? Honesty~ having the courage and grace to speak the truth in love. Often our fear of conflict keeps us from addressing our problems at their root. Humility~ Pride creates a barrier to fellowship because it blocks God's grace. Courtesy ~ considering the feelings of others, respecting differences, and exercising patience with less than ideal members of the group. Confidentiality~ Gossip will kill community. Openness is cultivated when personal information remains personal. Frequency~ Deep relationships take time. Members must get together often in order to reach this critical mass.

True fellowship is not just about developing relationships; it is about repairing them as well, for conflict is a constant in human relationships. To restore a broken relationship, talk to God first. Then contact that individual as soon as possible and sympathize with his or her feelings, and demonstrate a cooperative spirit by confessing your part in the conflict.

PURPOSE THREE
YOU WERE CREATED TO BECOME LIKE CHRIST
God created man in His image and likeness meaning that we are spiritual, intellectual, relational, and moral beings. This image, however, has been distorted by sin. Christ, the perfect image of God, came to renew our character according to His example. You cannot become like Jesus by your own efforts; you must make the right choices in order to take advantage of the Holy Spirit working in you. His power is released when you take a step of faith, laying aside your old behaviour, changing your thinking and adopting new habits.
Making Christ-like choices and depending on his spirit will help us to fulfill those choices. “God works in you and you work out”. It is a matter of using what you already have so the best way to become a “doer of the word” is by spiritual growth. This is the process of replacing lies with truth. God’s word is alive and abiding and putting into practice His word by accepting his authority, receiving, reading, researching, remembering and reflecting on the truth will allow the Holy Spirit to transform you.
However, we cannot read the Bible all the time so God uses our 24/7 circumstances to shape us. He knows that a problem prompts us to call on Him and God always has a purpose behind every problem. None of our problems could happen without God’s permission and he intends to use it for good even when Satan and others mean it for bad. Even temptation is an opportunity for growth. Through temptation God ripens the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. That's why we learn joy through sorrow and acquire peace in the midst of chaos.
But how do we overcome temptation? We accept temptation as a fact of life and do not be intimidated. In fact, the closer you get to God the harder Satan works at you so acknowledge your weaknesses, avoid risky situations and call on God for help. Since God wants temptation to be a growing experience, he always makes a way out.

Adopting a lifelong perspective on growth means that you have to believe God is at work in you, even when you can't feel it. If you keep a journal of what He is teaching you, it can help to remind you of the lessons learned. But be patient with God’s timetable, and don’t give up on yourself. God has not.

PURPOSE FOUR
YOU WERE SHAPED FOR SERVING GOD
“God never wastes a hurt! In fact, your greatest ministry will most likely come out of your greatest hurt.” We were put on the earth to make a contribution. God designed us to make a difference with our lives. We were created to add life on this earth and it is called “ministry” or “service”. Service is important for at least two reasons. First, our eternal reward will depend on how much attention we devote to others as opposed to ourselves. Second, the only lasting significance we can find in life has to do with fulfilling God’s design for service.
Every created being has a shape designed for its function. We, too, are a unique example of His handiwork, and He blessed us with ability and personality to serve Him in a specialized way. The acronym, SHAPE, shows how we can discover our role.
S is for Spiritual Gifts. God has given every believer certain divinely empowered abilities to build up His body. We are not to focus on the gifts we do not have but on using those that God has given us.
H is for Heart. God has given each of us a unique emotional “heartbeat” that beats more passionately for some things than for others. Since God wants us to serve Him with our whole heart, these passions can be a clue as to our place of service.
A is for Abilities. The average person has 500 to 700 different skills and abilities. Some are inborn, others acquired. Since they come from God, they are just as important, just as spiritual, as our spiritual gifts.
P is for Personality. God loves variety, and He uses all types of personalities and temperaments. It should feel good to do what God made us to do, and this will help us to determine where and how we should serve.
E is for Experiences. Experiences from our family, education, vocation, spiritual walk, ministry, and personal difficulties will help define our place of service. The painful experiences, which we would rather forget, are perhaps the most telling.

“Our strengths create competition but our weaknesses create community.” When we honestly share our weaknesses, let down our guard and share struggles, is the more God will be able to use us in serving others. Opening up relieves stress, defuses our fears and it is the first step to freedom. Vulnerability is not putting yourself down or denying your strengths but being honest with your weakness.
People must be able to trust you or they would not be able to follow you. By not pretending to be perfect and by being honest would build credibility. Instead of posing as self-confident and invincible, glory in your weakness. See yourself as a trophy of grace.

PURPOSE FIVE
YOU WERE MADE FOR A MISSION
God wants us to have both a ministry in the body of Christ and a mission in the world. Our ministry is our service to believers and our mission is our service to unbelievers. Our mission is the continuation of Jesus’ mission on earth. It is a wonderful privilege and great responsibility.
God strategically put us exactly where we are right now in our lives. We must tell what our lives were like before Christ, how we knew we needed Him, how we committed our lives to Jesus, and how He has made a difference. We should make a note of some of the major life lessons we have learned, so that we will be ready to share them with others.
We have a choice of being either a world-class Christian or a worldly Christian. Worldly Christians are in it for personal fulfillment. You'll find them at concerts and seminars, not at missions’ conferences. World-class Christians, on the other hand, are the only people on the planet who are fully alive, because they have discovered their calling.
Some tips for thinking like a world-class Christian:
1) Shift your thinking from yourself to others. Focus on the spiritual needs of the people around you and consider ways you can move them toward God.
2) Shift your thinking from local to global. God is active everywhere, and you can join Him through prayer. Watch the news to see how changing events will open up evangelistic doors. Take a mission trip.

3) Shift from temporal to eternal. Don't waste your time with the world’s fads; invest your time and resources in a project that will last forever.
4) Shift from excuses to creative involvement. Most Christians have never even considered whether or not God wants them to serve cross-culturally. Don’t wait for a special call. You’ve already been called. Instead of making excuses, look for opportunities.

PERSONAL ANALYSIS OF THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE
The Purpose Driven Life is designed as a forty day spiritual journey – one chapter a day – with the goal of answering the question “What on earth am I here for?” The first section serves as a primer to the question. His goal is to prepare the reader to answer the two questions God will pose to him on the last day: What did you do with Jesus, and what did you do with what God gave you. Since life is about bringing glory to God, the question to be answered is “How can I bring glory to God?”. The answer is by worshiping Him, loving other believers, becoming like Christ, serving others with our gifts, and telling others about Him. The remaining five sections flesh out these ideas respectively. The most useful summary is given by Warren himself on p306, working from the Great Commandment (Matt 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20).
I don't even know where to begin with this book... It has been suggested that the information provided within is "Christian" in its delivery... Though, I would suggest to you that everything in this world that refers to itself as Christian is not necessarily so...
Simply because a book includes Bible verses does not mean that those verses have anything to do with what the Word of God is commanding of those who would follow Him... Marilyn Manson's song lyrics contain scripture, however, no one in their right mind would ever even suggest that his music has anything to do with "God's Plan."
Based upon the idea that 40 days is some sort of spiritually significant span of time in God's Day Timer, this book encourages its readers to embark on a sort of 40-day study into what God's plan is for you...
What's dangerous about this book, in my opinion, is that it professes to hold some sort of secret about God and His desire for mankind, that perhaps He has not clearly revealed in His Word... The scripture that Rick Warren uses to make his points, and state his case that we should be a "purpose driven" people, seeking out a more "church driven" life, is simply misused as many of the books of Mr. Warren's contemporaries, such as Joel Osteen and T.D. Jakes. Both "mega church" pastors publishing works that encourage their readers and followers to seek out their "divine purpose" so that they can "do more and be more" for Jesus...
We are to repent of our sins, and trust in Christ - love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength - and love our neighbor as ourselves... And go into the whole world, and preach the gospel to all of creation... That is our purpose, plain and simple... If anyone calling themselves a follower of Christ wants to know what more is required of them as a believer, they merely need open the Word of God, not the next Prayer of Jabez .