The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick WarrenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Anyone who is even slightly familiar with the Christian faith has probably heard of Rick Warren and The Purpose Driven Life. I, of course, had heard of the book before reading it and had heard mostly good things about it, so I decided to give it a read.
In this newest edition, the book is broken up into 42 chapters, each one with a short online introduction video and "Message to Hear" sermon attached to it. In addition to the book, I also purchased the companion journal which has reflection questions for each chapter. The idea is to set aside time each day to watch the introduction video, read the chapter, listen to the corresponding sermon, and journal. This is the schedule that I followed over the course of 42 days. It is a time commitment, requiring about one and a half to two hours a day to complete, as the "Message to Hear" recording were of previously recorded full-length sermons.
As a fairly mature Christian, there was nothing in this book that I didn't already know. It speaks about building a relationship with God, getting connected to a Church and small group, serving, and outreach. For me, there was nothing Earth shattering. Nevertheless, I did find it helpful for identifying areas for continued spiritual growth. Pastor Warren also references several free self-assessments and other resources throught his website that I found helpful.
I thought the chapters and journal were paired nicely together and would recommend that you purchase both if you chose to take this study on. I found the journal to be very helpful for reflection and recording my thoughts as I moved through the different chapters. I didn't always see the connection between the "Message to Hear" and the chapters. Each message is a previously recorded sermon from Saddleback Church, Pastor Warren's church. I wish that they had been a bit more tailor-made for the book itself.
I think this book has a little something for everyone, no matter where you are in your spiritual journey. For those who are new to the faith, it provides direction on how to begin walking in faith. For those who have already been walking in faith, it can help identify areas for continued growth. I found it worth the time.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment