Month: August 2024

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.”  James 1:5-7 (NIV)

Doubt is the enemy of imagination.

When you were a kid, you had a great imagination. But the older you get, the more your imagination grows rusty. You stop imagining what things could be, and you just start living the way they are. You get stuck in the status quo, which is Latin for “the mess we’re in.”

Doubt and fear neutralize what God wants to do in your life. It takes courage to imagine. Do you know why most people don’t imagine? Because they’re afraid of failure.

Every great thing that we did at Saddleback Church, I was scared to death to do. But I just said we were going to do it anyway. Why? Because I’m not about to let fear dominate my life. So I move forward, trembling.

Courage is when you do the right thing while you are afraid. Sometimes it’s doing the thing you fear the most! You may wonder, “Should I wait until all my doubts are gone?” But you have to move against your fears. You have to ignore all the insecurity you’re feeling and just go for it.

James 1:5-7 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord” (NIV).

Your imagination is either going to be governed by fear or it’s going to be governed by faith. That’s your choice. If you let your imagination be governed by fear, then you’re going to go around being freaked out, stressed out, and worried all the time. When you allow fear to control your imagination, you live a miserable life.

Instead decide that you’re not going to allow fear to dominate. Let your faith dominate. Trust in God. Then you can move forward in faith and allow your imagination to be filled with all kinds of possibilities—because all things are possible with God.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“We fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”  2Corinthians 4:18 (NLT)

When you can’t see something physically, you have to imagine it in your mind. That’s why imagination is essential to living by faith.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (NIV).

Faith is when we hope for something, and we know it’s going to happen. In order to hope for something, you have to picture it in your mind. To put your faith in something, you have to be able to picture it.

Hebrews 11 is called God’s Hall of Fame. When you read through the names, you realize that every one of them became heroes of faith because they used their imagination.

For instance, God said to Abraham, “You’re 90 years old, and you have no kids. But I’m going to change your name from Abram to Abraham, which means ‘father of a great nation.’”

He told Abraham to go outside at night and count the stars: That’s how many grandchildren and great grandchildren Abraham would have in his family tree—the nation of Israel! What was God doing when he told Abraham to go count stars? He was activating his imagination. It’s like he was saying, “I want you to visualize what I’m going to do in your life.”

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:18, “We fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (NLT).

You can’t see the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but they’re going to last for eternity. You can’t see your own soul, but it’s going to last for eternity.

The Bible says you need to focus on the things that will last—the things you can’t actually see with your eyes. So how do you focus on things you can’t see? You use your imagination.

Imagination is more than just creativity and fun. It is God’s gift to you, because he knows you will need it to be able to live by faith.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“I am the one who raises the dead and gives them life again. Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies like anyone else, shall live again. He is given eternal life for believing in me and shall never perish.”  John 11:25-26 (TLB)

There are a lot of benefits to believing in Jesus and having a relationship with him. But even if God removed all the other benefits, there would still be this, and it’s a pretty big deal: When you believe in Jesus Christ, you are guaranteed eternal life. Your eternity is sealed because of Jesus’ resurrection.

You see, Jesus bringing himself back to life changed everything. It literally split history into A.D. and B.C. It’s the most important event ever. And, it proves three things.

First, it proves that Jesus is exactly who he claimed to be. He repeatedly said he was the Son of God who came to die for our sins. And he did just that.

Jesus’ resurrection is one of the most well documented events in history. It would stand up in any court of law. In fact it has many, many times throughout centuries.

The resurrection also proves that Jesus keeps his promises. Jesus told his disciples that he was going to let the people kill him and that he would come back to life. If he kept that promise, then you know you can trust the thousands of other promises God makes in his Word.

The third thing the resurrection proves is that there is life after death. If Jesus Christ hadn’t resurrected, you would have no hope for the future. This life on earth would be all there is—and that’s not worth placing your hope in!

Jesus said in John 11:25-26, “I am the one who raises the dead and gives them life again. Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies like anyone else, shall live again. He is given eternal life for believing in me and shall never perish” (TLB).

Where else are you going to get a promise like that? Nowhere! Who else can give that to you? No one! If you don’t get the promise of eternal life from Jesus, then you won’t have it.

That is an amazing benefit, and it’s available to you today. What’s the qualification? You only have to believe.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!”  Ephesians 3:20 (MSG)

God’s dream for your life is exponentially bigger than any dream you could come up with. Why? Because it’s eternally significant.

There are a lot of dreams you could have that may seem big, but they wouldn’t be significant. You could dream of being a millionaire by a certain age, but for what purpose? Do you think God put you on this planet to live for yourself? Of course not! God’s dream for your life is bigger than your dream.

Ephesians 3:20 says, “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!” (MSG).

Think of the biggest dream for your life that you’ve ever come up with, even if you didn’t follow through on it. What’s the most out-there vision you’ve had that seemed almost impossible? Well, guess what: God’s dream for you is even bigger. It’s “far more than you could ever imagine.”

Dream your biggest dream. Think of your greatest vision. God can top it!

You have no idea what God wants to do through you. You are living such a small fraction of what you’re capable of. You are doing with your life such a small portion of what God wants to do in your life.

God wants you to dream big. But he wants you to base your dream not on what you think you can do but on what you think God can do. He wants you to use the imagination that he gave you, because dreaming big honors him. It shows faith. It shows trust.

Many years ago Saddleback Church purchased 120 acres of land for our campus. That’s bigger than Disneyland! When word got out, people said, “What kind of church is this that’s going to go buy 120 acres of Orange County property? Who do those people think they are?”

When I heard that, I said, “That’s the wrong question. The question should be, ‘Who do we think God is?’” We were dreaming big, because we knew God had a big plan for Saddleback.

He’s got big plans for you too. Let the size of your God determine the size of your goal.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“[God] gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”  Isaiah 40:29 (NIV)

When you believe in Jesus, you get God’s strength for daily living.

I used to think this wasn’t a big deal. But I’ve realized that for most people, the number one problem in life isn’t worry or fear or guilt or bitterness. Their number one problem is weariness.

People tell me all the time, “I’m just so tired all the time. I can’t get it all done. I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

The reason why you’re tired all the time is you have a power shortage. And the reason you have a power shortage is because you’re not plugged in to God’s power. You’re trying to live your life on your power alone.

There’s no way you can fulfill your purpose in life without being plugged in to God’s power. An unplugged toaster is worthless. An unplugged blender is worthless. A vacuum cleaner has no purpose if it’s not plugged in to the power source.

Isaiah 40:29 says, “[God] gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (NIV).

You need God’s power in more ways than you realize. Paul says it like this: “I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me” (Philippians 4:13 GNT).

This is not a positive mental attitude. This is not self-help psychology. This is not pull-yourself-up-by-your-own-bootstraps thinking. No—this is supernatural power!

What are the “all conditions”? With God’s help, you have the power to handle loneliness when you’re lonely. The power to handle stress when you’re under pressure. The power to handle guilt and fear and boredom and bitterness and rejection. The power to handle financial disaster. The power to handle health crises. The power to handle a relational predicament.

Where does that power come from? It comes from God in you—the Holy Spirit. You receive that power when you believe in Jesus Christ to save you. And it’s available to you every moment of every day, no matter what you’re facing.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.”  Colossians 1:16 (MSG)

When you put your trust in Jesus Christ, you learn God’s purpose for your life.

Most people don’t know the purpose of their lives. They think they know what they want or what is best for them. But if you haven’t surrendered to Christ, then you can’t know why you were created and what you’re here on earth for. And if you don’t know your purpose, you end up drifting through life. You get bounced around. You don’t control anything, really, because your circumstances end up controlling you.

No one wants to live like that.

There’s only one way you’re going to learn the purpose of your life. You’ve got to talk to your Creator.

Sometimes people will say that if you want to know your purpose, look within. People do that every day—and it never works! You can’t tell you what your purpose is because you didn’t create you.

Only the Creator can tell you what you were created for. You will never, ever know the purpose of your life until you believe in Jesus Christ, because he is your Creator. You will never know that you were made for more than this life until you commit your life to Jesus.

The Bible says, “Everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him” (Colossians 1:16 MSG).

Today so many people are confused about their identity and their purpose. They say, “I don’t know who I am, and I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing with my life.” That’s because they’re looking in the wrong places. They’re not going to find their purpose in their career, their accomplishments, their relationships, or their possessions.

There is only one place to find your identity and purpose in life, and that’s through a relationship with your Creator, Jesus Christ.

“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for . . . part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone” (Ephesians 1:11 MSG).

Get to know your Creator. He wants to show you how to make your life count!

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“When will you ever learn that ‘believing’ is useless without doing what God wants you to? Faith that does not result in good deeds is not real faith.”  James 2:20 (TLB)

Is faith simply a frame of mind? Some see it that way—as a passive attribute of a Christian waiting to see what God has in store for them: a promotion, cancer, depression, betrayal, blessing, wealth, or injustice. They might say, “I’ll just wait to see what God is going to do for me and go with the flow.” But that’s foolish talk.

Faith is active, not passive. It’s a commitment. Look at your lifestyle, and see what kinds of actions follow as a result of it. If you’ve got a faith that’s real, it can be demonstrated.

If you’ve been baptized, you made a statement to God and the people around you. You said, “I’m in!” But it doesn’t stop at baptism—not by a long shot!

What else do you do? You start following the pattern of Jesus. Faith is proven by how we live.

And don’t misinterpret this: Your salvation is not based on your works. The things you do—your walking-around, everyday life—won’t get you into heaven. Your actions don’t make you a Christian. They show you’re a Christian.

Here are some next steps you can take in your faith:

Celebrate the lavish gift of grace. You were saved because Jesus absolutely loves you and wants you to be with him in heaven. Your joy reflects that amazing gift!

Show your faith. Wedding rings don’t make people married, but they declare it in a visible way. In the same way, baptism isn’t the thing that will get you into heaven, but it is an act of obedience. Why? Because Jesus commanded us to be baptized and to baptize others (Matthew 28:18-20).

Share your faith with the people around you. If you are excited about what God has done in your life, then why not share it? There are lots of ways to do that. Get plugged in to serving God and others. Point people to Jesus and love them like Jesus did. It’s a choice that will bring eternal joy—to you and to the people you helped bring to Christ.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.” John 6:5-6 (NIV)

Do you remember the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish? I think it’s amazing that, out of 5,000 people, it seems only one person brought a lunch. I’m thinking a lot of people were hiding picnic baskets under their robes because they didn’t want to share with anybody else.

But one little boy offered the bread and fish he packed for his lunch. He gave Jesus what little he had, and God used it to not just feed a lot of people but also to show them how much he cares and how powerful he is.

God always starts with what you have. You may not have much time. Your assets may not be worth much. You may not think you have much talent.

But you can give God everything in your life. Give him your heart. Give him your attention. Give him your past, present, and future. Give him your offering. It may not be much, but you can give him your five loaves and two fish.

In John 6:5-6 Jesus asks, “‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do” (NIV).

Jesus wasn’t worried about how to feed 5,000 people. He already had in mind what he was going to do. He saw the need long before the disciples did—and he had a plan.

You need to understand this truth today: God always has the answer before you even know the problem. God is not worried about your unsolvable problem. It’s not too late in the day for Jesus. He saw your problem long before you did. He knew it was coming, and he already had a plan for it. God knows the solution to your problem before you even recognize it’s a problem!

So why are you worrying? Just admit you have a problem you can’t solve on your own, and then give God everything you have. Watch him take your loaves and fish and turn them into a feast.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”  Colossians 2:7 (NLT)

God wants you to focus on growing, sowing, and going in faith.

First, God wants you to grow in faith. He doesn’t want you to be a spiritual baby. The Bible says in Colossians 2:7: “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” (NLT).

God also wants you to sow in faith. He wants you to learn to become generous—because you cannot become like Christ without becoming generous. The Bible says, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV).

This is the law of sowing and reaping, and it’s true in every area of life. If you sow criticism, you’re going to reap criticism. If you sow love, you’ll reap love. If you sow kindness, you will reap kindness. And you always reap more than you sow. When you plant one corn kernel in the ground, you don’t get one kernel back. You get a whole stalk. You always get back more—positive or negative—of what you put out in life.

Then, God wants you to go in faith.

Hebrews 11:8 says, “It was by faith Abraham obeyed God’s call to go to another place God promised to give him. He left his own country, not knowing where he was to go” (NCV).

Would you do that? Abraham was in his retirement phase, just about to hang it up and settle down. Then God told him to dust himself off and get ready for the greatest journey of Abraham’s life. When you live by faith, it often involves going to places you were never planning to go.

Why is it so important for you to develop your faith? The Bible explains it over and over again:

“Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).

“Let it be done for you according to your faith” (Matthew 9:29 CSB).

“Anything that is not done in faith is sin” (Romans 14:23 GW).

Everything God does in your life is done by his grace and through your faith.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.”  2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NLT)

Faith is a powerful force. It unlocks the promises of God. It shows us the power of God. It turns dreams into reality. And it gives us the power to hold on in tough times.

God doesn’t always take you out of the problem. He stretches your faith by taking you through the problem. He doesn’t always take away the pain. He gives you faith-filled ability to handle the pain. And God doesn’t always take you out of the storm, because he wants you to trust him in the middle of the storm.

I remember reading the stories of Corrie ten Boom, a young Dutch Christian who helped many Jews escape the Holocaust before being sent to Nazi concentration camps. After World War II ended, she said that the people who lived through those camps were those who had the deepest faith. Why? Because faith gives you the power to hold on in tough times. It produces persistence.

Study after study has shown that probably the most important characteristic you could teach a child (and that you need in your own life) is resilience. It’s the ability to bounce back and keep going.

Nobody goes through life with an unbroken chain of successes. Everybody has failures and mistakes. We all embarrass ourselves. We all have pain. We all have problems. We all have pressures. The people who make it in life have resilience.

Where do you get the resilience to keep going? Faith. It’s believing God could do something at any moment that could change the direction of your life—and you don’t want to miss it, so you keep moving forward. It’s believing that God will give you exactly what you need when you need it as you learn to rely on him to accomplish his purpose in you.

This is the testimony of Paul, a great man of faith: “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NLT).

Paul learned resilience through troubles that could have crushed him. His faith helped him to get up when he got knocked down—and your faith can do that for you too.