In this day and age, it is pretty hard to figure out who hasn’t heard anything about
Rick Warren
. Whether good or bad, his name has come up in a conversation about a best-selling book, a political agenda and relationship with President Obama, or Saddleback and its pastor hosting a political debate or “forum” (I truly do not see the difference beyond theory and definition).

Some atheists and church-haters despise Rick Warren and everything that he stands for, while some Christians and non-Christians live upon every aspect of
The Purpose-Driven Life
. That is until
The Shack 
or some other best-selling book sweeps Christendom and its outer realm like
Jabez
and Benett’s
Book of Virtues 
once did.
What I admire admire about Rick Warren is that he is unashamed about what made him successful as a pastor. I’ll even say how God made him successful in that realm.
Look deep into The Purpose-Driven Church
and see a man following God’s lead, both prayerfully and faithfully. Prior to pastoring, Rick Warren had faith. Prior to having a mega-church status
, Rick Warren sought to please God.
Stop for a moment. Think about what I just put out there. Substitute “Rick Warren” with your name and his status with your achievements and accomplishments.
Prior to becoming a parent and a spouse, ______________ sought to please God.
Prior to getting a driver’s license and a car, _________________ sought to please God.
Prior to teaching Sunday school and leading VBS, ________________ sought to please God.
Prior to (whatever it is that people see as your big thing), did you seek to please God?
Now that you have done it and achieved it, do you still seek to please God? Do you seek to please Him more and more?
There’s no middle of the road with God. I don’t believe that He’s nonchalant about how we handle His kingdom business. We either please or grieve God. There isn’t a safe place where we can straddle this way or that way. Either we please Him or we simply do not, and then that’s when we grieve Him.
God is either pleased or grieved with us and our actions.
Do you please God? Do you grieve God?
Seek to please Him today and forever.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.- Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
Read Full Post »