Think Big
Rick Warren Sermon Summary
God has never created anything without a purpose. That includes you. We are made by Him and for Him to last forever, with life on earth preparing for our eternity [1].
On Earth, we have five purposes.
1. To know and love Him.
God made us for His pleasure, so it is important to know God. He derives pleasure in us and loves to love us. So, don’t worry. Otherwise, we act as if God doesn’t exist [2].
2. To love others.
God wants a family and wants us to be a part of it. This is the spiritual family, the everlasting church. God made us to love our spiritual family, which trains us how to love others. This includes less-than-lovely people around us [3].
3. To become more like Christ.
God wants us to think and act like Christ, and to bear the fruit of the Spirit [4].
Our accomplishments are far less important than the person we become, which is the only thing we take to the other side after death. We need to grow spiritually and realize that things are not about us. This requires life-long training, typically through experience and patiently learning from difficulties [5].
4. To serve God by serving others.
We are designed to serve God by serving others, including the undeserving. Do good work to serve others based on our uniqueness, including spiritually, in our passion, abilities, personalities, and experiences [6].
5. To fulfill a mission.
God puts us here for a mission based on what He gives us. Don’t follow your own small plan, but follow His big plan for us, a plan for a far better life, for a purpose that will last forever [7].
Open your eyes to see how good God is and receive the immense love of God. Live for Him and His kingdom. That should be the purpose of your life [8].
Become what God made you to be. Live restfully, freely, and lightly—a life that God has created for you. This offer is available to all of us [9].
Summary of a sermon by Rick Warren, “If I Could Only Teach You One Thing: Why God Made You.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5xyYI9tNV8
On Earth, we have five purposes.
1. To know and love Him.
God made us for His pleasure, so it is important to know God. He derives pleasure in us and loves to love us. So, don’t worry. Otherwise, we act as if God doesn’t exist [2].
2. To love others.
God wants a family and wants us to be a part of it. This is the spiritual family, the everlasting church. God made us to love our spiritual family, which trains us how to love others. This includes less-than-lovely people around us [3].
3. To become more like Christ.
God wants us to think and act like Christ, and to bear the fruit of the Spirit [4].
Our accomplishments are far less important than the person we become, which is the only thing we take to the other side after death. We need to grow spiritually and realize that things are not about us. This requires life-long training, typically through experience and patiently learning from difficulties [5].
4. To serve God by serving others.
We are designed to serve God by serving others, including the undeserving. Do good work to serve others based on our uniqueness, including spiritually, in our passion, abilities, personalities, and experiences [6].
5. To fulfill a mission.
God puts us here for a mission based on what He gives us. Don’t follow your own small plan, but follow His big plan for us, a plan for a far better life, for a purpose that will last forever [7].
Open your eyes to see how good God is and receive the immense love of God. Live for Him and His kingdom. That should be the purpose of your life [8].
Become what God made you to be. Live restfully, freely, and lightly—a life that God has created for you. This offer is available to all of us [9].
Summary of a sermon by Rick Warren, “If I Could Only Teach You One Thing: Why God Made You.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5xyYI9tNV8
[1] Ephesians 1:11-12, Colossians 1:16, Revelation 4:11
[2] Hosea 6:6, 1Timothy 6:21, Psalm 149:4, Ephesians 1:4, Matthew 6:32
[3] Ephesians 1:5, 1Timothy 3:15b, Romans 12:5, 1Peter 1:3, 1Peter 2:17
[4] Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:15, Philippians 2:5, Galatians 5:22-23
[5] Mark 4:17, 2Corinthians 3:18
[6] 1Peter 4:10, Ephesian 2:10, Psalm 139:13
[7] John 17:18, Acts 20:24, 2Corinthians 5:15, Proverbs 19:21
[8] Psalm 34:8
[9] Matthew 11:28-30, Acts 10:35