In this episode of Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, we dive into the important topic of ‘The Growth Choice’, part of the larger series ‘Life’s Healing Choices’. Pastor Rick Warren leads us through a discussion on your spiritual race, emphasizing the significance of not just starting strong, but also finishing well. Uncover how daily practices like setting aside time for God and immersing yourself in scripture can powerfully impact your spiritual growth and personal freedom.
Hey everyone, it’s so great to have you with us today on Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. We are going to continue our very encouraging series today called Life’s Healing Choices. And in these lessons, Rick Warren will guide us through a deep biblical exploration of how to overcome the hurts, hang-ups, and habits that really hold us back. So get ready for some practical insights and powerful truths that can lead to lasting change and freedom in your life. So let’s jump right in for part one of a message called The Growth Choice.
SPEAKER 02 :
You know, a number of years ago, I made a list of up-and-coming pastors in America that I thought I needed to be praying for. And if I mentioned the names of the guys on this list, you’d know all their names. They’re friends of mine, they’re young guys who are the up-and-comers, and I thought, you know, when I started Saddleback 30 years ago when I was 25, I had some mentors, who many of them are now in heaven, who prayed for me. and encouraged me and I thought I need to be doing this for the young guys. So I made a list of popular well-known pastors across America, began praying for them. I looked at that list the other day and the sad thing is almost half of those guys are no longer in ministry. They either got discouraged and gave up or they burned out or they flamed out financially or morally or something caused them to get out of the race and end up in the ditch. It made me think of a verse in Galatians. The Bible says this, it’s on your screen. You were doing so well. Who made you stop obeying the truth? The message I want to share with you this weekend may be one of the more important messages that I’ve shared with you because it’s about how to finish the race, how to keep on keeping on, how to continue growth your entire life, because life is not a 50-yard dash, it’s a marathon. The Bible says this here on the screen, 2 John 1.8, watch out that you do not lose hope. What you’ve worked for. That is my prayer for you as your pastor, as somebody who loves you. I don’t want you to lose what you’ve already attained in your spiritual life. Watch out that you do not lose what you’ve worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Friends, if you’ve ever been to a marathon race, you know that there’s a crowd at the start, but it thins out at the end. A lot of people start off great in life, but they flame out, they fizzle out, they never finish the race. If you go to a marathon, at the starting point, everybody looks great. All their suits are clean, washed, new shoes, their hair looks nice. They’ve got a lot of energy. It’s a party celebration at the start of a marathon. If you’ve ever been to the end of a marathon, it’s a different story. People are straggling across the line. They’re sweaty. They smell. They’re dirty. Maybe they got their skin bruised. Their number’s been torn off. It’s a totally different picture. And they’re just kind of getting across the line. But friend, you don’t get the gold medal for starting the race. You only get the gold medal for ending it. I want you, as your pastor, so badly, I want you to finish well. Here at Saddleback, for 30 years, I’ve basically seen a parade of people. Because about 15% of Americans move every year. So theoretically, over about six years, you could have 100% turnover, simply because people move. And it’s almost like, hello, how are you, goodbye. Hello, how are you, goodbye. Hello, how are you, goodbye. But some people still live in the area, and they’re no longer faithful with the Lord. They flamed out, they burned out, they quit, they ran off in the ditch, and they’re no longer in the race. Today, I wanna talk to you about how to end the race well. The growth choice. And that’s the seventh choice we’re gonna look at in just a minute. It requires this. There on your outline. The growth choice says this. I reserve a daily time with God for Bible reading, self-examination, and prayer in order, and here’s the reason why you do this, in order to know God, that’s the first thing, and His will for my life, that’s the second thing, and to gain the power, that’s the third thing, to follow His will. You see, spiritual growth is a choice. Spiritual growth is intentional. Are you gonna be more spiritually mature a year from today? You say, well, I don’t know. Well, then you won’t, because growth is intentional. You have to choose to say, I’m not gonna be this way next year. I’m gonna be different by next year. I’m going to have let go some of those painful past things. I’m going to have let go some of those persistent sins. And I’m going to let go some of those personal weaknesses. And I’m going to be better than I was last year. But that’s a choice. You must choose to continue growing. Now the verses we look at today are all going to have the word continue in them because it’s all about continuous growth. Growth is a continual process. If you’re not growing, you’re dying. Now the Bible says this in 2 Peter 3.18, continue to grow in grace and the knowledge of God of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So today we’re gonna look at how to continue your growth, how to maintain the momentum you’ve started. How do I keep on keeping on? How do I maintain my momentum? How do I complete the course, finish the race, and get the gold medal? The Bible tells us there are seven things that we need to do to continue in the faith. Number one, first I need to fix a daily time with God. Fix a daily time with God. That means you nail it down. You drive a stake in the ground. You say, this is gonna be my date with Jesus on a daily basis. Now, all through scripture we’re taught that you have to be connected to God in order to have the life of God in your life. You know, I grow grapes at home. I actually grow seven or eight different kinds of grapes. If those grapes are disconnected from the vine, they’re not gonna grow, they’re not gonna bear fruit. Jesus said, I am the vine and you are the branch. You cannot bear fruit apart from me. You cannot bear fruit in your life if you’re not connected to Jesus on a regular basis. It’s like a blender unplugged in your kitchen. You can push all the buttons, but it’s not gonna blend anything because it’s disconnected from the power. Let’s get a little bit more practical in relational purposes. If you don’t spend time with your husband or your wife, you’re gonna be disconnected. Kay and I have discovered this, that when we are gone, she’s gone or I’m gone, we don’t get the time together, we start feeling distant. We start feeling disconnected, we don’t feel close, we don’t feel intimate. And if your marriage is kind of like dried up or there’s no love life there, there’s no joy, it’s because you’re not spending time together. You gotta do what you did when you were in love. What you did to get your mate, you gotta do to keep your mate. You need to date your mate. You need to spend time with them. If you don’t spend time with them, you’re not gonna be close to them. Now that’s true with God. It’s true with any relationship. You have to spend time with God in order to be close to him, to feel his love, to sense his presence in your life. And the Bible says this. Look on your outline. And now, dear children, continue to live faithfully. Notice continue, circle that word. Continue to live in fellowship with Christ. Now I want to tell you personally, and I’m a pastor, and I’ve been walking with the Lord for over 40 years. The hardest thing in my life to keep is to be consistent in my daily time with God because everything fights against it. Everything fights against it. Why? Because Satan knows if he can keep you disconnected, you’re worthless. You have no power, you have no defense, you have no strength against his temptations. He doesn’t care what you do. You can do all kinds of good things as long as you don’t spend time with God. Why? Because it’s the number one purpose in life. You weren’t put on this planet to do things on your to-do list. God didn’t create you just to do a bunch of activities. God created you so you could know him and love him and he could know and love you back. And if you’re not spending time knowing and loving God, you are missing the number one purpose of your life. And Satan doesn’t care all the good things you can do as long as you don’t spend time with God. It is the number one connection. And so he’s gonna try to keep you busy. And if you’re too busy for God, it’s real simple, you’re too busy. Because you’re putting everything else in front of the number one commandment, love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. Why does he fight it, Satan fight it? Because it gives you the power. Look at this verse. The Bible says, 1 John 3, 6, everyone who lives in union with Christ does not continue to sin. What does that mean? It means when I’m connected with Christ, he gives me the power, the ability, the effort, the desire, and everything I need to not do what’s wrong and to do what’s right. And the reason why I keep falling into persistent sins and personal weaknesses and painful past things is because I don’t spend time with God. You don’t get this one, you might as well go home. Because none of the others are gonna matter if you don’t have a daily time with God. Now the Bible says this, continue praying, keeping alert, and always thanking God. Now what does it mean continue praying? It means you don’t just do it in your quiet time. You talk to God all the time. You don’t have to use a bunch of these and those or fancy words, you just talk to him just like I’m talking to you. In fact, I can talk to you and talk to God at the same time. You ever do that? You know, it’s a two-track mind. It’s very easy to do. Sometimes I’m out on the patio, somebody’s talking to me, and I’m going, I’m listening, and I’m talking to them, and at the same time I’m going, God, what in the world do you want me to say to this person? I have the slightest idea. They think I’m smart, but I’m not. And I need your help right now, and I need your wisdom, and I need to know what to say, because I haven’t the foggiest idea what to say to this problem. I can talk to God and talk to you at the same time. I’m talking to God right now while I’m talking to you. I’m saying, give me the next point. And so you just talk to God. It’s nothing big. He’s my best friend. I’ve talked to him for over 40 years. But you’ve got to fix a daily time with God. Forget all the others if you don’t do that one. Number two, if I’m going to keep it on making it to the finish line, I must fill my mind with Scripture. I must fill my mind with scripture. Now you know if you go without food, you start feeling a little weak. And you go a little bit longer, your mind starts getting a little groggy. You go a little longer, you start feeling cranky. And if you go even longer without food, you just start feeling like, all I wanna do is lay down. And you get lethargic. The same is true with God’s word. This is soul food. It is the food for your soul. The Bible says, Jesus said, man shall not live by food alone, by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. This is as necessary to your soul as food is to your body. And if you don’t get this word, this soul food into your soul, you’re going to start feeling lethargic and cranky and weak. And all these things, you’ve got to get this in your heart. You say, well, I come to church every week. That would be like saying, I’m going to have a banquet every Sunday and fast the next six days. If the only spiritual input you get into your life is a weekend message, you’re having a banquet once a week and fasting the rest of the week. No wonder you’re weak. No wonder you’re groggy. No wonder you’re spiritually cranky. You’ve got to have the word of God in your heart. Now, whatever you put into your body and into your mind is what’s gonna come out. The computer experts call it GIGO, G-I-G-O, garbage in, garbage out. Whatever you put into the computer is what’s gonna come out. It can’t work better than the programming. And the same is true in your heart and in your mind. You put garbage in your mind, and there’s plenty of it out there, That’s what’s gonna come out in your life. You put soul food in your mind, that’s what’s gonna come out in your life and personality. Now you can put in stuffing, that’s just stuff, there’s a lot of stuff to fill your mind with. You can put in poison, like violence and pornography and all kinds of evil things. You can put in brain food, which develops your mind, or you can put in the word of God. How many of you believe everything you watch on television? That’s what I figured. How many of you believe everything you hear on talk radio? I hope you don’t. How many of you believe everything you read in the newspaper and the magazine? How many of you believe everything you read in the Bible? Okay, why do we spend more time listening and reading what we don’t believe? What’s the logic of that? Do you know that the average New York Times weekend edition has more words in it than the entire New Testament? And I know people who think nothing of sitting down with a Sunday paper and reading it cover to cover, but have never read through the New Testament. You’ve gotta fill your mind with the word of God. To be happy, you wanna be happy? Everybody wants to be happy. To be happy, you have to have continuous input of the word. Look at the next verse. James 1.25, the truly happy people, are those who carefully study God’s perfect law that makes people free, and they continue to study it. They do not forget what they hear, but they obey what God’s teaching says. Now I want you to circle several verbs and words in this. I want you to circle the word study. Circle the word study. I want you to circle the word obey. Circle the word not forget, or phrase, circle the word hear, and circle the word continue. This is the secret of happiness. You hear the word of God, you study the word of God, you do the word of God, you obey the word of God, you don’t forget, you memorize the word of God. All of the things you need to do with the word of God are right there in that verse. That’s what it means to fill your mind. And what are the results of me filling my mind with the word of God? Two things. Look at the next verse. Jesus said, if you continue, there’s that word continue, the growth choice. If you choose to continue in my word, then A, you are my disciples. Indeed, it proves you’re a believer, proves you’re going to heaven. And two, you will know the truth and the truth will make you free. You experience freedom in your heart and you experience heaven for eternity. If you continue in my word, it proves you are my disciple. Many of you know, I’ve told this story so many times. In the second year of Saddleback Church, 1981, I went through a year of depression. I was depressed for an entire year. And I’m not just talking about, oh, I don’t feel good. I was down, down, doobie-doo, down, down. And it was a cloud over my head the entire year. My goal was not God build a great church. My goal was can I put one foot in front of the other? Can I barely get out the door? God, you gotta help me. And I was depressed for an entire year. And the only thing that saved my life during that year was filling my mind with the word of God and it rebuilt my mind from despair to joy. Let me explain it like this, inside your mind, there is a scale of the negative thoughts and the positive thoughts, the evil thoughts and the good thoughts, the bad and the good, and there’s a scale. And when you get more negative in your life and in your mind than you got positive in your mind, there’s a word for that, it’s called depression. Now where do these thoughts come from? Well a lot of them come from you, you’re telling yourself all the time, I’m no good, I can’t do it, it will never happen, I’m lousy, I’m a failure, I could never do that. You talk to yourself all the time, you’re your biggest critics. But then you get all the stuff in the world, all you have to do is pick up the newspaper and hear about all the bad things, the world’s going to hell in a hand basket, And you turn on the TV and it’s bad news. You turn on the radio, it’s bad news. And other people will tell you bad news. And you’ve got thoughts from your past that your parents and partners and peers and professionals all said, no, no, no, no, no. And when you get more of this, then you’ve got good in your life. That’s called depression. Now, how do you get out of depression? Well, one of the ways is you’ve got to tip the scale the other direction. And you gotta get more positive thoughts, more truth, it’s the truth that sets you free, not the lies. And you gotta get more of this and more of that. Every time you have a thought, an electrical current goes through the synapses of your brain. And you think that thought enough, it develops a rut in your mind, and you think, well, I could never do that. This marriage is never gonna change. I’m never gonna get married, on and on. And you get a rut in your mind, because that same electrical stimulus goes across your brain and creates a mental rut, and you get stuck in that rut. And the only way to change that mental pattern is what the Bible says in Romans 12, one and two, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. How do you renew your mind? Put more positive content in than the negative. Fill your mind with the word of God. Now, you got this negative here and you’re feeling down, discouraged, depressed, despaired, and you need to start putting the word of God in your mind what I did is I read through the scripture over and over particularly Psalms and I underlined it in modern translations and I wrote them on little cards and I carried those cards little three by five cards with me twenty four hours a day except obviously not when I’m sleeping but I put them in my jeans pocket and when I get up in the morning that entire year of depression I’d pull those verses out and I’d read what God says about me not what the world says And I’d turn it over, and I’d write a little prayer, and I’d read that affirmation about this is going to be a good day because the Bible says the Lord is with me, and on and on. And I’d pull them out several times a day, and I’d stop at stoplights, and I’d pull them out, and I’d read them. And when I was going to bed at night, the last thing I’d do is I’d read those cards. I kept them by my bed stand, and I did that. And over a year, what was I doing? I was transforming my mind. Now, every time you put a positive thought, the Word of God, on this side, the scale goes… And you gotta get more on this side than on this side. Now eventually, when you get enough truth in your mind, what God says about you, guess what? You’re gonna get to be like this. And when you get even, you don’t feel happy, you feel blah. You feel neutral. You’re not excited, you’re just not depressed anymore. You’re just in a neutral feeling. I don’t feel any good, but that’s… Then the more you put here, all of a sudden, you’re changed. And all of a sudden, you get up and you’re, I’m ready to face the world. I’m ready to take on tomorrow. I’m ready to go after my dreams. All of a sudden, I’m getting new creativity again. I’m getting new thoughts about life. I’m thinking, the rest of my life’s going to be the best of my life. And I start getting filled with the hope… and the faith and the love of God because I’m building my mind on the word of God. Until you do that, you’re gonna be stuck over here in the depressive side. How do I continue growing? I fix a daily time with God and I fill my mind with scripture and that sets me free.
SPEAKER 01 :
I love hearing Pastor Rick. What a great message. We also love hearing from our listeners. Here’s Rick with a very encouraging letter.
SPEAKER 02 :
You know, I love getting these letters from you. And let me just read one for you today. It’s from a woman named Lauren. She says, Pastor Rick, every day when I’m doing my routine tasks or I’m commuting to work, I’m listening to the Daily Hope podcast online. I listen and I re-listen and I re-listen again to all the messages, knowing the value that they’ve had on my life. Rick, these messages have transformed my heart from a bitter, hardened, distrustful place toward not only people but God to being in a place where I now have joy daily. I’ve got a joy that is not possible without God. And not only has my life been transformed, I’ve seen my family’s life transformed. Rick, it is through all that God has done and continues to do in this broadcast and through your life and ministry that my family has been transformed. I am excited to say that I’m now a donor to your podcast, starting with this paycheck. I’ve been so blessed by all you’ve given to us as listeners that I’m now blessed to give back. God bless you, Lauren. Well, Lauren, by the way, Lauren, if you were my daughter, you’d be Lauren Warren. Thanks for the encouragement. I’m so glad to hear how God is working in your family. And by the way, thank you for your contribution. It allows us to take this good news to other Laurens around the world and other people around the world. Your prayers and support matter. Thank you for listening. And by the way, everybody, God bless you. And join me next time as we continue to look into God’s word for our daily hope.
SPEAKER 01 :
Hey, if you’d like to support Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, just go to pastorrick.com. Again, that’s pastorrick.com. And really from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you so much for your support. Your gift to Daily Hope helps us share the hope of Christ with people everywhere. This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope and your generous financial support.
