The Purpose Driven Life

The Purpose Driven Life A series of meditations & daily readings including memory verses and questions for reflection: Compiled by Pastor Philip Johnson For Grove Lake Lutheran Church Pelican Rapids, MN Lent 2020 Thank you for joining us in these 40-days of purpose. This guide is a summary of meditations from the book “The Purpose Driven Life” by Pastor Rick Warren. The way you will benefit most from this 40-day journey will be by reading each of the meditations from the book on a daily basis, pondering the questions asked both in this booklet and in the book, and joining in a small group for the purpose of mutual discussion, prayer, and caring. I also suggest that you write your responses either in this booklet, or in the book, if you are reading it. Write down the thoughts that strike you as insights you haven’t thought of before. Also write any questions this reading brings to mind, or a challenge this thought places in your mind. Also, try to memorize the verse. If you are reading the book you will notice the memory verses come from a variety of transla- tions. For this booklet I have used exclusively the NRSV as it is the translation we use in worship. If you don’t read the book this summary will give you my re- flections and reactions. However, this booklet will not provide you with the spiritual challenge that time spent in the book would give you. Finally, and most importantly, use this guide as a way to focus your prayers. May God lead and bless you this Lenten Season. Pastor Philip Johnson 50 1 A Lutheran Companion to The Purpose Driven Life Pastor Rick Warren’s book is filled with wisdom, insight and Group Agenda helpful instruction for people of faith. I am delighted that you are 1.) The leader should welcome everyone present. Be sure to let reading this booklet and may even be reading the book itself along everyone know that others are welcome to join in this group in with me and I am confident that God will use it to help us grow. Now future weeks. Groups are not meant to be “closed,” A good way Pastor Warren is a Baptist minister. As a result there are some ideas to remember that is to make sure there is an empty chair in your and themes that we as Lutherans don’t agree with. In reading the group. In that way if someone walks in, they know there is a spot book, I earnestly hope that these issues won’t close your minds to that for them. Once the chair is filled be sure to pull up another one! which is good and helpful. But because some of the issues are Then pray that it be filled. significant, I felt it was important to comment on some of them. I also want to extend my thanks to ELCA Pastor Eric Burtness for his initial 2) Take the time to have each person in the group share at least draft of this Lutheran companion which I modified for this booklet. one “high,” (that is a good or positive event from the week) as On Pain, Suffering and Tragedy. In many places, Pastor well as one “low” from the week. Rick says that every aspect of our lives is determined by God, either directly (“He blended the DNA that created you.”) or indirectly 3) Review the theme for each reading by asking questions like: (“God deliberately allowed...”) This is one way, but not the only way A) What caught your attention from this reading? of dealing with the question of why we have pain, suffering and B) What surprised you or gave you a new insight? tragedy in our lives. I believe that it is not necessary to believe that C) Does anything from these readings inspire you to make everything that happens to us happens because God wants it to hap- a change in your life? What is it? pen. Some of the things we experience are the result of our own D) Reflect on the questions printed in this booklet for actions, not God’s. Even our own sins! Hence, what we say and what each of the readings from this week. we do matters! What we say and what we do affects us and those with whom we come into contact for the rest of our life. We should not 4) Conclude with prayer 15 minutes before your ending time by giving everyone the opportunity to offer prayer. Keep in mind blame God for suffering when suffering comes as a result of our own special circumstances that may have arisen during the group foolish and sinful choices. meeting. Hopefully everyone will pray something during the Additionally, some of the bad things that happen are the result prayer time. If their response is, “I pass” let it be. One thing I of other people’s sinful actions. There are 6 billion people on this would ask you to pray for is your empty chair, that it would be earth. If all of them are, at one time or another doing sinful actions filled the next time you meet. there are a lot of opportunities for people to suffer as a result of the sinful and foolish choices made by others. Thank you for your time spent in this 40 day journey Finally, some of the bad things that happen simply reflect the during the season of Lent. It is now holy week. A week to honor reality of the “brokenness” of creation. That is, we believe that the most important event in history. The crucifixion and creation itself no longer reflects the complete wholeness and goodness resurrection of Jesus. Our focus on these events allow us to that God first had in mind when creation was made. The results of sin remember again, “It’s not about me, it’s not about you. It is have caused creation itself to be broken. about God. Praise be to God that He loves the world so much that he gave us his own dear son! 2 49 The results of this brokenness are seen, for example, in the existence of genes that cause birth defects. As a result, we often don’t know if the suffering we experience was actually given to us by God or not. What we do Small Group Meetings know, and where I agree heartily with Pastor Rick, is that “… in all things, God is at work for the good of those who love him…” Thank you for being part of a small group. There are Romans 8:28. We know that God can not cause evil, but we also many different types of small groups. Some groups focus on know that God can and does work good even in the midst of evil. service such as the quilting group. Some small groups have a (You will find this issue arising on days 2, 12, 25, 30, 31 and 35.) focus on fellowship such as a bowling league. Some small groups exist for the purpose of learning, and some for the purpose of spiritual development, and prayer. Additionally, On Eternity. Rick believes that in eternity, we will each have some small groups are designed for a long life span and some for different rewards and different responsibilities, and that how we live a short life span. When you become a part of a group it’s good now will determine how much of each we receive in heaven. This to know what you are getting involved in. belief in various “rewards,” becomes, for Pastor Warren, a These groups are designed with a primary emphasis on motivation for serving and growing, as a way to “prepare for spiritual development and prayer during the season of Lent. You eternity.” will have opportunity to meet about 6 times and then it is I believe this idea is not well supported in the Bible. More expected that your life as a group will come to an end. importantly, even if it is true, it should not become a motivator for To gain the most from these few times of being together us to be involved in doing the work of God. If we serve others out it will be best if you focus your attention on the following agenda of a desire to gain rewards or status in heaven, or out of a fear that when you meet. Finally, it is very important that you have time for prayer we might lose these things, then our service is really self-serving. at the end of your study time. Please allow 15 minutes for such This “serve-us,” attitude (rather than service) is not Christ like at all! prayer. If you use all the time, well and good, if not, that is OK Jesus sets us free from greed or fear so that we can be motivated to too. Agree with everyone in your group when the starting time serve others through genuine love for God and others. (You will and ending time of each meeting will be. You each need to find this issue arising on days 3,5,15, 29 and others.) commit yourselves to this time frame in order for the group to work. I suggest a group time length of one and a half hours. On the Bible, the Word and Jesus. On Day 24 Rick writes (That means of course going beyond the normal time allotted for about the power of the word of God to make us more like Jesus.

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