I can't imagine any sentient being at some point in his life not wondering why he or she is here on this earth. Is there a reason we're here? Or do we just live our lives for ourselves and quietly die into a sort of nothingness, a non-existence.
According to Rick Warren, backed up by over 1,200 scriptures in the Bible in 15 different translations, we are here for a purpose. God's purpose. In his number 1 New York Times bestseller, "The Purpose Driven Life," Rick claims we are not an accident. I would put it this way: Eternity starts right now and the implications of what we do and say have an effect that reaches beyond the here and now.
Rick points out that God created us (if you doubt that, just look at creation). We can even look at ourselves, how intricately we are made, and what a dismal disappointment Darwinism is to believe that there is a God and that God made us for a purpose.
The purpose of this book is to help his readers discover what that purpose is. The book is a 40-day spiritual expedition. He states that "Knowing God's purpose for creating you will reduce your stress, focus your energy, simplify your decisions, give meaning to your life, and, most important, prepare you for eternity.
The book promises that by the end of the journey you will know your purpose and "how all the pieces of your life fit together."
I enjoy a quiet time each day, sometimes a half-hour, an hour, even sometimes two hours. I used this book during my quiet time and read a chapter per day.
At the end of each chapter he gives you "A Point to Ponder," "A Verse to Remember," and "A Question to Consider."
This book is ideal for groups and has Discussion Questions in Appendix 1. He also puts a Covenant page on page 13 so that "With God's help" you would commit to 40 days of your life to discovering God's purpose for your life.
About Rick Warren: he is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, one of America's largest and best-known churches. His previous book, The Purpose Driven Church, has sold over a million copies in 20 languages. Winner of the Gold Medallion, it was selected as one of the 100 Christian Books That Changed the 20th Century. Rick Warren also has a web page: http://www.purposedrivenlife.com
