About Us

The Purpose Driven Life

The most basic question you will face in life is, “Why am I here? What is my purpose?” Self-help books suggest you should look within, at your own desires and dreams, but Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, says the starting point is with God and His purpose for your life.

The only way you'll ever find true meaning and significance is from understanding why God placed you on earth and then working with God to fulfill the purpose of your life, says Dr. Warren.

Our hope is that this web site will be a guide and encouragement for Christian living in the 21st century, supporting you in a lifestyle based on God's eternal purposes, not cultural values.

The site revolves around God's five purposes for creating you:
• Knowing : You were planned for God's pleasure, so your first purpose is to offer true worship.
• Relating : You were formed for God's family, so your second purpose is to enjoy true fellowship.
• Growing : You were created to become like Christ, so your third purpose is to learn real discipleship.
• Serving : You were shaped for serving God, so your fourth purpose is to practice real ministry.
• Sharing : You were made for a mission, so your fifth purpose is to live out real evangelism.

About Rick Warren

Rick Warren is passionate about attacking what he calls the five “Global Goliaths” – spiritual emptiness, egocentric leadership, extreme poverty, pandemic disease, and illiteracy/poor education.

Rick Warren has been called "America's most influential spiritual leader" or "America's Pastor" by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, Time, and the Boston Globe, Washington Post, and New York Times. He is also a global strategist, theologian, and philanthropist, and he's encouraging a Christian Reformation that will restore responsibility in people, credibility in churches, and civility in culture.

As a pastor, he founded Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., in 1980. Today, it is an evangelical congregation averaging 22,000 weekly attendees, with a 120-acre campus and more than 300 community ministries to groups such as prisoners, CEOs, addicts, single parents, and those with HIV/AIDS.

Pastor Rick also leads the Purpose Driven Network, a global coalition of congregations in 162 countries. More than 400,000 ministers and priests have been trained worldwide, and almost 160,000 church leaders subscribe to Ministry Toolbox, his weekly newsletter. His book, The Purpose Driven Church, is listed in "100 Christian Books That Changed the 20th Century." Forbes magazine called it, "The best book on entrepreneurship, management, and leadership in print."

As a global strategist, Dr. Warren advises leaders in the public, private, and faith sectors on leadership development, poverty, health, education, and faith in culture. He's been invited to speak at the United Nations, the World Economic Forum in Davos, the African Union, the Council on Foreign Relations, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Time's Global Health Summit, and numerous congresses around the world.

Time named him one of "15 World Leaders Who Mattered Most in 2004" and in 2005 one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World." In 2005 U.S. News & World Report named him one of "America's 25 Best Leaders."

As a theologian, Dr. Warren has lectured at Oxford, Cambridge, the University of Judaism, the Evangelical Theological Society, and numerous seminaries and universities. His six books are known for explaining theology in understandable ways and have been translated into more than 50 languages. Dr. Warren says he teaches theology without using theological terms that tend to intimidate people into thinking they can't learn more about God. His book, The Purpose Driven Life, has sold over 25 million copies and is the best-selling hardback book in American history, according to Publisher's Weekly.

As philanthropists, Rick and Kay Warren give away 90% of their income through three foundations: Acts of Mercy, which serves those with AIDS; Equipping the Church, which trains church leaders in developing countries; and The Global PEACE Fund, which fights poverty, disease, and illiteracy.

Media Quotes

The Weekly Standard : "... clearly among the two or three most influential Americans working from the west coast."

The Economist : "Rick Warren is arguably the most influential pastor in America."

The Times (London) : "Business and political leaders across America are turning to Rick Warren for guidance."

Forbes : "Were it a business, Saddleback Church would be compared with Dell, Google or Starbucks."

ABC News : 'The Purpose Driven Life is the epicenter of a spiritual shockwave taking root across America in unlikely places like offices and university campuses. It has become a movement."

Time : "Movie stars and political leaders aren't the only ones turning to Rick Warren for spiritual guidance. Millions of people – from NFL and LPGA players to corporate executives to high school students to prison inmates – meet regularly to discuss The Purpose Driven Life."

What We Believe

About God

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God (Genesis 1:1,26,27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

About Man

Man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. He is the supreme object of God's creation. Although man has tremendous potential for good, he is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin". This attitude separates man from God (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1,2).

About Eternity

Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence (John 3:16; John 2:25; John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; 1 John 5:11-12; Matthew 25:31-46).

About Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven's glory and will return again to earth to reign as King of kings, and Lord of lords (Matthew 1:22,23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13).

About Salvation

Salvation is a gift from God to man. Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin's penalty. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1).

About Eternal Security

Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security (John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10,14; 1 Peter 1:3-5).

About the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian seeks to live under His control daily (2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:1).

About the Bible

The Bible is God's word to all men. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of error (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5)

Bible Versions

Why use so many translations?

The Bible was originally written using 11,280 Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words, but the typical English translation uses only around 6,000 words. Pastor Rick Warren believes that nuances and shades of original Scripture can be missed if many translations aren't used and compared.

Furthermore, Christians often miss the full impact of familiar Bible verses, not because of poor translating, but simply because they have become so familiar. This web site paraphrases many familiar passages to present God's truth in new, fresh ways.

Like Jesus and his apostles quoting the Old Testament in conversation, this web site quotes only relevant sections of many Bible passages in order to make a point.

A Guide to Translations

AMP The Amplified Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 1965.)
CEV Contemporary English Version (New York: American Bible Society. 1995.)
GWT God's Word Translation (Grand Rapids: World Publishing, Inc. 1995.)
KJV King James Version
LB Living Bible (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 1979.)
Msg The Message (Colorado Springs: Navpress. 1993.)
NAB New American Bible (Chicago: Catholic Press. 1970.)
NASB New American Standard Bible (Anaheim, CA: Foundation Press. 1973.)
NCV New Century Version (Dallas: Word Bibles. 1991.)
NIV New International Version (Colorado Springs: International Bible Society. 1978, 1984.)
NJB New Jerusalem Bible (Garden City, NY: Doubleday. 1985.)
NLT New Living Translation (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 1996.)
NRSV New Revised Standard Version (Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 1990.)
Ph New Testament in Modern English, by J.B. Phillips (New York: Macmillan. 1958.)
TEV Today's English Version (New York: American Bible Society. 1992.) (Also called Good News Translation)