Purpose Driven Life - What On Earth Am I Here For?

Download the
eBook Read Sample
Chapter About Pastor
Rick Warren

About The Purpose Driven Life

The Book

The most basic question everyone faces in life is Why am I here? What is my purpose? Self-help books suggest that people should look within, at their own desires and dreams, but Rick Warren says the starting place must be with God and his eternal purposes for each life. Real meaning and significance comes from understanding and fulfilling God's purposes for putting us on earth.

The Purpose-Driven Life takes the groundbreaking message of the award-winning Purpose-Driven Church and goes deeper, applying it to the lifestyle of individual Christians. This book helps readers understand God's incredible plan for their lives. Warren enables them to see the big picture of what life is all about and begin to live the life God created them to live.

The Purpose-Driven Life is a manifesto for Christian living in the 21st century...a lifestyle based on eternal purposes, not cultural values. Using biblical stories and letting the Bible speak for itself, Warren clearly explains God's five purposes for each of us:

We were planned for God's pleasure
- so your first purpose is to offer real worship.
We were formed for God's family
- so your second purpose is to enjoy real fellowship.
We were created to become like Christ,
- so your third purpose is to learn real discipleship.
We were shaped for serving God
- so your fourth purpose is to practice real ministry.
We were made for a mission
- so your fifth purpose is to live out real evangelism.

This 10th anniversary edition, with emphasis on the question What on Earth Am I Here For? is the life-message of Rick Warren, founding pastor of Saddleback Church. Written in a captivating devotional style, the book is divided into 42 short chapters (six weeks) that can be read as a daily devotional, studied by small groups, and used by churches participating in the nationwide 40 Days of Purpose campaigns.

Click to learn more about the Church Wide Campaign and Small Group Study, What on Earth Am I Here For?

Free Purpose Driven Life Resources

Free resources mentioned in The Purpose Driven® Life

Welcome to the free resources section of The Purpose Driven Life. These resources are designed to support you on your journey to live a purpose-driven live.

"It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ...he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone." Ephesians 1:11 (Msg)

How Can You Know God Personally (PDF)
Here's how you can know God personally; there are four main points.

Your First Steps to Spiritual Growth (PDF)
This will help you plan out a meaningful daily Bible study time and give you encouragement to get started.

Find a helpful list of books, both classic and current, listed by each of the five purposes, for further study.

Personal Daily Bible Reading Plans (PDF) 30 Days | 90 Days | 1 Year
Sometimes it helps to know where to read in the Bible. These are daily Bible reading plans that will chart your way through the New Testament in 30 days, a little more manageable plan through the New Testament in 90 days, or for you long-term plodders, a plan that will have you finishing the whole Bible through in one year of daily readings. Choose the plan that suits you best!

How to Pray for Missionaries (PDF)
This link is a helpful guide for those who want to pray knowledgeably for missionaries to other cultures and countries. It contains information about the typical needs of missionaries and even has a suggested weekly prayer plan.

Keep On Praying (PDF)
Why be persistent? How come my answers sometimes don't come immediately? Why should I keep on praying when the answer doesn't come in my time table?

The Purpose Driven Life Health Assessment (PDF)
Want to find out how your life measures up to the five purposes of the Purpose Driven Life? Take this simple test. Also helps you create a plan to help grow.

Sample Life Purpose Statements (PDF)
Sample some of the tools Rick uses to create his own personal life statements and evaluations in the areas of mission, family, vocation, and community ministry.

Celebrate Recovery
This link takes you to the Celebrate Recovery home page where you can find everything you need to know about this unique Christ-centered recovery program for purpose-driven churches, including finding a CR program near you.

HIV&AIDS Initiative
Compelling stories from individuals living with HIV/AIDS and practical ways to get involved in caring for those who come face to face with HIV on a daily basis.

Orphan Care Connection
You are God's hope for the orphan! Saddleback Church has made Orphan Care a signature issue of our church because it is clear in God's Word, God never forgets the orphan. God cares for the orphan. God wants us to care for the orphan. You can get involved in your local community.

The PEACE Plan
Ordinary people empowered by God making a difference together wherever they are.

The Church-Wide Campaign

Learn more about participating in the What on Earth Am I Here For? Small Group Study that includes six video session taught by Pastor Rick Warren, as well as a Study Guide with extras and discussion questions.

Get These Resources:

Individuals or Small Groups Pastor or Church Leader

Find A Church

Daily Hope E-mails

9 days ago

God Frees Us Through His Word

9 days ago

Posted by Rick Warren

Comments [0]

“You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 NLT)

Truth be told, you can’t even fathom your full potential. Only your Creator can. Only God, the one who made you, knows all you are capable of being. Your parents, your spouse, your friends, your boss — they only get a glimpse of your potential.

Only God knows what you’re truly capable of.

You use such a small fraction of your brain. You don’t need more intelligence. You need to use more of the intelligence you already have!

Most people live for the approval of others. They spend all of their time worrying about what others think of them. Your life has been limited by replaying tapes in your head of people who lied to you. They may not even mean to lie to you, but they still do. They’ve told you that you can’t do something, that you shouldn’t even bother because you’re not worth much anyway.

You’ve played these tapes over and over in your mind. And they’re lies. The people that made those statements about you have no idea about your potential. You have to talk to your Creator for that.

Only he knows what he can do through your life. And only he can unlock that potential. How does he do it?

The Lord frees us through his Word. Jesus said this in John 8:31-32: “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (NLT). God’s Word will unlock all you’ve been made to do and be. Through it, you’ll be able to do things you’ve never thought possible.

How do you do that?

Learn God’s Word. God won’t unlock your potential until you actually open the Word and learn it. You won’t unlock potential by osmosis. You’ll start to do it by learning what the Bible says.
Accept God’s Word. The Bible has to be the authority in your life. You may not like what you’re reading, but if you want God’s best for your life, you need to accept what it says as the final authority for how you live.
Obey God’s Word. You can’t just learn God’s Word and accept God’s Word. You have to do what the Bible teaches. You don’t get blessed for the parts of the Bible you know. You get blessed for the parts of the Bible you do.

You were made for much more than you ever imagined. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!” (CEV)

So open up God’s Word, and get ready to do what only God can imagine.

Talk It Over

Have you been inconsistent about opening God’s Word? What will you do about that today?
In what area of your life are you praying for God’s blessing? Is this an area in which you are faithful to him?