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Purpose Driven Blog

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I have started reading The Purpose Driven Life several times. So far I have not managed to finish it. I got to thinking that perhaps if I blogged my way through the 40 days of the book I could find motivation to keep reading it. So starting tomorrow I will attempt to blog my way through the book.

I have some preconceptions that it is only fair I lay down from the beginning.

  1. I have read The Purpose Driven Church. I also attend a purpose driven church loosely modelled on Warren’s model (we like to think we have adopted only the best parts of the model) and thus am quite familiar with many of the purpose driven principles.
  2. I am a bit nervous about Rick Warren. Though my fears are, thus far unfounded, I find it hard to believe that a book that sells as well as The Purpose Driven Life can contain Orthodox, Christian content. That may be pessimistic, but memories of the Prayer of Jabez are still fresh in my mind. It probably does not help that the back cover features Bruce Wilkinson’s praise for the book.
  3. I know that Warren uses every conceivable Bible translation and paraphrase in this book. I find it exceedingly difficult to work that way so will be cross-referencing every Bible verse with my trusty NASB (or possibly my equally trust NKJV). I may even pull my NIV off the shelf every now and then!
  4. I do not know what audience Warren is trying to reach. I am guessing that his audience is Christians, but for all I know he may be trying to reach unbelievers.

There we have it. Hopefully the next 40 days will prove interesting as I dive into the book. I intend follow through the course and learn what Warren (and hopefully God) would like to teach me. But to be fair I am going to read critically (as I always attempt to do) and will examine the book from a Reformed perspective.

To facilitate this series, I have created a new category specifically to contain my Purpose Driven Life blog entries.


  • Marriage Happy Marriage Holy

    Marriage Happy, Marriage Holy

    God’s purpose in marriage is not to make us happy but to make us holy. Or so we have all been told. The truth is more complicated, of course, and I’m quite certain God means for marriage to cover both. The old Anglican liturgy says marriage “was ordained for the mutual society, help, and comfort,…

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    A La Carte (November 13)

    A La Carte: Should Christians reject slavery and affirm same-sex marriage? / Can women be deacons? / You can’t life-hack your way to holiness / When your pastor thinks he’s brother molehill / When the seeing are blind / and more.

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    A La Carte (November 12)

    A La Carte: Humbly admitting we are vulnerable to sexual temptation / On aging into childhood / The criticized leader / Kevin DeYoung’s “plus one” approach to church / pitfalls in women’s ministry leadership / and more.

  • Dr Google

    Doctor Google, Influencer Moms, and the Local Church

    A family member was recently paying a visit to a doctor who provided his diagnosis of the condition and suggested a course of treatment. My family member listened patiently but then said, “I was wondering if we could actually try another treatment instead.” The doctor playfully rolled his eyes and said, “I see you’ve been…

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    A La Carte (November 11)

    A La Carte: Why am I so spiritually dry? / Holy imposter syndrome / When those we respect disappoint us / Through many tribulations / Answering a question that hasn’t been asked / Book and Kindle deals / and more.

  • Intact

    Intact and Unmoved

    Corrie ten Boom knew what it was to suffer deprivation, to have to do without so many of life’s luxuries and even its necessities. Arrested and sent to a concentration camp for her role in sheltering Jews from the Nazis, she spent almost a year in confinement and suffered the loss of her father and…