Did you know that Rick Warren claims that the book the Purpose Driven Life is NOT a self-help book? It’s true. Here is what he says on page 19:
This is not a self-help book. It is not about finding the right career, achieving your dreams or planning your life.
Notice that Warren, in this quote defines self-help as information that will...
1. Help you find the right career2. Achieve your dreams3. Plan your life
On page 20 Warren goes on to talk about the type of truths that God wants us to build our lives on. Said Warren:
‘You must build your life on Eternal Truths, not pop-psychology, success-motivation, or inspirational stories. The Bible says, “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.”
You would think that since Rick Warren so emphatically denies that the book the Purpose Driven Life is self-help and because he so confidently declares that God wants us to build our lives on Eternal Truths rather than Pop-Psych and that the sermons at Saddleback Church would NEVER veer into self-help or pop-psych. If you thought that then you are dead wrong!
Rather than preaching Christ-Centered sermons and the the eternal truths of scripture, Rick Warren and the other pastors of Saddleback preach a steady diet of Pop-Psych and Self-Help sermons.
Let’s review some of their recent offerings and you will be able to see this fact for yourself.
Sermon Series: Growing Through Goal Setting
Sermon Title: Setting Financial Goals
Date: May 27, 2007
Presenter: Rick Warren
Genre: Self-Help (All Law, Zero Gospel)
Question: How many "financial goal setting" sermons did Jesus and His Apostles preach? Are ANY recorded in the scriptures?
Sermon Series: Growing Through Goal Setting
Sermon Title: Managing Your Time
Date: June 3, 2007
Presenter: Rick Warren
Genre: Self-Help (All Law, Zero Gospel)
Question: How many "time management" sermons did Jesus and His Apostles preach? Are ANY recorded in the scriptures?
Sermon Series: Handling Toxic People
Sermon Title: Handling Toxic People
Date: September 23, 2007
Presenter: Rick Warren
Genre: Pop-Psych
Question: Can you please point us to ONE systematic theology text or even ONE historic confession of faith that addresses the doctrine of toxic people?
Sermon Series: Running on Empty... Learn the Ancient Secrets From God's Word for a Less Stressed, More Relaxed, and Lighter, Freer Lifestyle.
Sermon Title: Lightening Your Load
Date: April 15, 2007
Presenter: Rick Warren
Genre: Pop-Psych
Question: Since when is Christianity a religion that offers stress relief? Jesus told us to take up our crosses and follow him and He promised Christians that they would be persecuted for their faith in Him.
Sermon Series: Breaking Free from Desperate Hidden Lives
Sermon Title: What I Eat and What's Eating Me
Date: March 4, 2007
Presenter: Recovering Overeater, Steve Arterburn
Genre: Pop-Psych
Question: Which Biblical epistle was written to those who need to join a recovery support group for overeaters?
Why on Earth would Rick Warren and his pastoral staff preach Pop-Psych and Self-Help sermons from the Saddleback pulpit when Warren makes it clear in his book that is not the type of information God wants us to build our lives on?
Shouldn't we instead be following the example of the Apostle Paul who said:
“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1Cor. 2:2 )
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