Displaying Christian Sermons by tag: rick warren ministries

Rick Warren (January-28-2024) Daily Devotional: Your Temptation Emergency Kit. 

“Call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you.” - Psalm 50:15 (NLT)

Sometimes you’re going to need an “emergency kit” for temptation.

When you get in a situation where you’re tempted and you don’t know what to do, you need to cry out to God.

If you’re facing a temptation and you start to panic because you feel the adrenaline running through your body, you can’t have a long conversation with God—and you don’t have to! You can just do what I call a “microwave prayer,” and it’s one word: Help! You tell God, “This is not where I want to be right now, and I’m about to step across the line. I need your help right now.”

God promises, “Call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you” (Psalm 50:15 NLT).

Cry out to God. When you do, you can expect him to help you, because he’s sympathetic to your situation. The Bible says, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15 NLT).

Did Jesus ever struggle with anger? Yes. Did Jesus ever wrestle with loneliness? Yes. Did Jesus ever deal with sex and sexuality? Yes. Was he ever tempted by fatigue and discouragement? Yes. How? Because he’s God, but he’s God in a fully human body.

Jesus faced the same temptations we do, so we can expect him to help us when we cry out to him. And we don’t have to feel shame. “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT).

That is a great comfort. And that is the power to change.

Talk It Over

  • Do you believe God wants to help you resist temptation? Why or why not?
  • Why do you think God allowed Jesus to experience temptation?
  • How does God rescue you from temptation when you cry out to him?

Rick Warren (December-20-2023) Daily Devotional: Now We Know What God Is Like.

“I have come as a Light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer wander in the darkness.” - John 12:46 (TLB)

What are you confused about? Maybe today your mind feels muddled about your future, a relationship, your finances, or your health. Whatever is causing you confusion, you need to shine God’s light on it.

Jesus said, “I have come as a Light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer wander in the darkness” (John 12:46 TLB).

Even though you may not have all the answers or don’t fully understand what’s going on, God never meant for you to be in the dark about yourself and your life. Most of all, he doesn’t want you to be in the dark about who he is. Jesus Christ came to earth to show us what God is really like.

We can’t relate to an impersonal force in the sky. That’s why God came to earth in human form—so we can understand what he’s like.

Why is that important? Because a lot of your fears and worries and problems are caused by being in the dark about who God is. But when you know what God is like, then you worry a lot less and are a lot less stressed.

When you don’t know what God’s like, you tend to avoid him. You’re more likely to be afraid of him. You don’t bring your problems to him and instead try to solve them yourself. You can’t love and trust somebody you don’t know!

People often say, “My idea of God is . . .” That means they’re just guessing what God is like. But when it comes to knowing God, we don’t need guesses. We need the truth.

Jesus said in John 14:9, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!” (TLB).

Because of Christmas, we have seen what God is like. We know the truth about who God is because Jesus came into the world the same way all of us came into the world: by being born.

There are some things about God you would never know unless he became a human. How do you know that God is loving or forgiving or eternal? Because Jesus told us, and he showed us by the way he lived his life.

You don’t have to live in the dark anymore. Jesus came at Christmas to shine a light into every part of your life so you can live in freedom, clarity, and joy.

Talk It Over

  • In which area of your life do you need God’s light and clarity?
  • Why are you thankful God chose to send Jesus to show us what he is like? What are some other ways we can know what God is like?
  • Because we aren’t God, there are some things we will never be able to understand. What do you think God wants you to do with your questions about those things?

Watch Christmas at Saddleback Church - Andy Wood - Rick Warren Ministries (December-25-2023). 

Rick Warren (December-08-2023) Daily Devotional: Follow the Gentle Ways of Jesus.

“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” - Matthew 11:29 (NLT)

Everyone wants to know the antidote to anxiety because we all experience it. We live in stressful times and rest for our bodies and souls seems elusive.

But it’s not a secret: Jesus wants you to worry less and trust him more. He says in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (NLT).

After you come to Jesus and let him share your load, he wants you to learn from him. Why? Because Jesus is never in a hurry. He sets a pace that comes from a gentle and humble heart that is meant to bring life and not weariness. Jesus modeled for us how to live with peace and purpose, and following his example is how we refill our spiritual and emotional tanks. Watch how he lived, and do it the way he did.

Learning how to live like Jesus is a process. You don’t learn it overnight because you didn’t develop your overloaded lifestyle overnight. But no matter how long it takes, you’re going to learn to trust him.

You’ll learn from Jesus how to be gentle and humble. But how is that going to help you? Gentleness and humility don’t seem like the natural cure for being stressed out and tired. Maybe you would expect him to say, “Learn from me, and I’ll teach you how to have endurance and stamina.”

Jesus wants you to learn to be gentle and humble because aggression and arrogance are two of the biggest causes of stress and emptiness in life.

Aggression is when we don’t want to wait for anything, and we get over-committed. It’s the opposite of gentleness.

Arrogance is when we try to control everything. Our ego is responsible for more stress and arrogance in our lives than we realize.

The antidote to the two biggest causes of stress in your life is gentleness and humility. You learn them by reminding yourself every day that you are not God and you are not anybody’s savior.

Spend time with Jesus, and you’ll see how gentleness and humility lead to rest.

Talk It Over

  • Do you think you are ever meant to be in a hurry? Why or why not?
  • What have you been trying to control that has led to weariness?
  • In what ways have you acted as someone’s savior? How has it affected you?

Rick Warren (November-30-2023) Daily Devotional: Change Is for Your Good. 

“As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.” - Genesis 8:22 (NLT)

Change is unavoidable. We all know that—but we still often act surprised when things don’t stay the same.

When change happens, we can complain and grumble, get mad, and blame other people. We can even try to stop the inevitable change, as if we have any control. But things on earth never stay the same. Every moment of our lives, there is change, for good or for bad.

When God created the earth, this is one of the first things he said: “As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night” (Genesis 8:22 NLT). In his perfect design, God made everything on this planet seasonal. Everything is changing, even when we can’t see or feel it. Your family isn’t the way it used to be. Your job isn’t the same as it used to be. You are not the same as you used to be.

But because God designed it and said it was good, we know that change is for our benefit. Change keeps us from becoming complacent and keeps us trusting God for the things we cannot understand. When change brings pain into our lives, it makes us depend on him. And change makes spiritual, physical, and emotional growth a natural part of life. Change for the better in your walk with Jesus means you are becoming more like him.

There is no growth without change. There is no change without loss. There is no loss without grief. And there is no grief without pain. A person who wants to grow and be better but not go through the pain of change is like a woman saying, “I want to have a baby, but I don’t want to go through labor.” It isn’t going to happen! To bring new life into the world requires pain. To enjoy every good gift, we sometimes have to experience the painful change required to receive it.

Things change, but remember this: Change will not always be easy, and you might not always understand it. But whatever change God requires from you, you can be sure it is for your good.

Talk It Over

  • In what ways are you changing and growing for the better?
  • Why is it important to thank God in advance for how he is changing you, even when you’re not aware of it?
  • What change do you want to see God make in your life or in the life of someone you love? Have you asked him for it?

Rick Warren (November-13-2023) Daily Devotional: Seven Steps for Godly Planning. 

“If the Lord wants us to, we will live and carry out our plans.” - James 4:15 (GW)

We’ve been looking at Nehemiah’s model for making God-inspired plans. So far, we’ve learned five steps: 

Step 1: Ask God for favor on your life.
Step 2: Prepare for an opportunity, and then wait.
Step 3: Expect fear, but don’t let it stop you.
Step 4: Establish a clear target.
Step 5: Set a deadline.

Here are Nehemiah’s final two steps in developing a life plan.

Step 6: Anticipate barriers.

Part of the planning process involves anticipating problems. Proverbs 27:12 says, “A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them” (TLB).

Nehemiah thought through all the problems he might face. Then he said to the king, “Would you be willing to give me letters to the governors of the provinces west of the Euphrates River, so that I can travel safely to Judah? I will need timber to rebuild the gates of the fortress near the temple and more timber to construct the city wall and to build a place for me to live. And so, I would appreciate a letter to Asaph, who is in charge of the royal forest” (Nehemiah 2:7-8 CEV).

First, Nehemiah asked the king for permission to go to Jerusalem. Then he asked for protection and provision. Nehemiah was a cupbearer, not a professional builder, yet because he had spent four months praying and planning, he was able to anticipate the barriers, determine his needs, and calculate the cost.

Step 7: Trust God to meet all your needs.

Even when things don’t turn out the way you hoped, you can still trust God. A mark of spiritual maturity is when you recognize that God’s hand is behind the plans that go your way and the plans that don’t go your way. Godly goal setting says, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and carry out our plans” (James 4:15 GW).

The king ended up giving Nehemiah everything he had asked for—and Nehemiah gave God all the credit: “And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me” (Nehemiah 2:8 NLT). Nehemiah didn’t say, “Look at what my planning did.” He said, “Look at what God did.”

What would you like God to do in the next six months, the next year, or the next five years in your life? A great plan starts with these seven steps that Nehemiah followed. Try following them in your own life and see how God works in your life.

Talk It Over

  • What are some common barriers to reaching your goals? How can you better prepare to overcome those barriers?
  • In what areas of your life has God given you success? Spend some time giving God the credit for that success and for having his “gracious hand” upon you, even when your plans haven’t been successful.
  • How can you follow Jesus more faithfully so that you can have his wisdom in your planning? What one step will you take today to do that?

Rick Warren (September-30-2023) Daily Devotional: Can God Love You More Than He Does Now? 

“I know that your love will last for all time, that your faithfulness is as permanent as the sky.” Psalm 89:2 (GNT)

God’s love never wears out. God’s love is patient, persistent, and persevering.

Isn’t it good news that God never gives up on you? No matter what you do, his love never gives up. It’s wide enough to include everybody, and it’s long enough to last forever.  

God will never love you any more than he does right now. But he also will never love you any less than he does right now. 

He loves you on your good days. He loves you on your bad days. His love is not conditioned by your response. God is love, and his love is given freely. It cannot be earned, and it is undeserved.

The Bible says, “I know that your love will last for all time, that your faithfulness is as permanent as the sky” (Psalm 89:2 GNT).

God’s love will last forever—but you do have to choose to accept it by trusting in Jesus Christ as your Savior. The Bible says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

Are you ready to accept God’s love and offer of salvation? If so, then pray this prayer:

“Dear God, you have promised that if I believe in your Son, Jesus Christ, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

“I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died to take away my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. I believe that your love for me and your faithfulness will continue forever. Please guide my life, and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

Talk It Over

  • There is nothing you could do to make God love you less. What does that knowledge give you freedom from in your past?
  • What have you been trying to do to make God love you more?
  • How do you think God wants you to respond to his love?

Buddy Owens - Watch Sermon: The Greatest News About Christmas - Rick Warren Ministries

Rick Warren - Watch Sermon: When Your Plan Doesn’t Match God’s Plan. We all experience disappointments in life. Have you ever noticed that God often has different ideas than you do about your life? In this message, Pastor Rick Warren offers seven principles from God’s Word for dealing with disappointment.

Rick Warren - Is Your Mind Stuffed with Stuffing?  What are you filling your mind with? Stuff or Truth? Pastor Rick teaches today how the wise person fills their mind with truth.

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