Purpose Driven

Rick Warren Purpose Driven Church

Chapter 11 Develop your strategy

Knowing what you are fishing for and where they are biting is the comparison Warren uses in this chapter. Pointing out what a waste of time it is to fish were there are no fish biting. Allowing the Holy Spirit to direct us to the people He has already prepared to respond.  Not sure I agree with Warren’s illustration of thinking like a fish, for the simple reason that I am not sure a Fish does a whole lot of thinking. However I get the concept and see the problem of the longer you are a believer the less you think like an unbeliever. Thinking like an unbeliever is not normal for the Christian so we must adjust our mental images to relate to non-Christians or perhaps even remember back to before we were converted. Changing your method and switching up your approach is essential in sharing the good news as you continue to share with unbelievers. So plan your strategy and get fishing.      

Bringing in the Crowd ~

Chapter 12 How Jesus attracted the crowds

No gimmicks or need to compromise your convictions, no watered down message Warren claims you do not even need a church building to minister to people. What you do need is 1. Love like Jesus did. 2. Meet the needs of the people. 3. Teach in interesting and practical ways. Being a friend of the sinner is what Jesus would have done and since he was the only perfect person that gives us a lot of people to be friends with. Warren believes if we attract people to the church because of the way we love in a sense we will have them. Love is the greatest commandment, God is love and God works through LOVE. Conversion and baptism do not happen because the church building is pretty, or the church calendar is full of activities. However being loved on feeling accepted and cared for will draw them in.

Understanding acceptance and approval and the difference in these words is important. We are called to love and accept unbelievers without approving of the sin which they may be involved in.  Warren points out, “We cannot expect unbelievers to act like believers until they are a believer.”