Zondervan Blog

Pastor Rick Warren's Inauguration Prayer

Pastor Rick Warren delivered the opening prayer at President Barack Obama's inauguration. If you missed the prayer, here it is in full. What are your thoughts?

Rick Warren to Interview Presidential Candidates on National Television This Saturday

Rick Warren, bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life and pastor of Saddleback church, will be interviewing Barak Obama and John McCain on the nationally televised Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency Saturday, August 16, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. PST.

“This will be an historic event. Never have the two candidates been interviewed by a pastor in a church. It will be a great day for all churches, showing the importance of the local church being at the civil table,” said Warren in an email sent to fellow pastors.

Warren confirmed that, at the candidates’ request, this two-hour event will be held in a non-debate format and open to all media. Questions will be posed exclusively by Warren, and each candidate will converse separately with Warren for approximately one hour, beginning with Senator Obama as determined by a coin toss. This historic forum will be the only joint campaign event prior to each party’s national convention.

For more information, visit the Saddleback Civil Forum website (www.saddlebackcivilforum.com).

Cooperate with God's Pruning

Can God's pruning fail to produce? Sure it can, if we don't cooperate. If we resist, rebel, complain, or become resentful, our character will not develop the way God intends it to. God wants to develop nine specific character qualities in your life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. He produces these qualities by allowing you to encounter situations and people full of exactly the opposite qualities. He teaches you love by putting you around unlovely people. He teaches you joy in the midst of sorrow. He teaches you peace by allowing irritations all around you. He teaches you patience by allowing things to frustrate you. God uses all of those things to make you more fruitful, but you must cooperate with him.

—Rick Warren, God's Power to Change Your Life

Any comments or testimonies today?

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