Purpose Driven Church®

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dkicklig

Puritan Board Freshman
From Lark News

Q: My church is embarking on something called "40 Days of Purpose". Can you explain what this is?

A: Sure! The popular "40 Days of Purpose"® discipleship effort originated with Saddleback Church® in Lake Forest, California. The program leads participants through forty daily studies to help them discover God's will® for their lives. The 40® Days of Purpose® campaign is based on the popular book, The Purpose®-Driven Life® by Rick Warren®, pastor of Saddleback® Church®. That book, a sequel to Warren's® earlier best-seller, The Purpose®-Driven® Church®, examines the gospel® message at its most fundamental level, bringing participants® closer to Jesus® and to their life's purpose®. Indeed, Warren's® entire line of Purpose®-Driven® products® are used globally, even by churches® not affiliated with Saddleback®.
Warren's® website® puts it best: "The 40® Days® of Purpose® campaign helps Christians® new and old find their purpose® in life®, for the glory of God®."
Enjoy your journey® through the 40® Days® of Purpose® campaign®! •
 
Does anyone have any resources that pick apart the basics of Warren's message from a Reformed perspective? Honestly, I've just ignored and haven't paid any attention to it, but some co-workers are getting into it and I wanted to have some talking points to discuss with them.
 
I'm sure this particular horse has been beaten to death several times by now, but, my two cents:

Jesus didn't come and die so I could find my purpose. He didn't die and rise again so I could garner 'life-skills'. He didn't ascend to Heaven so that I could realize my spiritual gifts.

It's a horrible misdirection and the popularity of this garbage speaks volumes about what's wrong with "American Evangelical Culture".
 
Amen, Steadfast! You didn't waste a word with that succinct critique!
And another thing, Warren says in the book about what a LOOOONG time it took him to gather his material, research, and write the book! What??? Have you READ this book? I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say its written at the Junior High school level, if that. And its sooo basic, it almost goes without saying. To me, and I went in with a completely neutral and unbiased mind, it seemed so terribly formulaic and trite. How people can "glean" so much out of there, and study it for months and months, and have "Bible study" groups around it, and listen to sermons on it, and then go to conferences, etc. on it only says one thing:

These people are completely unaware of what good, deep, accurate, edifying writing is. These people need to go back a few hundred years and read FORWARD. If they eventually get to "The Purpose-Driven" stuff, then so be it.

I hope I wasn't too harsh, but all this Purpose-Drivel and "Wild-at-Heart" and "latest fad" stuff that takes the evangelical world by storm is in my opinion a sad commentary on our level of spiritual discernment and shows that our priorities are woefully out of whack! God bless Rick Warren; I'm sure he means well and his book has been of value to many. But one would be a lot better off just pointing people to good works than writing stuff like this.:banghead:
 
[quote:fb3e25f8e0][i:fb3e25f8e0]Originally posted by king of fools[/i:fb3e25f8e0]
Does anyone have any resources that pick apart the basics of Warren's message from a Reformed perspective? Honestly, I've just ignored and haven't paid any attention to it, but some co-workers are getting into it and I wanted to have some talking points to discuss with them. [/quote:fb3e25f8e0]

There is an article on the OPC's website, here's the address:
http://www.opc.org/new_horizons/NH04/05d.html
 
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