Rating: 
Summary: American Consumer Driven Gospel Light
Review: As a pastor, I really struggle with the growing trend every few years (Left Behind, Prayer of Jabez) of one person's take on the Gospel becoming the end all.
If this book stirs discussion, and guides your faith , great. However, in looking up many of the scriptural passages they are retranslated by the author (Self help is no help at all appears nowhere in scripture!), and endnotes are always more intellectually dishonest than footnotes, because authors know you will not look them up if they are not on the page.
Also, what kind of God can be manipulated by us "making Him smile?" do WE have that kind of power? And if God TESTS us by making bad things happen, what kind of loving God is that?
One thing for sure-Richard Warren is getting rich, and I hope this books is helpful to some, but next year it will be forgotten and something else will take it's place. Read Marcus Borg's "Heart of Christianity" instead, and he has footnotes!
Rating: 
Summary: Serves the purpose
Review: This purpose-driven author's "purpose-driven" registered trademark seems to be going from strength to strength. Aimless lives and purposeless churches alike are everywhere being sent cowering under the onslaught of multiple "purpose-driven(R)" titles. And the secret? If you ask me, the key to these books' popularity is that they offer an easier, more practical Christian framework to people who find the traditional Christian habits and traditions out of place in today's purpose-driven world. According to this book, the key to effective living is apparently the five God-ordained purposes: "worship, community, discipleship, ministry and evangelism". The 10 commandments are thereby halved, making the whole thing much easier to remember, and more in line with today's busy lifestyle. Let's face it, people nowadays don't have time for any of that awkward and archaic stuff about coveting thy neighbour's ox! What a God-send for the author to have stumbled upon this "God-ordained" principles short-cut (pun intended of course). I'm sure he's giving God a financial share in the "purpose driven" trademark.
The footnotes question posed by this book is, I'm sure, leading to much heated discussion among Christians, both purpose-driven and non-purpose-driven alike. 18 footnotes out of 800 not referring to Christian Scriptures is a controversially high proportion, as I'm sure most Christians would agree, both the purpose-driven variety and the old-fashioned sort. I guess the fact that the author was purpose-driven enough to get 800 footnotes in there in the first place means he should be forgiven the 18 lapses, especially since it would take an extremely purpose-driven reader to read all of them anyway.
In conclusion, I give this book a purposeful 3 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Try this: Read it, then do it.
Review: This book stirred my mind, heart and soul. It transformed my life, changing the way I talk with God, and changing the ways I spend my money and my time. It helped me to see opportunities to practice and learn true Christian love in what I saw previously only as annoying and irritating people. As a Catholic Christian, I was familiar with so much of the teachings; still they were presented in a new and cohesive way that gave the familiar a renewed sense of importance and urgency--that instilled a restlessness to do more. My wife and I read it together at five am daily so that we could discuss it before our three young sons woke up. It drew us closer to each other, too. (I'll never forget how, after we'd been reading the book, my wife's mom died. Finding her in tears of grief one night, my 6-year-old wote her a note with a picture of a heart with a crying face. On it, he had written: "Pleez dont cry. Loving spirts will live forever.") The popularity of books like this and movies like The Passion suggest (to me anyway) some kind of mass-scale renewal. If you want to be more open to God's presence in all that you do, this book is worth reading. The real key is not so much being stirred by the message, but rather in doing what is so clearly and practically laid out.
Rating:
Summary: One Book Every Person Should Own
Review: This is one of those rare books that comes along offering to take you on an awesome spiritual journey; that is, if your willing to do some footwork. The author expresses how there are various avenues towards finding God. That's a wonderful thing. This book has, beyond any doubt, the capacity and power to change each and every one of our lives. You are going to find a lot of practical information here. Pastor Warren strives towards equanimity, calling Christians to be loving and kind towards one another. After all, isn't that the true pathway for peace? I don't understand people giving bad reviews for this one, claiming it's not in accord with The Bible. Nothing at all could be further from the truth of the matter. Just order the book. You'll see.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best modern-day Christian Books
Review: Unlike most Christian books today that are watered down further than the Atlantic ocean, Warren's book gives you the tools you need to truly get back into the Word and love doing so. The daily exercises are just enough, even for a busy lifestyle, to help you develop a daily Bible reading once again, but not just for inspiration... for true witnessing and theological understanding. Today's Christan-lite books are embarrassing. It's nice to see one that does its job. You and your family will be changed if you read and follow this jewel for a few weeks. Just give it a few weeks trial and see for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: My husband and I started reading this book to help him with AA and develop a better relationship with Jesus and God (his higher power). Despite what many of the reviewers say, this is a great book. Our church held a discussion group in conjunction with this book, and even though it talks a lot about pre-destination, that is not the over-riding element of this book. Plus there are lots of bible quotes to support that God did design each of us with a purpose in mind. We still have free-will to not answer his call, and not listen to his purpose. It's up to us. Also, they do summarize bible quotes, but this is a book to read in the "spirit of the law" not "the letter of the law." Plus, the bible quotes he summarizes still capture the meaning of the text, and he sources all the quotes if you want to look them up! This book re-affirms all that any Christian has been taught - that there is a heaven, that we need to use the talents that God gave us, and that to get into heaven we need a strong relationship with Jesus. If you don't want a guide on how to get closer to Jesus, use the gifts he gave you, and recognize the purpose God designed for you, then don't read the book. I would ignore the naysaying reviewers.
Rating:
Summary: Dr. Michael L. Johnson
Review: I found out about this book after reading an article about it in the Life section of USA Today. I was flying to California that weekend and I wanted something to keep me occupied. While I was reading it in O'Hare, several people came up to me and told me what a great book I was reading. I read ALOT of books, especially when I travel. I have never ,in 21 years of attending seminars, had people come up to me, unsolicited, in airports and tell me what a great book I have and how it changed their life. Some of these people were even crying with tears of joy. What did I think of the book?? It's wonderful!! Read this book! If you are a Christian--read it! If you are not a Christian--read it and if you don't like it, send it to me and I will buy from you. Dr. Michael L. Johnson author of "What Do You Do When the Medications Don't Work--A Non-Drug Treatment of Dizziness, Migraine Headaches, Fibromyalgia, and Other Chronic Conditions".
Rating:
Summary: If you are looking for mental protein then this feeds like
Review: a steak!The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren is in fact a "GROUNDBREAKING MANIFESTO ON THE MEANING OF LIFE."This great book by Rick Warren is like a low carb/high protein diet for your mind and even more importantly, your soul.On page 19, I found an interesting qute from the Bible;"Self-help is of not help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way to finding yourself, your true self."And on page 18; "Focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life's purpose."And..."You were made by God and for God and untill you understand that, nothing will make sense."The Purpose Driven Life is not a self help book obviously. It is about what matters most...about becoming what God wanted you to become and what he created you for.Some people have problems with the scriptures. So did I at one time in my life. Then I changed and my whole life changed for the better. I found it it interesting that even Billy Graham at one time doubted the bible. None of us are perfect but fortunately we were willing to be corrected.The Purpose Driven Life is a must read book, more necessary today than even. What, with same sex marriages and all sorts of crazy things going on, God's word is more important now than ever before.Read this book and pass it along to friends and family.
Rating:
Summary: A life without purpose?
Review: I am confused and confounded by all of these one star reviews. Perhaps it really is one person repeatedly posting, I don't know, buut what I do know is that a life without purpose is not much of a life at all. Pastor Warren really delivers in this book. It is not Pastor Rick Warren's opinion or based on theory, it is based on fact and is backed by biblical scriptures. If you can't trust the word of God, who can you trust? Perhaps some people feel uneasy about scripture. They are the people that need this book the most! And I would add one other---THE BIBLE! Ric Warren offers powerful advice. If you will follow his program for just 40 days, your whole life will change. It has helped me and everyone that I know. Great book. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Lot of useful advice, regardless of religion
Review: THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE by Rick Warren, according to the
book's jacket, "is a blueprint for Christian living in the 21st century" . . . as
such, it ordinarily wouldn't have been of great interest to me (in that
I don't follow that particular religion) . . . but because a friend highly
recommended it to me, and also since it has been such a longtime
bestseller, I decided to give it a try . . . and I'm glad I did! Warren has a lot of useful advice for ALL folks, regardless of
how they view God--or even if those who are atheists . . . a key
seems to be his following statement: "Living on purpose is the only
way to really live. Everything else is just existing." I liked that the book really got me thinking about such things
as love, friendship, the use of time, temptation (something I'll
have to remember the next time I desire a rich dessert), and
how to balance my life . . . when certain parts contained
too many references to Christ, I did something I used to
do when reading Norman Vincent Peale--one of my favorite
authors; i.e., I just substituted the word "God." Also, I liked Warren's use of a thought-provoking question at the
end of each chapter . . . for example, this one caught my
attention: In what way can I see myself passionately serving
others and loving it? There were many other memorable sections; among them:
* Hope is as essential to your life as air and water. You need hope
to cope. Dr. Bernie Siegel found he could predict which of his
cancer patients would go into remission by asking, "Do you want
to live to be one hundred?" Those with a deep sense of life
purpose answered yes and were the ones most likely to survive.
Hope comes from having a purpose.
* Every time you try to block a thought out of your mind, you drive it
deeper into your memory. By resisting it, you actually reinforce it.
This is especially true with temptation. You don't defeat temptation
by fighting the feeling of it. The more you fight a feeling, the more it
consumes and controls you. You strengthen it every time you think it. Since temptation always begins with a thought, the quickest way to
neutralize it's allure is to turn your attention to something else. Don't
fight the thought, just change the channel of your mind and get
interested in another idea. This is the first step in defeating temptation.
* Your mission gives your life meaning. William James said, "The best
use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it." The truth is,
only the kingdom of God is going to last. Everything else will eventually
vanish. That is why we must live purpose-driven lives-lives committed
to worship, fellowship, spiritual growth, ministry, and fulfilling our
mission on earth. The results of these activities will last-forever!
|
