Move Over Bob The Builder, Here Comes Rick!

Rick is building...

"At Saddleback church, we have a group of CEOs and business owners who are trying to make as much as they can, so they can give as much as they can to further the kingdom of God. I encourage you to talk with your pastor and begin a Kingdom Builders group in your church."  

~Rick Warren

"The greatest churches are yet to BE! Built on God's purposes by guys who learn from mentors. I intend to help them succeed" ~Rick Warren  2009

“Successful ministry is: building the church on the purposes of God”

Secrets to serving your generation in your time by Rick Warren

".... nine foundations are crucial foundations for real life change." ~Rick Warren Foundations of Change Part 2

The Purpose Driven Youth Ministry product description reads,that it is the

"The definitive volume for youth ministry today, detailing nine foundations for purpose driven ministry." 

Nice, but the scripture tell us:

 For no one can lay any foundation

other than the one already laid, 

which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11

 Rick Warren, he is building something and  he has a lot of TOOLS!  In fact his sermons are "tools" for pastors.... he intends to let them use his tool collection too, for a fee, some of them, are FREE, of course, but the really good ones, will cost you a small fortune.

Furthermore... if a sermon is put n the internet to be heard... a gift to the listener... to learn about and be drawn to Jesus and be saved, why does Rick have some he sells, while others are "freely given."
But most importantly, what are these tools for pastors and how does Rick expect them to be used?  

Oh yes, tools to help your church GROW.... (because two or three gathered together in Jesus' name (Matthew 18:20)  is simply not a "healthy" church to be?)

What about tools?  Welk, there are not only 

Three Tools Saddleback Uses To Help People Grow,  by Rick Warren

(article at  Christianity Today)

Yes, Tools, Tools, Purpose Driven Tools!   are everywhere, just waiting for small churches to purchase at high prices too... although some, small churches may get something at low cost, or no cost, and sometimes things are  free!   But all these things for pastors are intended to be utilized in building the church Rick Warren's way.


Build on the foundation of purpose, these  healthy products will "ease your preparation," and since they are from Rick, you can be assured that " Church members cannot help but be captivated" by the "tremendous examples of the preaching art, " as he tells us on his purpose driven freebie page.

His ministry,  Toolbox for Pastors  is the "pastors' community," a "place to share tools and resources you've found or created that have helped you in your ministry. In the future we'll be adding tools such as WordSearch training, an online interactive Bible, and other sermon preparation tools."

And "(If you would like to contribute your tools and resources to the site or you want to suggest tools or categories of tools you'd like to see here, please use the Discussions section of this group to communicate to the community. We'll take these suggestions into account as we develop this section of Pastors.com.)

 But what is he building? 
With all these ministry tools, outreach tools. organizational tools and strategies... d on God's church. you can bet it is something really, really BIG!  


But what tools does God use in building his house and how does he do it?

  Let's see.....

1 Kings 6:7 reads:

"The house, 

while it was being built, 

was built of stone prepared at the quarry, 

and there was neither hammer 

nor axe 

nor any iron tool heard in the house 

while it was being built."  NASB

Interesting.  Does it remind you of 1 Peter 2:5? 

Stone upon stone, this passage in Kings tell us that the temple of God was being built and no tool was being used while it was being built on the site.  All the work, all the labor had been done according to the proper specifications already, all the craftsmanship was done at the quarry where the rocks originated from... right there.  They were brought in ready for service and it was built this way.  

Meanwhile,  Rick is so intent on bringing all sorts of tools in to be used within the church to build (and grow) the church. 

TOOLS
        TOOLS
               TOOLS...



There are so many "tools" that one must certainly wonder, "What tools could you be possibly missing that have not been in existence for the last 2000 years?"  All kinds of tools are available for sale in Rick Warren's "Ministry Toolbox."  



A recent ad at Saddleback's webpage, saddleback.com advertises" preaching tools."... It reads, "Revolutionize your sermon preparation by using the library of tools that Rick Warren uses"

But wait, there's more..
  The many "tools" here: include:


 C.L.A.S.S. Materials, (Christian Life And Service Seminars) 

 ("Created by Pastor Rick Warren..... C.L.A.S.S. (Christian Life And Service Seminars) is a simple process for moving people from unchurched and uncommitted to becoming mature believers who fulfill their ministry in your church and their life mission in the world....C.L.A.S.S. is made up of four stages: Membership (C.L.A.S.S. 101), Maturity (C.L.A.S.S. 201), Ministry (C.L.A.S.S. 301) and Missions (C.L.A.S.S. 401). At the end of each C.L.A.S.S., members are asked to make various commitments to deepen their spiritual growth and increase their level of commitment within the church"

Conference Resources  (Like Radicalis, )."geared to help build a healthy church through effective preaching and implementing the Purpose Driven paradigm."

Here a tool, there a tool, everywhere a tool, tool.   He even sells Christmas tools.


(Search out the word "tool" on his webpages, there are plenty to go around!)


He is building
              building
                  building the church on PURPOSE  (it's new foundation, five purposes, actually, all  invented by Rick,    He even offers a two-year strategy for "breaking new ground, reaching new people, and building a new community of faith."

Make no mistake, he is building something NEW.


So,what tool do YOU use, what, in Christ, is it that you lack and what is you are building?  
Most of all, make sure you are building on a tried and true foundation that will stand.  

" In my two-day seminar on preaching, I just keep coming back to, ‘Now let's see how Jesus did it. Now, look how Jesus did it.’ You take the greatest sermon in the world — which is the Sermon on the Mount — and He starts off, ‘Let me tell you eight ways to be happy.’ Happy are you if you do this … You are happy if you do this. Then He talks about anger: don't get angry. He talks about divorce: don't divorce. He talks about worry — let me give you four reasons why not to worry: it’s unreasonable; it’s unnatural. He talks about all of these practical things and then He says, ‘Now, if you put this into practice you are a wise man. If you don't, you are a fool and you’re building a house on a rock. "

~Rick Warren
Purpose-Driven Preaching: An Interview with Rick Warren  by Michael Duduit