Rick Warren's Blog, page 165

A Note from Pastor Rick

A Note from Pastor Rick

Dear Friend, 

There’s one thing we all have in common: We all want to make a difference with our lives. It’s how God wired us. He specifically shaped you to make a unique contribution in this world. 

The Bible says it like this: “God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings” (1 Peter 4:10 TLB). 

Now maybe you read that, and it fills you with anxiety. Maybe it feels like just one more thing for your to-do list. I understand the feeling, but that’s not what God has in store. 

Using your gifts, making a difference, living out your God-given purpose . . . this actually frees you from so much of the stress we’re under these days. 

That’s because it focuses your life on what matters most, and the rest can just roll off your back! 

This biblical rhythm to life offers so much peace and joy as you face each day eager for what God has in store. It’s how we were created to live. It’s how you can thrive! 

I pray you experience this kind of rhythm with God this year. And please know that Daily Hope is here to help. Every resource is designed to help you rest in Christ and live out his plans for your life. Just as your support does the same for others! 

Thank you for going on mission with me to reach every nation with the Good News that hope, life, purpose, meaning, impact, peace, and joy are available to us all in Jesus. 

Pastor Rick

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Five Ways to Slow Down

Five Ways to Slow Down

In a fast-paced, stress-filled world, God invites you to slow down and rest in his presence. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NIV). 

So how can you slow down in a world that doesn’t stop? Here are five steps to help:

Learn Contentment 

Philippians 4:11 says, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (NIV). You can’t slow down when you’re chasing contentment. Realize in your heart you have everything you need in Christ. 

Listen Before Speaking 

James 1:19 says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (NIV). Be slow to respond and you’ll have greater control of your life. 

Keep the Sabbath 

Exodus 20:9-10 says, “You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me” (GNT). Take one day every week to rest your body, recharge your emotions, and refocus your spirit. 

Pause and Pray Before Deciding 

Proverbs 19:2 says, “A person in a hurry makes mistakes” (GW). Even a quick pause for silent prayer helps you gain God’s perspective in the moment. 

Trust God’s Timing 

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what he is doing” (NCV). Impatience causes hurry. When you trust God’s timing, you can patiently wait. 

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You’re Making Disciples!

You’re Making Disciples!

More than 350,000 viewers tune in each week to watch Pastor Rick’s biblical teaching on TBN (Sunday at 8:30 a.m. PT). This allows Pastor Rick to consistently reach new groups of people with the healing and hopeful message of Jesus. 

Just look at this message from Angie. Originally from Haiti, she now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. and loves how Daily Hope helps her live out her faith . . . 

“God is so good! I am happy I can now watch you on TBN on Sundays. 

Your ministry has blessed me over the years, and I am learning to share your teachings with my family and people I come across every day. I am currently on your “Re-Energizing Your Life Series” and am learning how to re-energize the passions God instilled in me and discovering my life purpose in Him. 

I thank God for your faithfulness to bring hope and God’s message to a fallen world who desperately needs it.” 

Your support makes this outreach possible, so thank you for helping so many people like Angie to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior” (2 Peter 3:18 NIV). 

Together, we’re making disciples who make disciples—so more people can know the hope we have in Christ. Thank you! 

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Loving Like Jesus: How You’ve Helped Care for Refugees

Loving Like Jesus: How You’ve Helped Care for Refugees 

Compassionate friends like you continue to care for Ukrainian refugees through your vital support of Daily Hope. Thanks to your generosity, our team on the ground recently helped provide over 3,000 refugees in Poland with essential meals. 

The people you helped came from the hardest hit areas of Ukraine, such as war-torn Mariupol, and many had been without food assistance for weeks. In addition to food, you also provided trauma training to help these families heal from the wounds of war. 

Please continue to pray for these refugees, not only for their physical needs, but also that they will come to rely on Jesus, who loves them deeply. 

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You Share Hope in 24 Languages . . . And Counting!

You Share Hope in 24 Languages . . . And Counting!

Imagine you’ve never heard the Good News. Then, one day, you recognize your own language being spoken—and it’s about the hope of Jesus! This happened on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, when people “from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5 NIV) miraculously heard the apostles’ Spirit-filled teaching—in their own language. 

Fast forward to 2023, and people across the globe are still being added to God’s family after experiencing the Gospel message in their own language, many for the first time. 

And it’s all because friends like you continue to give generously to translate Daily Hope devotionals into more languages—24 and counting. Thank you for helping take the hope of Jesus to every tongue, tribe, and nation on earth! 

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An Invitation to the Rest You Crave

An Invitation to the Rest You Crave

by Rick Warren

 You get all kinds of invitations in life— to weddings, birthdays, graduations, etc. But none can compare to the invitation Jesus is offering you today. 

 He says: “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest” (Matthew 11:28-29 GNT). 

 You may feel a bit overwhelmed by life these days. I know I do sometimes. And that’s why I love hearing these words from our Savior. 

 The antidote to feeling overloaded in life is not a plan, a program, or a priority. It’s a person. Jesus says, “Come to me.” He doesn’t say come to a seminar, to a retreat, or even to church. 

 When you’re worn down and stressed out, the starting point for relief is Jesus. 

 In the Bible, people came to Jesus for many different reasons—seeking healing, needing wisdom, longing for hope. Maybe you’ve come to Jesus for similar reasons. 

 But today I invite you to come to Jesus to find rest. He offers you relief from guilt, worry, anxiety, fear—and all the negative thoughts that rob you of peace. 

The things you typically do to relax and unwind may rest your body, but they will never provide rest for your soul. Only Jesus can give you the inner, restful peace that lightens your load and re-energizes your life. 

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La Gentileza comienza Escuchando

“Ayúdense a llevar los unos las cargas de los otros, y obedezcan de esa manera la ley de Cristo”.   Gálatas 6:2 (NTV)

Si la sensibilidad a las necesidades de los demás comienza con los ojos, entonces la compasión por su dolor comienza con tus oídos. ¡Tienes que aprender a escuchar! Entre mejor oyente seas, más compasivo serás.

No basta con ver la necesidad de alguien. También debes sentir las emociones de esa persona. Debes simpatizar con el dolor. La Biblia dice en Lucas 10:33b que cuando el buen samaritano vio al hombre golpeado al lado del camino, “cuando vio al hombre, sintió compasión por él“ (NTV). En primer lugar, sus ojos se impactaron. Entonces sus oídos y su corazón se estremecieron, y él simpatizó con el hombre en necesidad.

A veces todo lo que se necesita para mostrar gentileza es sólo escuchar. De hecho, dar consejos puede ser contraproducente a la amabilidad. Joe Bayly escribió en su libro sobre el dolor, La vista desde un carro fúnebre, “Yo estaba sentado, desgarrado por el dolor, y alguien vino y me habló acerca de los tratos de Dios de porqué sucedió, de la esperanza más allá de la tumba. Hablaba constantemente. Dijo cosas que sabía eran ciertas. Pero yo estaba impasible, excepto para desear que se fuera. Y finalmente lo hizo. Entonces otro vino y se sentó a mi lado, y no habló en absoluto. No me hizo preguntas importantes. Se sentó a mi lado durante una hora o más, escuchó cuando hablaba, contestó brevemente, oró simplemente y se fue. Me conmoví. Yo estaba consolado. No me gustó verlo irse.

La simpatía incluye los oídos. Escuchar es una forma de gentileza.

La simpatía satisface dos de tus necesidades básicas: la necesidad de ser entendido y la necesidad de que tus sentimientos sean validados. Cuando estás herido, es reconfortante saber que no estás loco, que lo que sientes es normal, y que otras personas lo han sentido antes.

La Biblia dice: “Ayúdense a llevar los unos las cargas de los otros, y obedezcan de esa manera la ley de Cristo“  Gálatas 6:2 (NTV).

¿Cuál es la ley de Cristo? Se llama el Gran Mandamiento: “Ama a Dios con todo tu corazón, y ama a tu prójimo como a ti mismo”. ¿Te gusta que la gente simpatice contigo cuando estás sufriendo emocional, física o espiritualmente? Por supuesto. La Biblia dice que hagas lo mismo con los demás.

Reflexiona sobre esto:

¿Qué significa escuchar activamente a alguien?¿Por qué a veces es difícil escuchar en lugar de hablar con alguien que está sufriendo?¿Cómo puedes simpatizar con alguien que está pasando por algo que nunca has experimentado?Si todavía no has confiado en Jesús y no te has comprometido a seguirlo, ¿por qué esperar más? Si estás listo para cruzar esa línea y tomar la decisión de creer en Jesucristo y seguirlo; haz esta oración .Síguenos en Instagram & Facebook y comparte Esperanza Diaria con tus amigos y familiares.Recibe durante un mes un versículo de inspiración diario por WhatsAppNota: Desafortunadamente tenemos restricciones para enviar mensajes por WhatsApp a CUBA.

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How to Grow Your Relationship With God

“To all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them.”

John 1:12 (TLB)

Yesterday we talked about why it’s important for you to know the purpose of your life so that God can use you while you’re here on Earth. This life is preparation for eternity—but what does that mean in practical terms? How do you use your life here to prepare for eternity?

First, you get to know Jesus Christ.

The Bible says, “To all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them” (John 1:12 TLB). Notice that not everybody’s a child of God—just those who receive him into their lives. God wants you to establish a relationship with him by trusting in him.

You grow a relationship with God the same way you grow any relationship—through time and conversation.

For example, if I want to grow my relationship with my wife, Kay, what do I have to do? First, I have to spend time with her. I have to show her that I’m invested in getting to know her by making time for her and making the time count. You cannot have a relationship with someone you never spend any time with.

That’s the same way you develop a relationship with God. You make time in your schedule for him. One way to make him the most important part of your is day through a daily quiet time. You get alone with God and worship him and learn from him. You spend regular, significant time with him.

The second thing you can do to have a relationship is to talk. In a relationship with God, this means prayer. There are many ways to be more intentional about your prayer life. Maybe you need to start a prayer journal of requests and answered prayer. You could make a prayer card using Scripture and put it on your bathroom mirror, on your desk at work, or on your phone so that you are reminded to pray God’s Word. Or maybe your family needs to have a set time of prayer together each day. Whatever it is you need to do to increase your conversation with God, do it!

You will never regret investing your time, your energy, and your life in getting to know God better. Take the first step in getting ready to be used by God by spending time with him and talking to him today.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

Is your relationship with God the most important one in your life? What evidence in your life shows that this is true?
What do you need to change about your schedule so that you can be more consistent in having a daily quiet time with God?
Think of two practical ways you can increase or improve your conversations with God. How can you put those ideas into practice today?

God proved his goodness through his Son, Jesus Christ.

The Bible says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 CSB).

Are you ready to trust God to fulfill his promise of eternal life? If so, pray this simple prayer: "Dear God, I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. 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. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen."

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.

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Si Quieres ser Bondadoso, Abre tus Ojos

“No se preocupen por su propio bien, sino por el bien de los demás”.   1 Corintios 10:24 (NTV)

La bondad comienza siempre con los ojos – en la manera como observas el mundo y eres sensible a las necesidades de otras personas.

En Lucas 10:33b, dice del buen samaritano: “Pasó por allí un extranjero, de la región de Samaria, y al ver a aquel hombre tirado en el suelo, le tuvo compasión” (TLA). Nota que “él vio”. Ese es el punto de partida. Si quieres aprender a ser una persona bondadosa, tienes que cambiar la forma en que miras al mundo. Tienes que ser más atento a las necesidades que te rodean.

La prisa mata la bondad. Si vas a aprender a ser una persona más bondadosa, ¡tienes que disminuir la velocidad! Cuando estás siempre distraído con otras cosas, no tienes tiempo para ser bondadoso.

Si vas de viaje por el país, hay varias maneras que podrías ir de un lado al otro. Un avión te llevaría lo más rápido posible, pero no verías mucho. Podrías tomar un tren o incluso un carro y ambos te darían la oportunidad de ver aún más. Pero si realmente quisieras participar tanto como fuera posible, caminarías.

Esto es porque cuanto más lento vayas, más puedes ver.

La Biblia dice: “No se preocupen por su propio bien, sino por el bien de los demás” 1 Corintios 10:24b (NTV). El primer paso hacia la bondad es pedirle a Dios que te dé un radar espiritual para estar atento a las personas a tu alrededor que estén sufriendo emocional, espiritual y físicamente.

Quizás naciste con este regalo. Sientes automáticamente cuando las personas alrededor tuyo están en necesidad. No es que seas más espiritual que el resto de nosotros. Sólo estás sintiendo de esa manera. Si eso no te describe, entonces eres como yo, me distraigo fácilmente. Es fácil enfocarse en tareas. Es fácil no ser sensible a lo que está sucediendo a tu alrededor.

Pero si te importa, serás consciente. Gálatas 6:8 dice: “Quienes siembran únicamente para complacerse a sí mismos sólo cosecharán de ello la destrucción. Pero el que siembra para agradar al Espíritu, cosechará la vida eterna” (PDT). No siempre es fácil ver las necesidades de otras personas, especialmente cuando están al otro lado del camino. Pero ese es el punto de partida de la bondad.

Reflexiona sobre esto:

¿De que maneras puedes disminuir el ritmo de tu vida intencionalmente, de modo que puedas ver más fácilmente las necesidades de las personas a tu alrededor?¿Qué personas ves cada día que a veces son muy difíciles de notar? Cuando mantienes los ojos abiertos, ¿qué nuevas oportunidades ves para ayudar a una de esas personas?¿Cómo ignoras a Dios ignorando las necesidades de otros? (Gálatas 6:8)Si todavía no has confiado en Jesús y no te has comprometido a seguirlo, ¿por qué esperar más? Si estás listo para cruzar esa línea y tomar la decisión de creer en Jesucristo y seguirlo; haz esta oración .Síguenos en Instagram & Facebook y comparte Esperanza Diaria con tus amigos y familiares.Recibe durante un mes un versículo de inspiración diario por WhatsAppNota: Desafortunadamente tenemos restricciones para enviar mensajes por WhatsApp a CUBA.

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Spend Your Life Getting Ready for Eternity

“Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us . . . His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us.”

Ephesians 1:4-5 (TLB)

To get ready to be used by God, the first thing you need to do is understand the purpose of your life.

The Bible makes God’s purpose for you very clear: “Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us . . . His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us” (Ephesians 1:4-5 TLB).

God made you to be part of his family. He made you so he could have a relationship with you—to love you and to be loved in return. But there’s only one way to become part of God’s family: through faith in Jesus Christ.

Not only does God want you to be part of his family but he also wants you to spend eternity with him. Ephesians 1:10 says, “This was his purpose: that when the time is ripe he will gather us all together . . . to be with him in Christ forever” (TLB). God’s purpose is, first, that you become part of his family and, next, that you get to know him. Then he wants you to spend all of eternity with him.

History is moving toward a climax. One day God will gather everyone who’s put their faith in him, and they will live together with him in heaven.    

Life here on Earth is preparation for eternity. The Bible says that God has “set eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV). That means you were made to last forever. You were made for eternity. Every human being is going to live forever in one of two places: with God in heaven or apart from God in hell.

God didn’t create you just for the 80 or 90 or however many years you have on this planet. God has long-range plans for your life. So, what is life on Earth about? It is preparation for eternity. In other words, God is more interested in preparing you for eternity than he is in simply making you happy here and now. Of course, he loves you and wants you to be happy—but not at the expense of your preparation for eternity.

Life is a dress rehearsal; it’s the warm-up act for the big event. You need to get prepared for eternity by getting to know God, becoming more like Jesus, and letting God use you to fulfill his purpose on Earth.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

Have you taken the step of becoming a member of the family of God? If not, what’s holding you back? If so, what do you understand about your purpose since becoming a believer?
In what ways have you experienced God using your time on Earth to prepare you for eternity?
Do you value your character over your happiness? How do you respond when God chooses to build your character through a difficult situation rather than make you happy?

Are you ready to become part of God’s family?

God made you to have a relationship with you—and that relationship starts when you put your faith in Jesus. 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).

If you’re ready to commit your life to him, 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. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen."

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.

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