Richard Duane Warren is an American Baptist evangelical Christian pastor and author. He is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, an evangelical megachurch affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention in Lake Forest, California, that is the sixth-largest megachurch in the United States (including multi-site churches). He is also a bestselling author of many Christian books, including his guide to church ministry and evangelism, The Purpose Driven Church, which has spawned a series of conferences on Christian ministry and evangelism. His subsequent book, The Purpose Driven Life, has sold more than 30 million copies, making Warren a New York Times bestselling author.
Warren holds conservative theological views and traditional evangelical views on social issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, abstinence-only education over the use of condoms to prevent HIV/AIDS, and embryonic stem-cell research.
During the 2008 United States presidential election, Warren hosted the Civil Forum on the Presidency at his church with both presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama. Obama later sparked controversy when he asked Warren to give the invocation at the presidential inauguration in January 2009. (via Wikipedia)
Lets read a few of his great quotes:
On Life:
You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense.
On Obstacle:
God loves to bring good out of bad. He loves to turn crucifixions into resurrections. Every obstacle is an opportunity.Problem has potential. Every crisis is an opportunity for ministry.God wants to use for His glory.
On God:
God is looking for people to use, and if you can get usable, he will wear you out. The most dangerous prayer you can pray is this: ‘Use me.’
If God only used perfect people, nothing would get done. God will use anybody if you’re available.
The only way you can serve God is by serving other people.
Faithful servants never retire. You can retire from your career, but you will never retire from serving God.
You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense.
During the next 90 days, people are going to be more open to the Gospel than in years. It is God’s responsibility to make people receptive; it is our responsibility to sow the seed.
The Bible tells us that there are some things worth fighting for. In fact, the Bible says there’s some things worth dying for.
What gives me the most hope every day is God’s grace; knowing that his grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face, knowing that nothing is a surprise to God.
What surprises me most about God is that the creator of the universe should want a relationship with me.
On Jesus Christ:
The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ came to do three things. He came to have my past forgiven, you get a purpose for living and a home in Heaven.
I serve a higher power, Jesus Christ. I make no apologies in saying that.
